Feb 2 (edited) in Budō and Shotokan culture
Old JKA self-defense movie / A few words about self-defense
For your pleasure here is a rare historical film presenting self-defense techniques according to JKA Karate in the 60s. The film was directed by the legendary JKA chief instructor, the late Nakayama Shihan.
Since the beginning, Shotokan Karate has been primarily about self-defense.
The spread of Karate across the world and the influence of Western culture slowly transformed it to ultimately make Karate a sport like all the others.
And today, Karate is mainly practiced as a sport, with a logic of victory and defeat, and training has gradually evolved to adapt to sporting rules and be more effective for a competition perspective.
Thus Karate becomes poorer and poorer, losing everything that is not useful to the competition, from technique to mind.
It's logical, and even in Japan the most practiced Karate is the sports version of the World Karate Federation.
I remember my early days in Karate when my Sensei always told me "It's up to the competition to adapt to the Dojo, not the Dojo to adapt to the competition."
I truly believed this words, and I still do.
Because I think that Karate is much more than a sport. Of course there can be a sporting aspect to the practice, and in fact it can be a lot of fun!
But it's just a marginal side compared to what Karate truly is.
Shotokan Karate is a beautiful art, a way of being that is deeply linked in its core to the spirit of Zen.
And it is first and foremost an art of preservation.
Preservation of physical and mental integrity, preservation of health, peace and harmony.
Not only being able to respond to attacks in the street (and to be honest, this is not the main problem that people face in today's modern life), but also to learn how to be a better person, how to be in better shape and health, how to protect our loved ones and be a better example to them, how to grow as a human being, how to deal with life's challenges and chaos, how to get up after being knocked down by life, how to find balance in everyday life, how to support others on their own path, and how to create the life we deserve.
This is what I think self-defense is.
And for that my friend, to access this beauty, I believe that we need to train. I mean to physically train a lot, to train hard and very regularly, so that sometimes we push ourselves to our own edges.
Because of course, there is no better way to grow mentally and spiritually, than to challenge our bodies on a daily basis.
OSS!
Nicolas
5
2 comments
Old JKA self-defense movie / A few words about self-defense
skool.com/traditional-shotokan-community-6195
The home of Traditional Shotokan Karate-do!
Here no blue and red gloves! 😉
Karate as Budō, as a way of life, personal growth and enlightenment.
powered by