Sensei here, wishing everyone well. It’s August, the kids are headed back to school and most people are looking forward to some cooler weather. I’m kicking off this revitalized column with “KARATE – ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE”. This was previously published in the TRAD AM KARATE TRAINING GUIDE, aka the BIG BOOK. It’s a think piece which I started writing while on safari in Kenya in 2005 and finished ten years later. Something new…I’m not the only one who will have a by-line here. We’re opening this department up to TAK instructors who want to contribute. If you are interested, send me a query via email to [email protected]. - Sensei FB
Karate is vast as the oceans and the stars in the sky. Karate can connect practitioners to the time-honored ancient martial methods and strategies while letting them enjoy advanced concepts and techniques attained through modern day technology and science. People can use the movements and teachings of karate and meld those with self-discipline and perseverance to cultivate enlightenment and peacefulness in their lives.
There are some key issues to consider as you make your journey through martial arts. If your goal is to train your entire lifetime, seek to practice karate’s postures and movements properly. Develop acute awareness of your body parts and bones and try to stack and guide those bones properly in order for your body to become strong and vibrant. Avoid blows to your head and damage to your joints and soft tissues. Those contraindicative destructive practices that violent sports reek of, lead to eventual weakening of the body and suppression of the mind’s instinctive concern for the health and welfare of others. Karate’s approach is to steer clear of aggression, carnage and conflict when possible, hence karate attempts to innervate one’s body and mind.
Karate is real well-rounded martial arts. Your focus can be on personal development, self-defense, martial arts performance, competition, fitness or all of the above. Karate is a great asset for parenting. Karate helps kids to have positive attitudes. It encourages cooperation, improves social skills and helps
cultivate a hard work ethic for school and at home. If your goal is self-defense know-how, become wise in ways of using the energy and force of both you and your attacker/s to your advantage. Gain insight into the differences between self-defense vs fighting. Learn to be grounded and strive to stay focused
and poised during any practice, competition or performance. Reap the benefits from the many cause/effect phenomenon one experiences from the dynamic action of sparring and practicing with partners, and, during kata practice. Karate offers many positive features to those whom self-discipline plays a major role in their lives. Karate done right is in a class all by itself. Karate can be anything you want it to be. – Sensei Floyd Burk
Karate is vast as the oceans and the stars in the sky. Karate can connect practitioners to the time-honored ancient martial methods and strategies while letting them enjoy advanced concepts and techniques attained through modern day technology and science. People can use the movements and teachings of karate and meld those with self-discipline and perseverance to cultivate enlightenment and peacefulness in their lives.
There are some key issues to consider as you make your journey through martial arts. If your goal is to train your entire lifetime, seek to practice karate’s postures and movements properly. Develop acute awareness of your body parts and bones and try to stack and guide those bones properly in order for your body to become strong and vibrant. Avoid blows to your head and damage to your joints and soft tissues. Those contraindicative destructive practices that violent sports reek of, lead to eventual weakening of the body and suppression of the mind’s instinctive concern for the health and welfare of others. Karate’s approach is to steer clear of aggression, carnage and conflict when possible, hence karate attempts to innervate one’s body and mind.
Karate is real well-rounded martial arts. Your focus can be on personal development, self-defense, martial arts performance, competition, fitness or all of the above. Karate is a great asset for parenting. Karate helps kids to have positive attitudes. It encourages cooperation, improves social skills and helps
cultivate a hard work ethic for school and at home. If your goal is self-defense know-how, become wise in ways of using the energy and force of both you and your attacker/s to your advantage. Gain insight into the differences between self-defense vs fighting. Learn to be grounded and strive to stay focused
and poised during any practice, competition or performance. Reap the benefits from the many cause/effect phenomenon one experiences from the dynamic action of sparring and practicing with partners, and, during kata practice. Karate offers many positive features to those whom self-discipline plays a major role in their lives. Karate done right is in a class all by itself. Karate can be anything you want it to be. – Sensei Floyd Burk
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