If you're thinking about different ways to learn how to fight, I'm sure that karate is one that has crossed your mind. And why wouldn't it? You've seen movie stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan perform moves that make you ooh and ahh. Here we'll look at where this martial art came from and the many techniques taught. We'll also take a good look at whether this fighting style will get you through a real life fight.
Karate's Past
As some people know, this martial art was taught in Japan. It originally came from the Ryukyu Islands which were later captured by Japan. It began to be taught after 1926 and people throughout the country of Japan learned this self defense technique. During World War II, Okinawa was an important military base for the United States, and also a martial arts hot spot. The US military soldiers enjoyed learning the martial art, movies were created, and the Western World started to glorify it. We, as Americans, tend to call most kinds of martial arts karate, although technically it refers to very specific forms and techniques.
Karate Techniques
There are many ways to learn this self defense. You can think of it as an art form, a sport, or a way to fight. The philosophy behind karate is to become a less selfish person with a clear mind. You can learn fundamental moves (called Kihon), structured forms that are almost like dances (kata) or learn direct contact and fighting with other people (kumite). The fighting can be choreographed or free fighting with points arranged and the winner having the most points. Grappling or grabbing an opponent is generally not allowed and the focus is on striking or hitting.
As you learn more and more, you are generally rewarded with a darker belt. Most places will start with a white belt and end with a black belt. To get a new belt, you'll have to prove that you've memorized certain forms, skills, punches, kicks and maybe even pass a test of physical strength.
Will Learning Karate Save Your Life?
As a general rule, I think that learning this skill is a good thing. The philosophy of cleaning up your life is excellent. You will definitely become more flexible and aware of your body as you train. But, will you quickly learn how to take down an attacker and leave him helpless? Not really.
Some of the main issues I see with applying the training to real life are:
1. One and done philosophy. Usually the techniques you learn focus on one or two strikes or movements, then you back away. This makes sense if you're having a friendly contest, but not if someone is trying to rape you.
2. Little emphasis on body weight. This one particularly gets me since many places cater to little kids. You're usually taught to stand in one spot and then punch and kick. Let me ask you this. If the girl in the picture at the top (about 13) punched you in the stomach, how would you feel? Probably kind of hurt, but ok. Now, what if she rolled her whole body into your knee? Now you're crippled. Unfortunately, you usually don't learn the right targets and how to hit them with your whole body.
3. Lack of teaching about targets. When you take a class, you might learn a few weak points on the human body that will cause pain if you hit them. Common ones learned are the nose and the groin. But, it's unlikely that you'll learn the body's reaction to these injuries and how to use them to your advantage. For example, I never learned that placing my foot above someone's knee and stepping on it like I'm walking up the stairs could easily break that knee and make the person unable to chase me anymore.
So, all of these things lead me, personally, to the conclusion that I wouldn't trust this training to keep me safe if someone was trying to really hurt or kill me. I like the philosophy of karate, but I think that it often gives people a false sense of security. You just don't learn to finish people to where they can't hurt you anymore.
In my mind, this is what real self defense means. You can stop an attacker from any current or further attack. Also, I want my kids to be realistic about what they could do to stop a potential kidnapper. Can they throw them around karate-style like they see in the movies? Of course not. Can they clap their hand over their ears and rupture an eardrum and yell for help? Absolutely.
Karate's Past
As some people know, this martial art was taught in Japan. It originally came from the Ryukyu Islands which were later captured by Japan. It began to be taught after 1926 and people throughout the country of Japan learned this self defense technique. During World War II, Okinawa was an important military base for the United States, and also a martial arts hot spot. The US military soldiers enjoyed learning the martial art, movies were created, and the Western World started to glorify it. We, as Americans, tend to call most kinds of martial arts karate, although technically it refers to very specific forms and techniques.
Karate Techniques
There are many ways to learn this self defense. You can think of it as an art form, a sport, or a way to fight. The philosophy behind karate is to become a less selfish person with a clear mind. You can learn fundamental moves (called Kihon), structured forms that are almost like dances (kata) or learn direct contact and fighting with other people (kumite). The fighting can be choreographed or free fighting with points arranged and the winner having the most points. Grappling or grabbing an opponent is generally not allowed and the focus is on striking or hitting.
As you learn more and more, you are generally rewarded with a darker belt. Most places will start with a white belt and end with a black belt. To get a new belt, you'll have to prove that you've memorized certain forms, skills, punches, kicks and maybe even pass a test of physical strength.
Will Learning Karate Save Your Life?
As a general rule, I think that learning this skill is a good thing. The philosophy of cleaning up your life is excellent. You will definitely become more flexible and aware of your body as you train. But, will you quickly learn how to take down an attacker and leave him helpless? Not really.
Some of the main issues I see with applying the training to real life are:
1. One and done philosophy. Usually the techniques you learn focus on one or two strikes or movements, then you back away. This makes sense if you're having a friendly contest, but not if someone is trying to rape you.
2. Little emphasis on body weight. This one particularly gets me since many places cater to little kids. You're usually taught to stand in one spot and then punch and kick. Let me ask you this. If the girl in the picture at the top (about 13) punched you in the stomach, how would you feel? Probably kind of hurt, but ok. Now, what if she rolled her whole body into your knee? Now you're crippled. Unfortunately, you usually don't learn the right targets and how to hit them with your whole body.
3. Lack of teaching about targets. When you take a class, you might learn a few weak points on the human body that will cause pain if you hit them. Common ones learned are the nose and the groin. But, it's unlikely that you'll learn the body's reaction to these injuries and how to use them to your advantage. For example, I never learned that placing my foot above someone's knee and stepping on it like I'm walking up the stairs could easily break that knee and make the person unable to chase me anymore.
So, all of these things lead me, personally, to the conclusion that I wouldn't trust this training to keep me safe if someone was trying to really hurt or kill me. I like the philosophy of karate, but I think that it often gives people a false sense of security. You just don't learn to finish people to where they can't hurt you anymore.
In my mind, this is what real self defense means. You can stop an attacker from any current or further attack. Also, I want my kids to be realistic about what they could do to stop a potential kidnapper. Can they throw them around karate-style like they see in the movies? Of course not. Can they clap their hand over their ears and rupture an eardrum and yell for help? Absolutely.
About the Author:
Worried about how you'll learn to defend yourself and your family? Visit my site all about how to fighthere. And, to get the full version of this article, visit here.
No comments:
Post a Comment