Karate A Lifetime Marathon
The benefits of karate are astronomical. It is by far the greatest gift I have received in my life. Karate allows you to stay centered. For instance, when you’ve had a hard day at work and you’re tense and really stressed out – You’re off center! When you train with me, you’ll work hard (your whole body) and clear your mind of all thoughts beyond what’s next in the training. By the end of the session your mind and body will be centered, focused, and completely relaxed again. You’re ready to take on whatever the world and life has to offer. All you have to do is accept this gift and train consistently. If you do this, you will reach whatever goals you set for yourself. I am passionate about teaching you and passing on what I have learned.
When you think of karate you usually think of that movie back in the 80’s (The Karate Kid) and maybe some of the myths surrounding it. “Karate is about fighting other people”, “It’s about tournaments and violence”; the truth is the history of karate has always been about self-defense but first and foremost about trying to stay away from violence or out of a fight. “Karate ni sente nashi” – There is no first attack in Karate. (Grand Master Gichin Funakoshi)
Here are some interesting facts:
1) Karate was practiced in secret, cloaked in classical Okinawan Dance. It was closely guarded by family members, teachers, and practitioners. Students practiced in caves in the middle of the night so as to not alert intruders to their island and as a way to protect themselves.
2) The development of Okinawan karate is strongly influenced by many surrounding cultures including, India, China, Japan, Korea and others.
3) Okinawa suffers a history of weapons bans at different times from the 1400 to 1800’s. Bans were placed on the people of Okinawa to keep them subservient and in check. Karate was developed in secret as a means for the Okinawans to protect themselves from intruders using the only weapons they had at their disposal: their bodies.
4) Karate came out of it’s veil of secrecy in 1904 when Master Anko Itosu brought it to the Okinawan public school system. It further developed in Japan when it was brought from Okinawa in 1922 by Master Gichin Funakoshi. Karate made it’s way to Korea in the 1940’s and to the U.S. in the 1950’s. It came to Europe and Russia in the 1960’s. (SOURCE: www.ShorinRyu.com)
