JKA karate
Osaka sensei visiting our karate school ki club.cool in Amsterdam on 30 June 2011
JKA karate
Karate is een krijgskunst met een lange geschiedenis, waarvan de oorsprong zich meer dan 1500 jaar terug in de tijd bevindt, in een Chinees klooster: het Shaolin klooster. Hier is in 520 door een Indiase zen boeddhistische monnik, genaamd Bodhidharma een serie oefeningen geïntroduceerd met als doel de monniken te voorzien van een fysieke basis om hun meditatie te kunnen volhouden. Hij leerde hen een primaire, prototypische vorm van een ‘bare-hands, bare-feet’ martial art die hij had meegenomen uit India. Bodhidharma is de grondlegger van zowel het zenboeddhisme als de martial arts.
Duizend jaar lang ontwikkelde en floreerde Boddhidharma’s Shaolin kempo in China. En het was deze methode die in de 13e eeuw ook de Ryukyu eilanden bereikte. Het mengde met de inheemse ongewapende krijgskunst bekend onder de eenvoudige naam Te (‘Hand’), en werd vervolgens Kara-Te (‘China-Hand’). De eeuwen daarna brachten vele grootmeesters van het Okinawaanse Kara-Te (karate).
Een daarvan was Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), de grondlegger van het moderne Shotokan Karate-do. Funakoshi introduceerde in 1922 het karate in Japan. In 1939 stichtte Funakoshi in Tokyo zijn Shotokan dojo en in 1949 werd de JKA (Japan Karate Association)
opgericht. In heel Japan groeide de populariteit van het karate, en vanaf 1958 begon Funakoshi’s JKA leraren naar Amerika, Europa en het Midden-Oosten te sturen om er het karate te onderwijzen en dojo’s op te richten. Karate werd ook een ‘big hit’ buiten Japan. Het verspreidde zich wereldwijd en groeide uit tot een internationale krijgskunst.
De eerste Japanse JKA sensei die in 1965 naar Europe kwamen om hier het karate te onderwijzen waren Kanazawa (1931), Kase (1931-2004), Enoeda (1925-2003) en Shirai (1937). In 1967 werd Miyazaki (1938 – 1993) hoofdinstructeur van België en Nederland. Ochi sensei (1940) komt in 1970 naar Duitsland, hij volgt Kanazawa op.
FAQ (Bron: official website JKA Japan)
What is the JKA? With members in over 100 countries, the Japan Karate Association (JKA), is the world’s largest and most prestigious karate organization. Recognized heir to the Shotokan Karate tradition it is the only legal karate entity officially approved by the Japanese government as an association of members for the promotion of karate. More importantly, the JKA is the preserver of the soul and the spirit of the art of kokufu–bunka karate–do, karate based on the ancient Japanese tradition of Bushido (the way of the samurai). Our mission is to promote the way of karate throughout the world, ensuring that it remains true to the philosophical precepts upon which it was founded. This has been our mission since the establishment of the JKA in 1949.
What sort of karate does the JKA teach? The JKA is the generally recognized heir to the Shotokan karate tradition as developed by Supreme Master Funakoshi Gichin, and teaches a specially refined form of Shotokan style karate.
What is the JKA’s philosophy of karate? At the JKA, karate is not a sport or a game of points; it is a way of life based on Bushido. In true karate, the body, mind and spirit –the whole person– must be developed
simultaneously. Through intense practice, the physical and mental aspects of karate can be brought together. The result is natural, effortless action, and the confidence, humility, openness and peace only possible through perfect unity of body and mind. This is the core teaching of Zen, the basis of Bushido, and the cornerstone of the JKA’s karate philosophy.
What are the benefits of traditional karate training? Karate has tremendous benefits for body, mind and spirit. Physically, karate is good for the heart, strengthens bones, builds muscles, creates resilience, develops hand-eye coordination, and makes the body less susceptible to sickness and injury. Mentally, karate helps develop patience, discipline, perseverance, understanding and open-mindedness, as well as concentration and focus. Spiritually, karate builds confidence, develops self-control and increases calmness and peace.
Do I need to be in excellent physical shape to start karate? Not really. Since karate will gradually improve your fitness as you progress, your starting point is less important than the effort you put into it along the way. At the JKA, our traditional focus on the basics and on correct form make it easy for beginners to train together with experienced individuals yet still progress at their own level of fitness and expertise. If you are less fit, your progress at the start will simply be more moderate; as your fitness improves, so will the pace at which you advance.
How long does it take to learn karate? It’s really up to you. The more you practice, the more you will improve – for your entire life. There is no limit to mastering karate, no “final destination” at which you can arrive. There are benchmarks along the way however. In the JKA, you progress through a series of belt levels (9th to 1st Kyu). After that, you receive a black belt, and progress through another 9 degrees of black belt (1st to 10th Dan). At these higher levels, you will see that karate is not just something to be learned, but something to be lived. And that takes a lifetime.
Tags: Shotokan