Archive for the ‘History’ Category

Karate Terminology

Friday, December 8th, 2006

On a homepage for a Shitoryu Karate Dojo I found a list with Karate Terminology.

I copy a useful part of it here:

Sensei – Teacher
Shihan – Teacher of Teachers (Master)
Soke – Originator, headmaster
Sempai – Senior student
Kohai – Junior student
Karateka – Student of Karate
Kumaete – Assume a ready position
Naore – Relax or return
Seiza – Kneeling
Kihon – Basic
Kata – Form
Kumite – Engaged hands
Hadari – Left
Migi – Right
Bushido – “The way of the Warrior”
Kime – Focus
Dojo – Training Hall or Place of the Way

Karate Do – Way of the Empty Hand

Yudansha – Black belt ranked students
Shomen – Front or head
Kai – Organization
Do Gi – Uniform worn in Karate
Hai – Yes
Iie – No
Hajime – Begin
Yama – Stop
Rei – Bow
Kiai – Sprit shout
Dan – Level or degree
Kyu – Grade below black belt
Zanshin – Alertness/awareness
Embusen – The footwork/pattern in kata

Dojo – Training Hall or Place of the Way

Karate Do – Way of the Empty Hand

Yudansha – Black belt ranked students
Shomen – Front or head
Kai – Organization
Do Gi – Uniform worn in Karate
Hai – Yes
Iie – No
Hajime – Begin
Yama – Stop
Rei – Bow
Kiai – Sprit shout
Dan – Level or degree
Kyu – Grade below black belt
Zanshin – Alertness/awareness
Embusen – The footwork/pattern in kata

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History of Karate – first links

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006

Karate - in Kanji - The way of Empty Hand

Two articles I will read more carefully tomorrow, I just save the links now (is almost midnigth now and I have to get up early tomorrow for a new working-week).

Karate History

Most Western students of Asian martial arts, if they have done any research on the subject at all, will surely have come across references to Bodhidharma. He is known as “Daruma” in Japan and as often as not, this Indian Buddhist monk is cited as the prime source for all martial arts styles or at the vary least, for any style which traces its roots back to the fabled Shaolin Temple. However, the question of his contributions to the martial arts and to Zen Buddhism and even of his very existence has been a matter of controversy among historians and martial arts scholars for many years (Spiessbach,1992).


History of Karate – What is Karate?

The art of Karate is a system of combat developed on the island of Okinawa. Karate may allow you to defeat an opponent by the use of striking and kicking. The students practice hard physical training to develop fighting skills.This training requires strenuous physical and mental discipline. Karate helps with the development of a strong character and builds a feeling of respect toward our fellow man. The study of Karate, therefore, may be valuable to all people, male and female, young and old alike.

The literal meaning of the two Japanese characters which make up the word Karate is “empty hands.” This, of course, refers simply to the fact that Karate originated as a system of self-defense which relied on the effective use of the unarmed body of the practitioner. This system consisted of techniques of blocking or thwarting an attack and counter-attacking the opponent by punching, striking or kicking. The modern art of Karate has developed out of a thorough organization of these techniques.

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