- What is Shoin Ryu?
- Why train in kata?
- What is Contact Kickboxing ?
- What are the benefits of training in the martial arts?
Shorin ryu is one of the major Okinawan Martial Arts. Sokon Matsumura was a renowned warrior of his time; he has been called the Miyamoto Musashi of Okinawa. However, while he is often referred to as the "founder" of Shorin-ryu, he did not invent all the components the style, and perhaps didn't ever call it "Shorin-ryu" himself. It is quite possible that he synthesized his knowledge of Okinawan arts with Chinese fighting styles that he learned on his travels and taught it as a coherent system to some eager students, who subsequently refined it, labeled it, and passed it on. (Highlighting Shorin-ryu's Chinese heritage is the fact that "Shorin" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese 少林, "Shaolin"; "ryu" means "school", or "style".)
There is not now, and perhaps has never been, a single unified school of "Shorin-ryu," although many dojo's use the term for simplicity's sake. Some of the best known schools of Shorin-ryu include Shobayashi-ryu, Matsumura Orthodox Shorin-ryu, Kobayashi Shorin-ryu (Shorinkan), Matsubayashi-ryu, and Sukunaihayashi (Shorin-ryu Seibukan), but there are many others, most with long and distinguished histories that trace back to Matsumura and his students.
Kata IS karate. It is the syllabus of any given traditional style. The practice of kata is analogous to studying classical music. Although a musician can create songs learning only a few basic chords, there is no doubt that a musician with a broad classical training can create music of far greater depth. The same holds true for karate studies. There is a point, reached very early on, that will limit all but the most gifted few cannot go beyond without in depth training. Kihon are the basic chords, kata are the songs. Once learned and understood, the practitioner has skill-set allowing greater variations.
Full Contact kickboxing is just that. When fighting punches and kicks are thrown where they make full contact. The kicks and punches are thrown at full speed and the amount of contact is determined by belt rank. Lower belts throw light contact while upper belts throw harder. When training there is no excessive contact allowed. Kicks are allowed to the thigh and lower leg but not the knee. The fights are fun fast and exciting and most of all safe. Kickboxing class is more intent on specializing on your stand up training. In this class you will focus more on your standing strikes (Kicking and Punching), incorporating full on stand up sparring with full protective gear. The only way to train to fight stand up is to fight. You will work footwork and striking skills on the heavy bags as well as live sparring.
"The Ultimate aim in the Art of Karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants" these are the words of Master Gichin Funakoshi, one of the men who originally introduced karate to the Japanese. Recited by students of his teachings around the world, they reveal the main purpose of not only karate, but of martial arts in general. A proper training in the martial arts has benefits beyond merely teaching one how to fight. It improves physical fitness, self-confidence, discipline, and focus, as well as teaching when to fight.
What may be the most important benefit of martial arts training is the increased self-confidence one gains while training. How you see yourself directly affects how you carry yourself, and that influences how others see you. A person with a great deal of self confidence is more likely to speak up and make their opinion known, more likely to stand up for themselves, and less likely to let an opportunity pass them by. A high self confidence is also an effective form of self defense, as a person who carries themselves with pride is less likely to be chosen as a victim than one who is timidly creeping along, hoping no one notices them.
With an average training time of two hours, two or three times a week, and the ability to practice almost anywhere, the benefits to training in a martial art far outweigh the costs. "Karate-Do strives internally to train the mind to develop a clear conscience, enabling one to face the world honestly, while externally developing strength to the point where one may overcome ferocious wild animals. Mind and technique become one in true karate"
|
|
