Karate as brain exercise.

Let your son do Karate, he becomes wise.

This is one of lesson of old time in okinawa, native place of Karate.

You may wonder, why Karate contribute children's intelligence? not body?

Most of parents who don't have experience of Karate tend to think Karate practice is very simple and easy. But the practice is totally different from other simple activities, like running, jumping and just punching.

In Karate practice, children need to imitate their instructors.
Many realize it is very difficult, even if they are body is strong enough to do instructors motion, but still is is difficult.
Because students need to "see" and "understand" then "move" their body as they see. They often don't understand the motion, or don't move their body properly. These problems don't come from difference in athletic ability with the instructor, but come from brain and nerve system.

"Seeing" motion and "understanding" is highly advanced brain activity, done by brain, not by muscle. And "imitating" is also done by brain and nerve system.
Top athletes have strong brain and nerve system, so they can control their body very well.

Therefore, brain and nerve system are trained in Karate practice, especially in Kata practice.
It is totally different from "simple" practice just children use muscle in simple motion.
 (Yes, actually most of sports activity need good brain, in advanced level. But Karate starts to need brain support from 1st step.)

Please don't think Karate is just a body training or for enjoyment. It is Body-Mind training.

Jodan-Uke defense against face punch is on Youtube now.

"Jodan-Uke" is one of the Karate basic defense techniques.
It is often called "Age-Uke" in some styles.

"Jodan" means upper level. ie, "Chudan" is middle, "Gedan" is lower.

This basic technique is also not practical technique by itself. But has potential to be improved into good defense technique with application.

Please try to practice for the while.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-9OIVkiVnn8Jhvyew9XJGw

Technique training. "Sonoba-Zuki"

Online Karate class channel

Sonoba-Zuki is most common and 1st step basic practice in Karate.

Sonoba means "staying in a place". Tuki (Zuki) is thrusting.

But here, most common misunderstanding for non-Japanese speaker is difference of "Zuki" and "Tuki".
Yes, actually, meaning is totally same. But when "Tuki" comes after some word, pronounce becomes "Zuki".
So, when we say just "Tuki", it is Tuki.
And When we put some word in front of "Tuki" becomes "Zuki". (ex, Jun-Zuki, Gyaku-Zuki)

We must be careful. Basic technique is just for learning. Not for use in self-defense situation.
This "Sonoba-Zuki" doesn't work in sparing. But we have to get important things here.

1, Don't make gap between your arms and body.
Your fists should go straight, and hit earlier. Even when opponent steps forward, this straight punch works well. So, this straight th
rust is important techniques against attacking enemy.

2, Hikite, Take your the other hand backward. The fist need to be on side of your chest.
Automatically, your body will remember proper position, and you can use more muscle in next Tuki.
And, punch don't hit the moving target so easily, in fighting. Therefore, you can catch his hand or cloths and punch, it is efficient technique. Hikite is for this practice, some masters said.

3, Turn your fist in the last moment of Tuki.
This twisting is very important techniques. When we turn our fists, muscles on shoulders and back also work. It means we generate large power by larger part of muscle. Especially, this is important thing in defense techniques.


4, Use full body.
Arms don't generate strong power. Power comes from the ground. You kick the ground and twist your body then transit it into arms and fist. This is also very important technique in Karate.
"When you do punch, use legs. When you kick, use your upper body". This word from old master says about this. You need to try to use full body part anytime.

Outline of Karate practice system

Karate practice is consisted by some different exercise. I introduce major practice.

1, Kata
This is most old and important practice of Karate. Karate doesn't have certain text book. Therefore old masters made "sequence of movements" as text book.
Students can repeat this sequence motion many times, and get skills what masters want to pass down. 1 Kata is almost for 1 min to 5min.

2, Basic
This Basic is created from "Kata". When some masters needed to teach large number of students, it was very difficult to teach them Kata at once. So masters divided Kata into pieces and taught.
It is almost impossible to teach 2 min motion to 20 students. But if he teaches only one motion to 20 students, it is possible. After some basic lessons, students almost know full part of Kata.
Actually, this "Basic basis" practice became popular from 100 years ago. (And it gave some good and bad influence to Karate).

3,Kumite
Kumite is practice for plural number of people. They do try their skills each other and improve techniques. Kata practice doesn't teach some important things, like timing and distance, so this Kumite practice helps Kata practice. But many masters said Kata should be 1st, Kumite "helps" Kata.
You might get idea like "sparing", but not only that, there are many way to do Kumite. Popular and safe Kumite practice is "Yakusoku-Kumite". Attacker and defender know what partner will do in next moment, in this Kumite. This practice is safe and both can improve particular techniques without injury. (Some dangerous techniques can be practiced by this Yakusoku-Kumite, like knife defense, too dangerous for sparing.)

4,Body conditioning.
Along with 3 practices above, some Karate practitioners do body conditioning from old time.
Training for muscle and flexibility.
Sometimes, they use stone to hit and tighten their fist, extra weight, and weapon to sharpen their skills.



Purpose of Karate training is not only one.
A, train body and mind. Practice 1 and 4 are good for this purpose.
B, Get self-defense or fighting techniques. Practice 1 and 3 are for this purpose.

We tend to get misunderstanding sometimes. "All Karate movements are for fighting", it is not.
Some movements are focusing on making strong body and mind, even in Kata.
This is why sometimes you see "strange" motion in Kata, when you think "how to use".

It is also true, without mind and body practice, we can't get self-defense techniques properly. So, we have enough reason to do Kata more and more.

Karate is name for tradition.

Karate is arts, not sports originally.
Yes, actually, Karate became sport too, but Karate as sport is not all part of Karate.

Arts don't have rule, but sports have.

This martial arts Karate didn't have certain rule 100 years ago.

Even today, we can see various types of different rules and competition. Therefore, Karate, the name is one, but it is not one title of sport activity.

Some schools are doing WKF style non-contact Karate, but some follow different rule of competition, like hard contact combat competition.

But they all are Karate.

So, what is Karate?

The name is for tradition.

Karate was created in Okinawa, by many people. The island has very good access to the rest part of Japan, to China, to Taiwan, and to South East Asia. Many people brought martial arts and body training method into Okinawa islands.

Okinawan people mixed those arts and formed Karate.

Because of this birth history, even in Karate, there are many different techniques. You can find each master's skills are a little different from others. (Actually, this is very natural. Because human bodies and tempers are not same between humans. So, skills should be changed. Big guy and short man can't use same technique.)
But the different arts are bound by the name of Karate, because they are origin place is Okinawa of Japan.

If one martial art has root in Okinawa, the art can use title of Karate.
But it has nothing to do with Okinawa, it can't be Karate.

For example, some masters are specializing techniques for MMA fighting. The techniques became different one from old Karate. But we can still recognize the new skill as Karate.

Contrarily, if someone made very similar martial arts to Karate today, somewhere in the world, he wouldn't use name of Karate, and we also don't think "he made Karate".

Therefore, the name of Karate is for tradition, not for rule and techniques. 

Online Karate lesson starting!! 1st lesson.

Online Karate Class with Hiromu Sensei blog is opening now.

I, Hiromu Kanamori is a Karate instructor from Japan, and was teaching Karate in India too.
Now I'm in Tokyo and Yokohama Japan, and have Karate classes there. I'm accepting learners from out of Japan, and travelers.

My experience with travelers let me realize one new idea for Karate school.
Karate is getting very popular today, even it will be in Olympic game, but there are no access to Karate class in some parts of the world even today. So, if I can share virtual Karate class on internet, it may be helpful.

We can find many Karate videos on Youtube today. But I can say, most of them are not for beginners. In order to get skills on Youtube, learners need basement of Karate.

When I was traveling in some countries, could find misunderstanding in Karate. Unfortunately, we Japanese people are not good at English. Many countries couldn't get direct lesson from Japanese masters. Therefore some lessons, especially connecting to culture or language of Japan, tend to be misunderstood.
If I can help more people to understand philosophy and tradition of Karate, will be great pleasure.


Karate has two types of training.
One is practice for 1 practitioner. The other is for plurals. Most of the other Japanese martial arts focus on practice for 2 or more people.
For example, if you try to learn Judo, you need to get practice partner to do good practice.
Karate focus on more for 1 practitioner.
Most important practice is "Kata" in Karate. It can be practiced by one. "Kata" makes our body and mind strong, and teaches "how to use our body efficiently". When you have done some Kata practice properly, you will be able to use your potential power, and be able to get self-defense skills or advanced techniques quickly.
I think basic and Kata can be learnt on internet. (However, I have to say, not perfectly, but mostly.) We can do major part of Karate here. (When the time comes, I may share some self-defense techniques, after Kata.)

Only fighting techniques and body exercise are Karate? No. One of the important aims in Karate is to advance practitioners mind and spirit too, like Yoga and meditation.
So I would like to introduce general lessons from Japanese masters, not only lessons of fighting, but also about manners or discipline.
You will be able to behave like advanced students in Karate class, when you visit Japan or Karate class somewhere, after my Online lesson.

2020 Olympic is in Tokyo. Karate is also subject of it. If your country is not ready for the Karate, I can help. Kata is also in the competition. If you want, I can visit your country and open Karate seminar.
Or you want to visit Japan? It's also welcome.


First lesson
1 Sonoba-Zuki Basic. Punch without step.
2 Rei  General lesson. Bow