A reply to “What is really wrong with Olympic style Karate By Filipe Tsoy” From one of those annoying purists.
Recently I read a
very emotional article by Filipe Tsoy about his being upset that some of us
traditionalists or purists don’t like the system of Karate he was supporting.
My understanding is he does three different systems of Karate and he
participates/participated in the WKF Sport competitions. To be 100% upfront I
don’t mind the idea of a competition component and I really don’t mind even the
alteration of the Shobu Ippon rules I grew up with…that’s not at all what I
mind when you talk about the Kumite part of the practice….its other things that
tick me off. And having said that I would rather see WKF fix the issues I hate
and not have them just go away as some suggest we want.
“Sport karate” is not really a definition of
anything. It’s used in different contexts but it always means “the other people
that do karate in a way I strongly disapprove”.
Depending
on who you ask the definition of what sport Karate is may change, this I admit.
To most of us we are referring not to “competition” but to WKF rules
specifically. I think its sort of disingenuous to make that statement knowing
full well that most of us see WKF Karate as being sport and not just the
competition practice. It’s the rules and system or style not just the act of
competing.
Funakoshi quit his post at the Tokyo
University because he did not endorse his students to spar and run
competitions. He believed this was not what karate was about. Of course, this
was his opinion and he was entitled to it.
This
is sort of a funny thing to write. So,
Funakoshi Sensei was entitled to his opinion and apparently the extreme action
of leaving his post in opposition to something is his right…but we cannot have
our own opinion? Seriously, I have not
really met a lot of people who want to cancel “Sport/WKF” Karate, most of us
just don’t want our practice to be confused with the “Sport/WKF”
Practice…that’s our opinion and I feel we are entitled to it with out being
attacked for it. Funny how some people
scream oppression but oppress the freedom to have a independent thought of our
own when they get the chance. I don’t mind if Sport/WKF Karate exists, I just
don’t want the confusion.
As karate changes and evolves, some people seem to feel threatened by it.
Karate is not necessarily the way they know or knew anymore. And some seem to
have a point to prove. Thus, “sport karate” (meaning anybody that competes in
tournaments under WKF rules?) becomes the external enemy.
Karate rules changing for sport is not a new thing,
and most of us are not “threatened” by the changes or new rules. We don’t like
them and don’t want to participate in them, but we are not threatened. I don’t
see WKF as an external enemy in the least, I see it as a failing attempt to
bring many different systems together to compete under one roof and an
unfortunate bi-product is the homogenization of several systems to all compete
together.
Some even like to argue that shobu
ippon represents the real karate spirit because you fight for that only strike
that will finish the fight: ikken hissatsu. Amazing! Sounds so romantic, except
for the fact that even that concept has been introduced to karate much later
than its Okinawan origins and, apparently, was borrowed from sword fighting.
I think you are getting wrapped up in the
“Traditional = Old” thinking and the thought that the ideals of “Traditional”
Karate are somehow taken from “Ancient” practice…and it’s a common one on both
sides. Yah, its also a bit romantic, but misunderstood. The focus of Karate should be production of a
single technique that is almost perfect and could end a encounter. It also
focuses on CONTROL and use of techniques that could be produced in the real world. NOTHING I have seen of WKF tournament systems
(Locally at least) would suggest that the near Tae Kwon Do esk bouncing would
be useable in the street. Now having
said that I have seen some down right garbage Shobu Ippon practice as well.
Unfortunately, I don’t see a future for karate in the Olympics. I asked many friends who don’t do karate to watch parts of the competition and give me their honest opinion. People expect contact, Karate Kid fights. Not tactics. Kata is beautiful like gymnastics but too complicated for laypeople. But you know what? I’m ok with that. As a karateka, I would like to see karate in the Olympics every four years and cheer for people I know, but I do have a lot of karate to do inbetween. And so do we all.
I think we both agree on this one. The general
public want flash and pomp! They want the dynamic Chuck Norris movies and
Karate Kid Movie Karate that probably attracted most of us to Karate in the
first place. Kata is looked down on and misunderstood by other marital arts so
why do we expect them to be accepted by the public who know nothing. Our Kumite looks so much like TKD that we
honestly should not be shocked that its not accepted by the public. One of the best reasons to do Shobu Ippon and
really focus on the “Grounded” methods for sparring and the rules that separate
us from WKF is the fact that it would take us a step further away from
TKD.
Unlike some traditionalists I did watch the Olympic
Karate kumite, have not found time for the Kata yet, and I know exactly why I
don’t like the Kumite. The bouncing, the
slappy techniques over took the nice sharp, controlled waza. The athletes were,
for the most part, super athletic and I am sure if they worked on form most of
them would do well in what ever tournament they entered, WKF or not. My beef
was not with the, but the rules and horrible officiating. We saw clean points
not called while questionable ones went unnoticed. Nothing new in any
tournament but they are supposed to be better at officiating than some guy
doing a local Shobu Ippon tournament.
So let’s assume that 99% of what competitors do is bad or wrong. From their way
of training to the techniques they perform. In that case, there would still be
one thing purists and traditionalists could learn from them: Karate begins and
ends with respect.
This
is an assumption that we are the only ones being disrespectful, or that we are
being disrespectful at all! Most of us simply complain because the sport people
are saying how they will “Save Karate” assuming we want to be saved by them. It
would be the same thing as if TKD were to say they could save Karate by making
TKD more popular. No, we are more worried that our systems will be watered down
by people wanting to come in and just spar to get into the Olympics. And don’t
get me wrong, this is already happening. As a point of fact, in my home town
there is a guy who teaches a “KUMITE ONLY” dojo and even got a black belt in
“KUMITE KARATE”. He does not practice or teach Kata. His “Modern” Karate is
focused only on the art of Kumite.
Traditional
Karate has seen a lot of “Changes” and “evolutions” of its practice and name
over the years. We still teach what we were taught in our Dojos. I am one of those instructors who does not
fear or care about sport Karate and what its influence could be. If you train a student to move a specific way
and spar a specific way (no bouncing) and teach them well they will do well in
any situation. I think the WKF is a
tool, and needs to be tweaked and altered to stay alive. We need to stop seeing
people who are in one system applying pressure to alter rules in their favor
and we need to make it more open and fair.
