I am going to go over the Top 20 Misconceptions about Karate and other Karate related misconceptions that I have run into…I hope you find them funny and enlightening!
Common misconceptions about Karate
Black belts need to register their hands as lethal weapons!
This one goes back to the 70’s and 80’s when I started training and it CRACKS ME UP to hear it to this day! First off most people taking Karate are far more dangerous than when they started Karate…but not as dangerous as a Gun or other weapon and most would not fair as well in a street fight and would probably do better IF they had a gun.
The truth is that training in Karate, even if you are one of the elite, will not cause you to have to register your hands as lethal weapons…but it might be a great thing to say to potential muggers!
We wear colorful Pajamas with lots of patches!
I remember one time when I was training in the old Down town dojo and a guy showed up that wanted to train, seemed to know what he was talking about and Sensei allowed him to train with us at a noon class…He went to change and when he came out of the change room…after class had already started…he was wearing a Gi that was made from and American flag…guy was from the states by the way.
I also remember seeing Gis in old Karate magazines that were red, blue, black and even camouflage! I have seen Gis that were made for Demo teams that reminded me of the Power Ranger outfits on my nephews favorite TV show and I also remember seeing gis made of different materials…who can forget the Silk Gi that looked like a 1970’s porno wardrobe!
We wear white uniforms, we have only one patch/flair on them. The patch shows a association with a specific style or organization. We keep it plane and we don’t wear bright colors. Its not a fashion show! It’s a Karate class!
We fight a lot!
Some people are scared of Kumite, especially before they start training. Its one of the most common questions I get about training. The question is usually “do you get hurt a lot fighting”. The answer to that one is ….I don’t fight! I spar, which is an exchange of techniques with control. Yes, I get hurt a little, punched in the eye or a fat lip on occasion, but normally its more taxing on the old cardio system than it is hard on the face!
So, do we do Kumite a lot? Well, not really. Karate has a lot of different things that can be used in training and personally I like Kumite, but think that the study of Kata is far more beneficial to students. It should actually be an even split this way Kihon done 20-30% of the time, Kata done 40% of the time and Kumite 20-30% of the time. I also think that in the beginning it should be Kihon 30% and Kumite 20% and reverse that at black belt.
Kumite is important and nothing to be scared of, we don’t do like Kickboxing or other combat sports do and toss you into fight with gear on the first week. We use control and try to bring you up from basically being nervous and knowing nothing to being able to do free style sparring light and with control for a long period of time and enjoying your training. So don’t be scared of it. Learn from it and have fun…even the split lips and punches in the eye!
We scream and yell when training all the time!
The funniest things I have seen are some of the other styles doing open tournaments that do Kata and Scream like they are getting a no frills colonoscopy through the whole thing! They look like they are in Horrible pain and scream like banshee through the whole thing! Each move elicits a squeal or screech that can only be seen as them showing that they are in some kind of great pain.
Saw one on you tube and the guy announces his Kata and introduces himself with a speech before he starts off! He started off looking a tad constipated then broke into horrible screams and contorted his face like he was gutting a bull and not liking his hands in the sinew and bloody muck, and then started his worst Bruce Lee impression all while showing his Kata to be strangely like the execution of said slaughter house activities!
A Kiai, what the gent in question was trying to do, is a spirit shout. It is a burst of sound and air escaping the lungs and causing a shout….not a long drawn out wailing that makes everyone wonder if you just tore a groin muscle or sat on a spur/barb and its working its way through your Gi pants with every technique and move!
The Kiai is used to show spirit, to improve a techniques power and to shock an attacker…not as a way of showing spirit in a kata with EVERY MOVE. We don’t yell a lot in class, we do show spirit with Kiai, but not like they do on that YouTube video!
Karate is a religion or has religious attachments!
NOT EVEN CLOSE. I would say that its culturally influenced by those that started Karate and created the “ritual and tradition” but not religious. I had an argument with a guy that said firstly the fact that it had “ritual and tradition” made it a religion and secondly we were praying to false Gods when we bowed to Funakoshi and Nakayama….My come back was “Do you use toilet paper and take your shoes off in someone’s house”….He was a bit floored at my query till I explained that toilet paper use was a custom or tradition in the west and in other countries they had other alternatives for hygienic cleanliness after defecation and the act of taking your shoes off is a courtesy or ritual that we in the west and parts of the east have. If you lived in a desert country or a country that had dirt/sand floors then you would keep your sandals/shoes on in the home. Karate has cultural rituals and traditions, but not religious in any way!
In Karate we use Japanese/Asian tradition and rituals in our practice, such as bowing and saying the dojo kun is simply the same thing as shaking hands and stating some basic principles of training. I remember an EVIL institution I belonged to, we had to salute each other, say a oath at the end of meetings, we had a “LEADER” and we were forced to swear allegiance to the group and our country all the time. We had uniforms that we had to wear and symbols on the uniform to denote rank in the order as well as accomplishments and mementos of battles we won. We had symbols for everything and we had special idols that we brought out for rituals that we did to indoctrinate us into the group. No, I am not talking about my short stint in the army, or some religious group…I was in the cub scouts as a kid…I swear anything can be made to look evil if you really put your mind to it!
I have been totally discussed with two things in Karate when it comes to religion. People refusing to perform the demonstrations of respect because they say bowing is against their religion, when in fact ITS NOT! In no religious text I have EVER read, and I would charge I have read A LOT of religious texts…more so than some “faithful” does it say you must not bow as a way of showing respect or as a greeting or even as a way of just showing respect! In some cultures you DON’T shake hands and bowing plays a vital role in greetings. Its RUDE when someone say “I don’t bow to others” and stretch out a hand to shake hands.
The other thing that ticks me off is when Martial arts groups make others do things against their religious or cultural beliefs like taking off head dresses and they say “No head gear at all” and expect someone that comes from a muslim back ground to take off a head dress and compete, but put it back on when they leave. The ladies head dress in Islamic culture is very important and to be frank…would not interfere with any Karate I know of. One group had the ladies who would not remove it banned from the competition for their use. I also know of one instructor that would not allow a little boy to even train unless he took off his Yamaka!
So, while Karate is not religious in any way shape or form and the traditions and rituals are cultural and not religious, Karate also should not interfere with a religious issue as well. We can find ways around strict religious rules, but they have to actually be more rules than just “I don’t want to bow to the picture because I feel strange doing so!”
We train to kill people with a single blow/we can kill people with a single blow!
There is a big difference between training to be able to stop a fight with one blow and actually being able to do so! If we made it a mandatory requirement to be able to kill someone with a single blow….A) not many people would pass that test…and B) who would volunteer to be the test subject I need to hit and kill to get my black belt…and C) can you say JAIL TIME!
Seriously, there is a huge misconception when I say “Ikken hissatsu” because the direct translation is “single Punch certain kill” or to end the fight with one movement. This does not really mean “ to kill with one blow” as some suggest. It means that when you perform this technique you are sure you COULD end a fight with it or kill an attacker…not that you will, it refers to the intent of your training.
No one is sure that one punch or kick will end a fight, ever! They know their skill level but they don’t know if the punch will be targeting someone with a glass jaw, a normal pain level or someone that has been boxing their whole life and has a steel chin! But the intent of the technique is to end the fight with as efficient a technique as possible.
But no, I have never used Karate to kill someone….Yet! And Karate is not just about hitting people…we are far more than just fighters!
We break wood with Karate Chops!
I have actually done a lot of this…but not in class! And it always left me thinking…Damn that hurt, why did I do that? Breaking wood or Tamishiwara (Test breaking) comes from Kendo/Kenjutsu schools that did Tamishigiri or Test cutting with a sword. As many of the masters of Karate had strong Kendo back grounds you had a good mix of the training from those schools come into the training as well.
We also don’t call them “Karate chops” that’s a western term that started being used for Shuto strikes a long time ago. I have seen Tamishiwara done with Geri (kicks), Tsuki (punching) and various Uchi (strikes) and the most impressive were the shin kicks to baseball bats and punches through roof tiles! However, you don’t have to do these techniques to have good form and power. In fact its not even part of the standard training protocols for our clubs.
I once tried to kick a baseball bad being held by a friend and break it….little did I know that all breaking has a trick to it. With the bat you want to kick a sweet spot on the bat or…like my attempt…it wont work and you end up with a very sore leg. Most places that do Tamishiwara bake the boards. Take your average Tae Kwon Do club….when they break boards, those are not fresh from the mill, still kind of holding some moisture and hard as stone. They A) pick wood that can be broken easily, B) cut the wood a special way so the grain of the wood helps them to break it, C) let it dry out or bake the board so its dry and brittle and D) use physics to finish the trick! The spacers that they use to break 3-9 boards actually helps them mechanically to break the boards.
I once went to a Tae Kwon Do demo and saw them snapping wood like it was nothing, I investigated the wood and it was DRIED out so bad that I could snap it with my fingers. Pine is normally selected for Breaking as its made to snap and once its dried out it makes a great pop and even if you just drop it, the wood snaps.
Now while I was at the Demo I was kind of called out as I was wearing a JKA Tee shirt and asked if we do breaking, I said no…but said we don’t do magic or illusion to get students either. The “Master”, a 20 something guy with an impressive belt around his waist with Korean, English names and tones of stripes challenged me to prove what he was doing was fake. My answer was to get the 5 boards he was going to break…take the spacers out and said…now that would be impressive. It looked less “bulky” and I took about four to six inches off the height of the stack…and then I took the bunch of them and put them down on the floor…flat….and said…”go ahead…no smoke, no mirrors…Break them”. He asked got very upset and said, “Okay smarty you break them!” to which I told him no one can…no smoke no mirrors and the truth is shown!
Breaking can be a interesting and fun part of training, but its not required and we don’t only use the “Karate chop” to do it!
Karate builds better character in People!
I used to think so…but over the years I have noticed its not always true! I think it reveals peoples character and helps some see the errors or flaws in their character, but I don’t see training two or three times a week in Karate at a Dojo for three years or more as being a big Dr.Phil make over kind of thing.
Not all people in Karate have great character and I think the longer they are in Karate the more we get to see the character of each person. I think when people train in Karate the first three or four years you don’t get to see their true character…then around black belt you start to see what they are like. Will they be greedy and feel like they are owed something or will they be humble and work hard to help others?
I can think of two guys that show this extreme character deviation. One guy I trained with in East St.Paul was a super nice guy, kind of smarmy when he was a Kyu level student, he was so nice and complimented everyone, kissed butt and really made you feel good about yourself when he was coming up in the rank system…then he got his black belt and his real character came through. He became a bully, he pushed lower ranks around and felt like the organization owed him something and worse yet…he went from helpful and doing a tone of work for the instructor…to being pushy (even towards the instructor) and he walked around like he owned the place.
The other guy I am thinking of is Steve Burch, Steve was a quiet guy that kind of showed up one day and before I knew it he was a brown belt. He was not the kind of guy that jumped out and showed a lot of flash and flair in his personality or his techniques. Quiet, respectful and not to boisterous in nature, Steve was the kind of student you never thought would stick around because he was a bit of an introvert and he just worked hard in class and left without really “selling” his “I am respectful” “LOOK AT ME” kind of personality…But fast forwards to his black belt and the guy not only turned into a real leader but continues to show how much he respects his students, his peers and his seniors. The guy is someone I wish I could carbon copy a hundred of and run a organization with them.
Karate does not necessarily catch people young enough to really influence personality and character, but it does shine a light on your personality in a BIG way when you are under a microscope and everyone is looking at you.
Karate belts were only white originally and then as time went on they turn black with blood and dirt!
I have two things to say about this…One…..EWWWWW! and Two….NASTY! Can you imagine training day in and day out with a belt that 10-12-15 years later is so dirty and stinky that it went from white to black?
First off what the hell kind of training are you doing that the friggin belt goes black after years of training and secondly what kind of hygiene do you have that you put a slimy, moldy, black belt around your crisp white gi (I hope its crisp and white and not suffering the same dirty condition as your belt) and think that’s okay?
The answer to this is NO! That’s not the truth. The original belt system was created by Jigaro Kano of Judo, and we adopted it from him. The belts started off as juniors wearing white belts, intermediate students wore brown belts and senior students wore a black belt. Over time the Martial arts world, influenced by western values, began adopting color belts other than white and brown for the Kyu levels and there is a lot of differences in the scheme. Some groups use blue belts and not purple or both for 4th and 5th Kyu and some have different belt colors for lower kyus as well.
The truth is that if a student had a belt that was filthy, had been dragged through dirt, bled on and smelled of Cabbage and garbage with a small hint of BO I would ask them to launder it or buy a new one. Its rude to be that stinky and dirty in a dojo while training and really…who wants to train in dirty gear?
Karate is only for Kids now!
I hear a lot of this from Kickboxers, MMA guys and other martial arts instructors that want to put us down, and the funniest is a Tae Kwon do guy that runs a club MOSTLY CONSISTING OF KIDS CLASSES who says Karate is only good for kids…..thus making my argument that he is in the wrong profession that much more substantial!
Like all martial arts, Karate is what you make of it. Kids, adults, seniors can all benefit from Karate, with the added bonus that we don’t practice a high impact training program like some of the other arts do, so yes…it is good for kids…but its also good for adults, seniors…heck all age categories looking for a easy and fun martial art to train in are going to benefit.
There is only one right way to do Karate (Kata,Kihon ext) the rest are WRONG!
Not true! I remember going to a camp one year and studying Jion in a group of people. The masters (three of them) walked around correcting techniques and demonstrating form to us. I had One master come up and set my hands a specific way and demonstrate the technique a specific way, then he left and the second master wandered along and set my hands a second way and demonstrated an equally interesting approach to me…and lastly Tanaka Sensei came buy and shook his head and put my hands in a third position and showed me “why” again. All three high level instructors that do the same style of Karate and are from the same organization…..and do Jion slightly different!
I have also seen one instructor doing a Side thrust kick and the way he chambers the kick is almost impossible for a human being to do at full speed. Now he is a bit of a freak (in a good way) of nature and can do these kinds of techniques at this point in his life. But when I showed the move (or tried to) to a senior instructor in Ottawa he emphatically said no one can do that and its not even correct! I have also seen so many different forms and interpretations in Kata and Kihon that it makes your head real when you think only one can be right.
We may all have two arms and legs and be built similar, but we are all wired different and have different physical ability. This means that we will all look different and different is not wrong. Now that is not to say that some people DON’T do things Wrong…..but some logic must be served if you are to say something is wrong. Blocking with Shuto and having an outstretched arm is wrong…but as long as the mechanics and ideals are sound a technique is not wrong….even if it looks different.
The Dojo Kun is not important for those at higher levels, its mostly for kids and juniors!
Bunk, BS and Crapola! The Dojo kun is only NOT important to those that want to go counter to its teachings. Any time I hear of an instructor saying “I don’t teach the Dojo Kun” or “I think that the Dojo kun is not important in training and we only do it for tradition” I think…that guy is a sleaze ball that wants to hide his character from students!
The Dojo Kun is a set of guide lines set up to represent why we train, or as guide lines to how to be a more self-aware and beneficial human being. The five phrases give us something to think about when we interact with others. Its not an oath so much as a mental note on how to hold yourself to a higher standard. “seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor to excel, respect others, refrain from violent behavior” all basically state “Be a better person who cares about others and will strive to be the best person you can be! It’s a moral code that basically states you will attempt to be a better person..and that’s about all.
For those that say they don’t follow it…does that mean you don’t strive or believe in being a better person? Does that mean you don’t want to be excelling at anything…what kind of jerk does not respect others? And what kind of bully does not refrain from violent behavior? JERK!
All Karate instructors are zen like monkish people who live by a special “Code”!
Uh, yah…I’m a monk! Each instructor is different and has different personalities. In our small group I can honestly say we have four or five instructors who all have completely different personalities and different traits and habits….I would have to say NONE of us are zen like or monkish! Karate does not have a Code any more than being a cop means you wont break the law because of some kind of sworn oath.
Each of the instructors in the organization also have habits and traits that make them different. While some drink and some eat red meat, others don’t. I for one love dead cow and pretty much any meat…except wild game, but I don’t drink at all. I don’t think any of us smoke, but we all have different qualities that would not be Zen like. I don’t think Steve Burch has a temper of any kind but I know Dingman Sensei and I have bad ones. All different and none to zen in my books.
Karate will do lots of things…make you a wise Zen monk…not one of them!
Karate is ineffective and martial art XYZ is better!
Normally I get this from the XYZ guys or the nobs that watch MMA/UFC events and say things like Yah, any Muay Thai/BJJ/Judo guy can take a Karate guy or Boxing is better than Karate….Really, so the fact that the light heavy weight champion was Lyoto Machida means nothing to you…hes a nidan in JKA Karate! Or that fighters are FLOCKING to Dojos to pick up Karate skills because its something new that the wrestlers and boxers have not seen before?
The truth is that its NOT the style but the MAN that makes a style work for him. The style is a tool and each one has holes in it. In the 80’s and 90’s it was Jiu Jitsu is better because Royce proved it…then he went to Japan and was beat by a Pro wrestler! So, what you are saying now is Prowrestling is better than Jiu Jitsu? No of course not!
This argument is silly and totally misrepresents the whole idea of “which is better”. The problem is three fold. First Just taking BJJ wont make you Royce or Richson Gracie! Secondly…as you get older or out of shape a bit your style wont make you better than any man because you are simply doing that style and thirdly, every style has a set of weaknesses built in. For instance, put two guys against a Karate guy or a Jitsu guy…the Jitsu guy has a much better chance of getting beat up than an equally competent Karate guy. Introduce concrete floors with dirt and trash and you got other obsticles to your argument about BJJ.
What about Muay Thai and Boxing…well we don’t wear gloves and we kick…getting hit with a glove is a lot different than a perfectly placed set of knuckles to the beak! I have had fights with Muay Thai guys in the days when I went to bars and worked or drank…they are not some kind of warrior that you cant hurt and to be frank I actually did better against a Thai boxer than a regular boxer!
The style does not make the man/woman…it’s the other way around!
Students should be respectful and loyal, even if the instructor isn’t!
While I am all for students being respectful and loyal, I also have to say that I have moved beyond blindly following people in my life. Life is to short and I give my loyalty to those that PROVE themselves worthy of the loyalty. I am very lucky, my instructor proves himself worthy of my loyalty and respect every day! But I know of several instructors who don’t know what that means let alone being able to fake it.
Loyalty is something a instructor gets when they show that 110% of the time they put the student first, when they don’t do things that may bring shame or even a turned up eye brow to themselves, the dojo, the organization and students and when they do things with the student in mind all the time!
Respect is earned by giving respect, by showing your respect to others and by showing your students that you respect them by being nice, not putting to much stress on them and by giving to them what they need to succeed! You can not demand respect, you get fear! You can not expect respect, you will look egotistical and foolish! Short term you might get some forms of respect…or fear…that feeds the ego, but the whole thing will fall apart when the fear starts to leave students.
I have seen students that left my instructor talk about him with respect and admiration 20,30 and even 40 years after they trained with him….because he is loyal and showed respect! I have seen people 5,6,7 years after leaving a horrible instructor relive the hell they went through for the year or so they trained with them.
Students should show respect to those that earn it, and loyalty to those they feel loyalty to…and get the hell away from those other instructors that ruin martial arts for those that love it!
Karate is only physical and has not mental training to it or any benefits.
You get out of Karate what you put into it! And as far as mental training and other non-physical benefits…I have seen them with my own eyes. So this is not true. But if you treat Karate like an aerobics class then you get an aerobics class work out…if you treat it like a life style that will help you deal with stress and other improvements in your life…you will be amazed at what a good job it does at that!
I have personal seen what Karate training has done for my studies. I have dyslexia and when I had the hardest exams to study for…instead of backing off Karate to study, I did more Karate training and distressed, decompressed and did better on exams than I would have if I was all stressed out and tied in knots mentally.
I have also worked with kids that were training and had a variety of mental and emotional problems and without question or doubt, Karate helped them deal with these issues as well. Some issues cant be helped by Karate, heck many cant, but Karate can play a beneficial role in the lives of those that train in it if they take the right approach.
Samurais/peasants created Karate!
No not really. Actually not at all….Karate was created in Okinawan around 1372 by a bunch of court officials that were tasked with protecting the Royal family of Okinawa. Not exactly Samurai, they were seen as upper class, in fact, by comparison with the Japanese culture they were kind of above samurai in the pecking order! And they were far from poor working class people. Sakukawa Kanga (Karate Sukukawa) was known to be fairly wealthy and his family were well taken care of generations after he passed away.
Karate was created by a culture caught midway between feudal Japan and Imperial China! The rich dressed much like their Chinese counterparts but they adopted much of the Japanese culture. Actually Okinawa was not much of a military country by the time Karate was invented and the idea that samurai taught Karate was absurd! They used Jujitsu and weapons training and would see Karate as below their warrior lineage!
Oh, and the side jumping kick was not created to knock men off horses, can you jump eight feet in the air? How could a short Asian do the same? Be real, they were 5’4” on average and wore armor that weighted about 80-100.lbs…if they could do that you would see more Japanese NBA players!
The Sempai is God and the Kohai is scum that serves them!
Rank has always been a sticky thing with me. I see young brown belt pester and bully lower Kyu’s, debate who is more senior and act like asses when it comes to rank. I see Sempai (seniors) abuse the living heck out of Kohai (juniors) and use the Sempai/Kohai relationship incorrectly and throw the terms around like crazy in a bad way and wrongly.
As Sempai (senior) has but a few Kohai (juniors) and its more a relationship than set of titles. Think of Sempai as “Mentor” and Kohai as “Mentors charge”. The Sempai is charged with grooming and assisting the Kohai to be the best they can be. They play a key role in the Kohais life and often help them outside of the Dojo as well. They must make sure that the Kohai is ready for testing, understands etiquette and assists them in everyday life to…like school or work.
The Kohai is selected because of the potential that is seen in them or because they need more help in specific areas. Their only job is to do their best! They are not seen as being Scum or slave labor for the Sempai, they are seen as potentially great with some help.
The Kohai could be seen as a potential instructor or athlete or simply as someone that will help the organization out in the future. The Sempai has been around for a while and must now put their skills to test in training the Kohai to be better.
I hate seeing students fight and argue over who is the sempai or most senior, normally kids do this mind you! The truth is that having a piece of cloth around your waste does not make you any better than the next guy. One should not be obsessed with the rank of others or the skills of others, especially when thinking you are better or worse, you should be happy for all your training partners and realize that someone with more skills that you train with gives you a chance to grow, and someone with less skills gives you a chance to help them, and in turn grow and become better at teaching and thus again grow!
When I see brown belts bicker about who is more senior and must sit in line higher up or black belts, I want to rip their belts off and say they are white belts a now and will be such until they learn to behave! And when they are kids and their parents train, I want to do the same to them and tell them to teach their children manners and until they can…they are white belts too!
Karate is only good for family exercise and not for real fights!
My record of self-defense would reason this one is wrong too! I have had more than my fair shake of fights on the streets and in bars and only on a few occasions have I come out worse for it! My training has saved my life a few times and has led to many a pretty little scar!
Karate is great for family and exercise, but its not limited to it! Training is training and what you get out of it is what you put into it. If you suspect your instructor can only teach you sports junk and Aerobics then find a instructor who can apply Karate in a scrap…if that’s what you want. But remember that Karate and what it is used for/good for comes down to the personal wants, and intent! You cannot make a chi Wawa a pit bull nor can you make a introverted 90.lb weakling into a killer elite fighter…well not overnight at least!
My instructor/ Senior can kick your instructors/Seniors butt!
And…….I remember when a student of a Muay Thai Coach I knew from school told me that he (said instructor) could kick my butt! I said “and” and walked away. At the time I did not think anything of it…but the student went back and said I was bragging about how I would beat him up. It took about three seconds for the instructor to realize that the student was full of beans! But it could have been worse if I had not known the instructor personally.
If you were to come to me today and say “My instructor can beat up your instructor” I would say “well, my instructor is 71 and your instructor is XYZ…and I am fairly sure my instructor has no interest in fighting…so grow the hell up”. Fighting and beating people up is not the main point of Karate or other martial arts…Martial sports or Combat sports do hold this fact with importance, but you have to think….a muay thai coach WAS once very tough probably…but they stop fighting and they start teaching others…they don’t want to fight as well!
It’s a childish game to play and one that bugs the hell out of me. Most people are not in Karate or martial arts to prove how tough hey are…they just want to train and live longer….what would be more impressive to me is if a student said “My instructor will live longer than your”….now that’s a challenge!
