WSKS Council
World Shotokan Karate Sports Council WSKSC
wskscouncil@gmail.com +91.9874091619 Prof.Dr.Hanshi.Dibyendu Nag.
Many within the United World Karate Federation have contributed immensely towards the development of karate in many parts of the world, those that are currently involved with our organization have good reputations and are practicing karate-ka and still training everyday and developing instructors and students in their respective dojo, cities, provinces, countries and continents, besides the development of karate world-wide. other organizations similar to ours are run by karate politicians who have long traded their karategi for a business suit. What we see today is many decision-makers in karate are those that were last on dojo floor about two or three decades ago and many that are involved from a karate prerspective are only worried about the sporting aspect and have discarded the benefits of karate as martial art are not even promoting karate as a martial sport, but just a sport with no human face, winning at all cost and transforming karate into a game of tag. They are rarely seen in a dojo, prefer to go to meeting through the world paid by others and issue of corruption and manipulation rampant in world karate, but their dojogi’s are firmly to small, relegated to the heap of forgotten apparel and they will profess to be the true leaders of karate world-wide.
It has come to the notice of our organization that the President of the World Karate Federation has now sent a letter to all the WKF members to refrain from being associated with any style organization as these style organization are against the ideals of the World Karate Federation, and therefore a National Federations must only be involved in the WKF and only the WKF. The ruling will now affect many full time karate instructor, if accepted by the National Federation, and will definitely jeopardize the ability to make a livihood. This cannot be right as many style organization are private organization have their own culture and origins and nothing to do with the WKF.
This is the reason the United World Karate Federation was created to be different, not interfering with personal preference, not calling any karate practicing or loving person dissent, not interfering in styles and not interfering in dojos or countries. We only want unified karate and the development of our sport, styles, athletes and members throughout the world working in harmony.
Karate is today a universal sport practiced and enjoyed in possibility all countries under the United Nation, it is the property of all human beings and on one can attempt to take this away from us, it is the effort of every single karate person that has made this a universal sport, we must preserve its origins, we must preserve it’s history, we must preserve it’s benefits, we must protects its legacy but most of all we must protect its us ablility to be practiced and developed unhindered throughout the work with no imposition that it belongs to anyone group, it belong to everyone, who dares to practice and enjoy it.
The United World Karate Federation commits itself to fight for all these values and will continue with its quest to develop karate for all without interverence, discrimination, bullying, determining what is best for karate practitioners and lovers and most of all to unite in our passion to preserve karate for the future, we are not in opposition to WKF’s quest for OLYMPIC recognition or participation, but rather want a unified world organization towards a unified, developed, prepared and participating structure that bring the qualities of BUDO back into karate-do respect, dignity, loyalty, sincerity and human development, we train everyday we sweat everyday. We have not interest in the Olympic Games as we believe karate values will be destroyed once karate is an Olympic Sport, but also realize that many want karate to be an Olympic sport so they can use this to improve their personal capital worth and take themselves to greater sporting heights, this is their objectives and we respect this. Karate is made of many different people from many parts of the world, but one thing is certain we all speak the same language -KARATE, our preferences are different and this is understandable.
It is imperative that karate as an art and as a sport is preserved for the future generation. Today we have noticed that many older masters that trained with the founders of the so-called Ryu-Ha (Styles) are either incapacitated or have passed on. These masters have laid a solid foundation for us to build on and each one had or has his own peculiar preferences in their way and presentation of their respective arts, in many cases this was handed down from father to son and then to future generation in a family as inheritors of a particular styles. In the past 10 years many prominent karate masters have left us and we have seen break away from the original when the founder of inheritor has passed, this has also happened in the multi-style, multi competition based organizations as well, and this is proliferating karate and it is not good for the sport, for its future.
After 20 years of unselfish contribution towards karate unity within many karate structures and after getting back karate’s recognition in the International Olympic Committee, after karate lost their recognition, in 1988, after the World Union of Karate organization (WUKO), now World Karate Federation, failed to unite karate world-wide. The IOC 1010st Session in Monte Carlo made it very ceratin that all karate should be united into one organization, it was the IOC that gave the name World Karate Federation and not WUKO, so in fact WUKO usurped the name of united karate and this was a very illegal undertaking by the European Mafia of the WKF, the chief architect of this illegal aaction was the current President Antonio Espinos, his partner in crime George Yerolimpos and their merry men.
This the false history as published in the WKF website:-
“History
After several decades of rapid worldwide growth, several competitions started to attract karate athletes from several countries during the 1960s.
The different styles of karate, diversity of the rules and lack of unified protocols that govern any type of competition indicated a need to create an international governing body comprising unitedNational Karate Federations that could start to address these issues from a unified global perspective.
Ryoichi Sasakawa, President of the Japan Karate Federation (JKF) and Jacques Delcourt, President of the European Karate Union (EKU) jointly proposed a series of meetings that would produce not only the first amalgamated international rules for sport Karate, but also the establishment of the World Union of Karate Do Organizations (WUKO) on October 10, 1970.
Tokyo was the site where WUKO was inaugurated and where the first WUKO World Championships were held. Portland, Oregon hosted the first meeting of the fledgling WUKO Directing Committee, the objective of which was to lay the foundation for the future of unified sport Karate.
National Karate Federations recognized by their National Olympic Committees and Highest Sport Authorities soon became members and thus WUKO became the most important world governing body for Karate.
The integration of several new organizations during the 1990s saw WUKO membership increase to 150 National Federations. Therefore, a new name that would more accurately reflect the size and scope of the organization was needed. The name of the first International organization representing sport Karate was thus changed to World Karate Federation (WKF) on December 20, 1992.”
From this the WKF is trying to erase very important historically issues that is deliberately left out of all its publication as the current President wants “fill” glory for where karate is today, but unfortunately history is something that is there for all to see and it is very foolhardily for Mr. Espinos to want to write his own history for karate. What is aslo very evident that he has changed the constitution of the WKF to retain himself as President for life as the dictates ONLY allows those that are in the Executive for 8 consecutive year can ONLY qualify to be president. He has conveniently eliminates all of those that had this criteria besides some of his lackeys. It is really amazing what is happening in the World Karate Federation, Why is the IOC not putting an inquiry into Karate? As has been the case with Athletes and Soccer.
See legal attack by WKF on WUKO
It seems the WKF is not over destroying all karate further by spending money on irrelevant court action instead of using the money to develop karate world-wide and to unite karate instead of dividing it further and in our opinion is is what is destroying the image of karate, as we have more conflicts and less dialogue between groups.
History of Karate-do from 1990 to 2015
We have read the “new” created history of the unification of karate and the WKF Presidents role in this historic and defining moment in karate’s history, it is really not good human etiquette, when someone wants to rewrite history to make himself prominent and deletes the efforts of all other who shouldered the burden towards this road of giving dignity to World karate. You can see from the photos in this article there is no Antonio Espinos in these photo, that is because he was not there during the historic signing of the Osaka declaration, it was this historic meeting between two Presidents Delcourt (deceased) from WUKO and Nishiyama (deceased) from ITKF, together with their chosen representative Imtiaz Abdulla (active), Taikichi Mano (deceased) from WUKO.WKF and Rajeev Sinha (active) and Michel Crowe (retired) from ITKF, who were entrusted to get karate unified and accepted by the IOC again in 1995, thus the formation of the Joint Working Commission (JWC), when karate presented its best chance to be readmitted (Karate was removed from the IOC in 1988, due to no unity between the WUKO and the ITKF) into the IOC, as the World Karate Federation (WKF), actually speaking WKF is a merger of the WUKO and ITKF, organizations governing General Karate (WUKO) called K karate in the IOC statutes and Traditional Karate called T karate under the same statutes, so the WKF is a unification of traditional and general karate, but this is far from the truth. In 1994 in Kota Kinabalu, Imtiaz Abdulla was voted with absolute majority at the WUKO/ WUKO Congress as WUKO/WKF Vice President for Traditional karate and Antonio Espinos was voted unanimously as General Vice President so they had the same equal status in the WKF/WUKO. Previously, in 1989 the IOC drafted a set of statutes, drafted by its legal commission under the leadership of Keba Mbaye (Head of IOC Legal Commission) from Senegal, called the Principles of the101st Session decision which the IOC resolved that only in unification can karate be admitted into the Olympic Movement, as a provisional member then, as a full recognition sport and then as a candidate to be included in future Olympic Games, for Karate Unification both side had to fulfill certain fundamental issues before recognition will be given back to karate, for its inclusion in the Olympics. A clearly spelt out process of how and what needs to be achieved was presented to karate and then it was all systems go.
Sosai Kunio Tatsuno then appeared on the scene in 1994 as a very charismatic personality that was once a karate-ka and had just taken the sokeship of Seishinkai, a respected organization created by Shogo Kuniba who was a colleague of Mr. Ryoichi Sasagawa (non karate-ka) the founding president of the JKF, who was a prominent political and business figure in Japan, Tatsino was asked my Mr. Jacques Delcourt to assist in the unification of karate with the ITKF and Nishiyama in particular, Tatsuno needed this as he wanted to clean up his past image and saw this as an opportunity to redeem himself in Japan and make a name for himself in the world of Karate. Unfortunately he was naive and inexperienced and required much advised and schooling on matters of world karate politics, he then entrusted the advised of Imtiaz Abdulla and both gentlemen traveled throughout the world lobbying IOC members and karate leaders to give karate a chance of one day getting KARATE TO THE OLYMPICS. Little did they realise that this not what European Karate under the leadership of Delcourt and Espinos wanted, they wanted total power and at all cost without unification. They used this occasion, Tatsuno’s resources and this effort to get the IOC to return the provisional recognition, and when this was achieved the true objectives of what their intention was, was revealed, dirty politics, money and greed was the agenda. In 1998 a grueling election was held in Brazil where the incumbent President Delcourt decided to retire, due to an investigation in France about embezzlement of funds from the French Karate Federation and the contestation for President was between Antonio Espinos, Giuseppe Peliconne, and Imtiaz Abdulla this represented the group that wanted unity (Imtiaz Abdulla) and those that opposed unity (Antonio Espinos), it was a very clear position that the elections in Brazil were rigged from the start, the votes we loaded on the Espinos side, and candidates were paid for voting for Espinos, it was amazing that many countries that were not members we immediately given membership and allowed to vote. The voting audit committee was lead by Jacques Delcourt and his cronies thus ensuring a win by all cost. This resulted in Espinos purging all those that were a treat to him and the road is littered with corpses of this targeted and ruthless agenda of removing all records and all memory of anyone who was part of the unification or had anything to do with it. Thus today we read a history that is distorted and written to propagate a theory that it was Espinos and ONLY Espinos that got karate to the Olympic road. This is far from the truth.
For nearly 20 years, Imtiaz Abdulla and Rajeev Sinha, have been a part of the unification process where they relentlessly worked to unify world karate, but were always betrayed and sinister forces and methods used to derail this noble and important process for ALL karate in the world. As responsible and dignified persons with world repute and experience they decided after giving karate 20 years of getting Karate to the Olympics which failed, to recommit themselves together with Sosai Chodoin the person that sponsored Mr. Kunio Tatsuno, and encouraged him to fight and push for karate’s acceptance into the Olympic movement, their efforts where successful but high-jacketed by the Delcourt and Espinos camp, it becomes our responsibility to bring the truth before the next generation and to create a new clean structure to get karate unified, developed and presented for a pure and professional acceptance into the future Olympic Games with everyone from ALL karate formats competing just like Judo has managed to achieve.
With the historic signing of the WKF-ITKF Joint Statement led by Hidetaka Nishiyama (Chairman, ITKF) and Mr. Jacques Delcourt President of WUKO.WKF) at a duly constituted meeting in Osaka, Japan in 1996 for the unification of karate into one federation administrating all karate, the JWC (Joint Working Committee) was established with Mr. Kunio Tatsuno as its convener and Mr. Mr. Imtiaz Abdulla (WKF Vice President), Mr. Takaichi Mano (WKF General Secretary), Mr. Rajeev Sinha, ITKF Director) and Mr. J. Michael Crowe (ITKF General Secretary) as JWC Members. This JWC was recognised by the IOC and given the task of unification of world karate.
But there is a question as to why did Karate fail to make it to Olympics despite hard work of JWC who worked unanimously under the principles of 101st session document of the IOC?
Because ITKF was not ready for the dirty tricks of the WUKO European members and the Japanese were supporting the European Agenda, tis started a new partnership between Espinos and Sasagawa to protect their personal interest in karate world-wide. they will do anything to destroy United Karate and this is why the United World Karate Federation was created to stop this agenda and to unite all karate irrespective of origin.
Many within the United World Karate Federation have contributed immensely towards the development of karate in many parts of the world, those that are currently involved with our organization have good reputations and are practicing karate-ka and still training everyday and developing instructors and students in their respective dojo, cities, provinces, countries and continents, besides the development of karate world-wide. other organizations similar to ours are run by karate politicians who have long traded their karategi for a business suit. What we see today is many decision-makers in karate are those that were last on dojo floor about two or three decades ago and many that are involved from a karate prerspective are only worried about the sporting aspect and have discarded the benefits of karate as martial art are not even promoting karate as a martial sport, but just a sport with no human face, winning at all cost and transforming karate into a game of tag. They are rarely seen in a dojo, prefer to go to meeting through the world paid by others and issue of corruption and manipulation rampant in world karate, but their dojogi’s are firmly to small, relegated to the heap of forgotten apparel and they will profess to be the true leaders of karate world-wide.
It has come to the notice of our organization that the President of the World Karate Federation has now sent a letter to all the WKF members to refrain from being associated with any style organization as these style organization are against the ideals of the World Karate Federation, and therefore a National Federations must only be involved in the WKF and only the WKF. The ruling will now affect many full time karate instructor, if accepted by the National Federation, and will definitely jeopardize the ability to make a livihood. This cannot be right as many style organization are private organization have their own culture and origins and nothing to do with the WKF.
This is the reason the United World Karate Federation was created to be different, not interfering with personal preference, not calling any karate practicing or loving person dissent, not interfering in styles and not interfering in dojos or countries. We only want unified karate and the development of our sport, styles, athletes and members throughout the world working in harmony.
Karate is today a universal sport practiced and enjoyed in possibility all countries under the United Nation, it is the property of all human beings and on one can attempt to take this away from us, it is the effort of every single karate person that has made this a universal sport, we must preserve its origins, we must preserve it’s history, we must preserve it’s benefits, we must protects its legacy but most of all we must protect its us ablility to be practiced and developed unhindered throughout the work with no imposition that it belongs to anyone group, it belong to everyone, who dares to practice and enjoy it.
The United World Karate Federation commits itself to fight for all these values and will continue with its quest to develop karate for all without interverence, discrimination, bullying, determining what is best for karate practitioners and lovers and most of all to unite in our passion to preserve karate for the future, we are not in opposition to WKF’s quest for OLYMPIC recognition or participation, but rather want a unified world organization towards a unified, developed, prepared and participating structure that bring the qualities of BUDO back into karate-do respect, dignity, loyalty, sincerity and human development, we train everyday we sweat everyday. We have not interest in the Olympic Games as we believe karate values will be destroyed once karate is an Olympic Sport, but also realize that many want karate to be an Olympic sport so they can use this to improve their personal capital worth and take themselves to greater sporting heights, this is their objectives and we respect this. Karate is made of many different people from many parts of the world, but one thing is certain we all speak the same language -KARATE, our preferences are different and this is understandable.
It is imperative that karate as an art and as a sport is preserved for the future generation. Today we have noticed that many older masters that trained with the founders of the so-called Ryu-Ha (Styles) are either incapacitated or have passed on. These masters have laid a solid foundation for us to build on and each one had or has his own peculiar preferences in their way and presentation of their respective arts, in many cases this was handed down from father to son and then to future generation in a family as inheritors of a particular styles. In the past 10 years many prominent karate masters have left us and we have seen break away from the original when the founder of inheritor has passed, this has also happened in the multi-style, multi competition based organizations as well, and this is proliferating karate and it is not good for the sport, for its future.
After 20 years of unselfish contribution towards karate unity within many karate structures and after getting back karate’s recognition in the International Olympic Committee, after karate lost their recognition, in 1988, after the World Union of Karate organization (WUKO), now World Karate Federation, failed to unite karate world-wide. The IOC 1010st Session in Monte Carlo made it very ceratin that all karate should be united into one organization, it was the IOC that gave the name World Karate Federation and not WUKO, so in fact WUKO usurped the name of united karate and this was a very illegal undertaking by the European Mafia of the WKF, the chief architect of this illegal aaction was the current President Antonio Espinos, his partner in crime George Yerolimpos and their merry men.
This the false history as published in the WKF website:-
“History
After several decades of rapid worldwide growth, several competitions started to attract karate athletes from several countries during the 1960s.
The different styles of karate, diversity of the rules and lack of unified protocols that govern any type of competition indicated a need to create an international governing body comprising unitedNational Karate Federations that could start to address these issues from a unified global perspective.
Ryoichi Sasakawa, President of the Japan Karate Federation (JKF) and Jacques Delcourt, President of the European Karate Union (EKU) jointly proposed a series of meetings that would produce not only the first amalgamated international rules for sport Karate, but also the establishment of the World Union of Karate Do Organizations (WUKO) on October 10, 1970.
Tokyo was the site where WUKO was inaugurated and where the first WUKO World Championships were held. Portland, Oregon hosted the first meeting of the fledgling WUKO Directing Committee, the objective of which was to lay the foundation for the future of unified sport Karate.
National Karate Federations recognized by their National Olympic Committees and Highest Sport Authorities soon became members and thus WUKO became the most important world governing body for Karate.
The integration of several new organizations during the 1990s saw WUKO membership increase to 150 National Federations. Therefore, a new name that would more accurately reflect the size and scope of the organization was needed. The name of the first International organization representing sport Karate was thus changed to World Karate Federation (WKF) on December 20, 1992.”
From this the WKF is trying to erase very important historically issues that is deliberately left out of all its publication as the current President wants “fill” glory for where karate is today, but unfortunately history is something that is there for all to see and it is very foolhardily for Mr. Espinos to want to write his own history for karate. What is aslo very evident that he has changed the constitution of the WKF to retain himself as President for life as the dictates ONLY allows those that are in the Executive for 8 consecutive year can ONLY qualify to be president. He has conveniently eliminates all of those that had this criteria besides some of his lackeys. It is really amazing what is happening in the World Karate Federation, Why is the IOC not putting an inquiry into Karate? As has been the case with Athletes and Soccer.
See legal attack by WKF on WUKO
It seems the WKF is not over destroying all karate further by spending money on irrelevant court action instead of using the money to develop karate world-wide and to unite karate instead of dividing it further and in our opinion is is what is destroying the image of karate, as we have more conflicts and less dialogue between groups.
History of Karate-do from 1990 to 2015
We have read the “new” created history of the unification of karate and the WKF Presidents role in this historic and defining moment in karate’s history, it is really not good human etiquette, when someone wants to rewrite history to make himself prominent and deletes the efforts of all other who shouldered the burden towards this road of giving dignity to World karate. You can see from the photos in this article there is no Antonio Espinos in these photo, that is because he was not there during the historic signing of the Osaka declaration, it was this historic meeting between two Presidents Delcourt (deceased) from WUKO and Nishiyama (deceased) from ITKF, together with their chosen representative Imtiaz Abdulla (active), Taikichi Mano (deceased) from WUKO.WKF and Rajeev Sinha (active) and Michel Crowe (retired) from ITKF, who were entrusted to get karate unified and accepted by the IOC again in 1995, thus the formation of the Joint Working Commission (JWC), when karate presented its best chance to be readmitted (Karate was removed from the IOC in 1988, due to no unity between the WUKO and the ITKF) into the IOC, as the World Karate Federation (WKF), actually speaking WKF is a merger of the WUKO and ITKF, organizations governing General Karate (WUKO) called K karate in the IOC statutes and Traditional Karate called T karate under the same statutes, so the WKF is a unification of traditional and general karate, but this is far from the truth. In 1994 in Kota Kinabalu, Imtiaz Abdulla was voted with absolute majority at the WUKO/ WUKO Congress as WUKO/WKF Vice President for Traditional karate and Antonio Espinos was voted unanimously as General Vice President so they had the same equal status in the WKF/WUKO. Previously, in 1989 the IOC drafted a set of statutes, drafted by its legal commission under the leadership of Keba Mbaye (Head of IOC Legal Commission) from Senegal, called the Principles of the101st Session decision which the IOC resolved that only in unification can karate be admitted into the Olympic Movement, as a provisional member then, as a full recognition sport and then as a candidate to be included in future Olympic Games, for Karate Unification both side had to fulfill certain fundamental issues before recognition will be given back to karate, for its inclusion in the Olympics. A clearly spelt out process of how and what needs to be achieved was presented to karate and then it was all systems go.
Sosai Kunio Tatsuno then appeared on the scene in 1994 as a very charismatic personality that was once a karate-ka and had just taken the sokeship of Seishinkai, a respected organization created by Shogo Kuniba who was a colleague of Mr. Ryoichi Sasagawa (non karate-ka) the founding president of the JKF, who was a prominent political and business figure in Japan, Tatsino was asked my Mr. Jacques Delcourt to assist in the unification of karate with the ITKF and Nishiyama in particular, Tatsuno needed this as he wanted to clean up his past image and saw this as an opportunity to redeem himself in Japan and make a name for himself in the world of Karate. Unfortunately he was naive and inexperienced and required much advised and schooling on matters of world karate politics, he then entrusted the advised of Imtiaz Abdulla and both gentlemen traveled throughout the world lobbying IOC members and karate leaders to give karate a chance of one day getting KARATE TO THE OLYMPICS. Little did they realise that this not what European Karate under the leadership of Delcourt and Espinos wanted, they wanted total power and at all cost without unification. They used this occasion, Tatsuno’s resources and this effort to get the IOC to return the provisional recognition, and when this was achieved the true objectives of what their intention was, was revealed, dirty politics, money and greed was the agenda. In 1998 a grueling election was held in Brazil where the incumbent President Delcourt decided to retire, due to an investigation in France about embezzlement of funds from the French Karate Federation and the contestation for President was between Antonio Espinos, Giuseppe Peliconne, and Imtiaz Abdulla this represented the group that wanted unity (Imtiaz Abdulla) and those that opposed unity (Antonio Espinos), it was a very clear position that the elections in Brazil were rigged from the start, the votes we loaded on the Espinos side, and candidates were paid for voting for Espinos, it was amazing that many countries that were not members we immediately given membership and allowed to vote. The voting audit committee was lead by Jacques Delcourt and his cronies thus ensuring a win by all cost. This resulted in Espinos purging all those that were a treat to him and the road is littered with corpses of this targeted and ruthless agenda of removing all records and all memory of anyone who was part of the unification or had anything to do with it. Thus today we read a history that is distorted and written to propagate a theory that it was Espinos and ONLY Espinos that got karate to the Olympic road. This is far from the truth.
For nearly 20 years, Imtiaz Abdulla and Rajeev Sinha, have been a part of the unification process where they relentlessly worked to unify world karate, but were always betrayed and sinister forces and methods used to derail this noble and important process for ALL karate in the world. As responsible and dignified persons with world repute and experience they decided after giving karate 20 years of getting Karate to the Olympics which failed, to recommit themselves together with Sosai Chodoin the person that sponsored Mr. Kunio Tatsuno, and encouraged him to fight and push for karate’s acceptance into the Olympic movement, their efforts where successful but high-jacketed by the Delcourt and Espinos camp, it becomes our responsibility to bring the truth before the next generation and to create a new clean structure to get karate unified, developed and presented for a pure and professional acceptance into the future Olympic Games with everyone from ALL karate formats competing just like Judo has managed to achieve.
With the historic signing of the WKF-ITKF Joint Statement led by Hidetaka Nishiyama (Chairman, ITKF) and Mr. Jacques Delcourt President of WUKO.WKF) at a duly constituted meeting in Osaka, Japan in 1996 for the unification of karate into one federation administrating all karate, the JWC (Joint Working Committee) was established with Mr. Kunio Tatsuno as its convener and Mr. Mr. Imtiaz Abdulla (WKF Vice President), Mr. Takaichi Mano (WKF General Secretary), Mr. Rajeev Sinha, ITKF Director) and Mr. J. Michael Crowe (ITKF General Secretary) as JWC Members. This JWC was recognised by the IOC and given the task of unification of world karate.
But there is a question as to why did Karate fail to make it to Olympics despite hard work of JWC who worked unanimously under the principles of 101st session document of the IOC?
Because ITKF was not ready for the dirty tricks of the WUKO European members and the Japanese were supporting the European Agenda, tis started a new partnership between Espinos and Sasagawa to protect their personal interest in karate world-wide. they will do anything to destroy United Karate and this is why the United World Karate Federation was created to stop this agenda and to unite all karate irrespective of origin.
Allow me to take this opportunity in wishing all UWKF members a Happy New Year, as a person that has always supported justices and fairness for all human beings and having martial arts (Budo) as my foundation I will fight for karate unity for all karate-ka world-wide for a better World for all through karate-do. As you are all aware our motto is the U.D.P.P.P – Unity of all karate-do in one organization, Development of all human beings, Prepare all karate-ka for competition and life, Participate with fairness and dignity, Professionalism always doing your best even if you lose, but never give up. Peace is something we all cherish as human beings and karate-do is for the weak to protect themselves against the powerful. This is why we as the United World Karate Federation must always look after the weak and always challenge the powerful so that they don’t hijack our sport and art for selfish needs. I have mentioned many times on my TV program, JPR Television that karate world-wide must unify into one big fair non discriminatory all inclusive World Karate Structure. It is unfair what the World Karate Federation has done and it is very sad that we have no leaders in karate in Japan to challenge this unfortunate and very disturbing situation. But this will not be for long as we have to find that leader to get karate unified and presented for all karate and all karate competition formats in one organization. As you may be aware the United World Karate Federation is the predecessor of the United World Karate Association created by me in 1992, to get karate into the future Olympic Games, it was together with Chairman Abdulla and some other members that we got all karate together with the assistance of Kunio Tatsuno, someone I supported a lot, to unify karate according to the dictates of the International Olympic Committee in 1996 just before the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. After much deliberations and sometimes very sensitive negotiation we all managed to get the Osaka Declaration done. We really anticipated many good things to come out of this historic undertaking, but to all our disappointed, and after 20 years karate, still has not united and ONLY 20% of karate is in the WKF and the majority outside. This cannot be right!!
This is why after so many years of allowing the WKF to right the wrong, of the last two decades we are pushing again for karate to be united, it will be first prize if we can unify ALL karate including the WKF into ONE World Karate Structure, I am also disappointed in the leaders of Japanese Karate that have allowed this situation to get to where it is today. As the President of the IMOTO KAI Gi which includes Kanazawa Hirokazi, Higaonna Morio, Taro Arakawa who passed away in June 2015 after a long illness and we send our deepest and profound sympathy from all our members to his family and his many students, we are also sad to mentioned that we lost our eldest brother in karate, Kenei Mabuni Sensei who was at a ripe age of 97 when he passed away, we also send our deepest sympathy to the Shitokai and all his students, he was a loyal member of the Imoto Kai Gi and we will really miss his knowledge and presence. Also in our Imoto Kai Gi for Full Contact is Sugihara Masayasu a very prominent and dedicated karate-ka who is now based in Okinawa and has branches all over Japan and world-wide. All these individuals have dedicated their lives to the development and unity of karate-do throughout the world and have promoted their respective styles with distinction. We appreciate all of their contribution and we salute them for this enormous effort.
Karate is now a universal sport, although refined in Okinawa exported to mainland Japan and then to the world, karate can really say it belongs to the world as a gift from the Okinawan people, a peace-loving people with great passion to preserve their heritage which is now our heritage. Today we have many high ranked karate-ka that have also unselfishly promoted karate and its heritage, history and culture throughout the world. In fact many westerners are now more dedicated than even some Japanese and we appreciate all their efforts in making karate a universal sort and art. Ilja Yorga , Patrick McCarthy, Bob Taiani, Imtiaz Abdulla, our hard working Executive Chairman who I support fully as a brother and partner, Rajeev Sinha, and many others have contributed with excellence and budo spirit in everything they have done over many years. I must especially thank our Executive Chairman for really not giving up and totally focused and dedicated in getting karate unified, this has been a 20 year journey. When many would have decided to give in to the humiliation he suffered in the WKF he did not give up and pushed for the truth, dignity and fairness, through many barriers to get United World Karate Federation to where it is today.
Now we are in 2016 twenty years since we signed the Osaka Declaration and we are now more committed than ever to get karate unified, developed, prepared and let everyone participate in our sport and art. We also will be introducing Professional Karate this year in India and I want to thank Rajeev Sinha for this initiative in making this a reality. We will be having our Presidential Board meeting in Tokyo Japan, where the UWKF Executive Board will meet with the Shihan Dai and the Imoto Kai Gi to discuss and to explore the future of karate world-wide. This is a defining moment for all of us and we will keep you informed of the outcome. One thing is certain we have to take karate back from the “karate mafia” who are bent on destroying the history, culture and efforts of the past to control the future for themselves, we will not allow this to happen. I will not let this happen!!! this is why we are meeting to plan and strategize the way forward for all karate. This Presidential meeting was requested by our Executive Chairman as he felt it important for us all to meet to together get karate back to the karate people.
2016 also sees the introducing of the World Cup in Dubai another first and the team challenge in South Africa, a Japanese team will participate at this event, this will be a yearly event used to test and improve karate technically.
In conclusion, I want to thank you all for really putting UWKF on the map and in such a short time really shaking the world of karate and to give karate a better future through unity, development, preparation and participation in all karate formats, all styles in one organization, for those that have not joined this movement you are welcome to join through your respective national federations, lets forget the past and always remembers the preservation of the old ways with improvement of the future is out motto, it is now up to all of us to get karate to where it needs to be. This year will see the IOC vote in August 2016 for karate’s inclusion into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, although we are all excited about this fact, as it was this group that laid the foundation for this to happen in 1996, we must also push for total unity in karate so all karate loving people can be part of this achievement not just the 20% who are members of WKF. Lastly, I want to send a message to Mr. Antonio Espinos and all those in the WKF you cannot say you represent karate if you leave out 80% of karate outside, we ask that you also use this time to unify all karate into one organization, or we will have to change things to make this happen. You have to leave your selfish agenda at the dojo door and put you ego in your pocket and let the 101st Session dictates of the IOC be implemented with all karate enjoying the success of Olympic recognition as we did in 1996 and its inclusion possibly in 2016. This is your duty and the responsibility that was bestowed onto you as President of WKF, it is not yours only but belongs to all karate, it is for all karate people in the World.
We can be partners or opponents it is up to you to decide and we are prepared for both...!
Prepared by Prof.Dr.Dibyendu Nag. KARATE in OLYMPICbudoshin.karatedo@gmail.com +91.9874741567 olympicouncil@gmail.com
When one see the comments about the IOC Session decision to include 5 sports into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a sports and karate being one of them one realizes that the karate community in the world are an uninformed ignorant lot with very little analytical capacity. As you are all aware karate started as one united structure both in traditional Okinawan karate and today’s sport oriented karate. History tells us very clearly that karate was a synthesis of many martial influences over the decades with the Chinese influence, the Japanene influence and the various South East influences which evolved karate into what it is today. Actually speaking karate was one activity before the name karate was adopted and before that Tode or Chinese hand and previously called Ti, it was the effects of Itosu Sensei the great Okinawan karate genius and his vision to include karate as a physical education activity in the Okinawan school system, that led karate in the direction it has today. Before this karate was a effective form of civil self defense not just against untrained ruffians but also against fighting armies, when the Tokugawa and the Satsuma samurai invaded Okinawa and banned weaponry the Okinawa people went into secrecy and developed this civil empty hand self defense, although karate existed long before this, as they were a people that loved their freedom. After the introduction of karate, by Itosu Sensei into the Okinawan school system and deliberately after extracting the effective self defense application from karate, this set the foundation for karate as we see it today. What we see today which was exported to JAPAN and the rest of the world was “children karate”. Now this not a bad thing as the approached allowed for the survival of karate until today and made it very popular and contributed to its world-wide spread, without this I am afraid karate may have disappeared or it would have been practiced by very few. Take today the watered down styles that teach predominantly ” children karate” tend to have bigger numbers as members, as this karate is simple and straightforward. But those elaborate schools of deep study tend to have fewer students. This is a fact about other BUDO groups as well, kendo has much more members than kenjutsu and so forth and so forth. So we determine that in the evolution of many Japanese styles and especially those in the universities ” senior children karate” the students wanted to develop a competition atmosphere amongst themselves. If one looks at the various Japanese universities one will notice loyalty till they are in their adulthood. This is a matter of pride and it is in this atmosphere that one starts to understand the Sempai/Kohai system, seniors always push and control the juniors to a point of brutality sometimes, in Okinawan it was more a teachers disciple relationship which is very different to what Japan was used too. Japan is known to be a hierarchical society, and many wanted to shown off their group achievements. Besides there is a very serious rivalry between karate organizations and universities. This was the ideal environment for a further dilution of the old Okinawan karate and the exported ” children karate”.
One has to take into consideration kata was always the emphasis of the karate masters and their strategies and tactics of their styles were embedded in kata. Actually every kata is a fighting system on its own. In the old days students a maximum of two to three kata ONLY. Even Itosu emphasized kata in his ” children karate” practice.The only difference was the dangerous application was removed and his emphasis was only on physical education and development, most of the strategy, tactics and self defense technique which we developed to disable or damage the enemy were “hidden” and known by a few or even lost. So it clear that what was exported to Mainland Japan was “children karate” .
So the exported karate was further watered down when sport was introduced to the “children karate” from Okinawa, also as can we established through analyzing morgen sporting rules, a limited number of techniques we deployed into the sports system. Even the sports system was first developed under the “hitatsu ikken” mentality as an emulations as a sword men, that one strike should kill or injure and opponent, the strike we are suppose execute are to be at nerve center or organs without touching but with the intent to destroy, so we say similar to “shadow boxing with a partner” or shadow fighting. Again certain areas were forbidden and speed, distance and timing was the emphasis of this competition approach, there is evidence that this form of karate tried to emulate Kendo, and many of its rules have been taken from Kendo. Then came the introduction of karate into the west, the westerners were not happy with this “ikken hitatsu” mentality and they tried to bring in a more boxing approach but with a stop start methodology, a multiple point system was introduced in the late seventies and evolved into a multiple point system with more kicking and sweeping technique, which is the karate we see today, in the meantime another approach was developing, one where a group in Japan and America wanting more contact and more endurance. Knockdown sport karatewasdeveloped by including Amuam Thai approach and in America the contact karate with protection was introduced. All these started from Okinawan Karate and after Itosu Sensei created “children karate”. United World Karate Federation includes all these in its competition formats and includes all traditional karate kata Sao we are preserving all karate from Okinawa and Japan in one organization and one competition so we are the truly United Karate World Federation. A anyone can participate and develop themselves in all ways available.
So to the point both traditional Okinawan karate and other modern sport karate are essential for karate to survive, traditional karate from Okinawa would not have survived if “children karate” was not created because this allowed group training and mass participation, traditional karate has small dojos and one on one instruction is emphasized to teach the deeper understanding of self defense where as more recent sport is mass based and very simple and more athletic.
I have seem comments that some people only do ” we only do BUDO karate and are not interested in sports karate” but you are actually training and teaching “itosu’s Children karate” with your large group instruction, monthly fees and systemized kata practice and kumite prearranged teaching and calling yourselves authentic and the original BUDO karate. Who are you fooling there is nothing BUDO in your karate and with these comments you are bullshitting the uneducated and ignorant or maybe you are doing this to yourself and who are you trying to hogwash with you words. Only yourself, because you actually don’t know your karate history.
Sport karate and karate to the Olympics is good for all karate and we must embrace this like the BrucE Lee era was also good for the popularity of karate although Bruce Lee was kung fu practitioner, all in all we are either martial arts and martial sport, or just doing martial sport but think we are doing martial arts.
We can try as much as we want today’s society is nothing like the masters of old and one is not trying their skills on the battlefield daily for survival where they are using their skills in life and death situation, but rather teaching many on what they believe many work if the situation arrived. But on the sporting side we have pseudo situation of winning by selective rules without killing or injuring anyone seriously.
So really who are you fooling, maybe yourself, because you are ignorant and really are simulating what you learnt and believe this is the truth. The truth is in the kata and its analysis and the proof is its effects which unfortunately if used in its proper form and effect will definitely get you in jail. Think about this before you make comments about sport karate and traditional karate both are important for karate’s current and future development.
The situation that contributed to the karate division starts in the university system in Japan, as many have been constantly been brainwashed with that Funakoshi Gichin Sensei is the founder of modern karate, this is not correct. Funakoshi Sensei was given board and lodging at a university in Tokyo and for his he was given a janitors job so he could live. This is one of the reasons why Shotokan (Funoshi’s pen name) not the name of the karate ryuha, the students of Funakoshi who started this movement from the university were nationalist and wanted to have their own style, much diffrent and independent from all other Okinawan or other Japanese organisations at the time. The universities in Tokyo especially those students that founded the Japan Karate Federation (JKA). This group regarded themselves as an elite group was they had direct access to the nobility and high society in the Japanese system and most of these individuals were imperialist or nationalist. It is through this association that they had access to resources and also to decision makers.
The brainchild of the creation of the JKA was through Keio University and Shichi Tokudo, it is this high level contacts that got the JKA’s recognition by the Ministry of Education, which is a very powerful endorsement, which is still enjoys until today. The students of Funakoshi also were at loggerheads as their was a group calling themselves the Shotokai, then there was those that believed that the JKA was changing the original teaching and then the JKA which was changing the karate of Funakoshi to bring a more acceptable Japanese favour to the karate they were presenting to Japn and the world, this is attributed to the fact that the Japanese would not accept that they were adopting a Okinawan art, as Okinawa was regarded as not at their social level, and backward. This is also the reason that Funakoshi had to change the names of of the kata he brought from Okinawa and the kanji from chinese Hand to Empty Hand. Again, Japan was at war with China and anything Chinese was not acceptable to the Japanese. It was this university group that started experimenting with kumite matches, for two reason. One to introduce free fighting as a way to show their prowess and the other Japan was at war and needed to instil the Japanese fighting spirit into the karate practitioners. These were brutal times as many freshmen were treated under very harsh conditions for them to prove themselves.
One of the prominent karate leaders and the architect of the formation of the JKA was Masatoshi Nakayama and a very talented Hideki Nishiyama, many karate-ka or seniors were drated into the army and the training of the karate classes were still ongoing, but very unorganized and everyone tried teaching their own favour of what they thought was what JKA was. It was this that forced the JKA to systemise their teaching and instructors structure. The famous instructors program was developed for this purpose. It was always the interest of this group and their high level backers to expand their karate as the trues Japanese karate, and they needed envoy’s to expand this imperialist and nationalist agenda.
It is with this backdrop that we must understand that the division of karate started at this type, nit because of style difference but because of class differences. It is a known fact on Okinawa that Funakoshi was not a senior students of the system he train in with Ankoh Itosu, and all his other teachers. But he was a fairly educated person and this is what appealed to the Japanese. Most karate instructor in Okinawa were not highly educated and very few spoke proper Japanese at the time. So the class issue was a big issue and the Japanese needed a face for “their”karate and Funakoshi was the ideal candidate.
In the expansion of karate the JKA started teaching at the American Army camps during and after the war, this gave them great networks to expand their karate world-wide. But at this time the diffrence in approach between the JKA group and the Shotokai group and others that trained with Funakoshi was started to become a serious problem. Actually Funakoshi was against the introduction of sport karate as he believe karate was a martial arts and could be a sport.
Nakayama Sensei’s father was very prominent Kendo-ka and Kendo had already started developing a competition system, and a lots of the early karate rules came from Kendo, that is why the linear fighting approach and the long distance fighting emphasis, this was another influence in the current JKA system of maintaining and long distance between the fighting practitioners. The Shobu Ippon system or sundome system was what the JKA was developing from the Kendo influence of one cut one kill. .This transferred to karate as Ikken Hitatsu, one punch kill.
In part one we tried to explain the idealogical battles that were festering between the elite of the Japanese karate and the other members of the JKA. It is important to understand this as many of the expansion program for karate to the world outside Japanese started with this organisation.
In this quest to expand many senior instructors were sent as envoys to different parts of the world.
The Japanese karate group under the JKA also started forging relationship with many undesirable groups, like the Apartheid Government of South Africa, as Japan had a very favourable relationship with the Apartheid regime for economic and other reasons. Karate was an important sport for the Apartheid regime and it supported the JKA group very seriously and many South African JKA members were part of the Apartheid security structure. Many South African Karate-ka were allowed open access to the JKA headquarters and many South African karate-ka became prominent in the JKA because of this. In the meantime many indigenous South Africans that were not considered “White” we excluded from participation in this sport. A law was passed to exclude blacks from dojos and the government even went so far as stating ” That Karate was detrimental to be taught to Black people”, this was a statement made in 1968 by a serving Minister in the Apartheid Government. Dojos in South Africa were classified as White or Black dojos and the karate taught was different, advanced for whites and a form of rudimentary karate for Blacks,karate-ka could not mix, otherwise if they did they were prosecuted. Team that represented South Africa were reserved for White karate-ka ONLY, any black karate-ka was excluded an not allowed to earn National South African honours or colours, a case in point is Gen Popham, a person classified in the Apartheid South Africa as a coloured person, a person of mixed race, he was selected as he won the South African Nationals and beat all his opponents and was denied the selection or honours as he was considered black.
Many prominent Japanese instructors on they way to expanding karate to other parts of the world first stopped in South Africa before going on to other prominent locations. Many organisations also expanded from South Africa to other parts of the world. An example is the first group of instructor including prominent karate-ka such as Kanazawa, Shirai, Kaze, Enoeda travelled to Apartheid South Africa first before dispersing into Europe where they went on to become legends in their own right, they only taught white karate-ka and were denied teaching black karate-ka and all blacks were excluded by law from teaching the black majority. This is one of the reason that the white karate-ka where given technical preference and political preference in the JKA and other organisation. Secondly, example is the spread of Shukokai under Shigero Kumira, his first stop after Japan was South Africa and then to the United Kingdom and America. Today the prominent leaders in Shukokai are South African. Another example is the IOGKF of Morio Higashionna, first expaned into South Africa and then to Europe. Again only teaching white karate-ka. In the World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) now World Karate Federation (WKF) the same practices prevailed and white Apartheid South Africa was given preference over the black majority. In 1982 in the WUKO World Championship in Taiwan the a South African white team entered to participate at this championship. WUKO wanted to allow this team to participate but after much pressure from the African members, the Anti Apartheid Movement and the United Nations. A vote was held and the vote was won by 4 votes against allowing a white Apartheid team to participate. All the socialist and communist country stood by Black South Africa against the Apartheid Government.
In 1976 in Long Beach a South African all white team was allowed to participate by WUKO and at the same time a IAKF tournament was held in the USA and the IAKF refused South Africa to participate. It was WUKO that turned this around and blamed the IAKF as allowing a team to participate when they were the perpetrators, it was at this Taiwan Congress that the Unification of karate was starting to take its position. A Confederation was created to try to get karate accepted by 1992 into the Olympic Movement and into the future Olympic Games. Unification was paramount and the WUKO and IAKF attempted to get this started. But WUKO was not interested in unification but rather usurping IAKF into the WUKO. I was very instrumental in lobbying Apartheid Karate’s exclusion as the United Nations had passed a resolution at its Gleneagles meeting that sanctions should be imposed on Apartheid South Africa in all areas including Sport. A black-list was created and those that had ties with South Africa were sanctioned. This did not stop the Japan and some elements within WUKO, they continued to have relationship with Apartheid South Africa. The team that was rejected by the WUKO in Taiwan in 1982, was invited by the JKA to come to Japan and participate in a created international friendly between South Africa and Japan. Taiwan also had very close and important ties with Apartheid South Africa and they allowed a rebel team to take part outside the world championship in another created international tournament between South Africa and Taiwan.
So one can conclude that this practice of underhandedness and impunity started in the 1970’s and the networks and relationship continues until today. This is part of the reason the World Karate Federation is viewed in such a bad light by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its constitution is very close to a Nazi or fascist ideology.
White supremacist and non democratic practices and ideologies are encouraged to the detriment of democracy and karate unity and development have been a modus operandi since the formation of the World Union of Karate Organization and the other international organisations that started at this time. .
In part three we will outline the break in relationship between the IAKF and France and the Japanese backing of the European Agenda.
After the politics of the styles and the political establishment in Japan, two streams of power structures started emerging one group led by Ryoichi Sasakawa and the Other with the powerful JKA, other styes started rally behind the Sasakawa group and at this time the Federation of All Japan Karate Organization (FAJKO), was being encouraged for the unity and expansion of all karate, out of Japan to the rest of the world. It was very interesting that although the Okinawan Karate fraternity was allowed to demonstrate at WUKO and FAJKO tournaments to show the origin of karate, they were not given their place at the table so to speak or to make decisions affecting the way karate was being developed technically in the sporting arena. This is possibly one of the reasons why a majority of Okinawan Karate actors refused to join the FAJKO group. The FAJKO decided to divide the organizations into styles but ONLY into four groups recognised by the Japanese FAJKO faction, namely Shotokan (which included the JKA), Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu and Wado Ryu. Each representing a personality and a power base. Concentration of power was mainly in Tokyo and Osaka, with the Shotokan and Wado groups very prevalent in Tokyo and the Shito and Goju groups in Osaka. The Shotokan personality at this time was Masatoshi a powerful individuals with networks in the higher echelon of Japanese society and especially the political elite, Wado was represented by its founder Hidenori Otsuka, also a jui jutsu practitioner who has been in Japanese Budo before taking up karate under Funakoshi,, Goju by Gogen “the Cat” Yamaguchi and Shito by the Mabuni’s elder son Kenei Mabuni and Manzo Iwata , later the Seishnkai under the Kuniba family, originally Kokuba (Okinawan) and the organization was taken by Kunio Tatsuno after the death of Shugo Kuniba, Tatsuno and myself and some other colleagues where instrumental in gettng karate accepted back into the International Olympic Committe (IOC) in 1996, and its recognistion and final acceptance int the 2020 Olympic Games. Kuniba Shugo also has to wait to be Soke after his father passed away at a very early age, the organization was headed by Teruo Hayashi for a short time, Teruo Hayashi started karate at a very advanced age and was very open minded and travelled and polished his karate through intercation with other Okinawan Master through the introduction of the Kuniba family and through their family starting in Okinawan karate, he used this to accumulate a great deal of knowledge and trained with notably Okinawan Master, Nagamine, Nakaima and others, he also pusued his study of Okinawan Kobudo, he went on to create a very successful organization called Hayashi Ha Shito Ryu which was and still is very successful in WUKO and WKF.
It was this partnership between Ryoichi Sasakawa and the a European lawyer who was making his own inroads of power in karate by accumulating the European countries into a powerful European group called the European Karate Union which is purported to be created in 1965, first dominated by judo practitioners as Paris was the hub for the expansion of karate and judo. It is stated that Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Spain made up base under Jacques Delcourt that started the power play in karate as the agreement was that Sasakawa the shipping tycoon and the lawyer from Paris Delcourt decided to partner with each other to dominate World Karate. Sasakawa was to be the power and money man and Delcourt the administrator with his legal background and his understanding of sports politics and personalities in the western world. This was the perfect combination Although both gentlemen were not really Budo people and were rather politicians and powerful individuals in their own right. This started the karate fight for domination away from karate people to politicians. The first championship for karate was held in Paris in 1966 with the newly formed Nakayama from the JKA came from a family of traditional Budo people, his father was avery proficient Kendo person, nd he started to experiment in formulating a set-up of rules for karate competition as the university group was being criticised for too much contact to the face and also some deaths. He used the Kendo rules as a basis and this is why the first set-up of rules were based on the “Sundome”” principle of one stroke one full point. The first competition used the JKA developed rules and so did the FAJKO group, later this changed and this is also one of the reason for disunity in karate today..
Jacques Delcourt was avery charismatic individuals that practice a little bit of karate under Henry Plee and as stated by some under Oshima, who today runs the very traditional Shotokan America organization. He was the first to be sent to America to expand Shotokan karate but was more alined to the Shotokai group (outside the university) that a person responsible for the expansion of JKA and then International Amateur Karate Federation, Hideki Nishiyama. It has been related by a few commentators that Nishiyama went to United States under the invitation of Oshima, and Oshima decided to return to Japan for a short period and left the Shotokan organization under the care of Nishiyama, Upon his return he realised that Nishiyama has already taken the organization under his control and his caused a major rift between the two individuals. This is part of the problem for todays disunity in world karate. Nishiyama created the International Amateur Karate Federation in 1978 although he created the American Amateur Karate Federation in earlier. This is the another factor in karate disunity.
We shall continue this in the next blogs about the break up of FAJKO and JKA and Nishiyama and the World Union of Karate Federation.
Good governance and change should be what world karate needs after the 2020 Olympic Games. It is apparently clear now that it was Japan, Japan Karate Federation and the Sasakawa influence that got karate its first and possibly last appearance in the Oympic Games. But the narrative all along was that the Spaniard Antonio Espinos did this on his own.This far from the truth. The Espinos Samaranch factor was always the motivation used for karate to being the Olympics.
So let’s take a journey down memory lane and understand the situation and ask ourselves how do we assist karate to get back in the games after 2020. We shall do this is four parts.
History is a funny animal it is harsh on those that try to change its cause.
The World Karate Federation as we know it today was the World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) until 1995, this name was proposed by International Olympic Committee (IOC), at its Congress held in Monte Carlo called the 101st Session.
It was at this session that the Congress have asked Judge Keba Mbaye, a Senegalese jurist and IOC members to attempt to get unity in world karate by unifying the World Union of Karate Organization with the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF) into a unified organization called the World Karate Federation.
But the spirit of unification as required by the IOC was undermined by both groups. Firstly, the WUKO which I was a part of, serving as Vice President with the current President from 1993 to 1998, interpreted the unification as the ITKF disbanding and merging into the WUKO to form the WKF, so this would be giving up everything and simply being usurped into WUKO with a name change.
The ITKF understood unification as being a merging of equals. The WUKO did not accept this interpretation as they believed that they had more national federations who were members of National Olympic Committees and they should be the senior player. This was the first break down in the unity process.
The IOC did not assist very much in this regard to clarify the proper intrepretation and allowed the difference in interpretation to continue. Second issue of discontent was the difinition as crafted in the 101 Unification Statues where the designation of karate was divided into three designated groups. Will make up the new World Karate Federation. The definition was General Karate ~ karate competition formats as promoted by WUKO, Traditional Karate ~ karate competition formats as promoted by ITKF, those federation that did both types of karate and were already working together in their National Federation. Now at this time around 1988 WUKO did have more national federations, and this was understandable as they were the organization that was provionsionally recognised by the IOC.
WUKO received such recognition around 1978 and at that point had about 40 federations, surprising ITKF had a similar number of federations, but after the IOC recognition many countries decided to leave the ITKF and join with WUKOto get better government support financially and politically.
In 1995, a flamboyant Japanese karate lover Kunio Tatsuno head of a karate organization called the Seishinkai in Osaka, Japan, this organization had a sterling pedigree which was developed by the Kokuba family, a family that was regarded as karate royalty, in Japan they were known as the Kuniba family. Tatsuno assumed the Soke position after the passing of it’s previous head, Shugo Kuniba, who was residing in the USA, married an Ameican women and was expanding the organization internationally.
Tatsuno was a charismatic individual and usualfor a Japan and was looking for something to give him world prominence, he had a checked past and was associated with the under world in Japan. This new character was always going to clash with the established cabal in the World Karate Federation, especially the Sasakawa famiy and the European karate mafia under Decourt. Tatsuno portrayed himself as the new Saskawa. These two previous WUKO groups , Sasakawa and the European karate mafia were partners and they did not want a ” new child on the block” to come in and distrub their party which they were firmly in control of.
Delourt was also having problem of his own in the powerful French Karate Federation and the new emerging young turks led by Antotio Espinos and Francis Didier. Espinos started his ascension to power during the 1988 Mexico World Championships, taking advantage of the majority of Spanish speaking countries who attended this championships to start his agenda to take over. Many were not happy with Decourts handling of the Olympic issue, besides he and Samarach were not fans of each other. He was seeking power and was craftng a plot to get a mandate to take over the WKF.
The next championships was to be held in Granada, Spain, and Espinos being ambitions and crafty thought that he would be able to do a palace coup in his own country, but this did not happen.
Sasakawa resigned as President at this Coigress, at this time and Delourt was still in control and assumed the position as President, he was Executive Chairman before this. France was still a force in karate politically and technically, in 1992, but Spain was creeping slowly as a powerhouse, especially in the Spanish countries, Delcourt also relingusihed his position as President of the powerful European Karate Federation and this was the chance Espinos was waiting for and this chance presented him with a great opportunity to roll out his coup. He craftily used many people to ascend to the top in Europe, such as Mike Dinsdale, Gunnar Nordhl, George Yerolimpos, George Popper, and many more. His next aim was the WUKO as it was called then. The next chapter will deal with his sinister plot. Until next time keep training, uniting and developing karate in your own way.
All Karate loving people most probaly have now received the news that before even appearing in its first Olympic participation, Karate has been enclosed from the 2024 Paris Olympics. This has never happened before, most sports are given at least two appearances before they are excluded. The other 4 sports which we included with karate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game are still retained, so what is the problem?
In my humble opinion karate is rather disunited and the arrogance of the World Karate Federation and especially the underhanded and dictatorial manner of its President has always been a stumbling block for karate to be a major force with the Olympic movement, the second issue is the competition of karate is looking more and more like Tekwondo and to sort looking very similar to the untrained causes a dilemma for the IOC, thirs is the fact that the only reason karate was included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is that Japan paid for its inclusion, because of a powerful individual in Mr. Sasagawa and because it has a culture heritage with Japan. Although the majority of the Okinawa Karate fraternity are not part of the Japan Karate Federation (JKF), the affiliate of the World Karate Federation (WKF). Okinawa is considered the birthplace of karate and many of its senior leaders are not entirely happy the way karate is developing or portrayed today.
I together with many others were very instrumental in getting karate accepted back into the Olympic Movement in 1996, after a feud between the then World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) and International Traditional Karate Federation, forced the International Olympic Committee to terminate the membership of the WUKO, because of a very serious issue of unity in karate. After much discussion and consultation the IOC developed a constitution which asked both bodies to created a new organization the World Karate Federation. Due to machination and very underhanded practices the WUKO unilaterally changed its name and usurped the unity process and blamed the whole process on the ITKF, there is some truth to this as the relationship between both organization was not a the best. It took a great deal of unbiased and fair treatment from impartial individuals to get the both parties to agree on a roadmap called the joint Working Commission, appointed by both bodies and endorsed by the IOC. It was this historic unity agreement signed in Osaka between the two feuding bodies that pushed the IOC to give provisional recognition to World Karate Federation (which was to include both bodies). This happened during the Atlanta Olympic Games. It must be stated that at this time Mr. Espinos the ow President of WKF was not involved in this process or normalization of karate’s membership back to the IOC.
But once this was achieved we saw a different group led by Espinos,bent on taking power away from the Jacques Delcourt faction, and implementing a purge strategy of getting rid of all individual that successfully got karate back its recognition or anyone that had a intellectual memory of the previous WUKO. A very concerned effort by a group led by Espinos started pushing for the removal of Delcourt and his faction. At the Congress of Granda in 1992, the die was set for this strategy to take effect as the host of this this competition was Spain and Espinos as its President. The actual start6egy came to the fore when the 1994 Kota Kinabalu Congress was held, Delcourt did not appear and he gave a explaining that he was ill and that an unknown Espinos, should chair the meeting. Ignoring all other senior members of WUKO, Fritz Wendland, George Popper, Adnan
Cateriski. George Anderson, Nader Sherif, and other senior individuals who had many more years of experience were sidelined and the Espinos group started the implementation of their startegy to take over the WUKO. It was at this Congress that I was elected the Vice President and so was Espinos we were the same level of seniority. But, I refused to be controlled by the Espinos faction and this started the conflict. In Espinos modus modes operandi you must be totally subservient to the Espinos (the Boos or sometimes things he is the Pope) and you must act as a cardinal without question anything that does not suit his opinion or direction. If one scans back to history one will see how systematically he has eliminated everyone of those that challenged or differed with him. The last episode was when his closest ally and one who did most of his dirty bidding, Geroge Yerolimpos was kick out of the WKF for differing with Espinos approach to the Olympic staregy and the spending of valuable resources with hand picked Spanish companies, who many say are extraction machines for Espinos. Espinos was civil engineer and worked as a General manager in a Spanish Construction company with no prospect of promotion. Today he is Executive President that works full-time for the WKF, where does he get the money to survive? There are many rumors about how he has very craftily installed his own group through the world that does his business bidding in many avenues of the WKF procurement and qualification. The carrot and stick method is used and Espinos is always the benefactor of this spoils.
This practice has been known by the IOC and they don’t like scandals and especially regarding a sport that is the Olympic program, this is their most valuable asset and they will allow it to be tarnished by a insignificant and non money producing sport like karate. So today after much hard work karate is back to where it was before, it is going to be difficult to get back in the Olympic program, and in my humble opinion the ONLY way to get this back on track is to unify all karate irrespective from why and what approach and fair development of all countries, without the corruption of the last Olympic exercise, were is cost between $35 000 to $40 000 per year to be even considered for selection, also it is imperative that you are ranked and from a Espinos friendly country.
It is a sad day for karate but maybe it is for the better of the sport and art that it was excluded because it was allowed to continue the arrogance and underhandedness would have continued.
Budoshin Karate-Do International. (BKDI) is a nodal agency of martial arts unincorporated to the United Nation Institute for Training And Research. (unitar). Established under the reform of the International Olympic Council. (IOC) revised since 1991. Prof.Dr.Hanshi.Dibyendu Nag. the President of the Budoshin Karate-Do International. (BKDI) who have started his carrier in martial arts back to the vintage of Kenpo Karate 1975_1976. O_Sensei Doka Miro was an abortogenics master having a lineage with O-Sensei Ed Parker & Elvis Presley. Prof.Dr.Hanshi.Dibyendu Nag also goes through BUDOKAI Karate with O-Sensei RVT Mani & a direct disciple of BUDOKAN Karate with O-Sensei C.S.Chew he is having a vast knowledge in all Budokai, Budokan & Budoryu (BUDO) (SHIN) have being created by Prof.Nag 'BUDO' means Martial Ways and 'SHIN' meaning Truth. BUDOSHIN KARATE-DO INTERNATIONAL is the main source to include "KARATE" in Olympics. Dr.Nag have also gone through rigorous with Budoshin Jujitsu and achieved his Shachidan. He is the Founder of the Budoshin Karatedo International...more
KARATE HAD ITS ORIGIN IN INDIA
It is believed that about 5000 years ago a prince of Kanchipuram (Tamilnadu - India) developed the first crude version of weaponless self defence, by watching the movements of animals and birds while they fought. He applied these movements to the human body and discovered that these movements could be effectively exploited. The Prince, then experimented on 1000 slaves, to discover the weaker parts of the human body, where even a puncture with a needle could kill the victim. The prince then used the techniques that he had found successful and directed them at the weaker parts of the human body and perfected the first known art of weaponless, self defence.
Bolidharma, (known as Daruma Taishi to the Japanese) a Buddhist monk, learnt the technique of Weaponless self defence while in India, and imparted training to his monks in China. In Tamil - Karam means hand & in Japanese Karate means Empty (Kara) and Hand (te). It is a system of attack and defence that uses all parts of the body (hands, feet, elbows, fingers, etc.,) to kick, punch, chop, butt, or any other move that is effective in defending ones self. Many of these movements may seem odd to the average person, but one must bear in mind that these have been analysed and geometrically calculated so that whatever the action, a block or a punch, it is the maximum the human body can achieve. One learns that it is not the size and strength alone that wins rather it is the speed and power that are the deciding factors in making one victorious .
True KARATE is a Physical Art, a Technique of Weaponless Self- Defence and a Sport. One of its greatest attributes is that anyone, irrespective of size, age or sex can practice this Art. The degree of skill, of course, varies from person to person. However, one can practice KARATE according to his own physical capabilities. KARATE is related with AHIMSA and therefore is employed to deter an agressor from resorting to violence, rather than maim or to kill. Nowadays, if any one speaks about SELF DEFENCE, it means only Karate. Eve-teasing, chain snatching and other assaults on women are reported almost everyday. KARATE is the only fitting answer to these social evils and crimes. KARATE can be learnt by School-going children / college students or by any other citizen, irrespective of their sex.
Those who want to protect themselves from the evil can learn this art of weaponless self-defence. It can be learnt from the age of 4 till 60 years. Strength and stamina are two main requisites for learning Karate. However, KARATE training has been linked with the performance of feats of strength, viz., pulling cars by the hair, breaking granite placed on the chest or abdomen, riding a motorcycle while lying on a bed of nails, etc. These acts of strength can be performed by anybody who is strong enough and has absolutely no relation with the martial art of Karate.
KARATE - SPORT
At the end of the Meiji period (1888 - 1912), Karate was introduced into the Okinawa Prefectural Normal School and the Prefectural Number One Middle School as part of physical education in the schools. In 1952, young practitioners of Karate devised a set of rules and regulations to govern the sport of ‘free Combat’, Karate, as a means to prevent injuries and in fact, to create a sport. They formulated sunyame, a method of controlled thrusting, one sun, or one inch, short of the opponent. Thus SPORTS KARATE took form and considered a sport in Japan. SPORTS KARATE differs from self-defence Karate, in the former, lethal movements are prohibited and punches to the face should be regulated so that the blow falls short of actual contact. Contacts to the face are permitted once or twice but repetation of such contacts by a contestant on his opponent on his will render him liable for disqualification from a match. In its evolution, Karatedo has been accepted around the world. Japan is where this martial art flourished, and it was first incorporated on the sports field when Shihan Funakoshi Gichin, Otsuka Hironori, and Funakoshi Yoshihide introduced basic sparring techniques in the Karatedo practice in 1924 and 1927.
In 1957 Japanese universities started Karatedo tournaments, it is very important to notice that Karatedo training has always been systematic and the two most important parts of training are Kata (Form) and Kumite (Sparring). Both use offensive and defensive techniques in their performance, they also provide good focus and control (Kime) in the practice of these techniques. Kata is the key for improving all block and strike techniques while Kumite is a practical test in the use of these techniques. The free sparring applied in tournaments is not same as street sparring. In street sparring (Fighting) you are able to use any defensive or offensive techniques for your self-defence but in free sparring as a sport you must follow specific rules and regulations to avoid hurting your partner. Consequently rules for these kind of competitions were created so that one could practise without causing injury to their opponent. The idea of Karatedo tournaments turned this martial art into a sport as well.
The basic principle of KARATE is not to destroy an aggressor but to discourge him from resorting to further violence. Hence a good KARATE-KA should be able to control his blows at all times to avoid injury to his opponent. SPORTS KARATE is a fast event. The player has to rely on his speed, power, excellent technique, stamina, good form and clean distinctive blows to win a match. A Match has to be won within 3 mintues and therefore it leaves little time for common and simple moves which are empolyed by contestants at tournaments as such moves are swifter and easier to execute. Judge of very high KARATE calibre are entrusted with the responsibility of controlling SPORTS KARATE bouts as it is a fast sport and can be damaging, if uncontrolled. It is difficult to score in SPORTS KARATE. All techniques should be excellently executed and the contestant should be able to attack without placing himself in danger by his opponent. Only then a Point will be awarded.
KOKINO the highest medal taker institute in India : World Tournaments - 6 (2 Gold, 1 Silver & 3 Bronze), International Tournaments - 44 medals (22 Gold, 8 Silver and 10 Bronze), produced 3 Grand Champions; National tournaments - 205 medals; State, District and Club & School wise tournaments - Countless medals .
KARATE - A MUST FOR WOMEN
The world is fast evolving into a stage where violence has become rampant. Not a day passes by without the mention of some sort of violence. Women, the weaker sex, are more vulnerable to violent attempts on their person either for material gain or for any other cheap reasons. In many such cases, the woman falls prey to an attacker owing to her inability to defend herself in the right way. School Girls, College Students, Working Women, House-wives are exposed to danger from unruly elements. It is needless to say that in many cases, provocative dresses and jewellery attract the attention of brigands who attempts to make a cache.
It is time now, with deliberation on womans liberation etc. that women also try to defend themselves against external dangers. Karate is the best means of such self defence as it is an art in which the hands and legs are used as silent, effective weapons, which can be used with lightning speed. An unaware aggressor would find himself in all sorts of trouble with women who is Karate trained. Women have established themselves creditably in the field of sport.
There is nothing to prevent them from participating in Karate Tournaments, now that the martial art is emerging as a sport all over the world. Karate helps women in maintaining a good physique and does not impair them in any way. Equally well, Physiologically, no complications arise. Learning of martial arts infuses more confidence in a woman as it exercises the mind and body simultaneously. As a citizen with equality a woman shouldn’t be denied of her fundamental rights as for as safety is concerned. Karate offers the best solution, not only in defending one’s self, but also does the magic in obtaining jobs in the police, defence, public and private sector undertakings
There is a wrong conception and a myth among the larger section of people that Practising Karate among girls could infuse manly characters. This could be no way proved. This sport is as equal as any other sport where a lot of physical exertion is needed. Any sport would not affect the harmones, rather that would help you overcome your low confidence and develop your over-all personality.
KARATE - BLACK BELTIf any body say Black belt immediately even the layman can also understand it is connected with Karate a noble Martial Art. Achieving Black Belt is not the end of the art. But infact is the beginning. The prevailing situation of Kokino would be different from elsewhere in the sense that professional edge that you have got here, if you talk about achieving Black belt the coveted title, which is not the end by itself in learning Karate as any one might assume but gettting Black belt would be a definite turning point in his career. In KOKINO the rules are not made simple for you to get Black belt, its not a overnight game. The various professional qualities like Discipline, Strength, Physical stamina, Psychology related to learning techniques and Psychology related in applying the techniques would be scrutinised. The candidate’s professional maturity and behaviour in controlling the learnt techniques are definitely considered. So Black belt achiever in KOKINO is someone who has learnt the art of Karate and practises in the utmost professional form second to none in the competitive sport.
How Black Belt Came? In ancient days, only white thick cloth was used to tighten the dress with the body while practising Karate. As days passed by the white belt became faded and turned into light yellow, brown or black. When Karate was started teaching in Schools and Colleges in Japan a syllabus was preferred. At that time to denote various stages of training of Karate, various colour belts were introduced, such as White, Orange, Green, Brown and then Black.
Olden Days Black Belt - In olden times when Karate was taught in the crude form, students perforce had to convince their teachers of their genuineness and devotion to Karate-do. Emphasis was laid on maintaining discipline and loyalty towards their master, whether during the training or after. To them it was not the time of training nor the period of training that mattered. It was the physical endurance and exercises infused with the philosophical perception of Karate-do that mattered, and which they used as a way of life. To them black belt was of no significance.
To-day Black Belt - Karate-do training now-a-days has become means of acquiring physical competence and material gains. Students are anxious to become experts in a short time while instructors are keen on monitory benefits. These two desires of teachers and students are complementary and give a way to a black belter to think that he has become an expert in Karate-do. The black belt he has received is by paying exhorbitant amounts to the instructor as fees for grading. The instructor, in this case is only interested in the money he receives for grading a black belter, and is in no way concerned about the quality of the black belt students he has produced. Such an attitude on the part of the teacher and student renders karate-do fit in the movies.
Today a black belt is of little value. Unscrupulous are content with higher dans and gradings, presuming that such elevations would enhance their reputation. Little do they realise that a black belt has reached the ultimate in Karate lessons. Scant thought is given to perfection, sincere training, discipline and maintenance of the fundamental principles of Karate. As stated earlier, material benefits and the desire to achieve physical prowess and fame have taken over and remains as the order of the day. In many cases, a karate-ka falsely believes that his existence and reputation in Karate circles would be in jeopardy if he does not attain higher dans. This is a false concept as many veteran instructors are not interested in dans, but are dedicated in imparting the correct training.
Black Belt and Its Value The first thought to a layman, on enrolling in a dojo is to become a Black Belt, as soon as possible. So a question thereby arises, how soon one can become a Black Belt holder and what are the values of a Black Belt. Karate-kas have relentlessly been trained in the art first, to achieve physical power and enhancement of spiritual value. Hence at the first place it is a Martial Art for harmless selfdefence and self growth. Once we enroll ourselves in a Karate dojo we start getting training in Karate as a white Belt in that School. Internationally recognised Karate Schools have different stages of Belts on their own. Kokino the internationally recognised Karate school also have its own pattern of Belts
When one see the comments about the IOC Session decision to include 5 sports into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a sports and karate being one of them one realizes that the karate community in the world are an uninformed ignorant lot with very little analytical capacity. As you are all aware karate started as one united structure both in traditional Okinawan karate and today’s sport oriented karate. History tells us very clearly that karate was a synthesis of many martial influences over the decades with the Chinese influence, the Japanene influence and the various South East influences which evolved karate into what it is today. Actually speaking karate was one activity before the name karate was adopted and before that Tode or Chinese hand and previously called Ti, it was the effects of Itosu Sensei the great Okinawan karate genius and his vision to include karate as a physical education activity in the Okinawan school system, that led karate in the direction it has today. Before this karate was a effective form of civil self defense not just against untrained ruffians but also against fighting armies, when the Tokugawa and the Satsuma samurai invaded Okinawa and banned weaponry the Okinawa people went into secrecy and developed this civil empty hand self defense, although karate existed long before this, as they were a people that loved their freedom. After the introduction of karate, by Itosu Sensei into the Okinawan school system and deliberately after extracting the effective self defense application from karate, this set the foundation for karate as we see it today. What we see today which was exported to JAPAN and the rest of the world was “children karate”. Now this not a bad thing as the approached allowed for the survival of karate until today and made it very popular and contributed to its world-wide spread, without this I am afraid karate may have disappeared or it would have been practiced by very few. Take today the watered down styles that teach predominantly ” children karate” tend to have bigger numbers as members, as this karate is simple and straightforward. But those elaborate schools of deep study tend to have fewer students. This is a fact about other BUDO groups as well, kendo has much more members than kenjutsu and so forth and so forth. So we determine that in the evolution of many Japanese styles and especially those in the universities ” senior children karate” the students wanted to develop a competition atmosphere amongst themselves. If one looks at the various Japanese universities one will notice loyalty till they are in their adulthood. This is a matter of pride and it is in this atmosphere that one starts to understand the Sempai/Kohai system, seniors always push and control the juniors to a point of brutality sometimes, in Okinawan it was more a teachers disciple relationship which is very different to what Japan was used too. Japan is known to be a hierarchical society, and many wanted to shown off their group achievements. Besides there is a very serious rivalry between karate organizations and universities. This was the ideal environment for a further dilution of the old Okinawan karate and the exported ” children karate”.
One has to take into consideration kata was always the emphasis of the karate masters and their strategies and tactics of their styles were embedded in kata. Actually every kata is a fighting system on its own. In the old days students a maximum of two to three kata ONLY. Even Itosu emphasized kata in his ” children karate” practice.The only difference was the dangerous application was removed and his emphasis was only on physical education and development, most of the strategy, tactics and self defense technique which we developed to disable or damage the enemy were “hidden” and known by a few or even lost. So it clear that what was exported to Mainland Japan was “children karate” .
So the exported karate was further watered down when sport was introduced to the “children karate” from Okinawa, also as can we established through analyzing morgen sporting rules, a limited number of techniques we deployed into the sports system. Even the sports system was first developed under the “hitatsu ikken” mentality as an emulations as a sword men, that one strike should kill or injure and opponent, the strike we are suppose execute are to be at nerve center or organs without touching but with the intent to destroy, so we say similar to “shadow boxing with a partner” or shadow fighting. Again certain areas were forbidden and speed, distance and timing was the emphasis of this competition approach, there is evidence that this form of karate tried to emulate Kendo, and many of its rules have been taken from Kendo. Then came the introduction of karate into the west, the westerners were not happy with this “ikken hitatsu” mentality and they tried to bring in a more boxing approach but with a stop start methodology, a multiple point system was introduced in the late seventies and evolved into a multiple point system with more kicking and sweeping technique, which is the karate we see today, in the meantime another approach was developing, one where a group in Japan and America wanting more contact and more endurance. Knockdown sport karatewasdeveloped by including Amuam Thai approach and in America the contact karate with protection was introduced. All these started from Okinawan Karate and after Itosu Sensei created “children karate”. United World Karate Federation includes all these in its competition formats and includes all traditional karate kata Sao we are preserving all karate from Okinawa and Japan in one organization and one competition so we are the truly United Karate World Federation. A anyone can participate and develop themselves in all ways available.
So to the point both traditional Okinawan karate and other modern sport karate are essential for karate to survive, traditional karate from Okinawa would not have survived if “children karate” was not created because this allowed group training and mass participation, traditional karate has small dojos and one on one instruction is emphasized to teach the deeper understanding of self defense where as more recent sport is mass based and very simple and more athletic.
I have seem comments that some people only do ” we only do BUDO karate and are not interested in sports karate” but you are actually training and teaching “itosu’s Children karate” with your large group instruction, monthly fees and systemized kata practice and kumite prearranged teaching and calling yourselves authentic and the original BUDO karate. Who are you fooling there is nothing BUDO in your karate and with these comments you are bullshitting the uneducated and ignorant or maybe you are doing this to yourself and who are you trying to hogwash with you words. Only yourself, because you actually don’t know your karate history.
Sport karate and karate to the Olympics is good for all karate and we must embrace this like the BrucE Lee era was also good for the popularity of karate although Bruce Lee was kung fu practitioner, all in all we are either martial arts and martial sport, or just doing martial sport but think we are doing martial arts.
We can try as much as we want today’s society is nothing like the masters of old and one is not trying their skills on the battlefield daily for survival where they are using their skills in life and death situation, but rather teaching many on what they believe many work if the situation arrived. But on the sporting side we have pseudo situation of winning by selective rules without killing or injuring anyone seriously.
So really who are you fooling, maybe yourself, because you are ignorant and really are simulating what you learnt and believe this is the truth. The truth is in the kata and its analysis and the proof is its effects which unfortunately if used in its proper form and effect will definitely get you in jail. Think about this before you make comments about sport karate and traditional karate both are important for karate’s current and future development.
The situation that contributed to the karate division starts in the university system in Japan, as many have been constantly been brainwashed with that Funakoshi Gichin Sensei is the founder of modern karate, this is not correct. Funakoshi Sensei was given board and lodging at a university in Tokyo and for his he was given a janitors job so he could live. This is one of the reasons why Shotokan (Funoshi’s pen name) not the name of the karate ryuha, the students of Funakoshi who started this movement from the university were nationalist and wanted to have their own style, much diffrent and independent from all other Okinawan or other Japanese organisations at the time. The universities in Tokyo especially those students that founded the Japan Karate Federation (JKA). This group regarded themselves as an elite group was they had direct access to the nobility and high society in the Japanese system and most of these individuals were imperialist or nationalist. It is through this association that they had access to resources and also to decision makers.
The brainchild of the creation of the JKA was through Keio University and Shichi Tokudo, it is this high level contacts that got the JKA’s recognition by the Ministry of Education, which is a very powerful endorsement, which is still enjoys until today. The students of Funakoshi also were at loggerheads as their was a group calling themselves the Shotokai, then there was those that believed that the JKA was changing the original teaching and then the JKA which was changing the karate of Funakoshi to bring a more acceptable Japanese favour to the karate they were presenting to Japn and the world, this is attributed to the fact that the Japanese would not accept that they were adopting a Okinawan art, as Okinawa was regarded as not at their social level, and backward. This is also the reason that Funakoshi had to change the names of of the kata he brought from Okinawa and the kanji from chinese Hand to Empty Hand. Again, Japan was at war with China and anything Chinese was not acceptable to the Japanese. It was this university group that started experimenting with kumite matches, for two reason. One to introduce free fighting as a way to show their prowess and the other Japan was at war and needed to instil the Japanese fighting spirit into the karate practitioners. These were brutal times as many freshmen were treated under very harsh conditions for them to prove themselves.
One of the prominent karate leaders and the architect of the formation of the JKA was Masatoshi Nakayama and a very talented Hideki Nishiyama, many karate-ka or seniors were drated into the army and the training of the karate classes were still ongoing, but very unorganized and everyone tried teaching their own favour of what they thought was what JKA was. It was this that forced the JKA to systemise their teaching and instructors structure. The famous instructors program was developed for this purpose. It was always the interest of this group and their high level backers to expand their karate as the trues Japanese karate, and they needed envoy’s to expand this imperialist and nationalist agenda.
It is with this backdrop that we must understand that the division of karate started at this type, nit because of style difference but because of class differences. It is a known fact on Okinawa that Funakoshi was not a senior students of the system he train in with Ankoh Itosu, and all his other teachers. But he was a fairly educated person and this is what appealed to the Japanese. Most karate instructor in Okinawa were not highly educated and very few spoke proper Japanese at the time. So the class issue was a big issue and the Japanese needed a face for “their”karate and Funakoshi was the ideal candidate.
In the expansion of karate the JKA started teaching at the American Army camps during and after the war, this gave them great networks to expand their karate world-wide. But at this time the diffrence in approach between the JKA group and the Shotokai group and others that trained with Funakoshi was started to become a serious problem. Actually Funakoshi was against the introduction of sport karate as he believe karate was a martial arts and could be a sport.
Nakayama Sensei’s father was very prominent Kendo-ka and Kendo had already started developing a competition system, and a lots of the early karate rules came from Kendo, that is why the linear fighting approach and the long distance fighting emphasis, this was another influence in the current JKA system of maintaining and long distance between the fighting practitioners. The Shobu Ippon system or sundome system was what the JKA was developing from the Kendo influence of one cut one kill. .This transferred to karate as Ikken Hitatsu, one punch kill.
In part one we tried to explain the idealogical battles that were festering between the elite of the Japanese karate and the other members of the JKA. It is important to understand this as many of the expansion program for karate to the world outside Japanese started with this organisation.
In this quest to expand many senior instructors were sent as envoys to different parts of the world.
The Japanese karate group under the JKA also started forging relationship with many undesirable groups, like the Apartheid Government of South Africa, as Japan had a very favourable relationship with the Apartheid regime for economic and other reasons. Karate was an important sport for the Apartheid regime and it supported the JKA group very seriously and many South African JKA members were part of the Apartheid security structure. Many South African Karate-ka were allowed open access to the JKA headquarters and many South African karate-ka became prominent in the JKA because of this. In the meantime many indigenous South Africans that were not considered “White” we excluded from participation in this sport. A law was passed to exclude blacks from dojos and the government even went so far as stating ” That Karate was detrimental to be taught to Black people”, this was a statement made in 1968 by a serving Minister in the Apartheid Government. Dojos in South Africa were classified as White or Black dojos and the karate taught was different, advanced for whites and a form of rudimentary karate for Blacks,karate-ka could not mix, otherwise if they did they were prosecuted. Team that represented South Africa were reserved for White karate-ka ONLY, any black karate-ka was excluded an not allowed to earn National South African honours or colours, a case in point is Gen Popham, a person classified in the Apartheid South Africa as a coloured person, a person of mixed race, he was selected as he won the South African Nationals and beat all his opponents and was denied the selection or honours as he was considered black.
Many prominent Japanese instructors on they way to expanding karate to other parts of the world first stopped in South Africa before going on to other prominent locations. Many organisations also expanded from South Africa to other parts of the world. An example is the first group of instructor including prominent karate-ka such as Kanazawa, Shirai, Kaze, Enoeda travelled to Apartheid South Africa first before dispersing into Europe where they went on to become legends in their own right, they only taught white karate-ka and were denied teaching black karate-ka and all blacks were excluded by law from teaching the black majority. This is one of the reason that the white karate-ka where given technical preference and political preference in the JKA and other organisation. Secondly, example is the spread of Shukokai under Shigero Kumira, his first stop after Japan was South Africa and then to the United Kingdom and America. Today the prominent leaders in Shukokai are South African. Another example is the IOGKF of Morio Higashionna, first expaned into South Africa and then to Europe. Again only teaching white karate-ka. In the World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) now World Karate Federation (WKF) the same practices prevailed and white Apartheid South Africa was given preference over the black majority. In 1982 in the WUKO World Championship in Taiwan the a South African white team entered to participate at this championship. WUKO wanted to allow this team to participate but after much pressure from the African members, the Anti Apartheid Movement and the United Nations. A vote was held and the vote was won by 4 votes against allowing a white Apartheid team to participate. All the socialist and communist country stood by Black South Africa against the Apartheid Government.
In 1976 in Long Beach a South African all white team was allowed to participate by WUKO and at the same time a IAKF tournament was held in the USA and the IAKF refused South Africa to participate. It was WUKO that turned this around and blamed the IAKF as allowing a team to participate when they were the perpetrators, it was at this Taiwan Congress that the Unification of karate was starting to take its position. A Confederation was created to try to get karate accepted by 1992 into the Olympic Movement and into the future Olympic Games. Unification was paramount and the WUKO and IAKF attempted to get this started. But WUKO was not interested in unification but rather usurping IAKF into the WUKO. I was very instrumental in lobbying Apartheid Karate’s exclusion as the United Nations had passed a resolution at its Gleneagles meeting that sanctions should be imposed on Apartheid South Africa in all areas including Sport. A black-list was created and those that had ties with South Africa were sanctioned. This did not stop the Japan and some elements within WUKO, they continued to have relationship with Apartheid South Africa. The team that was rejected by the WUKO in Taiwan in 1982, was invited by the JKA to come to Japan and participate in a created international friendly between South Africa and Japan. Taiwan also had very close and important ties with Apartheid South Africa and they allowed a rebel team to take part outside the world championship in another created international tournament between South Africa and Taiwan.
So one can conclude that this practice of underhandedness and impunity started in the 1970’s and the networks and relationship continues until today. This is part of the reason the World Karate Federation is viewed in such a bad light by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its constitution is very close to a Nazi or fascist ideology.
White supremacist and non democratic practices and ideologies are encouraged to the detriment of democracy and karate unity and development have been a modus operandi since the formation of the World Union of Karate Organization and the other international organisations that started at this time. .
In part three we will outline the break in relationship between the IAKF and France and the Japanese backing of the European Agenda.
After the politics of the styles and the political establishment in Japan, two streams of power structures started emerging one group led by Ryoichi Sasakawa and the Other with the powerful JKA, other styes started rally behind the Sasakawa group and at this time the Federation of All Japan Karate Organization (FAJKO), was being encouraged for the unity and expansion of all karate, out of Japan to the rest of the world. It was very interesting that although the Okinawan Karate fraternity was allowed to demonstrate at WUKO and FAJKO tournaments to show the origin of karate, they were not given their place at the table so to speak or to make decisions affecting the way karate was being developed technically in the sporting arena. This is possibly one of the reasons why a majority of Okinawan Karate actors refused to join the FAJKO group. The FAJKO decided to divide the organizations into styles but ONLY into four groups recognised by the Japanese FAJKO faction, namely Shotokan (which included the JKA), Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu and Wado Ryu. Each representing a personality and a power base. Concentration of power was mainly in Tokyo and Osaka, with the Shotokan and Wado groups very prevalent in Tokyo and the Shito and Goju groups in Osaka. The Shotokan personality at this time was Masatoshi a powerful individuals with networks in the higher echelon of Japanese society and especially the political elite, Wado was represented by its founder Hidenori Otsuka, also a jui jutsu practitioner who has been in Japanese Budo before taking up karate under Funakoshi,, Goju by Gogen “the Cat” Yamaguchi and Shito by the Mabuni’s elder son Kenei Mabuni and Manzo Iwata , later the Seishnkai under the Kuniba family, originally Kokuba (Okinawan) and the organization was taken by Kunio Tatsuno after the death of Shugo Kuniba, Tatsuno and myself and some other colleagues where instrumental in gettng karate accepted back into the International Olympic Committe (IOC) in 1996, and its recognistion and final acceptance int the 2020 Olympic Games. Kuniba Shugo also has to wait to be Soke after his father passed away at a very early age, the organization was headed by Teruo Hayashi for a short time, Teruo Hayashi started karate at a very advanced age and was very open minded and travelled and polished his karate through intercation with other Okinawan Master through the introduction of the Kuniba family and through their family starting in Okinawan karate, he used this to accumulate a great deal of knowledge and trained with notably Okinawan Master, Nagamine, Nakaima and others, he also pusued his study of Okinawan Kobudo, he went on to create a very successful organization called Hayashi Ha Shito Ryu which was and still is very successful in WUKO and WKF.
It was this partnership between Ryoichi Sasakawa and the a European lawyer who was making his own inroads of power in karate by accumulating the European countries into a powerful European group called the European Karate Union which is purported to be created in 1965, first dominated by judo practitioners as Paris was the hub for the expansion of karate and judo. It is stated that Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Spain made up base under Jacques Delcourt that started the power play in karate as the agreement was that Sasakawa the shipping tycoon and the lawyer from Paris Delcourt decided to partner with each other to dominate World Karate. Sasakawa was to be the power and money man and Delcourt the administrator with his legal background and his understanding of sports politics and personalities in the western world. This was the perfect combination Although both gentlemen were not really Budo people and were rather politicians and powerful individuals in their own right. This started the karate fight for domination away from karate people to politicians. The first championship for karate was held in Paris in 1966 with the newly formed Nakayama from the JKA came from a family of traditional Budo people, his father was avery proficient Kendo person, nd he started to experiment in formulating a set-up of rules for karate competition as the university group was being criticised for too much contact to the face and also some deaths. He used the Kendo rules as a basis and this is why the first set-up of rules were based on the “Sundome”” principle of one stroke one full point. The first competition used the JKA developed rules and so did the FAJKO group, later this changed and this is also one of the reason for disunity in karate today..
Jacques Delcourt was avery charismatic individuals that practice a little bit of karate under Henry Plee and as stated by some under Oshima, who today runs the very traditional Shotokan America organization. He was the first to be sent to America to expand Shotokan karate but was more alined to the Shotokai group (outside the university) that a person responsible for the expansion of JKA and then International Amateur Karate Federation, Hideki Nishiyama. It has been related by a few commentators that Nishiyama went to United States under the invitation of Oshima, and Oshima decided to return to Japan for a short period and left the Shotokan organization under the care of Nishiyama, Upon his return he realised that Nishiyama has already taken the organization under his control and his caused a major rift between the two individuals. This is part of the problem for todays disunity in world karate. Nishiyama created the International Amateur Karate Federation in 1978 although he created the American Amateur Karate Federation in earlier. This is the another factor in karate disunity.
We shall continue this in the next blogs about the break up of FAJKO and JKA and Nishiyama and the World Union of Karate Federation.
Good governance and change should be what world karate needs after the 2020 Olympic Games. It is apparently clear now that it was Japan, Japan Karate Federation and the Sasakawa influence that got karate its first and possibly last appearance in the Oympic Games. But the narrative all along was that the Spaniard Antonio Espinos did this on his own.This far from the truth. The Espinos Samaranch factor was always the motivation used for karate to being the Olympics.
So let’s take a journey down memory lane and understand the situation and ask ourselves how do we assist karate to get back in the games after 2020. We shall do this is four parts.
History is a funny animal it is harsh on those that try to change its cause.
The World Karate Federation as we know it today was the World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) until 1995, this name was proposed by International Olympic Committee (IOC), at its Congress held in Monte Carlo called the 101st Session.
It was at this session that the Congress have asked Judge Keba Mbaye, a Senegalese jurist and IOC members to attempt to get unity in world karate by unifying the World Union of Karate Organization with the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF) into a unified organization called the World Karate Federation.
But the spirit of unification as required by the IOC was undermined by both groups. Firstly, the WUKO which I was a part of, serving as Vice President with the current President from 1993 to 1998, interpreted the unification as the ITKF disbanding and merging into the WUKO to form the WKF, so this would be giving up everything and simply being usurped into WUKO with a name change.
The ITKF understood unification as being a merging of equals. The WUKO did not accept this interpretation as they believed that they had more national federations who were members of National Olympic Committees and they should be the senior player. This was the first break down in the unity process.
The IOC did not assist very much in this regard to clarify the proper intrepretation and allowed the difference in interpretation to continue. Second issue of discontent was the difinition as crafted in the 101 Unification Statues where the designation of karate was divided into three designated groups. Will make up the new World Karate Federation. The definition was General Karate ~ karate competition formats as promoted by WUKO, Traditional Karate ~ karate competition formats as promoted by ITKF, those federation that did both types of karate and were already working together in their National Federation. Now at this time around 1988 WUKO did have more national federations, and this was understandable as they were the organization that was provionsionally recognised by the IOC.
WUKO received such recognition around 1978 and at that point had about 40 federations, surprising ITKF had a similar number of federations, but after the IOC recognition many countries decided to leave the ITKF and join with WUKOto get better government support financially and politically.
In 1995, a flamboyant Japanese karate lover Kunio Tatsuno head of a karate organization called the Seishinkai in Osaka, Japan, this organization had a sterling pedigree which was developed by the Kokuba family, a family that was regarded as karate royalty, in Japan they were known as the Kuniba family. Tatsuno assumed the Soke position after the passing of it’s previous head, Shugo Kuniba, who was residing in the USA, married an Ameican women and was expanding the organization internationally.
Tatsuno was a charismatic individual and usualfor a Japan and was looking for something to give him world prominence, he had a checked past and was associated with the under world in Japan. This new character was always going to clash with the established cabal in the World Karate Federation, especially the Sasakawa famiy and the European karate mafia under Decourt. Tatsuno portrayed himself as the new Saskawa. These two previous WUKO groups , Sasakawa and the European karate mafia were partners and they did not want a ” new child on the block” to come in and distrub their party which they were firmly in control of.
Delourt was also having problem of his own in the powerful French Karate Federation and the new emerging young turks led by Antotio Espinos and Francis Didier. Espinos started his ascension to power during the 1988 Mexico World Championships, taking advantage of the majority of Spanish speaking countries who attended this championships to start his agenda to take over. Many were not happy with Decourts handling of the Olympic issue, besides he and Samarach were not fans of each other. He was seeking power and was craftng a plot to get a mandate to take over the WKF.
The next championships was to be held in Granada, Spain, and Espinos being ambitions and crafty thought that he would be able to do a palace coup in his own country, but this did not happen.
Sasakawa resigned as President at this Coigress, at this time and Delourt was still in control and assumed the position as President, he was Executive Chairman before this. France was still a force in karate politically and technically, in 1992, but Spain was creeping slowly as a powerhouse, especially in the Spanish countries, Delcourt also relingusihed his position as President of the powerful European Karate Federation and this was the chance Espinos was waiting for and this chance presented him with a great opportunity to roll out his coup. He craftily used many people to ascend to the top in Europe, such as Mike Dinsdale, Gunnar Nordhl, George Yerolimpos, George Popper, and many more. His next aim was the WUKO as it was called then. The next chapter will deal with his sinister plot. Until next time keep training, uniting and developing karate in your own way.
All Karate loving people most probaly have now received the news that before even appearing in its first Olympic participation, Karate has been enclosed from the 2024 Paris Olympics. This has never happened before, most sports are given at least two appearances before they are excluded. The other 4 sports which we included with karate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game are still retained, so what is the problem?
In my humble opinion karate is rather disunited and the arrogance of the World Karate Federation and especially the underhanded and dictatorial manner of its President has always been a stumbling block for karate to be a major force with the Olympic movement, the second issue is the competition of karate is looking more and more like Tekwondo and to sort looking very similar to the untrained causes a dilemma for the IOC, thirs is the fact that the only reason karate was included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is that Japan paid for its inclusion, because of a powerful individual in Mr. Sasagawa and because it has a culture heritage with Japan. Although the majority of the Okinawa Karate fraternity are not part of the Japan Karate Federation (JKF), the affiliate of the World Karate Federation (WKF). Okinawa is considered the birthplace of karate and many of its senior leaders are not entirely happy the way karate is developing or portrayed today.
I together with many others were very instrumental in getting karate accepted back into the Olympic Movement in 1996, after a feud between the then World Union of Karate Organization (WUKO) and International Traditional Karate Federation, forced the International Olympic Committee to terminate the membership of the WUKO, because of a very serious issue of unity in karate. After much discussion and consultation the IOC developed a constitution which asked both bodies to created a new organization the World Karate Federation. Due to machination and very underhanded practices the WUKO unilaterally changed its name and usurped the unity process and blamed the whole process on the ITKF, there is some truth to this as the relationship between both organization was not a the best. It took a great deal of unbiased and fair treatment from impartial individuals to get the both parties to agree on a roadmap called the joint Working Commission, appointed by both bodies and endorsed by the IOC. It was this historic unity agreement signed in Osaka between the two feuding bodies that pushed the IOC to give provisional recognition to World Karate Federation (which was to include both bodies). This happened during the Atlanta Olympic Games. It must be stated that at this time Mr. Espinos the ow President of WKF was not involved in this process or normalization of karate’s membership back to the IOC.
But once this was achieved we saw a different group led by Espinos,bent on taking power away from the Jacques Delcourt faction, and implementing a purge strategy of getting rid of all individual that successfully got karate back its recognition or anyone that had a intellectual memory of the previous WUKO. A very concerned effort by a group led by Espinos started pushing for the removal of Delcourt and his faction. At the Congress of Granda in 1992, the die was set for this strategy to take effect as the host of this this competition was Spain and Espinos as its President. The actual start6egy came to the fore when the 1994 Kota Kinabalu Congress was held, Delcourt did not appear and he gave a explaining that he was ill and that an unknown Espinos, should chair the meeting. Ignoring all other senior members of WUKO, Fritz Wendland, George Popper, Adnan
- Cateriski. George Anderson, Nader Sherif, and other senior individuals who had many more years of experience were sidelined and the Espinos group started the implementation of their startegy to take over the WUKO. It was at this Congress that I was elected the Vice President and so was Espinos we were the same level of seniority. But, I refused to be controlled by the Espinos faction and this started the conflict. In Espinos modus modes operandi you must be totally subservient to the Espinos (the Boos or sometimes things he is the Pope) and you must act as a cardinal without question anything that does not suit his opinion or direction. If one scans back to history one will see how systematically he has eliminated everyone of those that challenged or differed with him. The last episode was when his closest ally and one who did most of his dirty bidding, Geroge Yerolimpos was kick out of the WKF for differing with Espinos approach to the Olympic staregy and the spending of valuable resources with hand picked Spanish companies, who many say are extraction machines for Espinos. Espinos was civil engineer and worked as a General manager in a Spanish Construction company with no prospect of promotion. Today he is Executive President that works full-time for the WKF, where does he get the money to survive? There are many rumors about how he has very craftily installed his own group through the world that does his business bidding in many avenues of the WKF procurement and qualification. The carrot and stick method is used and Espinos is always the benefactor of this spoils.
This practice has been known by the IOC and they don’t like scandals and especially regarding a sport that is the Olympic program, this is their most valuable asset and they will allow it to be tarnished by a insignificant and non money producing sport like karate. So today after much hard work karate is back to where it was before, it is going to be difficult to get back in the Olympic program, and in my humble opinion the ONLY way to get this back on track is to unify all karate irrespective from why and what approach and fair development of all countries, without the corruption of the last Olympic exercise, were is cost between $35 000 to $40 000 per year to be even considered for selection, also it is imperative that you are ranked and from a Espinos friendly country.
It is a sad day for karate but maybe it is for the better of the sport and art that it was excluded because it was allowed to continue the arrogance and underhandedness would have continued.
Budoshin Karate-Do International. (BKDI) is a nodal agency of martial arts unincorporated to the United Nation Institute for Training And Research. (unitar). Established under the reform of the International Olympic Council. (IOC) revised since 1991. Prof.Dr.Hanshi.Dibyendu Nag. the President of the Budoshin Karate-Do International. (BKDI) who have started his carrier in martial arts back to the vintage of Kenpo Karate 1975_1976. O_Sensei Doka Miro was an abortogenics master having a lineage with O-Sensei Ed Parker & Elvis Presley. Prof.Dr.Hanshi.Dibyendu Nag also goes through BUDOKAI Karate with O-Sensei RVT Mani & a direct disciple of BUDOKAN Karate with O-Sensei C.S.Chew he is having a vast knowledge in all Budokai, Budokan & Budoryu (BUDO) (SHIN) have being created by Prof.Nag 'BUDO' means Martial Ways and 'SHIN' meaning Truth. BUDOSHIN KARATE-DO INTERNATIONAL is the main source to include "KARATE" in Olympics. Dr.Nag have also gone through rigorous with Budoshin Jujitsu and achieved his Shachidan. He is the Founder of the Budoshin Karatedo International...more
It is believed that about 5000 years ago a prince of Kanchipuram (Tamilnadu - India) developed the first crude version of weaponless self defence, by watching the movements of animals and birds while they fought. He applied these movements to the human body and discovered that these movements could be effectively exploited. The Prince, then experimented on 1000 slaves, to discover the weaker parts of the human body, where even a puncture with a needle could kill the victim. The prince then used the techniques that he had found successful and directed them at the weaker parts of the human body and perfected the first known art of weaponless, self defence.
Bolidharma, (known as Daruma Taishi to the Japanese) a Buddhist monk, learnt the technique of Weaponless self defence while in India, and imparted training to his monks in China. In Tamil - Karam means hand & in Japanese Karate means Empty (Kara) and Hand (te). It is a system of attack and defence that uses all parts of the body (hands, feet, elbows, fingers, etc.,) to kick, punch, chop, butt, or any other move that is effective in defending ones self. Many of these movements may seem odd to the average person, but one must bear in mind that these have been analysed and geometrically calculated so that whatever the action, a block or a punch, it is the maximum the human body can achieve. One learns that it is not the size and strength alone that wins rather it is the speed and power that are the deciding factors in making one victorious .
True KARATE is a Physical Art, a Technique of Weaponless Self- Defence and a Sport. One of its greatest attributes is that anyone, irrespective of size, age or sex can practice this Art. The degree of skill, of course, varies from person to person. However, one can practice KARATE according to his own physical capabilities. KARATE is related with AHIMSA and therefore is employed to deter an agressor from resorting to violence, rather than maim or to kill. Nowadays, if any one speaks about SELF DEFENCE, it means only Karate. Eve-teasing, chain snatching and other assaults on women are reported almost everyday. KARATE is the only fitting answer to these social evils and crimes. KARATE can be learnt by School-going children / college students or by any other citizen, irrespective of their sex.
Those who want to protect themselves from the evil can learn this art of weaponless self-defence. It can be learnt from the age of 4 till 60 years. Strength and stamina are two main requisites for learning Karate. However, KARATE training has been linked with the performance of feats of strength, viz., pulling cars by the hair, breaking granite placed on the chest or abdomen, riding a motorcycle while lying on a bed of nails, etc. These acts of strength can be performed by anybody who is strong enough and has absolutely no relation with the martial art of Karate.
KARATE - SPORT
At the end of the Meiji period (1888 - 1912), Karate was introduced into the Okinawa Prefectural Normal School and the Prefectural Number One Middle School as part of physical education in the schools. In 1952, young practitioners of Karate devised a set of rules and regulations to govern the sport of ‘free Combat’, Karate, as a means to prevent injuries and in fact, to create a sport. They formulated sunyame, a method of controlled thrusting, one sun, or one inch, short of the opponent. Thus SPORTS KARATE took form and considered a sport in Japan. SPORTS KARATE differs from self-defence Karate, in the former, lethal movements are prohibited and punches to the face should be regulated so that the blow falls short of actual contact. Contacts to the face are permitted once or twice but repetation of such contacts by a contestant on his opponent on his will render him liable for disqualification from a match. In its evolution, Karatedo has been accepted around the world. Japan is where this martial art flourished, and it was first incorporated on the sports field when Shihan Funakoshi Gichin, Otsuka Hironori, and Funakoshi Yoshihide introduced basic sparring techniques in the Karatedo practice in 1924 and 1927.
In 1957 Japanese universities started Karatedo tournaments, it is very important to notice that Karatedo training has always been systematic and the two most important parts of training are Kata (Form) and Kumite (Sparring). Both use offensive and defensive techniques in their performance, they also provide good focus and control (Kime) in the practice of these techniques. Kata is the key for improving all block and strike techniques while Kumite is a practical test in the use of these techniques. The free sparring applied in tournaments is not same as street sparring. In street sparring (Fighting) you are able to use any defensive or offensive techniques for your self-defence but in free sparring as a sport you must follow specific rules and regulations to avoid hurting your partner. Consequently rules for these kind of competitions were created so that one could practise without causing injury to their opponent. The idea of Karatedo tournaments turned this martial art into a sport as well.
The basic principle of KARATE is not to destroy an aggressor but to discourge him from resorting to further violence. Hence a good KARATE-KA should be able to control his blows at all times to avoid injury to his opponent. SPORTS KARATE is a fast event. The player has to rely on his speed, power, excellent technique, stamina, good form and clean distinctive blows to win a match. A Match has to be won within 3 mintues and therefore it leaves little time for common and simple moves which are empolyed by contestants at tournaments as such moves are swifter and easier to execute. Judge of very high KARATE calibre are entrusted with the responsibility of controlling SPORTS KARATE bouts as it is a fast sport and can be damaging, if uncontrolled. It is difficult to score in SPORTS KARATE. All techniques should be excellently executed and the contestant should be able to attack without placing himself in danger by his opponent. Only then a Point will be awarded.
KOKINO the highest medal taker institute in India : World Tournaments - 6 (2 Gold, 1 Silver & 3 Bronze), International Tournaments - 44 medals (22 Gold, 8 Silver and 10 Bronze), produced 3 Grand Champions; National tournaments - 205 medals; State, District and Club & School wise tournaments - Countless medals .
KARATE - A MUST FOR WOMEN
The world is fast evolving into a stage where violence has become rampant. Not a day passes by without the mention of some sort of violence. Women, the weaker sex, are more vulnerable to violent attempts on their person either for material gain or for any other cheap reasons. In many such cases, the woman falls prey to an attacker owing to her inability to defend herself in the right way. School Girls, College Students, Working Women, House-wives are exposed to danger from unruly elements. It is needless to say that in many cases, provocative dresses and jewellery attract the attention of brigands who attempts to make a cache.
It is time now, with deliberation on womans liberation etc. that women also try to defend themselves against external dangers. Karate is the best means of such self defence as it is an art in which the hands and legs are used as silent, effective weapons, which can be used with lightning speed. An unaware aggressor would find himself in all sorts of trouble with women who is Karate trained. Women have established themselves creditably in the field of sport.
There is nothing to prevent them from participating in Karate Tournaments, now that the martial art is emerging as a sport all over the world. Karate helps women in maintaining a good physique and does not impair them in any way. Equally well, Physiologically, no complications arise. Learning of martial arts infuses more confidence in a woman as it exercises the mind and body simultaneously. As a citizen with equality a woman shouldn’t be denied of her fundamental rights as for as safety is concerned. Karate offers the best solution, not only in defending one’s self, but also does the magic in obtaining jobs in the police, defence, public and private sector undertakings
There is a wrong conception and a myth among the larger section of people that Practising Karate among girls could infuse manly characters. This could be no way proved. This sport is as equal as any other sport where a lot of physical exertion is needed. Any sport would not affect the harmones, rather that would help you overcome your low confidence and develop your over-all personality.
KARATE - BLACK BELT
How Black Belt Came? In ancient days, only white thick cloth was used to tighten the dress with the body while practising Karate. As days passed by the white belt became faded and turned into light yellow, brown or black. When Karate was started teaching in Schools and Colleges in Japan a syllabus was preferred. At that time to denote various stages of training of Karate, various colour belts were introduced, such as White, Orange, Green, Brown and then Black.
Olden Days Black Belt - In olden times when Karate was taught in the crude form, students perforce had to convince their teachers of their genuineness and devotion to Karate-do. Emphasis was laid on maintaining discipline and loyalty towards their master, whether during the training or after. To them it was not the time of training nor the period of training that mattered. It was the physical endurance and exercises infused with the philosophical perception of Karate-do that mattered, and which they used as a way of life. To them black belt was of no significance.
To-day Black Belt - Karate-do training now-a-days has become means of acquiring physical competence and material gains. Students are anxious to become experts in a short time while instructors are keen on monitory benefits. These two desires of teachers and students are complementary and give a way to a black belter to think that he has become an expert in Karate-do. The black belt he has received is by paying exhorbitant amounts to the instructor as fees for grading. The instructor, in this case is only interested in the money he receives for grading a black belter, and is in no way concerned about the quality of the black belt students he has produced. Such an attitude on the part of the teacher and student renders karate-do fit in the movies.
Today a black belt is of little value. Unscrupulous are content with higher dans and gradings, presuming that such elevations would enhance their reputation. Little do they realise that a black belt has reached the ultimate in Karate lessons. Scant thought is given to perfection, sincere training, discipline and maintenance of the fundamental principles of Karate. As stated earlier, material benefits and the desire to achieve physical prowess and fame have taken over and remains as the order of the day. In many cases, a karate-ka falsely believes that his existence and reputation in Karate circles would be in jeopardy if he does not attain higher dans. This is a false concept as many veteran instructors are not interested in dans, but are dedicated in imparting the correct training.
Black Belt and Its Value The first thought to a layman, on enrolling in a dojo is to become a Black Belt, as soon as possible. So a question thereby arises, how soon one can become a Black Belt holder and what are the values of a Black Belt. Karate-kas have relentlessly been trained in the art first, to achieve physical power and enhancement of spiritual value. Hence at the first place it is a Martial Art for harmless selfdefence and self growth. Once we enroll ourselves in a Karate dojo we start getting training in Karate as a white Belt in that School. Internationally recognised Karate Schools have different stages of Belts on their own. Kokino the internationally recognised Karate school also have its own pattern of Belts
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