Beginning Karate
Why should somebody want to start karate training? There are many reasons, including of course to learn how to defend oneself. Mr. Ohshima describes in an interview an early formative experience leading to his own study of Shotokan karate: "When I was the leader of a small high school," he explains, "I was threatened by people. And I could find out for myself, I am not courageous enough to do anything, no matter how I thought, no matter how I found out some theory or logic. It does not work. "One day I was going to Tokyo. This group was beating one young student because he was a quiet boy. And this was a ridiculous reason. But these guys were beating this young boy--same age as me, 15 or 16. I got so mad. Mad, because the person next to me said, 'Don't go, you'll get beat up.' "I was ashamed of myself. I knew this was injustice. Why couldn't I put myself out there? I could be beaten up, but I could stand it. But I just sat there and overlooked. I said to myself, 'I am a coward guy.' I knew somebody was getting beat up, but I couldn't help him. Therefore, when I was practicing karate, every time I asked myself, 'Are you ready to put yourself into something that you believe is justice?'" Through serious martial arts practice, we can learn to face ourselves strictly and show our best spirit in all situations. In another interview, Mr. Ohshima noted that "originally this was the most important thing about martial arts--to reach a higher level, to become a strong human being. Strong doesn't mean big arms. It means who can be a more strict human being with himself. That is the ideal of martial arts." This is our training in SKA. To see if there is an SKA dojo near you, check the directory of dojos. Many of the dojos on the list have email addresses you can contact for further information. Some of the dojos also have Web pages with schedule and other details. © 2010 Shotokan Karate of America. All rights reserved. |
Beginners are always welcome in SKA. Regardless of your age, sex, or
current physical condition, you can begin karate practice and enjoy it.
Mr. Ohshima likes to say that in SKA the white belt is king!
About SKA |