Karatedō is an unarmed Japanese martial art whose origins in Okinawa and further development in Japan are probably well known. We will therefore refrain from giving a detailed, general explanation of the essence of karate here and limit ourselves to our understanding of karate, which differs from that of many other schools.
Not all karate is the same (we do not mean the different styles), as the orientation of karate schools and the personal training motivation of the practitioners can be very different:
– Culture: Rituals and enthusiasm for Japan
– Spirituality: stress management and resilience
– Sport: competition and fitness
– Martial arts: Resilience and self-defence
Each of these motives is completely legitimate, usually a mixture of several motives is the case, and so it is important to find the dōjō that is best suited to your own interests.
“What does this technique really mean and how can it be applied in practice?” – this is the central question that has occupied and fascinated me in karatedō for almost five decades. In Budō, not only the fighting techniques themselves but also their tactical content have been passed on for centuries in choreographically defined sequences of movements, the kata (forms). For me, deciphering the realistic application possibilities (bunkai = analysis) of a kata cannot be separated from practising the motor sequences, which should not be a purely aesthetically motivated ballet performance. My practice-orientated approach, which covers the whole range of striking techniques on sensitive points, levers and throws during training, therefore differs from the approach of many other schools.
Our karate style Shōtōkan therefore only defines the way in which we practise kata and not their usual practical implementation. The fighting rituals of sports karate, which are only suitable for a rule-compliant and victory-orientated competition between athletes or which are based on examination regulations, are not the aim of our training.
Our Karatedō unfolds around traditional kata, the practice of which must be health-promoting and the combative application of which must be suitable for self-defence – after all, that’s what they were created for.
