Way beyond School Boy karate

Admit it, you have all heard experts proclaim that real karate is not school boy karate.

 

But I think it unlikely they ever considered the words of the expert who actually taught the young in the schools os Okinawa.

 

I am referring to Shirmoa Shimpan.

 

Shiroma Shimpan (1890 – 1954)

Born in Tera village, Okinawa, Shiroma received his first Karate-dó instruction from Anko Itosu. He opened his first dojo in 1915 at Shuri First Elementary School. Shiroma was referred to as warrior Shiroma and devoted most of his energies to the teaching and promotion of Karate-dó.

 

He contributed a large section titled “Explanation of Kata and their Meaning”. In the 1938 book collecting karate experts  “Karate Do Taiken”.

 

I am referring to the section - The Two Sides of Karate-do Training

 

“It is only natural to assume that dedicated training in Karate-do requires that one must train in the technical, as well as the mental and spiritual, aspects of Karate-do. One must keep in mind the mental and spiritual aspect of training in Karate-do not only while doing kneeling meditation (seiza mokuso) but also during the actions of one's  daily life. You must continually train yourself. Put simply, it is a huge mistake to think that training hould only occur whiles you are in the dojo.”

 

“However if we look at the technical side of Karate-do training, we can see that it is not simply for training technique. It is through the technical aspect of training that we are also trained in the mental and spiritual side of Karate-do. These two sides brought together, the mental and spiritual along with the technical, allows us to train in true Karate-do. Focusing on the technical aspect of Karate-do results only in brutality and violence, while focusing only on the mental and spiritual aspects of Karate-do takes away our ability to defend ourselves then it is necessary.”

 

“Therefore those individuals practicing Karate-do must aim to train both their mind and body through both the mental, spiritual, and technical aspects of Karate-do. It is through this training that the goal of perfection of character can be attained. “

 

There after he goes into a lengthy discussion on the use of karate technique.

 

Personally I have found very much the same is true. Especially the Spiritual dimension of karate. Without belief that you can use it, little is possible no matter how long you train.

Perhaps I will follow eventually with further observations on his suggestions how karate technique could be used.

 

* “The Karate Do Taiken” It has been translated into English by Mario Mckenna and is available in many versions through Lulu Press.

Titled in English “An Overview of Karate-dó”  © Mario McKenna