Japanese’s three “K” is fading 空手は 褪色 TAISHOKU? How to wake up karate?! by- Myint Kywe 先生

Japanese’s three “K” is fading
空手は 褪色 TAISHOKU? 

How to wake up karate?!

Email: karateseniorinstructor@gmail.com
By- Myint Kywe

Soshiki Karate (組織空手) の首席先生

(松濤館流)

作家、歴史家,ビルマ（ミャンマー）

Kabuki  歌舞伎 is a classical Japanese dance-drama.

Kimono 着物 is Japanese traditional garment.

Karate 空手 is Japanese traditional martial arts.

The Kabuki is sinking. The Kimono is sinking. The Karate is sinking gradually. These are still sinking in Japan really. When I arrived in Tokyo, Osaka, and Imabari in Japan in January 1987, I didn’t see  these three “K”; Kabuki, Kimono, and Karate dojos as much as before.

Today some Japanese people are just focusing on financial increase and fail to look after traditional customs. Sinking Stones (to fail completely, to descend from a higher to a lower position) (or) sinking our Japanese Karate!

Allow me to introduce about Karate.

Real Karate is the real combat striking martial art using punching, kicking, blocking, knee strikes, elbow strikes, open hand techniques, chokes, dodges,  joint manipulations, grappling, throws, take downs blocks, strikes, throws, and restraints.

By practicing only “Kata” in Karate is incomplete.

Conversely, by practicing only “Kumite” in Karate is NOT also complete. 

The real Karate not only involves athletic training, but also practices Kata , Bunkai and Kumite  systematically.  

We are very sorry because Japanese Karate is sinking. We should be aware of the loss of true real traditional karate's systematic techniques someday like as Kimono and Kabuki. Japanese Karate men are especially responsible of spreading the "Real traditional Karate."  

Today, some people bring shame on TRADITIONAL Shotokan Karate. In fact, those people don't see the essence of real Karate.   

Sport karate is good for health. Today almost sport karate is dancing. They often ignore both Bunkai (分解) and real combat training (Applied kumite).

Traditional karate is not only best for health but also athletic training (sport training), counter-attack techniques, applied combat training and useful karate completely.

Karate is gradually becoming fading and disappearing.

空手は 褪色 TAISHOKU. 

Sink or swim to take risks where the alternatives are loss and failure or security and success.

Some Karate is losing true qualities and useful techniques.

Karate is not dancing.

Karate is not bouncing.

Karate is not boastful.

Karate is fast and powerful.

"But Karate practitioners should be non-belligerent. If a belligerent person used his Karate on bulling, his Karate is nothing. If someone uses his Karate on ARROGANCE, his Karate is NOTHING. Everyone must learn Karate righteously and honestly.”

“I am the karate teacher and chief instructor since 1978.

I have been practicing karate since 1970.

I have had experience 44 years in karate.

However, I am always a student in karate”.

Almost Sport karate is without realistic Bunkai. Bunkai 分解 meaning "analysis" or "disassembly" is a term used in Japanese martial arts referring to the application of fighting techniques extracted from the moves of a "form" (kata). Bunkai is really necessary in karate. Kumite is really essential in karate.   

All karate instructors are considered to be most responsible for the real systemization, development and introduction of traditional karate to the world.  

Especially, Japanese Karate instructors are more responsible for the development of our Karate. 

All karate students should never forget Karate's useful, applied combat, useful practical skills, purposes, ethics and fundamental spirit etc.

We all karate practitioners must not be poisoned by the seven poisons such as: greed, anger, hatred, stupidity, conceit, jealousy and malice. We all instructors and students should abstain from all evil, committing murder, suicide, stealing, lying, betraying, sexual misconduct, adultery, polygamy, homosexuality and intoxicants.

We must always maintain honesty and humble. We must do to cultivate the power of courage by strengthening our mind and body and overcoming any difficulties in our life.

The Karate teacher should always be mature, responsible and polite in his talks and must be righteousness and calmness by his appearance and behavior. The appearance and behaviors shows the character. The teacher is a role model for students. 

Hence most of the students copy and admire their teachers so it is the responsibility of the Sensei to behave appropriate at all times and set a good example.  A Sensei should remember that he is not walking alone but carrying the entire responsibility of the art and he is also representing that particular art.

If a sensei 先生 is not appropriate in its behavior then even it reflects to his art which he is teaching.
 

By his behavior everything is dependent on the honour of reputation of the karate. I would like to say that the experience of thousands of students produce a sensei.

I believe that Karate will always be very useful if consists the Kihon, (Kata+Bunkai), Kumite, ethics, ground fighting techniques, hand-to-hand combat techniques (between two or more persons at very short range), hand-to-weapons techniques, counter-attack techniques and useful techniques. Real karate is very good and useful. 

Therefore I prefer traditional karate along with patience, forgiveness, morality, ethics, control system and combat training. Today, traditional Karate was neglected and ignored both in Japan and around the world.

Therefore our Karate men should save ourselves a lifetime of weal and woe and do something other than pursues our karate martial art. We all get our share of weal and woe in life. We worried about our real karate is sinking continuously.

Since 1978, I always try to mention that the concepts behind techniques are the "real" karate martial art.

Do not be arrogant.

Do not be belligerent.
Do not bully to other.
Do not surrender.
Do purify the mind.

Abstain from all evil.
Be brave.
Be honest.
Be patient.

Be humble.

Stand for truth.

Read the many books.

Regularly practice in karate. 

"If you have no critics you'll likely have no success."

"The essence of Karate is to be humble and not to be arrogant."
"Without Kata in Karate is blind." 
"Without Kumite in Karate is blind."
"Kata is actually the very essence of Karate."  
"Kumite is actually the very essence of Karate."

We have the right of criticism and self-criticism. Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. What is intellectual criticism? Of first consideration is the nature of intellectual criticism of sport karate. Intellectual criticism is argumentative.

“Without debate, without criticism no administration and no karate can succeed and no karate can survive.”

“Practice a virtue .Practice is better than precept.“

I have never seen applied kumite techniques at almost sport karate tournaments and many international competitions. I have ever seen bouncing techniques (without applied bunkai) at almost sport karate tournaments.

What's your opinion on bouncing in martial arts?

Karate is NOT bouncing.

Why do sport karate practitioners bounce so much?

I was actually able to watch the karate matches during the tournament, and I was surprised to see how many of them bounced on their feet, and shifting stances like boxer. That it was very bad.

What's your opinion on the whole concept?

I have never taught to bounce up and down.

Originated masters of JKA and senior masters in Shotokan never used bouncing up and down.

Shaolin monks, Funakoshi Gichin didn't bounce at sparring in Karate and the Masatoshi Nakayama didn't bounce at sparring in Karate.

Real karate practitioners don't bounce.

Bouncing is a sport thing. It started in boxing.

It's supposed to keep your weight off your heels so you're more maneuverable and also to hide your footwork so your opponent can't tell what direction you're going.

Bouncing is a bad habit though. Bouncing may be OK for sport.

Sometimes this jumping can also be used to fake moves against an opponent by using a flamingo stance when one of your leg is in the air, but you end up using your another leg.

If some of you would hate for this writing, that’s okay.

Because I loved Japanese Karate as I started studying Karate since I was 10 years old in 1970.  

Hence, our Karate never will be faded if we strive intently for spreading our Japanese’s Real Karate vigorously.

How to save Karate from darkness future!

Who will save our Karate!

True Karate is never old.