Since I love my martial art, and love discussing it with other enthusiasts, I have been known to search the web for Shotokan-related websites, along with more general martial arts sites. Since I work in internet marketing in real life, I have also been known to search the stats on this blog, because I'm always curious to see what search terms led a visitor to my little karate blog.
The results often really depress me. I have been found, numerous times, by people searching under "karate sucks". I don't happen to think karate sucks, so it's a bit unfortunate for me to attract people who do. It is for them, too, since they certainly won't find backup for their beliefs on my blog. When I look at the other search results for that term, I find a number of articles, blogs, and discussion boards. Some are tongue-in-cheek, but most are not. Almost all engage in vicious karate-bashing:
"It's not a real martial art" "Less than useless" "Totally ineffective in real life" "Totally corrupted" "All about making money for those Japanese guys who teach it" "They just make fun of you while they take your money"... and on, and on, and on.
My first reaction was a combination of shock and horror, along with a fair degree of anger. Not real, huh? Not effective? Attack me in a dark alley, I'll show you how effective it can be. All about the money? The money-grubbing Senseis make fun of us to each other? How dare you say such things about my Sensei, and about Master Yaguchi and Master Okazaki and the other wonderful instructors I've had the unparalleled privilege of training with? Less than useless? I guess if you consider something that strengthens you in body, mind and spirit useless, then you would be right... but I have no clue what you would deem worthwhile if that is the case.
At first I dismissed most of it as ignorant hot-heads, teenagers who like to be outrageous and pick a fight, who love to hear the sound of their own voice. To be fair, plenty of those articles and discussion boards blasted other forms of martial arts as well. The better known the martial art, the more abuse it came in for. And there were numerous heated arguments about which was "better", and why. Once my anger wore off, I realized sadly that many of these posts and articles were by people who truly were that disillusioned and angry themselves. I had to wonder how in the world they had gotten such a horrible experience from something so beneficial to me.
I didn't have to look very far for the answer. Right here in my town, we have several martial arts dojos that we derisively (and, yes, very disrespectfully) refer to as "Buy A Belt" dojos. One guarantees you a black belt in two years if you pay $1000.00 up front. Another one bills itself as "The Oldest and Best Traditional Karate Dojo", despite the fact that our dojo has been here more than twice as long, and not only does our instructor outrank that instructor, but 3 of our STUDENTS outrank that instructor. We have one group that specializes in "Karate for Kids", which is largely putting on a gi and playing games and running around, and when the disappointed parents bring those children over to our classes, we have to strip their blue, purple or brown belts and start them off all over again, because they know literally nothing about real karate. They get discouraged and frustrated and don't last long. And those are just the local examples. One major studio down in Denver forces their students to buy all gear through them, for a nice markup, among other things.
I can only imagine the frustration of paying a lot of money, and investing two years, to get something that really was worthless. I can only imagine the frustration of a system which makes you pay for all of your gis, all of your gloves, all of your belts, and any other gear you might use, through their own store, and charges you more than you would pay elsewhere. I can only imagine the frustration of needing to use a martial art in a real-world situation, and finding that what you learned was useless.
I feel sorry for the frustration that these people feel, and doubly lucky to have fallen, pretty much by accident, into a well-established, fully credentialed, very reputable, and incredibly educational karate system. We get our belts because we EARN them, through rigorous training and testing. And you don't always pass the tests either. If you advance, you can know that you've worked hard and achieved something new.
There will always be those who refuse to believe me or think that I am deluded somehow, there will always be those who argue that their martial art is better than mine, there will always be those who argue with me simply for the sake of arguing.
To you all I say one thing: Karate does not suck.
I will go farther: NO martial art "sucks". There are some I do not practice, and some I would not care to practice. But that is not the fault of the martial art. It is due to my personal inclination, my spirit and my approach to life. If I meet someone who practices another martial art and clearly lacks skill and control, I do not blame the martial art. I might blame the instructor, I might blame the student, if I knew enough background, or more likely I would simply shake my head and avoid them.
In karate, as in life, what you get out of it depends quite a lot on what you put into it. If you feel you are putting in a lot, and getting nothing back, then it's time you took a step back and examined your organization, your dojo, your instructor, and yourself.
Hi. I agree with what ure saying. Karate has been abused of. I dont doubt that ure school is not like the other schools. But i must ask u to answer my question. A grandmaster in kung fu verses a grandmaster in karate. Who wins. Please dont say it depends, or no one or any off that. Just answer me straight. Dont just say karate couse u practice it. Be honest. This will change my life.
Posted by: duff | August 09, 2004 at 05:36 PM
naw, the capoeira guy will fly in and kick both their arses. and then proceed to quadruple-backflip out the bathroom window he came in through.
really, that's a very ambiguous question you've asked. It's like saying, "Can Joe Montana beat Steve Young in football?"
You're gonna say, "Wait, football's a team sport!"
Right.
There are teammates and records and histories to be taken into consideration. Rules of the game even, terms of victory. Asking whether a "gung-fu" master could beat a karate master is a very poor question indeed. Aside from that, there are many many different types of "gung-fu." "Gung-fu" isn't a style, it's a general term for chinese martial arts.
Posted by: Karate never sucks | August 09, 2004 at 08:42 PM
Haha but there is no "right" answer to that question. There are good karate masters, and not so good ones. There are good kung fu masters, and not so good ones. Who "wins" might change depending on the day, the hour.
I'll say this though: If this question could truly change your life, then I think you're letting too much ride on it. If you're interested in taking up a martial art, figure out which one you like the best, and work hard at it. That will get you as far as you can go.
Posted by: LirianFae | August 10, 2004 at 01:20 PM
bruce lee practiced kung fu and nobody could beat him. how much time do you take to get to grandmaster on karate?
i was told that karate originated from kung fu.
Posted by: duff | August 12, 2004 at 11:38 AM
and another one. do they show u how to control ure chi in karate?
thanks
Posted by: duff | August 12, 2004 at 11:39 AM
The problem with asking what seem like really straightforward questions, like these, is that there just aren't single or simple answers.
Bruce Lee was, by any standards, an absolutely exceptional martial artist. The same could be said for a select few others. These people combine technique and training with an almost instinctive response, which is gained through years of hard work.
My karate style and school does not actually use the term "grandmaster", although we do award the honor of "Master" upon attaining 7th degree black belt. This takes many years of constant training to achieve. Other schools and traditions will differ, as will the time required to achieve the title.
As far as teaching "chi", again, that will depend on your school, your style, your instructor.
Posted by: LirianFae | August 12, 2004 at 12:02 PM
Krav Maga beats all!
Posted by: Krav | September 02, 2004 at 12:09 PM
bruce lee was the best fighter to have ever lived proven fact end of story ;)......
Posted by: boostme | September 13, 2004 at 03:51 AM
c'mon guys bruce lee was a good martial artist by all accounts, but there is little or no record of him fighting anybody for real is there? the only one i know of was of him losing to "judo" gene lebell in a sparring match (he ended up studying judo two years with gene). not to mention that he weighed about 130-140 lbs soaking wet.
i know you'll howl that size doesn't matter. go get yourself into a real fight with a guy who outweighs you by 70 lbs as a 200 pounder would lee. to make it interesting, make it someone with a year or two of boxing and/or wrestling and tell me it doesn't matter. that is if you can still speak in complete sentences.
lee would do well WITHIN HIS WEIGHT CLASS.
i agree there's nothing wrong with karate. i searched under karate sucks too, but that's only because i like controversy ;) peace
Posted by: drstrange | September 17, 2004 at 02:41 PM
I agree that Karate has value, but not as a modern complete combat art. It lacks the ground work (newaza) needed to be able to defend onesself in any situation, as does my base art San Soo. This does not mean it has no quality, rather it simply is a Tool to go into your Tool belt, and with it's skills combined with other skills (tools) you can complete any task. The issue is alone what value does Karate have in combat- alot!!! Just not complete as it lacks Newaza. Keep in mind Newaza lacks the stand up Karate offers, combine em and be a martial artist, not a stylist. The victory comes from self development, and Shotokan( and many other Karates) all are above the rest when it comes to character buliding. I hope to build character in my students more so than an ability to harm others. But when it comes down to it, make sure to hit first- hard and take em out. As my teachers taught me,If all else fails- strangle em!!
Chuck Pittman
Posted by: Chuck | November 09, 2004 at 02:57 PM
wow, that was a whole lotta truth. I was at a school that was filled with people who only wanted to be given their black belt if they or their pareents paid a huge sum. I tried as hard as I could and became very good while others stayed as white belts until the instructor descided that they should get their belt so they feel better about themselves. It was true that the kids only played games and fooled around, but the thing that killed me the most was that my instructor tried to show me off because i was good, possibly the best, and he always asked me for thousands of dollars to take class. It became so unbearable that I ended up leaving them thinking "Is this what Karate has turned out to be?" Fortunately I have found a new school that teaches Shorei-Ryu karate, does not care about my money, and only shows me off to the other students so that they can do the moves correctly.
I have always heard the "Karate is useless cuz I could kick your butt" and have always told them that it was not and if he were to beat me then so be it, it doesn't mean that karate is useless. So one day he threw a punch at me after a round of hilarious insults; amazingly, I blocked his punch and whacked him in the nose without thinking one bit. He looks at me with blood trickling out of his puffy nose as I say, "Karate is useless, huh?"
I hope you found this interesting.
Posted by: Evan | March 24, 2005 at 07:22 PM
You should practise karate or any martial art because you want to develop yourself physically and mentally, not because you want to win a fight or be tough. If you just want that, buy a gun- then you'll always win. The answer to which martial art you should practise is which one speaks to you, which one you think you'll most enjoy and which one when you see it practised excites you the most. Because if you don't feel enjoyment and excitement when you practise you'll never get beyond a beginner's belt.
Posted by: miyako | March 29, 2005 at 07:38 AM
I think martial arts is as good as the person teaching it. I believe there is no 'superior' martial arts - they all have their good and bad points. The best way to becoming proficient is to try different styles and find what works best :)
Oh and as karate was one of the first few styles around, it does have some flaws - biomechanically superior styles were invented later but it has its good points.
Posted by: Mike | April 05, 2005 at 11:16 PM
I wholeheartedly agree. All Martial Arts, if taught and practiced correctly, have practical value. The Tae Kwon Do Dojang that I used to practice at was full of skilled instructors, rigurous tests, and disciplined students. However, a few years ago it was bought out by some corporate people who care more about squeezing students of their money than education of the Martial Arts. Frusturated I left that school for good.
I am now a Fencer and very satisfied with the Academy that I am studying at. The master and instructors are all very kind people and skilled Fencers, and they make their strongest efforts to train people in every way possible.
Posted by: Mark Goldstein | April 30, 2005 at 09:45 AM
I have been teaching Karate for over 35years all over the world and I have to say the good old USA has the very worst standard of all.
1st to be a world Champion that means the whole world" not just the USA,I would go so far as to say that nearly all black belts in the USA are not worth their grade,its so wrong that they take peoples money and teach crap.
Let me tell all that read this what it takes to get a real Black belt.
Hard bloody work,and a very long time,in Japan you can't buy a black belt,you can only get one from the JKA after at least 4 years of training,forget the Flims its all crap I know because its what I do for a living.
Take a good look at your so called instructor remember karate is only Only taught in Japanese and explained in English the reason for this is so that you can go to any dojo in the world and understand what is being taught.
This does not mean that you have to speak Japanese".
Sorry to be so Blunt but I know what I am talking about,I have been world Champion 3 times,that's the whole world.
Look up Mas Oyama on the net and you will get what I am talking about.
Posted by: michael quirke | May 03, 2005 at 08:05 AM
Well I have just read the artical posted by michael quirke,now trust me I know this guy and have trained in one of his dojos, this is one hell of a instructor and beleave me all those other so called instructors should stay well out of his way.
He is the best of the best and what he says is true and anyone wanting to do Karate should lissen towhat he is saying,do your home work when looking for an instructor and if lucky enough to be near one of his clubs then get in there.
Posted by: dave slapper | May 07, 2005 at 07:05 AM
funny ...this guy is the same poster truout this whole page..lol !
Posted by: shotokan master | July 15, 2005 at 11:50 AM
Why do people think that bruce lee was the greatest martial artist that every lived? He was an actor in movies. Yes he was a GOOD martial artist to say he was the best that every lived is childish and proves people can't seperate fact from fiction. There are great martial artists all over the world that no one's every heard about because they've never got the publicity nor did they want it. Thats a true martial artist.
Posted by: ryan | July 17, 2005 at 02:19 PM
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/214198/bjj_vs_black_belt_karate_shotokan_instructor/
Posted by: John | October 02, 2007 at 07:55 PM
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/214198/bjj_vs_black_belt_karate_shotokan_instructor/
Posted by: JOHNSS | October 02, 2007 at 07:57 PM
Having studied under and with Master Okazaki in Phila Pa in the 60ths and early 70ths I understand your words. The art of Karate has become just that an art. Yes it works as well as the person doing it can apply the technique. Thus the arts are now a personal gauge of ones self and willingness to commite to the arts. No longer do we challenge other students to the death to see who is better. Perhaps we should there would be less bitterness and confussion as to what works and what does not.
Posted by: John Biggs | June 09, 2008 at 03:01 PM