American Karate...

[SRyuFighter]

Could you all tell me what American Karate is all about. I take an okinawan form and don't really know anything about American Karate.

 

[Angus]

There's a million different kinds. I've seen American Karate that was essentially an amalgum of a couple different Japanese/Okinawan styles and forms, and others (like what I did) that was renamed ITF Taekwondo. I've seen others that has no forms at all and are basically kickboxing, etc etc. It is not a specific system/curriculum.

 

[IMAA]

HI,

I'll say this. From what I've gathered in our school we coin the term American Karate and or American TaeKwonDo. Which ever. we use both names. We're a mixture of shuri ryu Karate and we emphasise Taekwondo Kicking.

However we are bound by neither. We are a mixed school, We have BJJ, Kali, Judo, JKD as our curriculum. We have Kata however we do not stress them that much. We are a more self defense ran school. We to compete in the Tournaments so we learn point sparring and kata for mostly that aspect, and for promotion requirements. Neverthe less I think we use American Karate because we draw from alot of different areas. Boxing, Kickboxing as well... I have wondered myself for a long timewhat American Karate or American TKD has actually meant.

This is the best answer I can give.
thanks

 

[Angus]

Sounds like my perfect school. Who's your instructor, IMAA?

 

[IMAA]

Angus:

Sensei Carl Jackson runs the Dojo, however what we do is.

Any given day on a rotation each blackbelt in the school teaches his or her favorite thing (so to speak)

One day one of the black belts may focus on Point sparring techniques, or Kata, on anther day one may focus on grappling, judo or jujutsu

and I myself offer Kali, JKD, some kickboxing and self defense.

Since Sensei Jackson has so many dfferent blackbelts some have come in from different systems but nontheless he shares his ideas as well as he lets us teach what we like when its our day.


Thanks

 

[Johnathan Napalm]

None of my business, but why not just name it more accurately as MMA, instead of the misleading XYZ Karate or XYZ TKD. Relabelling ITF as American Karate is surely, ehhh, dumb?

 

[Angus]

MMA implies something completely different than what it was. It wasn't purely ITF Taekwondo, because we had some weapons forms and black belt forms that were taught that were definitely not ITF. Also we did punching that was more boxing than straight reverse punches a la Taekwondo, so there were other influences as well. MMA is defintely NOT what it was, at least for mine. MMA would be far more misleading because it would imply an, essentially, competative kickboxing/grappling GYM that may or may not have a little FMA depending on the lineage. Mind you, none of those have forms.

 

[Johnathan Napalm]

Since ITF was rooted in Shotokan, repacking it as American Karate is probably what they called "irony". General Choi would have been shaking his head.

 

[arnisador]

http://www.danandersonkarate.com/afk.html

 

[Angus]

Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm
Since ITF was rooted in Shotokan, repacking it as American Karate is probably what they called "irony". General Choi would have been shaking his head.

A) ALL TKD is rooted in Shotokan, which is JAPANESE Karate, very definitely. However,
B) As TKD (ITF, WTF, whatever) is generally practiced today it's not much like Shotokan other than having some of the same techniques and being a "hard" style. Somehow I doubt that you'll ever see a Shotokan karateka do a 360 jump spinning hook. Shotokan doesn't have nearly as much emphasis on kicking.

Why would General Choi care? It's not his curriculum that was being taught, however there were a lot of elements that were, including the color belt forms and some of the black belt forms. However, our school didn't place much emphasis on forms unless you wanted to be an instructor. Otherwise, more emphasis was placed upon techniques, combinations, and their applications. It was NOT solely ITF TKD, and I'm not sure why you choose skip over me saying that. What exactly are you trying to prove, here?

It would be interesting to see you fill out your profile. Somehow I have a feeling...

On an unrelated note, I would love to study under Dan Anderson. I have his one of his Freestyle Karate books and it's one of the best (non-Japanese) Karate books I've ever come accross. It's outstanding. His system greatly interests me and I wish there was a school nearby because I would much rather do that than what I'm doing now. I think anyone who spars competatively, or at least wants a good read, should get one of his books.

 

[arnisador]

Note that Dan Anderson posts in the Modern Arnis forum here.

 

[Angus]

Yes, I'm aware. It was a nice surprise when I first joined Martial Talk, because I was pretty sure I recognized the name...and I realized I was sure when I saw the name on my book shelf!

 

[arnisador]

He signed my last arnis promotion certificate--it was a big thrill for me because I was a fan of his when I was younger.

 

[Johnathan Napalm]

Originally posted by Angus
A) ALL TKD is rooted in Shotokan, which is JAPANESE Karate, very definitely. However,
B) As TKD (ITF, WTF, whatever) is generally practiced today it's not much like Shotokan other than having some of the same techniques and being a "hard" style. Somehow I doubt that you'll ever see a Shotokan karateka do a 360 jump spinning hook. Shotokan doesn't have nearly as much emphasis on kicking.

Why would General Choi care? It's not his curriculum that was being taught, however there were a lot of elements that were, including the color belt forms and some of the black belt forms. However, our school didn't place much emphasis on forms unless you wanted to be an instructor. Otherwise, more emphasis was placed upon techniques, combinations, and their applications. It was NOT solely ITF TKD, and I'm not sure why you choose skip over me saying that. What exactly are you trying to prove, here?

It would be interesting to see you fill out your profile. Somehow I have a feeling...

On an unrelated note, I would love to study under Dan Anderson. I have his one of his Freestyle Karate books and it's one of the best (non-Japanese) Karate books I've ever come accross. It's outstanding. His system greatly interests me and I wish there was a school nearby because I would much rather do that than what I'm doing now. I think anyone who spars competatively, or at least wants a good read, should get one of his books.

What was I trying to prove? Nothing. You can call your school The PowerRangerArnisKarate for all I care. I just went by your post that mentioned about relabelling ITF as American Karate. I didn't even know your school is one of those, until you said so.

"..It would be interesting to see you fill out your profile. Somehow I have a feeling... ..."
Care to elaborate? I sure don't have any idea what you are talking about.

 

[SRyuFighter]

Thanks everyone.

 

[budopunjabi]

As far as I know, American Karate is now an amalgamation of many traditional arts and sport that has been termed karate.

Many soldiers during the Korean war learnt Tang So Do, and termed that karate. Many dojo's incorporate this, with american Kenpo into Karate.

Unfortunatly much martial arts has been marketed and sold to the public without capturing the main essense of the art.

In Budo

 

[IMAA]

YUP that sounds just about like our school....however the only thing I see is our school gears more toward the side of Self Defense rather than spend alot of time on the Sport side.

We are a school that has blended alot of different styles together.

IT WORKS WELL I think...


thanks

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi Folks,
Thanks forv the plugs. I hope you got your question answered. As for instruction, I do teach seminars. I go over principles which you can apply to your own method of fighting rather than just a technique seminar.
Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[RyuShiKan]

Originally posted by budopunjabi

Many soldiers during the Korean war learnt Tang So Do, and termed that karate.

And they were right too! Since the word tang soo do is the same as the old way to write kara te do (using the tang/kara kanji) in Japanese and Okinawan. Not to mention the art came from Okinawa in the first place.

Originally posted by budopunjabi
Unfortunatly much martial arts has been marketed and sold to the public without capturing the main essense of the art.

And what in your opinion is “the main essence of the art” ?

 

[budopunjabi]

i agree the art is okinawan..that is my main point! Tang soo do is heavily based around Shotokan, a form of karate that was completely diluted compared to the original art constructed by Miyagi and Miyazato sensei. The applications of Karate, found in Okinawan Jundo Kan are definetly deeper and have more potency that those found in shotokan. If you doubt it, visit Okinawa Jundo Kan's and see if they let you through the door using those deep stances and clunky blocks and punches. You may as well not call Shotokan and Okinawan Gojy ryu karate as at advanced levels they are very different.

In Budo