As a beginner some things I learned...apparently not

[Gyakuto104]

Some kata was developed to teach fighting in extreme narrow alleyways and on the narrow pathways that divide the rice fields

Ha ha, yes like Naihanchi for fighting with your back against a wall!

 

[Badhabits]

Very low stances were developed for fighting at night. So you could more easily see your enemy silhouetted against the moonlight.

 

[Gyakuto104]

Very low stances were developed for fighting at night. So you could more easily see your enemy silhouetted against the moonlight.

Crouching at night is actually a strategy used in swordsmanship for the same reason. Thus to break up one’s silhouette, making it harder to discern, fine paulownia ash was thrown into the air to scatter stray photons. But then swordsmen would ensure they were familiar with the odour of paulownia ash to recognise a potential stealthy assassin…

 

[HighKick]

….to add to the myths…

Flying kicks were developed to knock down mounted warriors from their horses.

Tameshiwara (wood breaking) was developed to punch through wooden armour.

I have never heard of that use for flying kicks. But I have seen it done firsthand with a standing kick.

 

[Cri70]

1.) Doubtful, but hygiene was as prevalent back when so in some cases this may have been haphazardly true.
2.) Likely, but it wasn't called or karate or arts. Just a necessity.
3.) Again, likely out of necessity and availability.
4.) Close, but I wasn't there, so who knows?
5.) Modern karate is 100ish years old. Some claim the roots can be traced back to the 14th century, but that is a convenient conclusion. War has been around for millennia.

2) Karate was always the remit of better-off people.

You don't get neither the time nor the interest in doing more physical exercise after spending 12 hours working the fields. You'd rather sleep.

All karate masters were nobles or at least middle class (when that applied), or professional warriors.

 

[Gyakuto104]

…and a major myth, it seems…

 

[Badhabits]

The last two dojos I trained at, I was the only student who did physical labor for a living (construction). It's hard working in the heat all day, getting home in time to shower and change clothes, then go to the dojo to train. Sometimes get to class a little late and jump right in with no warmup. I've been warming up for this all day lol.

 

[Gyakuto104]

The last two dojos I trained at, I was the only student who did physical labor for a living (construction). It's hard working in the heat all day, getting home in time to shower and change clothes, then go to the dojo to train. Sometimes get to class a little late and jump right in with no warmup. I've been warming up for this all day lol.

I marvel at your drive and determination to train after a day of that kind of work. If I gave a lecture and ran a student practical class (three whole hours on my feet) I would’ve thought about skipping a class!

 

[Badhabits]

It's gotten much harder since hitting mid forties. There's been a couple times I've said to myself there's no way to keep this up I'll have to quit martial arts. And tried to quit. Always end up coming back though. At this point I think of martial arts like a woman I just can't stay away from lol. Mrs Badhabits tells me I'm not happy when I don't train so she pushes me back into the dojo when my determination wavers. That helps a lot.

 

[Gyakuto104]

It's gotten much harder since hitting mid forties.

Unfortunately that decline is non-linear

There's been a couple times I've said to myself there's no way to keep this up I'll have to quit martial arts. And tried to quit. Always end up coming back though.

You have it all wrong…you should give up work and continue with MA!

At this point I think of martial arts like a woman I just can't stay away from lol.

She is a buxom lady <sigh>

Mrs Badhabits tells me I'm not happy when I don't train so she pushes me back into the dojo when my determination wavers. That helps a lot.

She asks you to leave the house for several, guaranteed hours every week? If you don’t mind me saying, you should consider installing CCTV and possibly sacking your young, muscular gardener.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

You don't get neither the time nor the interest in doing more physical exercise after spending 12 hours working the fields. You'd rather sleep.

Well, you either make the time to train or make excuses not to - the choice is yours:

Taiji – Lost in a digital world

Everywhere we are continually bombarded with messages - twitter, facebook, texts… all of which of c...

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[drop bear104]

….to add to the myths…

Flying kicks were developed to knock down mounted warriors from their horses.

Tameshiwara (wood breaking) was developed to punch through wooden armour.

In defense of flying kicks. They weren't big horses.

 

[Wing Woo Gar38]

In defense of flying kicks. They weren't big horses.
View attachment 32833

 

[Wing Woo Gar38]

In defense of flying kicks. They weren't big horses.
View attachment 32833

Bravo! That gave me the laugh of the week!

 

[Gyakuto104]

Many a true word spoken in jest…

 

[opr1945101]

Shoot low they are riding Shetland ponies.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

When I started this journey I knew nothing about martial arts, let alone Karate. Here are some of the things I learned in no particular order:

1. originally students just always wore a white belt which eventually turned black with use.
2. Karate was created by poor peasants to protect themselves from hostiles.
3. The weapons used by early practitioners were all just farm implements.
4. Martial Arts were brought from India to China by Bodhidharma In the 6th, or so, century.
5. The art of Karate is hundreds of years old.

From what I now understand the accuracy of these statements is questionable.

Opinions?

If you are a reader, study a few books on the history of karate and you will see many inaccuracies and inconsistencies. In truth, karate is a relatively modern sport which claims to be a traditional martial art.

 

[Cri70]

Well, you either make the time to train or make excuses not to - the choice is yours:

Taiji – Lost in a digital world

Everywhere we are continually bombarded with messages - twitter, facebook, texts… all of which of c...

chentaijiquanworld.blogspot.com

This is very ignorant: typical modern thinking, applied to conditions of which you have no experience.

If you are a medieval farmer, you scrape a living working your *** off, "train" is not even the 1000th element of your priority list

 

[Taiji Rebel]

This is very ignorant: typical modern thinking, applied to conditions of which you have no experience.

If you are a medieval farmer, you scrape a living working your *** off, "train" is not even the 1000th element of your priority list

Directly from the article:

Someone put this to Chen Xiaoxing when we were training in Chenjiagou and he was clearly irritated at the suggestion that things were easier in his time, dismissing the idea out of hand. He spoke of the back-breaking work they had to do when all farm work had to be done by hand and laughed that even when machinery became available, they were to poor to afford it. Then came the Cultural Revolution where he toiled in a brick factory. But they still found time to train. As he put it, most people today work about 8 hours a day. Beyond that the individual has the choice to do what they want with the time.

 

[Prince_Alarming104]

To be fair, some of us with physical jobs are dangerous maniacs who need training in their day to keep their lives on an even keel and I imagine the kind of people who are attracted to martial arts were probably much the same then as we are now