Traditional Karate is a Japanese martial art of self-defence. Karate-do is a combination of three Japanese kanji (characters); “kara” meaning empty, “te” meaning hand, and “do” meaning path. Therefore, the literal translation of karate-do is “the way of the empty hand”. Traditional karate emphasizes the orgins of karate and the spiritual and mental aspects of the sport. Shotokan karate is ...

WHAT IS TRADITIONAL SHOTOKAN KARATE?

WHY JOIN KARATE?

The belts serve as a way for students to measure progress. Beginners start with a white belt. To earn higher belts students must successfully complete a grading where they will demonstrate to an outside instructor their skill level. All students start as white belt, yellow, orange, green, two purple belts, three brown belts follow before achieving a black belt. There are 10 levels of black belt however the 10th is traditionally awarded upon death as it is believed as long as you are living there is still more to learn.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR ON MY FIRST DAY OF CLASS?

Karate is a fun way to stay fit and active while learning the traditional martial art of Shotokan Karate. Karateka (students of karate) develop physical skills such as speed, coordination, balance, flexibility, and fitness. Karate also helps build self-discipline and confidence.

WHAT DO THE BELTS MEAN?

3rd Floor

1100 Broad Street

Regina, Saskatchewan

S4R 1X8

306-522-4866
midwestkarate@hotmail.com

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On your first day of class just wear comfortable athletic clothing that isn't too hot and allows you to move freely. If you wish to continue with karate you can talk with an instructor about buying a gi, the traditional white uniform that can be seen in all the photos on this site. The club sells gis in a wide variety of sizes. Karate is done bare foot, so don't worry about bringing runners.

History of Traditional Karate

Traditional Karate is a Japanese martial art of self-defence (International Tradition Karate, 2022). Karate-do is a combination of three Japanese kanji (characters); “kara” meaning empty, “te” meaning hand, and “do” meaning path (DeRyk, 1987, p. 3). Therefore, the literal translation of karate-do is “the way of the empty hand” (DeRyk, 1987, p. 3). Karate practice can be traced back hundreds of years; however, the history of karate is largely oral. Napoleon Bonaparte recorded observing a weaponless self-defence system, karate, on what is now the island of Okinawa (Funakoshi, 1975). Due to concerns of rebellion by the Japanese ruling class, for hundreds of years, it was illegal to practice karate and was only studied in secret. Gichin Funakoshi is considered to be the founder of modern day karate. In 1901, Sensei Funakoshi held a karate demonstration for the Okinawan Ministry of Education and this led to karate programming in the school system (Funakoshi, 1975). Karate gained worldwide interest in the late 1950s and Japanese instructors relocated around the world to teach Traditional Karate (International Traditional Karate Federation, 2022). Although many forms of karate exist, only those that can show their lineage to Okinawa are considered Traditional Karate (International Traditional Karate Federation, 2022).

History of Karate in Saskatchewan

Traditional karate has existed in Saskatchewan for over 50 years and was first organized on a provincial level with the formation of the Saskatchewan Karate Association in 1977 (Saskatchewan Karate Association, 2022). There are 11 affiliated clubs in the province with a total of 431 members (L. Crosson, personal communication, May 24, 2022). Karate clubs who are not members of the Saskatchewan Karate Association or clubs that teach other forms of martial arts were not included in the total numbers of participants. The Saskatchewan Karate Association is funded by Sask Sport and aims to promote traditional karate throughout the province (Saskatchewan Karate Association, 2022). From the beginning, the Saskatchewan Karate Association has brought the precepts of Budo and the Dojo Kun to traditional karate.

Karate has its technical roots in “Todo” a fighting art out of Japan and its philosophical base in “budo” (International Traditional Karate Federation, 2022, The Definition of Traditional Karate section). Budo is the psychological aspect of karate that is the foundation of karate philosophy. In the words of Master Hidetaka Nishyama, “The aim of Budo is perfection of self by seeking and training in the martial arts” (International Traditional Karate Federation, 2022, banner). Furthermore, the founder of modern day karate, Gichin Funakoshi, famously said, “the aim of karate lies not in victory nor in defeat, but in the perfection of character of its participants” (DeRyk, 1987, p. 3). Karate is a fighting art but its philosophy is based on perfection of character and avoiding danger. Budo’s aim is self-development at any age, gender, or natural physical ability (Funakoshi, 1975). From the beginning, karate was designed to be a way to develop physically, emotionally, and socially.

Midwest Karate Regina has always viewed human development as a goal and focused on children and people from low-income settings. According to Sensei Richard Jorgenson, former Technical Chairman of the International Traditional Karate Federation and founder of Midwest Karate Regina, Midwest Karate was one of the first clubs to provide karate instruction on Indigenous reserves and was one of the first to participate in the KidSport program (personal communication R. Jorgenson, 2021). Midwest Karate and the Saskatchewan Karate Association completed a quantitative study on The Impact of Karate Training on Youth in 1988. Even at that time, the impacts were believed to be both physiological and psychological. The authors were unable to observe statistically significant findings of karate on physiological or psychological impacts; however, the belief that karate significantly impacts individuals has persisted (Saskatchewan Karate Association, 1988). Traditional karate in Saskatchewan has a history of supporting vulnerable populations and promoting human development. The Saskatchewan Karate Association also has a culture that promotes evidence-based practice and research. It was within this culture of traditional karate that I was first introduced to as a child.

 One way of exemplifying budo is through following the dojo kun. The dojo kun is a set of precepts to guide training at the dojo (training facility) but is also considered a way of life. The dojo kun was originally written in Japanese. Japanese kanji (characters) each represent concepts and are put together to create larger ideas. Direct translation is not possible and even though the dojo kun is well known the English translations vary. 

Generally, the dojo kun is listed with each point starting with a number one indicating that each is equally important and not a sequential list. All of these rules or the underlying philosophy set a framework for establishing a positive culture for self-development within karate.

            Traditional karate, through following budo principles, becomes a sport with benefits that contribute to human development. I did not understand the philosophical differences in karate instruction as opposed to coaching in other sports until my own children participated in sports. Karate differs from western sports in some important ways. Karate is bound in rituals that teach respect and polite behaviour such as bowing at the beginning of class. Many sports are more free form with children independently doing drills assigned, which rarely occurs in karate. Students are expected to stand in a line and only perform a move when the instructor counts and this helps build self-discipline. It also prevents accidents in a sport that is built on the art of self-defence. All students participate for the entire class whether highly skilled or struggling with basics. In many team sports, less skilled students sit on the bench and have less playing time. In karate, students advance at their own speed, and achieve higher ranks through belt testing. Some advance through belt levels quickly while others take more time. I believe this is an advantage as everyone has the potential to be a black belt, some just take longer. Many sports rely heavily on parent volunteers as coaches and although some parents are also karate instructors, they must be skilled karate practitioners at a black belt level. This ensures a high level of technical instruction and a firm grounding in the concepts of budo. Character building is often an outcome of sport participation in any sport; however, karate differs in that character building is its primary objective not a secondary benefit.

Hitotsu! Jinkaku kansei ni tsuotomeru koto

First, seek perfection of character

Hitotsu! Makoto no michi o mamoru koto

First, be faithful to yourself; your path in life, and your training

Hitotsu! Do ryoku no seishin o yashinau koto

First, endeavour to reach your maximum potential

Hitotsu! Rei gi o omonzuru koto

First, respect others

Hitotsu! Kekki no yu o imashimuru koto

First, refrain from violent behaviour

Karate for 4-6 year olds is a once a week class. All other youth classes are twice per week and adults train up to three times per week. As an individual sport you can train as much or as little as you like. The more you train the quicker you improve.

HOW OFTEN DO I TRAIN?