The sad things is to me that the mentality exists in all fields. I've read stories about doctors and dentists who just breezed through school, but admitted that they weren't qualified when unfortunate events happened. We live in a "cram for the test" society.
As a 4th degree in Karate this is exactly the reason why I started BJJ. There are things I have already learned in jujitsu as a white belt that adds to my Karate experience.
@@cem7387 dude good job making the jump and being willing to put on a white belt. When I started BJJ it was like recess for me lol I couldn’t get enough of it since it was so fun and a new puzzle to solve
It's interesting talking about standards in Karate, and the beef between Funakoshi and Motobu, considering Funakoshi admonished those talking about style, saying that it's all "Karate". If Funakoshi's goal had been achieved, there *would* be standards for Karate ranking just like there is for Judo. In Judo, shodan rank doesn't equal skill either, but rather just knowledge of the basic curriculum. The removal of grappling from Karate is a different discussion, and Funakoshi had a hand in the beginning of that because of the desire to standardize Karate instruction, but it was later generations that were really responsible for it.
I love karate. But, you are absolutely right about this, so much has been stripped away and hollowed out, that it is exceptionally difficult to find karate training that is worth a crap. I’ve learned an incredible amount about karate by studying BJJ. Many times we’ll do something in class, and I’ll think “holy shit! That’s in !” My completely unscientific opinion is that an average BJJ blue belt is better prepared to defend themselves than 99% of sport karate black belts and probably 90% of “traditional” karate black belts. Now… when you start talking some old school goju or shorinryu guys? They have some nasty tricks up their sleeves. (They also practice old Okinawan tuidi and tegumi though…) Anyways, great video. I’m personally very tired of stylistic bullshit.
Agree with you. I am not an old Karate guy (being in my late 30s) but I am a student of that old school Shorin Ryu and you are completely right. We might not be perfect (who is?) but we have some nice tricks up our sleeves.
@@DadJutsu agreed 100% and great point about the “nasty tricks” it’s easy to forget that BJJ is still confined within a ruleset whereas pure self defense means anything is legal. It’s just being competent enough to execute those techniques versus just aggravating your attacker etc.
I am a passionate Karate practitioner, picked up training a little bit over 26 years ago. But even I have to agree that in terms of belts, Karate is way beyond the point of redemption. Too many styles, too many organisations and no common denominator about requirements. This combined with the widespread tournament landscape... Brown belts having NO CLUE about bunkai of not even Pinan Kata (just to mention one example a friend of mine encountered himself)! No chance of getting this mess sorted out. In the organisation where I am a member: white belt = no grade at all. Everybody is a white belt. The first test you take promotes you to yellow belt.
I don't know the state of modern Karate but Karate is made to create Warriors and the Ultimate Human Being, Oyama Sensei used his Karate Master mentality to survive a world war.
I feel like this is worth saying. You mentioned a few times that you failed as a business owner because your dojo closed down. I trained with you once at your school and can say that you accomplished something special with your dojo in what you taught and how you taught, and the overall culture you established for the community in your area. Your school was one of many in San Antonio that suffered from Covid, and there isn't much you can do when people are afraid to leave their houses or be near other people. I just say all of this to highlight the fact that you should be very proud of what you created and for keeping it going as long as you did. And when you're ready, you'll do it again.
Dude thanks for the comment, I’m glad you were able to experience the old dojo! I appreciate the words of encouragement as well, I tend to have a self-deprecating sense of humor. Objectively I do think the dojo was positive and made some lifelong memories for people, it’s definitely a bummer it had to close down. Who knows what the future holds in terms of teaching again
Karate saved my life in many situations in reality back then be a Black Belt of Kyokushin means you're the real deal, I trust in my style will all my SOUL but I trained Kyokushin in a time that are brutal and are normal for students to be hospitalized because the Kumite and the hard train.
I agree, the belt system is broken. But what is it even measuring now? Skill? Time served? Knowledge of the art? We have that many variations of the same thing i think its impossible to try and pull it all back together. I think kids could possible follow the set grading path all the way to black belt or junior black belt , and then once you hit 18 you start again from maybe 8th or 7th kyu?
@@Wilson_MartialArts great point, I have one but never remember to bring it my drives lol, I need to remind myself this isn’t a small channel anymore where I’m just publishing videos into the void haha
Too many people are so worried about the belts in martial arts...such a silly thing to waste time on when one could be on the mat improving. facebook.com/reel/1204978783837422
Domo arigato gozaimasu, Sensei - I am getting tremendous value from your videos. I've been training an offshoot of Matsubayashi Ryu for the past 8 years, and the dojos in our system tend not to do much bunkai - especially during and after COVID. Our particular school does a good amount of yakusoku kumite (we have four that are a remix of Nagamine's original seven), but if we do bunkai (and that's rare), it is usually kata bunkai and not oyo bunkai. All that is to say that I am soaking up as much as I can from your demonstrations of application. It is a lot of lightbulb moments, seeing how X move in Y kata could be applied as something other than a standard block/counter. Thank you for all your great videos, here and in the Karate Culture archives. It is an invaluable resource for me, and I'm working on ways to bring what I am seeing (and learning?) to my Sensei and the others in our dojo. Keep up the wonderful work!
Your sentiments are honest and true, but let me tell you from personal experience. Bringing others to the light is not only most of the time impossible, but actually not advisable. Learn as much as you can and perfect your techniques to the maximum best possible. Then when you become a black belt and receive your menkyo kaiden, then you can start your own practice. Most of the time people who have been involved for years in their own particular method, don't want to hear or learn about a different approach. If you're so dead set on practicing on this way, my suggestion is that you look for a school or club that follows this approach. Otherwise wait for the time when you will be able to do it this way. In the end at the most basic level karate is still karate... Just a word of advice.
Gigoro Kano the creator of Judo fell in love with Karate and for Karate to be accepted in Tokyo Japan the Sensei Gigoro Kano created a belt system and it was mandatory to use GI like Judo.
Id like to hear these thoughts again in 20 years. If you asked me its simply about training. Teaching is just another way to make you better. Want to train 40 hours a week, start a school. There are... no where- a lot of Sensis who ( so many that are no longer with us). Exercised alot of generosity when it came handing out belts. The difference is in the individual's journey. If one just wants a black belt and that's it, and alot do, So what, thats on them. Blackbelt means you know pinan s and can demonstrate with a cursory level of skill. Few students become lifers and are they the ones to be proud of? and you never can tell which ones those are, a lot of students who think they're lifers quit. At the end of the day its about making better people and that includes ourselves. Cheers!
Atleast in the last 70 years, all a blackbelt means is you completed the basic knowledge base of the system and typically takes 2 to 3 years. I think it has always been over hyped by the general population.
That’s a great idea, what’s interesting in the Brazilian jiu jitsu world is they never charge for stripes or belts. It’s covered by the school and usually given by surprise, it really helps the student not even think about rank
When you open a business, you need to plan beforehand what kind of business you're going to be. What is your objective in the whole of the enterprise. In the case of teaching karate, you have to decide whether you want to run a dojo for sports or do you really just want to teach people how to defend themselves? Then you should adjust your plan and budget for that purpose. It's better to run your classes out of home garage, than have one of those big places that run a big overhead. Then your success will depend upon the quality of your instruction and what you are teaching. The variable will be the kind and amount of customers that will be interested.
The belt system should be a learning tool and that’s it. I believe the only way to legitimize a system is through proven competition prowess. Nobody questions a belt given out by Eddie Bravo his guys win. Nobody questions bang Muay Thai belt system Because TJ dillashaw is belted under it, bas Ruten helped create it, and Duane Ludwig is a Muay Thai legend
Those are great points! I think it’s hard for the karate people to prove their system if it’s claimed to be self defense based. Just playing devil’s advocate here for the ones who see a huge difference between competition and self defense
@@KarateBreakdown my issue with that is so many karate schools and schools that claim it’s for self defense are selling false promises and most of the time they don’t even realize it. I travel all across the country and train at different gyms both modern and traditional. The self defense based ones are usually a disappointment but they really believe they know what they’re doing but then they don’t even spar. The issue with combat gyms is you sometimes end up with bad culture encouraging people to leave their health and careers in the gym. I am Finding a lot less knuckle head combat gyms these days vs “self” defense based schools that can’t fight
Would you ever teach small groups again? My karate instructor owned and taught in commercial schools for decades before he gave up on them, he’s just been teaching a handful of people a few times a month in his basement for the last 15 years. He gets very little financial gain out of it, but that’s not why he does it.
That’s a great alternative just to keep the art alive. And when you’re just doing it for the love on the art and not for profit, it does free up a lot of mental stresses I’m not sure if I’d teach consistently again but seminars here and there would definitely be an option.
So I do agree to some extent to belt system when done right... It's a bit like a treat like "here you go budy! good job you,ve reached the next level!" But i'll also say this man, you slam people for not having the level and having a black belt. From what I've seen in this video most of the black belt i,ve seen in this video can barely throw a punch or a kick. When something done this slow to teach begginer and you cant even see the technique... It screams "need more training".
Thanks for the comment 👍 any colored belt other than myself and the other owner in the video were allowed to wear their belts from their previous experience. We didn’t force people to wear white who had prior training, hope that clarifies. In the video I’m taking about a day 1 whit belt with no experience
There are plenty of standards all over, JKA has their standards. We may not like or agree with them but they’re there. People get too caught up in what others are doing. Focus on your own training and teaching, and meeting your own standards and everything will be fine.
Standards, standards, standards. It's a matter of the organisation that you are involved with and what their requirements are. Then it's only a matter of meeting them...
Hi Sensei Michael, I am really enjoying your videos. At the beginning of my karate journey, we had just three belts, white, brown and black. I wish that we could go back to that module, since i feel that for many the belts become an end and not just a way to learn and progress. Also, in most of the dojo ( especially the commercial ones) achieving a black belt requires only 3 max 4 years, which frankly is not long enough for my opinion. And do not let me start with the " Black Belt Club", where you practically buy our shodan, and the multicolors belts for kids. If we want to give back some dignity to the Karate word, we should modify and improve what was taught to us and expand it, rather than keep it forever crystalized. I want to ask you if you have any plans to open a new dojo in the future, or going back to teach seminars. Also, you should advertise better your website, I was not aware that you had a monthly/yearly video subscription ( that I just joined) and a shop site. Still wearing proudly the Karate Culture Gi! Apologies for the long post.
Thanks for the comment, Luca! And thanks for joining the site, it’s fairly new and I have some milestones to reach before I heavily promote it so I appreciate the patience. I’m not sure if I’d ever open a school again but I’m definitely getting around to doing seminars. My boy just turned 1 so we’re in the thick of life right now haha
Same here... When I began training in karate, we didn't have any belts. We were so poor we barely could afford a karate-gi, much less all the colour belts. Even the idea of becoming a black belt was not in our minds, it was all about training and training and becoming as good as possible. Back in those days in the old country, knowing karate or some form of martial art or combat sport was a necessity. Getting into street fights was a common day occurrence, plus there was always the situation of street crime. The amount of time it took to become proficient didn't matter. Some who had natural ability would pick it up in no time, others would have to struggle for a longer period of time. With a good instructor it was possible to achieve basic mastery in a year or two, but yet that didn't mean the end of your practice. We were always looking for ways to learn new stuff and applications. Going as far as learning from other styles or methods, like boxing or judo. Some of that sometimes involve testing it by friendly fighting in a ring or a backyard. It was all about physicality and practicality, katas would not even figure in the training. For one the lack of knowledge about kata, there were so many. For another, there was less understanding of the bunkai. They just didn't make any sense! There was this one instance when one of the students after becoming of age and having to go for military service. After a demonstration of karate at his military unit, was asked by his commander what karate rank was his. He answered that he didn't know, and was told by the commander to go ask the teacher. After he explained to sensei that he had beaten everyone in his unit including the instructor there, he had been asked if he was a black belt. That's the only time sensei told someone that they were already a black belt and he should tell his commander so. He ended up becoming the military unit karate instructor for the length of his military service.
Artists in general aren't very good at making money. I wouldn't get down about your belt system not working out financially, because it was way better for your students' development
Artists in general are just that, artists. Sometimes very good scam artists..... If your passion is teaching, or if it is practicing. You have to ask yourself what is your objective, is it sports and becoming an athletic champion, or is it for personal self-defense? Then you should adjust the focus of your training accordingly! For some people their whole focus is belonging to an organisation, and getting recognition within that community. For others is the ability to be able to defeat anyone!
