Karate is a wonderful art and it should be accessible to anyone wanting to train.

Before I ramble on, I strongly believe, that if possible, people should practice karate with a fully qualified karate sensei, if it’s not possible and you really want to train, then it’s time to enter the world of online karate classes, karate books and karate DVD’s.

Shotokan Karate Online Course

The internet has opened up opportunities for people all over the world, who in the past, had no way of learning karate and other subjects.

The martial arts is steeped in history and philosophy, so it’s a good idea to do some research, karate on wikipedia is a great starting point. The reason i say this, is because karate is not simply punching and kicking, it involves so much more, yes, you can simply kick and punch, but that’s merely scratching the surface of this wonderful art. As a small child i used to watch the kung fu series on TV, it’s full of great martial arts and even better life teachings, wise philosophy passed from master to student.

Please feel free to browse our karate blog, it has lots of content, including karate videos, articles and more. We also have a 10 lesson shotokan karate online course available, which gives a really good introduction into karate, along with an online karate dojo for the serious martial artist.

Yours In Karate

Linden Huckle

Shotokan Kumite

When I was young, fighting was very important to me, even though I lived in a safe environment. As I get older, my thoughts on karate have changed.

I always ask new karateka at our dojo, why they want to learn karate, most people give very similar answers, which are self-defense and fitness and these are the answers that I expect them to say. I then explain to them that karate is much more than just these two elements. After a short period of attending our karate classes, I soon discover if their character makeup will be suited to karatedo.

For someone who just wants fighting, mixed martial arts (MMA) clubs are the best, for someone who just wants fitness, aerobics classes are great. But if someone likes the karate kata (forms), fitness, self-defense and the amazing history and philosophy that goes with traditional karate, then we may have a match! Self-defence is a state of mind, it is much more than just fighting techniques. You can show someone all the fighting techniques known to man, but if they cannot ‘switch on’, they will NEVER be able to defend themselves. At the same time, you can show someone who CAN ‘switch on’, very few karate techniques and they will be a force to be scared of. In self-defense and fighting, you must have the ability to ‘switch on’ and ‘switch off’ at will. You need to have the same attitude a wild animal has as it’s about to kill it’s prey. A lion attacking an antelope, has complete control of it’s emotions, but at the same time, it has relentless determination to get the job done, because for the lion, it’s either kill or starve!!!!!

With most karateka (someone who practices karate), this ability to ‘switch on’ and ‘switch off’ is not present. If karateka practiced their karate as if their life depended on it, their fighting skills would improve dramatically.

I recently watched a film with the actor Tom Cruise, in the film he played a professional hit man and in one part of the

Tom Cruise

So in conclusion, for me, my karate is like a jigsaw and fighting is a piece of that jigsaw, but if it was the only piece in the jigsaw, my karate practice would have ended many years ago.

Ossu Linden

For me spirit always comes first! Let us imagine a self-defense situation where someone knocks you down, it is your

Jack Dempsey

Life is dull without spirit, the spirit to succeed, to finish something that is hard, the spirit to overcome obstacles in your life. It comes in many forms and karate without spirit, is not karate, it is simply body movements.

I feel that the hard part for a karateka, is getting the balance. Karate training should be difficult, but also enjoyable. When I was younger, all of our karate classes were extremely hard and ‘More Spirit’ was a common cry from our senior black belts.

Today we still have hard parts to our training, the difference is, the really hard parts of our karate classes, do not last the whole class and we take care to balance the hard training with periods working on technique. So for me, spirit is very important, along with the concept of Ikken Hissatsu (to finish with one blow). My karate sensei used to say, ‘learn to hit hard, fast and accurately’ I believe in this and without spirit, you can not achieve this.

Some karate dojo practice kumite (sparring), for the entire karate class and nothing else, some practice kata (form), for the entire class. Once again I believe in balance, which is why many karate dojo use the 3 k’s style of karate practice.

The three k’s are ~ 1. Kihon (basics) 2. Kumite (sparring) 3. Kata (forms) Many karate sensei say that kumite is the spirit of karate and kata is the soul. I would also agree with this statement. With the 3 k’s, I do not believe you should practice only one k. once again balance is the name of the game when it comes to soft and hard training.

This article is about spirit and technique and I know I should probably include some information on the karate kiai (shout), but I have some controversial views on the karate kiai, so we will save that for another article.

Ossu Linden

Karate-do

Well, it’s simple really, it’s REAL!

No fake poses for the judges, no fancy walk ons, no hollywood glaring, just raw karatedo!

All the years of hard training, blood sweat and tears, mean NOTHING, if you’re mind isn’t right. I know many modern champions train extremely hard and they are fantastic athletes, but many of them don’t have what Yahara sensei has, its Ichi geki hissatsu or ikken hissatsu (to finish with one blow).

In all karate moves, you must apply the philosophy of ikken hisatsu, you must hit with the intent to do harm! I know many people will disagree with me and as I get older, i do believe my thoughts on this will change, but all karateka must understand this philosophy, or their karate is simply a gymnastic display of karate moves.

Below is a video of Mikio Yahara sensei performing Unsu 3 or 4 times, there are some of you who will say, his heel is up, his shouders are up, he’s doing this move too fast, he’s doing that move too slow, his timing is wrong. To all of you who say that, you need to go train with Yahara sensei because in terms of real karate kata, this is as good as it gets.

Ossu

Linden

No one knows for sure when ikken hissatsu first came into karate, but it may have originated from the samurai. Ichi Geki Hissatsu is an old samurai maxim which means “One strike, certain death”

Ikken Hissatsu

A karateka who lived by this concept was the legendary karate Master, Masutatsu Oyama 1923-1994 He became known as the ‘Godhand’, a living manifestation of the Japanese samurais’ maxim, Ichi geki Hissatsu or “One strike, certain death”.

In 1950, master Mas Oyama started testing his power by fighting bulls. He fought 52 bulls, three were killed instantly, and 49 had their horns smashed off with knife hand strikes.

During later years, he took on all challengers and had fights with over 270 different people. Nearly all of these fighters were defeated with one punch! Most of the fights lasted a few seconds and none of the fights lasted more than three minutes.

To Masutatsu Oyama, Ichi geki Hissatsu, was the true purpose of karate techniques.

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Ichigeki Hissatsu

A modern day karate master who also lives by this concept, is the amazing Mikio Yahara 8th Dan, who established the Karatenomichi World Federation in 2000. Master Yahara lives by the concept of Ichi geki Hissatsu and is one of the few modern day karate masters who pushes this amazing philosophy.

Many years ago, I remember training with Master Yahara on one occasion and watched him perform his favourite karate kata, Unsu. It was beautiful and scary, all at the same time. I can only explain every karate technique within the kata, was like his life depended upon the outcome. It was REAL, no hollywood performance, no thrills, no stupid facial expressions, just raw, deadly, beautiful karate.

To emphasise the importance of ikken hissatsu, my karate sensei used to explain that each karate move we made, should be executed like your life depended upon it. This feeling is absolutely essential in applying this concept and Master Yahara lives and breathes this concept.

I am all for karate and health over continuous full contact training (which we have all done and you simply cannot sustain such training), but i am tired of watching these so called karate champions performing karate kata like they are on a hollywood film set. They should look at karateka like Master Yahara, where to him, his life really is on the line, for every karate move!

Ossu

Linden Huckle

Karate 10 Lesson Home Study Course

The original name for nijushiho is Niseishi and is still practiced as niseishi in many karate styles and schools. When master Gichin Funakoshi introduced karate from Okinawa to Japan, he changed the name of the kata from Niseishi to Nijūshiho. Both names mean 24 steps and many karateka believe there is strong connections with buddhist beliefs, but other karateka believe the kata originated from china

This black belt kata is a very popular karate kata with shotokan karate black belts. There are many changes in tempo, fast to slow and slow to fast. This is a favourite competition karate kata.

Michael enjoyed every second of his trip and said to me that he didn’t want it to end!

Below is a quick video of the Yamani Ryu Bo Kata, Choun No Kon Dai. Michael demonstrates the Bo kata lightly so other karateka can follow easily.

With the internet today, there has never been so much information available on millions of topics, all at the click of a mouse! If i had no way of attending local karate classes, i would DEFINATELY learn karate online.

Now discovering how to learn karate by yourself has lots of disadvantages, no karate sensei, no people to practice kumite (sparring), no

how to learn karate at home

sempai (senior grades) to look up to and follow.

A few helpful tips would be to start slowly, take your time, drill the karate moves slowly, over and over again, then film yourself performing the karate techniques, access your information and check to see you are practicing correctly before you try and speed up.

Kihon (basics) and kata (forms), can be practiced at home, you can get yourself a punchbag and if you have no where to hang a bag, try a free standing punch bag. Hitting things is really important and it’s good fun! A way around the kumite (sparring) problem, would be to try and travel to a weekend karate camp, where people travel from miles around to train with senior karate sensei.

How To Learn Karate By Yourself

Check out our online karate dojo, we are continually adding karate tutorials and we have a $1 dollar offer at the moment. We have members from all over the world and may also organise a training camp where all our members who learn karate at home, can come together.

Good luck with your karate practice

Ossu

Linden

In our shotokan karate belt system, we have a combination that covers several of the fundamentals in shotokan karate. We call it the hikite combination and is introduced at brown belt. Many more shotokan karate exercises can be found in our online karate dojo.

Shotokan Karate Exercises

1. Starting from the shizentai we drive off from the left leg and perform a right side kizami zuki (jab punch) in zenkutsu dachi (front stance), making sure to utilise the driving left leg by pushing back into the floor.

2. From this position we then pull the right leg back to the left and the right arm back to the hikite position, keeping the knees bent. Using both arms and legs to help you get back faster. Now drive off from the right leg and perform a right side gyaku zuki (reverse punch).

3. Now pull the left leg back to the right and the right fist back to the left shoulder (back of the hand facing the neck).  Drive off from the left leg, step forward with the right leg and perform a right side uraken uchi (back fist strike).

4. From here bring the left leg up to the right, at the same time open the right fist, now drive off from the left leg, step forward with the right leg and perform a right snapping shuto uchi (knife hand strike).

5. The last technique in this shotokan karate exercise involves a 360 degree spin. Pivot on the right heel and spin around, keeping the right shuto uchi arm still, then as you land with the left leg, strike with taesho uchi (palm heel strike).

In this shotokan karate video below, we demonstrate this basic combination of shotokan karate techniques, this combination uses different shotokan karate moves, including, kizami zuki, gyaku zuki, uraken, shuto and taesho. This is one of our brown belt shotokan karate exercises. It also involves basic stepping and spinning.

Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds. Gordon B. Hinckley

The first shotokan karate grading is a big deal for most people, there is sometimes a lot of pressure involved. Many people new to karate are terrified at the thought of a karate examination. But if you prepare properly, your first karate exam should go smoothly. Remember the saying, ‘Good luck is a residue of preparation’ Jack Youngblood.

Regular karate practice with a strong attitude and knowing your associations shotokan karate syllabus thoroughly, are all that’s needed to

Mae Geri (Front Kick)

progress through the first karate grading.

The karate moves used for the first belt test in most shotokan karate association examination are very basic and our shotokan karate association is no different. The first belt requirements require a good understanding of, oi zuki (stepping punch), age uke (upper block), uchi uke (inside block), soto uke (outside block) and gedan barai (downward block).

The kumite (sparring) needed is sanbon kumite (three step sparring) and the kata (form) neede is kihon kata.

With the first karate grading, try and have an understanding of shomen and hanmi, shomen (square), hanmi (side facing), but do not worry if you can not put it fully into practice, as this will comew with time.

White to Orange Belt Requirements Video