Karate

Karate it as old as civilisation itself, yet up until modern times its true secrets have been locked within the mystique of the Orient. Even today, it is imperfectly understood in the Western world, and the cliche 'karate chops', as well as the breaking of bricks and stones, have come to erroneously symbolise the entire way of Karate. A look at the historical background of Karate will help appreciation of the twentieth century martial art.

From the time of most primitive man, hand to hand combat has been necessary universally for survival. The Greek wrestling of the Pancratium, saw virtually every extension of man's visciousness; kicking, strangling, in fact anything except biting and gouging, was used in the pursuit of victory. Sumo wrestling was introduced to Japan, presumably from Korea, and its first appearance is in the annuls of the Emperor Suinin (29bc - 70ad). This art of combat has survived to the present day. It is, however, to the kingdom of Silla in the south east of the Korean peninsular that we look to see the first really interesting development. These people organised a forehand method of combat called Farando. Farando included head strikes, strikes with a long queue of hair, shoulder blows, and techniques utilizing hands, arms, knees and feet. Farando turned the whole body into a weapon, raising combat to a science, and instituting objective versatility in place of blind brute force. The ancient buddhist monastry of Shao lin ssu, saw the establishment of Kempo of Chinese boxing. It is thought Bhodi Dharma brought this art of combat from India. The invasion of Alexander the Great enriched the Indian martial arts; consequently Bhodi Dharma instituted a powerful style of kempo which still exists today. Bhodi Dharma also combined with kempo the belief of the ultimate indivisibility of body and soul. This precept is in fact the spiritual basis of karate today, more of which will be said later. Moving on to Okinawa, kempo reached the Ryukyu Islands, where it was further modified. From India, China and Okinawa, Karate moved to Japan, where the spiritual and physical aspects were united with the Sumurai warrior code. It is in Japan that Karate progressed. Introduced by Ginchin Fumakoshi in 1923 it has continued to grow in power and refinement.

Of all the historical developments, Bhodi Dharma's concept of the ultimate indivisibility of body and soul is the most important. It leads to an impassivity, which is a spiritual mainstay of modern Karate. The Zen concept of extinguishing the self, if diligently pursued by the karateka (student of Karate), bestows timeless superiority in life and death.

To achieve such a mentality, the physical aspects of Karate are of immense importance, and so to appreciate Zen, we must now investigate Karate training methods. The Victoria University Karate Club follows a style of Karate developed by Masutatsu Oyama. Kyokushinkai Karate, as this style is known, compromises the two mainstreams of Karate thought stemming from kempo, the Chinese boxing of North and South China. The basic techniques that are practised are in three divisions: thrusting and striking, blocking, and kicking. There are sixteen thrusting and striking techniques, which involve the use of hand, arm, and elbow, and 5 basic blocking movements, which utilise the arms; also, there are elbow techniques that involve kicking, incorporating the feet and the knees as well. It must be emphasised that these are basics and capable of subtle variations in the style of an advanced student.

A practise session consists of preparatory calisthenics to loosen up the body, followed by the basics, which are practised about thirty times each. Such practice ensures a finely adjusted reflex that becomes part, eventually, of a karateka's behavioural repetoire. If a karateka is called upon to react to an unexpected situation, he will thus deal with it swiftly and effectively.

This brief sketch of preparatory calisthenics, basics, movement and formal exercises, leads on to the final part of the dojo routine, which is free fighting. This aspect combines everything else. The advanced student fears no-one, and if called upon must fight to the finish. He is willing to be hurt personally, to hurt on opponent, and if he is disabled must not blink an eyelid. One particular kata or series of styalised movements is very slow moving, and as the student executes the movements the insiructor may punch him and kick him with considerable force, but intense involvement on the student's part renders him oblivious to such things. This illustrates the attitude a karateka has when he fights. It makes no difference whether the fight is monitored in a dojo, or in fact real, the karateka will fight calmly, alertly, and with only one intention; that of winning. This attitude is engendered right from the beginning in the training hall. No matter how hard a pace an instructor sets, it is disgraceful to not keep up. It is disgraceful to take the easy way out, or half do exercises, and the self image of a serious student remains intact only by determined diligence.

Such idealism related to bodily and spiritual progress through the realm of the physical, are the objects of karate. Meditation and breathing exercises strengthen the mind and body. Meditation is principly concerned with wiping the mind of all, of attaining a Tabula rasu, or to put it yet another way, not thinking by not thinking of thinking. This mental freedom is in itself supremely difficult and takes much mastery. Certain breathing exercises permit a person to drip with sweat within minutes, or to case a puffed state of extreme exertion to tranquility. Breathing is important in gaining power when a technique is thrown, and the characteristic loud yell at the point of a blow's impact, causes certain physiological changes, which give an extra impetus upon contact. The yell of one ancient karateka was reputed so powerful that it could stun a small animal. Whether or not this is true, and it is very doubtful, it is certain that an opponent is demoralised by an unexpected cream coupled with a disabling strike.

Because karate is Such a martial art it is unfortunate that various strange statements about its possibilities become fact in the minds, of many. While the breaking techniques are true and are most often the only thing an audience remembers, there is much, much more. It is not beyond an advanced student to slice a melon in two in mid air, break a stack of tin or twenty tiles, thrust through three one inch boards with his finger tips, and so on, but according to Masutatsu Oyama one man in a thousand reaches an advanced level. Even then really spectacular breaking techniques are the province of a master of many years standing. A strong man without training in karate can smash a brick, but he may hurt his hand. Could the same strong man plan his power in a fighting circumstance to break or wound what he chose on another human being? Finally the big untrained man may smash one brick but could he smash three, cleanly, swiftly and without personal injury?

Allied to such questions as these are the welt worn debates which run: could a karateka knock down a boxer, a wrestler, a hardened ex-prison thug, or a man with a baseball bat? In answer to such questions, it would be best to examine the record of Musutatsu Oyama, who has fought 52 bulls in frehanded combat. Oyama has defeated these 52 bulls, of which three have died instantly, and he has broken the horns off 48! This example is cited only because the proof is available to support it, but there are many other examples of the power that karate can develop in one man.

All the wide and diverse forms or schools of karate that exist today are by no means the same in design, for some are stronger and tome weaker. Each style offers its own wisdom, and yet they all evolved from the same beginnings, and most aim to convert the entire body into a weapon. Because the twentieth century is materialistic it is often found that this infects karate, which is to the detriment of the sport. Once a thing such as karate, which is spiritually sacred, is subordinated to the dollar, then the standard drops. In the days when life, which is a supremely sacred possession, was dependent on karate for survival and enrichment, a criterion of mental and physical hardship was established. Such a criterion is one of the few priceless and unspoiled, gifts that we have received in these disordered modern times, and it is important that it is maintained in as near original perfection as is possible. The aim of karate is not to destroy others, but the worst in ourselves, and to pursue thereby enrichment and humility.