• e-Newsletter Sign-up
• Print This Page
• Contact Us

Karate

SHOKOKAI KARATE DO-PANAGA CLUB

Currently there are 7 to 8 students training on Tuesday and Friday. The karate class is held at the main Panaga school hall from 5.00 pm to 6.00pm. Grading is based on attendance and is held every April and August. The classes are for children only.

WHAT IS KARATE DO

Karate can be described as a martial art or fighting method, involving a variety of techniques, including blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, and joint manipulations.

Karate practice is divided into three aspects:

1. Kihon ( basics )
2. Kata ( forms )
3. Kumite ( sparring )

The word karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand; thus, karate means “empty hand”. Adding the suffice “ do “ , meaning “ way “, i.e., karate –do, implies karate as a total way of life that goes well beyond the self-defense applications. In traditional karate-do, we always keep in mind that the true opponent is one-self.

Present day karate is categorized into four different parts,

1. Physical conditioning
2. Self defense
3. Mental conditioning
4. Sport karate

SHOKOKAI KARATE DO

Is a non competition oriented karate “style”. It is the linear derivative of Master Gichin Funakoshi’s karate that was further developed by both Masters Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funkoshi and Shigeru Egami. Shokokai does not consider karate do a sport and doesn’t in anyway stress such an orientation. Shokokai stresses karate do as a BUDO art and thus is interested in personal development through the study and practice of karate as a do, a way of life, a lifestyle or a basic life philosophy and the development of the internal energy, Ki.

Shokokai’s movements follow the natural laws; they are full of vitality and energy, but always applying the principles of harmony and relaxation, avoiding all use of brute force. This contrasts notoriously with sports martial arts, where the young, strong and muscular ones seem to dominate. This is related to the facts that shokokai avoids all type of competitive tournaments where physical strength is the most important factor and at the same time with its training objectives: the search of the development of mind and body.

Each group of trainees in shokokai, depending on their level, has his/her own way of attaining the Mind-Ki-Body Unity, where all can mix together and learn from each other. In a training atmosphere void of distinctions, communication grows and mutual respect arises unhindered. Out of the circular, interactive exchange between the young and the not so young, power grows out of the harmonious activity, this leads directly to a feeling of fitting in and etiquette is thus based on mutual respect.