Post by powerof0ne on Nov 19, 2011 14:18:16 GMT -5
Years ago, in another life, before I practiced any "full contact" martial arts I was doing "WKF tournament karate." For those of you that don't know, I'll make this short, World Karate-do Federation is the org for the major "classical styles of karate" and has been chomping at getting karate in the olympics longer then any other org in the world. With that being said, more or less the very best of the best in that kind of karate that compete are in the WKF and it's sister orgs in other countries.
When I did that kind of karate, we focused a lot on kihon and kata. However, in all honesty it was more about speed, having crisp technique, and so on. The kumite was more in and out...get in quick, score fast, get out. I saw no relation in the kata nor kumite then, and I still don't today.
With all of that being said I placed first in nationals when I was 16, for about 10 years I was invited to WKF world championships around the world, never once competed at that level because I really wasn't that good at kata, and I cared more about fighting. At 17 I ended up in Muay Thai and knockdown karate, and haven't looked back since.
Now, with all of that being said in knockdown karate the level of kihon and kata isn't as pretty as it is in WKF karate but that's not why I do karate. I do karate so if I ever have to use it or anybody I teach it to has to use it, is able to. If any of my students want to compete in "full contact anything," I want them to be able to make what I taught them work.
If I was to compete in a WKF tournament today I doubt I'd even place 3rd but I can guarantee you I would walk away with no injuries and maybe get points deducted in kumite .
Now, that doesn't mean I put down WKF style karate, it takes a lot of training to compete at the national/international/world level. I just hope they don't succeed in getting karate int he olympics and getting kata in..that would not be good for karate.
Osu!
When I did that kind of karate, we focused a lot on kihon and kata. However, in all honesty it was more about speed, having crisp technique, and so on. The kumite was more in and out...get in quick, score fast, get out. I saw no relation in the kata nor kumite then, and I still don't today.
With all of that being said I placed first in nationals when I was 16, for about 10 years I was invited to WKF world championships around the world, never once competed at that level because I really wasn't that good at kata, and I cared more about fighting. At 17 I ended up in Muay Thai and knockdown karate, and haven't looked back since.
Now, with all of that being said in knockdown karate the level of kihon and kata isn't as pretty as it is in WKF karate but that's not why I do karate. I do karate so if I ever have to use it or anybody I teach it to has to use it, is able to. If any of my students want to compete in "full contact anything," I want them to be able to make what I taught them work.
If I was to compete in a WKF tournament today I doubt I'd even place 3rd but I can guarantee you I would walk away with no injuries and maybe get points deducted in kumite .
Now, that doesn't mean I put down WKF style karate, it takes a lot of training to compete at the national/international/world level. I just hope they don't succeed in getting karate int he olympics and getting kata in..that would not be good for karate.
Osu!