KTJW has become something of an organism of itself. Most certainly, I wrote the majority of material that shows up here on this website, and gladly some other people have contributed articles and reviews. I love that. We also have a discussion board too that attracts a lot of different karate teachers and students, many of them not even associated with the Japan Karate Association. I think that is great. Not everyone has the chance to be connected to the JKA, but even so, there are so many different Shotokan-related groups and organizations out there with so much that we have in common. I am delighted beyond expression that KTJW has developed as it has. I have been able to combine my own growing experiences training and learning here in Japan with open discussion and debate and sharing with so many new friends around the world. What a fabulous thing! What a marvelous thing!
For me, I think that I am extraordinarily lucky to have been able to train in the JKA in Japan. It’s like a dream in so many ways. I think that because I have trained in Japan for so many years with the JKA, and because I run a website that is very popular with so many karate students and teachers who are associated or affiliated with Shotokan karate groups that are outside the JKA domain, there may be a little confusion as to where my loyalties lie.
I hope to illuminate those concerned parties with my list of reasons why I think the JKA is great. Please follow along closely:
- The JKA is great because the fundamentals of karate are the most important. I have heard this mantra again and again. The most important thing about JKA karate is fundamentals. Stances, blocks, punches, and kicks are key. The JKA prides itself on maintaining high standards of fundamental excellence. This makes the JKA great.
- The kata of the JKA syllabus are beautiful. I think that they are magnificent to watch, and extremely wonderful exercise and training to perform. I am not particularly good at kata, but I certainly enjoy working on them. The JKA has put together marvelous texts on its kata. I have promoted and reviewed them here on this website. If you do not own these fabulous texts you must get them immediately. JKA kata are great.
- The JKA is great because it focuses on scientific approaches to why and how karate fundamentals work. There is little mystical talk about focusing on your “inner-eye” or channeling your “ki” energy, or other such things. Certainly, there are people who are interested in exploring those things to see what is credible and what is not. But that is the kind of thing a systematic scientific approach to karate will do anyway. That makes the JKA great.
- The kumite of the JKA is great. I love the sense of developing a long-range “maai”. I love the way that we train to develop a sense of space around us and a keen awareness of not only danger that comes near enough to attack us, but that same awareness turned outwards to “know” exactly when someone is “within range”. JKA kumite training is great.
- The JKA is great because it has exported karate internationally. I am very pleased about this in particular. As a Canadian who enjoys traveling, I can go to almost any country in the world and find a JKA karate dojo to train at. That is quite cool. On our discussion forums I am always so happy to discuss Shotokan karate with so many people from so many different places. Interestingly enough, because of the emphasis on making fundamentals in karate the most important, so much of what is being done in other countries is strikingly similar to the JKA karate I have seen in Japan. The JKA vision of making its karate international is truly great.
- The JKA has great instructors. It seems that wherever you go, you are going to find excellent JKA karate instructors. Naturally, some are going to be better than others, but in my experience I have found an excellent JKA karate instructor in every city I have ever visited. I believe that this has been made possible by the JKA maintaining excellent standards of karate wherever it goes. Visiting instructors continue to inspire and support local clubs. Local club heads usually seek out other local instructors to help and support one another. This linking of JKA clubs to each other builds a fabulous camaraderie. This mutual support and discussion keeps the JKA great.
- The JKA does not hoard its top instructors in Tokyo. They send their best and brightest out all over the world. In the earlier days of the JKA, top young instructors were sent out all over the planet like missionaries to develop and grow JKA style karate in Europe, Africa, South and North America, and South-East Asia. The popularity and development of these organizations all over the world has been unbelievable. Kanazawa-Sensei, Nishiyama-Sensei, Okazaki-Sensei, Mori-Sensei, Kase-Sensei, among many others have been inspirations for thousands of karate students and fellow instructors. In the past several years I have greatly enjoyed seminars in Ishikawa-ken by Tanaka-Sensei, Kagawa-Sensei, Naka-Sensei, Osaka-Sensei, Nakayama-Sensei and others. It has been a wonderful experience to have classes from these top-notch karate instructors. What a marvelous opportunity! The JKA’s top instructors maintain the greatness of the organization. I look forward to every opportunity to train with these extraordinary karate teachers.
I have no idea why anyone would believe that I don’t think the JKA is great. I do. The problem may be that I find a lot of other things great too. I think that Vince Morris, Elmar Schmeisser, Harry Cook, Tony Annesi, Edmond Otis, Ray Dalke, Frank Brennan, Randall Hassell, and many non-Japanese nationals who do karate pretty great too. That does not take anything away from the JKA. My appreciation of people outside the JKA does not mean that the JKA stops being great. My reasons for thinking that these men are great are in some ways similar and some ways different than why I think JKA instructors are great. So what? The world, dear friends, is full of some pretty great stuff. Isn’t that great?
If you have an opportunity to come to Japan and train with the JKA, I highly recommend it. Please access their information through the Internet for particulars of when and where and what to expect with your arrival. I believe that their recently updated beautiful and informative website will have all the pertinent details that you may need.
I hope that this short article has cleared up any misunderstanding. Do you understand what I am writing now? Am I getting through loud and clear?
Great.
Still puzzled? Send me your email and contact me directly.
Thanks.
Mark Groenewold
Kanazawa, Japan
mark@karatethejapaneseway.com
