What Style are We?

Most martial arts clubs have a 'style' that they stick to. Some of the more commonly known styles are Shotokan, Wado-Ryu, Aikido, Ju Jitsu and Kung Fu but the list is endless. Whilst there will be common elements and practices across all the styles, there will be certain points that practitioners will either disagree on or shift their emphasis onto.

Developing and using one style of martial art is fairly common. Kernow Karate is a freestyle club which means we're not restricting ourselves to a set way of doing things and can adopt any principle or method as our own. As an example, we use a number of boxing punches and techniques because we consider them to be more effective than karate punches within a self defence situation.

Our principal methods are based around the Shotokan and Wado-Ryu karate styles, but the club also incorporates teachings from Jujitsu, Wing Chun Kung Fu and self defence tactics taught to the British Army, HM Prisons and various Police Forces 

A Brief History of Karate

Karate as we know it today originated in Okinawa. The popular misconception is that all martial arts originated in this region of the world whereas the use of unarmed combat systems can be seen in history going back through China, India and Greece, through to Ancient Egypt. There is even new evidence of martial arts in ancient Sumeria, the first civilization to develop on Earth.

As previously described, Karate is practiced in many different ways and its modern lineage is divided primarily between four factions: Shotokan, Shito-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, and Wado-Ryu. Each of these factions were founded by men who lived near one another on Okinawa. Each disagreed about how karate is best practiced and organised. Today, each of the four factions has further subdivided into many hundreds of minor factions with their own principles, rules, grading standards and teaching methods.

Pyjamas

The chances are if you've never done karate before you'll have referred to the outfit as pyjamas. Karate students dress in a cotton jacket and trousers  combination known as a "gi" or "doh-gi." (Say 'g' as in 'game' and prounce the word "gee.") A karate gi is a devolution of the judo uniform (which in turn  originates from the undergarments of the Shaolin monks) and comes in varying weights and colours.

Belts

Karate students are awarded ranks as they gain experience, skill, and status within their karate clubs.  Ranks are represented in karate by coloured belts.  Once black belt has been achieved, students are awarded dan ranks. Whilst 1st dan black belt is an achievement, there is still a lot to learn and accomplish.

Though the concept of being a black belt is synonymous with karate today, the idea of using coloured belts never occured to any karate instructor until Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate, found himself becoming friends with Kano Jigoro, the founder of Judo. Funakoshi borrowed space in Kano's Kodokan building when he first arrived in Tokyo, and there he saw Kano giving out belts and using special uniforms. Funakoshi apparently liked it, because he used the idea for his own teaching of karate sometime in 1922. From there the belt system has been adopted and is recognised worldwide.