Olympic Karate and The Okinawan Karate Kaikan

Earlier this year, a multi-purpose training hall and exhibition center — The Okinawan Karate Kaikan — opened in Tomigusuku City, Okinawa. A multi-purpose venue, it's a training facility for karateka that includes a museum, classrooms for teaching seminars, a general dojo and a "Special Dojo" featuring red tiled ceilings and traditional adornments used exclusively for testing high ranking black belt candidates. The creation of The Okinawan Karate Kaikan coincides nicely with even bigger news: For the first time, Karate will be an event for the Summer Games in the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo.* This is both timely and appropriate, as the art of Judo made its Olympic debut in the same city in 1964.

In advance of the upcoming Olympics to be held on the mainland, Okinawan businesses are anticipating an economic ripple event from the expected rise in tourism. There are a number of attractions on the island to attract martial arts enthusiasts from abroad, including some 400 karate schools. For nightlife, there's even a Dojo Bar in Naha City that features old style karate memorabilia and decor. As an enticement to come to the island, The Dojo Bar, in collaboration with KARATEbyJesse, is running a Okinawan Karate Nerd Programme that's a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two young Karate Nerds between the ages of 18-35 to fly to Okinawa and live there for 6-12 months and experience the Way of Karate at its source."

As for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there's no doubt there are purists who will deride the idea of karate in the Games. Indeed, when Gichin Funakoshi introduced Okinawan karate to the Japanese mainland in 1922, he was diametrically opposed to the idea of karate tournaments; in his view, competition was antithetical to the true spirit of karate. Compare this notion to that of the founder of Judo, Jigaro Kano, who set out to promote his martial art specifically with the Olympics in mind. In Kano's vision, the Olympics would be the perfect vehicle to spread judo to the world. For him, judo-the-sport and judo-the-martial way were both compatible and complimentary to each other.

So far Olympic Karate will feature two events for individual competition: Kumite (fighting) and Kata (forms). Scoring will be based on World Karate Federation (WKF) rules. Therefore, for senior men and women (over 21) there will be five weight classes each. Kata will be the empty-handed variety, no weapons. Although this is sport, the WKF is still intent to preserve the tradition in karate. Nothing gaudy like camouflage belts; the gi (uniform) must be white. Vital area shots are prohibited, as are low kicks and strikes delivered with excessive contact. So much for tradition.^† Strikes to the head, face, and neck are allowed but must be delivered like a "touch" (or as one instructor I had wryly put it, 'touch one side of the face to the other'). Hand guards, mouth-pieces, shin and foot protectors are mandatory, but curiously, groin protectors are optional.

Through the years sport karate has had to endure its share of problems and politics. I'm not certain karate can avoid the scandals and controversies that have been pervasive in Olympic competition for so long. Perhaps Funakoshi was right.


* This was actually announced last year.
^† That's a joke. Heavy sparring usually provides a good metrics for handling pressure, among other things. An astute ref can determine when "excessive contact" can be regarded as what Mike Tyson used to call "bad intentions." Not very sportive.

Sore Loser At The Olympics

The following is a story taken from a news report dated 8/12/16:

Israeli judoka Or Sasson defeated Egyptian rival Islam El Shahaby in the first round of the men’s over-100kg competition at the Rio Games on Friday, and was left standing when his opponent refused to shake his hand at the end of the match.

In judo it is customary to both bow to opponents — a sign of respect in Japan — and shake hands after a bout is over.

El Shehaby had been well beaten but stood impassively and then backed away as Sasson tried to shake his hand.

As he left the mat area, El Shehaby was called back to the center by the referee to bow.

But he was then loudly jeered out of the arena by angry supporters.

He later announced he was quitting judo.

The story resonates with the long history of social, political and religious schism in the Middle East. Many are defending the actions of the Egyptian, claiming he received heavy criticism online for "shaming his faith and nation" for merely competing with an Israeli at the Games. A handshake at the end of a match is not mandatory.

Sadly, disrespect is nothing new in martial arts events at the Olympics. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, a competitor received a lifetime ban from the World Taekwondo Federation after he kicked a referee in the head, pushed a judge and then spat on the floor before being ejected by security. Of course, while the recent tale lacks the blatant violence of this one, it's indicative of the lack of dignity and self-control in the face of defeat.

Jigaro Kano (1860-1938), the founder of judo, sought early on to include judo as an Olympic event. He died before his dream was realized at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. We need not imagine what the master would have thought of what happened this past Friday in Rio. In his words:

Judo should be free as art and science from any external influences, political, national, racial, and financial or any other organized interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the benefit of humanity.

Rousey vs. Holm: My Two Cents

This post begins with an admission: I am, at best, a casual fan of mixed martial arts. By now, any real MMA fan has heard that Ronda Rousey, the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, was defeated last night (Sat., Nov. 14, 2015) by a relative unknown — Holly Holm. So the following is my naïve understanding of a sport that I really don't follow closely, and it is with this neophytic perspective (along with my actual knowledge of karate, among other things) that I'll weigh in.

Nobody gave Holm a chance. She was regarded as mere cannon fodder for the indestructible machine that the undefeated Rousey has been portrayed as, and justifiably so. Her last three bouts have lasted an average of 22 seconds each! An adept striker, Rousey's real forte is judo, as she earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.

Witness the second and final round of the match. Rousey is forced out of her comfort zone of close quarter grappling by Holm's strategy of maintaining a healthy distance. Holm, a southpaw and a former professional boxer and kickboxer, repeatedly lands crushing left crosses against Rousey's unprotected face. Note the sweet slip Holm gives Rousey at 4:28. The coup de grâce was a brutal round kick to the neck by Holm.

Holm's transition from boxing to MMA may be wiser than she realizes. MMA has been shown to be less injurious than boxing.

Some thoughts I've held for a while, but culminated with this match:

• Many fights don't end up as a ground-and-pound wrestling match.
• MMA is not merely sportive head bashing, but a highly technical art that deserves respect.
• Women in MMA can be as popular as their male counterparts.
• The idea that competitive fighters of any stripe are heartless thugs that lack empathy is largely a myth.

The golden age of women's MMA has begun. Indeed, MMA in general is here to stay. Anyone who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken.

'Judo' Gene vs. The Boxer

While I was researching for a possible post on legalizing MMA in my home state of New York, I stumbled upon an old story (news to me!) about the grappling great Gene LeBell. Apparently, yesterday was "Judo" Gene's 83rd birthday, so to commemorate the event, the tale of his bout with a professional boxer has been popping up on MMA sites.

The story starts when an article in the August, 1963 edition of Rogue magazine included this gem about judo:

Judo … is a complete fraud. … Every judo man I’ve ever met was a braggart and a showoff. … Any boxer can beat a judo man. Judo bums hear me one and all! It is one thing to fracture pine boards, bricks and assorted inanimate objects, but quite another to climb into a ring with a trained and less cooperative target. My money is ready. Where are the takers?

The writer, one Jim Beck, obviously had judo confused with karate or something else, as if that would have mattered to him or most of his readership. Beck supposedly was an amateur boxer of some renown and claimed to have beaten a judo player using his boxing craft. So Beck promised to pay 1000 dollars to any "Judo Bum" who could whip him in a match!

LeBell, a former two-time US judo champ, was tipped off about this offer and jumped at the opportunity to fight an amateur boxer for a cool grand — serious money in 1963. The match was arranged to be held in Salt Lake City as this type of mixed event would be either unsanctioned or illegal everywhere else. At the last minute however, Beck sobered up to the prospect of duking it out with the likes of LeBell and substituted himself with a ringer: former middleweight contender Milo Savage. Savage's professional record was 49-46-9 and was 39 years old (LeBell was 31). He was an over-the-hill journeyman, but had beaten some highly regarded fighters in his day. There was even a rumor that Savage had broken the jaw of a local karate instructor during an impromptu match.

The rules for the scheduled 5-round bout were that punches and grappling were allowed, but no kicks. LeBell was barefoot and donned a judo gi while Savage wore lightweight speed-bag gloves, but also wore a gi top, as requested by LeBell's handlers. As the bout started both men were naturally leery of each other and managed to avoid any type of wild clashes. By the fourth round LeBell began to warm to the the task and finally closed the distance. After grabbing Savage he executed a hip throw with a sweep, taking him to the canvas, then finished him off with a rear choke hold. Not knowing how to tap out or signal quits, Savage was rendered unconscious and remained so for about twenty minutes. Pandemonium ensued as fans hurled garbage and chairs into the ring, likely because it was assumed their hometown fighter had just been killed!

Savage only fought one more time before he officially retired from boxing. For LeBell, it was a defining moment for judo — and really, martial arts in general. LeBell would become a sought-out stuntman and stunt coordinator for Hollywood, working on on hundreds of movies and TV shows. Today, he is highly respected by martial artists all over the world.

In conclusion: Never mess with someone nicknamed "The Toughest Man Alive" and who is secure enough to wear a pink gi.

Challenged

Years ago we had a young man train at our school who had lost his arm in a terrible accident when he was a child. We modified the forms and syllabus to accommodate his disability. Sometimes having a disadvantage urges one to overcompensate in other ways available; in psychology this is called sublimation. He had great spirit, I give him a lot of credit. Rising up to this kind of challenge takes courage. When this fellow had to move away from the area I gave him a copy of The Art of Peace, a collection of philosophical musings by Morihei Ueshiba.

Anyway, the following strip made me think of him. Again, sometimes so-called shortcomings are gifts in disguise:

(Click on image to expand)

(h/t: Rational Comics)

The Way of Holmes

Just viewed the new movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Highly recommended. Holmes' character, nicely portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. and originally penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is part sleuth, part whack job and all martial arts extraordinaire.

Holmes' "curse", as he calls it, is an all encompassing, all consuming sense of acute awareness that gives him surveillance of his surroundings with impeccable scrutiny and detail. His ninja-like methods of stealth includes cross-dressing and "urban camouflage", the latter of which allows him to blend in with anything from a bookcase to a sofa. The cinematic Holmes also possesses a form of strategic precognition that plays out in his consciousness how an altercation with one or more adversaries could likely happen. Similar to reenacting kata in your head, so to speak. Sans for his irrational fear of horses, Holmes is calm and steady regardless of circumstances.

Holmes' martial prowess, on screen played out with typical Hollywood flair, gets comparatively short shrift in the original written version. Doyle does mention on one occasion that Holmes is a practitioner of "baritsu [sic], a system of Japanese wrestling."


In truth, Bartitsu was developed in 1898 by E.W. Barton-Wright, a British judoka who combined elements of grappling, la canne (stick fighting suitable for a walking cane or an umbrella), fisticuffs, and any other nasty method of street fighting he picked up during his long travels abroad working as a civil engineer for railway and mining companies. Barton-Wright spent three years in Japan studying jiu-jitsu and then judo under Jigoro Kano. Kano-san would've been more than happy to give his English disciple a black belt with the promise of bringing judo back to the United Kingdom. But the promising student had other ideas.

Upon his return to England, Barton-Wright promptly established his "new art of self defense" and the popularity of Bartitsu quickly spread throughout London. Barton-Wright was interested in promoting his style as a combative system; he felt sports such as boxing were hampered by rules and favored attributes such as size and strength. As such Bartitsu was also marketed towards women's self defense.

The Bartitsu Club was also a haven for boxers, fencers, savateurs (French kickboxers) and grapplers of various systems including jiu-jitsu and schwingen, a style of Swiss wrestling. In addition to self-defense, Barton-Wright provided physical therapy at his venue.

By 1903 the apparent novelty of Bartitsu had lost its steam. In its place, jiu-jitsu and judo continued to thrive in England. Barton-Wright eventually resumed his physical therapy practice but continued to teach Bartitsu privately until about 1920.

In recent years there has been a revival in interest in Bartitsu, due in part I'm sure, to the relatively recent development of MMA, (the ancient Greek art of Pankration underwent a similar resurrection) and will likely get an even bigger surge from a pair of really cool Sherlock Holmes flicks. The "new art" of Bartitsu is new once again. It's elementary.

Judomaster!

With the current trend of comic book superhero flicks (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, with more to follow I'm sure) here's a character I'd like to see on the silver screen. Judomaster was put out by Charlton and DC Comics and had a brief run in the late 60s. I actually had a copy of this issue you see to the left that cost a cool twelve cents in June, 1967.

Judomaster's real life alter ego is Hadley "Rip" Jagger, a World War II US Army sergeant who learns judo from a Pacific island chieftain named Sensei. When Rip gets his judo down, Sensei rewards him with a colorful action suit so he can return to combat and win the war. Hardly molded in the image of Clark Kent, Sgt. Jagger is not your mild mannered type as he was previously schooled in boxing, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry and a myriad of martial arts. Sumo wrestlers, acrobats and ninjas were no match for the cross training Judomaster.

I did have the #95 issue -- I have no idea what it would be worth now or if it's even considered collectible. It disappeared about the same time my prized Hot Wheels collection vanished. Later, a female version of Judomaster made an appearance in comic books. Definitely more my speed. Looks like she's more of a ground fighter than her predecessor. Hey, if they do a movie they already have a sequel.

Evolution

Change is good. Or is it? Over the past several years we've seen a major shift in what people refer to as "martial arts." Currently, MMA is in vogue, and already there are thick boundaries drawn between what is considered nouveau and the time-honored traditional martial arts. It seems TMA are no longer fashionable, as heavy emphasis is being placed on the combat effectiveness of an art, quite often to the exclusion of all else. Asian martial arts in particular have always been shrouded in a little mystery. Chi/ki-energy, mind control, and superhuman abilities are the stuff of urban legends and hucksters. With the advent of reality fighting all bets are off. There are no secrets.

There's this place near my job that offers boxing, sambo, jiu-jitsu, the works. The area with mats is surrounded by a chain-link fence. In one corner of this school someone is working on a speed bag, while in another, basic self defense drills are taking place. This type of eclectic approach has become the norm, and I'm left wondering if becoming a jack of all trades is better than being a master of merely one. Is learning a hodgepodge of styles the direction that the martial arts are heading towards? Some of the old time masters forbade their students from cross-training in other styles, but the founders of many traditional systems did just that to develop their own curricula.

Previously, I mentioned TMA as being "time-honored" but truth be told, the majority of traditional styles are barely a century old. Tae kwon do, aikido and karate - while they have ancient roots - were all formally systemized in the twentieth century. Judo, which was created in 1882, actually negated the nasty martial applications found in jiu-jitsu so it could be taught to school children and the proletariat. Budo, the martial ways, flourished during Japanese peacetime as a dignified and ethical pursuit of warriorship. Today, we can watch bloody cage matches on TV or YouTube. So much for evolution. Change is not always good, but for sure it's inevitable.

Boxing vs. Mixed Martial Arts

Few people realize that boxing has a history that is as rich and varied as most Asian martial arts. Nineteenth century boxing actually resembled today's mixed martial arts (MMA). Prior to the Marquess of Queensberry charter that incorporates the now mandatory gloves, London Prize Rules boxing or fisticuffs allowed throws as well as punches. These bare-knuckled events were brutal, and quite often matches had to be held in secret, lest the intervention of local constables.

In the early twentieth century "open to all" tournaments in Japan were fairly common. One legend tells of a European prize fighter defeating one judoka after another when Okinawan karate virtuoso Choki Motobu stepped into the ring. "Maybe judo isn't the answer" proclaimed Motobu as he knocked out the boxer with a shuto (knife hand) to the temple in the second round.

In 1950 Helio Gracie, the famous founder of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, challenged then heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis to a no-holds-barred match. Louis, who had nothing to gain and everything to lose with such an event, wisely declined. Two decades later Japanese grappler Antonio Inoki took on Muhammad Ali in a 15-rounder. Inoki was billed as a pro wrestler, but he previously defeated numerous martial art exponents in legit contests. The match was a bizarre one as Inoki spent almost the entire time on the ground in a futile attempt to kick or sweep out Ali's legs. The fight was declared a draw, but even Ali's typical pre-fight hyping tantrums couldn't save this hopeless spectacle.

When MMA bouts first made their appearance in the 90s there was some clamor as to whether a fading Mike Tyson would make an interesting opponent. How do you think Tyson would have fared against somebody like Royce Gracie? Gracie would've had his work cut out for him. Don't forget that Tyson was disqualified during a title fight when he tried to bite Evander Holyfield's ear off. It was a dark moment for boxing and Mike Tyson in time became his own worst enemy.

Unlike traditional martial arts, nobody ever seems to question the validity or street effectiveness of boxing. Indeed, boxing as a viable method of self defense is explored in this TDA Training article. Boxing is still one of the most dangerous sports as there have been a number of ring deaths through the years, to say nothing of the long term health risks involved with being a career fighter. Recently MMA suffered its first fatality as the result of a sanctioned match. Some proponents of MMA insist that it's safer than boxing, but the jury is still out on that verdict. Will MMA even be able to survive the way "The Sweet Science" has for so many years? Time will tell.

Training For Power

Waza (technique), and its precise execution, is such a vital aspect of the martial arts in that it allows a smaller, physically weaker person to prevail against a larger, stronger antagonist. Still, in spite of this statement, physical strength has its place, and under certain circumstances can go a long way for the practitioner. This is in no way to discredit the effectiveness of using proper form in techniques, nor should this principle ever be dismissed. But I believe that any physical endeavor, including martial arts training, should include a regimen of weight training to develop strength.

At one time, strength training with weights was considered taboo for the athlete. With the exception of football players, competitive weightlifters and bodybuilders, athletes were strictly advised to avoid lifting weights. One myth attributed to weight training is that it compromises speed and flexibility - two sought after qualities in the martial arts. Flexibility is the result of proper stretching, which should be done daily and is especially recommended before and after a martial arts session. Speed is acquired through training for that capacity, and can be developed alongside of a strength training routine without one interfering with the other.

During Okinawan karate's early development, ishi-sashi were used in a fashion similar to using dumbbells. These hand-held stone devices were carried as the practitioner performed kata and various strikes. In the 60s, martial arts historian Donn Draeger was one of the first to suggest a weight training program for judo players. In addition to Draeger, Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee were advocates of weight training for martial artists at about the same time.

Besides making muscles grow, weight training causes bones to become denser, offsetting the possibility of osteoporosis late in life (prevalent in women). Added muscle also creates a more efficient metabolism, capable of burning fat at rest (as opposed to a cardio workout, which only burns fat while training). Today, it is a rare athlete that doesn't employ some kind of progressive resistance training.

Street Fighting Man

The late Lyle Alzado, the football legend from the 70s, once quipped to an interviewer that he never met a man he didn't want to fight. The same could be said for another legend - one who didn't hone his skills on the gridiron, but initially on the streets of Okinawa. His name was Choki Motobu. Motobu (b. 1871) was not your ordinary karate-ka; he liked to field test his learned abilities in Tsujimachi - Okinawa's infamous red light district, against thugs and anyone else who had the misfortune to cross his path. Because of his reputation as a troublemaker, he resorted to using an assumed name to gain entry into prominent dojos, only to be thrown out once his real identity was learned. He would often pay his tuition with the unlikely offering of awamori (rice liqueur) when he couldn't afford any other means. Money was something he had no real understanding or appreciation for - a common trait for men of Motobu's ilk.

Motobu defeated a European prizefighter in a boxing ring when he was in his fifties, bringing him much popularity, and eventually students. Some of his disciples went on to create their own ryu (feudal term for school), but Motobu himself was never affiliated with any particular style, as he himself was never anyone's disciple - truly a modern day ronin. Motobu's approach to karate flew in the face of the conventional wisdom of the day, and like Sinatra, he did it his way.

Bullies

Bully! was a term Theodore Roosevelt frequently used as an exclamation of something he thought was superb, referring to his US presidency as the "bully pulpit". Roosevelt was plagued by bullies as a youth. He wore glasses, and was weak and sickly growing up. As a teenager he took up weightlifting and boxed in college. He became a war hero. Seldom written about, but true, was that Theodore Roosevelt studied judo, eventually earning a brown belt, and even built a small dojo in the White House.

Underneath the veneer of bravado and arrogance that the bully exhibits lies fear. Fear of being stood-up to. Fear of being found out that (s)he is actually a coward. Bullies typically were themselves the victims of abuse and/or unrequited love as children. Bullies hate themselves unconsciously, and project their rage/fear onto others. When a bully is effectively confronted, they will usually back down, and attempt to seek out a new victim. Many people that take up the martial arts were/are victims of bullying. Okinawa, as a culture, was "bullied" by the Chinese, the Japanese, and later, European expeditions. The Okinawans, understandably, had little use for the concept of martial philosophy. Karate-jutsu, reality combat, became the only practical course of study. Unfortunately, sometimes bullies only understand one thing.