Page 54 - Martial Science Magazine April/2016 #14

new. I believe that this requires passion and, more founder of Shotokan karate, as we can see from the
than anything else, depends on how fond you be- fact that the Master was unable summarize what
come of karate-do, on whether you can love kara- the style was, trying to define Shotokan karate is no
te-do. easy task. I guess we could say that Shotokan kara-
te is the karate to which Funakoshi Sensei aspired.
HOW YOU DEFINE THE SHOTOKAN
KARATE? LYOTO MACHIDA, IS PERHAPS MOST
FAMOUS PRACTITIONER SHOTOKAN
I believe that Shotokan karate is characterized by KARATE IN MMA. WHAT DO YOU
its dynamic, linear movements, and by its kime. But THINK ABOUT SHOTOKAN
similar to the law of yin and yang, there are two PRACTITIONERS WHO FIGHT IN
sides to every technique, and if you do not know MIXED MARTIAL ARTS?
both sides, then you will lack an understanding for
one-half of these techniques. Because I believe that I think that it is only natural for someone who is
one’s body and the techniques a person uses are young to want have strong fighting skills and be
closely related to one’s personality and character, physically strong. And if there are opportunities to
I think that is part of the reason why Shotokan ka- express this desire and pursue this path as a ca-
rate is more popular worldwide than other styles. reer, then I think it is inevitable that many young
But when I talk about Shotokan, in the same way people would seek to do so. Although karate, as a
that Shotokai and other branches of karate are di- martial art, requires that practitioners constantly
fferent in appearance, what is currently referred to pursue strength, because each individual is diffe-
in the world as Shotokan karate is based on the rent, training methods and content will differ de-
JKA style of Shotokan karate that was organized pending on the type of strength that each person
and established primarily by Masatoshi Nakayama strives to achieve. Given the limited amount of time
Sensei and others of the Japan Karate Association. that we have in our lives, if that is the direction that
If we consider Master Gichin Funakoshi to be the one person wishes to go, then he should pursue it.

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