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Why JKS? Why not!  ~  April 19, 2011  by James Anthony Martin

Since its creation, this blog has ‘revealed’ some new karate-ka to me. I would like to thank those who go out of their way to contact me and ask questions – I am always happy to answer any question I can. I would also like to thank those who invite me to go and train with them – I am always happy to take on board new learning and will be at your dojo shortly.

I am not, nor will I ever be a ‘self contained’ karate-ka. The question: have I heard of this instructor? Usually I respond with a “yes”, because I have. I try and leave my dojo once a week to train outside of my organisation and its not usual for me to turn up to a club of other styles or arts – it is important to me.

So this is the first reason why I am part of the JKS, because no one in my organisation would find this a) strange b) unacceptable. Members of the JKS are secure in their karate-do. They are not scared that I may get poached for another organisation (though many try). You know when you are in a good organisation when the conversation around the table is good karate-ka (most not part of the JKS) and who is good to train with. Training with another club is ‘not cheating’ on the JKS.

Kagawa Sensei. The chief instructor

The JKS is a large organisation with dojos around the world. As much as I believe there a good stand alone clubs, it is the challenge of trying to compete with 1000 of members your own grade (and other grades) in a variety of ways that keeps me on my toes. 10 Sandans are in a line – there is no way I want to be the worst one in the bunch. 25 turn up for squad training, I do not want to be walked all over. etc. Large organisations such as the JKS bring a wealth of people are contributing to its development.

Yamaguchi Sensei. Effortless and thoughtful karate-do

The JKS encourages you to develop by not forcing you into a shape or stopping you develop your own personal karate-do. There are large organisations who force everyone to be the ‘same’. An oi-tsuke is like this and that’s all it is. At a certain level, a karate must make their karate work. Oi-tsuke with different timings, different feelings, ultizing yori-ashi, tobi kondi, etc. The fundamental difference is JKS members are shown what works from 100s of different instructors and then you try to put them into your karate or leave them alone. Karate is not what is, instead what can be.

The JKS respect your karate and the years you have put into it. If you have trained for 15 years, what right does an organisation have to tell you you can’t grade white belts? Are you being serious? I’ve been teaching in a school for 5 years and add together the 4 years training. So, after nine years training two inspections and an online test I can say whether a child has done enough to be given a GSCE grade A- C in music. Of course I can be inspected at any time and I must follow the rigorous standards set by the governing body. But to be training for 20+ years and be told you can grade even the basic of students I would find insulting and degrading.

Inada Sensei. Karate the way it should be done

The JKS is focused upon the future of karate-do and does not try to re-live the glory days of karate past. It realises that you can train karate-do much longer if you are sensible in your karate and work with your body not against it. It uses sound sporting principals to achieve greater results in all aspects of training. It is not 1970s stiff, rigid karate.

Kanayama Sensei. Karate through hard work

My students have a future in the JKS and this future grows better by the day. I know that the karate-do that they train in 20 years time will probably not look like mine; they will have embraced whatever necessary evolution karate has taken. This does not scare me. I bet in 20 years time some organisations have not changed – now that scares me.

JKS karate is not just from Japan

Kamal Sensei and Scott Sensei.

Ossu

 

 

 

 

The 1st JKS Pan American Championships

 

The late Shuseki Shihan Tetsuhiko Asai established the NPO Japan Karate Shoto Federation in the year 2000.  Unfortunately, he passed away in the year 2006.  This sad event raised many difficulties which we were able to overcome due to the efforts of the Headquarters’ Instructors and strong passion of the JKS members.

Our long time ideal is ‘Lifetime Karate’ training.  So, we will try hard to spread improvement of our federation.