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| The style of karate you will be studying is called, "AMERICAN
KARATE."Requirements for the different belt levels are in the American
Society of Karate manual you may obtain from your instructor.
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| A Karate video covering all the techniques, katas, and self defense
is available from your instructor. |
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| Instructors are to be called:"Mr., Miss, Sir, Ma'am." All
instructors are to be addressed in this manner. Before going to class, see
your instructor and give him/her your class number. Do not wear to
class:Jewelry, headbands, or sweatbands.No talking, horseplay, or
gum chewing in class or before class. Always practice with
safetyand respect toward your instructors and classmates.
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| UNIFORM |
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| You must have your LAST name in two inch block black letters on
the back of your uniform top. Your karate uniform should always be kept
clean and pressed. White uniforms are to be worn. Black uniforms are to
worn by only Brown and Black belts. Competition uniforms may only be worn
two weeks before a tournament and at the tournament. Never wear
your uniform to go shopping, playing sports, etc.... No patches or
markings on your uniform or belt.(Instructor approval only.) Your
complete uniform (pants, top, and belt) is to be worn during class.
Before or after class, you may wear your uniform pants with a t-shirt. In
order to wear a uniform top you must wear your belt and uniform pants.
Wash your uniform in cold water and do not wash the belt. When the uniform
top and belt are off the belt should be folded twice and tied in a knot
and the top should be folded neatly. |
TERMS
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| Funakoshi was the founder of modern day karate. Karate began in
India in 500 A.D. Karate means empty hands. The most
important thing in karate is conditioning. Karate is divided into
art, sport, and self defense. A kata is a formal exercise.
The most important things in kata are breathing and tension.
The goals of karate are to train your mind, body, and spirit. The
belt ranking system of the American Society of Karate is white, yellow,
orange, green, blue, purple,brown-3 degrees of brown, and Black-five
levels of black. It takes the average person 2 - 4 years to
obtain a Black Belt. Karate is kicking, punching, and striking;
judo is throwing. The style of karate that you study is American
Karate. The father of U.S. Karate is Ed Parker. The most
important thing in your training is a good attitude. |
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| PROPER RESPECT TO INSTRUCTORS |
| BLACK BELTS ARE HEAD INSTRUCTORS, AND BROWN BELTS ARE ASSISTANT
INSTRUCTORS. THE PROPER WAY TO ADDRESS ALL INSTRUCTOR'S IS: MR.
(INSTRUCTOR'S LAST NAME), MRS. (INSTRUCTOR'S LAST NAME), SIR, OR MA'AM.
INSTRUCTOR'S ARE THERE TO ASSIST THE STUDENTS. STUDENTS SHOULD FEEL FREE
TO ASK QUESTIONS OR CALL ON THEM AT ANY TIME. |
| VITAL POINTS |
| PUNCHING, STRIKING, KICKING, AND BLOCKING ARE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
KARATE. CORRECT FORM AND BALANCE MUST BE USED IN KARATE WITH ALL PARTS OF
THE BODY HARMONIZING TO PROVIDE STABILITY. THIS IS NECESSARY WHEN THE
DELIVERANCE OF A KICK OR A PUNCH IS FELT. LEARN TO TURN SPEED INTO POWER
BY USING CORRECT MUSCULAR CONTROL, RHYTHEM, AND TIMING. USE OF THE BODY AS
A POWERFUL WEAPON IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE KARATE BASICS. AN OLD
PROVERB SAYS, "IF THE SWORD IS TRUE, THE HEART IS TRUE; AND IF THE HEART
IS TRUE, THE SWORD IS TRUE." THE HEART OF THE MAN WHO HOLDS THE SWORD IS
EVIDENT IN THE SWORD ITSELF. IN KARATE, THE WEAPON THAT REPLACES THE SWORD
IS THE HUMAN BODY, AND THEREFORE, THE KARATE STUDENT SHOULD TAKE CARE FOR
THEIR BODIES AND MUST UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE THEIR BODIES ACCURATE AND
POWERFUL KARATE WEAPONS. |
| HISTORY OF KARATE |
| TO FULLY UNDERSTAND KARATE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW OF ITS HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF TODAY'S KARATE WILL BE TAUGHT
IN A PERSPECTIVE THAT WILL ENABLE ONE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF
KARATE AND HOW ITS TECHNIQUES BECAME THE ART OF TODAY.
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| EGYPT |
| THE OLDEST RECORDS OF UNARMED CAMBAT ARE THE HIEROGLYPHICS FROM THE
EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS WHICH DEPICTED EGYPT'S MILITARY MEN USING FIGHTING
TECHNIQUES THAT RESEMBLED MODERN BOXING. |
| INDIA |
| THE ORIGIN OF KARATE AS AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF SELF-DEFENSE IS
UNDETERMINED. HOWEVER, AS A MARTIAL ART, KARATE BEGAN IN INDIA THOUSANDS
OF YEARS AGO. STORIES OF WARRIORS, PRINCES, AND GODS WHO ACCOMPLISHED
INCREDIBLE BATTLEFIELD FEATS WITH THEIR BARE HANDS ARE WRITTEN IN INDIAN
FOLKLORE. |
| CHINA |
| AN INDIAN BUDDHIST MONK NAMED BODHIDHARMA FIRST INTRODUCED KARATE AND
ITS TECHNIQUES TO CHINA. BODHIDHARMA FOUND THE MONKS OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE
IN POOR PHYSICAL CONDITION DUE TO HOURS OF KNEELING AND MEDITATION.
BODHIDHARMA TAUGHT THE MONKS A SYSTEM THAT IS KNOWN TODAY AS SHAOLIN
TEMPLE BOXING. |
| SOUTHEAST ASIA |
| KARATE TECHNIQUES BRANCHED FROM CHINA TO NEIGHBORING SOUTHEAST ASIA.
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| OKINAWA |
| OKINAWA WAS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTING TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN KARATE. |
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| THE YEAR 1609 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND ACCURATE DATE IN THE
HISTORICAL GROWTH OF KARATE. OKINAWA FAILED TO GIVE JAPAN MATERIALS FOR
ITS ATTACK AGAINST CHINA IN 1592. THEREFORE, IN 1609, THE MILITARISTIC
JAPANESE SATSUMA CLAN OF SOUTHERN KYUSHU MARCHED ON OKINAWA. ALL OKINAWAN
WEAPONS AND METALS WERE CONFISCATED, AND A BAN ON THE POSSESSION OF ALL
WEAPONS AND METALS WAS PROCLAIMED. BITTERNESS AROSE FROM THIS SEVERE
ACTION. AS A RESULT, FIGHTS OFTEN OCCURRED BETWEEN THE ISLANDERS AND
FOREIGNERS. IN THESE BATTLES, THE OKINAWANS WERE FORCED TO USE PRIMITIVE
WEAPONS OR BARE HANDS AND FEET. |
| JAPAN |
| FUNAKOSHI, THE FOUNDER OF MODERN KARATE, FIRST INTRODUCED KARATE TO
JAPAN IN 1917 THROUGH A SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS. THE DEMAND FOR KARATE WAS
GREAT, AND FUNAKOSHI BEGAN ORGANIZING KARATE TEAMS AND TEACHING HUNDREDS
OF PEOPLE IN JAPAN. |
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| UNTIL THE 1950'S, KARATE WAS PRACTICED MOSTLY IN THE ORIENT AND FAR
EAST. IT HAS NOW GAINED WIDESPREAD ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WORLD.
IN THE UNITED STATES, KARATE'S POPULARITY HAS BEEN ENHANCED THROUGH
TELEVISION, DEMONSTRATIONS, TOURNAMENTS, BOOKS, AND MAGAZINES.
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| KUNG FU |
| KUNG FU, OR CHINESE BOXING, DIFFERS GREATLY FROM WESTERN STYLES OF
COMBAT. AS WITH EVERYTHING IN EASTERN CULTURES, THE PHILOSOPHY OF KUNG FU
HAS ITS ROOTS IN ZEN BUDDHISM AND TAOISM. |
| MARTIAL ARTS GENERAL QUESTIONS |
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| WHY IS THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE IMPORTANT TO THE MARTIAL ARTS?
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| THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE WAS A MONASTERY LOCATED IN THE HONAN PROVINCE OF
CHINA ABOUT 1,400 YEARS AGO. IT IS IMPORTANT AS IT IS CONSIDERED THE
BIRTHPLACE OF THE CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS SINCE BODHIDHARMA OF INDIA
INTRODUCED A SERIES OF BREATHING EXERCISES THERE. THE TEMPLE LATER BURNED
TO THE GROUND. |
| IS IT NECESSARY FOR A BLACK BELT TO REGISTER HIS OR HER HANDS WITH
THE POLICE? |
| THIS PRACTICE HAS NEVER BEEN A REQUIREMENT IN AMERICA.
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| WHAT IS SPORT POINT KARATE? |
| SPORT POINT KARATE ENABLES ALL AGES TO PARTICIPATE IN SPARRING WITH
SAFETY. THE IDEA IS TO SPAR WITH THE ACTION OF PLAYING A GAME OF TAG NOT
TO HIT YOUR OPPONENT AS HARD AS YOU CAN. GOOD TECHNIQUE WITH LIGHT
CONTACT. |
| WHAT IS A NINJA? |
| A NINJA, LITERALLY MEANS AN INVISIBLE ASSASSIN, AND IS A SPECIALLY
TRAINED MILITARY SPY OF ANCIENT JAPAN. |
| WHAT ARE THE MARTIAL ARTS? |
| THE MARTIAL ARTS ARE MILITARY, WARLIKE, OR FIGHTING ARTS WHICH INCLUDE
ALL SYSTEMS OF COMBAT, ESPECIALLY THOSE ORIGINATING FROM ASIAN COUNTRIES.
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| WHEN AND WHERE WAS THE FIRST MARTIAL ARTS EXPOSITION HELD IN THE
UNITED STATES? |
| THE FIRST MARTIAL ARTS EXPOSITION WAS HELD IN 1953 IN NEW YORK'S
MADDISON SQUARE GARDEN. MAS OYAMA, THE FOUNDER OF THE KYOKUSHINKAI STYLE
OF KARATE, PERFORMED FOR THE PUBLIC AT THIS MARTIAL ARTS EXPO.
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| IS IT IMPORTANT TO BREAK BOARDS AND BRICKS IN KARATE?
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| TO SOME DEGREE, BREAKING OBJECTS SERVES A PURPOSE. MAINLY IT IS USED
IN DEMONSTRATIONS BECAUSE OF THE SENSATIONAL EFFECT.
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| WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO AVOID A FIGHT?
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| THE BEST WAY IS TO TRY TO PERSUADE THE ATTACKER NOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
WHEN NO OTHER CHOICE THAN FIGHTING IS AVAILABLE, HIT FIRST, AND HIT HARD
ENOUGH SO THAT THE FIRST MOVE WILL DISABLE THE ASSAILANT.
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| WHICH FULL-CONTACT TOURNAMENT IS THE MOST FAMOUS?
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| ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1974, MIKE ANDERSON, IN CONJUNCTION WITH DON AND JUDY
QUINE AND THE PROFESSIONAL KARATE ASSOCIATION, HELD THE NOVEL WORLD
PROFESSIONAL KARATE CHAMPOINSHIPS AT THE LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA. SPORT
KARATE WAS REVOLUTIONIZED AS THIS EVENT KICKED OFF THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON
FULL-CONTACT COMPETITION. THE CHAMPIONSHIPS FEATURED FOURTEEN FIGHTERS
FROM SEVEN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES
WERE THE UNDISPUTED BEST FIGHTERS IN THE NATION---HOWARD JACKSON, JEFF
SMITH, BILL WALLACE, AND JOE LEWIS. AN UNPRECEDENTED $20,000 IN TOTAL
PRIZE MONEY WAS AWARDED BY ANDERSON. |
| WHO ARE CONSIDERED SPORT KARATE'S GREATEST FIGHTERS?
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| SPART KARATE'S GREATEST FIGHTERS TO DATE---(VOTED BY THE TOP 50
FIGHTERS IN THE U.S.A.)---ARE BILL WALLACE, JOE LEWIS, CHUCK NORRIS, BENNY
URQUIDEZ, AND MIKE STONE. |
| WHO IS JOE CORLEY? |
| JOE CORLEY, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP
MIDDLEWEIGHTS IN POINT COMPETITION IN THE EARLY 1970'S. CORLEY HAS BECOME
ONE OF THE LEADING SPOKESMEN FOR PROFESSIONAL KARATE AND IS ALSO
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST KARATE TOURNAMENT---THE BATTLE OF
ATLANTA---WHICH FEATURES OVER 2,000 FIGHTERS.
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