Karate styles practiced today were created from other styles only 50-100 years ago. After the founders of these systems passed away, in-fighting and politics caused the organizations to split and other associations were formed. Perfect examples are: JKD with Bruce Lee, JKA with Masatchsi Nakayam, American Kenpo with Ed Parker,and Kyokushin with Masutatsu Oyama.

Hi Satori,
I think Marco has a good point, but I think the main reason for all the Federations is competition, but there should be a Federation at the lead or Shotokan would turn into another American Karate type style, not that they are wrong but they are not Shotokan .

I never took paying respect to the founder and the instructor as "worship" .
Thank you

Hi,

Another way of putting it...

I am a qualified teacher, I have trained for a total of over 25years in (judo, kyokushinkai, aikido, jujitsu, and various others styles but mainly shotokan karate)and also taught the latter for around 6years.

The essence of 'teaching' strives for different ways to put forward a concept, idea or view of a particular thing or subject...

1. Consider when you were at school, you had one teacher that you learnt from well, possibly their style of teaching appealed to your way of learning (look up learning styles eg kinasthetic etc)

2. All people have had a different journey in life and therefore have a different view, some YOU will like and others you will not, BUT we are all individuals. A training session you like may not be liked by your friend? eg your more flexible and it was a session on kicking...

3. I agree with the previous reply in part.

4. .. A lot of TOP instructors do this for a job.. therefore charge a lot of money, some will reak away and teach for the love of it.

5. Japanses instructors obviously understand a lot more of the ethics of their culture and so forth, a lot do not speak english well and do not understand that the europeans ask... 'Jump sensei? how high, should I bring my legs up, where is best to put my arms....etc', when a japanese student will say nothing and just jump...all night!

These are just some reasons that sprung to mind, now think of the other infinate amount as that is where knowledge will begin... it is learning by questioning your own ideas so as to adapt them to various situations. Why practice katana or tanto if they are banned? There will be a wide range of reasons for and against that question, some schools (associations) of thought will answer one way, others another. You decide which suits YOUR thought train and join them!!

Mick

Hi Satori,

I am an Italian living in the US and practicing Shotokan with a Japanese instructor. I just want to quickly reply to your post.

First and foremost the proliferation of association stems from the human nature in search of power and prestige. Can you compare saying: "I am one of the instructors of XYZ federation" with "I am the Grand Master of my federation"?

The truth then is that while Funakoshi started to popularize karate he was by no mean the first or the only. For this reason I still do no understand -along with such craziness for counting/speaking/reciting the dojokun in Japanese- why we should at the beginning and end of every class "worship" one or the other of the founding fathers of the discipline.

Don't get me wrong: I absolutely like the martial part of any true martial art and think that western people should put more emphasis on it then we currently do. However I prefer to consider karate the same way we consider philosophy, or writing or mathematics. There is, and there should not be, no Grand Master or Federation that set the standard and dismiss all the others with a superior attitude.

Simply put every instructor has his/her own style but all should be able to come together exactly as philosophers/mathematicians do. Then, if you do not like your instructor's way of teaching or you just want to explore other perspectives, you can change.

This is, by the way, what most of the Japanese instructors do: they all have their own style but they also get together quite often in competitions, clinics or seminars (or at least this is what my instructor tells me).

The only good I see from creating federations is that those best known can in general guarantee a more uniform level of preparation of their instructors.

Regards,

Marco