Why do we insist on Budo Karate (traditional karate)?

Sensei Nishiyama taught us principles and subtle details that allow us to train karate as it meant to be, self-defense using less power to defeat big power.  Those principles can easily be neglected and lost, and one can easily focus on the external, which meant to be but a method by which we discover and internalize those underlying concepts. 

Those principles, though they are invincible, are the essence. The beauty is that those concepts are woven together, each influencing the others, to create a whole system.

If we just copy the techniques, even perfectly and precisely, we will still be in the realm of relying on athleticism, more power and more speed will prevail.

As I see it, if karate is based on speed and strength, it is limited as a martial art.

The kata and basic techniques are meant to be the vehicle through which we access the underlying principles that allow us to be more effective in technique, and moreover use technique with optimal distance and timing. We strive to avoid the opponent’s power, and hit the opponent when they cannot use their power.  Even the optimal mindset can be acquired through the kata when the principles are applied.

Those principles that I am talking about cannot be discovered by one person in a lifetime, even if one puts in hard work and countless hours.

It is through the kata, kumite with the oral transmission, which passed down through many generations, that we can achieve the “magic” of karate, which is not magic at all. The magic is in the knowledge of the past, combined with hard work.

And then karate becomes an art, and we can step into the unknown, and eventually add to this knowledge and keep on evolving.

– written by Avi Rokah sensei

Hand drawn Hieroglyph translates BUDO-warrior way. vector japanese black martial art symbols on white background. Ink brush calligraphy with red stamp

Interview given by Avi Rokah, WTKF president

avirokah

Two weeks ago You were elected WTKF President, what I'm warmly congratulating You. What do You think, in which directions WTKF should go today?

I believe that our number one objective should be to keep the focus on Budo Karate, following the principles that were taught to us by Sensei Nishiyama.

 

How? We increase our education efforts through seminars live and online, competitions to increase the level of understanding and performance of the fundamental concepts which our karate is based on, according to Sensei Nishiyama’s teachings. We should strive to upgrade the level of Instructors, athletes, judges and students, with equal focus on youth. I do not mean to be rigid and close ourselves to any influence, we are always evolving and we should be open to ideas from sport research and even from other martial arts, yet without losing and without violating the concepts our Traditional karate is based on.

We do not want to confuse our students with a mishmash of ideas, on the other hand once the fundamentals are ingrained a person can take ideas from other areas without diverting from the right path. 

 

After all, Karate is an art, and everyone should be able to create their own unique way, “own style”, yet it has to be based on the basic principles which are like axioms, truths, which allow a person to have their own unique karate.

Please tell us about the most important activities, which you are planning to take as a President of WTKF.

My intention is to increase activities such as seminars, live and zoom, using myself and the many high level instructors we have in our organization, so the knowledge of Sensei Nishiyama’s teachings should be available to everyone.

 

We know that it is not enough to have the knowledge, students have to be constantly reminded and have feedback through training and repetition, how to keep the right direction. We should create an online video library, so people can access the knowledge outside of regular seminars.

We should also have written materials such as books and articles, so instructors can have a deep understanding of how our principles are organized. We should create instructors programs and standards.

 

We should constantly increase the level of judges, so competition will be according to our way of training, and athletes will know what standards to expect in competition. I intend to choose the best people for technical, judging, organizing events, promotion, relationships, administration, etc.

Members of the WTKF should be able to express their talent for the benefit of our organization and its members.

In spite of pandemic of coronavirus WTKF is organising training seminars in the online form, but also sports competition in the direct contact are planned. Please, tell us few words about events, which are planned in this year.

We learn from the pandemic that we can access education and even limited competition, using zoom and other online means.
It is cheap and we do not have to travel abroad for seminars, it allows us to communicate and access knowledge often.
I think that even after the pandemic we should keep on with online seminars. We will plan regional zoom seminars and competitions, as well as intercontinental. I am also thinking that we can have some zoom judging courses in order to keep the judging level up to date.

 

But of course, we should have live seminars as soon as the current situation will allow, and live competitions.

 

European championship in Katowice, Poland is planned for  June. At the moment we do not want to plan too many live seminars in competition, but I am hopeful that we can do this as soon as the second half of 2021 or sooner.

How you can see the cooperation with other organisations of traditional karate-do, including World Traditional Karate-do Union, which is binding the largest traditional karate-do federations in the world?

We should definitely cooperate with other like minded organizations, specifically World Traditional Karate-Do Union both as far as competition and seminars, and strive to achieve WADA recognition and support for our national organizations.