Oss Sensei! (Shotokan)

Member Name: GuruOnAMountain

Product:	Shotokan
Date:	04/12/06 (369 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relatively cheap compared to many sports, you can train anywhere.

Disadvantages: Gradings can be expensive, possibility of injury.

I'd always fancied myself as a martial artist and stumbled into a karate class one summer evening when I was 17, feeling more than a little nervous. Surrounded by a sea of people clad in white pyjamas and making loud noises whilst thumping each other, I was tempted to just run for the door, but somehow I managed to convince myself to stay and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

There are many different styles of karate, but the chances are, if there is a karate club in your area, its probably going to be a Shotokan class. Modern day Shotokan was founded by Gichin Funakoshi and was only introduced to the western world relatively recently.

There are many different classes and organisations out there ranging from the traditional to sport-based clubs and it is important that you find a club that's right for you. Its also important that you keep in mind that karate is a martial art and you will come out of class with a few bumps and bruises more often than not. There are also quite a fair few dodgy karate instructors out there, although I think this is more a problem in America than over this side of the pond, but it wouldn't hurt to ask to see an instructor's credentials and watch a class before joining in (or sending your child).

There are three main areas of Shotokan karate: kihon, kata and kumite. Kihon is the basics of karate and in most clubs is usually practiced with the class moving up and down the halls in lines practicing punching, blocking and kicking in mid-air. Kata are patterns of moves that have to be memorised and perfected that range in difficulty and are generally taught from the easiest to the hardest with progression to the next kata being held back until the current one is mastered. Finally kumite is sparring and ranges from simple step-sparring for beginners to free sparring for the more advanced practitioners.

Progression in karate is usually indicated through coloured belts that are awarded after a student has passed a grading, but these are by no means mandatory. In fact, these are by no means traditional and the idea of using coloured belts in karate is a relatively new one taken from Judo, so many people choose to train without sitting belts. However, if you do choose to grade you can expect to progress through 10 kyu (coloured) ranks (going from 10 to 1), usually paying about £20 per grading before gaining 1st dan (black belt). There are also 10 dan ranks, this time going from 1 to 10. However, different associations and clubs use different grading systems. Some have more than 10 kyus and not all clubs use the same colours of belts. However, a common ranking system is that which is used by the JKA which goes: white-orange-red-yellow-green-purple-purple with white stripe-brown-brown with white stipe-brown with 2 stripes-black.

Clubs can charge various prices for training. If you're lucky you might find an instructor who teaches for free out of love of the art, but generally you can expect to pay per lesson or a set monthly fee, but you can generally expect your first lesson to be free. I pay £2.50 per session to train at one of my clubs and only pay a set fee of £30 a year to train at my other, but you will also have to fork out for insurance which will usually set you back another £30 a year.

Apart from that, karate can be a relatively cheap sport. You could train in loose joggers and a t-shirt, but most clubs will expect you to buy a karate suit (a 'gi') once you're sure that you enjoy the art. Clubs often buy these in bulk, so you might be able to get one from your club cheap or you could buy one yourself out of a local martial arts shop or online. Suits come in three weights: light, medium and heavy. As a beginner you'll probably wont to buy a lightweight suit and this could cost you between £15-£25. If you train at a sports-based club where you do a lot of sparring or pad work you'll probably be expected to buy a pair of mitts and a mouthguard. You can buy elasticated mitts with padding at the knuckles for about £5 or you can buy proper sparring mitts for about £20 and a mouthguard should only set you back a couple of quid.

The great thing about karate as a sport is that you can train at whatever level you want. If you want to train completely for your own pleasure, then that's possible, or you can compete in either kata or kumite, if that's what interests you. You can choose to grade or not to grade and best of all, the unreliable British weather doesn't need to keep you back from your sport as you can train indoors.

It will keep you fit but without becoming boring. It can also be useful for self-defense (but this all depends at what type of club you train at and how you train). Basically, karate is fun and fulfilling and if there's a club near you, you should definately go along and give it a shot!

Summary: A martial art which is great fun and good for fitness.