The History of Karate

Karate is a generic term for many different overlapping schools or styles. These can all trace their origins to systems of civilian self defence developed in Okinawa. It is not one single martial arts style but an umbrella term, like ‘ball sports’. New styles have been created throughout the history of karate. Some instructors choose to remain rigidly with the systems they were taught, while others adapt according to their own interests and experience.

Karate could accurately be described as the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) of the 19th and early 20th century. In 19th Century Okinawa, it was a changing mix of their own fighting methods and those gained from studying under foreign teachers, predominantly from mainland China. Cross training and studying under different teachers was the norm rather than the exception. Karate was introduced to mainland Japan in 1922 by a number of Okinawan teachers and this affected the systems based on Okinawa and the new ones that grew up in Japan. Both Okinawan and Japanese karate systems are now practiced worldwide. There is no recognised single governing body for karate.

The Practical Karate Association teaches both Shotokan Karate and DART Karate. Students are taught separately but in the same class. The two groups may mix for pad work and sparring.

SHOTOKAN KARATE

Shotokan Karate is a Japanese style of karate. It was developed from the teachings of Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi. The main framework of the style was formalised in the 1920s and 30s.

The Shotokan was the name of the first official dojo built by Gichin Funakoshi, in 1936 at Mejiro and destroyed in 1945 as a result of an allied bombing in World War II. ‘Shoto’, meaning “pine-waves” (the movement of pine needles when the wind blows through them), was Funakoshi’s pen-name and ‘kan’ means “house” or “hall”.

Gichin Funakoshi did not believe in ‘styles’ of karate and taught it primarily as a form of character improvement through physical development and never gave his system a name, just calling it ‘karate’. During his lifetime he taught a syllabus that included kata and ideas taken from a number of different Okinawan karate teachers. Shotokan Karate could very accurately be described as originally being a

Mixed Martial Art! Karate ‘styles’ are a little like marketing ‘brands’. Similar products with different ‘takes’ on what they offer.

Gichin Funakoshi had many students at the university martial arts clubs and outside dojos in Japan. After his death in 1957 his students continued to teach karate. Unfortunately internal disagreements had already led to the creation of different organisations. One example is the initial split between the Japan Karate Association and the Shotokai. As a result there are many different ‘schools’ of Shotokan.

In the UK there are many different Shotokan karate groups of varying sizes, some of which are still linked to the JKA and many others more that have split away. Some of these associations split away nearly 50 years ago and in turn different generations of their instructors have founded their own independent groups. There is no single recognised international governing body for Shotokan Karate.

Most modern Shotokan differs considerably from the grappling and striking of Gichin Funakoshi’s 1935 book Karate Do Kyohan. That is the type of karate taught with modern coaching methods in the Practical Karate Association. We call the Karate we teach Kyohan Shotokan Karate in reference to the close range integrated striking and grappling system described in the 1935 Karate Do Kyohan text.

Shotokan Karate is well known for its sporting competitions that focus on kata performance and long range point sparring. This is particularly true of groups that retain a similar ethos to the Japanese Karate Association organisation. Not all Shotokan groups compete. Many clubs have returned to focusing on the kata as a template for techniques and tactics for self defence.

DART KARATE

DART is a modern system developed from applying research in Sports Science , Psychology, Criminology  and UK Law to Karate tactics. Our physical training comprises both grappling and striking and is similar to MMA apart from being self defence focused.

DART evolved gradually from John Titchen’s initial research into kata application, joint manipulation, and habitual acts of violence. Over that time its methodology has changed considerably. Coach John Titchen’s original intent was to teach applied Shotokan rather than start a new system. By 2004 DART had gradually developed into a method of practice that could no longer be called Shotokan. Students then trained under the generic term of ‘Practical Karate’ and the Practical Karate Association was formed in 2005.

DART has continued to develop with the modification of many of its original drills as a result of lessons learned from observing the reactions of many martial artists in scenario pressure testing. The current name of Defence Attack & Resolution Tactics was adopted in July 2006.