Japanese

Karate Fanatics Fight To Reclaim the Title of Ultimate Strength

Karate was once considered the most powerful form of martial arts.

When did we begin to question the truth in the title of the 1970s Kyokushin movie "The Strongest Karate"? They were once potent words that awoke passion among the youth of the day.

Are there any Japanese men in their 40s whose hearts don't beat faster when they hear the title of that movie or of "Ichidai the Karate Fool" the manga of the same era or titles and names like "Bruce Lee" and the flying knee kick made famous by Tadashi Sawamura.

What this generation has in common is the belief planted in their minds as youth that martial arts is the only path to being strong.

There are many choices, for some it is karate, for others it is kung fu or kick boxing, but whichever it is, the belief that strength comes from punching and kicking technique is unshakeable.

This striking phenomenon can be understood by looking at the style of heroes before and after 1970. Heroes before 1970 used pro wrestler type supernatural techniques. However, from around the time of Rider Kick the heroes became the fighters with martial arts backgrounds.

Although it isn't written in any history book, for fighting sports this was an upheaval in the national consciousness more important than anything before it.

It was this historical shift in thinking that laid the foundations for the belief that karate was the ultimate strength.

In a sense it was good that young people in this era could be concretely shown an ideal type of strength. A desire to improve driven by the belief that if you work hard you will succeed was symbolic of the pop culture of that era.

However, this unwavering belief was formed against the backdrop of a society experiencing an unprecedented economic boom. Around the time the bubble collapsed in Japan, the Berlin wall came down in Germany and other news shook the established mindset, a crack was formed in the simple conviction of Japanese youth that if you work hard you will succeed.

It is no coincidence that the same thing happened to belief in the power of martial arts at this time. What followed then was the rise of fighting sports like jujutsu and styles that included punches to the face.

For those trained in karate without punches to the face, K-1, kickboxing and other rules that do include punches to the face are hard fights.

Even those who have mastered face punches are defenseless in a jujutsu ring once they have been pulled down.

The belief that karate was the strongest of martial arts began to crumble. And for a young person, to have such a belief destroyed is a hard blow.

Not only did young people lose the belief that they could become strong, they also lost the idea that if they worked hard they would succeed. While it wasn't as dramatic as the postwar ideological shift, it has quietly but deeply permeated the thinking of today's youth.

What they need now is a belief they can hold onto even when they are labeled fanatics.

Karate fanatics will create history.

The messages in "The Strongest Karateﾓ and" Ichidai the Karate Fool" are the same. To continue believing and continue doing one thing is a prerequisite to being strong.

If you do that in karate you will become strong. Non-contact karate, karate where protectors are worn, full contact karate and glove-rule karate all originate from a form of martial arts that included bare-fisted strikes to the face. Focusing from this point on on pursuing a form of karate that allows bare fisted strikes to the face is a natural progression.

Here there is a split in ideology. Many people believe that punching the face is dangerous so they have concentrated on developing techniques such as throws, wrestling, and joint manipulation. This probably is another way to develop strength.

However those who don't learn punching and kicking first cannot expect to properly develop wrestling and throwing skills.

These varied perspectives are damaging to karate and it pains me to see the turmoil in the martial arts world and confusion among young people.

However I am happy to see that in the karate community there are those dedicated to karate working hard in the belief that karate is the most powerful form of martial arts. First Keishukai tried fighting with bare fisted punches to the face and even took on Myanmar. FSA Kenshinkan held the Absolute tournaments that allowed strikes to the eye, kicks to the groin, punches to the face and throws. Mumonkai has worked on improving their counter attack to bare fisted punches to the face. Rishin Juku and Shien Juku continue to fight with bare hands. Those who uphold the tradition of bare knuckle fighting and those organizations that have come together for the CHAOS MADMAX tournament are all committed to pure, heroic, karate.

There are many dissenters, but even those who won't dare to fight the dangerous fight can still support combat karate. Someone must open the door to this kind of fighting or karate won't command respect as a powerful form of martial arts.

If it is not a real fight then there is no respect. A fight with bare knuckle punches to the face, a fighter that dares to face the challenge of a fierce enemy is something I honestly hope to see.

Karate will become still more powerful. The fight to take back the title of most powerful has already begun.