Kyukushin Kai

[Goju]

Hey, I've been training in Goju-Ryu for about a year and a half now and I have some questions. It would be great if Kyukushin girl posted a reply as I think she would know about Kyukushin Kai

- What are some main properties of Kyukushin? (pros,cons, principles)

-One of the nidans at my dodjo said kyukushin sparring is normally full contact (which I love) is that true??

-What would some kyukushin karate-ka say about Goju?, because it is a highly criticized karate style (some say thte training leads to early death)

THANKS

[Saz]

I'll try my best to answer your questions d_rza. You may want to hear from member Paul Paterson too, he knows a lot more about Kyokushinkai than I do.

Kyokushinkai has similarities with Goju Ryu, the founder of our style studied Goju, and a good few of the kata's and techniques are the same. As a karate, it focuses on more circular techniques than say, Shotokan. As I understand it, Goju also has many circular techniques. The Nidan at your club is correct, the sparring is full contact, we call it knockdown, but we also do Nihon Shobu (2 point sparring) and Clicker (light continuous)

Kyokushinkai principles are complicated, I'll try and explain them as best I can. The art and its philosophy takes a long time to understand fully, but the main pillars of it are, self discipline, courtesy to yourself and others and strength of mind and body. Probably the best way to sum up our philosophy is to read our Dojo Oath (http://home.comcast.net/~jarrodbrown/DojoOath.html)

Pro's and Con's depend on the individual and your attitude. The only con's I can find with it are that is can be more competition focused than self defence focused, which is fine if thats what you are looking for. Also, we don't allow face shots in fighting. That could be a pro, depending on how you look at it. The training is hard, and you'll need to have good mental strength more than good physical strength to do it.

I can't say I know a great deal about Goju Ryu's training methods, so I can't really criticise it or not, but like I said, you'll probably find a good few similarities in the two styles.

[Goju]

when we spar there is contact only avove the belt and below the neck, but if we choose to and both opponents agree full contact sparring is allowed, there are some circular techniques involved like the mawashiuke block, thanks for answering my question!

[paul paterson]

Osu,

Kyokushinkai is a karate system rather than a style, its a way of life rather than a hobby and over all its about you over coming the struggles within your day to day life and that goes for your karate. - The way of Ultimate Truth...

Kyokushin_girl is correct about how hard it is to describe, and many thanks K_g for your words.Kyokushinkai differs to most other styles by being what is known as knockdown or full-contact. The system is designed to explore all the physical and mental aspects of karate, and in doing so, to develop discipline, etiquette, spirit and honour.

The pro's and con's of this school of karate is the same of any other art but also that of any person. We fight in a more foreward way, never backing off and never giving in. We fight very hard but we also have the soft side just as GoJu is the hard and soft school. Oyama was very smart not only did he work in circles as the GoJu but he also worked in a triangle formation, meaning the building blocks of Kyokushin are that of triangles and pyramids, see the kata Sanchin and Tensho as well as the basic way's of punching, kicking etc.

Kyokushinkai is not a sport karate but incorporates the whole ethos of what the martial arts is all about. The trouble with today's world is that everyone has become to competitive with each other and each style / school, hence one of the many reasons why the sport side of the MA's has taken over the more traditional and older side of the MA's.

Having trained a few times with Higaonna Sensei as well as with his colleagues, the GoJu school does have some very, very good ways and those ways should be seen as tools to aid you and your training. Always stick with the basics and keep working away.

I wish you well in your training and take care.

Osu.
Paul Paterson.

[KenpoDavid]

you make me wish there was a kyukushikai school around here... maybe there is and I don;t know... can you find out where is the nearest dojo to Omaha, Nebraska, USA?

[Goju]

Hey paul and Kyu girl, how is kata sanchin performed in kyukushin kai? in goju it uses dynamic tension ( the flexing of all muscles) but most other karate styles do it relaxed and without the guy punching you, they also dont do the hour glass pigeon toed sanchin dachi!

[paul paterson]

Osu,

Sanchin No kata in Kyokushinkai is performed as much as the same as GoJu, we have the closed fist version compaired to that of the open hand. We also use the same dynamic tension and breathing techniques as yourself, and YES we do get hit in most parts of the body including the groin area while we perform Sanchin. Most other schools of karate will perform their Sanchin with a more wider stance and with little or no breathing or ibuki, this has many reasons for them but again this has become diluted with those schools.

Sorry but I do not know of schools in your area KenpoDavid but I am sure other on this forum can help.

Osu.
Paul Paterson.

[Goju]

when being tested kicks are thrown to our crotch, but they don't actually connect it's just a test of concentration,,,, U guys actually are kicked in the groin?????? ouch!!

[Saz]

http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/Students/sevans20/

Here's a clip of Sanchin the way we practise it. The video's about 3 megabytes big, right click the link and hit 'Save Target As'

[Goju]

I just learned kata sanchin today and ours is a little different, ours is slower, and more jerky (because we vibrate a little due to the flexing of all our muscles). Also, when your left hand goes in towards the right elbow instead of punching, ours actually punches to the elbow of the right arm and sits there. Also your sanchin is more flowing than ours and the last two mawashiuke blocks are done slow and still using dynamic tension in goju.

good video

[47Ronin]

Do you know the differences between Uechi Karate and Kyokushinkai Karate?
Anything would be appreciated.

Regards

[Saz]

Post a site explaining what Uechi Ryu is, and we'll try and explain as best we can.

[47Ronin]

http://209.123.85.17/~uechi/

it may take some searching but it is like a cousin style to Goju.
sorry I am to tired to talk on about it.
night all.

Regards

[Goju]

This is for pretty much any karate ryu.

When you train at the dojo, are basic strategies or techniques from other ma used in your karate training?

Miyagi's Goju is made up of early Naha-te techniques mixed with chinese martial art techniques but we do other ma besides that aswell. (jiujitsu, tai chi chuan, kung-fu)

[47Ronin]

Uechi comes from the old style Pan Gai Noon and was learned by Kanbun Uechi from Sushiwa who was a Shaolin priest.
Kanbun Uechi brought it back from China to Okinawa.
He tought people but one of his students killed a man so he stopped teaching then after a few years of persuasion his son learned from him( Kanei Uechi). Then Kanei taught and died recently so who takes the mastery title is now being disputed since his son is only a fifth dan.
Oh yeah they did open the first Karate dojo in Japan (yes before Funakoshi).
Thought I'd just give some history on it.

We do go over some Krav Maga for street figthing but thats about it.

Well got to go.

Regards.

[Goju]

I read that in a book about okinawan karate based martial arts. Its called Okinawan Karate Revised version.

Krav Maga is a FMA right?? We do escrima but thats it for FMA at my dojo

[Jim]

Wasn't the Kyukushin Kai the ruler of Cathay when Marco Polo visited? Oh no, sorry that was the Kublai Kai... My bad *Jim bows profusely and backs out of the Karate Forum... :bow:

[Mike Clark]

Uechi Ryu has direct roots in Chinese martial arts as does Goju Ryu. From the exposure I have had to Uechi it stresses the pre WWII martial emphasis ie open hand techniques, body conditioning including the shin , kicking with the toes etc. Goju tended to change after the war to stress closed fist, ball of the foot kicks etc. They are both of Okinawan origin

Mas Oyama studied amongst other things Goju and wanted to revive the Samurai spirit in Japan. It was amazing that being Korean that his style was accepted by the Japanese, so it must be a testament to his vision.

[47Ronin]

Krav Maga is an israeli style.

like K girl said about Kyukushin it is also hard to explain Uechi

[Goju]

It was Kublai Khan wasn't it????:confused: o well

[Chris J.]

Hello,
Kyokushin folks often do a kata called Yantsu. Have you heard of it, and if so what is its origin?

-Chris J.

[paul paterson]

Osu,

Hello Chris J.

Yes, have heard of Yantsu and still practice it.

Yansu means, to keep pure and always trying to maintain purity of ideas, never compromise for the expedient.

This kata has been borrowed from the Chinese and gives a good idea of Southern forms, it has all the techniques for close quarter battles and has an air of Chi when performed slow compared to the fast speed that Kyokushinkai do it at. For the school that I belong to this is a 1st Kyu, Brown Belt -Black Stripe grade kata. The idea is to develop a more natural fluency in your movement and thus in reflex in your techniques.

Osu.
Paul Paterson.