Proud of your Karate?

Discussion in 'Karate' started by Moosey, Jul 14, 2013.

  1. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    Wotcha Karate Dudes,

    So, I've noticed a bit of trend in recent years here on MAP, which is that people seem to be almost apologetic about doing karate. Or they kinda try not to mention it in the general areas.

    So this is a shout out to all the people who are quite happy being karateka! Personally, I think karate rocks and I'm happy with my training. So here's a toast to everyone who thinks that it doesn't matter what all the dodgy organisations do to sully the good name of karate, because I'm happy with my own karate.
     
  2. Grass hopper

    Grass hopper Valued Member

    Absolutely, there isn't an art in the world I'd rather do than karate.
     
  3. Dan93

    Dan93 Valued Member

    Proud Karate-Ka here.

    My first art and I am now full circle coming back to it with a little more insight and in a different system.

    Love Kyokushin and really want to study Okinawan Goju Ryu at some point in the future.

    OSU!

    Dan93
     
  4. Zabrus

    Zabrus Valued Member

    I love karate, yes. Kyokushin is my thing.

    Had a special Goju Ryu class, it seemed very good.
     
  5. armanox

    armanox Kick this Ginger...

    I'm proud of what I do - I wouldn't do it otherwise.
     
  6. John Titchen

    John Titchen Still Learning Supporter

    Proud of my karate.
     
  7. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    I loved the karate I did :)

    Mitch
     
  8. hatsie

    hatsie Active Member Supporter

    Absolutly chuffed and prould to be a goju ryu student. Karate was my first art and apart from a bit of dojo politics it never left me! Even though I couldn't continue to train there.
    So happy to be back in the 'saddle' with a new insight from another perspective!
    Karate, what's not to like!
    I wouldn't go telling people about it outside a certain circle, but that's not because of embarrassment of the art, just to avoid the usual questions, karate kid jokes and potential fights.
     
  9. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    I'm proud of the Karate I do but I always add "but it's got grappling in it" as a qualifying statement.
    So I maybe there's still some residual shame there?
    I don't want to be lumped in with the punching air/ippon kumite brigade?
     
  10. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    I am very proud of my Karate (Goju Ryu) be it Punching the Air, Scenario Training, Ground Fighting or any of the many other things that make it so great - I Love it all

    Travess
     
  11. Zinowor

    Zinowor Moved on

    I'm proud of my karate. It has provided me with everything I ever wanted in a martial art and I've done several others before I came to Karate. It just clicked on my first day and I couldn't be torn away from it ever since.

    I should add however that I'm quite humble about it when I talk about my Karate with non-martial artists, because most of them maintain the attitude that it turns you into an aggressive killing machine. An attitude that should be reserved for Kickboxers in this country, pretty much factually proven I'm sad to say.
     
  12. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    I didn't quite get that - have there been murders by Dutch kickboxers? :eek:
     
  13. Zinowor

    Zinowor Moved on

    Well I may have worded it a little extreme, but Kickboxers here tend to be more inclined to have underground connections.

    It's not uncommon to read about kickboxer's getting assassinated or being involved with serious felonies. Heck, one of our best kickboxers is a total maniac who goes from lawsuit to lawsuit to another outrage. Kickboxing events tend to attract lots of underground figures to the point where our government has had thoughts about forbidding these events, because they often turn out in huge riots where people are either killed or seriously hurt.

    Of course it should be no surprise that the right hand man of Klaas Bruinsma (our most famous historic druglord) was a kickboxer. I believe he even had his own school in which he taught kids how to kickbox. It's almost like druglords learned from his example and keep kickboxers close by. It's strange really.

    Kickboxers in our country are generalized as short-fused aggressors and Karate tends to suffer the comparisons from what I've seen.

    And at this point I am realizing how many threads I derail with my comments. Sorry mods, I'll stop doing this now. :eek:
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2013
  14. Zabrus

    Zabrus Valued Member

    A, just like Kyokushin in Russia and Japan then... with lots of underground figures attracted.

    edit: Goto Tadamasa, for example. The shady fat russian guys covered in gold at kyokushin tournaments. The story about Andy Hug, and Mas Oyama hiself, Oyama's bodyguard leaving japan as a bat out from hell when Oyama dies, etc.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2013
  15. melbgoju

    melbgoju Valued Member

    yep, proud and happy to be a karateka. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing (because, of course, I'd be doing it if there was!).
     
  16. matveimediaarts

    matveimediaarts Underappreciated genius

    Love my ****o-ryu. :) It doesn't always love me back (particularly forms), but my sempai is fortunately a patient fellow.
     
  17. LemonSloth

    LemonSloth Laugh and grow fat!

    Proud to be a karateka. Loving studying Wado Ryu under my current instructor, but I can't help but feel that my heart yearns to be studying Okinawan Goju Ryu or Kyokushin Karate instead...

    Still, beggars can't be choosers.
     
  18. Mitlov

    Mitlov Shiny

    Proud at my previous dojo. Shotokan can be a great thing with the right attitude and training methodologies. Not a fan of the approach at the dojo in my local area now, so I switched to something else.

    But so long as you have good instruction and sensible training methodologies, being a karateka is absolutely something to be proud of. It's a good art.
     
  19. Blade96

    Blade96 shotokan karateka

    Yeah same. :)

    I care what Mc - BushwooleyBob in his McDojo down the street does to the good name of MA's, but I still will proudly say I love karate.
     
  20. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    I'm certainly proud of my karate. I enjoy it and I think it has import on lots of 'martial' stuff. But pride should never be blind. I think karate gets a bad reputation firstly because a lot of 'karate' is nothing of the sort, and secondly because a lot of people can't be critical of what they do.

    Suppose it's a form of martial jingoism
     

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