This essay is part of the JKS SA Nidan syllabus and is used as a platform to share ideas on JKS karate and what it means in the life of a karateka.
I have been part of this karate group for more than 5 years and every year I marvel at what I have learnt in that year and what a difference karate has made to my personal growth. In the paragraphs that follow I share some of the ideas I have about karate in general and JKS karate in particular.
The JKS Team Spirit
One of the most striking things about the JKS organisation is the tremendous team spirit in the camp. Senior grades are always there to assist and develop the other students. For this reason there is a great respect that has developed between karateka in the group. This respect and team spirit is what will drive JKS forward and enable the development of the high standards that our teachers are aiming for.
Intimidation and bullying are not on the JKS agenda and the senior instructors are very serious about building a group of people who will do well in their karate and hopefully take some of the things they learn from karate and apply them consistently throughout their lives. As a JKS black belt it is a great honour to be part of this team.
An Ordinary Person
JKS karate is not just for professional karateka. It is also for the ordinary person out there who has a nine-to-five job or any full time job for that matter. No one can really be too busy to do JKS karate. It can develop one into a reasonable fighter even if that is not in one's natural character. Or it can train and develop natural fighters into world class karatekas. Whatever ones preference, JKS caters for it.
JKS karate is not, however, a quick win self defence class where people can come along and obtain all they need to know about self defence as quickly as possible. In other words, it isn't really something that someone should consider for the short term, unless you're just looking for a fun workout. It requires lots of hard work and regular attendance of classes. After five years though you start to notice that, for an ordinary person, you are becoming more and more effective as a karate person. This is when the hard work really begins to pay off.
The Five Maxims
The five maxims of karate are character, sincerity, effort, self-control, and etiquette. JKS karateka are expected to apply these maxims in the dojo and out of the dojo. Being a black belt in karate provides a certain power to the individual karateka that should never be abused. The five maxims offer some very good guidelines about this aspect of karate.
Self-control means not losing one's temper or threatening someone in conflict, but rather attempting to resolve conflicts and issues in a reasonable way. Violence should only be the last resort.
Sincerity shows that you're honest, and character is an almost inevitable consequence of karate. Character is a show of inner strength. Both these qualities put together represent a person's integrity, a human quality that is in plentiful supply within the JKS organisation.
The effort one puts in is seen by others and presents a good example to junior grades who are, in turn, encouraged to put in more effort themselves.
Etiquette represents a person's respect and their manners.
All five maxims are truly well represented within JKS.
The Four Aims of Karate
There are four other qualities important to a JKS karateka: technical ability, physical conditioning, tactical skill, and mental attitude.
Technical ability is important for a JKS black belt because it enables one to deliver the correct technique with the optimum efficiency, power, speed and precision.
Physical conditioning is just as important, and for almost exactly the same reasons. Good physical conditioning is required to be able to take any blows that might come your way during a bout. Fitness is also important when handling the mental pressures of physical confrontation.
Tactical skill is what differentiates karateka. The ability to read an opponent and keep one step ahead is an important criterion in winning karate.
Lastly, but probably most important of all, is the ability to keep your head when the pressure is on. Developing a tough mental attitude must be one of the highest aims of karate. It is one of the aspects of karate that one can apply throughout life.
The Single Blow
The JKA and JKS style of karate asserts the principle of using a single blow to put your assailant down. Being a JKS black belt means applying this principle through the use of hip power. The principle of hip power is emphasised in virtually every single JKS karate class and is a key distinguishing feature of the JKS/JKA Shotokan style over other martial art styles.
Hip power delivers the power necessary to explode with that single knockout blow. But it doesn't end there. The JKS karateka does not rely on one blow. A combination of techniques is encouraged in fighting, all relying on hip power. These combinations are direct, simple and effective. Elaborate combinations, as typically seen in the movies, are not required nor recommended in order to put your assailant down.
Life in South Africa
A lot has been said and reported on the violence and crime in South Africa. We unfortunately have some of the highest crime statistics in the world. South Africa has a past in which violence and crime were actively encouraged and it seems impossible, at the moment, for us to release ourselves from the grip of this violent past. Relating to this, we also have a very large percentage of poverty-stricken people who have absolutely nothing to lose in life, so they inevitably resort to a life of crime.
The majority of South Africans are extremely concerned about this problem that is strangling our country. As a country we need to provide education, jobs, food and housing for all the people of the south. But we also need to protect ourselves.
Karate is a great basis for self-defence, especially a pragmatic style such as JKS. Karate not only enables one to fight back with a degree of confidence, but it gives one a higher level of awareness. This is probably a person's best defence in a confrontational situation. A lot of violent attacks on people in this country are reported where people have been surprised by their assailant, for example car hijackings. A high level of awareness and precaution can prevent and be a deterrent to these attacks.
South Africa's biggest youth development programme used to be 2 years of national military service. With compulsory national service now a thing of the past in this country, an alternative for youth development could be a couple of years (if not longer) of karate training. Rather than increase the simmering violence in this country, it would have the opposite effect because of the values and the maxims taught in karate. Karate is also a very humbling experience because you find out very quickly that there is always someone better than you are, and always someone you can learn from.
Karate could also be considered as a Management Course for business people. Learning to assert oneself, to handle conflict, and to work under pressure are all things in common with karate and management. Imagine saying in a meeting that you got your black eye on your 'management course'. It might not have the desired result, so maybe it would be better to wear an eye patch.
Karate is also a great aid to working out the stresses and strains that can be associated with corporate city life in South Africa. There is nothing like a good work-out to rid the body of those negative stress chemicals.
Annual JKS Events
Every year the JKS karatekas travel down to the Natal coast for a weekend gasshuku (training camp). This is a major highlight on the JKS calendar and it means a lot to all the karateka who attend. It is an opportunity for everyone to get together and share their experiences and to learn from other instructors around the country. It is always a weekend of hard work, but at the same time good fun.
Other events include national and club competitions, world tours, and various JKS courses.
Preparing for these events is an integral part of the JKS routine. These events, and the preparation for them, result in an overall improvement in the JKS standard every year.
In Conclusion
There are many things that one can acquire from training under the JKS umbrella, including technical skills and important life skills.
The most valuable thing I have learned during my time at Norman Robinson's dojo is learning to relax under pressure.
- by Stuart Swallow
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