7 posts / 0 new
Last post
JD
JD's picture
2020 Olympics - Karate in Japan

Hi All,

In 2020 the Olympics are to be held in Japan for the first time and karate is to be included in these games, excuse me if this topic has already been discussed but I thought it had the potential to spark some interesting debate and posts. 

The Olympic committee have decided to have karate in the Budo kan situated in the center of Japan, this event apparently is a probationary one that if successful will lead to it being included in future games and then one day it may become part of the main Olympics. 

Whilst this is no doubt great for publicising karate and making more people aware, it's obviously more of a martial sport than an art, detracting from it's traditional ties somewhat.

Both Kumite and Kata are to be performed by only 80 competitors representing their respective countries and will be organsied officially by the World Karate Federation (WKF).

In comparison to it's fellow martial art's turned sports i.e Judo, Wrestling, Taekwondo etc... I feel it will make more of a spectators sport and appeal visually based on the fact it's so diverse, especially with some of the flashy, show off bunkai they demonstrate for their modified competition kata's and fast paced sparring including punching, kicks and takedowns.

Question is... is all this a good thing or a bad one?

To start the ball rolling, here's some questions :

Will it push forth a limited and very 'branched off' version of karate to the unknown, meaning the average Joe gets the wrong impression (jumping around screaming and posturing after scoring a gyakuzuki) of something he's seeing for the first time?

Should there be more competitors allowed to participate? (Limited to 80)

Will spectators be able to follow and understand the rules of kumite, flags etc...?

Is anyone attending these Olympics to view karate? If so what are you hoping to get out of it?

If this category gains popularity, could it have the potential to spring board this sport version of karate and in doing so split karate into two completely different entities?

Does anyone believe it will do well and gain interest? Or not and fade away?

I have opinions of it being both good and bad for different reasons, mostly good... especially for those athletes who dedicate their training to the competition side of karate, it will give them something more to aspire to and be part of. It will also be great for attracting youngsters and kids to joining a club and give them ambition.

On the otherside of the coin, I personally fit in more with the traditional side of the art and therefor have concerns it could promote the wrong image of actual karate to the public. 

What's your thought's? 

If there's any questions I've missed (probably quite a few) then add them to the mix!

All the best,

JD

Anf
Anf's picture

I personally think it will be terrible for karate, and martial arts in general.

Just look at what happened to taekwondo. Taekwondo is a proper, kick ass martial art. I believe it is still at the core of the unarmed combat systems of various military organisations. But what do most people get? A slightly glorified game of tag. Tap the pad with your foot.

Sadly, even kata is doomed. Already we're seeing it. Kata is supposed to be about movement and flow. Yet how many times have you seen competition standard performances that look like the robotic practioner is attempting to replicate a sequence of still photographs? Ie very rigid clunky transitions. Text book perfect stances, blocks in exactly the right finishing position etc, but no flow in between.

I think we have a choice. We can have martial art, or we can have sport. I believe the two are completely incompatible (in a civilised society). There is no such thing as 'martial sport'.

Martial, as in pertaining to Mars, god of war.
Art, as in refined skill set.
Martial art, as in war fighting skill.

Sport, as in a game.

Unless we live in a society where war fighting is a game, then there can be no martial sport.

I personally think the more you push a martial art towards being a sanitised sport, the more you destroy that art. Already there are karate clubs around that focus a lot of their training on the goal of winning competitions. Putting karate in The global competition of the Olympics can only further popularise the sport aspect at the expense of the martial art.

As an aside, karate and other styles already has a bad press to some extent. The number of times I've heard people say things like 'well yeah but if someone does a hook instead of a straight then it doesn't work', or 'yeah but I'd just punch to the throat'. Obviously misconceptions about martial arts, but the point being that already, many people have the impression that martial arts are inflexible and impractical. Showing it in the Olympics can only further that misconception.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Being as brief as possible, I largely think it as irrelevance. It will not change what I do in any way. A few highlights on TV once every four years (if karate maintains it’s Olympic status) will have very little impact on the public perception of karate. I’m pleased that the competitors have the change of Olympic gold … but it is a totally irrelevance to me and those like me.

All the best,

Iain

Some older post of this from 2013 and 2016:

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/olympic-karate-good-us-all

https://iainabernethy.co.uk/comment/11205#comment-11205

Paul_D
Paul_D's picture

Will it push forth a limited and very 'branched off' version of karate to the unknown, meaning the average Joe gets the wrong impression (jumping around screaming and posturing after scoring a gyakuzuki) of something he's seeing for the first time?

No.  As has been pointed out, a few sconds of highlights on TV every four years isn't going to make a lot of differnce.  As for the "averasge joe", they already have the wrong impression, as jumping screaming and scoring points with a gyakuzuki is already what they think karate is.  The average joe has no concept of Practical Karate.

Will spectators be able to follow and understand the rules of kumite, flags etc...?

Presumably TV commentators with explain the rules when (and if) it is broadcast.   

If this category gains popularity, could it have the potential to spring board this sport version of karate and in doing so split karate into two completely different entities?

Isn't it already split between Practical Kaarte and 3K karate?

Does anyone believe it will do well and gain interest? Or not and fade away?

I can't see it lasting, there are too many other sports fighting for Olympic status.  

JD
JD's picture

Hi all,

Some brilliant views and points in the above posts, I'm of the same thought's and opinions as you guy's.

Thanks for the links Iain, I'll have a good browse of them :)

Anf :

There is no such thing as 'martial sport'.

Martial, as in pertaining to Mars, god of war. Art, as in refined skill set. Martial art, as in war fighting skill.

I hear where you're coming from Anf but I'm only using this term as a means of describing this version of karate, in effect I'm illustrating a concept by using the words ''Martial sport'' to which I've heard other's doing the same, but I agree it's maybe erroneous to apply in this context. I also like the break down you connected to the term, spot on and war is certainly no game... like the song by Edwin star, what is it good for? :-)

All the best to everyone...

JD

Marc
Marc's picture

Iain Abernethy wrote:

Some older post of this from 2013 and 2016:

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/olympic-karate-good-us-all

https://iainabernethy.co.uk/comment/11205#comment-11205

In the same thread as Iain's comment (second link), I posted where to find official information on why karate will be included in the olympics and which karate disciplines they chose:

https://iainabernethy.co.uk/comment/11328#comment-11328

Dennis Krawec
Dennis Krawec's picture

Anf.  Theres a common saying “its all fun and games, until someone looses an eye, then its a sport”.

Overall I seee this having a neutral impact on Karate of any style. The sport of Karate has been around for decades. Its just that now there is a more than likely shot of it becoming permanently part of the Olympic games, and this will likely depend on ticket sales and TV / Net viewing.

How a person uses their study of Karate as self defence, health, or sport is up to them. It is the job of the instructor to teach them all three uses as one martial art. A student should be required to study the aspects of health and self defence, though never just as a sport.

The driving factor whether Karate remains as a true martial art will be dependant on the character, and beliefs of the organisations and the instructors. So long as the main focus of instruction remains as Karate as a means of better health ans self defence, with sport training as an add on class for those interested; then Karate will remain true. If however sport training dominates over basic instruction as a martial art then that student, instructor is lost, and will not know true Karate.

This is one of the issues I have with the WTF Taekwondo club in town, which I raised in a prioir post. Training in the club appears to be solely focused on sport: theres lots of cardio, footwork, technique, forms training and some non contact sparring, but there is no practice as an applied matrial art. There are no drills as to how the multiple ways you can apply techniques for self defense purposes. A punch is a punch, a kick is a kick, and a block is nothing more than a block, and while the taegueks have some nice moves in them they’re little more than choreography. This is an example of a “lost” martial art.