Why Martial Arts in Japan Are DYING...

[@KarateDojowaKu]

What are the senseis like in your country? 🥋FREE TRIAL｜Online Group Lesson🥋 karateintokyo.com/ 🥋Online Private Lesson🥋 karateintokyo.com/online-training/

[@MJRLHobbyStuff]

My chief instructor was from Japan but was very open minded, he felt if he taught in a Japanese way in the US, he would have no students. So he taught “American style” he encouraged the students to ask questions, he gave detailed answers, we would have seminars from different Sensei to show us all kinds of different techniques. I’m so lucky for that.

[@kemtaedott]

In Kenpo we teach students to think for themselves, it's a thought provoking art. We have our own specific intelligent terminology so we can ask students a specific question and get a specific answer. In my experience the whole just do it and don't ask questions was because the Sensei didn't have the answer. This also explains why we see the ridiculous bunkai being taught by Japanese Sensei which unfortunately gets regurgitated in all other countries @Karate Dojo waKu

[@CJ-uf6xl]

Here in the UK it's literally all over the place, from some huge bloke dressed like a nineteen eighties P.E teacher blowing a whistle and shouting at you to "PICK UP THE PACE!" to the most softly spoken Aikido Sensai talking about peace and harmony, and everything in-between!

[@jujitusuka]

I think that’s the huge difference between Japan (you’ll get taught that eventually) and the West (we want it all now and aren’t prepared to wait) *but* the now generation are losing something in the translation, the nuance’s and finesse of the style or techniques however you want to say it. There does need to be a happy medium and some schools/sensei do adopt that here in the U.K. I would much prefer the Japanese method but a with a bit more oomph

[@ThatKenpoGuy]

USA here, I think it runs along a scale from Johnny Lawrence to Master Ken!

[@DavidTheFlyingGuy2000]

I really love those traditional martial arts of Asia and I can't believe they are dying. I always wanted to go in Asia and practice these martial arts there. I hope these cultures and their fundamentals will still live on.

[@BelloBudo007]

Of course, as we know, things are constantly changing, right? I believe that the 'trick' is to ensure instructors spot the trend and ensure that the Product, in this case karate-do, remains of a high standard as well as something that the public will want to participate in.

[@YamamotoKazuo]

The problem is Asian morals are evil, they don't want young people to think logically. They want to enslave the younger generation mentally. That's why we call it Western civilization. Japanese culture is great only in Asian( better than China at least) but it can not be compared to western culture.

[@hyronomusprice5439]

It is people like you that keep the tradition alive.

[@matsug5704]

Covid was the main reason I stopped training in the Dojo, we where renting a room in a ballet academy and since the pandemic started we werent able to go back there, IT SUCKS.

[@STROBdotNET]

Hi Yusuke! I'm just back from a 5 weeks trip to Japan where I took some karate lessons from Shihan Masayoshi Kagawa and also an Okinawa karate shihan. I could see how harder the classes were in Japan even for small children! I tend to think that Japan declining population is not such a negative thing cause I think there are just too many people in Japan. I live in Quebec, Canada and here we a lot less people and it changes everything in term of quality of life: more space, cheaper homes, less pollution, we can drive cars and not be forced to use train, we have more freedom in general. Economists tend to think everything must grow forever infinitely. But our world, our nature is not made for that. So it doesn't mean it will be easy but sometimes it's best to stop growing too much and be more in harmony with nature.

[@creightonfreeman8059]

One of the good things about the traditional Chinese way of training martial arts, outside in a park, is that it is still relatively safe to train that way during the pandemic. At least basics, qigong, and forms can be practiced even if two person drills must be skipped in order to maintain personal distance. I know some Japanese sensei like to train their class on the beach or in the surf, but I guess indoor practice is more common in Japan than in China. One good thing about martial arts is that if you have some experience, you can still train solo even during a lock-down if you just have the desire and motivation to train. Strength training, flexibility training/yoga, stance training, breathwork/neigong (内功), basics, techniques, bag/makiwara/equipment training, forms/kata... There is never any shortage of things to work on. Actually, I've had more time to train because of the pandemic!

[@curseofgladstone4981]

Uk here. I do a form of Japanese Jiu Jitsu called Shorinji Kan and all my sensei's have been pretty easy going to be honest. I do it at my University and when I started there were only three older students left over when it started back up after Covid died down. With the highest a purple belt. so they had to work pretty hard to get everything running properly again. Thankfully we had a brilliant Dojo because the Uni is big on Judo so that hasn't been a problem. The various sensei's I've had have all been brilliant and each have their own way of doing things, they are supportive and give loads of advice. Yet they are comfortable joking around a little. I've been doing it since about October and am now a Green belt, I'm really enjoying it and want to see how far I can push it. Hoping to get to at least purple next year. Possibly even light Blue

[@scottgarner6110]

I as a teacher always ask does anyone have questions. i also tell them to practice everyday on the items they learn, but if they do not understand i ask for their input. We tell everyone to look outside the box and study martial arts as a whole and it seems to help most students.

[@u45.-]

Such intelligent caring and beautiful ppl and country sorry to hear that the culture and ppl are in decline. Hello from Atlanta ga usa

[@mraffabilityGB]

Sadly true in the UK though workaholism is probably less of a problem than obesity, idleness, substance abuse and general lack of character. Many seem to imagine that if they watch enough KZbin videos and play violent virtual reality games, that they will become martial arts savants without doing any physical work.

[@snake_eagle]

I pray things will get better 🙏

[@eduardoherrera4151]

Hi. My teacher is the opposite. He usually explains teachniques when asked. Of course, at first he teach you by copy the techniques, but as soon as you can do them, he explain the principles and the more you learn, the more he explains. It's a shame the arts are dying :( It's very important that open mind approach and allow everybody to learn them. I think Gendai Budo schools have more chance to survive because they are more spread, but Koryu schools need to develop ways to attract students, document all their knowledge properly (in videos, books, pds, etc) and allow more foreigners in the Dojos before is too late.

[@dallainesthomas9996]

I’m sorry to hear it, I didn’t realise how martial arts 🥋 were declining in Japan 🇯🇵 It’s a good thing that martial arts traveled overseas .

[@Mugairyuiai]

Koryu arts are one of the greatest gifts I received and have improved my life in many ways, both mentally and physically. I am amazed when I meet Japanese youth that sometimes don't have even basic knowledge of their arts. Traditional dojos operate in a very different way to those of the gendai arts, many don't advertise or proactively recruit like other newer arts, and for many it is up to the student to find them or even better to be introduced by an existing member. Training and etiquette is also different to newer arts and sometimes requires extreme patience (especially true for westerners) many don't get past this step, which may be for the best, considering what is being practiced and what weapons are being used. Unfortunately every year seems to see the passing of another great Soke, but in most cases they have arranged succession which sees the art and school survive. These arts are not for everyone, but are incredibly special and have a lot to offer the right individual. Character is very important and these arts have a great way of weeding out perhaps people not of good character.

[@rodrigoerthalwilson7178]

Thank you for making these great vídeos. The worst problem in my country (for almost all martial art) is when the gyms are more about money than quality. But there are still great dojos around the country (even small cities) where you can access to good instructions. Best regards from Brazil. PS.: I train Karate and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

[@hezekiah74]

9pm leaving the office is still early for many here. Weekday trains at midnight from central Tokyo will always be 90% packed full of office workers

[@captainbeaver_man903]

I train a fusion of TSD (Korean Shotokan) and TKD in the states. When I visited Korea I was beyond shocked at how the "martial arts" there were just games and kids running around. There was little structure, 12 year old 3rd degree jr. Black belts that couldnt focus or stand still for more than a minute. One class that they had (and was their most popular) was a dance class marketed as Taekwondo. A literal dance class called "Taekwondo dance". The school I visited was a Kukkiwon school and only had one adult class per week. The teacher there in a round about way basically said Westerners focus too much on the martial part of it, in korea they feel developing the "do" and building good character was more important than the physical parts. I didnt argue, but I cant see how kids running around and being given belts just for showing up develops any kind of character. Seemed like an excuse for their poor quality.

[@dapidminiAiki]

and here I thought such McDojo only existed in western countries.. as a fellow instructor I feel your pain, Sir. the more "modern" the community is, the more they tend to think classical martial art skills are outdated.. I think some of them are only using the martial arts class as a way to meet people and/or leaving their children for a few hours (rather than finding a proper child care or nanny) these 2 phrases comes to mind just now: - all things must come to an end - hard times create strong men (and women), strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard time.. maybe we're currently in the [good times] era

[@crisalcantara7671]

This story makes me sad 😔

[@slimkillah76]

I always wanted to learn tsd or Hapkido since I got my bb in tkd. TSD seems impossible to find. Hapkido isn't much better

[@captainbeaver_man903]

@@slimkillah76 yeah, a lot of TSD was absorbed into TKD in the 60s. You can still find schools that teach the old TSD way but call themselves TKD. Look for Moo Duk Kwan and Chung Do Kwan (specifically Duk Sung Son lineage) lineage TKD and a lot of them still teach the old way. Or just learn Shotokan, since TSD was just Koreanified Shotokan.

[@wilb6657]

Holy moly. So the "McDojo" is actually an ASIAN invention?!

[@Nimiety327]

From what i understand, karate is more popular in the US than it is in Japan. Which seems really weird. This is an odd topic to me. I'm never sure how i feel about it. I am an American and Shotokan was *very* important in my childhood. It played a significant role in my development, and in who i became. I have always been able to relate with Daniel from Karate Kid/Cobra Kai. I was a kid with a lot of anger issues and karate put me on a better path in life. It taught me to control my anger and It made me a better person. It taught me many other things as well. Karate saved me in ways i don't think anything else could. I feel i will always owe it a debt. And i will always owe Japan a debt for introducing it to my culture. I have some pride in knowing my culture is helping karate to survive. But it's sad to know it's dying in its own country of origin.

[@DragonDreamVNY]

Agreed. Also that book, Karate Stupid. How some normal people describe people who eat sleep and drink Karate (all the way through school and college) as Karate Baka 🤔 I've a distant cousin who only went through Wushu Academy his whole.life. probably can't even add 1+1 and he is now painted into a corner as Wushu coach or security guard. Not much else he can do as a 25 year old now semi-retired from competition. I would almost call him a Wushu-stupid 🤔

[@BelloBudo007]

But is karate really more popular in the USA than Japan? Right now (at this point in time), my guess would be that many Western countries are high in numbers of people claiming to be doing karate. But I wonder what the truth is. My instinct, plus listening to fellow traditional karate teachers, is that many western dojo are far from practicing traditional Japanese karate. They are more likely to be a mix of various forms of 'entertainment'. By this I mean some kobudo weapons, perhaps some MMA techniques, some Jujitsu tossed in for good measure and 'fitness' sparring. My guess is that the 'entertainment dojo' and their numbers, far outweigh the traditional karate schools, where hard work (blood, sweat & tears) was/is the normal. I'm not saying that there aren't good traditional karate schools still operating. It's just a lot easier & more profitable to 'play games'.

[@Nimiety327]

​@@BelloBudo007 I can't say for sure if it's more popular or not, it's something that you'd have to really break down. California alone has roughly the same population as Japan.. So the U.S will have a numbers advantage just from population. So it starts to get murky with a term like "popular" But I think it's highly likely that the U.S has more people practicing karate than Japan does. Even traditional japanese styles. But i can't say i know that for sure. On another note. You bring up "entertainment dojos'. It's been a long time since i was in karate, but during this time, i saw very few entertainment dojos but to your point, i did see very few traditional dojos. And even less traditional Japanese ones. A lot of the other dojos i saw as a kid were very Americanized or it was Taekwondo. (for some reason Taekwondo seemed most popular) The Americanized ones cut out a lot of the spiritual/mental side to traditional Japanese styles and training. Come to think of it, I saw Americanized Karate to be a lot like Cobra Kai. But again i must confess, this was about 15-18 years ago. Also, my dojo never had a shortage of students. A lot of them didn't last, but we never had a shortage. But to be fair, we never had any major surges of people either. And i forgot to mention, my dojo was traditonal. They even forced us to speak basic Japanese while in the dojo, but very basic. Thankfully they didn't force us to write in Japanese, lol. But It was my first real taste of the Japanese culture. But i'm a sample of 1 in a very large country, with a lot of states. Each with their own idenitity.

[@wasabi5338]

i think one of the reason for this is that there is more Mcdojos in US than in Japan.

[@jessemelendez6305]

Hello Yusuke, please continue making your videos I enjoy watching them and listening to the conversations between you and your sensei. I am a Kyokoshin practitioner but I never earned my black belt. My sensei was a wonderful instructor from Japan who trained his students in the traditional ways. I enjoyed training with and getting to know my Japanese Dojo brothers. My sensei had a death in the family so he took his own family back to Japan to help run the family business. I wasn't able to find another Dojo that even came close to how he trained us. I guess that's why I like your videos, you remind me of those days and you even speak English in the same way. I am much older now and I still regret only reaching brown belt. So Yusuke keep traditional Martial art alive.

[@ambulocetusnatans]

Back when I was in Karate, we got a new student who was a brown belt in a different but related style. The Sensei gave him a little mini test to see if he knew what he was talking about, and he was able to join our Dojo and keep his rank. If you still know all your kata, maybe you can do that.

[@brunocaroortega3146]

We karateka apreciate your spreading work very much.

[@jellybeanflix1022]

Thanks for your humble sharing of Knowledge - Martial art practitioner from Sri Lanka

[@saptarshimandal611]

I didn't knew this, thank you so much for the information. Due to the 3 main reasons, not only martial arts but also other fields are dying as well... 私はインド人です。 👍🏼

[@carlosrobertodeabreu9234]

I am brazilian, master of Wing Chun. I like very much your work. In my opinion, you are very right of your perceptions. I think that a world phenomenal. It's very important to talk about this. Congratulations!

[@MasakiChamploo]

My Dad, Seiyu Oyata, would teach people slightly differently so his students would have to come together to get the full knowledge of things he taught. He didn't really keep secrets from his students. He taught me a couple things he never taught anyone else but besides that he was pretty open. I do enjoy your videos of going to Okinawa and even recognize some dojos that my dad visited too.

[@ImperialStoneDragon]

you have a great mission, wishing you all the look and sympathy

[@DrMARDOC]

Your videos are always good and thoughtful. I am a practitioner for 53 years now. I have lived most of my life on Taiwan but lived on Okinawa in the 70’s. A golden time! I agree with your observations. But I would like to add more….. the minds of the young have been ruined by the virtual pseudo reality of the internet. Smart phones and computers have stolen the mental spirit of the world’s young. They no longer exist the the mindful-present. So if they go to a dojo and are told to practice stances and punches and kicks for hours they are quickly bored and their parents become angry accusing Sensei of cheating them money and making Junior painful. Another reason is that people have become soft and lazy. People no longer have an edge of defiance towards harsh circumstances by rising above them and fighting their way out by seeking personal perfection. I hope on your next visit to Okinawa you can seek out the “ youngest” of the Old Great Masters; KUDA Tomosada. Real old-style SHURI TE.

[@lsporter88]

That was a very thorough and accurate assessment in my humble opinion. Great commentary.

[@HAYAOLEONE]

The noble and very capable people of Japan must rebel against the technocratic slavery.

[@Islandfist]

Very true. Karate in okinawa seems to be lacking in local 20-45 year old practitioners. A lot of locals tell me they want to get into it, but they're too busy.

[@MartinJutras]

Another great video.

[@조선닌자핫토리]

The same thing is happening in Korea. It's sad.

[@GothamKnight84661]

It's happening everywhere around the world.

[@jonahmaddox1038]

That is so devastating to hear man . Hope things will work out.

[@gabudecastro5840]

I love your work man keep it up

[@menzerroku4708]

That's very sad😥your country has developed amazing martial arts. I hope that your martial arts don't die😥I love your channel. You are an amazing Sensi.

[@bradauto]

Thankyou. I started training over 30 years ago, my sensei was very very good at karate, not so good at teaching. He learned directly from the first wave of Japanese seneis to come to England, (enoeda et al) and his attitude was the same as theirs. Watch and learn. I am very glad to have had this experience but feel I missed so much. Had I just been able to ask questions it might not have taken 30 years to reach the understanding I now have. I believe the way of karate, the journey, can be authentic yet still informative so I’m very glad to follow you on your quest. The most open Japanese karateka I have seen. Thanks again🙏🏻

[@CJ-uf6xl]

It's really sad to hear this, martial arts in Europe are booming, especially here in the UK, only last Saturday I was at a jam packed Seminar covering many different styles of Budo and other world martial arts, kids and adults all enjoying Japanese arts more then any others. All I can say is keep doing what you're doing, and even if martial arts become a trickle in Japan the rest of the world will still be practicing them and maybe one day the flow will come back, even if it's from the rest of the world holding the knowledge the Japanese martial arts will never die.

[@menzerroku4708]

Yes Cj I'm glad your martial arts are staying strong😀

[@1tan_freed0m]

The background music is one of my favorites from Bamboo Flute😍

[@usnpinoy]

I lived in Yokosuka for about 10 years while I seeved ib the United States Navy. One would think that I would study Karate or another Japanese Art, but I somehow ended up studying Filipino Martial Arts in Yokohama and Tokyo! It really is sad that Martial Arts are dying in Japan, and that the popularity of Martial Arts tends to be fo used on foreign arts. I am currently a Shodan in Filipino Martial Arts, and Roku Dan in Taekwondo. I hope one day to study Kyokoshin or another Larate System. Thank you for all of your great content here on You Tube!

[@lusitanus6504]

I am Portuguese and sometimes in class, the teacher asks the class if there are any questions. We try to clear any doubt we can and sometimes even interrupt the class to explain. I personally give cues and tips and sometimes do educational movements to learn techniques better.

[@mikaelbauer3818]

Indeed, many dojo here in Montreal, Canada, struggle. Our Iaido dojo has almost no students.

[@Stitch200sx]

Enjoy your videos as a teacher of traditional karate my opinion is that we are evolving into a new way of teaching karate and it's is important to listen to your students so that they and you both learn from the questions asked during training. Covid has had a big impact on many clubs and we are now just starting to build back up our student numbers again . Keep up the great videos Bujin karate club

[@kaiokay7321]

Appreciate all that you do for Karate!

[@idunvarvin]

Thanks to brilliant people like you, karate will never die!

[@Shadowman9348]

Where I train - we always question what we learn because if we don't, we won't get answers - it's the instructors responsibility to his students, he's teaching martial arts/self defense/fighting - this is part of the learning process, it allows us to understand our training and get a better grasp of it's concepts. In the past it was considered "rude" or "disrespectful" to question - but if an instructor can't explain the techniques or doesn't teach his students how to apply the material he presents his students with - he's being very irresponsible & unprofessional.and should not be teaching martial arts at all. It's extremely important to understand the multiple applications of various techniques and being able to apply & adapt them because it's a harsh world out there and adaptability is crucial for survival. Love your videos by the way - good stuff! 👊🥋☯️

[@ShukokaiStu]

Please keep up your fine work. All of your videos where you are sharing and spreading the knowledge and wisdom of the older Japanese senseis, and into english for us all, are very much appreciated and is helping greatly to keep the spirit of our beloved Karate alive. Thank you!

[@dylan_krishna_777]

Yusuke you have a great channel and i love to watch it! In Europe (Netherlands) we call martial arts budo sports and the teaching is always formal and students listen to the shihan/sensei and they dont ask to much questions. This create a way of discipline , respect and structure in the dojo and the most school follows the old ways and i respect that but in some way the have to evolve and give students more of a combative experience and explane them what is the utility of a learned technique . If that don't change in the next 10 years you will see more and more of non-japanse martial arts like kickboxing/muay thai and brazilian jiu jitsu in the world.

[@christians9564]

I really like the person you are. You are always very honest and have a good way of helping people understand. I find your content interesting and informative. Thank you for your time.

[@1000corgilicks]

i so appreciate you sharing what you are learning from the older Sensei and translating it in such a way that really makes sense to us westerners! you are awesome!

[@bniemann420]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this, I had no idea this was an issue there (apart from the pandemic closures). In my studies, I've watched many videos from many sources overseas. While most have been very helpful, it difficult to rely on subtitles to absorb the full context of a lesson. This is why your channel is at the top of my references that I share with my classmates to use when we practice away from the dojo. Thank you again for the great content!

[@shinobidragon999]

I’m glad that you mentioned ninjutsu I highly recommend to visit a Bujinkan dojo has real ninjutsu in Japan in the city of chiba Japan 🇯🇵

[@smiths8907]

Sad to know, i Would like to visit Japan soon

[@lykins8]

I'm from America and do Muay thai. We temporarily closed at the beginning of the pandemic but ever since then have been going strong

[@zachambley]

I am from Australia, my sensei is very open and will answer any question he is able to but also will tell us that we have to put in the work if we want to improve.

[@yuhtanizawa7686]

I´d say martial arts do need role models again like in the 80s and 90s 😎 then you automatically gain much more interested people in martial arts like back then 👍!

[@peterlampe5423]

What a nice and heartwarming video. Thank you. I am from Germany and I think Lots of Senseis in my country are open and Share a lot with there Students. That can be a good thing. On the other Hand 🤚 ist is Not easy to get teenaged beginners into the Dojo. So we all have to make the Most of it. Good luck.

[@antoinecarter536]

Great!! Shito ryu karate from Columbus, Ohio

[@brantcollins]

Love your videos. I am a black belt in Aikido and as an art, it is on the decline as well. I hope to start teaching soon and doing a KZbin channel as well.

[@luisguzman9614]

I have been fortunate to have martial arts teachers that explain the application of the techniques and kata. However, these same instructors would allow and encourage me to figure things out on my own. I think people need both. There are some things that have to be explained and there as things that can only be learned through repetition. It pains me to hear that martial arts are dying in Japan. I will share your video and channel on my Facebook groups and pages to help spread the word.

[@THEGREYWOLF8282]

I wanna go to Japan live there learn martial arts

[@andrewblevins4591]

Great topic and this is not unlike America. I believe you are on a path that can help if not at least slow the rate at which traditional martial arts are waning. Keep up the good work.

[@markwalker2986]

I fully agree with what your saying! Times are changing! I've been doing shotokan with the kugb since 1991 to present and I've noticed how the mind set has changed over the years! In the early years the training was very tough and quite brutal but these days more health and safety is encouraged and karate seams more sciencetiic refind and technical 👍 great video.

[@ClydeRowing]

I'm minded of something I heard about Enoeda Sensei... his criteria for choosing who to groom to become the first champions was 'good punch, good heart'... his idea was that it would damage karate in its early stages to have a superb technician be champion who might get beaten up on a night out, better to have a less technical hard nut.

[@Howling1978Hound]

In The Netherlands it is normal for students to ask questions. (Aikikai Aikido student)

[@luismaciel7463]

I would love to train karate with you!

[@ralfhtg1056]

I find your videos not only entertaining but also educating in several aspects. And I find it intersting to watch your own journey as here and there I gain some new knowledge as well. Or at least I get to see several things I already know through a different point of view. So already from this point of view: please keep going! Here in my country (Germany) Karate experienced a boom in the 70s that faded in the 80s. After Germany was reunited and Karate was finally readily available to the public in the eastern part of Germany. It was not illegal, but also not welcome yb the authorities. A turbo for the spreading of martial arts in general and Karate in special were movies like Karate Kid, Karate Tiger, American Fighter and so on. In the late 80s though a movement within Karate in Germany has started: break away from sports and back to the roots: practical application. This has lead to quite a number of Dojo breaking away from the JKA and joining okinawan schools who tend to be more open about real application of the techniques in Kata. That is my experience.

[@endlesspath250]

The senseis in my dojo are definitely more open to answering questions. It’s probably an American culture thing that we’re encouraged to ask questions, but that’s just a guess on my part. Also, it’s a shame about the state of martial arts in Japan. I know you said they don’t have a bright future, but I hope things get better. Martial arts has so much to offer.

[@koolburn5218]

I live in Southern California, Riverside area. But hardly see any kind of schools in outside Brazilian Juijitsu and MMA. I grew up in a small town in Northern California in the 80s-90s and schools were common to see. The UFC really hurt the traditional schools in the US.

[@MascotLofiCafe]

pretty unfortunate that the culture in martial art may die out, even sooner than expected 😢

[@benjaminpujols1914]

That is crazy there's a lot of job like that here in America corporate jobs where people go in at 8 or 9 a.m. and stay till the same time of the p.m. 8 or 9 p.m. I've had factory jobs where we'll start at 6 or 7 a.m. and we have to stay until we're done which could be 56789 sometimes even 11 p.m. and it's just ridiculous most places typically here as far as Factory and go 6 is usually the limit finish what you finish don't finish what you finish either way 6 p.m. is usually the latest some is five and others they have second shift so once you hit 3 p.m. or 3:30 in my case we're done then the other shift comes in and that's it

[@georgefoley9793]

The sensei and the instructors at the dojo where I practice, always ask if there are any questions after kihon, kata, and kumite practices.

[@davdooo-k9w]

A lot of good points

[@alexwilmes9496]

I am an American Iaido practitioner, and my sensei is open to discussing the theory behind the kata, what variances are allowed in performing kata, and imparts any new information he learns from his sensei on to us so we can have an understanding of what will be expected of us as we advance.

[@AncientWandering]

My sensei is very open. I started training in Shotokan in my 50s as a white belt during the pandemic as a way to improve myself. We wore masks and used the jo to do connection drills (for distancing) until everyone was vaccinated. I train with a small group (six) and everyone in my dojo is a yudansha except me. Our sensei is open to new ideas and finding the budo that lies at the heart of training. One of our classmates is also a Sandan in Goju Ryu so we do Goju Kata well as the Shotokan curriculum. We have a visiting sensei who studies Aikijujitsu and Shorin Ryu and brings that to our study. I'm the youngest member of my dojo and just made brown belt. Martial Arts has the potential to help aging bodies. Training in balance control and learning to fall are two of the biggest skills us old farts need for survival!

[@TheLuconic]

As sense I Seth once said to Jesse Enkamp. We gotta go big to sell and sell and sell. Keep it exciting or the students will get bored. Basically fast food.

[@ianbeesley4495]

I fully appreciate what you are saying.I used to train three times a week in Wado-Ryu Karate.I also fitted in an Aikido session once a week. My Sensei was very traditional and used to grade on attendance and technique.Due to working long hours in the UK,as a Lorry Driver.I reached Blue Belt,even though my training started in 1990.I turn 50years old in July. I do think a lot of ‘modern ‘ clubs,are not teaching enough ‘mental’ training.My Sensei used to show the practical application of kata.Which unfortunately is becoming lost. There clearly needs to be a balance in your working life. Ki energy becomes stagnant if not allowed to flow.

[@mutant0177]

I can not speak for karate but I did a kung fu style in Europe. The term "just do what I told you, you get it in 20 years" is pretty common in those traditional styles. But in my opinion it is for the sake of keeping the student and make money. Because you cannot really see that you get better. My goal always is self defense ability. So I trained for 7 years up to 8 hours a week in class plus privates and seminars. But if I got in a confrontation in a bar or so, I didn't got more confident because I learnt tons of technique but we were not allowed to spar and therefor I could not use the techniques and convert it into a self defense skill. So I canged to a modern self defence style an trained hard even in the lockdown in private lessons and do a lot of drills and sparring and after 1,5 years I feel much safer. I had a few situations since, were I could deescalate but I think it worked just because I was not really scared. I did not want to fight but would have, if it was not avoidable. I think the majority of "troublemakers" can sense that and do not view you as a victim anymore. So why I am telling this. It is highly possible that someone cannot apply Karate and traditional martial arts because of their compexidiy and too less time. Also (at least in europe) the people do not want to nearly pray to a master/sensei, pay lots of money and see no results.

[@riannsusanswart6555]

Thank you for your heartfelt message, your passion is very evident. We wish you the best of success in achieving your mission and appreciate your open sharing of knowledge from the authentic masters. Speaking of masters... Do you perhaps foresee yourself making a video with Naka Sensei - from Kuro Obi world at some point?

[@artisticsolarninja]

My old school martial art(Arnis and Taekwondo) has permanently closed down because there was a fractured in the community that got declined and completely torn apart. Most other of my classmates are now going on their separate ways and some are busy at schools at the time and others have stop doing martial arts. Others, decide to run and creating their own school since my old school martial art class is slowly not having enough more student to come in to the school. My martial arts school is officially out of business because there is no other student to come there to teach martial arts anymore. because it wasn't really advertising enough.

[@newspectre]

@Karate Dojo waKu i too look at karate with your mindset and want the karate culture to grow but here in Australia its mostly attracted to young parents who want to bring their children, mainly it feels we make good baby sitters for an hour and a half a day. but i do it not to force something on them, but to show them the aspects of a discipline and the benefits it brings

[@benjaminpujols1914]

I seen a lot of instructors in KZbin and a lot of them are more than open for questions if you want to know why this move why that hold why this type of punch or kick or whatever but not just here but also like in UK as well cuz I live in the US but there's lots of other countries that are pretty open but at the same time too many questions but can get kind of annoying so I do understand that

[@JAP2069]

I moved out from Puerto Rico at 2017 bc of hurricane Maria. Before that, I used to dedicate 3 days a week to practice with my master and train the whole summer It was a blessing being able to train and practice for free!!! Ever since I moved out to Florida, I haven’t found any Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do dojos So I essentially practice on my own

[@snake_eagle]

Your channel would be cool with a 360° angle camera... 👍

[@MarkoObradovich]

Great analysis. I really like what you're doing. I wish you much more success in future for many years to come. 👊💪👍🥋

[@TenchiBushi]

I came to Japan in 2014: first living in the Kyoto countryside then moved to Aomori 3 years ago. Before Japan, I was stationed in Germany. I had more access to martial arts in Germany, back home in New Jersey and on a base in Afghanistan during combat tour. That was my frustration of living here.

[@certifiedtopg7596]

I do jujutsu and my dojo only have seven people including me and my master and others martial artist and my style is dying because the style is so old and dangerous that most people don’t want practice it anymore

[@ScramblerMotorcycle]

Well lets move to Okinawa then, great video By the way

[@JissenDojo]

Great video

[@warhawksmemories3071]

I think more martial arts should be spread on KZbin. Often many times there are no schools are lack of information which is sad

[@granadosvm]

It saddens me learning of this situation. I started learning Karate-Do in Mexico in a school that values a lot more the practice of the real application for self-defense and the philosophy than the sports side. We went to competitions and we participated in the organization and judging of competitions as a second level of the martial art, but not as the central theme. I saw how through the decades, the art was left to the side of the road as the competition and the business part of the activity took front and center positions in most dojos. I always assumed in Japan, more specifically in Okinawa, there is this this great repository of knowledge of the art, the self-defense and the philosophy side, in great teachers with strong body of students who can keep the fundamentals alive. I moved to the USA over 20 years ago and I have been lucky to find groups that pay more attention to the basics and the self-defense side, but their number of students are declining in favor of dojos that promise black belts in 1.5 years and a student there with 4 or 5 years of practice is always between third and fifth dan, or MMA academies. Maybe we are approaching a time where good karate will only be taught from father to son, and be lost if the son is not interested.

[@waldorfmartialarts8320]

COVID 19 diminished our student body by 50 %. We immediately began ZOOM virtual lessons which kept many of our students training, but the lack of partner training took a toll on quality. Once we began in class lessons though, new students came as we say “out of the woodwork!” I think it’s been about a year and our student body has grown past our pre-COVID numbers and our student quality is improving because our post-COVID students are raising the bar for everyone. “A rising tide lifts all ships!” We are very blessed as many other schools closed down in America.

[@TheKpopFan18]

I love martial arts. I've been doing karate since 6 years and I love it. I want other people to start martial arts

[@SuperMaster60]

I am from South Africa, and I know this video is a year old but can still relate, I am turning 39 and have been brought up in the old traditional karate “Funakoshi Karate” not the sports version “Shotokan”, It is very difficult to teach students the old ways to keep the tradition alive. The problem I believe is that karate has become a sport instead of a lifestyle as some of us grow up for it to be, hence the fact I believe traditional karate is dying. I have 2 boys and I train then in the tradition way, but it becomes difficult for them to do competitions because some of the traditional katas differ from the sport katas. Kumite also have it disadvantages with some strikes and kicks. I will not stray away from the old tradition because it has made me a beter man in live and in fighting.

[@mohammesalattar5404]

They should make data base of martial arts videos and books and the philosophy of that martial arts.

[@CILO132]

In my dojo my instructors teach with an emphasis in understanding. As they put it, "We teach you not to just learn but to be able to teach in the future"

[@muffineck9890]

I feel it...maybe it's because we're drifting further & further away from ourselves...replaced with automatics, tick tocks & Facebooks, work/sleep repeats, and whomever is driving hates the notion of the infinity of soul. Our already beatdown selves tend to lean on scripts as to avoid the organics of self awareness. We are numb, and infinite moments are scary if u don't recognize whose in them. Moments forced and the celebration of ourselves for things that call to our hearts come muddled and weighing thousands of lbs

[@AdroitDojo]

When I was stationed in SoCal, I joined a Kenjutsu dojo. The sensei and most senior students were rich and would travel to japan at least 2x a year to train our style in the homeland.

[@P5YKHOTIK]

If you are a student looking for a school... that is easy. If you are a teacher (Sensei)... much more difficult to find someone worthy of sharing your knowledge with. To teach someone that will keep techniques and thoughts original is so important and challenging.

[@xtream5productions56]

I am a Black Belt in Korean Martial Arts Maha Kuk Sool , my master encourage me to train harder and have a open mind , because Martial Arts is everything and have the ability to adapt to any situation Oss My Respects

[@Loomtoomslag]

Interesting video. I just subscribed. I really like your content. (I feel like you didn't need to be wearing a gi for this video lol)

[@WimR999]

In my country, Belgium, there are a lot of differences between schools and sensei´s. Some are evolving well in their understanding of karate and it´s origins as self defense. Others still stick to the old concepts mostly because they stop learning from others at some point. This is usually so because of politics in karate organisations. They only do what their head(s) of the organisations tells them and don´t go learning from other masters. Some schools saw their members dropping down during covid, some other see their members growing. Our shool has grown, both with youth and adults. Main reasons, 1) we kept on training during covid when it was allowed to do so, mostly outside; 2) we participated in a program of our local government to promote sports for adults, 3) our sensei and senpai´s, which I am one of, always keep on searching for more in dept knowledge in karate going further than the limits of our style (goju) or even karate itself.

[@mada0zani]

There are many styles of karate in Japan and Okinawa that I’m dying to learn , like uechi ryu Here where I live it’s impossible to find someone who teaches them Sad