Frequently Asked Questions
Thursday, September 09, 2010 04:30 am
Frequently Asked Questions
This page is dedicated to all karate enthusiasts seeking more information. There is a wealth of information on the subject of Karate. I encourage all of you to learn as much as you can. Keep in mind two things though; patience and gradual training is key. Even if you don't get it at first, or feel confused or frustrated, you will eventually and feel good about making that extra effort trying.
Here is a list of frequently asked questions.
1. How can karate tansei's training benefit me?
2. Where can I find a list of Japanese terms you use in class?
3. What are the dojo Rules of Etiquette?
4. How many levels of belts are there?
5. What do I need to know to pass to my next level?
6. What is the difference between Karate and other martial arts?
7. What age can my child start Karate?
8. I would like to progress faster, where can I find material to help me?
9. How important is competition?
10. Are there other activities in your organization that I can participate in?
12. Will practicing Karate conflict with my religious principles?
Karate-Tansei is run by Senseï Luciano, 3rd dan black belt in Shinkyokushin karate. He upgrades his skills on a weekly basis under the direction of Master Camille Ohan, 5th dan Black Belt. Senseï Luciano's karate schools teaches the values and principles that his master teaches him ... in this journey to develop the mind, body and spirit. This karate school has a strong unique team that treats each karateka (karate student) individually. You will learn and achieve something at every class.
Click here for a list of Japanese terms that will be used in our karate classes. Additions to this page will be made, so visit frequently.
These rules are created for the safety of the students and the respect and order of the class.
1. Always maintain clean and well cut finger and toe nails.
2. Always have a clean Karate-Gi (Karate uniform) with the three mandatory patches. T-shirts underneath uniform is optional for male students, manditory for female students. Either t-shirts with no logo, or a t-shirt from our dojo or federation is permitted.
3. Attach properly the the belt of your Karate-Gi.
4. Arrive early -- at least 10 minutes early. This demonstrates good discipline.
5. No Jewellery aloud in the class.
6. Fighting equipment is obligatory for kumite classes.
7. Bow before entering and exiting the dojo with utmost respect.
8. Always look and listen to your instructors.
9. Do not play with your belt.
10. Do not distract others.
11. Respect your partner.
12. Do not run (unless instructed to by teacher).
13. Your Obi (belt) should NEVER be washed, only aired dry. It symbolically contains the spirit of your hard training. Never throw or drop your obi on the ground. Your obi is a symbol of your spirit. In the old days there were no colored belts. You received a white belt. Through years of hard training, sweat and blood turned your Obi a dark color. As you continue training the outer layer of material gets worn down and the Obi becomes white again. Full circle.
14. No Food or drinks in the dojo area.
15. A karateka cannot use any of the equipment belonging to the dojo without the permission of the instructor.
16. It is very poor etiquette to question a teacher's or senior's authority or technical knowledge, and especially so during a class. If you are confused about something, ask respectfully. Don't insist on your point of view.
17. It is strictly prohibited to train under the influence of alcohol. This can be lead to expulsion.
18. It is strictly prohibited to train under the influence of drugs. This can be lead to expulsion.
19. It is prohibited to wear shoes in the dojo.
20. You are not allowed to play or waist your time in the dojo.
21. It is not allowed to use swearwords in the dojo.
22. It is not allowed to use any equipment in the dojo before or after the class without the instructors knowledge.
23. No students from others dojos are allowed to enter into our dojo without the permission of the head instructor.
24. It is important to let the instructor or assistant instructors know immediately if you have an injury.
25. Do not leave any personal effects in the dojo when class is over.
There are 11 kyu ranks in all. You start at white belt which is kyu 11 and move down to 1st kyu which is brown belt with a black stripe. There are 10 kyu exams before reaching black belt level. A "Kyu" is a rank below black belt. The purpose of this ranking system is to provide martial artists with a structure to strive for excellence (mastery) in martial arts and in character. The ranking system takes the end goal of becoming a master martial artist, and breaks it down into reasonable goals.
A chart will be available in your dojo with all the specifics you need to know in order to pass to the next level.
There are many similarities as well as differences between different martial arts. The main similarity is to learn how to defend yourself, and/or your family. The differences is where the emphasis is placed in each individual martial art style. Judo, for instance emphasizes on grappling, locks, throws, while karate emphasizes on a variety of strikes, blocks, counters. Even amongst the different styles of karate, you will find some styles that emphasize more on one aspect than the other.
The beauty of the shinkyokushin style of karate is that it was derived from the strengths of many martial arts since the founder of kyokushin, Mas Oyama, achieved advanced black belt ranks in Judo, several styles of karate and trained in jujitsu, aikido, and muay tai. He took the best of each and developed Kyokushin Karate. Shinkyokushin means the 'new' kyokushin karate.
The youngest age recommended to start karate is 5 years old. The reason for this is the attention span and developed motor skills required to benefit of the karate training. Exceptions are sometimes made for 4 years olds, but rare.
Part of the philosophy of our karate training is to practice in the dojo. If you are interested to know more about the history, terminology, etc, the internet has a wealth of information regarding the subject of karate, specifically kyokushin, and shinkyokushin karate. However learning from solely videos and books is not recommended. You must sweat in you karate-gi, work with a partner, and gradually make an effort to progress in you dojo with patience, perseverance and determination.
The FKCO federation does offer periodic seminars throughout the year. It is also a good idea to attend an exam where Master Camille Ohan will present each exam as a seminar for all who attend.
Our Karate school does not emphasize on competition. That is, we will not penalize or pressure a student who does not participate in any of our internal or external competitions. However, if you are in reasonable health, competition is a vital part of your personal development. Each person is different and may progress at different rates. Our job at Karate-Tansei is to make the karate student discover his/her effort, confidence, courage and character. Participating in competitions is one vehicle to get there, but not the only one.
Yes there are many activities in our federation that students affiliated with the FKCO can participate in. We have karate seminars, kobudo (weaponry) seminars, junior rallies, summer camps, mountain hikes (at Mt-Tremblant), fun fund-raiser events, and competitions. Just check out our calendar or ask your instructor.
In martial arts, this presents some confusion to some since we see two people hitting each other in a sparring match and automatically think it is violent. Read this interesting article about violence and martial arts.
Some parents hesitate to enroll their child into a karate school afraid they will be converted somehow. They see everyone dressed in white, barefoot, kneeling and bowing to a picture of a person. No one speaks unless spoken to. Everyone answering at the same time with this unrecognizable word OSU!
Read this article which explains the protocols that karate schools follow and why.
Karate-Tansei based in Montreal, Quebec, teaches traditional Japanese Karate
If you are interested in more information, just email Senseï Luciano at :
