If Interested In Karate Hartford CT Is The Best Place To Go

By Jaclyn Hurley


Martial arts are tremendously popular everywhere in the world and people flock to it for many different reasons. There are a bewildering number of different disciplines to choose from, including aikido, judo and sumo, to name just a few of the most popular ones. All the various martial art disciplines have one common denominator and that is that no equipment other than the body is used. For those who wish to learn karate Hartford CT is probably one of the best places to go.

The name of this discipline is derived from a combination of the Chines characters kara, which means empty and te which means hand. The sport is believed to originate from Japan, but it has ancient roots in many eastern countries and there are particularly strong Chinese influences. However, the discipline only gained widespread popularity in the early nineteen twenties and it became a worldwide fad with the extremely popular martial art movies of the sixties and seventies.

This specific disciple focuses upon the development of the entire person in a holistic manner. Many people think that it only involves physical aspects, but nothing can be further from the truth. Students are expected to develop as a whole. This involves body, spirit and mind. A great degree of discipline is required to succeed in this discipline. In fact, it has to become a way of life.

There are several schools of thought about whether the discipline is a sport or a culture. It is true that there are numerous competitions that seem to focus purely on the physical aspect of the discipline. Participants in such competitions are expected to perform katas and other movements and they are judged accordingly. However, many aficionados will argue that the discipline is not a sport but actually an entire new way of life.

There is a strict hierarchy among students of Shotokan. Beginners wear different color belts to show their status, until they achieve a black belt, the highest honor among those that wear belts. Thereafter students can achieve Dan status. Students can progress to a higher Dan rating by submitting to tests set by a panel of experts. It is possible to progress up to the sixth Dan in this manner, but thereafter higher Dan ratings are purely honorary.

People embrace Shotokan for different reasons. There are those that desire only to learn how to be proficient in physical confrontations but masters of the discipline regards such students with disdain. The true Shotokan student strives for growth and discipline and skills learned should never be used aggressively, although in certain cases students are allowed to defend themselves, using minimum force.

One of the best ways to choose a training institution is to use the internet. There are numerous sites dedicated to this discipline. It may also be useful to peruse sites dedicated to consumer feedback to ascertain whether a specific club has been the target of repeated complaints. It may be wise to make sure that the chosen club or school is accredited and that the institution is able to provide references.

There are many benefits to practicing Shotokan. It teaches its students to make rational decisions and it places a high priority on self discipline. Students are required to respect their teachers and each other. These skills and attitudes often spill over in the everyday lives of those students, helping them to achieve better in other areas of their lives.




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