Welcome to the official web page of
World Karate Organization
SOSHINKAN
全世界空手連盟 総真館
総-SO 真-SHIN 館-KAN 空-KARA 手-TE
Means – The Society of Total Real Karate
WHAT IS SOSHINKAN KARATE
Soshinkan Karate emphasizes the importance of contact in training, distinguishing itself from many modern Karate styles that focus primarily on non-contact techniques. According to this perspective, modern “Karate” often prioritizes an academic approach that emphasizes mental and spiritual aspects, potentially neglecting the physical realism essential for effective martial arts training.
Without contact, students may miss the crucial connection between basic drills, Kata, and Kumite(sparring), which can lead to an overemphasis on blocking and self-defense rather than understanding the full purpose of Karate.
Soshinkan Karate aims to preserve the traditional system of training, which includes contact to ensure a comprehensive understanding and effectiveness of techniques.
In other styles of modern Karate (not Soshinkan), blocking is taught first. In Soshinkan Karate, you first learn how to kick and punch.
You cannot understand even the basic blocks – JODAN UKE, SOTO UKE, and GEDAN BARAI – without first understanding the offensive kicks and punches that require these blocks.
You cannot separate defense from offense. They are opposite sides of the same coin.
Soshinkan Karate’s teaching methodology contrasts sharply with many modern Karate styles that introduce all basic techniques simultaneously from the start. Drawing inspiration from ancient training methods, Soshinkan Karate emphasizes mastering one or two techniques thoroughly before progressing. This approach ensures that each technique fits perfectly into the student’s fighting style, prioritizing quality over quantity. By focusing on one simple kick, punch, or block at a time, the student gains a deeper understanding and proficiency, which is crucial for practical application.
We first teach basic attack techniques, not block techniques. By learning an offensive technique first, you can understand the importance of the block that is necessary for its defense.
You understand the defense more deeply.
Also, in the Soshinkan Karate style, we always teach each technique with contact. Without contact, you will never really learn that technique . Without contact, you only learn the technique in your head. You can only imagine using the technique, and it doesn’t really fit you. It is very important that you train until contact with every technique. Then you can feel it – mentally and physically. This doesn’t mean that you have to kill your partner. You just have to make the contact enough to feel the impact.
The Encyclopedia of Soshinkan Karate books, Volumes 1-4, form the core instructional material for Soshinkan Karate. These books are designed to guide students through a structured training regimen over approximately one year, with each volume covering about three months of training. They progressively introduce higher levels of techniques and combinations, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience.
Additionally, the Soshinkan Karate Technique’s series covers the training and fighting strategies specific to Soshinkan Karate, serving as the teaching standard for all dojos within the organization. By thoroughly studying and training according to these books, students can master the techniques and combinations of Soshinkan Karate.
Effective Karate training involves more than just practicing techniques in a stationary position and striking the air. This approach, while popularized due to the mystique surrounding Karate, is insufficient. Proper training encompasses a full cycle: starting with good KAMAE(body posture and position), incorporating movement and footwork, executing the technique with contact, and then returning to KAMAE(fighting stance).
To thoroughly train in a technique, students must ensure their position, body posture, arm, and leg positions are correct before execution. This should be followed by incorporating footwork-whether sliding, stepping, or switching feet. The technique or combination must then be executed correctly with contact, and finally, the student should return to a good KAMAE, ready for the next move. Only by completing this cycle can students ensure comprehensive training for each technique or combination.
If you train in a style where you supposedly learn all the techniques by only standing in one spot and punching and kicking the air, do not believe that you are learning Karate as students did in ancient times….
Soshinkan Karate has brought the true ancient way of learning Karate to modern training. In our teaching style, we connect basic training, KATA training, and KUMITE training. It is important for the Soshinkan Karate student to understand the purpose of each type of training and the relationship between the three.
This statement highlights the importance of practical and well-rounded training in Karate, as opposed to a limited approach focused only on solo techniques. It emphasizes that traditional Karate training integrates basic drills, Kata (forms), and Kumite (sparring) to provide a comprehensive learning experience. Understanding the purpose and interconnectedness of these three components is crucial for effective martial arts training. Soshinkan Karate claims to preserve this traditional method in modern practice, ensuring that students receive a complete and authentic education in Karate.
It is good to talk about the mental aspect of Karate and the spiritual world, but Karate is not a religion. Properly understanding Karate requires more than just mental and spiritual contemplation.
Through sweat and hard training, your mind opens to understanding.
Only then can you connect the mental with the physical and truly grasp the essence of Soshinkan Karate.
This is our philosophy!