| Have you seen the History Channel's new show | | | | belt rankings) While Okinawan Karate is still primarily a |
| Human Weapon yet? Its pretty friggen good. | | | | striking art, Japan's Samurai methods of jujutsu have |
| The concept is that these two athletic dudes (one an | | | | become part of Karate's standard training curriculum. |
| MMA fighter, the other a former football player and | | | | Therefore almost making it a perfect martial |
| wrestler) travel all over the world to train with, and | | | | art...except for one, tiny detail. |
| then test out various cultures' martial arts. And while | | | | Due to the fact that EVERY technique of Karate is a |
| only two episodes have aired as of this writing, the | | | | complex motor movement (using multiple muscle |
| show already has proven itself to be a very revealing | | | | groups), it would take 2 or 3 LIFETIMES to be good |
| diagnostic tool to those who are able to look beyond | | | | enough in Karate to guarantee victory under kill or be |
| the romanticism and isolate the truth. Let me explain... | | | | killed combat stress conditions. |
| Last week's episode was on Karate. And not the | | | | The perfect example of this brings us back to the |
| kiddie Karate nonsense you see down on the street | | | | Human Weapon TV show as the climax of every |
| corner. No, the Human Weapon boys traveled | | | | episode is one of the two hosts actually competing |
| straight to Okinawa (Karate's birthplace) to train with | | | | against a skilled practitioner of the art they've been |
| three of the world's most respected, toughest, and | | | | studying throughout the show. |
| best teachers. | | | | In Karate's case, it was to participate in a Kumite (full |
| The show showed amazing feats of human strength, | | | | contact fighting- no safety equipment, no punches to |
| discipline, conditioning, and training. And the Okinawan | | | | the face, kicks to the head allowed) against a second |
| Senseis were absolutely incredible to watch, and | | | | degree, 225 pound, Okinawan black belt champion. |
| even learn from through the miracle of television. In | | | | Let's break this situation down... |
| other words; It was pretty darn cool. But why I | | | | A Karate man who has trained his entire life vs. a not |
| really loved the show was that while it respected the | | | | very flexible, but tough former football player who |
| individual practitioner, it was not afraid to give an | | | | had been studying karate for only a few days...Both |
| unbiased, accurate history of the art (just like me). | | | | about the same weight...Fighting under Karate |
| Karate is a peasant art of farmers. Learned from the | | | | rules...Should be a no-brainer right? You would think |
| Chinese and combined with their own cultural fighting | | | | that the Karate guy would easily win. |
| art of "Te", the Okinawans did not rename "Kudo | | | | WRONG. |
| Te" (Chinese hand) to Karate (empty hand) until | | | | Not only did the fight go to a stalemate after a full |
| adopting the Japanese language after occupation. Did | | | | timed match, but the football player at one point in |
| you catch that? OCCUPATION. (That means they | | | | the fight still managed to knock the Karate guy off |
| were conquered) | | | | his feet with a heavy handed punch. Trust me, the |
| Karate did not stop the Japanese Samurai from | | | | Karate guy was one tough cookie (at one point he |
| coming in and occupying the island, nor was there | | | | shrugged off getting punched square in the jaw), but |
| any successful peasant revolt to overthrow the | | | | how could a lifetime of training not beat someone |
| Samurai. Sure, there were a few famous isolated | | | | simply big, tough, and mean? |
| instances of Karate guys successfully defending | | | | Because, like we discovered before...Karate is simply |
| themselves against an armed Samurai, and Karate | | | | a farmer's method of conditioning himself to survive, |
| training is admittedly grueling ( I do, by the way, | | | | not to win. When the occupying Samurai came to |
| have a black belt in Goju Ryu Karate) but the facts | | | | take the farmer's rice, livestock, or daughter, Karate |
| are facts...Okinawa, once an independent kingdom, is | | | | would have definitely helped to temporarily fend off |
| now part of Japan. | | | | the oppressor...but is that enough? |
| Now, what is great for modern practitioners of | | | | Is it okay that a sparsely trained, big "tough guy", |
| Karate, is that the Japanese influence on Okinawa | | | | could go toe-toe with a so-called "Human Weapon" |
| was also infused into their native martial art. (Karate | | | | and walk away unharmed? No, it is not. |
| has even implemented Japanese Judo uniforms and | | | | |