tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post1836641884210837698..comments2023-10-22T16:13:55.130+01:00Comments on My journey to black belt: Karate - is it really a martial art?Sue Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-71941345295181522522012-01-05T18:08:11.113+00:002012-01-05T18:08:11.113+00:00Hi Brett, it's never to late to join in the di...Hi Brett, it's never to late to join in the discussion on one of my blog posts - I'll still reply :-)<br /><br />My understanding of karate has grown quite a lot since I wrote this post so I wouldn't now be so pedantic about the word bu (though clearly David Lowry is!) <br /><br />However I would still maintain that karate does not have a martial origin and is a combination of art (jutsu) and a Way (do). Never the less, in casual conversation I would still refer to karate as a martial art because it's just simpler that way!Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-54773418200514718092012-01-05T16:00:18.232+00:002012-01-05T16:00:18.232+00:003 years late to this conversation but hey, I'l...3 years late to this conversation but hey, I'll weigh in!<br /><br />I like Mr. Lowry's work quite a bit. He is knowledgeable and always proves to be a wealth of information and wisdom on the esoteric arts.<br /><br />I do, however, find him to be very dogmatic in his thinking (and if I really want to be honest, a bit elitist). But I suppose one could reasonably except this of a man who has embraced another age and another culture.<br /><br />Anyhow, I find it to be very limiting to put forth that only those techniques and styles of mainland Japan could be described what they do with "Bu" (mind you, I don't suggest that you are, in fact, saying this). How does one characterize what is Japanese anyhow? During the warring states period, there were many groups/tribes/kingdoms/sects that considered themselves independent from the Yamato people. Would that make arts from those people any less "Bu" in the strict only-Japanese-techniques sense?<br /><br /><br />-BrettKyokushinblog.comhttp://www.kyokushinblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-53122357843863829032009-03-20T19:44:00.000+00:002009-03-20T19:44:00.000+00:00Gotcha!By the way I was reading a book at the libr...Gotcha!<BR/><BR/>By the way I was reading a book at the library the other day (wish I'd borrowed it now!) which said something like people who do Shukokai tend to be nimble but powerful and like to intellectualise!<BR/><BR/>So there.Littlefairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13246280876114510291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-52297499484930651852009-03-19T22:22:00.000+00:002009-03-19T22:22:00.000+00:00I think this may be a case of 'lost in translation...I think this may be a case of 'lost in translation'. In Dave Lowry's book he seems pretty adamant that from a Japanese point of view to be 'bu' is to be a Japanese fighting form of military origin and any form not originating in Japan, by definition cannot be 'bu'. If it cannot be 'bu' then it cannot be martial but hey this is getting stuck on semantics! Clearly bu and martial are not literal translations. The main point though was that if a fighting form is not of military origin, such as karate, it is not technically a martial art but that's not to say it is not a combat art (or 'do')Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-70641877974457479172009-03-19T19:37:00.000+00:002009-03-19T19:37:00.000+00:00PS Do you have Nakayama's 'Dynamic Karate'. It's F...PS Do you have Nakayama's 'Dynamic Karate'. It's FANTASTIC.<BR/><BR/>:-)Littlefairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13246280876114510291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-48010550847501321272009-03-19T19:36:00.000+00:002009-03-19T19:36:00.000+00:00Oops- I'm lost. I don't understand why a martial a...Oops- I'm lost. I don't understand why a martial art *has* to be Japanese. Bu is the Japanese word pertaining to martial in English.<BR/><BR/>Martial means warlike. The Japanese translation of this is bu and this term (bu) can only be applied to Japanese arts. But that doesn't mean we can't use martial (warlike/pertaining to warcraft) for other arts does it? (My head hurts)<BR/><BR/>:-)Littlefairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13246280876114510291noreply@blogger.com