History

For over 20 years the North American karate-Do Federation and the New England Collegiate Karate Conference have offered certified instruction at an affordable price for those interested in the martial arts.

The Spirit of Karate-Do

The beginnings of modern-day karate date back to 560 AD when Daruma Boddhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, left western India and traveled thousands of miles alone to teach in china. He found many students eager to listen to his ideas but physically unable to keep up with him. So he designed a method of training to develop hi s followers' physical strength, which he considered a crucial aid in attaining spiritual strength. His reasoning became the basis of karate-do, or "the way of the empty hand." Although he felt that the way of Buddha was preached for the soul, he taught that "the body mind and soul are inseparable."

It was Master Gichin Funakoshi, however, who was the moving force behind the introduction of karate to Japan in the early 1900s, and eventually to the rest of the world. He always emphasized the spiritual aspects of karate-do, and passed this on to his students. It is this same spirit that has been passed on to the North American Karate-do Federation (NAKF) and the New England Collegiate Karate Conference (NECKC) by Master Kazumi Tabata, whose teacher Iso Obata, was one of Master Funakoshi's first students and president of the All Japan Karate Association.

With the founding of the NAKF in 1967 and the NECKC in 1968, Master Tabata continued the work of Master Funakoshi, who had hoped the art of karate might extend beyond the boundaries of Japan.

Traveling throughout the New England area, Master Tabata taught, gave demonstrations, and held special trainings. He also organized tournaments to encourage students in the sport aspect of karate, a relatively new concept in this country then. To this day his workshops and his very presence provide an example of the essence of the true martial artist.

More Than Self-Defense

Shotokan is a Japanese style of martial arts. Because it is more straightforward and offense-oriented, it is considered a "hard" style. It is a physically demanding art, but athletic prowess is not a requirement to begin: male or female, young or old, only determination and a willingness to try are needed.

New students will be taught the basics, starting with warm-up and stretching exercises to avoid injuries, then the mechanics of blocks and punches. Once a certain number of basics are learned, students begin putting them together in pre-arranged combinations called kata (forms).

The katas progress in length and intensity as students become better at combining the moves. Students then begin to apply this knowledge by participating in graduated levels of exchanged punches and blocks until they are free-sparring (fighting). This helps students learn the elements of timing, rhythm, focus and control, to achieve a level of proficiency where one could knock down an attacker with one punch or kick.

Although martial arts is an excellent way of working off everyday tensions and stress, self-defense is the main reason most people take it up. Self-defense is a combination of physical training and repetition of coordinated moves that is designed to stop or repel an attack. Constant training develops awareness as well, allowing the person to recognize dangerous situations in time to avoid them.

Promotions

Promotions are given three times a year in the private clubs, and at the end of the semester at the colleges. To be promoted, students must show proficiency in basics, in the kata required for their particular level, and in sparring. The ten kyus (levels) required to achieve first degree black belt are arranged in descending order with a corresponding change in belt color or stripe. Black belts are awarded in ascending dans (degrees). Certification by the NAKF is required of black belts who teach, and periodic attendance of teacher workshops is mandatory to maintain the high level of teaching instruction.

Teamwork and Tournaments

The NECKC sponsors tournaments once every semester. The NECKC holds team competitions in addition to individual events. Team competition is considered important because it teaches students how to cope with group situations and the conflicts that will occasionally arise.

Note: Participation in tournaments is encouraged but is not required of students.