"True karate is this:
that in daily life one's mind and body
be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical
times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice."
-- Gichin Funakoshi
Announcements
Last updated Jan 30, 2010
East Coast Winter Special Training will be held in
Ashland Va at
Randolph Macon College Feb 5-7. This may effect practice on
Monday, Feb 8. Updates will be posted here and on email list.
Practice Schedule for spring 2010 is below
Prior experience is not
necessary.
There is no charge for instruction
Just come to a practice or contact the folks
at the bottom of
the page.
(we do ask that you come at the beginning or end of practice or that
you sit quietly and observe.)
Because of the later start on Mondays, please plan to arrive by 7:45pm and do personal warm ups outside the room. We will start practice promptly at 8pm.
Thursday space reservation 7pm-9pm
For Thursdays, the room should be available at 7pm for personal warm-ups and practice will start promptly at 7:15pm.
Note that if you are an SKA (See
below) member, you can attend also Tuesday and Thursday night practices
at the Chapel Hill
Shotokan Dojo.
Practices are not mandatory. Come to as many as your schedule permits! However, please come on time or advise John or Mark if you will be unavoidably late.
Note that Wilson and Brodie gym access is via DukeCard and is open with
no fee to
Duke undergrad students. Grad students, employees, staff, and alumni
must purchase a recreation membership. All others must be guests of a
cardholder and a per visit admission fee will apply.
Upcoming Events
Winter Special Training
East Coast Winter Special Training will be held in Ashland Va at
Randolph Macon College Feb 5-7.
It may be too late to register, but I really interested, talk with John.
Monthly Social
We hope to have an
abbreviated practice
once a month after
which we will retire to a local watering
hole/restaurant to socialize. Hope that you can join us.
Duke Shotokan
Karate Club
The Duke Shotokan Karate Club is a
chartered club at Duke
University for Faculty/Staff/Students/Alumni. We practice
Shotokan
Karate-do and are a member of Shotokan
Karate of America (SKA), a non-profit organization teaching
traditional Japanese Karate-do since 1955. For more information about
SKA and Karate-do in general, please visit the Official SKA Web Site.
While membership in SKA is not required in order to practice with the
Duke Karate Club, it is highly recommended and is required if you wish test for
belt rankings. Membership also encludes training privileges in
all USA SKA
dojos and world
wide affiliates (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel,
Japan, Morocco, The Netherlands, The Netherlands Antilles, Spain, and
Switzerland).
Practice is led by black belt instructors in the traditional
manner with emphasis on personal attention and achievement. Beginner
and advanced students usually train together. Ranking testing occurs
twice
a year, usually coinciding with the end of the Fall and Spring
semesters.
The Art of Karate
Karate may be defined as a weaponless means of self-defense.
It
consists of
dynamic offensive and defensive techniques using all parts of the body
to their
maximum advantage.
Karate practice is divided into three categories:
Kihon
(basic blocks, punches, kicks and
stances)
Kata
(pre-arranged forms simulating combat
situations)
Kumite
(sparring)
In each category the beginner is given instruction at the most basic
level
until the techniques become spontaneous to them.
As the student progresses technically, they progress
physically, and
practice demands greater stamina. At this stage, they become involved
with
more intricate and difficult katas and more dynamic forms of kumite.
As the student approaches black belt level, techique, stamina,
speed and
coordination become natural to them as a result of strong practice. It
is
at this stage that the serious student discovers that they have only
just
begun their study of karate. The object of true karate practice is
perfection of oneself through the perfection of the art.
The Values of Karate
The values of Karate to modern man are numerous. In our
everyday lives
we
often forget the value of exercise to both our physical and mental
health. The
practice of karate tones the body, develops coordination, quickens
reflexes,
and builds stamina.
Also, the serious practice of karate develops composure, a
clearer thought
process, deeper insight into one's mental capabilites, and more
self-confidence. In this, karate is not an end, but a means to an end.
It is
an activity in which advancing age is not a hindrance. Rather it
encourages
proficiency and the keen coordination of mind and body.
Suggested Readings
These books are usually 20-30% off list at Amazon.com. Click on the
name of the book
to be
sent to the website for easy purchase.
The 31st annual Spring in
the South was held
April 25,26, 2009 in Card Gym on Duke's campus
and was led by Manfred
Chiu, godan. For a great collection of photos from SIS, see Nachum
Sicherman's site
4 members of the Duke Shotokan dojo went to 2009 Winter Special Training at
Randoph-Macon college, led by yodon Rob Clark in Feb 2009. (group
photo below)