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| Without respect, courtesy and manners, the martial arts are just another form of exercise. | Gichin Funakoshi taught the victory in combat depends on being able to distinguish vulnerable targets and invulnerable targets. |
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martial arts icons managed to record the mental aspects of training for the benefit of posterity. None, however did it better than Gichin Funakoshi. He knew that a student could not be a true budoka (practitioner of the warrior ways) without having learned some common principles to him on the path. |
To this end, Funakoshi created the "20 Precepts of Karate" as set of guidelines to ensure that students used their time wisely. Now, when many people are scraping their style's roots and origins, the precepts still hold true. Perhaps best of all, they are not exclusive to Shotokan Karate; they can have an impact on all martial arts. Funakoshi never said his style and ideas are superior to anyone else's. Instead, he looked to better all practitioners by formulating 20 principles everyone could use. |
| Kata is a fine method of practice, Gichin Funakoshi said, but real fighting is quite different. (For illustration purposes, Frank Shamrock is shown kicking an opponent) | |
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Karate Begins and Ends with Courtesy. |
| In an age when sports, school and home life seem to be
lacking in the respect, courtesy and manners department, the martial
arts are needed more than
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| Beginners should always concentrate on developing their low stance and body posture, Gichin Funakoshi said. | |
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