FAQ

If I have any questions, who do I contact?

KARATE AND MARTIAL ARTS
Why should I join a martial arts club?
Why should I join this club in particular?
I'm a beginner; should I be intimidated?
I'm not an aggressive person; is karate right for me?
What is the meaning of the word "Karate"?
What is the difference between Karate, Shotokan Karate and Traditional Karate?
What is the difference between Karate, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Kung Fu?
How fast can I get a black belt?

CLUB BUREAUCRACY
Why do I have to sign a form before I try out training?
Why do you charge $55/quarter?
How do I pay my $55/quarter dues?
How do I join the club?
How do I join the club's mailing list?
How do I remove myself from the club's mailing list?

TRAINING
Are the classes open to the public?
What equipment do I need?
What is a typical training class like?
Can I injure myself?
Do I have to go to tournaments?
What is the Monday morning training?
What is the difference between Beginners and Mixed classes?
Where can I find a guide to Katas?
Why do you call each other by surnames?
What is the dojo etiquette?

If I have any questions, who do I contact?
Please send any questions or doubts to the club officers, click here for contact info. Please note: all email addresses are written in anti-spam format. Please retype email addresses yourself (don't copy-paste) and replace "UC" by "uchicago.edu"


KARATE AND MARTIAL ARTS

Why should I join a martial arts club?
Master Funakoshi's precept says that The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants. Karate is beneficial both physically and mentally: you will improve your physical fitness and flexibility, you will have a better understanding of body dynamics, a greater awareness of your surroundings, a greater ability to defend yourself, and the ability to control your emotions in high pressure situations. Most of all, Karate will build your self-confidence in everyday life.

Why should I join this club in particular?
Our club has a long history: Sugiyama Sensei founded our club in 1964, when he simultaneously founded clubs at many other universities (such as Northwestern and Urbana-Champaign). The Karate that we teach directly descends from Master Funakoshi, the founder of modern Karate, via a remarkable lineage. Karate has been introduced throughout the Midwest region primarily due to Sugiyama Sensei and his students. Sugiyama himself has trained at the JKA headquarters under Master Nishiyama, who is a student of Funakoshi who spread Karate in California and throughout the U.S. and who organized the first international Karate gatherings. Our instructor Winston Sensei is an instructor at the Sugiyama dojo and has been training under Sugiyama Sensei now for over twenty years.

Even though many members don't find the time to train regularly at the Sugiyama dojo, most members at least participate in the special clinics when Sugiyama Sensei or other worldwide famous karateka hold special training sessions.

I'm a beginner, should I be intimidated?
Some beginners may feel uncomfortable with the idea of practicing Karate in front of more advanced students. However, all club members were beginners once themselves, and remember how that felt. You will notice that our instructor gives corrections at every belt level: all students, not just the beginners, are working on improving their own technique. As a beginner, it might take some time to become comfortable with training, but your techniques will quickly improve.

Other beginners are intimidated because they worry they are not in good enough shape to start Karate, or that they don't have the right body type or character to practice Karate. But the reason why Karate is such a prominent martial art is precisely because it develops character, improves fitness, and teaches one how to face opponents who might be larger and scarier. Karate power comes from exploiting speed and mental focus, so it is not like boxing where the more muscular person dominates. People of all body types can become great karateka.

Some beginners also hold back from starting Karate in the middle of a quarter, and worry they cannot begin training because other beginners will have become more advanced, or that they will be holding other people back. Our Karate classes are designed such that the basics are constantly being reviewed even as new techniques are introduced, so there is never a need to feel that as a beginner you will be holding more advanced members back.

I'm not an aggressive person; is karate right for me?
This is a popular misconception of Traditional Karate, promoted by Hollywood fighting movies and the Western perception that all sports are essentially competitions where one either wins or loses. Traditional Karate is in fact the complete opposite of this perception: check out our philosophy page. The most famous precept of Karate is that "The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants."

Sugiyama Sensei always says that the highest goal during a confrontation is the ability to prevent a physical confrontation from ever occurring, even when someone challenges us with aggression. Many karateka like to recall situations in everyday life where the Karate mentality has helped them to in fact defuse the aggressiveness of people who were seeking a confrontation. Another precept of Karate is: "There is no first attack in Karate". This is emphasized in the Katas, where the first move is always a block. Karate does not condone violence, it teaches us never to resort to it, and to regret needing to resort to it even when we must defend ourselves and others.

What is the meaning of the word "Karate"?
Kara means "empty", and Te means "hand(s)". So Karate-do can be translated as "the way of the empty hand". This expression refers to the fact that this art of self-defense makes use of no weapons, only bare feet and empty hands. See also Funakoshi's comments. The suffix do in the word Karate-do emphasizes that Karate is a path to self-knowledge, not just a study of the technical aspects of fighting. Master Funakoshi wrote "I often tell my young colleagues that no one can attain perfection in Karate-do until he finally comes to realize that it is, above all else, a faith, a way of life".

What is the difference between Karate, Shotokan Karate and Traditional Karate?
The expression "Traditional Karate" has been coined in the US in order to distinguish (Japanese) Karate from other forms of martial arts or boxing which in the US often got generically and improperly called "Karate".

Shotokan Karate is one of the four major styles of Karate (the others being Shito-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, and Wado-Ryu), all of which originated from the island of Okinawa, Japan. Master Funakoshi introduced Shotokan Karate to mainland Japan and his students, particularly Master Nakayama, spread Karate from Japan to the rest of the world.

In Japan the word "Karate" or "Karate-do" (the way of Karate) refers to Shotokan Karate, but internationally one calls it Shotokan in order to emphasize its traditional origin. The name Shotokan comes from Shoto-kan, the name that Master Funakoshi's supporters chose for the dojo they built for Funakoshi. Shoto-kan was the first Karate dojo in Japan, built in 1936 in Toshima Ward, Zoshigaya (Tokyo). The name was inspired by the pen name Shoto (literally "pine waves") which Master Funakoshi used in his youth to sign the Chinese poems that he wrote.

For more info, see the article What is Karate? (Rob Redmond, 24FightingChickens.com)

What is the difference between Karate, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Kung Fu?
For a general overview of how Karate compares to other martial arts, see the very informative article What is Karate? by Rob Redmond.

How fast can I get a black belt?
Your progression in karate will correspond to a progression in belt level, and you should not think of this vice-versa. Your progression will depend on your commitment to improving and on how regularly you train, and typically at our age progress can be made very quickly if you have the right mentality. The earliest you might hope to reach black belt level in Karate is three years, but generally it takes longer. Reaching black belt level is not the aim of Karate, indeed it is only the beginning of your journey in Karate since it represents the mastering of the basic techniques. Humility - understanding that one is never finished with learning - is one of the important aspects of Shotokan Karate. This is the reason why traditionally the tenth dan black belt is only assigned to distinguished deceased Karateka. Also read Sugiyama Sensei's note on this. Also keep in mind that a black belt in one martial art is not equivalent to the same color belt in another style - see Sugiyama's comments.


CLUB BUREAUCRACY

Why do I have to sign a form before I try out training?
There is a form that every Sports Club of the University is required to make you sign before you try out training. It is called "Acceptance of Risk" form and it is essentially an Insurance Waiver form. You may like to read it here. This form does NOT mean that you join the club: it is only a form that the University requires you to sign for insurance purposes. The University insists that everyone signs this once every year *before* they begin training, otherwise the club officers will get into trouble. The form is standard (every sports club just has to fill in "Put your club's name here" with their club's name!) and sounds a bit scary: but please read the FAQ Can I injure myself? for more info on injuries.

Why do you charge $55/quarter?
This is a non-profit nominal fee, and most sports clubs of the university require such a fee from their club members. The reason for this is that the University of Chicago wants to see sufficient commitment from club members before it funds a sports club. Most of our funding comes from the University, and it pays for clinics (special trainings at the Sugiyama dojo), travel costs when we go to tournaments, and the costs of an occasional purchase of sports equipment. This funding also pays for our affiliation dues to JKA Chicago, which enables all of our club members to practice at the Sugiyama dojo for free (so each of us saves the official fee of $210/quarter).

How do I pay my $55/quarter dues?
The club officers (see contacts) will be collecting the club dues: $55. Please make checks payable to "The University of Chicago", and write "Shotokan Karate Club" in the notes/memo space of your check. Cash is also OK, but checks are preferable. Please make sure that once you write the check you also give it to a club officer a.s.a.p., because we need to give the checks to the University bursar within 7 days of the date written on the check! Thanks.

How do I join the club?
You should come to a training class at anytime you like during the quarter. You are welcome to participate, or just watch if you prefer. You can try out two or three classes before you decide to join. After that you should pay the quarter's dues to become a member of the club. Before participating, you will be asked to sign a waiver. The waiver form is a standard form regarding insurance which all participants of a University of Chicago sports club need to sign, but you do not have to formally register with the club until you have decided that it is right for you.

How do I join the club's mailing list?
It is important that you sign up to the Karate mailing list for club announcements (e.g. if a class gets canceled, or if a tournament is coming up, when classes start/end in the quarter, etc.). Here is a guide to help you sign up:

Click here: this brings you to Karate list page. Then under "Subscribing to Karate" enter your email address and choose a password. Then click subscribe. You will receive an automatic confirmation email.

How do I remove myself from the club's mailing list?
Click here: this brings you to Karate list page. Then under "Karate Subscribers" enter your email address, then click "Edit options". On the page that opens, enter your password under "Unsubscribing from Karate" (if you forgot your password, there is a button "Email My Password To Me"). Then click "Unsubscribe". You will receive an automatic email confirming that you unsubscribed.


TRAINING

Are the classes open to the public?
Unfortunately only the U of Chicago community (students, faculty, staff) can train at our club - partly because the Ratner gym has restricted access. However, you should check out http://www.jkachicago.com/ - at the Sugiyama dojo (just north of downtown Chicago) you can train with some of the best karateka of the Midwest.

What equipment do I need?
For the two or three tryout classes, you can wear any loose fitting clothing (we always train barefoot). If you decide to join the club, we can organize the purchase of a Karate uniform (GI) through the Sugiyama dojo, or we can advise you on how to purchase one online if you prefer.

What is a typical training class like?
1. We typically do half an hour of warm-up and stretching.

2. Then we practice KIHON (basic techniques): stances, blocks, punches, kicks, stepping, shifting, and combinations of these techniques, concentrating on breathing (IBUKI), body dynamics (dropping power, rotation power, reverse rotation, momentum, lifting power, body vibration) and locking at the end of a technique.

3. Then we practice KUMITE (sparring): we practice GO NO SEN (block and counterattack, or "MIKIRI": shift out of range of the attack and counter), TAI NO SEN (attack the moment the opponent initiates the technique physically), SEN NO SEN (attack when your enemy has committed to an attack mentally but not yet physically: i.e. you felt their intention to attack). We train "DEAI": utilizing an opponent's opening created by his intention to attack.

4. Then we practice KATA (forms): these are traditional sequences of techniques against several virtual enemies. We concentrate on body connection, which allows the smooth and rhythmic execution of the techniques.

Can I injure myself?
We train a strict no-contact form of Karate. This means that all attacks terminate at least two fingers away from the target. Most injuries in Shotokan karate come from pushing oneself too much without the necessary flexibility or warm up stretching. That is why it is important that you be on time for training: we do twenty to thirty minutes of stretching/warm-up at the beginning of training.

Our Sensei ensures that the risk of injury is minimized, particularly by gradually teaching the ability to control your techniques without ever making contact with your training partner. So generally there are no injuries except those that you might expect from most other sporting activities.

It is very important that you clip your nails (hands and feet) to avoid injury by scratching yourself or others (indeed, tiny scratches were the only injuries we've seen for years).

If at any time during training you feel dizzy, faint or nauseous, then you should let the instructor know immediately and discontinue physical activity until you feel better.

Do I have to go to tournaments?
No. But if you do, you will improve your karate. Nishiyama Sensei said in an interview (Bugeisha magazine, #3) that the aim of tournaments in Shotokan Karate is to learn "proper timing and executing proper techniques, both with the ultimate aim of self-defense. One must remember that in karate only five percent of the participants want to participate in competition. The other ninety-five percent join for the other benefits that karate has to offer. Benefits like fitness, self-defense, character development, philosophy, psychology and much more".

What is the Monday morning class?
The Monday morning class is dedicated entirely to KATA (see training and check out our kata section). All levels are welcome - we typically spend half an hour on the beginner's Katas, and after that the beginners repeat these while the higher belts go through the more advanced Katas. We typically only practice Katas on Monday morning and Monday evening. So you should plan to go to at least one of these trainings.

What is the difference between Beginners and Mixed classes?
The Monday evening class is particularly recommended for beginners, even though you will find that the class is just as mixed as on other training days. We call it "beginners class" because most emphasis will be given to basic Kihon (how to breathe, how to punch, the four basic stances, the four basic blocks, the four basic kicks) with a lot of repetition, and you will learn the beginner's Katas (Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, and possibly others).

During "mixed classes", we will often concentrate a lot of time on perfecting a particular technique (for example backstances) or improving a particular aspect of karate (for example, improving locking and correct breathing, or improving muscle connection and stances, or improving shifting and rhythm). Therefore beginners should certainly come to these trainings as well, but they should keep in mind that some techniques will be novel and more challenging and there will be less repetition. The beginners class on Mondays is then a great opportunity for everyone to practice these improvements by means of a lot of repetition.

We typically only practice Katas on Monday morning and Monday evening. So you should plan to go to at least one of these trainings.

Where can I find a guide to Katas?
Check out the pictures of katas here, and videos of katas here.

Why do you call each other by surname?
This is a Japanese custom, and we use it to remind ourselves of the importance of courtesy in Karate.

What is the dojo etiquette?
Courtesy is very important in the philosophy of karate. For this reason, there is a dojo etiquette of common behaviors which express our courtesy for the Sensei and for our fellow karateka. Some of these are:

1. Bow when entering and when leaving the dojo (the martial arts room of Ratner)

2. Bow to your training partner before you begin a sequence of exercises and when changing partners.

3. If you are late to class, please wait at the dojo's entrance until you receive the instructor's acknowledgment, at which time you should bow to the instructor and join the class unobtrusively.

4. If you need to leave the class for any reason, please ask for the instructor's permission (refer to the instructor by "Sensei") and bow out.

5. "Karate begins and ends with courtesy": we show this by beginning and ending training as follows. We line up shoulder to shoulder in order of rank from right to left. The senior student announces "Shomen ni rei": bow to the front, then the senior student announces "turn to your right, Sensei ni rei": bow to the instructor. If the senior student is a black belt, then the next-senior student in line announces "turn to your left, Sempai ni rei": bow to the senior student. Finally, the announcer says "face forward". At the end of class, after the above, everyone says "Domo Arigato Gozaimashita" (= thank you very much) and bow to Sensei.

6. It is customary for the lowest ranking karateka to bring to the Sensei whatever training material is used in a group activity (e.g. floor mats, pads, etc.) as a sign of respect.

7. The words "Hai" (yes) and "Ous" (I acknowledge) are often used to acknowledge that you heard what Sensei said. The word "Ous" (pronounce "oss") is also used when greeting the Sensei or other karateka, while bowing.