The Gima-ha Library: Contents
Grading Sylabus
The purpose of blocking in kata
By Shihan Tak Sameshima
The purpose of blocking in kata has to do with it being both an offensive and defensive technique.
Sports conditioning
By Donna Gardecki
M.Sc. Fitness and Rehabilitation Consultant
So you haven't been training for a while and you want to go back? If you think you can go back without suffering some very real aches and pains, forget it. Most of us who have trained for a while won't have the discipline to ease back into things. We make the mistake of doing the techniques at full power and full speed, just like we did before we stopped training.
Kata: Are we singing opera without knowing Italian?
By Paul Sexton
We spend a lot of time studying kata in karate, but how many of us know what the moves in the kata are for. Sure we all know that a down block is against a kick and a rising block- a face punch, but how many of us take time to really master each kata we learn? It seems to me that too many of us learn one kata and then rush on to the next one required for a grading. Some can boast of knowing twenty kata but how many really know even one.
Why most kumite champions are not kata champions
By Bino Felix
There are very few karateka that can achieve greatness in both kumite and kata. Those who do are closer to understanding the spiritual aspects of karate. Although most people see kumite and kata as different disciplines, there are many aspects that require the same attitude and level of proficiency to achieve the best results.
Setting a clear purpose
By Shihan Sameshima
Our karate system is based on repetition because we believe that repetition will lead to a better understanding of karate.
However, when a karate class contains too many concepts and movements, or the student thinks about too many things, it¹s easy to miss the main principles and only focus attention on the sequence. This will result in little or no progress for the karate student.
Gima-Ha weapons training
By Nicole LeMire
West Vancouver Karate Club
A few months ago, I told a friend that weapons will be incorporated within our karate training. She was surprised by this and said: "I thought karate meant "empty hands" and that it was a martial art that uses only parts of the body as weapons." And then she asked me: "Why do you have to learn weapons if you can defend yourself without using them? Are you telling me that karate is not an effective way to defend yourself?"
The benefits of association
by Bino Felix
Gima-Ha Shoto-Ryu Karatedo Association is incorporated in British Columbia as a non-profit society. With this comes many benefits, some are monetary and some are associated to membership privileges.
Abbotsford's first family of karate
by Tammy Pilon
It's evident that there is something special about the Chan family of Abbotsford. The littlest one sits quietly in the room adjacent to the dojo reading her book every Saturday. At age 9, Erika never makes a sound while her sister, her brother, her mother and father train for two hours with Shihan Sameshima. Her absorption into her task seems rare for a 9 year old. Perhaps it's a focus that comes from her piano studies or maybe her swimming lessons or her soccer training. Or could it be the influence of a family whose life is Karate?