Supatsu Ryu

Supatsu is how you say "sports" in Japanese.

Sport Karate has now become traditional karate, and I f-in hate it.

The concept of "seitei kata" and tournament kumite and the intense focus people have on it nowadays is completely destroying karate. The hours spent mastering a seitei kata...a kata that is simplified and standardized simply so the judges have an easier job, could be spent actually practicing karate.

When asked for his endorsement for Karate into the Olympic Games, Morio Higanonna, Hanshi, 10th Dan, Okinawa Goju Ryu, refused.

The JKA dictated to the Okinawan karate federations what the rules for competition would be... It was argued that the JKA can dictate the rules for Kumite, as they invented that, but the standards for kata competition should be dictated by the Okinawans. The JKA over-ruled them.

When trying to determine the best way to apply kumite to karate, masters like Motobu, Mabuni, Haneshiro, Miyagi all determined that it couldn't be done. Just as the dangerous techniques were taken out of Jujutsu to make Judo and the sharp swords were taken out of Kenjutsu to make Kendo, the principles of Karate would have to be changed in order to allow competition. Many masters felt that this was not acceptible. They saw the trend of watering down everything down to make it aesthetically pleasing and competition friendly occuring in other arts. Taking the roots out of karate for the sake of competition could not be allowed for the sake of protecting the heritage of the art. But, again, the majority rules and we are where we are today.

As a side note, Kumite was taken out of the Okinawa World Tournament... why would they do that? Because sport kumite is not karate.

Competition is good. But it has to reflect the true heritage of the art.