About KOUSHINKAI

Our club has roots in Hokkaido, Japan. Suzuki Yoshio, a high ranking Kyokushin Karate instructor, was unsatisfied with the traditional Karate techniques he felt were being omitted by the Kyokushin system. He sought to fill the void by studying older systems and acquiring the knowledge and technical skills of classical Okinawan Karate. Students were encouraged to study other systems of combative arts and to introduce techniques of value into the system. The result was the creation of a Karate style that combined the virtues of the Kyokushin system with traditional techniques and emphasized practical self-defense over sport. This system of Karate was brought to the United States by students attending BYU. The name of the style, KOUSHINKAI, reflects our intention to maintain the original ideals and attitudes that make us unique.

KOUSHINKAI is also a progressive system, focused on restoring the essence of Karate as it applies to the modern age. The vision of KOUSHINKAI is to introduce a variety of techniques to its students in a way that does not compromise safety. Rather than focusing on competition style sparring, KOUSHINKAI utilizes a system that is both practical and simple for all its students regardless of age, gender, or physical abilities. The training methods promote the physical and technical combative skills required to defend oneself.

People who enjoy studying traditional martial arts and participating in practical self-defense drills will enjoy the type of practices we run. As you progress through the ranks, we hope you will come to realize that these two emphases are one in the same.

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A Brief History of Karate

Japanese Karate developed with influences from Chinese and Japanese combative disciplines and techniques on the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa). Combined with indigenous fighting systems, the weapons, striking, and grappling techniques introduced to the Okinawans were eagerly absorbed. Through a series of weapons bans, first by Okinawan royalty and second by the Japanese, the systems began to focus on unarmed fighting techniques.

These fighting arts of Okinawa were known as Toute (Chinese Hand) by the locals. By the late 1800s, the art was centered around two main schools, Shuri-Te and Naha-Te, named after the area on the island in which they were taught. A third school, Tomari-Te, was also practiced but eventually absorbed by Shuri-Te. In 1916, a representative from Okinawa, Funkoshi Gichin performed at the Butokuden in Kyoto. Interest in the art quickly spread in the Japanese mainland. In 1936, a group of Okinawan Toute masters met and agreed to change the characters from “Chinese Hand” to “Empty Hand”, as the character for tou may be pronounced kara which happens to be the same sound as Japanese word for empty. Through this process, the Okinawan art known as Toute became accepted as Karate. With few exceptions, all schools of Okinawan and Japanese Karate can trace their lineage through this history.

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