World Karate 

Martial Arts Instruction
309 Main Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
310-322-8542 

We Will Be Closed Labor Day

Monday, September 5th

SHOTOKAN

This is a Japanese art form which is taught through a very traditional Japanese style.  The class begins with a warm-up and stretches that are designed to create quick defensive reflexes for the student and combines kicking techniques with extreme balance, learning all of the "Empty Hand" principles such as knife-hand strikes, hammer fist techniques and with elbow and forearm blocking.  The class follows a traditional SHOTOKAN belt system with the student receiving class attendance credit to build towards belt promotions  (white, yellow, green, brown, black belt).  A large part of the class is based on Karate "forms".  These ancient forms train the body and mind in total awareness, sharpening self-defense tools that are natural parts of the body.

HISTORY
 

It is believed that Shotokan Karate came from Okinawa during the mid-fifteenth century.  Along with several martial arts techniques learned on the island, some were also learned from many visits to other islands and the mainland during trading visits.  These visits to mainland China brought back principles taught by both the Shaolin Temple and the Shokei schools in southern China.  These were then adopted within the local style called Okinawa-Te.  For long periods of time the use of weapons was banned on the island, and as a result their unarmed combat skills grew and developed towards the style we know today.