NORTH TORONTO KARATE SCHOOL STUDENT MANUAL Index Instructors and Locations The Five Basic Tenets Dojo Etiquette How to Tie a Karate Belt & Uniform School Belt List North Toronto Karate School Uniforms Japanese Terminology School Kata List History of Shotokan Karate Kata - 40 Movements Kata - Heian Shodan Heian Shodan Diagram Basic Stances & Hand Techniques Students Curriculum Sparring Gear Okinawan Traditional Kobudo Training Martial Art Tournaments - School Competition & Demonstration Team Instructors List Head Instructor: Renshi Michael Palitti Instructors: Sensei John Palitti Sempai Abel MacNeil Sempai Michael Williams Sensei Patti Palitti Sempai Sebastian DeFranco Sempai Lauren Iwamoto North Toronto Karate School Locations Location 1: Eglinton St. George (Yonge St. & Lytton Blvd.) Location 2: Groove Creative Arts Center 491 Eglinton Ave. West, unit 400 Location 3: Broadway Arts Center (High Park) 35 Golden Ave, Suite 108 The Five Basic Tenets Courtesy Courtesy begins with the individual. We must learn respect and care for our own body and mind before working towards better relationships with other people. Courtesy can be as simple as good personal hygiene, or as complicated as making a drastic career move for self-improvement. In all cases, we should strive to achieve happiness and sustain our mental and physical health, then work on giving others the same respect and consideration. Integrity Integrity simply means honesty: honesty with ourselves and honesty with those around us. However, to be totally honest, we first have to know ourselves. This is the deeper aspect of integrity: knowing ourselves and using that knowledge to make more objective decisions about our life and about those whose lives we effect. Perseverance Perseverance is also known as "stick-to-it-ness" or tenacity. For most people, it is one of the hardest tenets to maintain on a day-to-day basis. Successful perseverance has three phases: making a conscious decision on whether or not to accept a given task; creating a plan of action that will help us achieve the goals we have set for the task; and finally, making the commitment to carry through with the task to the end, regardless of what sacrifices have to be made. The first phase is often the most difficult to deal with because sometimes we have to say no to an opportunity. The third phase, on the other hand, is one we can practice most often. If we make a habit of sticking to our commitments, we have the opportunity to achieve the greatest potential in each area of our lives. Self-control Self-control affects all aspects of our daily existence. If we learn to maintain a steady level (be it physical or mental) in all our activities, others will perceive us as reliable individuals. This means controlling our good moods as well as our bad ones; trying to minimize our excesses, whether they are in exercise, work or play; and maintaining consistency in all our actions at home, school, and work. Ultimately as a martial artist, we must learn to control the techniques (physical and mental) taught to us through our training. In this manner, we will best represent ourselves, our school, and the martial arts in general. Indomitable Spirit Indomitable, or unconquerable, spirit ties together the other four tenets and refers to the most fundamental part of us as individuals: our soul or basic self. When we see an athlete nearing exhaustion, then reaching down deep inside and somehow pulling out the strength to win, we see indomitable spirit at work. When we see one person stand firm against a crowd because of an unshakable belief, we see indomitable spirit. Possessing that spirit allows us to refuse defeat; it is the strength to stand up for what we believe, no matter what the odds against us; and it is the guts to protect those weaker than ourselves against mental or physical aggression. In order to achieve this, all five tenets must be exercised, regularly, and with great intensity. These tenets are the fundamentals of North Toronto Karate Schools. Although there is nothing mystical or even amazing about them, these principles provide martial artists with the ability to stand out from those people surrounding them. They provide a framework within which successful martial artists reach their potential - in their personal, social and professional lives. Like most other things, all it takes to reach the potential, is desire - the willingness to learn and practice. DOJO ETIQUETTE The dojo is a special place where we train ourselves physically and mentally. Students must respect the dojo and observe the following rules: Before entering the dojo, remove all footwear and jackets. Place all items in the designated area of the school. Change rooms are provided for all students to suit up. Always bow when entering and exiting. Place karate school bags in designated area in the dojo. Parents may view classes in the seating area. Please turn cellular phones off and please keep noise to a minimum, while classes are in session. Student Uniform and Belt must be worn in class. When entering the dojo Always warm up with stretching and basic exercises before karate practice. Never bring food, gum or drink into the dojo. Never use foul or inappropriate language in the dojo. Never engage in loud chatter or foolish behavior. Your uniform must be clean, unwrinkled and free of stains and tears. Always address the black belt instructor as Sensei. Always pay strict attention to the instructor and not to other distractions. Never leave the class for a break, water, or any early dismissal, except with permission. Students should remove all jewelry before class, for their own safety and that of others. No sparring allowed without permission (ask an Instructor for permission). No sparring without an instructor present. Students must wear full protective equipment. Do not lean on walls or poles. No horseplay in the Dojo. Do not use the equipment unless authorized by an Instructor. Sparring Gear Sparring Gear is needed for Children 6 – 12 years of age and Adults who achieve their Yellow Belt. Safety Equipment is needed to participate in the sparring sessions of the class. Equipment can be purchased through the school. Speak with any of our instructors for more information. Attendance Students must keep a regular attendance at the school. If students are unable to attend classes for a period longer than 2 weeks, Student/Parent are required to inform the instructor. Karate Uniform (Gi) How to Tie a Karate Belt (Obi) Although one washes ones gi, the belt is never washed. Every class that you take every drop of sweat, every little tear or abrasion is part of what goes into each student's unique experience. It is something to be remembered, but not clung to. Therefore no experience is washed away. The belt must tell its own story. History of the Karate Belt Colors Japanese Judo was the first martial art to introduce the colored belt ranking system as a visible indication of the students' progress. The colored belt ranking system soon was adapted for Karate, and was first used by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi and his Shotokan Karate schools. As students pass through the ranks taking grading examinations they are awarded with different colored belts. The color order and which colors are used varies from school to school, as does the relationship between belt color and rank (= Kyu). Children 3 – 5 Years #1 #2 #3 White Belt White Black Stripe Belt White Yellow Belt #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow #10 #11 #12 #13 Orange Orange Orange Orange Belt White Stripe Belt Orange Stripe Belt Green Stripe Belt Black Stripe Belt Orange Belt Belt White Stripe Belt Black Stripe Belt Green Belt #14 Green Belt Children 6 – 12 Years White Belt Yellow Belt Yellow Advance Belt Yellow Orange Belt Orange Belt Orange Advance Belt Orange Green Belt Green Belt Green Advance Belt Green Blue Belt Blue Belt Blue Advance Belt Blue Red Belt Purple Belt Purple Advance Belt Brown Belt Brown Advance Belt Brown Black Belt Jr. Black Belt YOUTH & ADULTS White Belt Yellow Belt Orange Belt Green Belt Green Advance Belt Blue Belt Blue Advance Belt Purple Belt Purple Advance Belt Brown Belt Brown Belt Advance Black Belt (Shodan Level) North Toronto Karate School Karate Uniforms White Karate Uniform White - Yellow Belt Students - Purple Advance Belt Students Red Karate Uniform Orange Belt Black Karate Uniform Brown Belt - Black Belt Students JAPANESE TERMINOLOGY (Youth & Adult White - Orange Belt) Numbers Kicks White Belt - Yellow Belt Orange Belt One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Front Kick Side Kick Roundhouse Kick - Ichi Ni San Shi Go Roku Sichi Hachi Ku Ju (eech) (knee) (son) (chee) - Mae Geri Yoko Geri Mawashi Geri (ruk) (ceech) (hach) Shotokan Karate Basics White Belt Yellow Belt Senior Black Belt Instructor……Sensei Advanced belt instructor……….Sempai Bow………………….Rei Place of training……..Dojo Uniform……………...Gi Yell of spirit…………Kiai Belt stages…………...Kyu Forms………………..Kata Start/Begin…………..Hajime Stop………………….Yame Shotokan…Whispering Pines in the wind Karate………………..Empty Hand Orange Belt Black Belt Degree…...Dan Rest………………….Yasume Review………………Hansei High…..Jodan Middle..Chudan Low…..Gedan (gaydan) Left…...Hidari Right….Migi JAPANESE TERMINOLOGY (Youth & Adult Green – Black Belt) Blocking Techniques - Uke Waza Green Belt Green Advance Belt High Block Jodan Uke Low Block Gedan Barai Knife Hand Block - Shuto Uke Middle Block Outside Block Hand Techniques Blue Belt Reverse Punch Back Fist - Chudan Uke Soto Uke Te Waza Blue Advance Belt - Gyaku Zuki Riken Uchi Palm Heel Strike Lunge Punch Stances - Purple Belt Forward Stance Back Stance Cat Stance - - Shotei Uchi Oi Zuki Dachi Purple Advance Belt - Zenkutsu Dachi Kokutsu Dachi Niko Ashi Dachi Horse Stance Kiba Dachi Hour Glass Stance - Sanchin Dachi General Terms Brown Belt Basics Seated Stance Brown Advance Belt - Kihon Seiza Belt Meditate - JAPANESE TERMINOLOGY Obi Zazen (Kids 6 – 12 years / White – Junior Black Belt) White Belt Teacher Uniform Classroom Yellow Belt - Sensei Gi Dojo Orange Belt Kata Karate Ous Blue Belt - Kiai - Sempai Rei Green Belt Forms Empty Hand Yes - Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Yell of spirit Advanced belt instructor Bow - One Two Three Four Five - Ichi Ni San Shi Go (eech) (knee) (son) (chee) Purple Belt Roku (ruk) Sichi (ceech) Hachi (hach) Ku Ju Whispering Pines in the wind - shotokan Sparring Kumite Brown Belt Brown Advance Belt Front Kick Mae Geri Side Kick Yoko Geri Roundhouse Kick - Mawashi Geri Black Belt Degree High Middle Low - .Dan .Jodan Chudan Gedan (gaydan)
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