Karate, a martial art, to practice near Luxembourg city

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This page to speak about some experience and the happiness one can find in doing Karate.

When the Sensei does not help you discover karate with fun and happiness, you'd better change it ...
... before you stop practicing your favorite sport.

Karate is not only a way to protect yourself against an attacker but mainly a means to discover your own body in symbiosis with your mind.

"Passive knowledge memorization never advanced whoever on his way to self-actualization. In French : actualisation de soi.
Only personal experiments have a major influence on the individual."

Before we start, some history ...
As everything is available on the web, no need to re-write it

• Shotokai Encyclopedia online, Karate Do Shotokai Budo Japanese Martial Arts
• Gichin Funakoshi - Founder of Shotokan
• Okinawa - Home of Traditional Karate
• Sempai and Kohai relationship . Rising Sun (1993) - Movie about Sempai/Kohai relationship

A martial art, what does this mean?

Remove from your mind that "martial arts" refers to the way of making war, this is not the "Art of War" ...
... this is a way of life and a spiritual discipline that promotes wellness of your mind and body
running together in the same direction.

• Wikipedia martial art definition
• Martial Arts Terms and Definitions - The Budo Journal of Classical Japanese Martial Arts and Culture
• Answers.com martial art definition

Why is the kime so important in karate?

• In fact, I did not understand what it was all about... but I had to understand it if I wanted to progress.
  From the beginning I tried to do all with Force and this lead me to the problem of being blocked or strained. I did not notice that the problem was coming from the lack of power
  at the key moments. This was particularly true for the long Kanku dai kata where I could not reach the end. At 3/4th of the kata, I was out of energy.
  The simple explanation came from a really nice girl who explained me what many others couldn't explain. I was simply breathing at the wrong moments, or even I was doing it in apnea.
  The only thing that was missing was OXYGEN, the vehicule of energy ...
  The kime can only come when you breath at the convenient moment in order to release all the energy coming from you muscles at the exact moment you whant it to be delivered.
  Particularly in katas, this gives you the opportunity to vary the execution rhythm of your kata.
  You only have to breath and relax during certain moment of time and than explode thanks to the energy accumulated in your body that just wants to get out ...
  The maximum of power will be delivered in order to reach your goal.
• The building blocks of karate

The places (dojo) where I like to practice karate close to Luxembourg city

• Ecole de Karaté Traditionnel Gilbert Gruss 8th DAN - Thionville - 34km --> Karate explained by G. Gruss - "... the total freedom of mind and body ..." (french)
• Karate self-defense Strassen - 6km --> Fitness-Karate club Strassen (official site) <-- Karate Club Strassen (old site)
• d'Coque - National Karate Exam Center - Luxembourg Kirchberg
• Tiercelet Karaté Do - 31km

Some interesting links to best perform in your karate and katas practice

• Karate Club Paris Sport
• France Shotokan Karate-do

Some links about self-defense

• Official site Nihon Taï Jitsu - France
• From Japan to Moselle

Karate expression list

• Karate expression list
• General Terminology
• Glossary (french)
• Small Japanese glossary (french , G. Gruss)
• Karate vocabulary (french)

Stretching exercises

• The Hips
• The body flexibility
• Flexibility training

Black belt - 1st DAN - program

Why the Black belt ?
Because it is the first time you will work by your own on synchronizing your mind with your body.
It seems simple and easily feasible ... ... but you will have to work hard during months in order to deliver the expected results
at exam runs that will only last 30 seconds to 1.5 min.

• Dachi
• Kihon Ippon Kumite
• Kihon for the black belt
• Karate Movements - Body transfer - Ashi-Waza / Foot & Leg Techniques

To remain healthy

• Practice jogging in Luxembourg close to the city
• Endurance training

Buy Karate & Martial Arts equipment on the web

• Kamikaze: First class Karate equipment
• Kwon: Touch the spirit
• Bugei: swords of the ancient Samurai
• Danrho
• Dragon Bleu: Shureido Black Belt, Okinawa, Japan.
• Shureido, USA.

Last updated : 11/09/2007