Foreword
THE TERM "karate" is a generalized term of Japanese origin, coined to represent the various traditional and modern styles of the so-called "empty-hand" combat art.
In Korea, tae-kwon do has only recently been agreed upon as the term representing modern Korean karate, superceding such terms as tang-soo do, kong-soo do, tae-soo do, soo-bak do, etc. Since tae-kwon do refers only to modern karate, it would be inaccurate to use it as a generic term throughout the entire manuscript.
Consultations with fellow tae-kwon do masters have convinced me that the term "karate" has become more widely known in Western countries than any other and would thus be a more familiar one to English-speaking peoples than would tae-kwon do. For this reason, I have decided to use "karate" throughout the entire book and "tae-kwon do" only where necessary to indicate the differentiation.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my students Robert Zychski, Carlos Farrell, and Julio LaSalle for posing with me in the photos to help make this book more expressive; to Charles Peck, Nat Greenspan, and Jerome Cohen for their unlimited advice and help in proofreading the entire manuscript; and to Bernard MacSweeney for his excellent photographs.
| New York City | Sihak Henry Cho |
Introduction
UNTIL approximately ten years ago, karate (tae-kwon do)* was practiced only in Far Eastern countries. Since then, it has gained such widespread attention that the whole world is becoming familiar with it. Its popularity in the United States has been brought about by many public demonstrations—by experts on TV, in public appearances, and in championship tournaments—as well as through books. However, there are still thousands interested in this art who do not know the real principles of karate. In fact, a number of unqualified karate demonstrators have given such an erroneous impression of it that many people believe that it is either a brutal method of killing people or an esoteric form of magic that gives the initiate an enormous power to destroy anything within reach of his hand.
Karate is a fighting art which employs almost all parts of the body in offensive and defensive moves. Karate techniques consist of many individual moves which are practiced as individual units and joined together for maximum efficiency in free fighting. These practice units are: basic drill in stances, kicking, punching, striking, blocking, combinations of these moves in formal patterns, prearranged attacks and counterattacks, stepping and shifting, etc. The combination of all of these results in skill at karate techniques, which is demonstrated in free fighting. Some of the moves are directly applicable to free fighting while the others develop basic speed and coordination.
One's ability to use these basic moves after they have been perfected can be seen in free fighting. Skill at free fighting is the main goal of karate, and its techniques are the karate techniques. The trainee cannot be good at karate just by learning the moves. He must train and drill extensively until each technique becomes reflexive, and he develops speed, power, accuracy, and balance. Such continued, conscientious training not only results in the ultimate in self-defense but also in a mental discipline which creates the strength of character necessary for success in all fields of endeavor.
This book is intended to fill the void in martial arts writing which has been discovered by all serious karate students and instructors as well as others interested in the sport. There have been a dozen karate books published in the English language,