One of the most unique aspects of our program at Practical Karate is the use of the Senpai/Kohai relationship in traditional Japanese martial arts. Senpai (“senior”) and Kōhai (“junior”) are Japanese terms used to describe a formal hierarchical interpersonal relationship found in organizations, businesses, and schools in Japan. In modern education, the Senpai/Kohai relationship is […]
Martial arts history is full of masters who preserved tradition, but fewer who reshaped it. Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshin-ryu karate, was one of those rare innovators. Born on the island of Okinawa, which was the crossroads of Japanese, Chinese, and indigenous martial traditions, Shimabuku respected the deep roots of karate. Yet he also […]
When it comes to mastering new skills, whether it’s learning a language, playing an instrument, developing athletic ability, or improving academic performance how you practice is just as important as how much you practice. One of the most well supported findings in cognitive psychology and educational research is the superiority of distributed practice over mass […]
The origins of the black belt process system in Japanese martial arts date back to the early 1880s, when Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo, introduced a structured method for recognizing student progress. Kano, who had a background in education, sought to make martial arts more systematic and accessible. He introduced the dan (black belt) ranks […]
Karate Testing Procedures at Practical Karate: Creating Independent Learners Students, not parents, may ask to test for stripes before or after class after sufficiently practicing the skills required for their next stripe. Because asking for help, clarification and listening to feedback are valuable life skills, we aim to remove the parents from this process to […]
How the Belt System Works at Practical Karate Students 3-5 years old – for the karate belt system 3-5 year old students receive stripes on the first five white belt ranks for appropriate conduct and effort. For the last white belt rank (white belt with a yellow stripe), students receive stripes and the next belt […]
