The Underlying Importance of Good Technique

INTRODUCTION:

SA JKA Karate continually aims at being the ultimate art of unarmed self defence which explores, trains and endeavours to use, to maximum potential, two of the most important weapons that a human being possesses, namely the body and the mind.

SITUATIONS:

Whether under normal or emergency situations, it is our aim to be able to express good technique.

WISDOM:

Only if wisdom underlies the execution of our techniques (be they expressed verbally, physically or through attitude) then, and only then, will the outcome of our actions or behaviour have a chance of being proven successful, admirable and just.

GOOD TECHNIQUE:

Good technique is the essence of what the SA JKA continually aims to achieve in its instructors and students. Within the two words “good” and “technique”, lie some fascinating and beneficial considerations. If studying karate can be seen as a voyage of discovery, then the discovery of good technique is a discovery of the vast potential that lies hidden within all of us.

“GOOD”

In the Shorter Oxford English dictionary, the word good takes up more than half a page. Some extracts: “stems from the word of God”, fitting”, “suitable”, “a term describing things or persons as having quality or high rank”, “applies to conduct and attitude, “favorable”, “useful”, “effectual”, “Holy”, “kind”, “agreeable”, “wholesome”, “laudatory” efficient”, “valid”, “advantageous”, “connotes well-being”, "morally excellent"

“TECHNIQUE”

According to the Shorter Oxford English dictionary, technique is described as follows “the manner of artistic execution or performance”, “the formal or mechanical part of an art”, “skill and ability in the mechanical part of one’s art or science”, to do with style and methods of procedure”, “pertaining to the mechanical arts and applied sciences”, “characteristic of a particular art, science, profession or occupation”.

GOOD TECHNIQUE:

When one places the two separate words good and technique together we arrive at something extremely valuable and profound. Technique on its own is one-dimensional. As the Oxford Dictionary puts it: “A player may be precise in technique, yet have neither soul nor intelligence”. For example, an artist or musician who paints or plays or sings with precise form (technique), but lacks content (spirit, feeling, intelligence or creativity) is probably performing a half-baked work.
A Karate-ka who can effortlessly defeat enemies with his/her karate has good technique.

AN EXAMPLE OF BAD TECHNIQUE:

Should a black belt karate-ka lose his temper with a harmless old beggar, who merely asked him for money, and he injured the beggar with a perfectly executed kick, we would view that as bad technique. (Meaning that the black belt karate-ka had behaved irresponsibly, misusing his power.) Of course, one could truthfully claim that the karate technique he used was effective, but nevertheless bad, or better still, unwise, in terms of karate-do and how karate relates to humanity and society as a whole.

AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD TECHNIQUE:

If a black belt karate-ka was accosted by assailants outside of the Dojo and he was able to stop the attack from occurring by controlling the aggressors through the means of verbal communication, we would call that good technique.

Taking control of a violent or malevolent situation and restoring peace and order is good technique, which simply means, doing what is right !

SA JKA

The Underlying Importance of Good Technique

The Underlying Importance of Good Technique

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