JKA Norway
"Traditional Shotokan Karate"
The main centre, or in Japanese: Honbu Dojo, for JKA Norway is located in Sandnes just outside Stavanger. Here is maybe one of the most modern and best run karate clubs in Norway. In Honbu dojo training sessions are arranged for instructors several times during the year. Instructors from the JKA karate clubs are gathered together to exchange ideas and experience, and to receive theoretical and practical instructions from the chief instructor.
JKA Norway arranges national competitions and training camps in Norway. In these training camps there are both Norwegian and foreign instructors, and there is a high international standard of training.
JKA Norway is the Norwegian part of the world-wide organization JKA / WF (Japan Karate Association / World Federation). JKA / WF is the leading Shotokan organization with clubs in more than 116 countries outside of Japan.
JKA was recognized as early as 1957 by the Japanese government as the only official karate organization in Japan (which is not based on economic profits) - and still it is today. JKA / WF has a very unique education system for instructors and has over the years educated many professional instructors who have completed and passed the special education that lasts for several years. In this way, the organization has established a solid foundation as the world's leading karate organization.
JKA's educational philosophy, which is building each individual's personal character through daily training - both practical and theoretical, has gained great respect, and not only in Japan, this form has affected the school. Karate has been incorporated into the Japanese children's and youth schools education plan.
Today, it is instructed in JKA Shotokan Karate across the globe. JKA / WF is divided into the following regions:
JKA Pan America
JKA Asia
JKA Africa
JKA Europe
JKA Norway is affiliated with JKA / WF and JKA Europe.
JKA Shotokan karate is one of the largest groups in the world of karate. Norway is no exception, and with its 2500 practitioners, JKA Norway is the largest organization within the karate section of the Norwegian Martial Arts Federation.
There are annually several training sessions and competitions for children, youth and adults in addition to the JKA Open, which is an open Shotokan championship and the Norwegian JKA championships. In JKA we compete in fight (kumite) and form (kata) individually and teams, and both contests are valued equally high. In kumite we follow the Shobu ippon regulations.
Shobu ippon regulations were the first karate rules in karate. These rules has remained more or less unchanged for 60 years.
In Shobu ippon there are no weight classes or points system where it is about collecting the most possible points in a given time. Shobu ippon makes greater demands on the execution of the techniques. In Shobu ippon, there is only one ippon ("a whole point", meaning the opponent has been completely eliminated and that one who scored ippon has won) or a waza ari ("effective technique" or 80% of an ippon) . Two waza-ari becomes an ippon.
In Shobu ippon, it is competing for the cup principle without the possibility of requalification when one has first been knocked out.
The starting point for Shobu ippon is the ability to overpower the opponent, regardless of his own size or weight, with just one perfect technique. In such a tradition there is no room for handing out a ton of points. In Shobu ippon, it should be clear that the athlete should show complete control and be superior to his opponent. With such a focus on achieving a perfect technique, all matches will have a clear winner.
"Never think of winning. Imagine that you don't have to lose "- from Gichin Funakoshi's twenty golden rules."
