Freestyle Karate is a name given to method of karate to express a style of karate that was influenced by the Japanese arts, while also including aspects of the other combat sports available such as boxing and kickboxing. Rather than a set style, experiencing freestyle karate training can be like attending a fitness and combat sparring group that is set around grades to measure progress and practices to scaffold training into practical steps.
Students are encouraged to experiment while learning to be able to have an open-minded set of knowledge to use for practical combat or self-defence. Freestyle Karate has also introduced positive mental attitude training, some of which is influenced by some of the original historic origins, but also approaches which are specific to New Zealand contexts, New Zealand law and identities.
To explain this, I have broken this down into thinking about it with these points:
1. NEW ZEALAND – I am a New Zealand citizen instructing in New Zealand (though I have experiences from my early life in other countries). I speak the most common language and understand the cultures that surround me. Although the karate values are popular in this context, our own culture has many of the same values; truth, hard work, respect, honesty, loyalty, honour, and working with others. To make it relevant this includes understanding the law that I am also teaching with.
2. FREESTYLE – This implies an inclusiveness of all the possibilities. There are limitations in an only one- or two-way approach. Freestyle Karate includes punching, kicking, grappling moves as well as using the skills provided from boxing and kickboxing. The only limitations that truly exist is the limitations we put on ourselves. Training this may also look slightly different, with a focus on being fit equally as much as technical technique.
3. KARATE – Commonly known or understood to be an empty-handed art or form. It is where the basics begin, learning and applying the techniques, with progression seeing the techniques applied in many different ways and allowing students to find their own style and rhythm.
Though the concept of freestyle karate is not very new, as some martial arts schools/clubs have walked away from the traditionality of what was learnt to make it suit the environment where they are training. Or to suit another purpose, such as American Freestyle Karate the suits certain competition formats better.
In this case however, the aim to freestyle karate is self-defence first, which will need some fitness and knowledge about the New Zealand laws about this. After that come other opportunities to engage in in combat karate tournaments purely aimed at sparring. The school freestyle karate that aims their training in this manner is called Sanchin Freestyle Karate based in Wellington, who also hosts the Combat Karate League of Aotearoa. This is New Zealand Freestyle Karate which unique to New Zealand and its practitioners, including networking with another organisation within New Zealand and also outside of New Zealand.
Sanchin Freestyle Karate:
Combat Karate Aotearoa:
