NDSU Karate Club - NDSU KARATE CLUB INFO

SENSEIs (Instructors): Dean Jensen, Paul Dimke and Tim Eissinger SEMPAI (Assistant): Milo Weisgram

Executive Committee: 2007- 2008

Faculty Advisor: Vernon Borgen

Contents:

Club Information and Partnership
Club Dues and Testing Fees
Suggested Reading

Welcome to the North Dakota State University Karate Club. We are a recognized university club and receive funds from the student government to offset some of our operating expenses. The Karate Club is open to all NDSU students, faculty, and staff who wish to practice the art of karate. We hope this manual will help answer some questions and will serve as a resource as you progress through the ranks.

In Japanese, "karate-do" means "empty-hand way." As the name implies, karate do is defense without weapons. Its practitioners or "karateka" learn to develop swift and powerful kicking, punching, blocking, and striking techniques. A skilled karateka should be able to end a fight with a single blow. However, karate is not, and never has been, a method of aggression. "Empty hand" also implies a person free of fear and hostility. When properly taught, karateka strengthen their bodies and their minds. One should develop inward humility and outward gentleness, yet be able to instantly defend oneself or others if necessary.

The mental aspect of karate has been aptly summarized by Yagu Tajima no Kami Munenori in his Treatise on Swordsmanship, "You are said to have mastered the art when the technique works through your body and limbs as if independent of your conscious mind."

To become a master of a martial art, mere technical knowledge is not enough - a person must delve deeply into the inner spirit of it. One must attain the state of mind known as mushin or "no mind." Training in any of the martial arts can only be successful when the person has absorbed the techniques, so that they are so much a part of him or her that using the technique is purely intuitive and unconscious, where no thought processes are required. The person's attitude is one of receptivity, alert, but relaxed and fearless, with no preconceived idea of the outcome.

This does not mean to be without thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc., when you face an opponent. It means letting natural faculties operate in a consciousness free from thoughts and reflections. This state of mind is also known as egolessness. This is often likened to the lunar reflection in water. Neither the moon nor the water has any preconceived idea of producing the incident designated by us as "the moon - in water." The water reflects accurately all images within its range - so a mind as calm as undisturbed water can apprehend all physical and psychological movements of an opponent and react appropriately.

The NDSU Karate Club is a member of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). The JKA is the world's oldest and largest karate organization. The JKA was founded in 1949 by Master Funakoshi and his top students for the purpose of developing karate techniques to their fullest potential, to develop qualified instructors, and to spread and systemize the teaching of karate-do worldwide.

In addition to membership in the JKA, the NDSU Karate Club is a member of the American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF). The AAKF was founded in l96l by Master Hidetaka Nishiyama, the chief JKA representative in the United States, to regulate the growing aspect of sport karate. Open to all styles, the AAKF supervises amateur karate in the United States, publishes standardized rules, trains qualified judges, and organizes tournaments at the regional, national, and international levels.

The Midwest Karate Association (MKA) is the oldest and largest karate organization in the upper midwest. The MKA was founded by Master Robert L. Fusaro in 1958. Master Fusaro is the Regional Director for the North Central Region of the AAKF, and he maintains his dojo (training facility) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As the regional director for AAKF, Master Fusaro conducts and evaluates all promotion tests conducted by the NDSU Karate Club.

CLUB DUES AND TESTING FEES

The NDSU Karate C!ub recognizes and strictly adheres to the standards established by the JKA and AAKF. Individuals must be members of the AAKF to participate in tournaments and to be eligible for promotion testing. NDSU Karate Club and AAKF dues are listed below (Prices of the AAKF fees and belt testing are subject to change):

NDSU Karate Club dues per month......... $20.00
dues per semester................................... $50.00*
AAKF annual membership.......................... $25.00

*Awesome deal!

In addition to the Club and AAKF dues, there is a charge for each promotion test. The testing fees vary depending on the advancement level.

Testing for: Kyu Fee
• White 8........... $25.00*
• Orange 7........ $30.00*
• Green 6.......... $35.00*
• Purple 5.......... $35.00*
• Purple 4.......... $35.00*
• Brown 3.......... $40.00*
• Brown 2......... $40.00*
• Brown 1.......... $40.00*

* Prices are subject to change. If you do not advance, a second attempt is one-half the original fee. There is no charge for a third or subsequent attempt for the same rank.
_____________________________________________________

NDSU KARATE CLUB INFO

| NAVIGATION

SENSEIs (Instructors): Dean Jensen, Paul Dimke and Tim Eissinger SEMPAI (Assistant): Milo Weisgram

Executive Committee: 2007- 2008