karate on line ?? Imprimare
Joi, 07 Mai 2020 07:30

 Online Karate and the Corona Virus: Will Virtual Lessons become the Norm?

The picture shows a online karate class.

Since the outbreak of the Corona-virus, online karate classes and lessons have mushroomed. However, online karate was a taboo for every “serious” karateka. So, will this development change the way we teach and think about karate training in the future? What will we gain what will we loss by moving karate online? By Jonas Correia

Online karate classes are rather new. However, the internet has been offering us the opportunity to take online lessons and online courses in several other areas. Many students graduate at renowned universities by doing online classes. One could attend a four week seminar about Antibiotic Stewardship at Stanford University through the platform Coursera. The platform Udemy even offers a course in “natural running“. The only requirements of the course are: “Two legs and a desire to move with speeds faster than walking!” Therefore, online lessons and courses are longer considered taboo.

But what about online karate lessons? Are they still taboo or legit?

 

 

The First Online Dan Rank Test

A few years ago, a certain Shotokan Karate federation conducted an online black belt exam with one of its members in Brazil by using a webcam. The news caused a lot to discussion on social media. Some people called the student and the examiner (a Japanese master) a charlatan and impostor.

The fact of conducting a rank exam via webcam ended up discrediting the organization. Due to other controversies it had already lost credibility among many karateka. However, conducting an examination via the webcam was the last straw for the sky to collapse. Online karate exams and classes were taboo back then.

Karate at Rock Bottom

All those who had felt indignant about what happened, said that Karate hit rock bottom. Including the author of this article many condemned (and still condemn) an online karate exam like it was conducted in the mentioned case.

The individual who passed the online Shodan exam through the webcam, now teaches seminars. He claims to have studied “ancient karate” through books and the internet. Under those kind of circumstance online karate classes lead to McDojos but not to more and better students. A online karate provider advertises his program with “Earn your black belt today!”

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*https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=306826530282701&external_log_id=80b9ffa1d2536baff0ab12ec0c0c64c8&q=jonas%20correia%20-%20fighter
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_*_The Shotokan Times