Karate Schools In Orange County, CA
Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujian White Crane. Karate, much like TaeKwonDo, is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open-hand techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes. Historically, and in some modern styles, grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital-point strikes are also taught. At Aliso Hills Taekwon-do we have several master instructors (a Master is anyone with a 4th degree black belt 0r higher) and most martial arts, karate and Taekwon-do schools do not have this level of instruction.
If you, or your child, is interested in taking up ‘karate’ we encourage you to contact Aliso Hills Taekwon-do for a free trial lesson. We are located at the intersection of Oso & Moulton just seconds from the 73 toll road. We proudly have students enrolled in our various programs from all over the OC. This includes Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Nellie Gail, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch, CA.
The Origin Of Karate
The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase the popularity of martial arts around the world. In English the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental martial arts. Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art. Since then the term karate has further morphed into an umbrella term for almost all martial arts regardless of what country they originated in. Examples include Taekwondo, TangSooDo, Kung-Fu, Aikido, Hapkido, Kenpo karate, Shotokan karate and others.
Karate Compared To TaeKwonDo
Taekwon-do, which is a Korean art, is very deeply rooted in karate. Karate provided an important comparative model for the early founders of taekwondo in the formalization of their art including hyung and the belt ranking system. The original taekwondo hyung were identical to karate kata. Eventually, original Korean forms were developed by individual schools and associations. Although the World Taekwondo Federation and International Taekwon-Do Federation are the most prominent among Korean martial arts organizations, tang soo do schools that teach Japanese karate still exist as they were originally conveyed to Won Kuk Lee and his contemporaries from Funakoshi.
The Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan in 1879. Karate was brought to Japan in the early 20th century during a time of migration as Ryukyuans, especially from Okinawa, looked for work in Japan.It was systematically taught in Japan after theTaishō era.In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio University established the first university karate club in mainland Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karate clubs.In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,the name was changed from 唐手 (“Chinese hand” or “Tang hand”)to 空手 (“empty hand”) – both of which are pronounced karate in Japanese – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style.After World War II, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.
Shigeru Egami, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo, opined that “the majority of followers of karate in overseas countries pursue karate only for its fighting techniques … Movies and television … depict karate as a mysterious way of fighting capable of causing death or injury with a single blow … the mass media present a pseudo art far from the real thing.” Shōshin Nagamine said, “Karate may be considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training and one’s own creative efforts.
How TaeKwon-Do Can Help You, And Your Family, Grow
When one thinks of ‘taking karate’ they are most likely referring to studying TaeKwonDo as it is the most common martial art studied in the United States (hence Taekwon-do being in the Olympics). True ‘karate’ schools are very rare in the United States. The parallels between TKD and karate are numerous. There is a physical and spiritual aspect to both. At Aliso Hills Taekwon-do our students are taught traditional Taekwon-do (compared to other schools who are taught Olympic style Taekwon-do).
In addition, we teach the 5 tenets of Taekwon-do which are:
Courtesy
Integrity
Perseverance
Self control
These are taught at the very first lesson to adults and children. While it is great to be a talented martial artist we want our students to take what they learn in the studio and use it when out in the world during the other 23 hours per day they are not in Taekwon-do class. Most of our students do well in school, are involved in the community and live an altruistic lifestyle that is a direct function of studying Taekwon-do.
Who Can Join Our Orange County ‘Karate’ School
Almost anyone! We teach students as young as 3 in our ‘Little Dragons’ program. As they advance and or turn 7 years of age they will then go into our family class where they can train with the juniors or the adults. We literally have students ranging in age from 3 years old to people in their 50’s and 60’s.
Why Choose Aliso Hills Taekwon-do
As there are multiple martial arts schools throughout Orange County, California it is important to choose the one that is right for you and your family. At Aliso Hills TKD a large portion of our members are related to each other as husbands and wives study under Master Paul D’ Ambrosio as do parents and their children as well as siblings studying together.
Orange County Karate Schools Offering Free Trials
Not all Orange County karate schools, or martial arts schools, Please email our Orange County karate school to arrange a free trial lesson.
Aliso Hills Taekwon-do, being one of the most comprehensive Orange County California karate schools, offers programs for people of all ages and skill levels. With that, students come from all over Orange County, CA to study under Master D. This includes Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana & Tustin, CA.