Karate at New Mexico Tech
A Karate class is offered through the New Mexico Tech, Community Education Department and has been meeting on campus since 2009. The program is suitable for the entire university community and is targeted towards students from college age and up. The program is based primary on the study of kata and applications to using karate effectively in a wide range of situations.
Class time: Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00-5:00pm in Gym 1 (lower level), NMT Gymnasium
Karate-do is a martial art that not only provides strong self defense training, but also provides for the development of the inner self. It is the later, the development of the inner self, that has been most strongly promoted by the originators of Karate-do and has been one of the attractions for many University students to Karate-do. Many practitioners of the art discover that the study of Karate-do can make profound changes in ones outlook on life and thus the very quality of their life. This philosophical component, represented by the “do” in “Karate-do”, is one of the key differentiators of Japanese martial arts from other combat arts.
The origins of Karate have been the subject of debate for many years, but the Karate-do practiced in North America today traces its roots to the early 20th century Okinawa and Japan. In the early days of Karate-do, before the name Karate-do was even in use, the art was taught in secret on Okinawa from a master to a very few students. In the early 1900s Karate-do began to expand and became part of the Okinawan elementary school program. By 1922 Karate-do began to move abroad with Funakoshi, Gitchin (Shotokan) traveling to Japan where he began to demonstrate Karate to a wider audience along with other Karate teachers, such as Chitose Tsyuoshi (Chito-Ryu). Beginning with these small steps, Karate was introduced into the the Japanese educational system and the Karate seen today evolved and migrated to North America. (see Unante, by John Sells for a complete discussion)
The Shima Kai Dojo at New Mexico Tech bases its program on the kata from the schools of Shotokan and Chito-Ryu in its classes with basic judo incorporated as appropriate. The classes at Shima Kai Dojo focus on the both physical and philosophical training in a formal dojo atmosphere.
Created: 6 January 2009
Last updated: 17 January 2016