Does anyone still take Karate lessons?

Question

Seems like it has a dorky stigma attached to it now with Napolean Dynamite and the whole Chuck Norris ordeal.

There was a funny email that had a list of god like things Chuck Norris could do and SNL did a parody music video of him.

My late uncle Arnold was a amature boxer, and he taught me how to knock people out before they could do the fancy karate stuff.

Answer 1

Tell that to a Kyokushin practitioner, like me.

Answer 2

I am a Hansi and a student for life and am always learning hence taking lessons even though i am a Hanshi!

Chuck is a great Martial Artist and person with a heart of gold. He represents MA much better than many others do such as Van Damme or Seagal. We need people like him and Jet Li to keep the reputation of the art in Hollywood to be taken serious and not as a joke as it had been in the 50s-60's. Not till Bruce Lee did the mass audiences start taking MA seriously as a fighting art.

Answer 3

Dorky or not, it's a very effective martial art practiced by many. Whoever is trying to learn different martial arts, should most definitely try out a good karate style. Goju Ryu is one of the best I think.
Using blocks as strikes is one of the most ingenius ideas in martial arts and was introduced by Karate and is most effectively used in Karate.
Every martial art has something to offer that the other doesn't and none should ever be disrespected or mocked no matter what style you're into. Any martial artist who mocks another's style has some serious flaws. (Remember the old Chinese Martial Art movies? The bad guys that mock other's styles wind up getting beat up by that style at the end!)

Answer 4

Karate is currently the most popular martial art in the world.

Napoleon Dynamite features a made up martial art called "rex kwon do" , which has nothing to do with Karate.

Chuck Norris and Napoleon Dynamite are irrelevant in the rest of the world.

Answer 5

Maybe for those schools and instructors that have low standards who for the past twenty years have produced a student that often times lacks the proper skill, experience, and attitude that used to associated with the term Black-belt.

Quality schools and instructors that have not watered down their standards and have continued to turn out a good quality student can stand on their own reputation and have more often than not proved themselves to be reputable places to study the martial arts. I can see your reason for your line of thinking though since there are so many mediocre schools that have brainwashed students that think they are really good but when confronted with a street situation they can not defend themselves commensurate with the rank that they hold. They are usually lacking in skill, ability, knowledge and experience.

Answer 6

Unfortunatley media outlets, movies, and an uneducated press often leave a lot to be desired with regard to accurate representations of the martial arts in general.

Fortunately, the millions of people around the world who enjoy the immense benefits of all disciplines including Karate are not basing their involvement on this source of information.

If we all believed everything we read, watched on tv, or were told by "someone", we'd be in one hell of a bad state I think lol.

Good luck

Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 7

World wide there are "Millions" of people taking Karate lessons.

Movies and comedies are fun and entertaining but the need to be able to defend your self and others is very serious.

Answer 8

I do, but what was the Chuck Norris thing?

Answer 9

Only to dorks does it have a dorky stigma just as well we would rather not have dorks in our art anyway.

Answer 10

youre a jerk. if you dont like something, ignore it and respect peoples' right to enjoy it.