page 14
daily nebraskan
thursday, October 12, 1978
sports
Karate a life philosophy, not just chops and blocks
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By Kathy Chenault
Spectators long have marveled at the
amazing demolition feats performed by
karate experts without being aware of the
history and philosophy underlying the
martial art.
Interest and involvement in the Asian -originated
sport stem from motivation to
gain self-respect, acquire and maintain peak
physical condition and to develop the
ability to immobilize an adversary with
well-directed, powerful blows.
Karate is more than crushing blocks of
ice, splintering stacks of pine wood or shat
tering piles of roofing tiles. It is an art
stressing respect and discipline.
Karate philosophy
John Pitts, former UNL football player
and now a black belt in karate, said it is
important to respect others and to get
along, which he incorporates into his
karate philosophy.
"I believe that if you're hard no one will
like you. If you're soft people will take
advantage of you. So I try to stay
somewhere in the middle," Pitts said.
Richard Schmidt, UNL karate instruc
tor, said there is a different between styles
and between karate as it traditionally
existed and in its modern form.
"The major styles are Okinawan,
Korean, Chinese and Japanese.-There are
differences in form and execution, but
basically the philosophies are constant,"
Schmidt said.
Modern, traditional differences
The differences between modern and
traditional concepts of karate are philoso
phical, according to Schmidt.
"The tfasis of the modern arts is to
strive for self perfection, while the tradi
tional arts were concerned with
protection," he said.
Schmidt believes the martial arts have
grown in popularity since they were put
into the curriculum five years ago, and the
general interest is in technique.
"Most of the people have an image in
mind as far as karate is concerned and they
want to learn better execution to improve
their form. Then, after they're in it awhile
they get into the philosophical side of
karate."
Pitts emphasizes the point that karate
is not something you can just start working
at and hope to master.
Livetime study
"Karate is a lifetime study. It's not
something you can completely know in a
year, in ten years, twenty, thirty or even
forty years. But if you concentrate and
keep working in it you will become closer
to understanding and feeling it," Pitts said.
"But yet, you can spend an entire lifetime
in it and still not know it."
Acrobatic boxing, as karate is
sometimes referred, involves different
levels and areas of training that can be di
vided into three categories.
Calisthenics involve a rigorous building
up process designed to increase and
improve flexibility and speed.
Imaginary opponent
Another area features specific karate
blows, kicks, chops and blocks while the
third stresses acrobatic forms of punching,
turning, leaping and dodging often
practiced with an imaginary opponent.
Participants in. karate tournaments
engage in sparring matches in which attacks
and defenses are simulated. Kicks and
blows are stopped just short of contact or
delivered with controlled contact.
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Photo by TadKirk IJV
V O
Kansas State quarterback Dan Manucci will lead a potent offensive attack
into Memorial Stadium Saturday when the Wildcats play UNL. Manucci leads
the Big Eight Conference in passing and total offense and is 11th and ninth
respectively in those departments nationally. The Huskers will counter with
the running of I-back I.M. Hipp. Hipp is fourth in the Big Eight in rushing
with 452 yards or an average of 90.4 yards per game. That figure places him
40th in the nation in rushing.
Photo by Mark Billingiley