Reviving Functional Karate
In a well-received video, Jesse Enkamp, known as “The Karate Nerd”, talks about the ongoing revolution in the field of karate, fueled by “Karate Nerds” like himself. Jesse comments that practitioners increasingly want to know how their techniques can be applied in functional, real-world settings, shifting focus away from the sport side of karate. He attributes this revolution primarily to the internet’s transparency and the growth of mixed martial arts (MMA), which provides practical application pressure testing.
In his video, “The Functional Karate Revolution”, Jesse Enkamp speaks with Sensei Patrick McCarthy, who is a pioneer in this area of functional karate. McCarthy advises practitioners to learn by going through a teaching process that ranges from passive to active resistance, gradually mimicking real scenarios. This way, they can ensure that their kata applications work on the street.
Sensei McCarthy delves into a concept he developed called the ‘Habitual Acts of Physical Violence’ (HAPV). This concept provides a pathway for practitioners to regain the practical use of their karate. The idea is to study the most probable real-world attack scenarios and train to respond to these situations effectively.
Contrasting tradition and practicality, McCarthy argues that many traditional kata practices are not designed for real-life self-defense situations as they often involve defending against karate attacks rather than the more unpredictable ‘street fights’. Hence, the need for the ‘Functional Karate Revolution’.
Strongly emphasizing the need to question traditional methods and adapt to modern requirements, Jesse and McCarthy conclude the video with a demonstration of the application of kata in real-life self-defense scenarios. Their informative conversation and demonstration have been viewed over 100,000 times, indicating a high level of interest in functional karate.
To summarize, modern karate practitioners are looking to harness their techniques for real-world applications. This shift, enabled by the internet and the influence of MMA, is leading to a functional karate revolution. Jesse Enkamp’s video provides valuable insights into this movement and offers guidance to those willing to revisit their karate practice with a functional lens. The interview with Sensei Patrick McCarthy offers insights into a new approach to karate training that aligns more with self-defense and practical usability.
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A Close Look at Jesse Enkamp
The Modern Karate Sensei
Jesse Enkamp is a renowned martial artist and a global kata champion. Deriving influence from traditional Okinawan karate, Jesse brings together the old and new, pioneering a modern approach to the ancient practice. Fascinated with the links between martial arts and personal development, he explores this interaction in his training and teachings. Beyond his competitive success, Jesse is a popular online personality, known for his engaging content on martial arts. His website, the “KARATE by Jesse”, inspires thousands around the world, extending his unique blend of history, philosophy, and combat techniques to all.
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Practical Applications of Karate in MMA and Fighting Sports
Karate, typically viewed as a traditional martial art, is actually a versatile and effective tool within Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and other fighting sports. It provides a solid foundation in strike techniques, agility, and discipline. The stances and strikes of karate are practical in both standup exchanges and for developing defensive footwork.
Combining Karate Techniques in MMA
Competitors are now blending karate styles with other martial arts to deliver unpredictable strikes and to keep opponents guessing. This evolution has fostered a new respect for karate within the MMA community, demonstrating that traditional arts retain relevance in modern combat sports.
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A Glance at Japanese Martial Arts
The history of Japanese martial arts is both old and rich. Originating as early as in the Jomon period (10,000–300 BC), its practical teachings were first applied in samurai warfare. Kendo, Judo, and Karate are all products of this historical evolution.
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Let's call it a Restoration rather than a Revolution, since we're giving karate it's original purpose back and not invent anything new. We just recover what was lost. 🙂
That's true!
Completely agree. I think, for some, that trained previously, 30-40 yrs ago, have come back to Karate and, upon returning, the training was VERY different. I began my training in Uechi-Ryu Kenyukai, which is VERY "Original" Karate and came back to Karate and began training in Shito-Ryu about 16 yrs ago and the training, while "traditional" to todays standards, was/is still very different than Uechi Ryu 40 yrs ago. It seems much "tamer"/"easier" much less body conditioning and more sport centered.
Aesthetics and Karate. I have seen even in your videos many senseis smoking or slightly overweight. Can you do a video about that?
Wado-Ryu seems to be underestimated since the outer style is taken from Shotokon and the INNER style the gets looked over is traditional Jui-Jitsu!
AND if one practices Karate only to gain physical advantages? that leaves Patrick, and a lot of other guys out there meaning that Karate is for selfdefence only, out of a job. There are so many out there, teaching bunkai and stuff now, that everything becomes so advanced, that only a few can learn a fraction of it during a lifetime. They keep coming up with wild combinations, and ideas, when looking at the old masters, Karate is pretty simple. If you make the selfdefence techniques that complicated you need to be quite cool and collected during a fight just to remember half of it.
If someone graps you by the rapelle, hit them in the face or kick them in the balls, but most importantly, get the hell out of Dodge 😉
Just as a small comment to my comment (!) … I love to practice these techniques, as they challenge my brain more than my body 🙂
Surprised I missed this video!
Excellent – Bunkai all the way!!!!
Karate is a complete art that is waking up to its fullness!!!
Pressure testing makes Karate diamonds!!!!
I can listen to a master all day every day… There is so much wisdom to appreciate!!!!
this mans school must be great he seems very sensible and wise he seems very approachable not caught up on tradition
Guy you don’t need anything more than open hand with kendo and bullets in your pocket. The Okinawa s live forever.
Funny …iwas preaching his 20 years back. Noone was pressure testing
And that is the first move in Bassai. Wow I love it
Hi Jesse as always excellent . Have you come across Geoff Thompson ? Karate black belt who for absolutely years has advocated and adapted pressure testing of karate.I think he also did a book on pressure testing.
i like how he used the analogy of bicycle
this also relates to other sports i'm currently interested in
for example, when someone learn motorcycling, by just jumping on the bike and trying it, that's used to be how most young people learned to ride motorcycles, but the problem was the high rate of motorcycle accidents
then motorcycling became a sport, and somehow started getting codified, but nowhere near what karate or some martial arts became
the question was how to make something complex and physical easier to teach, hence the drills
sometimes the sport itself became separate from the original pratical application that it's like nowhear near the real thing
like compare fencing and kendo to actual sword fighting or kenjistu, thats why there were some movements revive HEMA for example
another personal example i had to deal with, is how freediving evolved from spearfishing, but became separate
i train for freediving, and one rule about it, that makes it hard to practice or be useful for sprearfishing, is the never dive alone
yet most spearfishers dive alone (and ironically die alone)
in spearfishing there is no diving line, you don't always have luxury to dive relaxed in meditative state ..etc
so, really the sport can drift away from the real application that it won't become obvious how they are linked
but at the end of the day, the ones who practice the sport at least are a little bit prepared to face the real deal
and it won't take them ages to learn a pratical application for their sport when they have to
This mornings alignment of videos was no accident. Thank you again Jesse!
I've been working so hard this year to build the beginning of something new for warrior lifestyle driven individuals. (Wow! I'm late in this global wave going on.)
So far it's just a website domain and a journal book all hand written, but the more I click with and write down, the more I train and endure, the more I start to see the name and theme of whatever my heart is looking to find and give to this world of fellow warriors.
This morning watching your videos, especially this one, has really cleared all my self doubts about what I'm working toward.
Real karate Shorin Ryu but not all Shorin Ryu
Man, that dude can talk a lot🤣But since all that he's saying are wise words we have do nothing but listen.
Murphy was an OPTIMIST 😉😉😁.
Strike first, strike hard, no questions!
great video. remember though, don't trust eye pokes and nut shots to end a fight, it won't always work. i mean go ahead and try, but make sure you've got some good grab escapes or other get-away techniques to go with it. if the nut shot didn't put the guy down he's probably gonna be twice as mad now.
Kata is for learning the techniques. To apply the techniques effectively, we need lots of full contact free sparring. Aikido, Tai Chi and the traditional Internal Chinese Martial Arts hae lots of kata but no sparring! The result is that its practioners cannot apply the techniques effectively on the street or in an MMA ring! They are not effective against MMA fighters or Muay Thai boxers.
Okinawan Karate is a martial art and not a sport. Its techniques work on the street and in the battlefield.
The practice of full contact free sparring with a resisting partner is absolutely necessary! This trains you for real life self-defence. There are no rules or referees on the street or in the battlefield.
Mr.McCarthy is a genius and the greatest authority on Karate history and kata application.His understanding of the true essence of Karate is unmatched.We should be thankful for having such an individual among us.
Hanshi McCarthy was so knowledgeable and I could listen to him for countless hours. May he rest in peace. 🙏
why do anyone try to find a way , their martial art to work? is it so serious? yes you have spent years training in an art form , but combat has nothing to do with strict moves. Everything plays and anything goes! no athletic rules can stand in battle. poking eyes, hitting the nuts, scratches, anything goes!!!
Love ❤ from India……karate community should declare u….Savior of Okinawa karate…masihya figure
Punches and kicks to the face will always work
I'm living the same doubts and same yearnings of him with Aikido effectiveness. Now I'm trying a bit of BJJ in parallel of my Aikido training. I've planning to study a bit of Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, Kung fu by bringing the Senseis/Teachers to my Dojo to give us work shops or by me going to them. Basically, I'm seing me trough him!
Actually due to my view, knowledge we should do fights, I mean with master or with a companion we should practice our techniques regularly, then we can use them in a fight too. Isn't it, we should apply katas or any other things we learn ❤️
I am realizing more and more how old school my Sensei actually was. Many things you say some or most don't know was a part of our training. Even so far as putting on thick gloves and ACTUALLY fighting. We rolled around and used each other's gi and sweeps.. the works.
speech with sensei Gustavo Gondra
i read this at Vinicio Antony's book.
I wish this was happening in Judo
Love this video.
The passive resistance I learnt from Aikido. Working together using resistance when doing Kumite helps to understand kata so much more.
Sensei, what is the meaning of "hansi"
Sensei, what is the meaning of kihon
17:30 – you know that the Sensei is legit if he demonstrates the techniques on Putin.
I had an extensive background in Kyokushinkai, Wado Kai, and Shotokan. When I started Ed Parker’s Kenpo, much of the bunkai became clear to me and I found it to be particularly effective at making strong applications from the forms.
amazing lesson Sensei's
The belt system was created for sports. Therefore, anyone wearing a belt is in a sport. Being a good athlete will help in self defense, but it's not all you need to know to defend yourself. You need other things such as situational awareness, thinking ahead and having a weapon in case you get attacked by someone who's sole purpose is to murder you.