WHEELCHAIR KARATE

As an instructor of Wheelchair Karate, as developed by my late teacher Shuseki-Shihan Tetsuhiko Asai (10th Dan), I regularly receive emails and phone calls asking questions about it.
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The main point I would like to emphasise is the fact that Kurumaisu (Wheelchair) karate is technically very-very difficult and is useful for all practicing karateka. Wheelchair karate taught me (and many of my senior students) how to make `soft shoulders' which results in the dramatic improvement of snap, thus intensifying impact power.

One of my students, who was wheelchair bound, developed such incredible shoulder snap, he would put to shame many of the world's top karate exponents. This in itself illustrates that kurumaisu karate is easily on a par with what is incorrectly considered to be `normal karate'. The fact is Wheelchair Karate is right up there with all other forms of budo (martial arts), and its practitioners often have superior technical skills making up for any disadvantages they may or may not have.

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Personally I don't see wheelchair karate and able bodied karate, rather I see good karate and not good karate.

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For more information on Wheelchair karate please click on the following link: http://andrebertel.blogspot.com/2009/07/asai-wheelchair-karate.html

© André Bertel, New Zealand 2010.