Cal Karate Club

in - no experience necessary. Regular training at Cal-Berkeley consists of the learning and practicing of basic techniques (punches, kicks, blocks, and guards), kata (prearranged sequences of offensive and defensive techniques), kihon kumite (prearranged sparring forms), and jiyu kumite (free sparring). Karate-do means "the way of the empty hand," which is significant in several respects. First, in karate, we train without weapons and, thus, with empty (kara) hands (te). Second, empty, or "kara," also refers to an ideal mental state in which the mind is cleared of desires, anxieties, fears, concerns, preoccupations, and distractions, focused entirely in a complete and pure awareness. And, third, do or way emphasizes the spiritual and intellectual nature of what we do. Karate is not just about fighting techniques and physical conditioning, but spiritual and intellectual training and discipline as well. As Sensei Hidetaka Abe says, "Karate is a way of life." If you are interested in trying out, contact club representative at [email protected].