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Is a World Congress for Martial Arts (Karate) feasible or possible one day that helps Govern and Weed out Egos and Money making Mills, etc..?

Something that represent every style that is proven somehow authentic, lets skip the Symantec's for now, the concept of a World Congress for Martial Arts, or even Karate a possible concept?

If you think so please tell me why and if you do no believe so please also tell me why.

I am curious to see how others feel about this topic one where all are represented equally helping rid us all of all those real young 10-15th Dan's for ex or self made named Styles with no lineage or history past its teacher and so on.

I myself am not sure if it is even possible or not... why i ask you others your thoughts on it... really no wrong or right answers here either btw. lets be kind and remember we are M.A. only T.U for people unless a real rude post no T.D.s please a show of respect of all's opinions if you would please. Ty.

Update:

I do agree with you all implementing this would be incredibly difficult mb impossible. Perhaps some form of committee per major branch of art to at least legitimize & be used by common folk searching places out to weed out those Mills? Even ones that broke away can still prove a lineage. An Online database of all places and instructors only this is for reference checking.. my thoughts...just someway to confirm if a teacher or school is not robbing you with flash and glitter scams.

Update 2:

Once more great answers and hard to choose... I too agree it would be impossible as most cannot agree as it is and I am all too familiar with Shotokai and Shotokan history... thats just one style. This is not my idea to have a World Congress, was curious if others felt as I did, it just will not work.

6 Answers

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  • Kokoro
    Lv 7
    5 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Its not possible,

    There are tens of thousands of styles. You are never going to get them all into one organization. And very few of those styles use a ranking system only the Japanese, Korean and a few others have some type of ranking system.

    When the ranking system first began it in Japan was controlled by the Japanese educational system or the ministry of education under FAJKO that started back sometime in the late 1800's, if I remember correctly. The style had to be registered and approved by them, as well as your rank, title and ability to teach. Even if it was a legitimate linage it often didnt get approved, it was more political back then as well. Okinawan karate took more then a decade to get approved by them.

    That was one country and was riddled with issues.

    Now you are multiplying that by tens of thousands of styles rather then a few thousand on a global level. You would need one central body. If you take just karate alone, they will never be under one central body, and that is because everyone wants to be the Indian chief and no one wants to be the Indian.

    Besides a lot of those organizations wont even recognize the other one. Take karate for example When Ray Dalkey started the AJKA, the JKA refused to recognize them because of some bitterness. Not only that but there wasnt any Japanese organization that would recognize them, in fact all the Japanese organizations considered Ray Dalkey dead to them. But that is a long store.

    Shotokai and the JKA also had issues, which is part of why shotokan was created.

    In short its a political nightmare. Most styles wont join for one dumb reason or another. As much as its needed.

  • Lex
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    That is about the worst idea I ever heard. A world congress of martial arts will do nothing more than invite more egos, more money making mills, and more corruption then there already is. And the fact you even suggest it, shows you never put any actual thought on what the real problem is and where it is. And it's not as though your suggestion is too hard. It's too easy. When you create something like that, scum will always rise to the top.

    It's not even a unique idea. It's been done on a much smaller scale time and time again and always failed. Most schools fall under an association that is suppose to set standards for practice. And while the idea is noble, slowly but surely politics come in. Ranking becomes less about skill and more about how much money someone threw into the organization. Teachers of genuine merit are exploited for name only. Serious students who say "Wait a minute" are forced out. Ideas are shut down simply because they're different and thus the art starts to decay.

    Ironically the fact those terrible schools exist is actually a good thing. Yeah, you can sit around and get upset at how they keep students ignorant, but remember that students have a choice too. Many of those schools don't keep their students long term. The ones who are just looking for rank aren't ones those of us in good schools want to deal with anyway, and those schools keep them away from us. The ones that are looking for something, eventually leave and seek out the good schools. Very few of those bad schools keep students.

  • 5 years ago

    There are way to many martial arts out there. Just going by legit ones. And even more with self made ones WITH a lineage who broke away form the main group.

    Secondly each martial art or martial science (if you will) have different syllabus and languages even concepts.

    To have a concept you ask would devaluate any autonomy.

    A example would be Kukkiwon. They merged a lot of TKD took away the individuality and bastardized it.

    But I do agree there are many fake arts and instructors out there. And yes there should be some oversight. Even in some legit martial arts there are many ill qualified instructors and schools out there.

    As for your idea it has some merit but just look at every group that has something like this. It boils down to control and money(greed). And who would oversee them? Sometimes you just can't go by the book. You have to go by ability. This would cause issues with the controlling party. Not to mention fees (money/greed).

  • 5 years ago

    In my 48+ years of martial arts I have seen more and more division in the martial arts. first there are perhaps a thousand styles or more. Then there are variations of styles. People can't agree even in one style I have seen several large martial arts organizations have unhappy members split off and form yet another organization. The standards from one style to another are so different it is impossible to have one organization that could govern all styles. I for one would want no part of any group no matter who they were that wanted to tell me how to run my style. I know several hundred master instructors that I can guess would also not want to be a part of any global governing group. The U.S.Government has looked into trying to regulate the martial arts in the U.S.A. they gave up the idea at least 20 years ago.

    Source(s): Martial arts training and research over 48 years (since 1967) Teaching martial arts since 1973
  • Riki3
    Lv 5
    5 years ago

    Back in the 90's the government here in New Zealand tried to do just that eg, have a single governing body and even asked my teacher to help, my teacher said it would be impossible, in the end they gave up on that concept but.... wrote legislation on health and safety procedures and processes under the sport and recreation guidelines, which in the end was crap anyway.

  • 5 years ago

    Not really Moore's Karate is my base technique for anything I learn .

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