The Evolution of Martial Arts

An Insider's Look At How Combat Sports Have Evolved From Traditional Karate To Ultra-Modern MMA

As Told To Anthony Presciano Jr.

Well, there it is, the proverbial cat is out of the bag people. Yes, I'm a junior and I'm damn proud of it! For those of you who may not know me, or even be that familiar with what I do, allow me to kick this off with a little introduction.

I'm Anthony Presciano, director of Customer Service at BSN. In addition to that, I'm also a former college football player for the New Mexico Lobos, a current Team BSN athlete and one huge mixed martial arts (MMA) fan. In fact, the whole idea for this article came to me as I was watching a recent UFC® Pay-Per-View. As I watched this event, it hit me like a ton of bricks just how far this sport has come. You see, I grew up in a martial arts hotbed of sorts. My dad was (and still is) a second degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He also owned his own dojo where he had many high profile clients, including members of the Cleveland police force. He even competed in tournaments where he was a stand-out combatant. In short, he knows his stuff when it comes to the world of martial arts! Given that, I decided to sit down with him to discuss the evolution of martial arts from traditional Karate to the MMA boom we've seen recently. From Bruce Lee to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson if you will, we cover all the bases in this in-depth feature!

JR: Dad, thanks for doing this. Great to have you here!
SR: My pleasure Anthony. Glad to be here.

JR: Ok, let's get right down to it and start with the basics. What exactly is Karate?
SR: Good question and a great way to start. Though most people have heard of Karate, I suspect that they truly don't understand what it really is. Karate is, and always has been, a method of self-defense, never a technique of aggression. However, it is much more that that, and I think this is the part that most people don't realize. To the sincere student, Karate is a form of combined physical and mental discipline, from which he or she can build character and learn the value of personal attributes, such as kindness and sincerity. The Karateka (user of Karate) never brings his or her techniques into serious play unless a threat is unequivocal, and his or her defenses are inadequate.

JR: What about Kata? How do they fit into Karate?
SR: Kata are the formal exercises of Karate, which serve two basic purposes: (1) bodybuilding, which includes muscle strengthening and bone hardening and (2) reflex training. In each Kata, there are a number of stances and a sequence of techniques that the Karateka executes, as he or she visualizes being surrounded by enemies. Stances are body positions, while techniques are actions. In a nutshell, Kata are aimed at developing rhythm and coordination.

JR: What are the main Kata movements?
SR: The four fundamental movements of the Kata include: Uke (blocking), Tsuki (punching),Uchi (striking), and Keri (kicking). In terms of both complexity and the time required to complete them, each movement has its own meaning and function.

JR: Wow, this is awesome stuff! Before we get any deeper into this though, let me backtrack a little. How did you first get into martial arts?
SR: Ah, that takes me back! I must have been all of about 21 years old when, while working out at our local YMCA, I stumbled onto several people in white uniforms punching, kicking, and blocking in a totally padded room within the massive fitness center. The instructor was short, but I could see that he was in good shape as he drove his punches and kicks with force into an old, beat up heavy bag, nearly puncturing it with each staggering blow. It was at that exact moment that I became fascinated with wanting to master whatever he was doing. I waited for his class to end and I approached him, introduced myself and asked if I could join the class. I was then as I am today; excited, enthused and determined to become a permanent & loyal student of the discipline.

JR: Were you a natural for the sport?
SR: Though my natural athletic ability helped me conquer the basics, it was really my passion for Karate that drove me. My thirst for more information and techniques became an obsession. I began to gather literature on traditional Karate, including books on Bruce Lee. I trained harder and harder with each and every class, desperately trying to become the best martial artist I could be. When I wasn't practicing at the dojo, I was training at home, at work and on my lunch hour, becoming better and better. I even remember consulting with a few physicians to learn more about the human body in terms of bone structure, all the major muscle groups and nerves. I mean I was addicted!

JR: How far did you advance in your first year?
SR: I advanced through each level of the ranking system and became a first degree black belt by the end of one year. During that period I also entered many Karate tournaments, taking away trophies on all occasions, leaving a few battered combatants behind along the way.

JR: I love it! When did it hit you that you wanted to do more with the sport?
SR: In my second year of studying, I earned my second degree black belt and put myself in position to test for a third degree black belt shortly thereafter. As time went on though, I realized that my interest in Karate was much deeper than just being a competitive fighter. I wanted to become the teacher and I desired to have my own dojo. With that in mind, I started to pursue the instinct of becoming a successful sensei in my own right, and began conversations with an old high school friend of mine named Lou Verdi, who was just out of the Armed Forces and now teaching the same discipline that I had grown to love.

JR: I remember Lou! Is that when you two decided to team up and open up your own dojo?
SR: Yes, good memory Anthony! Lou was also a black belt in Japanese Shotokan Karate, which he learned in the Philippines, while my sensei had taught me an Okinawan style. Eventually we decided to team up, combine our talents and open up a new dojo outside of the YMCA. We wanted to build a club that was free from prejudicial thinking, so we called it The Dameshi School of Karate, meaning "tower of strength" in Japanese. We also joined the United States Karate Association (U.S.K.A.) so all of our students' rankings would be certifiable and official.

JR: Ah, the glory days!
SR: So true. I have many great memories from that time in my life.

JR: Switching gears a little bit here, what's the biggest similarity you see between the teachings in your dojo and the way Karate was practice then, to today's MMA boom?
SR: The recurring theme throughout both past and present schools of thought is the necessity for a strong foundation, or stance. I mean, if you build a house on a weak foundation it will topple and fall apart. A fighter's stance is the foundation for all techniques, and it must be very strong. Take notice the next time that you are watching an MMA Pay-Per-View event and you will most certainly find the person with the weakest foundation is the one who will ultimately lose. Whether utilizing standing power, or building your ground game, the foundation and true measure of one's endurance always starts and ends with your legs. When a fighter's stance is sacrificed, failure becomes inevitable, and usually is only seconds away.

JR: What's the biggest difference?
SR: No question, the fighters themselves. Today's MMA warriors are trained to ultimately become veterans in the many schools of fighting, not just Karate. I'm talking about martial arts, boxing, wrestling, Thai boxing, Waza (take-downs while breaking bones in one motion), the art of submissions, and just plain street fighting are just a few of the forms being utilized. These warriors are always in great shape and they practice their craft many hours a day. Their goal is to go for a knockout or a submission hold that will render their opponent helpless or unconscious. In this day and age, you had better be prepared both mentally and physically if you are going to step inside a fighting arena!

JR: How else has the sport evolved?
SR: I'm fascinated by the continued emergence of ground fighting. As fighters have advanced over the years and have become more versatile, they realized a great deal of damage could be inflicted with a powerful ground game. To be honest with you, today's MMA fighters combine several styles and hundreds of years of worldwide influence - much of it associated with ground work. Call me old-fashioned, even though you can learn to fight from the ground, a great fighter will take you out as soon as he/she takes your legs out from under you.

JR: What do you attribute these changes to?
SR: I can sum up the answer to that question in one word – society. Society has changed so much since I trained, having evolved to meet the demands of the public. The more blood and action the better! Hell, the Romans use to put gladiators into "corralled combat" as 80,000 people cheered them on to the death, whether by gladiator or by lion. The truth is, our current society is based on the same mindset – bigger, faster and stronger is always better. That's why people love to see knock-outs. You can count on a full speed ahead mentality as humans will continue to raise the bar and fighters will continue to perfect their style(s).

JR: Thanks Dad. That was a great account of how martial arts has been shaped and has changed over the course of the last several years.
SR: No problem. I hope that I've given you informative and helpful insights into traditional Karate compared to modern martial arts. I truly brought myself back forty years and tried to give you the best that my training gave me, as a young, aspiring and impressionable student.

JR: Any closing words?
SR: As a student, I truly feel a respect and gratitude for the instruction I received. For me it is not just the ritual; it is the permanent change in character.

JR: Well put Pop!

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