Karate Stupid: A True Story of Survival

Posted on 01 April 2018 by Scott Langley

The Japanese Instructors Course is infamous in the Karate world In 1997 it had been running for 50 years, with less than one hundred people successfully completing it only four of which had been non Japanese In the same year Scott Langley was at the top of his game, a third degree black belt, captain of the British JKS National Team and JKS European and World Champion He moved to Japan with a secret plan to be the fifth foreigner to complete the course This is the true story of Scott s Journey, spanning five years, chronicling the highs and lows of facing karate s toughest challenge and how he learnt to survive and never give in.In Autumn 2013 Scott sent this book to his Sensei in Japan for their approval They responded immediately declaring the book to be full of lies and misrepresentations of Japan and forbade him to publish it He was suspended for a month and then affectively expelled in January 2014 Suddenly, his 30 year relationship with Japanese karate had abruptly come to an end This had been major a part of his entire karate life and he had dedicated himself to its values and rules, running a karate organization in Ireland for over ten years He never wanted to jeopardize his position or damage the reputation of the group However, unfortunately, the sacrifices he made during this true story are nothing compared to the sacrifices he has had to make to publish it About the Author Scott Langley began karate in 1985 Showing a rare combination of aptitude, dedication and love of the art, Scott rose through the grades at a steady rate In 1991 he gained his black belt However, this was just the beginning He quickly began winning national competitions and in 1993 was selected for the Japan Karate Shotorenmei national team While at university he trained daily at his university club and under the guidance of Sadashige Kato 8th Dan By the time Scott graduated, he was a 3rd Dan and had become one of the youngest people to win the JKS World Championships But this was just the foundation of what lay ahead In 1997 Scott moved to Japan to train full time at the World Headquarters In 2000 he was invited to enter the elusive instructors course and after two years of intensive training, graduated, becoming only the fifth westerner to complete the challenge He moved to Ireland with a mandate to promote the JKS within the British Isles Within a decade Scott s group had become the biggest single style association in the UK and Ireland and was as big at the JKS in Japan He now teaches fulltime at www.hombudojokarate.com Best Read Karate Stupid: A True Story of Survival Author Scott Langley For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr I have a split review Overall, I enjoyed the story of a Irishman taking the JKS Instructor course in Japan and the challenges overcome I enjoyed the look into Japanese society.But the writing is not great in some spots, especially in describing the actual Karate practice and why it was difficult Also writing a tell all book after going through this process might have been tempting but it comes across as petty in places If he was granted a license to teach abroad and fee waived by JKS why I have a split review Overall, I enjoyed the story of a Irishma...I ordered the book onand devoured it in a single afternoon Great, honest read and gives a good insight in what separates hobbyists such as myself at this point and truly dedicated karateka.It also sends a clear warning...Excellent book Excellent book, a must read for those interested in karate training in Japan The story keeps you hooked, I couldn t put it downI enjoyed reading Karate Stupid by Scott Langley Karate Stupid , is an inspirational read for anyone looking for motivation and self discovery Langley, a UK resident and graduate of Keele University where he majored in geography and anthropology, his minor would seem to have been in Karate If karate was actually offered as a course curriculum it would have been his major, as he indicates in the book that he studied karatethan any of his university courses while pursuing his I enjoyed reading Karate Stupid by Scott Langley Karate Stupid , is an inspirational read for anyone looking for motivation and self discovery Langley, a UK resident and graduate of Keele University where he majored in geography and anthropology, his minor would seem to have been in Karate If karate was actually offered as a course curriculum it would have been his major, as he indicates in the book that he studied karatethan any of his university courses while pursuing his degree Karate Stupid , all of the blood stained pages, are Langley s detailed and explicit memoir from his days studying karate in Tokyo, Japan at the world headquarters of the Japan Karate Shot...There is a particular decadence a degeneracy in much Japanese martial arts It is exemplified by the idea that one trains for the sake of training an infection of Zen ideology The body is devalued, so that any injury incurred in practice, any violation, is acceptable, because one is training to polish one s spirit A true martial art , on the other hand, is a training methodology that is a means to an end One should be training combatives to prepare, on some level, for combat That is There is a particular decadence a degeneracy in much Japanese martial arts It is exemplified by the idea that one trains for the sake of training an infection of Zen ideology The body is devalued, so that any injury incurred in practice, any violation, is acceptable, because one is training to polish one s spirit A true martial art , on the other hand, is a training methodology that is a means to an end One should be training combatives to prepare, on some level, for combat That is not to say that those who have a hobby are wasting time Rather, the martial arts study should vivify the individual so that they are stronger andresponsive able to use the power they acquire to contribute to life I m not asserting that Mr Langley is not capable of such a contribution nor that he is probably quite able to protect himself in a fight Rather, I m discussing ...Karate Stupid is a very unique tale of someone whom defied odds and rose above to be the best that he could be in a tough situation Becoming a black belt is already difficult enough, and this book also touches on cultural and racial difficulties that affected Scott as he made it to the top There are a lot of different clashes that can take place between cultures and it can definitely be difficult as a white person to assimilate into Asian culture Also, growing up non Asian, you have to fight Karate Stupid is a very unique tale of someone whom defied odds and rose above to be the best that he could be in a tough situation Becoming a black belt is already difficult enough, and this book also touches on cultural and racial difficulties that affected Scott as he made it to the top There are a lot of different clashes that can take place between cultures and it can definitely be difficult as a white person to ...The strengths of this memoir are it s entertainment value and the sometimes painfully vulnerable honesty of it Mr Langley is not always a polished writer as far as grammar and smooth turns of phrase go, but he vividly and successfully describes his incredible adventure I suspect the very lack of polish actually made me feelconnected to him He just lays it all out there without holding back, his emotions and opinions weaving in an out of each other You feel you are given a chance just The strengths of this memoir are it s entertainment value and the sometimes painfully vulnerable honesty of it Mr Langley is not always a polished writer as far as grammar and smooth turns of phrase go, but he vividly and successfully describes his incredible adventure I suspect the very lack of polish actually made me feelconnected to him He just lays it all out there without h...Read It Stupid A Thoroughly Entertaining tale of Insanity, Determination and KarateFor many years I have seen this book pop up in recommended reading lists for martial artists and I am very glad to have finally gotten to it Karate Stupid is equal parts endearing, disturbing and hilarious as it recounts the author s attempt to obtain his Karate Instructor certificate, an immensely difficult task for any local Japanese man or woman, let alone a foreigner from a strange land.On the way he must Read It Stupid A Thoroughly Entertaining tale of Insanity, Determination and KarateFor many years I have seen this book pop up in recommended reading lists for martial artists and I am very glad to have finally gotten to it Karate Stupid is equal parts endearing, disturbing and hilarious as it recounts the author s attempt to obtain his Karate Instructor certificate, an immensely difficult tas...A fascinating read about a young man s 2 year sojourn in the JKS hombu headquarters dojo, completing their infamous instructor course only the 5th westerner to do so, in 55 years Brutal reading, and telling the truth about his experience got him kicked out of the society for good It ...Inspirational and admiration are the only words I have for this book Enough said.

01 April 2018

Scott Langley