Fred Neff's martial arts books from Endless Fist Society, Inc.:
Karate Questions Answered by Fred Neff

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Lessons From The Samurai by Fred Neff Lessons From The Western Warriors by Fred Neff Lessons From The Art Of Kempo by Fred Neff Lessons From The Fighting Commandos by Fred Neff Lessons From The Japanese Masters by Fred Neff Lessons From The Eastern Warriors by Fred Neff Basic Karate Handbook by Fred Neff Keeping Fit by Fred Neff Self-Protection Guidebook For Girls And Women by Fred Neff

WARNING: THE ANSWERS TO READERS QUESTIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF TRAINING UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. READERS SHOULD TAKE PROPER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AT ALL TIMES WHEN PRACTICING MARTIAL ARTS INCLUDING:

  • Practicing defense and attack with a partner only under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

  • While practicing, always wear safety equipment such as a head guard, mouthpiece, groin-cup, knee guards and any other protective gear needed.

  • Any grappling or throwing should be done only on a thick mat designed for such use and then only under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

  • When practicing with a partner, do not put all of your force into a blow. Start your practice slowly and gradually with the consent of your partner speed up the execution of techniques. Practice full power techniques only on a punching bag-not on a human partner. The instructor should be present to supervise the practice session.

  • Do not make contact with your training partner unless he or she agrees to it, you are both wearing full safety equipment, you are sure that both people have the ability to control their blows, and you are supervised by your instructor.

  • During practice, never hit sensitive areas on your partner, such as the eyes, nose, throat, neck, ribs, groin, knees, or any area, along the centerline on the rear of the body. Do not even pretend to throw blows to such sensitive areas on a practice partner.

  • Do not apply locks or throws without your opponent understanding in advance that you are working on these types of techniques. Work out a warning system with your partner in advance of practice. Never surprise your training partner with a throw, sweep, lock or hold and be sure that your partner is ready to start before executing these techniques. No throws should be done until the person to be thrown has been properly trained by a qualified instructor on falling. Do not practice any technique with someone who does not understand what is required in martial art practice. Make sure a qualified instructor explains and demonstrates any new techniques to you and your partner. Treat all training partners with respect and consideration for their safety.

Are ancient martial arts as effective as modern fighting systems such as karate?
Answer by Fred Neff: Ancient systems of martial arts share many elements with modern-day karate. The use of formal weapons was, however, a substantial part of these early combat-oriented arts. Many fighting techniques were designed for life-and-death struggles. Modern karate is primarily an empty-hand system of self-defense, with weapons used in some karate schools as supplementary training instruments. Although karate can be dangerous if misused, many karate teachers protect against this by teaching karate techniques appropriate for use in modern self-defense. Both ancient martial arts and modern karate would be extremely effective in a real-life confrontation.

In what ways are the samurai fighting arts different from karate?
Answer by Fred Neff: Samurai unarmed fighting arts derive from a combination of ancient Japanese grappling and seizing techniques and Chinese influenced fighting techniques. Many schools of pratical self-defense came out of these sources. The various samurai systems put emphasis on different techniques. In general, however, they shared a common goal, which was to use hand-to-hand fighting techniques to supplement weapons when fighters were close and could not use sword, bow, spear, or other weapon. These were the fighting arts of nobility and were primarily used by them. They were extremely effective combat techniques that were not for sport or artistic demonstrations.

Karate came from the island of Okinawa where the people developed it to defend against the raids of pirates and the attempted conquest by samurai warriors. Because Okinawans were not allowed to use weapons, they developed an art that later became known as karate, that would allow them to fight either empty-handed or with ordinary tools. Overtime, various families of empty-handed techniques developed. Each of these schools was extremely effective and put a heavy emphasis on punching and kicking techniques. The Japanese brought the art that is now known as karate to Japan around the turn of the century. Over time, it came to be called karate, meaning "empty hand way."

When should I use my karate training?
Answer by Fred Neff: The first rule of karate is that you should use your karate training only when you are in danger of being physically harmed. Unless this danger exists, there is no need for you to prove your strength and skill in karate. Because your knowledge of karate gives you a physical advantage over others, you have a greater responsibility to avoid fights. This means practicing self-control in the use of karate so that you can ignore verbal threats, insults, and other challenges.

What are the basic principles of karate for students of self-defense?
- A karate student should practice self-coontrol at all times.
- A karate student should never use a fighhting technique against another person unless he or she is in danger of being physically harmed.
- A karate student should always remember that along with increased strength and skill in karate goes a greater responsibility to show kindness and respect toward others.

Further questions and answers by Fred Neff related to karate
can be found in the martial arts books by Fred Neff we sell.


Lessons From The Samurai by Fred Neff Lessons From The Western Warriors by Fred Neff Lessons From The Art Of Kempo by Fred Neff Lessons From The Fighting Commandos by Fred Neff Lessons From The Japanese Masters by Fred Neff Lessons From The Eastern Warriors by Fred Neff Basic Karate Handbook by Fred Neff Keeping Fit by Fred Neff Self-Protection Guidebook For Girls And Women by Fred Neff

♦ Home page ♦ About us ♦ About Fred Neff's martial arts books ♦ Who is Fred Neff? ♦ What others are saying about Fred Neff's books ♦
♦ Frequently asked questions answered by Fred Neff: who was Fred Neff? ♦ Kempo questions answered by Fred Neff; ♦ Ju-jitsu questions answered by Fred Neff; ♦
♦ Karate questions answered by Fred Neff; ♦ Kung-fu questions answered by Fred Neff; ♦ Self-defense questions answered by Fred Neff ♦
♦ Response to Reader's Questions ♦ Biography of Fred Neff ♦ Media quotes about Fred Neff ♦ How to order Fred Neff's books ♦ Links ♦

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