doeit | Miyagi-do Karate

MIYAGI-DO KARATE: INNER BALANCE AND DEFENCE

When the fight comes to you, you have to be ready to fight back.

WHAT IS MIYAGI-DO?

Miyagi-do is an Okinawan style of karate focusing on inner balance and self-defence, which also offers meditation separately or as part of the class. It is similar to gōjū-ryū, which focuses on circular movement, grappling, throws, joint-locks, hard strikes, and overall defence.

There are two rules to the dojo:

Karate for Defense Only.
First learn rule number 1.

While the karate style is still offensive, it offers responses to attacks, aligning with the principles of Miyagi-do to be more about protection of the individual than solely 'winning'. The goal of the dojo is to help an individual become comfortable with their own body and how they respond, and also to help them find ways of dealing with threats that work with them. After all, if you can avoid a fight? Then no be there.

There is also a large emphasis on balance: where you accept the anger and hard times in your life, but don't let it be all that consumes you. You can know all the moves, but that means nothing if you don't have balance.

Any ages are welcomed, as well as levels of experience. Classes are offered one-on-one but also in groups, especially those learning similar kata and for meditation. Miyagi-do also welcomes those looking for advice on defence without committing to the dojo, as it hopes to provide aid for escape and corruption, and generally helping to protect the civilians of Trench.

TRAINING

Students will be guided through repetitive motions that will get them used to responding to threats appropriately, and becoming swift and comfortable in executing them. This process is known as kata, which promotes muscle memory and discipline. This can be taught meditatively as well, if a person is more focused on balance than fighting.

For an idea of what kata looks like and how it helps, please look at these:

Wax on, wax off (have u seen karate kid, brother)
Taikyoku Gedan
Taikyoku Kake Uke

Weapon training will be offered to students after they've learnt the basics of Miyagi-do kata as these involve katas too, so becoming confident in hand-to-hand will help when moving onto weaponry. Available weapon classes are:

Bō: A six-foot staff.
Nunchaku: Chained sticks.
Tanbō: Shorter staff, can be used in pairs.
Kama: Sickle-like weaponry used in pairs.

Magic training is also available, and can work alongside weapon training. Students looking to implement their blood magic or other supernatural skills into self-defence are welcomed, and teachers will help them to explore the ways they can use their powers to escape dangerous situations. Coldblood amulets with an affinity towards ice are available for practice, and a specialty of Sensei LaRusso's.

FACILITIES

The dojo is situated in Crenshaw at Daniel LaRusso's own home, and has an indoor and outdoor dojo available (both of which can be accessed through a side door that goes around the side of the house). White gis are made available to new students.

The indoor dojo is relatively small, just one room, and more suited for private training or one-on-one sparring rather than big group trainings. It is, however, good for group meditation sessions.

The outdoor dojo is much bigger, with the feeling of a zen garden - though with a lot more zen than garden, considering the relative lack of vegetation in Trench. There's an open space for group training, but there is also more specific equipment available, like a punching bag and a pond with a circular balancing board in the middle of it, perfect for balance exercises.

STUDENT LIST

strongroots

ROBBY KEENE

toteninsel

ARIANE YEONG

possessum

PETER GRAHAM

icanhearscreams

JUN USHIRO

wannasmash

IZUKU "DEKU" MIDORIYA

centile

SHIGEO KAGEYAMA

good_mourning

SUNNY

romancekiller

CLARKE GRIFFIN

CONTACT

ICly Daniel LaRusso can as the dojo's main sensei be contacted about anything on his Omni. OOCly all questions can be sent to the player, either through a private message to Daniel's journal (

miyagimagic) or over at