Ashihara Karate - A Full Contact Karate Style

Ashihara Karate (or Ashihara Kaikan) is a Japanese martial arts that utilizes full contact sparring. This full contact Karate style also focuses on the ability to fight against multiple attackers and being able to defend oneself in a "street fight". This martial arts and various splinter groups have schools in Japan, United States, Europe, South Africa, Singapore, etc. Ashihara Karate is an offshoot of Kyokushin Karate.

Ashihara uses traditional Karate techniques as well as techniques from Muay Thai, Boxing, Jujutsu, etc. Ashihara Karate relies on the Sabaki method which uses body positioning in order to turn an opponent's power and momentum against them.

In addition to full contact sparring, Ashihara Karate uses Ashihara katas such as the Throwing Kata (Nage no Kata), Sparring Kata (Kumite no Kata), Fighting Kata (Jissen no Kata) and Self-Defense Kata (Goshin no Kata). According to Wikipedia, "Ashihara Karate is called a modern style, in part, for its revolutionary katas have no historical influence from traditional Samurai era karate katas, every move (strike, footwork, block or sweep) is effective in a street fight with the karateka envisioning an opponent and once the kata is mastered by the karateka it will then be performed with an attacker, with the karateka grading solo and with an attacker".

Reference Sources

1. Wikipedia, Ashihara Kaikan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashihara_kaikan, Added - 10/21/16