Okinawan Karate School, 444 W Housatonic St, Pittsfield, MA 01201, US

About TFK TFK is a locally owned business, established in 2004. Owner and Chief Instructor Keith A. Mutch has been teaching martial arts for over 15 years. TFK's mission is to open the study of martial arts to people of all ages and abilities, enabling any student to achieve a high standard of skill. TFK strives to be an active and responsible member of its community, and to encourage and support individuals and families as they work to reach their goals. What We Teach Martial arts styles are typically described as resting somewhere on a continuum from "Hard" to "Soft", or "External" to "Internal." In the simplest terms, although this is by no means a complete description, a hard style is one that depends greatly on physical strength; force is used against force; a block is used to deflect an incoming strike. Motions tend to be simple and linear. Karate is a good example of this type of style. Soft arts, on the other hand, focus on deflecting the opponent's attack hard style, using more circular motions. Aikido and T'ai Chi are examples of soft styles. Most styles, like Kempo, fall somewhere along that continuum. Soft and hard styles each offer distinct advantages. Harder styles, although relying on the student's strength, are also typically quicker to learn and put into practice. Softer styles typically require a longer period of study for the student to become proficient, but do not require as much physical strength and can therefore be practical for a wider range of people. Kempo & Karate Kempo and Karate are the core of our below-black belt curriculum. Kempo evolved from the teachings of Buddhist monk Bodhidharma ( c. 520 BC ). Bodhidharma apparently traveled to the Shaolin temple in China, and finding the monks there to be out-of-shape due to their focus on physically inactive meditation, he stayed and taught to them a conditioning system in exchange for their teachings and lodging. The evolution of Kempo from its early roots to its modern form is difficult to trace. However, at the beginning of the seventeenth century two Japanese families brought knowledge of Kempo from China to Kyushu in Japan. This art was modified throughout the years into one of its current forms, Kosho Ryu Kempo or Old Pine Tree school. It is from here that most modern forms of Kempo are derived. James Mitose is commonly credited with bringing Kempo to the United States. Kempo is a practical martial art that focuses on close combat, low, targeted kicks, and detailed hand techniques. The word Karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand; thus, karate means "empty hand." Karate, with its straightforward linear striking style and focus on power is an important element of our basic curriculum.