By Jokokan Federation

Exercise not only gives us physical and mental energy in an often hectic everyday life, but it is now proven that it also adds several years to our life span. The medical journal "The New England Journal of Medicine" published a study between the connection between physical form and life expectancy. There was a very clear connection, regardless of whether the 6,213 people examined had been healthy from the beginning or had suffered from heart & vascular diseases. The study showed that poor physical fitness is a far greater risk factor for dying prematurely than lifestyle diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes and smoking.

This study is supported by, among other things of a Danish study from the University of Copenhagen of 32,000 Danish men and women. This study further concludes that it e.g. It is not obesity in itself that is the main problem, but that obesity is a symptom of many years of inactivity and poor nutrition, which in turn increases the risk of dying from lifestyle diseases. The interesting thing is that obese people in good physical shape have no excess mortality.

Many scientific experiments and experiences also show that psychomental factors, such as ability to concentrate, self-awareness, mental stress and endurance, stress level, hormonal disturbances and weakening of the immune system are positively affected in step with the physical and psychological improvement. If you add to that a sensible nutrition, this further supports this result.

If this physical, mental and spiritual training is structured and targeted according to one's own wishes, motivation and will, this can produce fantastically positive results - internally and externally.

We can offer this in Jokokan, as we have extensive knowledge and experience in this area. We are so lucky at Jokokan that we have up-to-date knowledge and experience both scientifically and alternatively in these areas.

Jokokan's motto is "To create whole and happy people, and there is room for everyone". This is what we practice and strive to do, and practice in all our schools all the time.

The mental and spiritual backbone of Jokokan is Yakami-ryu RYUGI. Ryugi is the value and philosophical foundation, based on eight forces and 12 principles. RYUHA is the technical system and the physical and mental backbone of Yakami-ryu. In Yakami-ryu, Ryuha and Ryugi are inextricably linked, like darkness and light.

Ryuha, which is the technical system, provides fantastic physical as well as mental exercise and challenge. The development of Yakami's techniques has been going on for over 1,000 years, and is ongoing, as everything can be done more optimally today than yesterday. In addition to a continuous improvement in balance, coordination, physical and mental well-being and form, you will quickly experience a significant improvement in breathing and heart rate, as the heart and circulatory system quickly adapt to the training. This will happen after 4-6 weeks of constant Yakami-ryu training. The development of the muscles' capacity, on the other hand, is a little slower, but after typically 3-5 months of training, you will see a very clear difference with constant Yakami-ryu training. And after a few more months of constant Yakami-ryu training, flexibility and strength will develop significantly in the tendons, cartilage and skeleton.

This difference in the development of the body's various components is the basis for most injuries during a build-up process. Jokokan's experienced instructors are very aware of this, so that the body can expand its limits of strength, flexibility and endurance throughout life. However, each individual person has their natural limit, both in terms of time and "genetically". Genetically, each person has a limit when it comes to oxygen uptake, muscle type, reaction speed, coordination ability, etc., but also in terms of the human life cycle of priorities, responsibilities and areas of interest.

There is also room for this in Jokokan. However, we do have one rule in Jokokan and that is; "That knowledge obliges".

Any Jokokan member who obtains unique knowledge is expected to pass this on to anyone who wants this knowledge. In this way, we will grow and develop together, and as many as possible can benefit from each other's knowledge and insight.

All people have something to offer and all people have something to receive.

Jokokan's physical and mental training packages
In the Jokokan Association, we have divided the physical and mental training into two training parts according to the goals, motivation and will of each Jokokaner:

• Primary training is Yakami-ryu Karate-do
• Secondary training is Yakami-ryu Taijutsu
• Tertiary supplementary training

In the Association for Yakami-ryu Taijutsu, Honbu-dojo, the priority between the primary and secondary training part is reversed.

For 1½ years, we have tested various sports test packages for brown and black belt graduations, as a tertiary supplementary training. We have used the principle of combination training or popularly said; Cross-training, which combines different exercises and sports disciplines, as this versatile training can provide stronger muscles and fewer strain injuries.

These test packages also have the following purposes:

• Build physical and mental fitness and endurance
• Build a constant discipline during the build-up period
• Implement requirements according to several predetermined minimum targets
• Ensure that the graduate has the necessary form, both mentally and physically, to complete Jokokan's total shiai (freestyle) with good effort, attitude and attitude
• Ensure that the graduate has the will to complete and this usually results in some form of personal "victory and encouragement" to exceed their own negative set limits
• Maintain a certain level of physical fitness between graduations, and ensure that "what you don't yet have in engineering can be compensated mentally and physically in the short term through good physical and mental fitness"

Who have we tested the sports packages on?:

• Brown belt aspirants (4th kyu)
• Brown belts (3rd kyu – 1st kyu)
• Black belt (1st – 3rd dan)
• Black belt (4th dan – 6th dan)
• Black belt (7th Dan – 10th Dan)
• Age group (15 years – 41 years)
• Members without longer prior experience with physical "top form training"
• Members with longer prior experience with physical "top form training"

We have arrived at the following stipulated requirements for Yakami-ryu Karate-do performers:

Rules:

• All the exercises are performed right after each other
• The bronze circle must be performed correctly 3 times and in total within 12 minutes
• Cooper's running test must be completed within 12 minutes
• It is permitted to consume liquid between each of the 3 sub-exercises. There must be a maximum of 3 minutes break between each exercise
• Cooper's test: Run or swim or cycle in a gym/training centre
• Cooper's test is the same for all age groups and is minimum distances within 12 minutes. For other running tests, a maximum of 5 minutes is allocated per kilometer.
• 1 minute is added per kilometer for Old boys/girls (36-45 years) and and 2 minutes per kilometer for Wonder boys/girls (46-90 years)
• The physical test must be passed between 1-3 weeks before the graduation test
  Supplementary guidance in the current graduation syllabus

Additional information:

• The test subjects performed the bronze circle in between 3.5 and 8 minutes
• The test subjects used 4.0 – 5.0 minutes per km.
• The test subjects used a well-planned training schedule for 4-6 months before the test
• Before the training course, the test subjects could run a maximum of 700 m to 42 km.

We have arrived at the following stipulated requirements for Yakami-ryu Taijutsu performers:

Rules:

• All the exercises are performed right after each other
• The circles must be performed correctly 3 times and in total within 12 minutes
• It is permitted to consume liquid between each of the 3 sub-exercises. There must be a maximum of 3 minutes break between each exercise
• For the running test, a maximum of 5 minutes is allocated per kilometer.
• 1 minute is added per kilometer for Old boys/girls (36-45 years) and and 2 minutes per kilometer for Wonder boys/girls (46-90 years)
• The physical test must be passed between 1-3 weeks before the graduation test
• Supplementary guidance in the current graduation syllabus

Additional information:

• The test subjects performed the bronze circle in between 3.5 and 8 minutes
• The test subjects performed the Silver Circle in between 3.9 and 9 minutes
• The test subjects performed the Golden Circle in between 4.4 and 11 minutes
• The test subjects used 4.0 – 5.0 minutes per km.
• The test subjects used a well-planned training schedule for 5-9 months before the test
• Before the training course, the test subjects could run a maximum of 700 m to 42 km.