WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE!
Since 2001,
OMAC Martial Wellness has been providing instruction in Okinawa Karate and the martial arts in the
Victoria, British Columbia area. We pride ourselves in the preservation of tradition, while remaining in the forefront of new developments in the martial arts. We are a next generation martial arts school.
We hope you enjoy our website and will stop by and visit us if you are in the area. This site is designed to give you information about our facility, our style of martial arts, our staff and provide you with information on how to contact us as well.
What is Martial Wellness?
Throughout the centuries, the practice of martial arts has been known to provide many benefits. Over the last 100 years, we have seen a declining need for fudal fighting systems with an increased desire for self-defense skills and health benefits. Martial Wellness is the practice of martial arts for the purpose of developing self-defense techniques and a balanced lifestyle. Through the ancient art of Okinawa Karate, we teach our students how to improve their focus, self-confidence, balance, flexibility and strength, which they carry through to their everyday lives. That is why we say that OMAC Karate is more than just punches and kicks!
What is Okinawa Karate?
"The ideal of Karate is "to cultivate noble character and conduct, and the virtues of modesty and courtesy."
-- Grandmaster Shugoro Nakazato, Intangible Cultural Asset, Japan
The Chinese began to introduce their martial arts to Okinawa starting in the late 1300's. Over the centuries they developed into a system of self-defense and a means to acheiving better overall health and living. In a recent 25 year study, it was found that the people of Okinawa live longer than any other group of people on earth. The study concluded that this was due to a combination of a balanced diet and the practice of Karate. To the Okinawans, Karate and lifestyle are one and the same. Karate was not introduced to mainland Japan until the 1920's. From there many different styles and interpretations have evolved.
Translated Karate means "Empty hand". The concept of what empty hand is, is often confusing. At OMAC, Karate means the practice of weaponless self-defense techniques. The study of weapons is a separate art we teach called called Kobujutsu or Kobudo.
Our style of Okinawa Karate tends to be soft and internal. In defense it tends to be circular. 
Other styles, including most Japanese, tend to have longer, more stylistic movements. They also tend to be linear in movement in both offense, and defense.
Both Okinawa and Japanese styles of Karate tend to be high commitment, and emphasize blocks, evasions, strikes, and kicks. Okinawa Karate also includes the study of throws, joint locks and pressure point manipulations. Both Okinawa and Japanese techniques consist basically of hand and foot techniques. Hand techniques are divided into defensive or offensive moves. Foot techniques are divided into kicking techniques; snap and thrust kicks. Our style of Okinawa Karate places more emphasis on natural stances, posture, body shifting, hip rotation, and breathing.
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Training differs widely but most of the Karate styles emphasize a fairly equal measure of basic technique training (kihon), sparring (kumite), and forms (kata). Kata are stylized patterns of attacks and defenses done in sequence for training purposes. In older styles of Karate such as Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan, the Katas represent patterns that allow an individual to practice the movements that can later be transferred to holds & locks, submissions and pressure point manipulations at a higher level.
An art of self-defense as well as a sport, Karate has in recent decades proliferated worldwide. It is one of the most widely practiced of the Asian martial arts, with a large following in Canada the USA, Asia and Europe.
