Martial Arts Collective Society

04/16/2026

This weekend, NH! Martial Arts Symposium has an excellent lineup prepared for us, who's ready!?

04/06/2026

02/25/2026

02/05/2026

Before free sparring existed, karate was just forms. Gōgen Yamaguchi changed that — and modern karate was born.” 🥋💥
Master Gōgen Yamaguchi was one of the most influential figures in karate history because he didn’t just preserve traditional Goju-ryu — he changed how karate was practiced forever by introducing jiyū kumite (free sparring). Before Yamaguchi’s time in the 1930s, most karate training in Okinawa and Japan focused almost entirely on kata (forms) and yakusoku kumite (pre-arranged partner exercises), with little opportunity for students to test techniques against unpredictable opponents. It was Yamaguchi, while a law student and leader of one of the first university karate clubs, who developed the concept of free-style sparring, where practitioners could engage in spontaneous combat under agreed rules and score points or decide winners — essentially creating the foundation of modern sport karate. This innovation made karate more dynamic, practical, and appealing to wider audiences, and many rules he helped establish are still used in competitive karate today. Yamaguchi’s free sparring helped transform karate from a static collection of drills into an active, competitive discipline that could be practiced, tested, and showcased, paving the way for its global popularity.