Sayokan

[GeneChing]

New one on me...

Turkey rediscovers ancestors’ martial art
10 July 2011, Sunday


A traditional Turkish martial art has recently been revived thanks to newfound interest. The name of this martial art is Sayokan, a compound made of two words meaning road and the blood of a warrior.

Sayokan was discovered in 1999 by martial arts expert Nihat Yiğit and accepted as a branch of sports by the Martial Arts Masters World Federation and the International Martial Arts Federation. The roots of Sayokan stretch back to Central Asia, which is accepted as the homeland of the Turks, and this martial art aims to raise one’s power, strength, speed and agility to the highest level, also targeting decreasing illness and injury.

Sayokan is practiced in 14 countries, including the US, England, Germany, Belgium, Iran, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Twenty-four schools currently offer Sayokan education across Turkey.

Interest in this traditional sport has increased lately in Turkey, according to trainer Murat Çekiç, who also works as a referee in international competitions. Çekiç currently delivers Sayokan classes at Ankara’s Altınpark 23 Nisan sports school. Young and old alike attend his Sayokan courses.

Sayokan has two programs. One called “Alagan Alplik (A)” is for young people in the 9-24 age group, while the other, “Basagar Alplik (B),” appeals to an older audience. After taking the Alagan Alplik program, one can also attend official Sayokan games. Those who go to the Basagar Alplik program can protect themselves in an attack.

One does not need to train for years to learn Sayokan, as opposed to other martial arts, which require years of training, according to trainer Çekiç. “It would be enough to take a nine-month course in order to protect oneself. People from all age groups can learn this sport. Sayokan is not a sport for men only, but for women as well.”

“Our students who excel get the chance to attend competitions and can win awards, too,” he said.

Sayokan applies a strategy used by Alparslan, a famous Turkish commander of the Seljuks, in the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, in which a warrior seeks to defeat an opponent by caging them inside a crescent that the warrior makes with his feet.

An athlete earns a colored belt as proof of their progress each time they reach a higher level. There are five levels before earning a black belt -- the highest level -- which are: Manas Door (white belt), Toy Door (blue belt), Kunt Door (yellow belt), Mamak Door (red belt) and Kazan Door (a belt featuring all the colors in the previous levels).

Allahverdi Pezük, who is in his 70s, is one of the students at Sayokan classes in Ankara. Pezük said he was not accepted to a taekwondo course last year but that he is currently taking Sayokan lessons.

“When I first came I couldn’t stand up straight because of my waist. I wasn’t able to do my worship properly because of health problems related to old age. I am now doing Sayokan for the second year and am one level below the black belt. I can do my worship well thanks to this sport. I can sit down and stand up very easily. I can say that Sayokan made me younger,” he explains.

Doctor Ahmet Kesim started practicing Sayokan six months ago and also feels good about carrying out a Turkish tradition. “I wish I had come here before. You don’t spend too much energy in this sport but you tighten your abs. Most importantly, you relax,” he said.

Emine Koş takes Sayokan classes to protect herself against bullies and thieves. She says knowing Sayokan boosts her self-confidence.

Sayokan’s terminology pure Turkish

Trainer Çekiç argued that developed countries promote their languages, cultures and lifestyles in the world by marketing their traditional sports. “Karate, a traditional martial art from Japan, is a sport infused with Japanese culture and language as the terminology is in Japanese. Even the Japanese lifestyle, culture and greetings are reflected in their sports.”

“Here, we try to reflect the cultural traditions of the Turks. All the terminology we use is pure Turkish. Several agricultural tools used in Anatolia are the names of techniques in Sayokan. The way the Anatolian people greet each other casually is also used in Sayokan. More than a school of sports, we educate as a house of culture,” Çekiç said. İstanbul Sunday’s Zaman

[JamesC]

There are quite a few videos on youtube for it. Looks like they do a lot of sidestepping and counter attacking. Saw some videos of people sparring without protective equipment.