The hardest punch I’ve ever experienced

Too many students (and some instructors) rely solely on their body-weight when performing punches, without thinking to “connect”, transferring the energy from your feet, through to your fist as you hit with your entire body. . It’s NOT the style of karate that has power. NO one style is stronger than any other, regardless of…

Okinawan karate is not simply a martial art, but a life art

Okinawan Karate was traditionally taught in modest home Dojos, in small informal groups. The sole purpose of teachings revolved around life preservation, in a closely tied supportive environment; unlike main island modern Japanese Karate with rivalry and competition, instructed in large groups belonging to even larger organizations. . Try to understand that true Okinawan karate…

Life lessons kids learn from martial arts.

PARENTS. Life lessons kids learn from martial arts. . Because of what we see in the media, movies and television, martial arts can sometimes have a bad reputation with parents, especially if they don’t know very much about the martial arts. . If you’re a parent and your child trains in the martial arts, or…

Everyone has a goal.

“Everyone has a goal. Whether that is to become a world champion or not doesn’t really matter. . Although your goal may often look hard to achieve at first, if you continually make efforts toward your goal, then your time, energy and commitment will never have been wasted. . So, keep it up as much…

When do you know when it’s time to quit?

When do you know when it’s time to quit? . We as martial artists are constantly told “never give up”. Is this realistic? When is it, the right time to give up? . Everything comes down to the importance of the goal we want to reach. We will encounter problems, doubts in anything serious we…

“No one is perfect, but we can all become a little better if we keep trying.” . “If you teach Karate, you have to practice regularly yourself. You have to practice harder and more than your students. If you have practiced for long enough, Karate is inside you and you can train wherever you are”. ??…

Our focus is self-defense first.

“Our focus is self-defense first. . As me and my brother are involved in MMA you learn a lot with those techniques. But when you do a little research, we found these techniques are already in karate. . Modern karate does not focus too much on self-defense, so they are losing the main technique of…

Karate is never about what you are wearing around your waist.

“Karate is in the mind. Karate is in the heart. Karate is never about what you are wearing around your waist.” ~ Mr. Miyagi . . Look beyond the color of the belt around your waist. Shodan is just the beginning, the understanding of basics. Nidan the 2nd level, sandan the 3rd. . If you…

Good morals always involve good manners.

“Inner to outer – we start by dissolving our attitude not by altering outer conditions.” . Bruce Lee . A real martial artist does the right thing, not what suits him. “Meiyo” (honor). It is the most important virtue of all. You only have one judge of your own honor, and that is yourself. The…

The most advanced thing you can do, are the basics, consistently.

“You can’t have a strong house without a strong foundation. The stronger the basics, the stronger the house – it’s as simple as that. Unfortunately a lot of practitioners don’t understand.” . Fumio Demura 9th dan Shito-Ryu . “The most advanced thing you can do, are the basics, consistently.” . You have to keep a…

You have power over your mind – not outside events.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find great strength.” ~ Marcus Aurelius . Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to submit to those hardships, that is strength. . The struggles you are facing…

Patience is the companion of wisdom.

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” ~ Saint Augustine . . Besides considering what patience is, we should also reflect on what it is not. For example, patience is not despair, indifference, or procrastination. Rather, it is a temporary state; it is a willingness to accept what cannot be changed right now. . While being…