“How good you are, you cannot decide for yourself – karate makes it that way. What you put out is what you get.” – Seikichi Iha 10th dan Shorin Ryu . . Sometimes in life, we find ourselves at a dead end, or a crossroads, or on a path that seems to go nowhere. ….
Month: October 2020
“Karate is my ‘ikigai’..”
“Karate is my ‘ikigai’, my purpose in life, practicing until the end. I have many foreign students, I want to help them develop further. I hope karate grows and grows, even after I’m gone.” . Kiyomasa Maeda 10th dan Shogen Ryu Karate-Do . . Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for…
“..the important thing is to be on guard at all times.”
“The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an opening in one’s guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all times.” – Gichin Funakoshi ?? . ….
In self-defense there are NO RULES.
So you don’t compete in tournaments yet you teach tournament techniques….. as self-defense? . In self-defense there are NO RULES. If you’re in danger, in trouble, or in anyway threatened, you do anything and everything you can to ESCAPE, to get away and get to safety. . The idea behind karate for self-defense is that…
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques.”
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques, and it’s actually very important for this reason. You must do it. For any technique to be properly stabilized, basic physical strength is essential. Therefore, I perform strength training with the following philosophy in mind; great technique in kata can only be achieved with having a…
“The spirit of karate has been somehow misinterpreted.”
“Modern karate has been modified as a competitive sport. The spirit of karate has been somehow misinterpreted.” – Iken Tokashiki 10th dan Gōhaku Ryu . When people don’t understand something, they need to come up with an explanation, and most of the time that explanation does not make much sense, or at the very…
“Kata functions as the art of karate.”
“Kata functions as the art of karate.” – Patrick McCarthy 9th dan Koryu Uchinadi . . “In karate, the most important thing is kata. Into the kata of Karate are woven every manner of attack and defense technique. Therefore, kata must be practiced properly, with a good understanding of their ‘bunkai’ meaning. . There may…
“Karate makes true friends.”
“Karate makes true friends.” – Naka Tatsuya 7th dan Shotokan JKA . Too often some instructors ruin their legacy, and the legacy of others, due to their ego. They rely on their own ideas too much, avoid useful criticism, and can even bully their students into silence. Their self-centered attitudes and approaches create a stressful…
“It’s important to keep and pass on the traditions.”
“The word tradition is used in many areas of our life, and I believe it is an important thing, many things change and evolve in this world, but even in the midst of those changes it’s important to keep and pass on the traditions. That is why in Okinawa, traditional karate is practiced first….. I…
Never break a promise.
“….Karate men have to be careful of their behavior. Never break a promise. If we keep a promise to each other, we don’t need to make laws. Never make trouble with others. Be kind to others and be strict on yourselves.” ?? . Meitoku Yagi 10th dan Goju Ryu (1912-2003) . Meitoku Yagi (八木明徳 Yagi Meitoku,…
Karate is not for a rank, glory or for revenge. It is way of life.
“The most important thing about karate is basic training and communication. . Many young today will train extremely hard for a little while and then stop. This is not good. You must train little bit, but you must train often. Consistency is what creates a great martial artist, not brute strength. Karate is not…
The Way of the Warrior.
The 7-5-3 code is very much influenced by the Bushido codes of honor that dictated the Samurai, or Japanese warriors, way of life. Bushido is a code of conduct that emerged in Japan from the Samurai who spread their ideals throughout society. They drew inspiration from Confucianism, which is a relatively conservative philosophy and system…