We have all heard, “always do your best.” Whether it came from our parents, a teacher or instructor, doing our best has always been a precept echoed throughout our lives. But what does doing your best really mean? And is it even possible to always do your best? . Emphatically I say yes, yes it […]
Your BEST is always enough. Read More »
“The reason why I’ve continued it this far is it’s simply I just like it….. I just love training karate.“ (End quote) – Masao Shinzato 8th dan Matsubayashi-ryu . What motivates students to learn and how can we encourage them? . Students may be motivated by their interest in a topic, their prior success
What motivates students to learn and how can we encourage them? Read More »
All women were created equal. Then some learn karate. . Observe, study, become, ……. “and one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” ~ Mark Anthony . . “I had to
All women were created equal. Then some learn karate. Read More »
Don’t do a technique 5 times and wait for the instructor to tell you WHAT’S NEXT. Do the technique 500 times and wait for the instructor to tell you to STOP. . . Researchers who have investigated expert and novice performance have uncovered important distinctions between ‘deliberate practice’ and repetition alone. . Deliberate practice is
Perfect practice makes perfect. Read More »
空手は生涯の研究です- Karate wa shōgai no kenkyūdesu (Karate is a lifelong study) – Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952) . . Relatively speaking, there is still relatively few who choose to dedicate their lives to studying martial arts and self-defense. In terms of sports, many choose more mainstream past times such as football, basketball, baseball, or soccer (in the
自分を鍛える. (Jibun o kitaeru) “To temper oneself. To never give up. This spirit can be reached only if one goes through hard training with all one’s might.” (End quote) – Uema Yasuhiro 9th dan Shorin Ryu . If you train, and train hard, you will achieve so much, and that is a fact. If you
“To temper oneself. To never give up.” Read More »
“Sometimes we’re tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.” Adam Carter 7th dan Ryukyu Karate Jutsu – Shuri Karate Dojo . . There are times when we have to test ourselves and push ourselves to the limit. It is how we grow, and it is how we gain life experiences. You
“Sometimes we’re tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.” Read More »
“The most important points of my teaching are breathing, movement and timing. But breathing is first…. the first thing we do in this world is to breathe and, you know, even today, 90% of people do not know how to breathe correctly. If the breathing is wrong, your body will go wrong – your
Don’t build tension in your body. Read More »
The technique doesn’t work when your partner is resisting! . A lot of martial arts techniques and applications, in my humble opinion, don’t work against a non-compliant opponent, especially so when applied in the ways that the vast majority of people try to apply it. . Most martial artists, traditional and modern, are in
The technique doesn’t work when your partner is resisting! Read More »
“Enbusen (演武線) (embusen) isn’t just about where you face when you perform kata. Enbusen is the opponent themselves. Enbusen represents the opponent’s attacks or movements, the practitioner must move accordingly to the movements of the opponent, and react to said attacks accordingly….. Enbusen is the opponent.” (End quote) – Toshihiro Oshiro 9th dan Shima-Ha
“Enbusen is the opponent themselves.” Read More »
“These days too many people stop training once they pass 2nd or 3rd Dan, they don’t realise that belts are not important. Grades mean nothing; all that matters is to train hard.” (End quote) – Tatsuo Suzuki Wado-Ryu (1928-2011) . Are black belts in martial arts given away too easily? . If your black belt
Are black belts in martial arts given away too easily? Read More »
“We received from our ancestors, the old masters of karate, the Kata, which they have created with their blood and their hearts, putting their whole souls into them.” (End quote) – Mabuni Kenei . . Do you revere your sensei or teacher, as is often quoted by the older generation of Karate masters? . Reverence
Do you revere your sensei or teacher? Read More »
