‘Mokuso’ (黙想) is a Japanese term that is commonly used in the martial arts. The term refers to a period of silent meditation that is practiced at the beginning and end of a training session. . Commonly translated as “meditation”, the literal translation means “silence/still” (moku 黙) and “think/focus” (so 想). . Mokuso is often […]
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Read More »
What makes one person commit their life toward a specific goal, while another person quickly gives up pursuing a goal the first moment they experience adversity? . In the martial arts, what makes one practitioner continue to persevere against all odds, while another quits the moment he/she begins to feel pain and discomfort? Why do
A comment on one of my articles about ‘self-defense or fighting’ said that “if you’re young enough [snip] why can’t you do both? (self-defense and sparring)”. . Well of course, you can. You can do both provided you understand the differences and you are aware of the dissimilarities. . But it’s not wise to do
WAIT. You’ve only been taught to fight? NOW WHAT? Read More »
Anyone claiming to teach self-defense has a moral obligation to do the research. . Sport training is created to ensure success in sport. It makes little sense to train to develop one set of skills when they are not the skills you wish to actually attain. If you want self-defense skills, then you should be
PUSH Yourself: Karate in Daily Life . I can no longer separate my advancing years from my almost 50 years of Karate training. Even if I never put on my karate-gi again, I would never be able to separate them. . Those of you who have trained for many years will understand what I’m talking
You have to PUSH yourself, because, no one else is going to do it for you. Read More »
“You think it’ll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won’t. One day it’s all gone. Even the sky”. . Time does not care about anything but moving forward. What do the martial arts offer the aging student? . Young practitioners mostly see karate, or the martial arts in general, as something I
Losing interest in your martial arts training will happen to everyone at some point, and of course there are various reasons why this can happen. . I have seen this so many times. How often have you heard; “I used to do karate”? The decision to stop is made in a second, and the sad
There are numerous training facilities for all types and styles of martial arts. However, very few of these places rate the title of ‘dojo’. The commonly used terms of studio or gym are, in general, much more appropriate. Many of these institutions teach only the shell of an art and neither understand nor attempt to
The ‘Dojo’ (道場) not just a place to workout. It is the “place of the way.” Read More »
Sometimes it’s good to just shut up and listen….. When was the last time you just listened to someone? I’m talking about just taking in the words that are being said, and allowing it to settle into your mind….. Forget about a response. . A good listener, listens slowly to what is being said, doesn’t
Uke-waza (受け技), the Japanese term many practitioners translate as “blocking techniques”, by now practitioners should know that a better translation is “receiving techniques”. . When you think of uke-waza with the latter translation in mind, it can open up a lot of doors in your training. . It is often stated that there are no
Looking at movements as solely blocking could be missing the interpretation entirely. Read More »
EVERYTHING up to Shodan black-belt is the foundation on which you practice your karate and the foundation in which you are ready to solidly build upon. . Shodan should represent the end of your initial training and you now have a solid basis on which to build and go forward through the next levels. Every
Being a Black-Belt means you have learnt enough to realize how little you actually know. Read More »
If karate has to do with your own personal growth and development, what is the student supposedly developing? . Many instructors cite discipline. By this do we mean conformity and obedience? . This may have been regarded as a valid objective in Japan a century or two ago, but conformity and obedience aren’t generally valued
“By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” Read More »
