The kata Seisan (十三) (alternate names Sesan, Seishan, Jusanpo, Hangetsu in Shotokan) literally means ’13’. Some people refer to the kata as ’13 Hands’, ’13 Fists’, ’13 Techniques’, ’13 Steps’ or even ’13 killing positions’; however, these names have no historical basis. . Seisan is thought to be one of the oldest kata, and like […]
Seisan. Karate’s oldest kata? Read More »
Irimi (入り身) is a Japanese martial arts term meaning “to enter with body”. An ‘irimi’ motion is one which describes when someone enters towards another. It’s a rather simple definition but performing it, especially under stress or pressure, can be quite difficult. . Perhaps a more meaningful way of using Irimi is to understand it as
Control an attacker, don’t give them the chance to control you. Read More »
Martial arts training is about training both the body and the mind. Part of training the mind is discipline. The discipline to do what is necessary. . It’s all about priorities, right? After all, you only practice a couple of times a week. . When I started karate almost five decades ago, I decided to
It’s all about priorities, right? Read More »
What is Zen Buddhism? . Trying to explain or define Zen Buddhism, by reducing it to an article, to a post on a website is almost impossible, it weakens its meaning. . Defining Zen (禅) is like trying to describe the taste of honey to someone who has never tasted it before. You can try
What is Zen Buddhism? Read More »
Balance and stability is just as important as strength and endurance in the martial arts. Good balance and stability can be the difference in landing a good punch or kick, evading a strike, or ultimately avoiding being forced to the ground, where you don’t want to be. . Good balance also increases your striking ability,
The word ‘mushin’ is comprised of two kanji characters: 無 (mu), meaning ‘nothingness’, and 心 (shin), meaning ‘heart’, ‘spirit’, or, in this case, ‘mind’. In this way, mushin can be roughly translated to ‘nothing mind’ or ‘no mind’. It comes from a longer phrase used in Zen Buddhism, ‘無心の心’ (mushin no shin), or ‘mind of
“At rest, the fist and the body must be able to instantly react to anything from any direction. The same applies to one’s heels — the heels must be prepared to shift the body in any direction without hesitation.” – Hironori Otsuka 10th Dan Wado-Ryu (1892-1982) from the book ‘Wado Ryu Karate’ . In actual
Moving to an angle is a key principle in karate. Read More »
The people who argue about kata not being relevant to real fighting or self-defense totally miss the point – in addition to being ’libraries’ of combative principles, techniques and movements, when practiced correctly they reinforce the fundamentals necessary to fight or defend oneself as effectively as possible in a civilian exchange. . People who question
“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” Read More »
Recently someone tried to argue that their style of karate was the strongest. Bluntly informing me that because their athletes were successful in competition going back to the 1960’s, it was the ultimate, the strongest, and the best martial art. I tried to explain that there is not one style that is the best in
There is NOT one system or style that is the best or ‘strongest’. Read More »
Many martial artists don’t know (or can’t admit) that they’re wasting energy. They make excuses like; “Oh I just need to relax more.” or “I need to work on my cardio.” No..… you’re getting tired because you have poor technique. . And they blame poor conditioning, but the reality is, that conditioning will never compensate
“Karate has been present in Okinawa since the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. That is why it is our mission to protect this tradition.” – Yoshitsune Senaga 10th-dan Uechi Ryu . What’s the difference between history and tradition? . In our fast paced and ever changing lives and a world that appears to be in
What’s the difference between history and tradition? Read More »
“There is only one opponent and he is in front of you. Turning to face a new direction while performing the kata does not mean you are turning to face a new opponent.” ~ Seikichi Toguchi (1917-1998) . (Begin Mabuni quote) – “The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently
“There is only one opponent and he is in front of you.” Read More »
