“Smile and relax. You can’t demonstrate great power unless you are relaxed.” ~ Yoshimi Inoue Soke – Inoue-ha Shito-ryu Keishin-kai (1946-2015) . . TENSION ≠ POWER . We often associate physical tension such as a contracted muscle with power. In pure physical terms, the larger and stronger a muscle, the greater the force it can […]
“You can’t demonstrate great power unless you are relaxed.” Read More »
“The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that “this kata moves in 8 directions so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents” or some such nonsense.” . Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) founder of Shito-Ryu
“The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood.” Read More »
理解するにはもっと深く見なければなりません – (Rikai suru ni wa motto fukaku minakereba narimasen) – “You have to look more deeply to understand.” ~ Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Okinawa Shorin-Ryu . . . Many martial arts masters and practitioners believe that you cannot truly understand a martial art form without understanding and respecting the country, culture and history
“You have to look more deeply to understand.” Read More »
“Recently, some Karate men have used funny and strange sounding names for their own styles of Karate. A Karate man of this kind does not have a real understanding or knowledge of the orthodox Karate or he has no confidence in his ability as a Karate man. He uses these funny sounding names for his
Karate does not have any one style. Read More »
“Do you want fries with that?” . There are some students after reaching the lower dan grades of karate, who believe they have enough knowledge to teach on their own, starting a dojo or school with just a fundamental knowledge of the martial arts. While there are some who can do this, unfortunately there are
“Do you want fries with that?” Read More »
“If you can prove that the techniques that you are teaching are realistic and valid, then your Bunkai will stand up to scrutiny, in other words if it don’t work then don’t teach it.” ~ John Johnson 8th dan – Adaptive Karate . . 形. Kata is not an ‘alternative’ or ‘substitute’ for two-man training;
Kata is not an alternative or substitute for two-man training. Read More »
OKINAWAN KARATE. THE ORIGINAL MMA. . We are all human. Therefore, every style is limited to the same movements. The only difference is in the method of training. Karate originated on the island of Okinawa, a melting pot of combative knowledge. Combined with their native form of wrestling (Tegumi), Okinawan karate began as an effective
“Everyone knows that karate is a martial art. But few people know what art really means. Art is not something you hang on the wall, art is something you do, and it always involves a learning process. The problem is, some people hate learning. I know why! Because to learn something new means admitting that
Nothing ever grows in the comfort zone. Read More »
Ichi-go ichi-e – ( 一期一会) “Ichi-go ichi-e” – literally “one time, one meeting”, is a Japanese term that is originally associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. It describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term has been translated as “for this time only,” and “once in a lifetime.” The
I’m going to ask you to trust me on this. ? What I’ve realized over the years in working with countless people, is that there is nothing as vital to a relationship, with your sensei, students, friend or family, as fragile as trust. Psychologists tell us that the first emotional bond we all develop is
Trust the process. Read More »
“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” ~ Buddha Poison isn’t always something you eat or drink – it can be an emotion. And hate is one of them, eating you up inside and causing destruction. . Hatred is a feeling that we all have felt and
You will not be punished for your anger… Read More »
“If you want to be skilled at karate, do what skilled karate people do: train each day! If you get into the habit of daily training, you will surprise yourself with how much progress you can make.” Tatsuya Naka 7th dan Shotokan JKA. I often get asked “how can I improve my karate?” The answer
Once learned never forgotten Read More »
