Before I knew the word sabaki, I already understood one thing: If someone is trying to hit you, being somewhere else is usually a good place to start. That idea wasn’t unique to karate. Coming from boxing in my youth, moving off the line of attack simply made sense. You learned quickly that standing directly in
Before I Knew the Word “Sabaki” Read More »
Recently, I received a message from a couple interested in training. Their circumstances are understandable. They have personal issues that making regular attendance at a dojo difficult. They asked whether online training was available and suggested they could visit in person once or twice a year to train and correct any bad habits. It’s a
Why the Dojo Still Matters Read More »
A limiting belief is not simply a wrong idea. It’s a belief that set like concrete over the years. You experienced something once, maybe twice, and without quite realizing it, you filed it away as a permanent truth about your practice. The mind loves efficiency. It doesn’t want to re-examine every experience from scratch, so it
The Danger of Certainty Read More »
Following my recent article on kata applications, a familiar response appeared. The essence of it was simple enough: “My instructor taught me the bunkai.” Fair enough. Before going any further, it’s worth acknowledging that while bunkai technically refers to the process of breaking down and analyzing a movement, most karate practitioners use the term when discussing applications.
Does Being Taught Bunkai Make It “The” Bunkai? Read More »
One of the most common debates in karate revolves around kata applications. Someone demonstrates a movement from a kata and then explains what they believe it represents. Another person offers a different interpretation. Before long, the discussion turns into an argument over which application is the “correct” one. Underlying this debate is an assumption that
The Problem With Looking for “The Application” Read More »
Imagine stepping into an Okinawan karate dojo over a hundred years ago. It probably wasn’t a dojo in the way most people think of one today. Training often took place in a garden, courtyard, or private home. Instruction was given to a small number of students, and much of what was taught was passed on
Looking Beyond the Label Read More »
A student once watched me demonstrate a movement and remarked, “We have a long way to go”. He was referring to how relaxed the movement appeared compared to how stiff and tense he felt when performing the same technique. I smiled because, in a sense, he was right. There is a long way to go.
Learning the Why Behind the Technique Read More »
One of the biggest problems in martial arts is that many people discuss violence without ever having experienced what genuine violence actually feels like. I don’t mean sparring in the dojo under pressure, demonstrations, or competitive exchanges. I mean the kind of violence that is sudden, emotionally charged, physically overwhelming, and nothing like theory. There
Violence Is Not a Puzzle Waiting for a Secret Answer Read More »
The martial arts are full of variety. Different systems, different traditions, different ways of doing things, all shaped by history and the people who carried them forward. Most practitioners are looking for the same thing in the end: a sense of progress in their own training. But it is not unusual to find strong resistance
Tradition and Progress in Martial Arts Read More »
People often associate practical karate with fighting, self-defense, and physical confrontation. That is understandable. Much of my own writing over the years has focused on practical application, violence, realism, and the realities surrounding self-protection. Those things matter. But after more than fifty years of training, I have come to realize that karate eventually becomes something
What Karate Becomes Over Time Read More »
Kata is often misunderstood because many people view it through a modern lens. Today we live in a world of instant access to information. There are videos, books, seminars, online courses, slow-motion breakdowns, and endless commentary available at the touch of a screen. When kata was developed, none of that existed. There was no social
In many dojos, respect is taught early. Listen. Follow. Don’t question. And for a long time, that works. Until it doesn’t. Because somewhere along the line, respect can quietly turn into silence – and silence doesn’t always lead to understanding. When I first started training in 1974 under a Japanese sensei, I rarely questioned anything.
Respect Shouldn’t Replace Understanding Read More »
