When karate began to move across the world in the early to mid 1950’s the training emphasis was almost exclusively on striking. Kata was not properly understood. . Even today you can still find karate dojo that teach kata without ‘bunkai’ (analysis/breakdown). Those first generation Western practitioners then went on to perpetuate the bias of…
Category: Okinawa
If you’re thinking too much you’re not practicing enough.
If you’re thinking too much you’re not practicing enough. . A common problem is students don’t know what to practice or how to practice. To be effective in their learning they need to have small doable goals for them to accomplish, and then are tested on them….. the very next lesson. Unfortunately, when they return…
Does size give people an advantage in a fight?
I had a question from a potential student this week who was concerned over his (low) weight and how effective certain styles were for him. . Does size give people an advantage in a fight? . Size does matter in the martial arts, but not necessarily in the way you might think. . Generally speaking,…
“Karate wa shōgai no kenkyūdesu.” (Karate is a lifelong study)
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. In terms of sports, many choose more mainstream pastimes such as football, basketball, baseball, or soccer, as apposed to the martial…
“Bun Bu Ryō Dō” – The “Education of Body and Mind”.
Many of you who have spent a good number of years studying the martial arts have probably heard the term “Bun Bu Ryō Dō” (文武両道). . Bun Bu Ryō Dō is a term which has been in use throughout Japanese history, possibly going back further than the Heian period (794 – 1185). In a simple…
Throughout history certain people have become Masters of their art.
Throughout history certain people have become Masters of their art. . You know what they all had in common? They chose to dedicate their time to their art. They showed up when it was fun and easy….. and they showed up when the training was tedious, hard, frustrating and tough. . You too can be…
What are the injury risks in karate?
For our students, fortunately injuries a rare occurrence at our Dojo. However, there are some injuries such as bruises, sprains and strains that can occur despite everyone’s best efforts. . Martial arts are a surprisingly safe form of physical activity, controlled training is statistically very safe. . Training injuries unfortunately do happen. If you train…
The wearing of the “Aka Obi”. The Red Belt.
Titles, belts and grades are often discussed in the martial arts, and is usually a topic of contention. . Often it’s people who don’t even know each other personally and decide to head off into a diatribe of hatred and abuse. It’s usually coming from people who are lower grade black belts that have never…
“Always leave things better than when you found them…… especially people.”
Within the martial arts community there are many types of people. Some have morals and are good people that you can rely upon, and others…….well, not quite so much. . You would think that in a profession where character traits such as honor, integrity, courtesy, perseverance, and an unbreakable spirit, are held in such high…
I think the failure to appreciate the depth of kata is largely because it is taught in a superficial manner.
In one of my recent articles a comment was made that if we don’t know the applications that are contained in kata, then why do we still practice the kata? . The fact is that there is no single correct application for any movement within the kata. Regardless of the original intended purpose of kata,…