Modern life sometimes encourages an individual to act without thinking, to treat others carelessly, to feed the ego. By contrast, etiquette, discipline, and a respect for others is at the heart of the martial arts. . Etiquette is not simply a matter of tradition, nor is it a matter of “being polite.” It is at […]
Never neglect courtesy and etiquette. Read More »
“I teach karate as a life protection art, not as a sport….. My son commands the 4th Marines he trains Marines to go to war, and then you pray you never have to. It’s the same thing in training karate, that you train to win, there are no silver medals in a life protection situation.”
“I teach karate as a life protection art, not as a sport.” Read More »
Right now we all live in a world we never imagined. Movements and socialization limited and restricted. Many schools and dojo have closed or are operating at a bare minimum, some only able to offer online classes. So where does this leave the students? . For us at the Shuri Dojo, and me personally, we
It’s not about the Likes. It’s about sharing the knowledge. Read More »
There is something very different about being a martial artist; it makes you different from other people, it sets you apart from the crowd. Anyone can go to a gym, a fitness class or a sports center, but to continue to black belt and beyond takes someone special. . But after weeks, months and sometimes
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Read More »
“We avoid conflicts and prefer peace — that is the legacy of Miyagi Sensei, founder of Goju-ryu. Karate is not for attacking people, there is no way you will deal the first blow in a fight. The greatest secret is defense. One should think of karate as of a culture that encompasses self-defense methods.” –
“We avoid conflicts and prefer peace.” Read More »
“The crane’s beak is long and pointed, a stabbing weapon useful for self-defense. She is calm and poised, balanced and disciplined. When attacked, she knows she cannot meet force with force. She therefore controls the fight by yielding, until an opening appears, then counters immediately.” Fred Absher – Kojosho Kempo . . The White Crane
“The practice of the hakutsuru form forced me to learn better balance.” Read More »
“Karate and kobudo are difficult, if you do not practice seriously with a traditional approach, you may miss the important points.” – Fumio Demura 9th dan Shito-Ryu . . The truth is to become good at karate, to get anywhere near being proficient with your techniques, drills and kata, you need to do hundreds and
Karate and kobudo are difficult…… Read More »
“Ikken hissatsu” (一拳必殺) – What does this maxim mean to you? How do you interpret it? . “Ikken hissatsu” is a Japanese term that is used quite frequently in karate. The term means simply; “to kill with one blow”, or “one punch, one kill”. The exact definition is “One fist, certain death”. . Recently a
Ikken hissatsu – One fist, certain death. Read More »
“If you train only kobudo it’s ok, but if you do both karate and kobudo then you will be better……… Both karate and kobudo influence how you hold and use the weapons. So it’s best to do both to understand each one.” (End quote) – Takehiro Gaja 9th dan Uechi-ryu . . Karate and
“Unfortunately, many experienced karateka, having learnt numerous kata, mistakenly believe they have mastered them when, in truth, they are merely dancing. To ensure kata are what they should be, you must completely understand the significance of the movements.” – Masutatsu Ōyama . . The principal purpose of the movements and techniques in kata is to
Every kata move is designed for use in combat. Read More »
Since the development of sport karate, there have been mixed opinions on its validity as a true martial art. The sporting rules and culture is a far cry from how and why karate was originally created on Okinawa. . Today the traditionalist part of me says no to sport karate because the competitive philosophy of
“Daniel-san, must talk. Walk on road. Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish, just like grape. Here karate, same thing. Either you karate do, yes, or karate do, no. You karate do, guess so, squish just like grape.” . . In its proper context, Miyagi’s speech is
Martial arts does take a commitment on your part. Read More »
