There is a difference between surviving something and having a good method. A while ago, I wrote about the use of jodan age-uke against a downward strike from a bo. The same idea is often shown against a baseball bat. The arm rises, the weapon comes down, and the defender is shown stopping the attack […]
When “It Worked” Still Isn’t Good Enough Read More »
I have seen this kind of demonstration many times in karate. A student extends an arm. The teacher pushes against it, or slaps against it with their hand, and the arm collapses. The wrist bends, the elbow gives way, the shoulder lifts, and the whole thing looks weak. Then the teacher makes a small correction.
When a Demonstration Proves the Wrong Thing Read More »
I’m sure many of you have a favorite kata. I know I do. Several, actually. There are certain kata we keep going back to, sometimes because they feel good to perform, sometimes because they keep revealing something new, and sometimes because they simply stay with us. For me, Naihanchi is one of those kata. Simple
When Simplicity Holds the Lesson Read More »
Social media algorithms are a strange phenomenon. Lately, mine seem to be filled with video clips of karate students, including black belts, spending an extraordinary amount of time perfecting stances, hand positions, hip alignment, and body posture. The hikite hand placed just so. The open front hand measured, corrected, and adjusted until it matches someone’s
When the Label Says Self-Defense Read More »
Karate is translated as “empty hand”. Karate-do, the way of the empty hand. Most karateka know, at least in general terms, that the older characters for karate referred to “China hand”, and that the later change to “empty hand” helped reshape the art for a different time, a different audience, and a different cultural setting.
Empty Hands, Armed Assumptions Read More »
Someone once told me that if you do not wait for an attack, or at least attack and defend at the same time, then you have effectively become the attacker. His argument was that we can never truly know the exact method of attack, so we should wait. The exact method? Perhaps not. We may
Waiting for the Attack Read More »
It is tough to explain to others why we keep showing up, day after day, week after week, year after year, to struggle and sweat. There is a feeling of satisfaction that comes from the learning process in martial arts, and that feeling goes far beyond the physical side of training. For those of us
When Martial Artists Forget Their Own Lessons Read More »
When you first learn a movement or drill, it is natural to begin from stillness. Static training gives you and your partner time to understand what is being taught. It allows you to coordinate your response, learn the shape of the movement, and begin to understand where your body needs to be. There is nothing
When the Drill Becomes the Problem Read More »
Step into a traditional karate dojo and one of the first things you will usually do is take off your shoes. Hopefully. Karate, like many Japanese budo, is traditionally practiced hadashi, barefoot. There are cultural reasons for this, practical reasons, and reasons connected directly to how we move, balance, and feel the ground beneath us. In
Barefoot in the Dojo, Shoes in the Real World Read More »
There are several kata where movements are performed as jumping, leaping, or dramatic athletic actions. Suparinpei is one example, with the jumping front kick, or mae tobi geri. I understand why these movements look impressive. A well-performed jumping kick shows timing, coordination, strength, flexibility, and confidence. It can have value as a physical challenge, and it can look
Many people assume that experience makes your views more settled. My experience has been the opposite. The longer I have trained, the more willing I have become to revisit things I once accepted without question. When I first started in the martial arts, I was like most beginners. I accepted what I was taught because
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 »
