Understanding lineage, and the traditions that have been passed down over generations is valuable and meaningful, but remaining too faithful to tradition can be a problem. . Blindly following tradition can lead to staleness. Protecting tradition is to go forward. The part you protect and the part you innovate has to move in parallel. Otherwise,
“Research your own experience, absorb what is useful…” Read More »
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts? Who decides what it is? . Tradition can be described as; “an inherited, established or customary pattern of thought, action or behavior”. But what we refer to as “traditional” in the martial arts often isn’t traditional at all. . All of the past masters were
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts? Read More »
If you have seen The Karate Kid movie, you will undoubtedly remember the wise old karate master, Mr. Miyagi, telling his student Daniel-san to; “Look eye! Always look eye”. . Well, not necessarily. At least not in the martial arts. . In fact, in Japanese culture, excessive eye contact is considered rude. And being rude
“Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare.” Read More »
My karate is stronger, tougher, more athletic…. it’s superior to yours! . Really? It’s superior in all things?….. . You have to define what you mean by “superior”. I’m assuming that when people say a “superior karate style”, they mean the best in terms of effectiveness and practicality…… But superior, WHERE? In the dojo? In
My karate is SUPERIOR to yours. Read More »
The people who argue about kata not being relevant to real fighting or self-defense totally miss the point – in addition to being ’libraries’ of combative principles, techniques and movements, when practiced correctly they reinforce the fundamentals necessary to fight or defend oneself as effectively as possible in a civilian exchange. . People who question
“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” Read More »
When I was a kid Bruce Lee was the one who inspired me to start the martial arts at fourteen years of age, while still at school. “Emotional content”. A small scene in his classic film ‘Enter the Dragon’. . It all starts when Bruce discovers a young student walking around the temple. Upon seeing
“Don’t think. FEEL.” Read More »
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” – Stephen Hawking or David J. Boorstin . What is knowledge? It is the thoughts, ideas, understanding, facts or information acquired through learning and practice. . What is ignorance? Lack of knowledge, or information about something. . Knowledge improves if we
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” Read More »
Commonly translated as “meditation”, mokuso (黙想) literally means “silent/still” (moku-) + “thoughts/thinking” (-so). In other words, mokuso is the act of silencing our minds. . Your mind is the most powerful tool you have for the creation of good in your life, but if not used correctly, can also be the most destructive. To control
“You have two choices, to control your mind or to let your mind control you.” Read More »
“ The risk of learning something new is that you may have to completely change what you’re doing and what you are thinking, as a result of what you’ve learned. Yet, when you’ve reached a level of experience, you don’t want to change, you don’t want to lose everything you’ve gained. Well guess what? You
Try something new, incorporate “meotode” into your training. Read More »
Karate is a mess. . Even today in the 21st century people still refute what karate is, and sometimes what it isn’t. The majority of modern karate is plagued by dogma. No one seems to know what they are training for and in which context. . Practitioners cling to other people’s ideas with almost religious-like
“For me the martial arts is a search for something inside. It’s not just a physical discipline.” – Brandon Lee . Loyalty is a very important aspect in any relationship, but especially so in the martial arts between a student, their instructor, and their dojo. . Being a loyal person means that you keep your
“For me the martial arts is a search for something inside.” Read More »
“A teacher, a really good sensei, is never a ‘giver’ of ‘truth’; he is a guide, a ‘pointer’ to the truth that the student must discover for himself.” – Bruce Lee . This quote by Bruce Lee doesn’t mean that a teacher will lie and lead you down the wrong path (or shouldn’t anyway). What
“Look for the answer inside your question.” Read More »
