Just how bad (or good) are untrained people at fighting? . Karate was originally created to protect yourself from civilian attacks….. “villain or ruffian”. (Ankoh Itosu precept quote) . Of course, it depends what we mean by untrained. There are plenty of people who learn how to fight from getting into fights. . A lot…
Tag: Bunkai
How many kata is “enough”?
How many kata is “enough”? . Of course this is very subjective. What are your goals in training? What are your goals in teaching? How many are contained in your syllabus? Etc. etc. . If you want your students to quickly learn self-defense skills, then a smaller amount is obviously going to be more efficient,…
Practice each of the skills of karate repeatedly. Attentively devote yourself to the meaning of each individual technique.
A comment on one of my articles stated that; ”kata and bunkai are useless”, accusing me of not understanding their non-self-defense design, including a “bullshido” label. . You know what? If you think the movements within kata are ineffective, then for you, that’s true. It just shows a complete lack of understanding. . “Why practice…
The essence of learning lies in the understanding that the moment you are shown to be wrong, a profound opportunity for growth and knowledge progression is unveiled.
Practice intensity is the will, commitment, and enthusiasm to practice with a purpose. Most instructors consider it an important characteristic for any student. . One of the primary reasons people pursue martial arts is to acquire self-defense skills. And making a habit of questioning your training ensures that you can continuously refine and internalize these…
In a real life situation, most of the time, you have only one chance. One try is all you get to defend yourself or your loved ones.
What constitutes as personal protection today falls outside the scope of most martial arts classes. Irrespective of whether you think your martial art is perfect for the “street” (whatever that means) or not. Most martial arts only deal with the fighting aspect of personal protection. . In most cases, the student is actually only learning…
“Attentively devote yourself to the meaning of each individual technique and make sure to apply them according to all possible circumstances.”
Renowned karate master Itosu Anko once wrote; “Attentively devote yourself to the meaning of each individual technique and make sure to apply them according to all possible circumstances.” . It’s very important that practitioners discover and understand underlying karate principles. Many movements have more than one function or expression. Although some motions do only have…
“If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.”
Sport karate, offers numerous benefits, physical fitness, aesthetics, discipline, and sportsmanship. However, it is important to recognize that sport karate is not the ideal choice for individuals seeking practical self-defense skills. . Now before the comments start, in the 1970’s and ’80’s, sport karate was my main interest, I’m just trying to help some practitioners…
“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”
Personally I believe that analyzing kata and its applications from a logical or common sense perspective makes a compelling case for the best way to approach and dissect principles and techniques. . There is of course value in aesthetic, sporting and cultural aspects of karate and its kata – but for me, my main interest…
“We should open karate to the public and receive criticism, opinions and studies from other prominent fighting artists.”
The modern interpretation of karate, and its many variations, has evolved in to something quite different to which the original pioneers had in mind when it was first developed. . Many of the techniques of karate have become completely unrealistic in application, which unfortunately, are often passed off as real-world practical self-defense techniques. . What…
Do you practise kata as moving meditation?
A person who is interested in karate for artistic or aesthetic reasons, is unlikely to find themselves caring to much about the “real-world” self-defense applications found in kata. Modern karate competition practitioners are also unlikely to care about these applications because it has little relevance to competitive ‘kumite’. . Much of what is referred to…
Kata is NOT merely a formalized pattern of movements with blocks, punches, and kicks, containing simulated fights with multiple attackers from multiple directions.
What is karate? Originating on the small island of Okinawa, created for its effectiveness in self-defense. But today, is it sport, self-defense, a way to improve character, a martial art? . It can be many or all those things, but for me there has to be a distinction between them all and an understanding which…
Kata is a fundamental component of traditional martial arts.
Kata is a fundamental component of traditional martial arts. . However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend among some practitioners to ignore kata, or at least consider it of low importance compared to other aspects of the art. . It is my belief that this trend is due to several reasons, which…