A high and tight guard

Having the hands held high in a tight guard is not a very smart thing to do in a self-defense situation. . To understand why it’s a bad idea, you need to appreciate that not all violence is the same, and there are HUGE differences between consensual violence (fighting) and non-consensual violence (self-defense). . The…

When I teach I’m not trying to convince you of anything.

“When I teach I’m not trying to convince you of anything. Karate is not a religion, it doesn’t need to be defended. I’m simply presenting the information. What you do with that is entirely up to you.” ~ Jesse Enkamp . Great words by Jesse Enkamp ?? . . The ability to influence a student successfully…

It’s not how much you know that counts

“It’s not how much you know that counts, but how much you can recall under stress.” . Most effective martial artists, fighters and self-defense practitioners, have a ‘main toolkit’ which gives them something they can use in most situations, plus a larger collection of more specialized techniques that they may use if the right circumstances…

The art of fighting without fighting

I had so many comments on a post I made recently about self-defense and fighting. Many people could not see the distinction between the two. Most people are taught physical/fighting skills FIRST in a self-defense lesson…. Again; there IS an overlap with the two, but they are NOT the same. . Fighting is NOT self-defense/self-protection….

Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same

“Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same, they are related, but they are most definitely not the same.” ?? . . Iain Abernethy 7th Dan British Combat Association . As martial artists we need to understand the difference between these three concepts. They are distinctly different, but also overlap one another. . Many martial…

Real karate is for self-defense

“Real karate is for self-defense and kata bunkai is the main tool for this.” . . Yoshio Kuba 10th dan Goju Ryu, repeating a quote from Gogen Yamaguchi. ? . . It is all in the kata. Understand the combative principles contained within them and you will find that you are able to extract a myriad…

Our focus is self-defense first.

“Our focus is self-defense first. . As me and my brother are involved in MMA you learn a lot with those techniques. But when you do a little research, we found these techniques are already in karate. . Modern karate does not focus too much on self-defense, so they are losing the main technique of…

The principles of “ashi sabaki.”

Practicing the principles of “ashi sabaki” 足捌き (foot-movement) and “tai sabaki” 休捌き (body movement). ?? . . Tai sabaki (体捌き) is a term which relates to ‘whole body movement’, or repositioning. Tai sabaki is usually used to avoid an attack, such that the receiver of the attack ends up in an advantageous position (angle). ….

Everyone you meet has something to teach you.

“Everyone you meet has something to teach you.” ?? . Adam Carter 7th dan Ryukyu Karate Jutsu . As you go through life, you will meet people whom you gravitate to, and those whom you would rather keep away from. . It is very interesting that you may see something in them that is a lesson…

Fighting is what happens when self-protection goes bad.

“Remember, fighting skills aren’t the key to self-protection: fighting is what happens when self-protection goes bad.” ?? . . Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same, they are related, but they are most definitely not the same. . As martial artists we need to understand the difference between these three concepts. They are distinctly…

Fighting is not always the best option.

“Fighting is not always the best option.” ?? . Adam Carter 7th dan Ryukyu Karate Jutsu ~ Shuri Dojo . Every individual, at some point in his or her life, has been victimized, exploited, or bullied in some form or another. Whether this relates to being bullied as a child, an adult being singled out at…

“Okinawan Karate kata feature mostly low level kicks.”

“Okinawan Karate kata feature mostly low level kicks.” ?? . Paul Enfield 8th dan Goju Ryu – GKCglobal . In the modern dojo, practically every combination has a kick somewhere within it. This is primarily because kicking is very effective in the competitive environment. Also, because high-level competitors are amazing athletes, they can apply kicks in…