One of the strangest claims still repeated in karate is that throws do not belong in the art. And yet the historical record says otherwise. Gichin Funakoshi himself documented throwing methods, and senior figures have long acknowledged their place. The issue is not whether throws existed in karate. The issue is why so many modern
I’ve been looking at Anko Itosu’s 1908 letter again. It’s one of those documents people often cite. But if you look past the standard translations, I’m not sure the letter says what people think it says. Itosu was in a difficult position. He wanted karate in the school system, which meant he had to make
Was Itosu Preserving Karate – Or Changing It? Read More »
At some point in training, you begin to look back a little more. Not in a nostalgic way, but simply to make sense of things. You start to notice patterns, not just in what you do, but in how you think and how you react. People often say your body can stand almost anything, it’s
Many karate practitioners are taught to think in terms of techniques. Movements are labeled, categorized, and assigned a specific purpose. One technique blocks. Another strikes. Another performs a different function entirely. Over time this can create the impression that karate is a large collection of separate techniques, each designed to solve a specific problem. When
Movement, Not Technique Read More »
Self-defense and fighting are often spoken about as if they are the same thing. They are not. There is overlap between the two, but they are fundamentally different in both purpose and outcome. This distinction is often misunderstood, particularly because many people are taught physical or fighting skills first when they attend a “self-defense” class.
Winning Is Not the Goal in Self-Defense Read More »
One of the first things you learn as a beginner is a ‘block’, right? Typically, it’s one of these: upper, middle inner, middle outer, or a down block. You spend a significant amount of time practicing these blocks, focusing on the small details, making sure your pulling hand (hikite) is positioned perfectly, all performed with
Why Karate “Blocks” Don’t Work the Way We Think Read More »
Choki Motobu once remarked that a single kata represented the style of the time. In my opinion, he wasn’t talking about stances and techniques, but something deeper. Motobu was known for his very practical view of fighting. He famously emphasized the importance of Naihanchi, once stating that “Naihanchi is the foundation of karate.” His focus
What ‘Style’ Originally Meant in Early Karate Read More »
Being attacked with a knife is terrifying. I have seen the results of many of these attacks in my past careers – some of them fatal. And yet most knife defense demonstrations begin the same way. A single, committed middle thrust from distance. Like a standard karate-type stepping punch. No – that’s not how it happens.
Step Off the Centre Line… Then What? Read More »
Are older systems, older styles, closer to realism? There may be some truth in that. Older systems can preserve deeper material. They can carry forward ideas that were not designed for sport or performance. But age on its own doesn’t guarantee anything. I value lineage. I draw satisfaction from knowing who taught me, and who
Realism Is Not Inherited. Read More »
Almost every promotional video I am sent to watch, or website I am asked to view, mentions one thing – self-defense. Very few say they teach competition. Fewer still say it is primarily for fitness or personal development. Self-defense is the preferred label. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. The problem begins when the content
Is the Karate You Practice Really Suitable for Self-Defense? Read More »
If we don’t understand the applications in kata – are we wasting our time? Someone asked me that recently. It’s a fair question. There is no single, perfect answer to what any movement in kata “is”. Even if the original creator had something specific in mind, that intent is long gone. What remains is the
Does Kata Work – Or Are We Avoiding What It Demands? Read More »
