Self-defense is defined as the right to prevent suffering force or violence through the use of a sufficient level of counteracting force or violence. This definition is simple enough on face value, but it raises many questions when applied to actual situations. . For instance, what is a sufficient level of force or violence when…
Tag: Dojo
What motivates fake martial artists?
What motivates fake martial artists? . These so-called “instructors” earn a fair amount of money by simply lying to their students. In every class, they are selling a fake story about how great their fighting skills are, while in reality, they don’t know how to throw a punch the right way, and they move with…
Karate IS effective!
Okay… I will get the rant out of the way first… Why, are there so many stupid people commenting about the martial arts, and karate in general? . Let me explain. . There are endless comments…. no drivel, about karate can’t do this, and karate can’t do that. Throws in karate are taken from Judo,…
The quest for the original kata.
The quest for the original kata. . In modern times it seems to have become important that students learn kata “as it was taught originally”. . But what is original?….. The fact is we don’t know what the original kata looked like. And which original do you seek? . As an example it is known…
“Karate has many stances; it also has none”.
“Karate has many stances; it also has none”. – Genwa Nakasone (1895-1978) . In the dojo there is so much time spent perfecting a static stance, almost to the nth degree. But a common complaint about karate, and its kata, is that the stances are impractical, that one would never use such stances in a…
“Don’t practice until you get it right… Practice until you can’t get it wrong!”
“Don’t practice until you get it right… Practice until you can’t get it wrong!”… Roger Gracie . Training is how you get stronger or fitter. Practice is how you get better. The saying is “practice makes perfect”, but the truth is that; “practice makes permanent”. Simply doing something over and over, doesn’t make you good…
“Kata is Karate.”
“Kata is Karate.” – Naonobu Ahagon 10th Dan Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo, holder of the Okinawa Prefecture Cultural Merit Award. . Kata is a library of self-protection techniques in karate. Each kata creator encoded their specific knowledge into each movement of the kata they made. Kata are not simply a record of techniques; rather…
What makes a great martial arts teacher?
“My old ways of Karate was not readily accepted by everyone. They thought it was too outdated and too crude – I think it was just too hard or maybe my training methods were too severe. Whatever it was, it was the way I learned and the way I taught. It was only later, when…
“The wrong time to learn to meditate is when you’re stressed.”
“The wrong time to learn to meditate is when you’re stressed. It’s a bit like trying to learn martial arts in the middle of a fight. Practice daily, find that totally still place inside that is like a ‘reset’ button and puts everything into perspective. Like martial arts, all its takes is consistent, daily practice.”…
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” – Epictetus . There are situations that arise in which we wish to influence other people and make them understand something that we believe to be important. . But no matter how hard we try, we cannot force people to…
Can you block a punch?
Can you block a punch? . As an experiment, I told one of my students where I was going to strike him, which hand I was going to use, and the type of strike I intended to try and hit him with. I asked him to block it….. Nine times out of ten, he couldn’t….
Ever wanted to get revenge?
“Karate is not for a rank, glory or for revenge. It is way of life: A way to protect yourself, a way to build health, and a way to bring people together.“ – Minoru Higa 10th dan Shorin Ryu Kyudokan . Ever wanted to get revenge? . The first thing many of us think of…