There is a difference between surviving something and having a good method. A while ago, I wrote about the use of jodan age-uke against a downward strike from a bo. The same idea is often shown against a baseball bat. The arm rises, the weapon comes down, and the defender is shown stopping the attack […]
When “It Worked” Still Isn’t Good Enough Read More »
Karate is translated as “empty hand”. Karate-do, the way of the empty hand. Most karateka know, at least in general terms, that the older characters for karate referred to “China hand”, and that the later change to “empty hand” helped reshape the art for a different time, a different audience, and a different cultural setting.
Empty Hands, Armed Assumptions Read More »
Someone once told me that if you do not wait for an attack, or at least attack and defend at the same time, then you have effectively become the attacker. His argument was that we can never truly know the exact method of attack, so we should wait. The exact method? Perhaps not. We may
Waiting for the Attack Read More »
Step into a traditional karate dojo and one of the first things you will usually do is take off your shoes. Hopefully. Karate, like many Japanese budo, is traditionally practiced hadashi, barefoot. There are cultural reasons for this, practical reasons, and reasons connected directly to how we move, balance, and feel the ground beneath us. In
Barefoot in the Dojo, Shoes in the Real World Read More »
There are several kata where movements are performed as jumping, leaping, or dramatic athletic actions. Suparinpei is one example, with the jumping front kick, or mae tobi geri. I understand why these movements look impressive. A well-performed jumping kick shows timing, coordination, strength, flexibility, and confidence. It can have value as a physical challenge, and it can look
Before I knew the word sabaki, I already understood one thing: If someone is trying to hit you, being somewhere else is usually a good place to start. That idea wasn’t unique to karate. Coming from boxing in my youth, moving off the line of attack simply made sense. You learned quickly that standing directly in
Before I Knew the Word “Sabaki” Read More »
One of the biggest problems in martial arts is that many people discuss violence without ever having experienced what genuine violence actually feels like. I don’t mean sparring in the dojo under pressure, demonstrations, or competitive exchanges. I mean the kind of violence that is sudden, emotionally charged, physically overwhelming, and nothing like theory. There
Violence Is Not a Puzzle Waiting for a Secret Answer Read More »
People often associate practical karate with fighting, self-defense, and physical confrontation. That is understandable. Much of my own writing over the years has focused on practical application, violence, realism, and the realities surrounding self-protection. Those things matter. But after more than fifty years of training, I have come to realize that karate eventually becomes something
What Karate Becomes Over Time Read More »
Kata is often misunderstood because many people view it through a modern lens. Today we live in a world of instant access to information. There are videos, books, seminars, online courses, slow-motion breakdowns, and endless commentary available at the touch of a screen. When kata was developed, none of that existed. There was no social
“Enbusen isn’t just about where you face when you perform kata. Enbusen is the opponent themselves. Enbusen represents the opponent’s attacks or movements, the practitioner must move accordingly to the movements of the opponent, and react to said attacks accordingly… Enbusen is the opponent.” Toshihiro Oshiro One of the biggest mistakes people make with kata
The Blueprint of Combat: Enbusen Is Not a Floor Pattern Read More »
Many people today study martial arts as a hobby. They do not train to the level that develops robust and functional real-world self-defense skills. That is why the non-physical side of self-protection is so important. While many people can make physical skills work, not everyone can develop a knockout punch or a strike that will
The Limits of Fighting Skills Read More »
When I was younger and competing, I had a couple of favorite techniques. Most of us did. They were the moves that felt natural, the ones I could rely on to score points or end a match. There’s a certain satisfaction in finding something that works; it gives you a sense of certainty. But even
The Danger of Being Right Read More »
