Fighting

“One cannot understand the true meaning of something without putting it into practice.”

Bunkai, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection /

Kata was never meant to be used just to pass the next belt or simply practiced for aesthetic purposes. Kata should be practiced for the knowledge of the extremely effective techniques and principles upon which they are based, and practitioners should develop the ability to apply that knowledge. . Kata and sparring, often two words […]

“One cannot understand the true meaning of something without putting it into practice.” Read More »

“Karate is more than simply fighting, it’s a whole art.”

Bunkai, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

To truly understand your karate, look beyond the technique. . Often, we get fixated on what we’re going to do in order get the result we want. Most people tend to ask the question; “How do I do that?” . I view all techniques and drills to be a means to impart a principle. It’s

“Karate is more than simply fighting, it’s a whole art.” Read More »

“Karate at its heart is not about sport or beauty. Karate is about SURVIVAL.”

Bunkai, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

Many people are in denial of the inherent benefits of kata for self-defense, partly because its performance is seen solely as a succession of moves. Without understanding the combative applications they contain, the importance of kata has diminished. If people don’t understand what and why they are doing something, they won’t invest the necessary time

“Karate at its heart is not about sport or beauty. Karate is about SURVIVAL.” Read More »

BAD GUYS DON’T STAND STILL.

Bunkai, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

“Kata, as a demonstration, is but a shallow and limited usage of kata” – Donn Draeger (1922-1982) . If you promote your martial art as self-defense, or pragmatic with combative real-world methods of training, then you MUST demonstrate and include high intensity realistic training….. Obvious right? . But….. BAD GUYS DON’T STAND STILL. . If

BAD GUYS DON’T STAND STILL. Read More »

Is your art sport, or does it have a deeper meaning for you?

Bunkai, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

For many people, the status of their martial art is something of great importance. For others, it’s not important at all. Is your art sport, or does it have a deeper meaning for you? . Having success in an arena or being able to break boards, ice, bricks etc., or to fight in a controlled

Is your art sport, or does it have a deeper meaning for you? Read More »

You must take failure into account.

Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

Is the demonstration of techniques by your instructor successful….. every-time? . Why this could be a problem?….…. Because those techniques will often fail, more often than you think….. and students need to understand this, and practice and prepare for failure. . The success of any demonstrated technique is largely dependent upon having predetermined knowledge of

You must take failure into account. Read More »

Today, many people are thrust into teaching…. Perhaps too soon.

Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Sensei, Student /

You’ve just earned a black-belt and in an instant you’re teaching children and young students? Today, many people are thrust into teaching…. Perhaps too soon. . If you haven’t been guided through the process, you won’t have a clue as to what it really takes to guide others. No one learns by osmosis, no matter

Today, many people are thrust into teaching…. Perhaps too soon. Read More »

“Do not think of attack and defense as two separate things.”

Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection, Sensei, Student /

“Meotode” (夫婦手), an uchinaaguchi (the native Okinawan language) principle literally meaning “husband and wife hands”. In the case of an actual fight both hands should always be used together, which is essential in close-quarter pragmatic karate. It is a way of maximizing strategical advantage in a physical altercation by utilizing both arms and hands equally,

“Do not think of attack and defense as two separate things.” Read More »

What is the true meaning of the martial arts?

Bushido, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy /

  What is the true meaning of the martial arts? . The problem with this question is that the answer is going to be very subjective and personal. . We use the term ‘martial arts’ in a very broad sense, to encompass many different types of activities, and many practitioners describe what they do as

What is the true meaning of the martial arts? Read More »

“You can only fight the way you practice.”

Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Sensei, Student /

Sensei says (insert dogma), so it must be true and this is the way I will do it, until the end of time. . One problem which constantly crops up in the martial arts, is that often students, and some instructors too, have an idealized image of a sensei. Once a student gives his, or

“You can only fight the way you practice.” Read More »

Know which battles to fight.

Bushido, Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection /

Know which battles to fight. The real skill is not how to fight. It is knowing which battles to pick and which to walk away from. . If your response to all things is to fight, this is bad thinking, bad practice. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to

Know which battles to fight. Read More »

“Sport sparring is not self-defence and has very little to do with it.”

Development, Dojo, Japan, Karate, Learning, Martial Arts, Masters, Motivation, Okinawa, Philosophy, Self-Defense, Self-Protection /

If you’re like most people, you probably hope you will never find yourself in a self-defense scenario. . As a general rule, self-defense only justifies the use of force when it is used in response to an immediate threat. The use of force in self-defense generally loses justification once the threat has ended. Any use

“Sport sparring is not self-defence and has very little to do with it.” Read More »