Fighting

Your bunkai needs to be effective, it must be applicable to real situations.

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

When you analyze kata, breakdown the movements within, your bunkai needs to be effective, it must be applicable to real situations. The kata were created for this reason. . Some of the applications put forward as interpretations of kata movement vary from the wonderful to the ridiculous, and unfortunately it is often hopelessly inadequate. . […]

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To not fight is the greatest victory in a street fight.

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

For those of you who ‘laugh in the face of adversity’, and your response to all things is to fight….. You know who you are! . I want to stress the importance of attempting to solve a problem without a physical altercation. Really you should be trying your best to deescalate a situation before it

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“Real Budo karate is about self-improvement, if you just want to win a fight, buy a gun.“

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“Okinawans recognize two kind of karate. One is sport karate, and one is called Budo karate. I choose Budo karate. Budo karate is commitment and dedication. In this case, the teacher has to pick those who want to learn true karate. These individuals train hard and are mannerly in their ways. Real Budo karate is

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Why take the time to learn the martial arts for self-defense?

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

Why take the time to learn the martial arts for self-defense? . It’s a well known fact that size and strength matter significantly when engaging in unarmed combat. So why bother learning the martial arts for self-defense at all? Why not get a gun (legally: Country and State permitted), where size and strength are much

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Try something new, incorporate “meotode” into your training.

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“ The risk of learning something new is that you may have to completely change what you’re doing and what you are thinking, as a result of what you’ve learned. Yet, when you’ve reached a level of experience, you don’t want to change, you don’t want to lose everything you’ve gained. Well guess what? You

Try something new, incorporate “meotode” into your training. Read More »

How bad (or good) are untrained people at fighting?

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

Those of us that study pragmatic karate, will always tell you that the karate we practice is for use against “civilian attacks”…. the reason karate was created. That our combative skills are for use against a thug, “ruffian or villain” (Ankoh Itosu precept quote). Someone who is untrained in the martial arts. . But these

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Karate is a mess.

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

Karate is a mess. . Even today in the 21st century people still refute what karate is, and sometimes what it isn’t. The majority of modern karate is plagued by dogma. No one seems to know what they are training for and in which context. . Practitioners cling to other people’s ideas with almost religious-like

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“If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just kicking and punching.”

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

The practice and purpose of kata in the martial arts is being debated (ad nauseam) once again. Do you believe that kata is the foundation of karate, or do you believe kata is an outdated method of practice that is not relevant today? . “[..] If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just

“If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just kicking and punching.” Read More »

Don’t rely on a “label”. It probably isn’t the right one. 

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

In the West, where in some cases teaching Karate has become a business, a simple method of “teaching” to large groups of paying customers without much effort was needed. The “3 years spent on one Kata” idea was brushed off since Western consumers generally don’t have that kind of patience and want quick progress, new

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Kata, the management of failure. 

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

“We learned karate that was to be used in real-life situations. If you don’t continue to train with that sense of there being a real opponent, you won’t be able to respond in that kind of situation.” – Takeshi Tamaki 10th dan Shogen-ryu . Kata, the management of failure. . What does this mean?…… In

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Knowledge is power only when you truly understand and can apply it.

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

“Every day, there is a new discovery. Rather than merely hitting this way or hitting that way, i’m interested now in trying to evolve the foundations of my practice.” – Kenji Yamaki . You can learn all the technical skills you want. You can learn all the theories and understand the concepts down to the

Knowledge is power only when you truly understand and can apply it. Read More »