Are the martial arts all about fighting? Some people seem to think so. (Even on social media it seems.) . The traditional martial arts originated to satisfy a need for self-preservation during difficult times…… “[Karate] is not intended to be used against a single opponent [consensual] but instead as a way of avoiding injury by […]
Are the martial arts all about fighting? Read More »
“In karate, the most important thing is kata. Into the kata of karate are woven every manner of attack and defense technique. Therefore, kata must be practiced properly, with a good understanding of their bunkai meaning. There may be those who neglect the practice of kata, thinking that it is sufficient to just practice [pre-arranged]
“Real karate is for self-defense and kata bunkai is the main tool for this.” Read More »
“My police work influenced my drive to seek practical application practices and not be content with simplistic explanations that might not survive the rigor of an actual confrontation.” (End quote) – Taira Masaji 9th dan Goju Ryu . A technique might work very well against somebody who is your friend in the dojo, using only
“No fight [is] perfect that is not done in force and true time.” Read More »
The technique doesn’t work when your partner is resisting! . A lot of martial arts techniques and applications, in my humble opinion, don’t work against a non-compliant opponent, especially so when applied in the ways that the vast majority of people try to apply it. . Most martial artists, traditional and modern, are in
The technique doesn’t work when your partner is resisting! Read More »
There is a proverb about horseshoeing, which goes; “For want of a nail, a shoe was lost; For want of a shoe, a horse was lost: For want of a horse, a rider was lost: For want of a rider, a battle was lost; For the failure of battle the kingdom was lost; — And
Are you being taught self defense, or just how to fight? Read More »
Why is unrealistic “Bunkai” being taught? . The answer is simple: Because the vast majority of karate is taught by instructors who don’t know what realistic bunkai is. And that’s because their instructors were never taught it. And their instructors’ instructors were never taught it. . The original creators of each kata had their own
Why is unrealistic “Bunkai” being taught? Read More »
You ARE going to get cut! . If you think that knife attacks look anything like those typically seen in martial arts classes—you can be dead (sic) wrong. . Real attacks, by people who are familiar with a knife’s properties and true potential, are a blur of short, non-committed stabs and cuts that are practically
You ARE going to get cut! Read More »
Whether you’re a Karate practitioner, MMA fighter, combat fighter or any other competition martial artist, you train for are a very specific arena, dealing with very specific parameters. Outside in the real-world, if you use those parameters, oftentimes you will find unskilled people, who just have the ability to want to hurt you, are going
The goal is to live a life that avoids violence, not encourage it. Read More »
My karate is stronger than yours! . Really? You think so? . It’s essential to define what people mean by “strongest”. I’m assuming that when people are looking for the strongest karate styles, they mean strongest in terms of effectiveness and practicality. But strongest, WHERE? In the dojo? In a ring? In a competition? In
My karate is stronger than yours! Read More »
Karate “blocks” only work in a predefined attack….. Shock, horror….you mean my karate blocks won’t work in a spontaneous attack? . Action is always faster than reaction even when you’re anticipating it. When you’re reacting your brain goes through what could be described as a “defensive reaction cycle”; perception, evaluation and reaction. That takes time.
Karate “blocks” only work in a predefined attack. Read More »
“I teach karate as a life protection art, not as a sport….. My son commands the 4th Marines he trains Marines to go to war, and then you pray you never have to. It’s the same thing in training karate, that you train to win, there are no silver medals in a life protection situation.”
“I teach karate as a life protection art, not as a sport.” Read More »
For all the importance we place on learning how to fight and defend ourselves, the martial arts should at their core, teach that it is best not to get into a fight in the first place. . There are dojo and instructors that just teach fighting as self-defense! With no consideration taken to other important
Fighting should always be the last answer to a problem. Read More »
