Since the development of sport karate, there have been mixed opinions on its validity as a true martial art. The sporting rules and culture is a far cry from how and why karate was originally created on Okinawa. . Today the traditionalist part of me says no to sport karate because the competitive philosophy of […]
Prior to karate’s Japanification and move to a more sport oriented system, Okinawan karate (Tode, Te) was created for self-defense, or self-protection. One of Okinawa’s greatest fighters, Motobu Choki stated that; “Nothing is more harmful to the world than a martial art that is not effective in actual self-defense.” . Today’s concept of blocking with
“Blocking with one hand and then countering with the other is not true bujutsu.” Read More »
Sparring is a training activity frequently used in just about every martial art style or system. While there are many different approaches to martial arts sparring, generally all of them follow a predefined set of rules and unique customs. . Unfortunately, many martial artists think their sparring skills are a good indicator of their ability
Sparring is NOT real fighting. Read More »
This week we were asked if we could grade someone to “Shodan” (a non member), who was a fighting champion, won many awards and championships, but did not want to do kata. . Kata is a library of self-protection techniques in Karate. Each kata creator encoded their specific knowledge into the motion of the kata
“Kata without bunkai is like a ‘shamisen’; Nice sound, but empty on the inside.” Read More »
“Karate is not something so simple as to teach only fighting.” – Kanei Uechi 10th dan Uechi Ryu (1911-1991) . . It is important for every student to be a good listener in the dojo. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verbally, as well as demonstrated by your teachers. .
“Karate is not something so simple as to teach only fighting.” Read More »
“Remember, fighting skills aren’t the key to self-protection: fighting is what happens when self-protection goes bad.” – Iain Abernethy 7th dan . Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are NOT the same, they are related, but they are most definitely not the same. There remains so many teachers / instructors that still do not understand this,
MOST styles of Karate TODAY do not incorporate throws…. And I am not speaking of those dojo that use throws from Judo as self-defense (you know who you are). . However, traditional Okinawan styles that have preserved a broader base of traditional martial techniques and principles, do indeed have throws…..as well as take-down defense, sweeps,
MOST styles of Karate TODAY do not incorporate throws. Read More »
How effective is karate for self-defense? (BTW, It’s a rhetorical question) . In its pure form, karate can be incredibly effective… but in its modern incarnation most of the karate seen today is sports oriented. The majority of today’s young people have only seen karate as a sport, with its strict rules and fanciful acrobatic
How effective is karate for self-defense? Read More »
“The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an opening in one’s guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all times.” – Gichin Funakoshi ?? . .
“..the important thing is to be on guard at all times.” Read More »
So you don’t compete in tournaments yet you teach tournament techniques….. as self-defense? . In self-defense there are NO RULES. If you’re in danger, in trouble, or in anyway threatened, you do anything and everything you can to ESCAPE, to get away and get to safety. . The idea behind karate for self-defense is that
In self-defense there are NO RULES. Read More »
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques, and it’s actually very important for this reason. You must do it. For any technique to be properly stabilized, basic physical strength is essential. Therefore, I perform strength training with the following philosophy in mind; great technique in kata can only be achieved with having a
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques.” Read More »
“Kata functions as the art of karate.” – Patrick McCarthy 9th dan Koryu Uchinadi . . “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
“Kata functions as the art of karate.” Read More »
