(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) There are many instructors that are passionate about their karate. They want to appeal to a wider audience and they obviously need to keep the doors of their dojo open. I know, I’ve been there. . There’s nothing wrong with wanting to grow your school or attract students, but…
Tag: Fighting
Was Bruce Lee Right? Why Knowledge Alone Isn’t Enough.
(Approx 2 minute 25 second read) I was at school in the 1970s when a friend of mine managed to sneak into the cinema to watch Enter the Dragon, the iconic Bruce Lee movie. . The next day he was so enthusiastic about it that, even though I had never heard of Bruce Lee or…
Am I Getting Angry at an Empty Boat? Zen, Karate, and Self-Defense.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) Many martial artists think self-defense begins with a punch, and for many practitioners, it’s the only way they see it. . Maybe because I’m getting on in years now, I think more of my failings and my fallibility. Back in the day I loved to fight, boxing as a…
Building on Fundamentals: Why Withholding Techniques Until Black Belt Fails Students.
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) A comment on one of my recent articles said that they don’t train throws in karate until students reach black belt. Really? Why? . I’ve never understood this mentality as a teacher. I’ve been teaching a long time, both in martial arts and outside of it. If I only…
Wait – You Think Judo and Jujitsu Are the Only Arts with Grappling?
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) On a recent article about not losing functionality in karate, as I do with all my articles I try to find an image that matches. This one happened to show two karateka grappling. . A comment I received stated that “that’s judo or jujitsu”, even going on to say…
Taking the Hit: Beyond the Bruises. Why Self-Defense Is More Than Toughness.
(Approx 1 minute 40 second read) Taking the hit. . Someone commented on one of my articles, a Kyokushin practitioner, and said that the best you can do for self-defense is to practice taking the hit. . While I agree it’s important your training includes what it feels like to be hit, within reason and…
Functionality is Not an Addition – It Is Karate. Let’s Not Lose It.
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) Someone commented on a recent article of mine where I spoke about the realities of self-defense, where violence is messy, fast, and unpredictable. I gave examples of being attacked at an ATM, in a car or bus, in a pub, at a table in a restaurant, and so on….
The Limits of Technique: Practical Karate for the Unpredictable.
(Approx 1 minute 55 second read) Violence is messy, fast, and unpredictable. Thinking you can stand toe-to-toe and trade blows with an attacker is a dangerous fantasy. . Far too many people are under the misleading impression that self-protection is all about facing an attacker toe-to-toe, putting your guard up, and “dukeing it out”! ….
The Real Message within Kata: Action Over Reaction.
(Approx 2 minute 25 second read) One of the first movements you learn when beginning the study of karate is a block. . You are taught to block from day one and to practice blocks at every class until they become a habit and ultimately become an almost unconscious reflex. . This philosophy and its…
Beyond the Punch: Why True Self-Protection Starts in the Mind.
(Approx 2 minute 35 second read) Karate – the ultimate in self-defense, right? . That’s what nearly every dojo and school claims. But how useful is it really when it comes to real-world situations? . Yes, karate teaches you how to fight. You’ll learn how to punch, kick, and even apply joint locks. But is…
Context Is Everything: Why Pic’n’Mix Doesn’t Always Meet the Goal.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) For those of us in the UK old enough to remember going into Woolworths with a little paper bag to make our own pic’n’mix of sweets (candy), karate today isn’t that far off, is it? Everybody picks out the bits they like and then somehow assumes the finished assortment…
When Belief Becomes Dogma: The Danger of Being Certain.
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) Conviction. It’s crazy when people are so confident, so absolutely certain, so entrenched in their own ideas, that they just can’t see outside the box. Their way is the only way – end of discussion. . As well as the martial arts – with a little boxing thrown in…