I’ve written extensively about awareness in my recent articles, and some of the comments have been quite illuminating. I keep returning to this subject, which should tell you something: the misunderstandings around it are persistent. One in particular stood out. . People often talk about “learning awareness” as if it’s a checklist or a memory […]
You Can’t Learn Awareness With Your Eyes Closed – or in a Workshop. Read More »
If you are like most people, you probably hope you will never have to face real violence. . Recently I wrote about awareness, because the best self-defense decisions often happen long before anything physical begins. The earlier you notice a problem, the more options you have. Sometimes the best outcome is simply stepping off the
I was fourteen years old when I began practicing karate. At the time, I had no clear idea of what I was looking for. . Behind the repetition, the discipline, and the physical effort, I was told that there was a path concerned with understanding oneself as much as learning technique. . The karate available
More Than One Thing: What Training Was Supposed to Be. Read More »
In karate we often hear ‘ganbaru’ – do your best, keep going, push through. It’s a useful sentiment, but it doesn’t quite reach the depth of what older martial traditions expected from a practitioner. For that, there is a sterner, more honest practice. It’s called ‘Issho Kenmei’. . It’s not about effort in theory. It
Issho Kenmei: Training as if This Moment Matters. Read More »
After enough years in the martial arts, you stop asking only what is legitimate, and start asking how legitimacy should be handled. . Senior rank does not just confer authority. It reveals how someone behaves when given the power to accept or reject others. . In every generation of martial arts, there is a tension
Standards, Verification, and the Responsibilities of Senior Practitioners. Read More »
In my recent article I talked about awareness – something everyone should be thinking about in relation to self-defense. Even if your goals are elsewhere, such as competition, awareness still matters. . But the question that always follows is this: how do you train it? . Awareness isn’t trained by adding content. It’s trained by
What Remains When Distraction Is Removed – Awareness Is Not a Drill. Read More »
Someone said to me the other day, ‘Why don’t you give up practical karate, as you call it, and just do karate-do?’ . It’s an interesting comment, but one built on a misunderstanding. . What sat beneath the comment was the assumption that karate itself cannot be pragmatic. That once effectiveness and real-world purpose are
Karate-Do Is Not the Opposite of Practical Karate. Read More »
I have been fortunate in my karate journey to have had some truly great teachers. I would say that though, wouldn’t I? No disrespect intended, but I imagine most people feel the same about those who have guided them. . But that raises an important question – what actually makes a great teacher? . A
What Makes a Great Teacher – and What Students Carry Forward. Read More »
There are so many clichés about becoming a black belt, being a black belt, and how you should behave once you eventually get one. . But the problem is that for some people, it doesn’t stop there. One black belt isn’t enough. They want another grade, then another. More stripes on the belt. . When
When a Black Belt Stops Meaning Anything – and the Outcome Is Already Decided. Read More »
We all want to be acknowledged for our work, our performance, our dedication. It’s a natural human desire to know that we are doing a good job. . Praise is one of those small things that can mean a great deal. Positive reinforcement feels good, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But it can also
Learning Isn’t the Hard Part – When Experience Gets in the Way. Read More »
This question comes up again and again in karate, usually after a video is shared or a book is mentioned. Someone performs a kata and the discussion quickly turns into claims about what is “original”, who learned from whom, and who was closest to the source. Before long, the kata itself is almost forgotten, replaced
What Do We Mean When We Say “Original Kata”? Read More »
Some of the messages I receive are incredibly short-sighted. “You would fail if you were taken to the ground.” . Firstly – fail at what? . I don’t compete anymore. The karate I teach, and have taught for several decades, is practical and pragmatic in approach. Yes, we occasionally have fun and do competition-style sparring,
“Take Them to the Ground” That Is The Failure Read More »
