“If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast.” . My sensei would often make us practice our techniques in super slow motion to ensure we were using proper form and really developing an understanding of the nuances of each movement. . Of course, it took me a while to understand why we […]
“If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast.” Read More »
There are teachers where you can learn the techniques of karate, and there are teachers where you can learn the techniques and principles of karate. There are also teachers where you can learn the “Way of karate”, to develop physique, technique, principles, character, mind and spirit. . To me, the real teachers are those who
Your sensei will not always be there. Read More »
Traditional martial arts are a lifetime journey of maturity and growth, everlasting in the quest of self-improvement; emotionally, physically and spiritually, developing real lifetime skills and wisdom. . Karate is like following a path to the top of a mountain. We are all on different paths in the beginning, but as we get closer to
The journey is often far more interesting than the destination. Read More »
“Life is about knowing if you receive and counter, or just deflect. Knowing the good distance or how your timing should be, these are all part of life. In that sense, karate is to be practiced to toughen yourself, every time over and over…. It’s a lifetime’s work.” – (end quote) . Kenyu Chinen
“It is a cultural asset of Okinawa.” Read More »
“Our karate is not a sport but a budo. By budo, I mean to temper oneself. To never give up. This spirit can be reached only if one goes through hard training with all one’s might. Spiritual strength comes only through hard training. So more than a sport, it is about tempering oneself. It
“Our karate is not a sport but a budo.” Read More »
“Training is everything.…….Good students follow where you practice.” – (end quote) – Masaaki Ikemiyagi 9th dan Goju Ryu . . Consistent practice at the dojo is essential to learn and to improve. Regular attendance and practice outside the dojo is also essential. . Regular practice at home, helps maintain the learning that occurred in the
“Training is everything.” Read More »
“I would like to teach my juniors as I was taught by my teacher, so that I can pass on the traditional karate culture of Okinawa. The challenge is to find the right spirit, the right heart, I teach only those who have the right mind. The more I do karate, the more I
Highly opinionated people don’t usually ask for anyones opinion. They think they have the answers for everything and are easily offended by any opposing view. Highly opinionated people tend to lack a bit of empathy or understanding toward anyone who doesn’t think their way. Their minds are closed off because they already know the right
Questions? I’ve got ALL the answers. 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,
“The answer is only important if you ask the right questions.” ?? . Miyagi Nariyoshi – Miyagi-do Karate. . Everybody wants to progress, everyone wants to wrap themselves in another black belt, but very few are willing to look in the mirror to see where he or she is, right now. . It’s not enough to
“The answer is only important if you ask the right questions.” Read More »
“Where there is no practice, there is no Karate practitioner. Never fail to practice.” (end quote) – Minoru Higa 10th dan Shorin Ryu Kyudokan . ‘究道無限’ (Kyudo Mugen) – (The Path of Study Never Ends) . It is easy to believe you know enough. You have reached all the knowledge you need or want. You
Never fail to practice. Read More »
Hatsuko Machida is ranked 6th dan in Uechi-ryu. She teaches at the Ageda Women’s Dojo, which is unique in Okinawa for offering women only karate classes. She explained that many of her students had not been allowed to study karate when they were young, so now they embrace the opportunity to do so. .
“Many [female] students had not been allowed to study karate” Read More »
