Don’t do a technique 5 times and wait for the instructor to tell you WHAT’S NEXT. Do the technique 500 times and wait for the instructor to tell you to STOP. . . Researchers who have investigated expert and novice performance have uncovered important distinctions between ‘deliberate practice’ and repetition alone. . Deliberate practice is…
Tag: Karate
“Through my years of training, the only thing I’ve learned is that I don’t know everything.”
空手は生涯の研究です- Karate wa shōgai no kenkyūdesu (Karate is a lifelong study) – Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952) . . Relatively speaking, there is still relatively few who choose to dedicate their lives to studying martial arts and self-defense. In terms of sports, many choose more mainstream past times such as football, basketball, baseball, or soccer (in the…
“To temper oneself. To never give up.”
自分を鍛える. (Jibun o kitaeru) “To temper oneself. To never give up. This spirit can be reached only if one goes through hard training with all one’s might.” (End quote) – Uema Yasuhiro 9th dan Shorin Ryu . If you train, and train hard, you will achieve so much, and that is a fact. If you…
“Sometimes we’re tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.”
“Sometimes we’re tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.” Adam Carter 7th dan Ryukyu Karate Jutsu – Shuri Karate Dojo . . There are times when we have to test ourselves and push ourselves to the limit. It is how we grow, and it is how we gain life experiences. You…
Don’t build tension in your body.
“The most important points of my teaching are breathing, movement and timing. But breathing is first…. the first thing we do in this world is to breathe and, you know, even today, 90% of people do not know how to breathe correctly. If the breathing is wrong, your body will go wrong – your…
The technique doesn’t work when your partner is resisting!
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…
“Enbusen is the opponent themselves.”
“Enbusen (演武線) (embusen) isn’t just about where you face when you perform kata. Enbusen is the opponent themselves. Enbusen represents the opponent’s attacks or movements, the practitioner must move accordingly to the movements of the opponent, and react to said attacks accordingly….. Enbusen is the opponent.” (End quote) – Toshihiro Oshiro 9th dan Shima-Ha…
Are black belts in martial arts given away too easily?
“These days too many people stop training once they pass 2nd or 3rd Dan, they don’t realise that belts are not important. Grades mean nothing; all that matters is to train hard.” (End quote) – Tatsuo Suzuki Wado-Ryu (1928-2011) . Are black belts in martial arts given away too easily? . If your black belt…
Do you revere your sensei or teacher?
“We received from our ancestors, the old masters of karate, the Kata, which they have created with their blood and their hearts, putting their whole souls into them.” (End quote) – Mabuni Kenei . . Do you revere your sensei or teacher, as is often quoted by the older generation of Karate masters? . Reverence…
“Trouble comes to those who don’t have courtesy.”
“If you have good manners, you can survive anywhere. Trouble comes to those who don’t have courtesy.” – Masahiro Nakamoto 10th dan Okinawa Dentou Kobudo . . In society a general definition of courtesy would be polite behavior that is well accepted in the society. This value holds great importance in the correct development…
“I can’t do anything but karate.”
空手を続ける想い (Karate o tsudzukeru omoi) – To keep practicing karate means……. “Passing down the karate our great masters created to the next generation, and promoting it to the world: that’s our responsibility. . As Master Uechi Kanei said; ‘conditioning the body is important in karate’. Some people think karate is in the mind, but…
Are you being taught self defense, or just how to fight?
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…