For our students, fortunately injuries a rare occurrence at our Dojo. However, there are some injuries such as bruises, sprains and strains that can occur despite everyone’s best efforts. . Martial arts are a surprisingly safe form of physical activity, controlled training is statistically very safe. . Training injuries unfortunately do happen. If you train…
Tag: Kata
Understand that your karate has some practices that are dysfunctional.
Mark Bishop(2) martial arts author and researcher, recounts that Shinpan Shiroma, a student of Anko Itosu, often admitted to not knowing the technical functions of some movements of kata, merely explaining that they were for show. . Itosu was in his 70’s when he finalized the Pinan kata and began teaching them within his school…
Instructors should always teach the effective meaning of a technique, not just block and punch.
In many dojo throughout the world you will see instructors and students moving up and down the dojo (social media too), moving backwards and forwards practicing block, punch, block, punch, in some sort of ‘renzoku’, ‘ippon’ or ‘sanbon’ kumite etc. . Everyone must learn the basics to become proficient in any of the martial arts….
Only a rank novice would open with a double kick.
Kicks in kata are usually single in usage. However, there are a few kata that contain multiple kicks. So what use are these multiple kicks contained within the kata? . A kata that comes to mind is ‘Kusanku’ (there are others). The kick in question, often labeled as “Nidan geri” (二段). When I translate this,…
When is it appropriate to use a kick in self-defense?
There are many more hand techniques in kata than kicks, and when there is a kick, usually there is only one (there are a few kata with multiple kicks). . Kicking is probably the least effective of all the combative methods. Why? Because your motion and stability are severely reduced the instant you take your…
Is traditional Karate just limited to imitation?
Change is the only constant in life and yet, it is the one thing we tend to resist the most, especially so when this constant is deemed to be traditional. . Okinawa is differentiated from the rest of Japan by its individual history and distinct cultural practices. One of the most recognizable products of Okinawan…
“Studying karate nowadays is like walking in the dark without a lantern.”
Why people fail to question what they believe, very often to their own detriment, surprises me again and again (it shouldn’t). . Growth is part and parcel of being a martial artist. Learning is a life-long process and the knowledge that you have is never enough. There is always more to know. The desire to…
“GEDAN BARAI” IS NOT A BLOCK.
The modern labels attached to many karate techniques may have little to do with their intended function. These labels arose relatively recently in karate’s development and originate from the “watered down” karate taught in Okinawan schools, in the early part of the 20th century, modernized further on the mainland of Japan. Prior to this time,…
Don’t rely on the “label” of a technique. It probably isn’t the right one.
Many practitioners of karate have forgotten that its original purpose was self-defense. To quote Anko Itosu; “…. a way of avoiding injury by using the hands and feet should one by any chance be confronted by a villain or ruffian.” . Today the need for martial arts to be purely self-defense has diminished, and the…
“The most important thing is the kata.”
The Pinan (平安) kata series, Shodan-to-Godan (Pinan is often translated as ‘peaceful/tranquil mind’), are widely taught to students in a variety of karate styles. They are attributed to Itosu Yasutsune ‘Anko’ (1831-1915) who is said to have adapted them from older kata. However from which kata is less than certain. . Itosu introduced karate into…
“In karate, the most important thing is kata.”
Kata are a library of self-protection techniques and principles in karate. Each kata creator encoded their specific knowledge into each movement of the kata they made. Kata are not simply a record of techniques, or a solo performance; rather each and every kata is designed to record the key principles and strategies of a complete…
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
If you want to be skilled at karate, do what skilled karate people do: train each day! If you get into the habit of daily training, you will surprise yourself with how much progress you can make. . I often get asked “how can I improve my karate?” The answer is really very simple…… Practice….