Karate is a mess. . Even today in the 21st century people still refute what karate is, and sometimes what it isn’t. The majority of modern karate is plagued by dogma. No one seems to know what they are training for and in which context. . Practitioners cling to other people’s ideas with almost religious-like…
Tag: Kata
“If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just kicking and punching.”
The practice and purpose of kata in the martial arts is being debated (ad nauseam) once again. Do you believe that kata is the foundation of karate, or do you believe kata is an outdated method of practice that is not relevant today? . “[..] If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just…
Don’t rely on a “label”. It probably isn’t the right one.
In the West, where in some cases teaching Karate has become a business, a simple method of “teaching” to large groups of paying customers without much effort was needed. The “3 years spent on one Kata” idea was brushed off since Western consumers generally don’t have that kind of patience and want quick progress, new…
Kata, the management of failure.
“We learned karate that was to be used in real-life situations. If you don’t continue to train with that sense of there being a real opponent, you won’t be able to respond in that kind of situation.” – Takeshi Tamaki 10th dan Shogen-ryu . Kata, the management of failure. . What does this mean?…… In…
It is important to realize that kata are in fact kihon.
“In the old days, underlying strength would be established. This was the way. Techniques were not taught at first. It was about persistent basic things, building the body, getting to know the character and teaching perseverance. Perhaps such discipline is necessary, until you have the motivation to train.” – Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Oshukai Okinawa…
“Kata follows the essence of martial arts which is to minimize movement.”
“Kata follows the essence of martial arts which is to minimize movement.” – Tsuguo Sakumoto 9th dan Ryuei Ryu . Karate for me is about efficiency of movement, efficiency of combat, and natural movement lies at the heart of this efficiency. . Karate has been described as unnatural movement that you do, until it becomes…
“In reality, it is often much easier to defend against an attacker at close range!”
“The first contact is the key. Rather than attacking each other at a distance, the point is how to reduce your own risk. So I make contact most of the time. I want to reduce the possibility of being attacked by the opponent as much as possible. [..] I don’t think you want to let…
Practitioners who are interested in self-protection, should show a keen interest in bunkai.
Funakoshi wrote; “A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch, and a reverse punch, are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a…
Hit from where your hands are.
In the dojo recently we talked about “momentum” in a strike, punch or similar technique. Momentum can simply be defined as; “mass in motion.” All objects have mass; so if an object is moving, then it has momentum. . Our discussion was based upon moving our hands in an opposite direction to our target (moving…
“If someone asks what Karate is, the answer is Kata.”
“If someone asks what Karate is, the answer is Kata. Karate is the act of inheriting a Kata from the master. It is the act of guarding the Kata inherited from the master. It is to nurture someone and make someone grow.” – Yamashiro Yoshitomo Okinawa Kenpo . What is the true meaning of the…
What works best…. is what works best.
Human beings are emotional creatures. In the battle between emotions, common sense and logic, emotions win, always . I prefer to look at my karate from a logical and common sense perspective, with a view to developing functional combative skill. . Logical thinking is a process of exploring different solutions to a given problem. ….
“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Despite the differences in origin and style, most martial arts consist of similar techniques and skills that form a base for the art. . Most people believe that karate is a strike-only martial art. Wrong! Karate contains a whole arsenal of grabbing and throwing techniques in addition to striking. Traditional kata are full of it,…