温故知新 On Ko Chi Shin — “Study the old, understand the new.” . There is always something new to learn in traditional karate. Don’t stop learning because you have reached the first few black belt levels. . “Dan” (段) does not mean “degree”, it means “level” or “stage”, and 1st and 2nd dan are just […]
Study the old, understand the new. Read More »
“The ultimate goal in a battle it is to eliminate in your opponent the desire to keep fighting.” . Your best defense is to use your brain. What really gets injured if someone insults you? Your pride, your ego? If you let it get to you so much that you want to throw down the
Eliminate in your opponent the desire to keep fighting. Read More »
“Look in the mirror… that’s your competition.” ?? . Minoru Higa 10th dan Shorin Ryu Kyudokan . Who are you competing with? . We’re all guilty of looking at other people and wishing we had what they had. Sometimes feeling jealous or thinking why not me? We sometimes even lie to ourselves and say “I’ve worked
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“Sometimes, you need to close certain doors… not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they don’t lead anywhere!” . Patrick McCarthy Hanshi 9th dan Koryu Uchinadi . . Sometimes not all open doors lead to opportunities, we’ve got to close some doors in our lives because they don’t lead us anywhere. .
A closed door is not an ending. Read More »
“Remember, fighting skills aren’t the key to self-protection: fighting is what happens when self-protection goes bad.” ?? . . Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same, they are related, but they are most definitely not the same. . As martial artists we need to understand the difference between these three concepts. They are distinctly
Fighting is what happens when self-protection goes bad. Read More »
Do not be consumed by the desire to want other people’s rank. . Comparing yourself to people around you is a trap you can easily fall into. But, measuring your success in Karate by comparing belts with other people is a dead-end that only leads to frustration, jealousy and sadness in the long run. .
Do not be consumed by the desire to want other people’s rank. Read More »
“You cannot undo the moves but you can make the next step better.” ?? . . You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does
You either get bitter or you get better. Read More »
“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.” ~ Frank Herbert ?? . Some people love to lead and have power. There’s nothing wrong with this in itself, and it could easily lead a martial arts practitioner to become a great teacher. But if this drive becomes excessive, it can cause
The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand. Read More »
“I look around today and feel saddened. Many students of martial arts do not have respect for their teachers. All they want to learn is punching and kicking. This is not martial arts, it is only fighting.” ?? . . Martial Arts is steeped in tradition and principles. People are often drawn to the practice based
The importance of discipline in the martial arts. Read More »
Be proud of your character, not your Belt rank. ?? . Adam Carter 7th dan Ryukyu Karate Jutsu ~ Shuri Dojo . . Some people seem to be focussed primarily on obtaining rank and status instead of working on themselves, their character, and their martial arts abilities. . Belts are not a trophy to display and
Be proud of your character, not your Belt rank. Read More »
I was raised to show respect. I was taught to knock before I open a door. Say hello when I enter a room. Say please and thank you, and to have respect for my elders. . I’d let another person have my seat if they need it. Say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’, and help
Make yourself proud of who you are. Read More »
It is not about ‘time OR training’ but about ‘time AND training’. ?? . You have to do the time, and promotion will come when you are ready, and you have the minimum ‘time in grade’. Note that the time in grade requirement is a ‘minimum’. Therefore, if you are training three times a week, the
It is not about ‘time OR training’ but about ‘time AND training’. Read More »
