Meditation

“I can see my strengths and weaknesses, and i’m not afraid to face my weaknesses.”

Growth in the martial arts comes through repetitive daily practice and studying at every opportunity. Today, society finds repetition boring and stifling. The self-discipline of repetition is at the heart of the martial arts. Through repetition, you can quiet the inner dialogue between the ego and the over-thinking mind. . Everything is a test….. and […]

“I can see my strengths and weaknesses, and i’m not afraid to face my weaknesses.” Read More »

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.”

‘Mokuso’ (黙想) is a Japanese term that is commonly used in the martial arts. The term refers to a period of silent meditation that is practiced at the beginning and end of a training session. . Commonly translated as “meditation”, the literal translation means “silence/still” (moku 黙) and “think/focus” (so 想). . Mokuso is often

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Read More »

“You think it’ll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won’t. One day it’s all gone. Even the sky”.

“You think it’ll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won’t. One day it’s all gone. Even the sky”. . Time does not care about anything but moving forward. What do the martial arts offer the aging student? . Young practitioners mostly see karate, or the martial arts in general, as something I

“You think it’ll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won’t. One day it’s all gone. Even the sky”. Read More »

Becoming better and stronger at your martial arts, doesn’t start in the dojo. It starts in your head.

The beginning of a New Year and everyone wants to start out the year strong, but it’s finishing strong that’s also important. Many resolutions and goals are never reached because people get caught up in what’s happening in their lives, and because they haven’t developed the mental strength to keep themselves going when the momentum

Becoming better and stronger at your martial arts, doesn’t start in the dojo. It starts in your head. Read More »

The Second Arrow of Suffering.

We all have had something upsetting or disappointing happen, it’s life after all, and sometimes we get frustrated at ourselves or others. We wish things could be different. . Our interpretation of events plays a large role in how we experience them. We get ill, have accidents and get emotionally wounded for numerous reasons, and

The Second Arrow of Suffering. Read More »

The practice of martial arts is deeply rooted in philosophy, tradition, and culture.

The practice of martial arts is deeply rooted in philosophy, tradition, and culture. It teaches not only self-defense but also discipline, focus, and respect. Many people start their martial arts journey with a specific goal in mind – perhaps to earn a black belt, or win a world title, to learn self-defense, etc. . It

The practice of martial arts is deeply rooted in philosophy, tradition, and culture. Read More »

Keiko (稽古) and Shugyō (修行)

Keiko (稽古) and Shugyō (修行) . Training in the martial arts is not just a hobby; we should contemplate our practice deeply. . The Japanese have six words for training, each signifying a deeper, more encompassing path: Keiko – practice; Renshu – training; Kunren – discipline; Tanren – forging; Kufu – struggling to solve a

Keiko (稽古) and Shugyō (修行) Read More »