(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) Real-world violence is nothing like what most people practice in the dojo. Throughout my life, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of facing real-world confrontations – both as a civilian and in my career. . It’s important to remember that most martial arts schools today teach some form of dueling,…
Tag: Mind
Why Some People Seek to Learn but Never Change.
eople (Approx 2 minute 40 second read) I’ve taught quite a few people over the last 50 years or so that I have been involved in the martial arts. By now, regulars to my Page, and even those who aren’t, can probably tell that I prefer my karate to be practical and pragmatic. . Sometimes…
Good Teachers Are Measured by What They Inspire, Not What They Need to Prove.
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) In a recent article I wrote about lineage, one of the comments I received said, “The worth of a teacher is not measured by the fame of their lineage, but by the depth of their understanding, their ability to transmit, and their humanity.” . He added, “…what truly matters:…
Not Every Argument Is Worth Your Time – Experience Teaches You That.
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) Something a little different today. . People talk a lot about confirmation bias, Dunning–Kruger, and all the psychological reasons why some can’t see past their own viewpoint. You don’t need the labels. You see the behavior every day, people so stuck in their own little world that anything outside…
Kihon Misunderstood: Where Tradition Ends and Practical Karate Begins.
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) My word it is hard to get through to some people sometimes. . Karate basics are often misunderstood. What are called soto uke, gedan barai, uchi uke, jodan uke, and more – many see these as literal blocks, designed simply to stop an incoming attack. . But if you…
Beyond Fighting: Building Safety Before Darkness Arrives.
(Approx 2 minute read) It’s interesting that in my articles about self-protection or self-defense, several comments suggest that many people simply don’t need it. . For clarity, in this article I use “self-protection” to describe all the measures we take to stay safe – awareness, avoidance, preparation, and mindset. “Self-defense” refers more specifically to the…
Before the Day Begins: Just Me, the Mats, and the Makiwara.
(Approx 2 minute 5 second read) I was up at 5:30 this morning and popped into my home dojo. . Dark outside, nothing stirring, it was so quiet, just how I like it. . The door to the dojo swung open with its familiar creak, I must oil those hinges, and I felt this wave…
Karate ni Sente Nashi: There’s No First Attack… Or Is There?
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) The phrase “karate ni sente nashi”, often mistakingly translated as “there is no first attack in karate”, has been repeated by karate-ka for generations. . Gichin Funakoshi made this principle the second of his Niju Kun (Twenty Precepts), reminding us that “karate begins and ends with courtesy”. . However,…
The Spirit of Karate Begins with How You Do the Simplest Things.
(Approx 2 minute read) Is doing your best always enough? . In my view – yes. There’s nothing more you can do than your best. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve. It means that right now, with what you know and understand, you’re giving everything you’ve got. Your “best” is a flexible, honest commitment to…
Karate: A Journey Through Many Paths.
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) Someone said to me recently that I keep writing about the same thing, and that this page “used to be great”. It was meant as criticism, and I’ll admit, it stung a bit. But maybe it’s true that I keep coming back to the same subject. Perhaps that’s because…
Educating the Ignorant (That Would Be Me): Apparently, I Need to Be Educated.
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) Apparently, I need to “be educated”. . The saga about step-kumite will not leave me alone, it seems. Another high-ranking instructor from a well-known association sent me a Facebook message to tell me how wrong I am because, wait for it… step-kumite was never designed to be effective (in…
Reading the Message in Kata – The Theme Comes First.
(Approx 2 minute 25 second read) Kata are not just sequences of techniques, they are repositories of information, each built around a central theme. . One kata might deal with preventing grabs, breaking grips, countering when that fails, and then controlling or escaping, all from the same starting point. By studying kata this way, we…