You run into lots of different attitudes in the martial arts (and out of it), most are extremely positive, but some extremely hateful. While all of us would prefer the positive, unfortunately there are those that just prefer to hate. . Hate is an emotion that gives us a feeling of intense hostility and aversion,…
Tag: Mind
“A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker.”
We all make mistakes, we lose our way. We focus on the wrong things. We pursue goals at all costs. We doggedly stick to our training routines that may not be effective. You can be a good, dedicated person and still exercise poor judgment. . Sometimes in these moments, we’re not the friend others deserve,…
Indulging in hate and revenge is like drinking saltwater, the thirst can only grow
Sometimes the best thing you can do is not ruminate, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess. . At times, we struggle amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, so much so, that we get frustrated and are completely unaware of which way to go. Life is not going to happen according to you….
“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…
Techniques that are effective for kumite and sparring in the dojo, are not necessarily sensible choices for self-protection.
The grappling of karate is not comparable to the highly skilled grappling exhibited by MMA or Judo practitioners. It is, by design, very crude by comparison. But karate’s grappling methods did exist long before the rise of MMA. . There are those that believe only Judo or BJJ can provide grappling and throws, and the…
Always do your best, learn everything you can…. Enjoy the journey.
“There is a saying; ‘Shikin nu tiyaui’ which means however much you train and get stronger, there is always someone who is better than you. So, we should always remember the time we first started karate, and be humble when dealing with the martial art.” (End quote) – Hiroshi Akamine 9th dan Ryukyu Kobudo &…
“The way of karate is the way of everyday life.”
In Japan, a number of time-honored everyday activities, such as making tea, arranging flowers, writing, some of which are traditionally deeply explored by their practitioners. . Students study how to make tea, write with a brush, or perform martial arts, in the most skillful way possible, to express themselves with maximum efficiency while trying to…
“You can continue Karate for a lifetime.”
“You can practice at your own level and no matter the age it can be done and you can continue Karate for a lifetime.” – Tsuneo Kinjo 9th dan Goju Ryu Jundokan . Aging is one of the greatest challenges we face. In most sports (I’m not referring to karate as sport here), there is…
“Ultimately, training in karate means not having to fight anyone”.
“Ultimately, training in karate means not having to fight anyone”. (End quote) – Yoshio Kuba 10th dan Goju Ryu . DON’T FIGHT….. TAKE CONTROL….. Eliminate in your opponent the desire to keep fighting. To always want to ‘defeat’ someone; to always want to fight first; if these are your only skills, then there is…
“Smile and relax.”
“Smile and relax. You can’t demonstrate great power unless you are relaxed.” – Yoshimi Inoue Soke – Inoue-ha Shito-ryu (1946-2015) . “Smile!” When Inoue sensei thinks you are tense, he never says “relax!“. Instead, he says “smile!” – which is a psychological trick to make you relax. It’s hard to be tense when you’re smiling!…
The main goal of self-protection is NOT fighting.
“Winning is the reason why you compete and why sports exist, more than anything else. Is karate such a thing? Has karate been built on the principals of competition and winning? Or is karate based on forging a better person?” – Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Oshukai Shorin Ryu . Self-protection, which we usually refer…
“I researched on my own and found the reason.”
“I researched on my own and found the reason….. So I tried experimenting with my students….. I realized its true meaning…” – Tatsuya Naka 7th dan JKA Shotokan . The main goal of a teacher should not be to fill the student with knowledge, but instead to guide them how to obtain knowledge through their…