“Karate makes true friends.” – Naka Tatsuya 7th dan Shotokan JKA . Too often some instructors ruin their legacy, and the legacy of others, due to their ego. They rely on their own ideas too much, avoid useful criticism, and can even bully their students into silence. Their self-centered attitudes and approaches create a stressful […]
“Karate makes true friends.” Read More »
“The word tradition is used in many areas of our life, and I believe it is an important thing, many things change and evolve in this world, but even in the midst of those changes it’s important to keep and pass on the traditions. That is why in Okinawa, traditional karate is practiced first….. I
“It’s important to keep and pass on the traditions.” Read More »
“….Karate men have to be careful of their behavior. Never break a promise. If we keep a promise to each other, we don’t need to make laws. Never make trouble with others. Be kind to others and be strict on yourselves.” ?? . Meitoku Yagi 10th dan Goju Ryu (1912-2003) . Meitoku Yagi (八木明徳 Yagi Meitoku,
Never break a promise. Read More »
“The most important thing about karate is basic training and communication. . Many young today will train extremely hard for a little while and then stop. This is not good. You must train little bit, but you must train often. Consistency is what creates a great martial artist, not brute strength. Karate is not
Karate is not for a rank, glory or for revenge. It is way of life. Read More »
The 7-5-3 code is very much influenced by the Bushido codes of honor that dictated the Samurai, or Japanese warriors, way of life. Bushido is a code of conduct that emerged in Japan from the Samurai who spread their ideals throughout society. They drew inspiration from Confucianism, which is a relatively conservative philosophy and system
The Way of the Warrior. Read More »
“ ‘Ishiki’ (意識) is very important. ‘Awareness – Take more attention and focus’. Without ‘Ishiki’: you wouldn’t realize what is happening here and there. By doing it you see and realize things happening. During everyday training with more attention and focus you will see and realize how your stance, form and technique are. Do not
Always do your best. Read More »
“During Matsumura’s generation, unlike today, great emphasis was placed on balancing physical and mental learning.” . Nagamine Shoshin (1907-1997), the founder of Matsubayashi-Ryu, published a book called “Tales of Okinawa’s Great Masters”. The quote above comes from that book, and highlights the importance of “Bun Bu Ryu Do” (roughly “Cultural and Martial Studies Together”) in
Great emphasis was placed on balancing physical and mental learning. Read More »
“Recently I hear people saying that sports karate, competition karate, is the tradition of our time…. But if I may express my personal opinion, I’d like to ask ‘so then what is karate in Okinawa?’….. . It is an unbroken culture and tradition that our ancestors have carried through history. For hundreds of years especially
Forging the exceptional, out of the ordinary. Read More »
“I don’t mean to suggest that I have a totally negative opinion about karate-do’s competitive element, it’s just that I feel that it is too shallow. Regardless of whether it is Okinawa, the Japanese mainland, or the world in general, jiu-kimite (free sparring) ignores the principles to which kata apply. Simply put, jiu-kumite should reflect
Jiu-kumite should reflect the kata Read More »
I have learned that you cannot teach someone who doesn’t want to learn or grow. Without that desire, there is no use in advising or coaching them, because it just won’t work. People reach a particular level of knowledge because their interests and motivations bring them to a point, but then they don’t want to
To be a master you must be a great & humble student. Read More »
Knowledge is knowing the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question. ?? . . “The world is full of people who are determined to be somebody or to give trouble. They want to get ahead, to stand out….” ~ Bruce Lee . Everybody wants to progress, everyone wants to wrap themselves in another black belt,
Knowledge is knowing the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question. Read More »
“Traditional karate is what we learned from the time we started, traditional Okinawan karate. As did our elders. 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
We learned karate that was to be used in real-life situations. Read More »
