You don’t have to “bring“ yourself into the present moment, because you are already there. What is required is to become still. And you don’t have to sit down in some difficult yoga position to be still. You don’t have to repeatedly recite a chant to be still. All you need to do are three…
Tag: Motivation
Are your kata original?
If you have a true interest in the martial arts, I believe it is important that practitioners have some understanding of the history of our art. . Today, many practitioners and instructors state that they are practicing and teaching the ‘original’ kata as taught by Master… (insert name). . But what is original?….. The true…
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts?
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts? Who decides what it is? . Tradition can be described as; “an inherited, established or customary pattern of thought, action or behavior”. But what we refer to as “traditional” in the martial arts often isn’t traditional at all. . All of the past masters were…
Where modern karate goes wrong…..
Where modern karate goes wrong in self-defense is where fighting comes first. . Street fighting and self-defense are two different things. Most people think about this as the same, even martial artists. They are not. In street fighting you are basically a fool that lets your ego expose you to danger. Street fighting is for…
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) Kata
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) . The kata Naihanchi is said to mean ‘sideways fighting’ due to the kata’s distinctive embusen (floor pattern), but is also translated as ‘internal divided conflict’, it is practiced in many styles of karate today. . Gichin Funakoshi renamed the kata Tekki (Iron Horse) in reference to his old teacher, Anko Itosu, and…
“Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare.”
If you have seen The Karate Kid movie, you will undoubtedly remember the wise old karate master, Mr. Miyagi, telling his student Daniel-san to; “Look eye! Always look eye”. . Well, not necessarily. At least not in the martial arts. . In fact, in Japanese culture, excessive eye contact is considered rude. And being rude…
My karate is SUPERIOR to yours.
My karate is stronger, tougher, more athletic…. it’s superior to yours! . Really? It’s superior in all things?….. . You have to define what you mean by “superior”. I’m assuming that when people say a “superior karate style”, they mean the best in terms of effectiveness and practicality…… But superior, WHERE? In the dojo? In…
So don’t cheat. Don’t pretend you did it. Don’t lie….. WORK FOR IT.
I am often asked for answers to questions from people online that I have never met, without knowing who these people are, or what they are doing, or where they come from. There are no introductions, or any form of politeness, it’s just…. “I want information, give it to me NOW!” . Sharing knowledge is…
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation.”
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation, which often happens without warning and at close range. We do not practice ‘sparring’ in this fashion.” (End quote) – Taira Masaji 9th dan Goju Ryu . A technique might work very well against another practitioner in the dojo, using only passive resistance against you. However,…
Sometimes its good to practice to “slow” down
Just like learning to play a musical instrument, muscle memory is built by repetition, and doing something wrong during that repetition ingrains it into your mind. It is much more beneficial to do it right the first time, than training the bad information out later on. . In the martial arts, faster is usually considered…
Seisan. Karate’s oldest kata?
The kata Seisan (十三) (alternate names Sesan, Seishan, Jusanpo, Hangetsu in Shotokan) literally means ’13’. Some people refer to the kata as ’13 Hands’, ’13 Fists’, ’13 Techniques’, ’13 Steps’ or even ’13 killing positions’; however, these names have no historical basis. . Seisan is thought to be one of the oldest kata, and like…
Control an attacker, don’t give them the chance to control you.
Irimi (入り身) is a Japanese martial arts term meaning “to enter with body”. An ‘irimi’ motion is one which describes when someone enters towards another. It’s a rather simple definition but performing it, especially under stress or pressure, can be quite difficult. . Perhaps a more meaningful way of using Irimi is to understand it as…