Philosophy

“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.”

The people who argue about kata not being relevant to real fighting or self-defense totally miss the point – in addition to being ’libraries’ of combative principles, techniques and movements, when practiced correctly they reinforce the fundamentals necessary to fight or defend oneself as effectively as possible in a civilian exchange. . People who question […]

“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” Read More »

Just Relax!

Many martial artists don’t know (or can’t admit) that they’re wasting energy. They make excuses like; “Oh I just need to relax more.” or “I need to work on my cardio.” No..… you’re getting tired because you have poor technique. . And they blame poor conditioning, but the reality is, that conditioning will never compensate

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Kata, the management of failure.

“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 situation.” – Takeshi Tamaki 10th dan Shorin-ryu . Kata, the management of failure. . What does this mean?…… In

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Oh, I get it now.

No one can put the knowledge or skill inside your head and in your hands. You basically get out of it what you put into it. . What amazes me still is how many people I see haven’t taken their training that far. They show up to class, do what they’re told, and then leave.

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“Don’t think. FEEL.”

When I was a kid Bruce Lee was the one who inspired me to start the martial arts at fourteen years of age, while still at school. “Emotional content”. A small scene in his classic film ‘Enter the Dragon’. . It all starts when Bruce discovers a young student walking around the temple. Upon seeing

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“Karate ni sente nashi” (空手に先手なし)

“Karate ni sente nashi” (空手に先手なし), typically translated as, “There is no first attack in karate.” . Gichin Funakoshi made this principle the second of his “Niju Kun” (Twenty Precepts), reminding us that “karate begins and ends with courtesy”. . Karate and particularly kata, often suffers a bad name for being outdated and unrealistic. In my

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“Kata without bunkai is like a shamisen (3 string Okinawan guitar); Nice sound, but empty on the inside.”

A comment on one of my recent articles stated; “I don’t believe in bunkai.” . To comment that; “I don’t believe in bunkai” is an extraordinary thing to say. Someone who really doesn’t understand their martial arts. But unfortunately, they really believe in their statement. And this is all too common. . What does “bunkai”

“Kata without bunkai is like a shamisen (3 string Okinawan guitar); Nice sound, but empty on the inside.” Read More »