Someone recently told me that karate could not be viewed only through the lens of self-defense. Karate, he said, is also an art. I am not entirely sure that he trains his own karate for self-defense, but that is perhaps beside the point. His comment raises a question that is rarely asked. What does “art” […]
What Is the Art in Martial Art? Read More »
I was shown a video recently of a child being taught how to escape from an adult’s grab. The intention may have been good. But the method being shown was deeply flawed. It was the kind of technique that can look convincing in a calm demonstration. The adult holds the child’s arm in a certain
The Danger of False Confidence Read More »
Every instructor teaches from what they know. That is unavoidable. The problem begins when what they know becomes the boundary of what they believe self-defense is. Not always deliberately. Not always dishonestly. But limited all the same. My own direction has always been toward karate as a method of self-protection. I understand that karate can
When the Instructor’s Limits Become the Method Read More »
Kata, kihon, and two-person drills are all part of the language of karate. Each has value. Each has a place. But none of them should exist in isolation, and none of them should be kept simply because they have always been there. Karate has changed over time. It has been taught for physical education, discipline,
If It Doesn’t Serve the Purpose Read More »
There is a difference between surviving something and having a good method. A while ago, I wrote about the use of jodan age-uke against a downward strike from a bo. The same idea is often shown against a baseball bat. The arm rises, the weapon comes down, and the defender is shown stopping the attack
When “It Worked” Still Isn’t Good Enough Read More »
I have seen this kind of demonstration many times in karate. A student extends an arm. The teacher pushes against it, or slaps against it with their hand, and the arm collapses. The wrist bends, the elbow gives way, the shoulder lifts, and the whole thing looks weak. Then the teacher makes a small correction.
When a Demonstration Proves the Wrong Thing Read More »
I’m sure many of you have a favorite kata. I know I do. Several, actually. There are certain kata we keep going back to, sometimes because they feel good to perform, sometimes because they keep revealing something new, and sometimes because they simply stay with us. For me, Naihanchi is one of those kata. Simple
When Simplicity Holds the Lesson Read More »
Social media algorithms are a strange phenomenon. Lately, mine seem to be filled with video clips of karate students, including black belts, spending an extraordinary amount of time perfecting stances, hand positions, hip alignment, and body posture. The hikite hand placed just so. The open front hand measured, corrected, and adjusted until it matches someone’s
When the Label Says Self-Defense Read More »
Karate is translated as “empty hand”. Karate-do, the way of the empty hand. Most karateka know, at least in general terms, that the older characters for karate referred to “China hand”, and that the later change to “empty hand” helped reshape the art for a different time, a different audience, and a different cultural setting.
Empty Hands, Armed Assumptions Read More »
Someone once told me that if you do not wait for an attack, or at least attack and defend at the same time, then you have effectively become the attacker. His argument was that we can never truly know the exact method of attack, so we should wait. The exact method? Perhaps not. We may
Waiting for the Attack Read More »
It is tough to explain to others why we keep showing up, day after day, week after week, year after year, to struggle and sweat. There is a feeling of satisfaction that comes from the learning process in martial arts, and that feeling goes far beyond the physical side of training. For those of us
When Martial Artists Forget Their Own Lessons Read More »
When you first learn a movement or drill, it is natural to begin from stillness. Static training gives you and your partner time to understand what is being taught. It allows you to coordinate your response, learn the shape of the movement, and begin to understand where your body needs to be. There is nothing
When the Drill Becomes the Problem Read More »
