(Approx 2 minute 5 second read) A little while ago, I was approached by some of the moms of the younger students, asking if I would be interested in doing a self-defense course for them. None of them had ever practiced the martial arts before. . Normally, I would encourage anyone to join our classes […]
Personal Safety: Self-defense Goes Way Beyond the Physical. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 55 second read) What is awareness, and why is it so important in self-defense? . Many practitioners focus solely on physical techniques, treating force as the solution to every problem. Some even adopting a fight-first mentality, giving little more than lip service to avoidance. . But we all know that avoidance is
When Self-Defense is Just Pruning Your Roses. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) Over the years, karate has been modified to fit a non-combative formula such as competition, athleticism, style, and aesthetics. However, traditionally, karate – and its kata – were designed as records of practical fighting methods for civilian self-defense. . Now, I understand that not everyone trains for self-defense or
Purpose-Driven Practice: Cut Through the Unnecessary, Focus on Function. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 55 second read) Some of the comments I receive on my articles are truly remarkable (I’m being polite here). They certainly inspire me to write, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain. . Recently, a few people argued that fine motor skills work under high stress – some comparing the skills of martial
Can You Really Apply That Lock? Reality vs. Fantasy. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 50 second read) A friend of mine reminded me, in relation to an article I wrote about keeping karate grounded in reality when approaching self-defense, about cognitive dissonance in the martial arts. . Ever feel that discomfort when two ideas just don’t sit right? . That’s cognitive dissonance. . We dedicate years
Cognitive Dissonance in Training: When Belief Clashes with Reality. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) Whenever I write an article about real-world self-defense, the comments seem to explode into “my style is the best”. . I don’t think a lot of these people actually train themselves – maybe keyboard warriors, maybe just inexperienced – but these comments usually revolve around one style in particular:
(Approx 2 minute read) A comment on one of my articles about self-defense challenged my point that techniques in real combat should rely mostly on gross motor skills. The commentator disagreed, insisting that fine motor skills work just as well in such scenarios. I’m not sure he had any experience in this, as he didn’t
The Ugly Truth of Self-defense – Keep Your Training Grounded. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) A little while ago I had a mother and young son join the dojo. I love it when families train together, it’s really enjoyable when we have a mixed class. . One evening, I was teaching the youngsters how to be an awkward, real pain, difficult ‘little ‘un’, if
More Than Childcare: Equipping Children for True Real-World Safety. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) Can you think of another pastime, hobby, sport, or functional defensive practice where there is so much ambiguity? . If I was teaching you advanced ‘blue-lights and siren’ driving skills (I used to), and I answered a question that was so plainly incorrect it would put your life and
Movement, Not a Catalog of Techniques: Reconnecting Karate with Practical Applications. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 50 second read) I recently had a persistent commenter on my Facebook page, a person who, every time I posted an article about self-defense, would jump in to say that in his 40 years of training, he has never had to use self-defense. He claimed that he trains purely for fun and
No, You Can’t Mug Me Today. I Just Train for Fun! Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 35 second read) Social media today is flooded with people showing off their ideas of bunkai applications. Every day, my feed is full of someone performing something or other. . Sometimes, these ideas are just cringeworthy, so I move on. It’s not worth losing time over. . Now, I get that for
Lessons from the Past: Do Some Traditions Fail in Self-Defense? Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) A comment on my recent article stated “Trying to encourage a young student (say 7-10 year old) to embrace the multiple options for jodan age uke as a starting point is simply impractical. Surely it is better to focus on getting the technique correct from the feet up (on
Guiding Young Minds: Teaching Kids Karate Without Losing Its Depth. Read More »
