A person who is interested in karate for artistic or aesthetic reasons, is unlikely to find themselves caring to much about the “real-world” self-defense applications found in kata. Modern karate competition practitioners are also unlikely to care about these applications because it has little relevance to competitive ‘kumite’. . Much of what is referred to…
Tag: Self-Protection
Kata is NOT merely a formalized pattern of movements with blocks, punches, and kicks, containing simulated fights with multiple attackers from multiple directions.
What is karate? Originating on the small island of Okinawa, created for its effectiveness in self-defense. But today, is it sport, self-defense, a way to improve character, a martial art? . It can be many or all those things, but for me there has to be a distinction between them all and an understanding which…
Kata is a fundamental component of traditional martial arts.
Kata is a fundamental component of traditional martial arts. . However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend among some practitioners to ignore kata, or at least consider it of low importance compared to other aspects of the art. . It is my belief that this trend is due to several reasons, which…
“In a real fight, one should seek to strike the head as this is the most effective.”
If your martial arts are studied in a similar way to its original form, a self-defense system, then targeting the most vulnerable body area when a physical confrontation is unavoidable, should be highly considered. . Perhaps a fit, young, athletic tournament or dojo fighter could survive a real life continuous, sport like encounter, but in…
“In battle, if you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.”
The flinch response is a natural and innate reaction that occurs when we perceive a sudden threat or danger. In the context of martial arts, the flinch response is an important physiological mechanism that can be used to protect the body from harm. When training in the martial arts, it is essential to understand how…
WAIT. You’ve only been taught to fight? NOW WHAT?
A comment on one of my articles about ‘self-defense or fighting’ said that “if you’re young enough [snip] why can’t you do both? (self-defense and sparring)”. . Well of course, you can. You can do both provided you understand the differences and you are aware of the dissimilarities. . But it’s not wise to do…
Self-defense or fighting? Do the research. Be aware of the differences, and be ever mindful of them.
Anyone claiming to teach self-defense has a moral obligation to do the research. . Sport training is created to ensure success in sport. It makes little sense to train to develop one set of skills when they are not the skills you wish to actually attain. If you want self-defense skills, then you should be…
Looking at movements as solely blocking could be missing the interpretation entirely.
Uke-waza (受け技), the Japanese term many practitioners translate as “blocking techniques”, by now practitioners should know that a better translation is “receiving techniques”. . When you think of uke-waza with the latter translation in mind, it can open up a lot of doors in your training. . It is often stated that there are no…
Why is impractical “bunkai” still being taught?
For many systems of karate, which rely heavily on kata, “bunkai” – 分解 (breakdown, analysis, disassembly) and “Oyo” – 応用 (application) is of the utmost importance. . The past masters handed down the kata as an encyclopedia of their form of martial art, the ‘styles’ of the day. Even though many karate systems share kata,…
What is the definition of self-defense?
What is the definition of self-defense? . The average person’s idea of what constitutes “self-defense training” is generally the furthest thing from the truth. . The question “what is real self-defense?”, prompts many to play their ego card. Some people become offended at the suggestion of anything outside their martial arts world that is not…
It begins at the beginning, with understanding “why” and not just “how” you are doing something.
If you’re an instructor in the martial arts then you will have a system that you use to instruct your class. It is more than probable that you learned this from observing your own instructor, in whatever style of the martial arts that you study and are now teaching. . As an instructor, it’s important…