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. . 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
Kata is a fundamental component of traditional martial arts. Read More »
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 a real fight, one should seek to strike the head as this is the most effective.” Read More »
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
“In battle, if you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.” Read More »
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
WAIT. You’ve only been taught to fight? NOW WHAT? Read More »
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
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
Looking at movements as solely blocking could be missing the interpretation entirely. Read More »
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,
Why is impractical “bunkai” still being taught? Read More »
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
What is the definition of self-defense? Read More »
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
What is awareness and why is it so important? . The martial arts community tends to focus on the hard skills of using physical force as the answer to all problems, with many dojo implementing a fight first policy, with very little focus on avoidance other than paying lip service to the idea. . By
What is awareness and why is it so important? Read More »
