“Kata have been around for centuries. I can certify their effectiveness without having to transform anything. They must be seriously studied.” (End quote) – Masaji Taira 9th dan Goju-Ryu . Teachers undoubtedly have the ability to change the lives of their students. Most of us can remember a particular teacher that helped shape who we…
Tag: Sensei
“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”
“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet.” – Miyamoto Musashi . Growth is part and parcel of being a martial artist – if you are not open to others ideas and constantly finding ways to hinder it, you may want to reconsider your purpose for training in the martial…
“Smile and relax.”
“Smile and relax. You can’t demonstrate great power unless you are relaxed.” – Yoshimi Inoue Soke – Inoue-ha Shito-ryu (1946-2015) . “Smile!” When Inoue sensei thinks you are tense, he never says “relax!“. Instead, he says “smile!” – which is a psychological trick to make you relax. It’s hard to be tense when you’re smiling!…
“I researched on my own and found the reason.”
“I researched on my own and found the reason….. So I tried experimenting with my students….. I realized its true meaning…” – Tatsuya Naka 7th dan JKA Shotokan . The main goal of a teacher should not be to fill the student with knowledge, but instead to guide them how to obtain knowledge through their…
Kata, IS the heart of karate.
“We must be careful not to overlook the fact that kata, and the body positions that comprises them, are just templates of sort; it is their application in combat which needs to be mastered.” – Motobu Choki (1870-1944) . The term “bunkai” (分解), meaning ‘disassembly’, does not refer to a technique of any kind. It…
The Dojo. The place of the way.
In all professions and skills, there’s a certain point you reach after many years of work or dedicated training, when thoughts of going it alone come in to your mind. . Starting a new dojo is exhilarating. A world of possibility awaits, including the possibilities of incredible success…. or catastrophic failure. . There is…
Train hard, yes; ….. but train right.
Self-defense is defined as the right to prevent suffering force or violence through the use of a sufficient level of counteracting force or violence. This definition is simple enough on face value, but it raises many questions when applied to actual situations. . For instance, what is a sufficient level of force or violence when…
What motivates fake martial artists?
What motivates fake martial artists? . These so-called “instructors” earn a fair amount of money by simply lying to their students. In every class, they are selling a fake story about how great their fighting skills are, while in reality, they don’t know how to throw a punch the right way, and they move with…
What makes a great martial arts teacher?
“My old ways of Karate was not readily accepted by everyone. They thought it was too outdated and too crude – I think it was just too hard or maybe my training methods were too severe. Whatever it was, it was the way I learned and the way I taught. It was only later, when…
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” – Epictetus . There are situations that arise in which we wish to influence other people and make them understand something that we believe to be important. . But no matter how hard we try, we cannot force people to…
What does it mean to leave a legacy?
“I hope that the next generations will not only improve technically but also know how to share their knowledge. People must pass on the traditions and not lose them.” – Teruo Chinen 9th dan Goju Ryu (1941-2015) . What does it mean to leave a legacy? . In simple terms, a legacy is passed from…
It’s never about you… it’s always about your students…
The truth of being a karate teacher is that students will come, and they will go. Karate training, in a good dojo, is not easy. It is demanding, exacting, you have to be determined, committed…… and not everyone is cut out to be a black belt. . When I accept a new student I usually…