There is a point in training where the body starts to argue with the mind. Sometimes it happens during a hard session, when the repetitions are no longer sharp, the breathing is heavier than expected, and the easy answer begins to appear. Sometimes it happens before the session has even begun, when the body feels […]
The Point Where You Want to Stop Read More »
One of the biggest problems in martial arts is that many people discuss violence without ever having experienced what genuine violence actually feels like. I don’t mean sparring in the dojo under pressure, demonstrations, or competitive exchanges. I mean the kind of violence that is sudden, emotionally charged, physically overwhelming, and nothing like theory. There
Violence Is Not a Puzzle Waiting for a Secret Answer Read More »
Do you watch a kata and, at first glance, it looks impressive – snappy, powerful – but something about the function just feels wrong? The techniques look powerful, but only because the body is being overused to make them look that way. Big shoulder rotation. Excessive upper body movement. A visible “back and forth” to
When Power Becomes Performance Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 50 second read) In a recent article, I wrote about the difference between ‘sweating in a karategi’ and ‘learning karate’. The response was interesting, and it’s clear that many instructors don’t understand the distinction. . There has always been a place for conditioning in the martial arts. Okinawan karate, for example, has
Purposeful Practice: Conditioning Supports Karate – It Doesn’t Replace It Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) Someone messaged me the other day saying that he was unhappy where he was currently training because most of the class is just fitness. . We all know that the role of a good instructor is pivotal to learning and understanding. A skilled karate instructor goes beyond simply demonstrating
This is Karate Training. Are You Learning Karate – or Just Sweating in a Karategi? Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 30 second read) I write a lot about self-defense. Really? Yes, because it’s my priority now. . However, back in the day I loved to compete. It was great fun, and because at the time that’s all most people were interested in, fighting and sparring, it had to be done. . Sparring
Sparring Isn’t Fighting. It’s Learning: Train Smart – Not Just Hard. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 40 second read) Taking the hit. . Someone commented on one of my articles, a Kyokushin practitioner, and said that the best you can do for self-defense is to practice taking the hit. . While I agree it’s important your training includes what it feels like to be hit, within reason and
Taking the Hit: Beyond the Bruises. Why Self-Defense Is More Than Toughness. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 10 second read) As we get older, our karate should change. We no longer need to prove ourselves like we did in our twenties. . Instead, we add another layer to our practical, pragmatic training – moving meditation, more introspection, and a sense of dignity. We begin to think about the legacy
When Older Eyes Meet Unpredictable Hands – Karate, Age, and the Untrained Threat. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) Much of today’s karate comes from the modernization that took place in the early part of the 20th century. Instruction by prominent sensei from the 1960s shaped what many still teach today. . One such method – which I’ve written about extensively – is hikite. – Not again. .
Revisiting Hikite: The Human Body, Nakayama’s Vision, and the Revolving Door. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 5 second read) I once taught at a dojo where, for the most part, they were good people, strong spirit – but their idea of self-defense was almost entirely built around fighting and fitness. . That mindset wasn’t unique to them either. I’ve seen it many times. . In the same dojo,
Calling It Self-Defense Doesn’t Make It True: Most Dojos Teach Fighting. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 30 second read) The dojo has a way of revealing what you’re really made of. It strips away excuses, exposes your habits, and tests your resolve. But it also offers something deeper – an opportunity to see what’s inside. . Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “Look well into thyself; there is a source
A Quiet Strength, a Will to Endure: The Strength That Waits Within. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 55 second read) When you find what’s truly right for you in your training, you stop needing to explain it to anyone. . Apart from teaching at the dojo, I train every day. Not to fight, not for show, and not to prove anything. I train because it matters to me. It’s
