Someone recently told me that karate could not be viewed only through the lens of self-defense. Karate, he said, is also an art. I am not entirely sure that he trains his own karate for self-defense, but that is perhaps beside the point. His comment raises a question that is rarely asked. What does “art” […]
What Is the Art in Martial Art? Read More »
Every instructor teaches from what they know. That is unavoidable. The problem begins when what they know becomes the boundary of what they believe self-defense is. Not always deliberately. Not always dishonestly. But limited all the same. My own direction has always been toward karate as a method of self-protection. I understand that karate can
When the Instructor’s Limits Become the Method Read More »
I have seen this kind of demonstration many times in karate. A student extends an arm. The teacher pushes against it, or slaps against it with their hand, and the arm collapses. The wrist bends, the elbow gives way, the shoulder lifts, and the whole thing looks weak. Then the teacher makes a small correction.
When a Demonstration Proves the Wrong Thing Read More »
I’m sure many of you have a favorite kata. I know I do. Several, actually. There are certain kata we keep going back to, sometimes because they feel good to perform, sometimes because they keep revealing something new, and sometimes because they simply stay with us. For me, Naihanchi is one of those kata. Simple
When Simplicity Holds the Lesson Read More »
Social media algorithms are a strange phenomenon. Lately, mine seem to be filled with video clips of karate students, including black belts, spending an extraordinary amount of time perfecting stances, hand positions, hip alignment, and body posture. The hikite hand placed just so. The open front hand measured, corrected, and adjusted until it matches someone’s
When the Label Says Self-Defense Read More »
Karate is translated as “empty hand”. Karate-do, the way of the empty hand. Most karateka know, at least in general terms, that the older characters for karate referred to “China hand”, and that the later change to “empty hand” helped reshape the art for a different time, a different audience, and a different cultural setting.
Empty Hands, Armed Assumptions Read More »
In karate, some explanations are not kept because they have been tested. They are kept because they have been repeated. A teacher says it, a student accepts it. A group reinforces it, and a rank structure protects it. Years pass, and the explanation begins to feel less like an idea and more like a fact.
When the First Answer Feels Complete Read More »
Everyone starts the same way in karate. We learn how to punch, kick, “block”, turn, and stand. Before we understand much else, we are shown where to place the feet, how to bend the knees, where the hips should face, and how the body should settle into a position. That beginning has value. Stances give
The Shape Is Not the Lesson Read More »
When we look back at Okinawan karate, we tend to remember the names that survived: the teachers who wrote things down, taught openly, or became connected to later recognized systems. We remember the broad labels, Shuri-te, Naha-te, Tomari-te, and later the formal schools that grew from them. But it’s worth asking how much more existed
The Family Art Without a Name Read More »
There are several kata where movements are performed as jumping, leaping, or dramatic athletic actions. Suparinpei is one example, with the jumping front kick, or mae tobi geri. I understand why these movements look impressive. A well-performed jumping kick shows timing, coordination, strength, flexibility, and confidence. It can have value as a physical challenge, and it can look
Many people assume that experience makes your views more settled. My experience has been the opposite. The longer I have trained, the more willing I have become to revisit things I once accepted without question. When I first started in the martial arts, I was like most beginners. I accepted what I was taught because
Before I knew the word sabaki, I already understood one thing: If someone is trying to hit you, being somewhere else is usually a good place to start. That idea wasn’t unique to karate. Coming from boxing in my youth, moving off the line of attack simply made sense. You learned quickly that standing directly in
Before I Knew the Word “Sabaki” Read More »
