“Enbusen isn’t just about where you face when you perform kata. Enbusen is the opponent themselves. Enbusen represents the opponent’s attacks or movements, the practitioner must move accordingly to the movements of the opponent, and react to said attacks accordingly… Enbusen is the opponent.” Toshihiro Oshiro One of the biggest mistakes people make with kata […]
The Blueprint of Combat: Enbusen Is Not a Floor Pattern Read More »
Many people today study martial arts as a hobby. They do not train to the level that develops robust and functional real-world self-defense skills. That is why the non-physical side of self-protection is so important. While many people can make physical skills work, not everyone can develop a knockout punch or a strike that will
The Limits of Fighting Skills Read More »
There’s a difference between seeking guidance and expecting someone else to do your thinking for you. Over the years, I’ve had many people ask about how I approach training. How do I pressure test? How do I adapt traditional material for modern realities? How do I prepare students for unpredictability rather than compliance? I understand
Are You Teaching What You Understand? Read More »
When I was younger and competing, I had a couple of favorite techniques. Most of us did. They were the moves that felt natural, the ones I could rely on to score points or end a match. There’s a certain satisfaction in finding something that works; it gives you a sense of certainty. But even
The Danger of Being Right Read More »
I saw a video recently that reinforced everything I’ve been saying about how stagnant karate has become. It’s a recurring frustration. You see the caption – Black Belt Training Course – and you expect to see the refinement of high-level skills. The people tasked with leading the next generation. Instead, you see grown men and women with
The Ritual of Stagnation Read More »
There is a strange habit in martial arts culture where people try to claim ownership over human movement. A knee strike belongs to Muay Thai. A joint lock belongs to Jujitsu. A throw belongs to Judo. As though human biomechanics were copyrighted. The reality is much simpler. Human beings all have the same anatomy. We
Nobody Owns a Technique Read More »
There is a specific “fact” in martial arts that has been repeated so often it has become gospel: “90% of all fights end up on the ground”. You’ve heard it, and I’ve heard it. It’s the primary justification for why so many people now spend 100% of their time rolling on mats. But if we peel back
The 90% Ground Fighting Myth Read More »
A while ago a student from a different style joined us. As we went through a few drills, one thing became obvious quite quickly – every time there was any kind of pressure, his hands went straight up to the sides of his head. Tight, high guard. He’d clearly spent a lot of time being
When ‘Keep Your Hands Up’ Stops Working Read More »
Where does a beginner turn when they want to learn self-defense? What draws them to a particular martial art or school? For me in the early 1970s, it was Bruce Lee movies and the TV series Kung Fu. Today, it’s social media. Every time I open my phone or switch on my computer, there’s another video
Where Does a Beginner Turn for Self-Defense? Read More »
I came across a story told by Seikichi Iha (1931-2024) talking about the origins of kata. What stood out for me wasn’t the detail, it was the simplicity of the idea. He suggested that kata may have been formed by working backwards from what someone found useful in a fight – simply what worked for
Kata as Memory, Not Mystery Read More »
Whenever people ask me about karate or inquire about joining our dojo, a question that occasionally comes up is, “What style of karate do you practice?” But what does that really tell anyone? Does a style actually give insight into a practitioner’s skill or an instructor’s understanding of karate? There are those who place a
What Does ‘Style’ Really Tell You? Read More »
Karate doesn’t fail people – unclear goals do. My page is predominantly about practical, pragmatic karate. It says so right at the top. So naturally, everything I write comes from that context. And from that perspective, something all of us have had to practice and learn at one time in our karate journey – step-kumite
Step-Kumite Isn’t the Problem – Misunderstanding It Is Read More »
