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…
Tag: Style
When Rank Loses Its Meaning
In the world of martial arts, grades are often viewed as a reflection of a practitioner’s journey – a blend of technical ability, deeper understanding, and personal character. Yet, from time to time, we come across individuals whose grade far outweighs their actual ability, knowledge, or behavior. And when that happens, it’s hard not to…
Kicking in Karate: A Question of Context
In the modern dojo, it’s common to see almost every combination include a kick somewhere within it. That isn’t accidental. It reflects the influence of competitive environments, where kicking plays a significant role. At a high level, competitors are exceptional athletes. They have the timing, flexibility, balance, and conditioning to apply kicks in ways that…
Tensho: Why So Many Versions?
I was practicing the kata Tensho recently – actually one of my favorite kata – and it got me thinking about its many variations. Not because it looks impressive, or because there’s a lot going on. In fact, it’s the opposite. There’s very little there on the surface. The movements are small, controlled, and repetitive….
Applications – You Have to Find Them
Before I get into this article, here’s a question. As a child, who taught you to walk? Many of us want to understand the movements in kata, and there is an assumption that someone will show us what they mean. The reality is that being shown is not necessarily a requirement, and in many cases,…
When Power Becomes Performance
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 You Step Outside
I was asked recently what actually happens when someone steps away from an organization, goes on their own path. You’re part of something for years. You put time into it, help where you can, stand alongside people, and for the most part you don’t question any of it because it feels normal. It feels like…
When Something Changes in Your Training
After decades in the martial arts, something changes. You’re no longer just repeating what you were taught. Is spending decades in the martial arts – learning and teaching across several styles – enough to shape your own method? I wonder why this is frowned upon. Much of it likely comes from the McDojo culture, where…
Self-defense – what are we really training for?
Self-defense – the ability to protect yourself when it matters. We train for it for years, and for some of us, decades. But for what? One moment? Maybe a moment that never even comes. Does that make it any less important, or does it mean we should just treat training as something for fitness and…
No Style Is the Best – Context Is
Whenever I write about real-world self-defense, the comments seem to explode into “my style is the best”. I’m not convinced a lot of these people actually train themselves – maybe keyboard warriors, maybe just inexperienced – these comments often seem to revolve around one style in particular: Kyokushin. Now, before anyone accuses me of bashing…
One of the strangest claims still repeated in karate is that throws do not belong in the art. And yet the historical record says otherwise. Gichin Funakoshi himself documented throwing methods, and senior figures have long acknowledged their place. The issue is not whether throws existed in karate. The issue is why so many modern…
Loyalty Is Not a One-Way Street
Not every patch is a symbol of trust. Over the years, I’ve seen many martial arts groups rise and fall. Names change, alliances shift, and new banners are flown – but the questions stay the same. What does it mean to be loyal? What should an association stand for? And when that loyalty isn’t returned,…