If you have a true interest in the martial arts, I believe it is important that practitioners have some understanding of the history of our art. . Today, many practitioners and instructors state that they are practicing and teaching the ‘original’ kata as taught by Master… (insert name). . But what is original?….. The true […]
Are your kata original? Read More »
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts? Who decides what it is? . Tradition can be described as; “an inherited, established or customary pattern of thought, action or behavior”. But what we refer to as “traditional” in the martial arts often isn’t traditional at all. . All of the past masters were
What is tradition, or traditional, in the martial arts? Read More »
Where modern karate goes wrong in self-defense is where fighting comes first. . Street fighting and self-defense are two different things. Most people think about this as the same, even martial artists. They are not. In street fighting you are basically a fool that lets your ego expose you to danger. Street fighting is for
Where modern karate goes wrong….. Read More »
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) . The kata Naihanchi is said to mean ‘sideways fighting’ due to the kata’s distinctive embusen (floor pattern), but is also translated as ‘internal divided conflict’, it is practiced in many styles of karate today. . Gichin Funakoshi renamed the kata Tekki (Iron Horse) in reference to his old teacher, Anko Itosu, and
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) Kata Read More »
If you have seen The Karate Kid movie, you will undoubtedly remember the wise old karate master, Mr. Miyagi, telling his student Daniel-san to; “Look eye! Always look eye”. . Well, not necessarily. At least not in the martial arts. . In fact, in Japanese culture, excessive eye contact is considered rude. And being rude
“Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare.” Read More »
My karate is stronger, tougher, more athletic…. it’s superior to yours! . Really? It’s superior in all things?….. . You have to define what you mean by “superior”. I’m assuming that when people say a “superior karate style”, they mean the best in terms of effectiveness and practicality…… But superior, WHERE? In the dojo? In
My karate is SUPERIOR to yours. Read More »
I am often asked for answers to questions from people online that I have never met, without knowing who these people are, or what they are doing, or where they come from. There are no introductions, or any form of politeness, it’s just…. “I want information, give it to me NOW!” . Sharing knowledge is
So don’t cheat. Don’t pretend you did it. Don’t lie….. WORK FOR IT. Read More »
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation, which often happens without warning and at close range. We do not practice ‘sparring’ in this fashion.” (End quote) – Taira Masaji 9th dan Goju Ryu . A technique might work very well against another practitioner in the dojo, using only passive resistance against you. However,
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation.” Read More »
Just like learning to play a musical instrument, muscle memory is built by repetition, and doing something wrong during that repetition ingrains it into your mind. It is much more beneficial to do it right the first time, than training the bad information out later on. . In the martial arts, faster is usually considered
Sometimes its good to practice to “slow” down Read More »
The kata Seisan (十三) (alternate names Sesan, Seishan, Jusanpo, Hangetsu in Shotokan) literally means ’13’. Some people refer to the kata as ’13 Hands’, ’13 Fists’, ’13 Techniques’, ’13 Steps’ or even ’13 killing positions’; however, these names have no historical basis. . Seisan is thought to be one of the oldest kata, and like
Seisan. Karate’s oldest kata? Read More »
Irimi (入り身) is a Japanese martial arts term meaning “to enter with body”. An ‘irimi’ motion is one which describes when someone enters towards another. It’s a rather simple definition but performing it, especially under stress or pressure, can be quite difficult. . Perhaps a more meaningful way of using Irimi is to understand it as
Control an attacker, don’t give them the chance to control you. Read More »
Martial arts training is about training both the body and the mind. Part of training the mind is discipline. The discipline to do what is necessary. . It’s all about priorities, right? After all, you only practice a couple of times a week. . When I started karate almost five decades ago, I decided to
It’s all about priorities, right? Read More »
