In my last couple of articles I wrote about sequences in kata. Yes, of course they exist, but relying on them like a script is simply not feasible. No one knows what an attacker is likely to do. However, we do have clues. . Any form of martial art requires an instructor to demonstrate principles, […]
Kata Must Survive Failure, Not Choreography. Read More »
Following my last article, one of the comments said that karate’s Chinese influences were based on systems that used clearly defined sequences, and therefore Okinawan kata must have been designed the same way. . In that article I also mentioned that many people assume kata itself is made up of clearly defined sections – that
Karate, Context, and the Problem With Certainty. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) I had a couple of questions in the comments on an article I wrote about understanding kata beyond individual techniques. . The first was, “When or how does one know when a particular sequence in a kata has actually finished and when the next sequence starts?” . The second
Where Does a Kata Sequence Really End? Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) In my last article, I spoke about the uncomfortable reality of aging. The biological fact that a 66-year-old cannot reliably out-athlete a bigger, stronger, violent 20-year-old. . The response was telling. Some found it liberating, while others found it insulting. But once we accept that our hardware has slowed
From Power to Position: Training Smarter With Age. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 45 second read) Have you ever been attacked outside of the dojo? Have you ever had to deal with someone who was genuinely determined to cause you or your loved ones harm? Have you been knocked to the ground, injured, and then had to get up and run for your life? .
Experience Has Limits: You Cannot Underestimate the Untrained. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) It is one thing to argue that kata is misunderstood as a concept, but it is another entirely to witness how that misunderstanding manifests in the daily reality of the modern dojo. . Following my previous article, a reader shared a reflection that perfectly captures the frustration felt by
Failing Your Kata: When Exhaustion Replaces Education. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute read) One of the most common mistakes people make when analyzing kata is treating each posture as a separate technique. . They stop the movement, freeze it, and ask, “What is this?” Then they move on to the next position and do the same thing. The result is a sequence that becomes
Understanding Kata Beyond Individual Techniques – Movement Over Moments. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 30 second read) As martial artists, we all have a style in which we feel comfortable. Karate, however, has been unbelievably dumbed down over the years. . Sadly, a number of individuals overlook karate’s true significance. They are not interested in its history, its influences, or where and why it was conceived.
Kata Only Fails When We Forget Why It Exists. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 10 second read) There are always those who want conflict, who want to fight. . We’re told, again and again, that the sensible response is to de-escalate, walk away, disengage, and not react. And most of the time, that is good advice. . But that advice quietly assumes something important. . It
When Avoidance Isn’t Enough and Walking Away Isn’t Always the Answer. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 55 second read) Some time ago, while teaching at a Kyokushin dojo, a nidan asked me about the meaning of a particular movement in Kanku. . It wasn’t a version of the kata I had practiced before, but that didn’t really matter. What interested me was the question itself, because it highlighted
When One Movement Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story. Read More »
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) Let’s start with some reality. . There was another serious assault around the corner from where I live. And to those who say self-defense isn’t necessary? Maybe where ‘you’ live. However… . This is a comment I hear very often: “Do the martial arts work in the streets?” .
Performance Is Not Preparation – The Gap Between Training and Reality. Read More »
(Approx 1 minute 50 second read) I wrote an article recently saying, as I’ve long believed, that the two-person drills came before kata. . Kata was the record, something to memorize, a mnemonic, something to preserve the lessons when you were training alone. But I also pointed out that practicing kata on your own isn’t
The Ghost of Practice: When Visualization Helps – and When It Doesn’t. Read More »
