“We received from our ancestors, the old masters of karate, the Kata, which they have created with their blood and their hearts, putting their whole souls into them.” (End quote) – Mabuni Kenei . . Do you revere your sensei or teacher, as is often quoted by the older generation of Karate masters? . Reverence…
Month: March 2021
“Trouble comes to those who don’t have courtesy.”
“If you have good manners, you can survive anywhere. Trouble comes to those who don’t have courtesy.” – Masahiro Nakamoto 10th dan Okinawa Dentou Kobudo . . In society a general definition of courtesy would be polite behavior that is well accepted in the society. This value holds great importance in the correct development…
“I can’t do anything but karate.”
空手を続ける想い (Karate o tsudzukeru omoi) – To keep practicing karate means……. “Passing down the karate our great masters created to the next generation, and promoting it to the world: that’s our responsibility. . As Master Uechi Kanei said; ‘conditioning the body is important in karate’. Some people think karate is in the mind, but…
Are you being taught self defense, or just how to fight?
There is a proverb about horseshoeing, which goes; “For want of a nail, a shoe was lost; For want of a shoe, a horse was lost: For want of a horse, a rider was lost: For want of a rider, a battle was lost; For the failure of battle the kingdom was lost; — And…
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
If you are going to master a new skill, you have to accept that for the first few times you try it, you’re probably going to get it wrong. You’re going to fail, you may even be embarrassed. You just have to accept that. . Martial arts are complicated – if what we are doing…
Excellence is an attitude. And attitude is your choice.
If your coach PUSHES you. If your coach DISCIPLINES you. If your coach DEMANDS the best from you ALL the time… Then he or she truly CARES…….. The McCaw Method. . . Consistently having a good attitude, committing to good routines and habits, controlling the controllables, giving your best effort, putting in the extra time….
“There’s only one way to avoid criticism.”
“There’s only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) . Sometimes we have to test ourselves and push ourselves to the limit. It is how we grow, and it is how we gain life experiences. You never know your real strength until you push your boundary. ….
You QUIT karate?
You QUIT karate? . It’s a harsh reality that the students you’re teaching right now will not be the same students you’re teaching a year or two from now. Every dojo or school goes through it. They quit. . There are many reasons why people quit. The novelty of training may have worn off, or…
Progress comes to those who train and train.
The martial arts requires practice (shock)…… And the way anything is developed is through regular, consistent practice. It is that simple….. But how many hours a day should you practice? 2 hours? 4 hours? 8 hours? 12 hours? How much is enough? Is there an optimal number of hours that you should practice? . Have…
Practice calming your mind.
If you pay attention to what is going on in your mind, you will find that there is a near-constant stream of chatter. Our brains seem to be talking, and engaging in commentary, all the time. . This “chatter” represents normal brain function; it is simply something that the brain does, when it is not…
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus . What happens to us is in life is an objective reality, how we respond is a subjective choice. The Stoics — of which Epictetus was one — would say that we don’t control what happens to us, all…
So, modern martial arts effectiveness is intentionally reduced?
So, modern martial arts effectiveness is intentionally reduced? Is it fair to say that modern martial arts are intentionally made less effective, in order to appeal to a broader range of people? . In 1868 Japan moved from a feudalistic government to a democratic one that resulted in a few changes to the martial arts….