“My police work influenced my drive to seek practical application practices and not be content with simplistic explanations that might not survive the rigor of an actual confrontation.” (End quote) – Taira Masaji 9th dan Goju Ryu . A technique might work very well against somebody who is your friend in the dojo, using only…
Month: April 2021
Kamiza, Shimoza and Tokonama.
Kamiza, Shimoza and Tokonama. . The kamiza (上座) is the “top seat” within a room, meaning the seat of honor; the opposite, the shimoza (下座) meaning “bottom seat. Tokonoma (床の間) means “space of display””. . In Western culture, the most important person traditionally sits at the head of the table, whether the occasion is a…
“It’s not only techniques but also your attitude.”
“It’s not only techniques but also your attitude.” – Teruyuki Okazaki 10th dan Shotokan (1931–2020) . . You always have a choice. It’s a wonderful thing to know that at any moment you have the freedom, the ability, the power to choose what to do. How to train or workout, practice at home, whether to…
Physical punishment as discipline is ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
Things have changed over the years. When I began my training in traditional martial arts, some of the instructors were mean. They went out of their way to inflict pain on you, many of them made you feel useless, being unable to grasp a technique or kata. They ordered and shouted at you like military…
BELIEF starts with “YES I CAN.”
How many times do you hear students in your dojo or school say, “I can’t”? Doesn’t that phrase make you cringe? I always tell my students; “Don’t say you can’t, because you can. Just say you’re going to try.” . As teachers, the most important and rewarding part of our work is to recognize the…
KARATE ISN’T A HOBBY, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE……. ( A BETTER WAY OF LIFE).
“At first one might start it as a hobby, but if you perceive it as a ‘hobby’, it won’t develop any further. I ask this all the time. What do you do in the morning when you wake up? You wake up, you brush your teeth, whatever it might be, it’s mostly run the same…
What’s in a name?
What’s in a name? There are those who argue against too many dojo, associations, world or international. That anyone outside of Okinawa or Japan should be remonstrated for naming their dojo or association by an asian name. Are we to believe that “one size fits all”? . It isn’t a style or the name of…
“Always, whenever possible, stop thinking negatively, always think positively.”
“Always, whenever possible, stop thinking negatively, always think positively.” (End Quote) – Yoshizo Machida 8th Dan Shotokan . . Anxiety and fear can stop you dead in your tracks and hold you back. It’s not easy to face your fears and push through them, but for the martial arts, it is essential. . Fear keeps…
Your BEST is always enough.
We have all heard, “always do your best.” Whether it came from our parents, a teacher or instructor, doing our best has always been a precept echoed throughout our lives. But what does doing your best really mean? And is it even possible to always do your best? . Emphatically I say yes, yes it…
What motivates students to learn and how can we encourage them?
“The reason why I’ve continued it this far is it’s simply I just like it….. I just love training karate.“ (End quote) – Masao Shinzato 8th dan Matsubayashi-ryu . What motivates students to learn and how can we encourage them? . Students may be motivated by their interest in a topic, their prior success…
All women were created equal. Then some learn karate.
All women were created equal. Then some learn karate. . Observe, study, become, ……. “and one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” ~ Mark Anthony . . “I had to…
Perfect practice makes perfect.
Don’t do a technique 5 times and wait for the instructor to tell you WHAT’S NEXT. Do the technique 500 times and wait for the instructor to tell you to STOP. . . Researchers who have investigated expert and novice performance have uncovered important distinctions between ‘deliberate practice’ and repetition alone. . Deliberate practice is…