(2 minute 26 second read) Punch, block, punch, block; moving backwards and forwards – prearranged step-sparring. . Learning the basics to become proficient requires repetition, over and over again. However, it’s crucial that basics are realistic, wouldn’t you agree? . The movements contained within karate were never meant to receive an attack from another martial…
Category: Bunkai
“Before I pass my technique on to the student, first I have to understand what’s happening.”
(2 minute read) The comments on my articles often inspire me to write another, whether those comments are good or bad. Many are interesting and show a diverse understanding, and sometimes highlighting misunderstandings too. . So, thank you to everyone who follows and comments on my articles. . The foundation of any karate technique lies…
Many pioneers of karate inform us that the hand opposite to the striking hand is ‘doing something’.
(2 minutes 15 second read) It’s very common in traditional karate to see practitioners performing a technique, while pulling back/drawing back the other hand and placing it on the hip, or with the knife hand, across the abdomen. . In Japanese, the ‘pulling hand’ is called ‘hikite’, and it’s evident in most of the receiving…
“Without context words and actions have no meaning at all.”
(1 minute 45 second read) “Without context words and actions have no meaning at all.” . This is a major problem today where so many individuals, many without experience of other martial arts, confuse their own ‘way’ as the one and only ‘way’. . Cricket is an amazing sport, but would a cricket player excel…
Memorization Isn’t Enough: Master the Art of Using, Analyzing, and Adapting Your Skills.
(1 minute 35 second read) Just like any other pursuit, true learning in the martial arts goes beyond rote memorization. It’s not about simply accumulating facts, but about developing the ability to use, analyze, and adapt the skills you’re taught. . Rote memorization may have its place in the initial stages of learning, providing a…
Chaos Training: Building Confidence Under Pressure.
(2 minute read) Some of the comments on my articles recently seem to be producing quite a range of interesting views. . One such comment seemed to suggest that the methods of pressure testing I mentioned in an article; – “to include in your practice pressure testing; unknown wild attacks, pushing, pulling, grabbing, verbal escalation,…
Ditch the perfect demo and embrace the glorious messiness of real-world failure.
(2 minute 13 second read) The martial arts require demonstration to supplement the whole teaching process. I get it. I demonstrate to my students. However, I always incorporate some level of failure into my demonstrations. . Why? Because a real life attack is unpredictable, chaotic, vicious, and brutal. Your techniques will probably not go as…
Master the toolbox, not just the hammer….
(1 minute 40 second read) Imagine a toolbox filled with tools; wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, these tools can fix many things….. but how you use them depends on the job. . The martial arts are like those tools – different methods have different goals. . Karate, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, MMA, Boxing – these are all different fighting…
Don’t Just Do Your Kata….. Know Your Kata.
(2 minute 6 second read) I’ve been writing articles for several years now, and probably the most commented and contentious subject of all that I write about has to be Kata. . People just don’t get it. Sadly, there is widespread misunderstanding about this centuries old tradition. . I can’t blame them, as today most…
Many dismissive comments I receive state; “Good luck fighting with your kata”.
(2 minute 55 second read) Many dismissive comments I receive state; “Good luck fighting with your kata”. . Kata, often viewed as a choreographed routine, for passing a grade, showing no relation to actual combat. . “The other day I posted a video where I was applying the uppercut technique and a person in his…
“If practiced properly, two or three kata will suffice as ‘your’ kata; all of the others can just be studied as sources of additional knowledge.”
(2 minute 10 second read) How many kata are enough? . Over the years I have collected probably way too many, and although I have a core that I teach deeply, many of them are probably redundant, or at least very similar to each other. . What I find most interesting about kata is how…
The one who controls the distance in an encounter, is the one who controls the situation.
(1 minute 56 second read) The one who controls the distance in an encounter, is the one who controls the situation. . “Maai” (間合い) is a Japanese term that means “interval” or “space between”. It refers to the optimal engagement distance in combat, encompassing both physical separation, and the timing of the attack and defense…