Some people just can’t be taught. Not because they think they know it all, but because they are stuck in their ways. Their way is the best and only way. . Someone actually has to WANT to be taught. Everything can be taught, but not everything can be learned. . If someone thinks that the…
Category: Martial Arts
Most instructors are not trained to observe intentionally.
Most instructors are not trained to observe intentionally. . When students are in your presence, not just when they are training, practicing or competing, it’s a time to see, evaluate and give feedback. . As instructors you need to learn to become a good watcher and listener, you’ll be rewarded with a wealth of information….
Remind yourself daily: “I AM WHAT I THINK”.
Mental training in the martial arts is often overlooked, with many practitioners spending very little time on this important aspect of training. . According to oriental culture, what affects your mind affects you body, and this can be seen and experienced in everyday life. . Negative thinking rewires your brain and makes you miserable, makes…
Knee injuries are a major concern in the martial arts.
The knee is the largest joint of the body, and is vulnerable to a variety of injuries. Since it is a complex joint, care must be taken to evaluate any knee injury. . In martial arts, and many other athletic endeavors, injuries can be devastating. Knee injuries are the leading cause of long term disability…
You have to look deeper, the next level
To improve at anything, you must push yourself beyond your comfort zone. When you put sustained effort toward improving, you will grow. This is the logic behind ‘deliberate practice’, a research-backed tool introduced by researcher Anders Ericsson. His research has shown that HOW you practice matters much more than how MUCH you practice. Real martial…
Within the martial arts, being respectful is paramount.
All of us live in a world which is filled with conflict. The vast majority of us like to believe we’re open-minded toward individuals and other martial artists who may see the world differently to how we do. In the martial arts dojo, teaching respect is one of the core tenets most students learn. Students…
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Is it accurate to say that no martial art is necessarily better than another? . To provide an answer, you need to first complete the question. Define “better”. A martial art is better at what? Cardio? Sparring? Ground-work? Winning trophies? Self-defense? Street combat? etc. etc. . I think it is safe to say yes, that…
Happy World Karate Day.
Happy World Karate Day. . “In 2005, the Okinawa Prefecture Assembly passed the resolution declaring October 25th ‘Karate no hi’, (空手の日) ‘the day of karate’. . Some 700 years ago, karate was born in this land, Okinawa. Coexisting with the beautiful nature and climate of Okinawa, our predecessors created karate, a traditional culture that Okinawa…
I guess you can’t fix stupid!
A comment on one of my recent articles stated; “Come step onto a jiu-jitsu mat and you’ll will be humbled. I guarantee it.” . A great many people are dying to be reassured that their martial art is the best and most effective. They evidently believe that their martial art is superior to all others…
Stop calling yourself “sensei” is just narcissistic, weird and presumptuous.
You’re not my sensei, so why do you call YOURSELF sensei? . If I see somebody labeled as, and calling themselves “sensei”, and I don’t know them, it’s just plain wrong. They aren’t teaching me… so they aren’t my sensei. I’m not choosing to call them sensei. . The term can’t apply as a blanket…
“Do not pretend to know something you have not experienced.”
Open-mindedness involves being receptive to a wide variety of ideas, arguments, and information. This doesn’t mean that being open-minded is easy. Being open to new ideas and experiences can sometimes lead to confusion. . What you once practiced as a “block” or “punch” doesn’t seem to work the way you thought, and realizing is wasn’t…
“Power is created in a combination of correct respiratory breathing and correct posture.”
In many kata, and indeed the techniques of karate, there should be a great deal of emphasis placed on abdominal breathing. That is, in which you are supposed take very deep, audible, abdominal breaths, synchronized with foot and hand motions. . If we take Sanchin kata as an example, many students I have witnessed practicing…