(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…
Category: Self-Protection
When One Movement Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story.
(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…
Performance Is Not Preparation – The Gap Between Training and Reality.
(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?” ….
The Ghost of Practice: When Visualization Helps – and When It Doesn’t.
(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…
Kata Makes Sense Only When You See the Other Person.
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) The question of evidence has popped up again from a personal message: “How do we know the creators of kata built them on two-person drills?” . A fair question. . But before we get into it, let me make it clear, and I mean no disrespect, I don’t have…
Not Pretty – Ugly, But Effective. Function Over Form.
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) Recently I was criticized on someone’s page for saying the pioneers of karate, the masters of the past, preferred “function over form”. He asked, “What proof does he have?” . If I’m wrong, I have no problem admitting it. But in this case, I really don’t think I am….
A Weapon Changes Everything – Your Life Matters More Than Your Wallet.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) Real-world violence is nothing like what most people practice in the dojo. Throughout my life, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of facing real-world confrontations – both as a civilian and in my career. . It’s important to remember that most martial arts schools today teach some form of dueling,…
Karate Doesn’t Need More Choreography – It Needs Honesty.
(Approx 2 minute 35 second read) In a recent article I talked about learning from others, whether from people or other methods, it’s good to have an open-mind to everything, right? . Of course there are people who are deeply stuck in their ways and unfortunately, here is an example of just that. . A…
The Art You See Isn’t Always the Art You Need: Function Over Form.
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) I was watching a video recently of bunkai performed at a tournament in Japan. . It was the usual two against one format. The individuals performing the applications were incredibly athletic, the choreography was really impressive, their techniques crisp, the timing and techniques impeccable. . It was really fun…
Why Some People Seek to Learn but Never Change.
eople (Approx 2 minute 40 second read) I’ve taught quite a few people over the last 50 years or so that I have been involved in the martial arts. By now, regulars to my Page, and even those who aren’t, can probably tell that I prefer my karate to be practical and pragmatic. . Sometimes…
More Than a Block: One Movement, Many Uses.
(Approx 3 minute read) A friend of mine recently posted an image of a downward block, or gedan barai, to show it could do something most people never expect: in this case, a throw. . For clarity, he placed text alongside the image that said, ‘Gedan Barai is not a block’. Oh crikey, I know…
Kihon Misunderstood: Where Tradition Ends and Practical Karate Begins.
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) My word it is hard to get through to some people sometimes. . Karate basics are often misunderstood. What are called soto uke, gedan barai, uchi uke, jodan uke, and more – many see these as literal blocks, designed simply to stop an incoming attack. . But if you…