Recently someone tried to argue that their style of karate was the strongest. Bluntly informing me that because their athletes were successful in competition going back to the 1960’s, it was the ultimate, the strongest, and the best martial art. I tried to explain that there is not one style that is the best in…
Category: Self-Defense
“There is only one opponent and he is in front of you.”
“There is only one opponent and he is in front of you. Turning to face a new direction while performing the kata does not mean you are turning to face a new opponent.” ~ Seikichi Toguchi (1917-1998) . (Begin Mabuni quote) – “The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently…
Kata, the management of failure.
“We learned karate that was to be used in real-life situations. If you don’t continue to train with that sense of there being a real opponent, you won’t be able to respond in that kind of situation.” – Takeshi Tamaki 10th dan Shorin-ryu . Kata, the management of failure. . What does this mean?…… In…
“Karate ni sente nashi” (空手に先手なし)
“Karate ni sente nashi” (空手に先手なし), typically translated as, “There is no first attack in karate.” . Gichin Funakoshi made this principle the second of his “Niju Kun” (Twenty Precepts), reminding us that “karate begins and ends with courtesy”. . Karate and particularly kata, often suffers a bad name for being outdated and unrealistic. In my…
“Kata without bunkai is like a shamisen (3 string Okinawan guitar); Nice sound, but empty on the inside.”
A comment on one of my recent articles stated; “I don’t believe in bunkai.” . To comment that; “I don’t believe in bunkai” is an extraordinary thing to say. Someone who really doesn’t understand their martial arts. But unfortunately, they really believe in their statement. And this is all too common. . What does “bunkai”…
“Old style karate involved only what would be useful.”
Here is a comment posted on a recent YouTube video. (I won’t mention any names)…… “I post this as a person who has trained many years in karate, then to judo and jujitsu, and then to boxing. I would also say, I have spent many years in law enforcement roles and I know what works….
“Through sparring practice the practical meaning of kata becomes apparent.”
Many practitioners talk about kata interpretation, or bunkai as an element of their karate practice. And many of these practitioners say the movements aren’t practical, they wouldn’t work for real, kata is useless, no-one comes to my dojo to learn kata, etc, etc……. and you know what? That’s true, for the way most people practice…
Use your mind as your best weapon, fighting first is NOT your only option.
For those of you who ‘laugh in the face of adversity’, and your response to all things is to fight, to always want to fight first….. You know who you are! . I want to stress the importance of attempting to solve a problem without a physical altercation. You should be trying your best to…
History is a valuable teacher. If you care to take a look.
Tegumi (手組) or Mutō (無刀) is a traditional form of wrestling from Okinawa. A common practice in Okinawa’s Ryukyu Kingdom period, ‘tegumi’ nearly disappeared from the Okinawan martial arts curriculum. . It is believed by many researchers that tegumi was probably the original form of fighting from Okinawa. And those researchers believe that tegumi, along…
“One cannot understand the true meaning of something without putting it into practice.”
Kata was never meant to be used just to pass the next belt or simply practiced for aesthetic purposes. Kata should be practiced for the knowledge of the extremely effective techniques and principles upon which they are based, and practitioners should develop the ability to apply that knowledge. . Kata and sparring, often two words…
“Karate is more than simply fighting, it’s a whole art.”
To truly understand your karate, look beyond the technique. . Often, we get fixated on what we’re going to do in order get the result we want. Most people tend to ask the question; “How do I do that?” . I view all techniques and drills to be a means to impart a principle. It’s…
“Karate at its heart is not about sport or beauty. Karate is about SURVIVAL.”
Many people are in denial of the inherent benefits of kata for self-defense, partly because its performance is seen solely as a succession of moves. Without understanding the combative applications they contain, the importance of kata has diminished. If people don’t understand what and why they are doing something, they won’t invest the necessary time…