In my recent article I talked about awareness – something everyone should be thinking about in relation to self-defense. Even if your goals are elsewhere, such as competition, awareness still matters. . But the question that always follows is this: how do you train it? . Awareness isn’t trained by adding content. It’s trained by…
Tag: Bunkai
Self-Defense Starts Long Before the First Strike.
Self-defense. It’s mostly about the fight, right? After all, that’s what the vast majority of training in the dojo is geared toward. . But when I speak of self-defense, I’m not talking about kumite drills or sparring. I’m talking about what happens in the real world, where the possibility of actual physical harm exists. ….
Karate-Do Is Not the Opposite of Practical Karate.
Someone said to me the other day, ‘Why don’t you give up practical karate, as you call it, and just do karate-do?’ . It’s an interesting comment, but one built on a misunderstanding. . What sat beneath the comment was the assumption that karate itself cannot be pragmatic. That once effectiveness and real-world purpose are…
When Purpose Isn’t Clear – Context Is Everything.
Self-defense and karate – two words that can be the difference between chalk and cheese, or, if trained within the correct context, can comfortably coexist. . Some people believe combative skill, that is, self-defense, will somehow emerge despite never training to develop it, even while calling what they do “self-defense”. . That assumption sits at…
Sabaki – Movement and Control Without Collision.
If you’ve followed my writing for any length of time, you’ll know that I’ve never been comfortable with step-kumite. I don’t want to reopen that debate here. Some people value it as tradition; others, myself included, take a more pragmatic view and question its usefulness. This article isn’t about winning that argument. . What is…
Learning Isn’t the Hard Part – When Experience Gets in the Way.
We all want to be acknowledged for our work, our performance, our dedication. It’s a natural human desire to know that we are doing a good job. . Praise is one of those small things that can mean a great deal. Positive reinforcement feels good, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But it can also…
Predictable Responses Are Not Guaranteed Outcomes.
Following my recent article on bunkai and choreography, I found myself returning to the idea of “predictable responses”. It’s a familiar concept, and on the surface it makes sense. Certain actions often provoke certain reactions. . But often isn’t always. Nothing is guaranteed. . Yes, bodies respond to input. Strike, pull, disrupt balance – something…
Bunkai Without Reaction Is Still Choreography.
Bunkai – in some circles it is getting better. Practitioners and instructors are beginning to understand the reality of violence rather than relying on the familiar, stylized karate-type attacks. Intent, distance, and targets are improving. In others, however, there is still a long way to go. . But something fundamental is still missing in many…
What Do We Mean When We Say “Original Kata”?
This question comes up again and again in karate, usually after a video is shared or a book is mentioned. Someone performs a kata and the discussion quickly turns into claims about what is “original”, who learned from whom, and who was closest to the source. Before long, the kata itself is almost forgotten, replaced…
“Take Them to the Ground” That Is The Failure
Some of the messages I receive are incredibly short-sighted. “You would fail if you were taken to the ground.” . Firstly – fail at what? . I don’t compete anymore. The karate I teach, and have taught for several decades, is practical and pragmatic in approach. Yes, we occasionally have fun and do competition-style sparring,…
Certificates, Curiosity, and the Disappearance of Depth in Karate.
There is a modern belief that achievement is something you can hold in your hand – a certificate, a diploma, a grade, a title, a rank. Something printed, stamped, and signed that proves you have arrived. It’s a comforting illusion, and it has taken root in karate. . The logic is simple. If the box…
When Function Comes First – Kata as Record, Not Puzzle.
History is a strange thing. We have snippets here and there, sometimes probabilities creep in, but very little that is truly concrete. We study, we interpret, and some attempt to reverse engineer, but at the end of the day we can only work with what we have now. . There is an ongoing discussion around…