Facing forward in kata and then turning to the left, or right, to meet an incoming attack (whatever that might be), makes no sense at all. Yet today this is still being taught to students. . Throughout the history of karate we have some of the creators of kata informing us….. what they are trying…
Tag: Fighting
Commonality of technique.
The commonality of technique throughout all of the martial arts and styles that exist is that they all make use of biomechanics and weaknesses of human anatomy. Where the various arts differ is in the rules, the goal, and the context that they are trained for. . In competitions, tournaments and consensual fights, you have…
Where modern karate goes wrong…..
Where modern karate goes wrong in self-defense is where fighting comes first. . Street fighting and self-defense are two different things. Most people think about this as the same, even martial artists. They are not. In street fighting you are basically a fool that lets your ego expose you to danger. Street fighting is for…
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) Kata
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) . The kata Naihanchi is said to mean ‘sideways fighting’ due to the kata’s distinctive embusen (floor pattern), but is also translated as ‘internal divided conflict’, it is practiced in many styles of karate today. . Gichin Funakoshi renamed the kata Tekki (Iron Horse) in reference to his old teacher, Anko Itosu, and…
My karate is SUPERIOR to yours.
My karate is stronger, tougher, more athletic…. it’s superior to yours! . Really? It’s superior in all things?….. . You have to define what you mean by “superior”. I’m assuming that when people say a “superior karate style”, they mean the best in terms of effectiveness and practicality…… But superior, WHERE? In the dojo? In…
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation.”
“Tournament fighting is very different to an actual confrontation, which often happens without warning and at close range. We do not practice ‘sparring’ in this fashion.” (End quote) – Taira Masaji 9th dan Goju Ryu . A technique might work very well against another practitioner in the dojo, using only passive resistance against you. However,…
Kuzushi
Balance and stability is just as important as strength and endurance in the martial arts. Good balance and stability can be the difference in landing a good punch or kick, evading a strike, or ultimately avoiding being forced to the ground, where you don’t want to be. . Good balance also increases your striking ability,…
Moving to an angle is a key principle in karate.
“At rest, the fist and the body must be able to instantly react to anything from any direction. The same applies to one’s heels — the heels must be prepared to shift the body in any direction without hesitation.” – Hironori Otsuka 10th Dan Wado-Ryu (1892-1982) from the book ‘Wado Ryu Karate’ . In actual…
There is NOT one system or style that is the best or ‘strongest’.
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…
Just Relax!
Many martial artists don’t know (or can’t admit) that they’re wasting energy. They make excuses like; “Oh I just need to relax more.” or “I need to work on my cardio.” No..… you’re getting tired because you have poor technique. . And they blame poor conditioning, but the reality is, that conditioning will never compensate…
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…