“Karate has many stances; it also has none”. – Nakasone Genwa (1895-1978) . Fundamental to the improvement of your karate technique is correct and balanced form. . In karate, ‘stance’ refers to the position of the lower body, the hips and the legs, which literally carry the upper body. Thus techniques are at their best…
Tag: Philosophy
The process of ‘shime’ for Sanchin kata is about cooperation and study, and not brute force.
Shime (締め) testing is a two-person drill which serves as a way of testing a practitioner’s ability to apply the strategies and principles of Sanchin kata. . The idea behind the testing is to have the practitioner placed under a load, to evaluate their structure. . The testing involves putting pressure on the practitioner’s body….
Here is the bottom line: You DON’T want to get into street fights.
Real fights are messy, full of uncertainty, sloppy, falling down and scrambling up, feints, lucky shots. Street fights are quick and aren’t run over several rounds like an arranged fight. . If you know for sure another person is going to attack you and is cornering you, you’ll be at a major disadvantage if that…
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
“We all have inner demons to fight, we call these demons, fear and hatred and anger. If you do not conquer them then a life of one hundred years is a tragedy. If you do, then a life of a single day can be a triumph.” – Yip Man . You run into lots of…
“In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope hold up pants.”
Modern-day students of karate generally assume that the ranking system of kyu (color belt) and dan (black belt) levels, and the various titles that high-ranking black belts hold, are, like the kata, a part of karate tradition extending back centuries. . However, the ranking system itself dates back only to the early 20th century. ….
But believe it or not, there are other things in life besides the dojo.
I love training. I love budo, it’s a major PART of my life….. but it’s not my whole life. Although at times I seem to think of nothing else. It enhances my life, makes my life richer, and enhances my health and sense of well-being. I enjoy it a lot. Training in budo, apart form…
“Bu, starts with Rei and ends with Rei.”
Ojigi (お辞儀) – Bowing in Japan is the act of lowering your head or the upper part of the torso, commonly used as a sign of salutation, reverence, apology or gratitude in social or religious situations. . Bowing is extremely important in Japan, children normally begin learning how to bow at a very young age,…
Indecision can kill.
Indecision can kill. . Think about the last time you had to deal with a problem but couldn’t come up with a single possible solution…… Making any decision, even if it’s not the best, is better than freezing and making no decision. ** **Indecision kills. . In real world self-defense, awareness and Information is an…
“The beauty of a move lies not in its appearance but in the thought behind it.”
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…
Be Happy!
Buddhism and happiness are complementary to each other. There is a lot to be learnt about happiness from Buddhist philosophies. . Buddha taught that happiness is one of the seven factors of Enlightenment. . Life Involves Suffering – Accept It. . According to Buddhist philosophy, acceptance to the truth of Life involving suffering is crucial…
What is it you want out of the martial arts?
What is it you want out of the martial arts? What is the one thing that will get you to where you want to be? . Many people look to motivation to push them toward their destination. But what happens when that motivation wears off, when the excitement declines? How can you stay committed on…
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…