“We avoid conflicts and prefer peace — that is the legacy of Miyagi Sensei, founder of Goju-ryu. Karate is not for attacking people, there is no way you will deal the first blow in a fight. The greatest secret is defense. One should think of karate as of a culture that encompasses self-defense methods.” –…
Tag: Philosophy
“The practice of the hakutsuru form forced me to learn better balance.”
“The crane’s beak is long and pointed, a stabbing weapon useful for self-defense. She is calm and poised, balanced and disciplined. When attacked, she knows she cannot meet force with force. She therefore controls the fight by yielding, until an opening appears, then counters immediately.” Fred Absher – Kojosho Kempo . . The White Crane…
Karate and kobudo are difficult……
“Karate and kobudo are difficult, if you do not practice seriously with a traditional approach, you may miss the important points.” – Fumio Demura 9th dan Shito-Ryu . . The truth is to become good at karate, to get anywhere near being proficient with your techniques, drills and kata, you need to do hundreds and…
Ikken hissatsu – One fist, certain death.
“Ikken hissatsu” (一拳必殺) – What does this maxim mean to you? How do you interpret it? . “Ikken hissatsu” is a Japanese term that is used quite frequently in karate. The term means simply; “to kill with one blow”, or “one punch, one kill”. The exact definition is “One fist, certain death”. . Recently a…
“If you train only kobudo it’s ok, but if you do both karate and kobudo then you will be better.”
“If you train only kobudo it’s ok, but if you do both karate and kobudo then you will be better……… Both karate and kobudo influence how you hold and use the weapons. So it’s best to do both to understand each one.” (End quote) – Takehiro Gaja 9th dan Uechi-ryu . . Karate and…
Every kata move is designed for use in combat.
“Unfortunately, many experienced karateka, having learnt numerous kata, mistakenly believe they have mastered them when, in truth, they are merely dancing. To ensure kata are what they should be, you must completely understand the significance of the movements.” – Masutatsu Ōyama . . The principal purpose of the movements and techniques in kata is to…
Fighting should always be the last answer to a problem.
For all the importance we place on learning how to fight and defend ourselves, the martial arts should at their core, teach that it is best not to get into a fight in the first place. . There are dojo and instructors that just teach fighting as self-defense! With no consideration taken to other important…
Is teaching sport karate as “traditional karate” a threat to real traditional (classical) karate?
Since the development of sport karate, there have been mixed opinions on its validity as a true martial art. The sporting rules and culture is a far cry from how and why karate was originally created on Okinawa. . Today the traditionalist part of me says no to sport karate because the competitive philosophy of…
Martial arts does take a commitment on your part.
“Daniel-san, must talk. Walk on road. Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish, just like grape. Here karate, same thing. Either you karate do, yes, or karate do, no. You karate do, guess so, squish just like grape.” . . In its proper context, Miyagi’s speech is…
“You are what your teacher is…”
“You are what your teacher is, and if he knows a lot, you should be able to demonstrate this knowledge.” – Yuchoku Higa 10th dan (1910–1994) founder of Kyudokan Dojo, Okinawa. . If you decide you are going to do something, then you have to do it well and to the best of your ability,…
‘Kangeiko’ – Cold Training
‘Kangeiko’ (寒稽古) a Japanese word meaning; “cold training.” It is special training, in various forms of budo/bujutsu, in which practitioners endure training in the cold. This mid-winter practice is meant to strengthen not only the body, but the mind. . This concept is a special test of endurance training – forcing oneself to perform under…
“Ichariba chode”
‘Ichariba chode’ (行逢りば兄弟) is a Okinawan phrase meaning “though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life”. . The Okinawan people live by the principle of ‘ichariba chode’, a local expression that means “treat everyone like a brother (or sister), even if you’ve never met them before”. . Many dojo promote…