“The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that “this kata moves in 8 directions so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents” or some such nonsense.” . Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) founder of Shito-Ryu…
Tag: Self-Protection
Karate does not have any one style.
“Recently, some Karate men have used funny and strange sounding names for their own styles of Karate. A Karate man of this kind does not have a real understanding or knowledge of the orthodox Karate or he has no confidence in his ability as a Karate man. He uses these funny sounding names for his…
Kata is not an alternative or substitute for two-man training.
“If you can prove that the techniques that you are teaching are realistic and valid, then your Bunkai will stand up to scrutiny, in other words if it don’t work then don’t teach it.” ~ John Johnson 8th dan – Adaptive Karate . . 形. Kata is not an ‘alternative’ or ‘substitute’ for two-man training;…
OKINAWAN KARATE. THE ORIGINAL MMA. . We are all human. Therefore, every style is limited to the same movements. The only difference is in the method of training. Karate originated on the island of Okinawa, a melting pot of combative knowledge. Combined with their native form of wrestling (Tegumi), Okinawan karate began as an effective…
Trust the quality of what you know, not the quantity.
“Some falsely believe that mastery and progress come by knowing as many kata as possible. In the older days, one knew only about two or three at the most. Even to use one kata properly and efficiently is not an easy task. One must remember that it is quality over quantity when practicing any kata.”…
Self-Defense
This Is Not Self-Defense “We often fall into the trap of simply trying a technique harder, rather than recognizing that it is a poorly chosen tool for the task at hand.” ~ Chris Matakas “Unarmed hand to hand fighting does not change through the ages; only the name changes, and it has only one rule:…
Rank Will Not Protect You
In a situation where you need to defend yourself, it is your skills, not your rank, that will protect you. Prevention is the best self-defense. Attackers, whatever their objectives, are looking for unsuspecting, vulnerable targets. Be aware of your surroundings, avoiding confrontation. If you can defuse a situation (talk someone down from physically…
Your purpose in karate is not to fight.
“Your purpose in karate is not to fight, but rather to end the fight”. ~ Yoshio Kuba 10th dan Goju Ryu ?? . In self-defense there are no rules. If you’re in danger, in trouble, or in anyway threatened, you do anything and everything you can to get away and get to safety. This is nothing…
A high and tight guard
Having the hands held high in a tight guard is not a very smart thing to do in a self-defense situation. . To understand why it’s a bad idea, you need to appreciate that not all violence is the same, and there are HUGE differences between consensual violence (fighting) and non-consensual violence (self-defense). . The…
Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same
“Self-protection, martial arts, and fighting, are not the same, they are related, but they are most definitely not the same.” ?? . . Iain Abernethy 7th Dan British Combat Association . As martial artists we need to understand the difference between these three concepts. They are distinctly different, but also overlap one another. . Many martial…
Real karate is for self-defense
“Real karate is for self-defense and kata bunkai is the main tool for this.” . . Yoshio Kuba 10th dan Goju Ryu, repeating a quote from Gogen Yamaguchi. ? . . It is all in the kata. Understand the combative principles contained within them and you will find that you are able to extract a myriad…
The hardest punch I’ve ever experienced
Too many students (and some instructors) rely solely on their body-weight when performing punches, without thinking to “connect”, transferring the energy from your feet, through to your fist as you hit with your entire body. . It’s NOT the style of karate that has power. NO one style is stronger than any other, regardless of…