(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) If you were unfortunate enough to be attacked outside the dojo, doesn’t common sense tell you that getting out of the way would be a good idea? . Kata is full of principles covering a wide range of scenarios, and one of the most important lessons is – getting…
Tag: Self-Protection
Karate Before the Labels: No Names, Just Karate. Don’t Wait – Take Control.
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) Someone recently told me that if you don’t wait for an attack, or at least attack or defend at the same time (sen no sen), then you have effectively become the attacker. He argued that we can never truly know the exact method of attack, so we should effectively…
Karate in Context: Guided by History, Defined by Purpose.
(Approx 3 minute read) There are so many different opinions about what karate is, where it came from, and what it was actually used for. Who’s right? . We have a few snippets from history – newspaper articles, a few books written at the time – but even these have their limitations. Everything written was…
The Bigger Picture: Principles and Concepts in Motion – The True Gift of Kata.
(Approx 2 minute 20 second read) When you look into kata and their applications, breaking things down, you usually look at individual techniques, sometimes obsessing over what’s going on in a specific movement. . You probably consider the terminology of a technique too, using it to try and work out how a series of moves…
“If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything.”
(Approx 1 minute 30 second read) “If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything.” – Miyamoto Musashi . Someone commented on one of my articles saying that practical karate people are just looking for moves in MMA to match what they do. . Actually, no. That’s the wrong way around. You…
From Boat to Battlefield: Understanding the True Purpose of Karate.
(Approx 2 minute 15 second read) The other day, I received a comment on an article where I wrote about practices that lack any connection to real-world scenarios, where drills such as yakusoku, renzoku, or sanbon/gohon kumite, etc., are very unlikely, especially when attacking from six feet away using an Oi-zuki. . He stated that…
Tradition, Technique, and Truth: When Karate Doesn’t Adapt to Real-Life Threats.
(Approx 2 minute read) When I started karate in the 1970s I was in awe of the Japanese instructors that were around at the time in the UK. . They exuded power, focus and precision that I could only dream of attaining. . But there came a time during the beginning of the 1980s that…
Training for Purpose: Your Karate, Your Choice. Choose wisely.
(Approx 2 minute 10 second read) No one today has experienced a time when there were no karate styles. . One of the most significant changes in karate’s history was the creation of different styles and the formation of a standard and a terminology everyone understood. A shift that was necessary in order to teach…
Guard Up? Think Again: A Stark Reminder of Self-Defense Reality.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) I often receive comments on my articles that tell me that you don’t need self-defense, you’re never going to need it. Just practice for fun and competition. . Er, no. . As an example, literally a block away from me this morning at 6:30am, there was a carjacking. A…
The Missing Pieces: Beyond Judo. The Forgotten Throwing and Grappling of Karate.
(Approx 2 minute 35 second read) Kenwa Mabuni, one of Okinawa’s great karate masters, once said, “The karate that has spread to Tokyo is incomplete. Those who believe that karate consists only of kicks and punches, and think throws and joint locks are exclusive to judo or jujutsu, have been misinformed. We should have an…
Just Know – Old Age and Treachery Will Always Outsmart Youth and Enthusiasm.
(Approx 2 minute 10 second read) Years ago, while I was living in the UK, someone trespassed into my garden. I heard a noise and went outside to investigate. There he was, perched in a tree. I gave him a piece of my mind, to which he shouted back, ‘Come and get me, old man!’…
The Road Ahead: The Choices We Make in the Moment.
(Approx 2 minute read) A comment on my recent article where I was pushed into the road while out for a run read: “Well written but your first mistake was not crossing the road in anticipation, but sometimes in life our senses do not tell us.” . It’s a valid observation, but it highlights an…