(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) I mentioned in an article recently that an Okinawan teacher showed his black belts a series of techniques meant to showcase ‘real’ karate. Unfortunately, expectations are never as exciting as reality. . Firstly, someone said to me in the comments section, “Can you provide a link to the video?”…
Tag: Sparring
Creativity in Motion: The Power of Possibility Through Asking the Right Questions.
(Approx 2 minute 35 second read) The problem with many karate techniques is that they are often taught as having a single, fixed use. Consider modern karate and the tools it provides. Let’s take an example: the “Jodan age uke”, the ubiquitous upper rising block. In modern karate, it’s typically used to block, deflect, or…
The Trouble With Trying to Do It All: Have Clarity of Purpose and Choose the Right Path.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) All combat sports are one-on-one fights with rules. Self-protection, on the other hand, is not consensual fighting and should be approached differently. . Training for success in sport is designed to ensure success in sport. It makes little sense to train to develop one set of skills when they…
Common Ground: Universal Principles and a Shared Language – Different Paths, Similar Movements.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) The comments on my articles are inspiring, often funny, and sometimes, just uninformed. . To all the armchair enthusiasts, keyboard warriors, and practitioners from other methods who think kata is useless – let’s get this out of the way: You do not fight with kata. . The kata were…
Context: The Key to Effective Training Across Disciplines.
(Approx 2 minute 45 second read) I recently wrote a couple of articles about going to the ground in self-defense. Many of the comments said that you’d better know how to fight on the ground because most altercations end up there. . Yes, you may end up on the ground, and it’s imperative you drill…
Under Pressure: The Way You Train is the Way You’ll Respond:
(Approx 2 minute 5 second read) You will perform the way you train. This principle holds across martial arts, sports, and virtually any skill-based activity or profession. Training shapes not only physical habits but also mental responses under pressure. . In response to one of my articles about an ill-advised self-defense technique performed for a…
The Ground: Think Twice Before You Go There!
(Approx 2 minutes 30 second read) Some people are incredibly territorial when it comes to the martial art they practice. The comments on my recent article about judo and self-defense sparked a storm of snarky responses – some from people who seemed genuinely upset, and others, who didn’t even bother reading the article before offering…
Kneeling for a Throw? Staying Off the Ground in Self-defense.
(Approx 2 minute 25 second read) Recently, I was asked to sit in on a grading where a student was being promoted from 1st to 2nd dan. When asked to perform self-defense the student performed several throws from judo, some from a kneeling position. . For me, this was not an ideal representation of a…
Beyond Sparring: Understand the Limitations of Your Self-Defense Training in the Martial Arts.
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) While there are always exceptions, thankfully, most of us today rarely face the need to use physical self-defense. . Recently, someone commented on one of my articles, suggesting that sparring is the ultimate test of self-defense because of its unpredictability. While sparring does offer some unpredictability, it is nowhere…
Right. Now, self-defense. Tonight I’ll be showing you how to defend yourselves against anyone who attacks you armed with a piece of fresh fruit.
(Approx 2 minute 50 second read) “In order to know how good you are at something, it requires exactly the same skills as it does to be good at that thing in the first place. Which means that if you’re absolutely no good at something at all, then you lack exactly the skills that you…
Kick Like a Pro, Limp Like a Legend. Kick Today, Ice Tomorrow. (Perhaps not the best choice in self-defense either.)
(Approx 2 minute 40 second read) For the last few days, I’ve been dealing with an annoying hip flexor strain. I have no idea how I got it – perhaps I slept the wrong way. I seem to be at that age. . Once again, it sparked an image in my mind of having to…
Resistance is NOT Futile: Facing Reality – Showing, Preparing, and Practicing Resistance in Your Training.
(Approx 1 minute 55 second read) There is so much phony self-defense out there: demonstrations in which a defender successfully intercepts an attack – a punch, a kick, or a knife stab – and then “destroys” the attacker with ease. . The defense just wouldn’t work against anyone other than a cooperating partner – and…