Dojo musings

Karate in a post-COVID world: one cynic's perspective

2023-07-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit it. I suck at self-promotion. I don’t post inspiring videos on Instagram or TikTok. I don’t have a website anymore. And I don’t do a lot of stuff on Facebook that would draw people in - you know, like cool action poses. I have posted a few more student pics in the past. But let’s face it: a handful of white belts does not inspire people to pick up and join. The ooh/ahh factor

Pulling no punches - on pandemics, martial arts and mental health

2021-02-07T13:32:00.003-08:00

One does not have to look too far to see bad news these days.Almost a year into COVID, and the situation for many is dire. Unemployment. Solitude. Uncertainty. Anger. Frustration.The only thing that humans seem to hate more than change is ambiguity. And right now, there's a buffet on the latter and more than a few helpings with the former.The pandemic has people worked up and worried.

Naihanchi – the lost kata of Goju?

2019-02-25T12:04:00.003-08:00

So, bear with me here. I was always taught that, within Shorin systems, the heishugata ( 閉手型 ) was Naihanchi. And within Goju, it was Sanchin and Tensho. It’s canon. It’s the way things are done. But what if we have been missing something seriously fundamental all along? What if people are closing their eyes off to important lessons right in front of them because ‘that’s

"Trials" and training tribulations OR Is commitment-phobia in karate a problem?

2019-01-09T21:51:00.001-08:00

I'll preface this by saying, I offer no answers to the problem. I have plenty of thoughts. I have tons of examples and stories. I have some suggestions and ideas. But I do not know how to solve the problem, if it can even be solved at all. This may be a bit of a ramble, so buckle up. Trial classes are a curious thing. I get it. I really do. In today's world, you have to give folks a sample of

Deep Sai: why you should NOT study kobudo

2018-12-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Whilst watching Youtube videos the other day on my new cable package, I came across a video of a gentleman demonstrating application for sai. The techniqes followed more or less those that you would see in many of the Ryukyu kobudo sai kata – a mid guard/ high guard kamae in shiko , shifting into a double gedan barai in zenkutsu, a rechamber and coil followed by a tsuri ashi and a double tsuki.

I don't like reigi - I love it!

2018-12-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

The word reigi consists of two characters: 礼儀 . Rei, you have heard before - at the beginning and end of class. But rei does not mean bow. The bow is ojigi. (お辞儀)) Rei is an expression of gratitude. The gi, the second character, can be translated as 'ceremony,' so the two sort of give you a sense of what is expected when you put the two together. Reigi is courtesy and etiquette. It is the

Baby black belts OR what’s the value of rank anyway?

2018-11-16T14:57:00.002-08:00

So, I am gonna dive deep into a subject that is fraught with peril. No, it has nothing to do with calling yourself sensei. I’ve done that already. That’s still wrong. No, it has nothing to do with whether karate is useful for sef-defense. I’ve weighted in on that, too. Only a fool would claim superiority in that argument. But what ya gonna do. Nope, this one is on the teen/

A blog that hopes to knock your block off OR is it truly better to receive than to give?

2018-10-12T15:22:00.002-07:00

Whilst perusing the webs yesterday, I came across a video on the Tube of You that left me a little… disappointed. Now I get that folks use YouTube now to market themselves and their stuff. And that’s cool and all. But one also gets to see the narrowmindedness of certain… ummm… factions,,, when they try to promote their way as the only way. This individual, who I will admit had a mighty

The joys of training in midlife

2018-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am learning a lot of new acronyms and medical terms lately. It's not because I am studying for a new career in medicine or that I am naturally curious (even though I am). No, this journey is all about what happens as one grows old. Back when I was young, I thought I was damn near immortal (most youngster do) and I acted accordingly. Well, mortality and human frailty have a way of taking the

Do you science the sh!t out of your karate?

2018-06-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

I was never a big science or math guy in school. Bear with me here. When I was in high school, I had other "interests." I did not apply myself. I regret it now. I got the concepts. I understood how things worked, but I did not work at applying those ideas or concepts. In one ear and out the other, as it were. Flash forward to my university days while I was still competing as a Tae Kwon Do

Going to ground

2018-03-03T06:08:00.003-08:00

Way back in the day, "going to ground" was a military term for turning in for the night. Going to sleep. Checking one's eyelids for leaks. Enter the 90s. Going to ground meant that some BJJ guy now had you in his territory and was finishing you off. Great for UFC/ MMA. And, as many will tell you, great for self-defense, too. Well, maybe not. In MMA, you train in a gym. With mats. Mats absorb

Okinawan Karate's not broken, so why are so many people trying to fix it???

2018-02-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

The Okinawan Karate Information Centre posted a number of videos to their website recently. The videos themselves are easily recognizable. The rationale for said posting is not as easily discernible. Almost immediately after their posting, there was a hue and cry from practitioners around the world. What did it all mean? If these were the standards for the upcoming tournament, why was their

On resolutions, irony, setting the right training mindset and wisdom of the movie masters.

2018-01-02T12:38:00.001-08:00

Do or do not; there is no try. The more I think of it, Master Yoda was pretty much right on the money. It’s January 2018 – pretty soon, dojo and martial arts schools far and wide will be flooded with new students of all ages. The young ones want to learn to kick and punch. The older ones (hopefully) have goals expanded beyond those same desires. I can usually guess what a person’s

Karateka could learn a lot from yoga OR why not find a shala and namastay a while?

2017-12-03T16:00:00.001-08:00

Fun fact: I am a yogi. Not a Yogi, but a yogi. I don't have a friend named Bop Boo or a girlfriend named Cindy (I did once, but she wasn't a bear). I am not wanted by park rangers, though I have been partial to the contents of picnic baskets. Instead, I am the downward dog-facing, sun salutation-practising kind. My practice is sporadic to say the least. But I find yoga to be a great compliment

Back to the basics

2017-10-21T15:30:00.001-07:00

In my training, I live a dichotomy. Within my karate training, basics are not overly encouraged as practice on their own. One is expected to learn and understand basics through kata. Within my kobudo, basics are strongly emphasized before kata is taught. So, which way is right? Well, therein lies the conundrum. We've all seen the bad technique guy? In fact, there are videos dedicated

Click here to learn the key to effective self-defense

2017-08-14T13:14:00.003-07:00

Pssst – want to know the secret to self-defense? Want to learn the key to what makes every kata deadly effective? Want to master the one thing your teacher doesn’t talk about in class? Are you ready? Here it is. Presence. Awareness. Consciousness. Mindfulness. Bingo. Bango. Bongo. Wow, you say, that was a waste of time. Pfft. The secret to self-defense is not a

What's in a word - the value of language in the martial arts

2017-08-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

In a conversation online the other day, the word 'warrior' was discussed in context of martial arts. Google 'warrior' and 'karate' or 'martial arts,' and you'll find no shortage of entries. Close to a million with the first two terms alone. So, you ask, who cares? Well, quite simply, you should. The term warrior is defined by Merriam Webster as "a person engaged or experienced in warfare;

It’s no secret – the lack of need for a New Martial World Order

2017-08-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

Yeh, I am on this soapbox again. Something picked at my craw, so here I am with my cranky pants on. I have a great deal of respect for folks who study the combative aspect of kata. They have my utmost appreciation for their efforts. But let me tell you where I draw the line for that. I get it that everyone has to make a living, and that some folks choose to do that through martial arts. As

Emptying the cup

2017-08-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

Don't stop me if you have heard this one. A well known Zen master was used to people paying a visit seeking tutelage or counsel. His openness was known far and wide. He rarely turned anyone away. One day, a very powerful and rich man came with an entourage and sought audience with the Zen master. An audience was granted and the man sat with the master and said, "I want you to teach me all about

Karate ni sente arimasu?

2017-08-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

空手に先手無し – there is no first attack in karate. If you have spent any time in a dojo at all, you likely heard this maxim a number of times. The emphasis is usually on the notion that the karate person does not strike first. Honourable idea, but let’s look at this for a second shall we? Imagine going to a karate tournament where the competitors stuck to that basic notion. The kata demos would

Waza waza everywhere! And no great need to think

2017-07-24T13:51:00.003-07:00

Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens - Carl Jung Full disclosure: I have purchased tapes and videos of martial artists performing their kata and their drills. I like to look and see what others are doing and whether what I am doing is far off from what they are doing. I don’t borrow much of anything, really. It may give me a ideas for improvement of my stuff, but it does not

Write it down!

2017-07-13T12:30:00.002-07:00

How do you learn? When I lived in Osaka 15 years ago, it was certainly a test of my ability to absorb what came my way. I was hampered by three things: - Prior learning (yes, it is a thing. It can and does take time to unlearn habits) - &

Some thoughts on the impermanence of training – the eternal plight of the karate dojo

2017-06-12T14:05:00.004-07:00

You’d think after almost 40 years, I’d be used to it. The ebb and flow, the come and go of the dojo. Students start. Students stop. Young. Old. Beginners. Seniors. Life is change. I’ve left different dojo for different reasons. I’ve left associations for different reasons. So what is it I am not picking up – what can I not get through my own thick skull about others making the same sorts

A kick in the "shin"

2017-06-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

I've seen a lot of changes to karate in my lifetime. I've watched an art grow into a sport and a sport grow into an exhibit of physical skill that has little attachment to the art that once spawned it. I am not sure who is to blame, but since the horse is out of the martial barn, pointing fingers and making accusations seems somewhat pointless now. "Back in the day," karateka were fierce

Offended by the defense: what disappoints me about many MA programs

2017-06-03T18:31:00.001-07:00

I watched a "fight class" today. It was one of those big box fitness places putting on a cardio kicking boxing class (apparently that fad has come back). It came complete with hand wraps and everything. The gist was "come to this class, get in shape and learn self defense. I won't even start on the "holy cultural appropriation, Batman" stuff. I lasted all of about 3 minutes watching. I had to