Does Every Technique Have to Come From Somewhere Else?
Different cultures, familiar methods, and why the answers don’t always have to come from somewhere else. Whenever the practical application
Three Years on a Kata?
What if learning another kata was meant to mean learning another way of dealing with the problem When we began
Starting Again Without Starting Over
What does your grade mean when you step into someone else’s dojo? What happens to your grade when you join
Returning to Karate After Years Away
What remains, what changes, and the challenge of finding your place again. People leave karate for all kinds of reasons.
Starting Karate Later in Life
What progress, grading and good karate can look like when the journey begins later. A comment on a recent article
What Does the Grade Represent?
A grade should recognize development, not create the appearance of it. When I took my shodan, a long time ago
The Badge You Wear
A small symbol of identity, belonging, and the responsibility that can come with representing your dojo. There is nothing
Correct According to What?
Why judging martial arts technique by appearance alone can miss the point. One of the problems with discussing martial arts
The Challenge Has Changed
The desire for challenge has never really left me. What has changed is where I believe that challenge belongs. There
Practice Until You Can Rely on It
Why getting it right once is only the beginning One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that
