Where Should We Look?
Why concentrating on one part of the body may cause us to miss what is happening elsewhere. People often ask
When the Guard Changes the Problem
Why the habits that make sense in a fight may work against us in self-protection In boxing we were taught
What Are We Really Practicing in Kata?
The value of kata may depend less on how well we perform the sequence and more on what we understand
What Is Tradition in the Martial Arts?
What we inherit matters, but that does not mean it should remain unchanged. What is tradition, or traditional, in the
Experience Should Change Us
What years of practice can teach us about questioning what we think we know.
Knowing When to Kick
Kicks have value in self-protection, but their usefulness depends on context, timing, and the person using them. Kicks can be
The Weight of Experience
How experience can deepen our understanding while quietly limiting what we are willing to reconsider There is an often-repeated saying:
The Best Teaching Makes the Difficult Feel Familiar
Good instruction begins by connecting unfamiliar movements to actions the student already understands. When people begin learning karate, almost everything
Teaching the Fight First
Many self-defense classes begin at the point where self-protection has already failed. Self-defense. Everyone teaches it, right? It’s written on
What Is the Art in Martial Art?
Why the word “art” does not mean beauty, performance, or freedom from function. Someone recently told me that karate could
