When the Mind Will Not Let Go
We spend years training for physical problems we may rarely face, yet the mind is something we have to deal
Martial Arts
When the Best Choice is Not to Fight
Sometimes self-protection is not about what you can do physically, but whether you can prevent the situation from becoming physical
What We Didn’t Practice
What repetition teaches us, and what can happen when something changes. When I opened my dojo back in the UK
Context Changes Everything
Before deciding whether a method works, we first need to understand what it is supposed to achieve. We are often
What Happens When the Other Person Stops Helping?
What resistance reveals about the difference between learning a method and being able to use it. If we say that
What Are We Actually Testing?
When testing becomes more about endurance than understanding, it may be worth asking what the student is actually learning.
Training With Others
A perspective on cross-training, experience and knowing when to look elsewhere. Experience. How do we gain it? Time spent with
Karate. What Is It?
The same name now covers very different ways of training, with very different purposes. It’s funny isn’t it how two
What Knowledge Do We Need to Understand Karate?
When experience outside karate helps us recognize what may already have been there. A highly ranked karate instructor recently
What Should a Black Belt Represent?
If the purpose of karate has changed over the years, has the meaning of its most recognized grade changed with
