Waiting for the Attack
Why practical karate should not train us to stand still while trouble starts on us. Someone once told me that
Martial Arts
The Direction of Kata
Direction in kata is not always the direction of the attack. Sometimes it is the lesson of position. I was
When Martial Artists Forget Their Own Lessons
Respect, ego, and the gap between what martial arts claim to teach and how martial artists sometimes behave. It is
When the Drill Becomes the Problem
When training stays too clean for too long, the drill can start teaching the wrong lesson. Karate, Practical Karate, Self-Defense,
Barefoot in the Dojo, Shoes in the Real World
Why tradition still matters, but context decides how karate is understood and applied. Step into a traditional karate dojo and
Why Jump?
Questioning whether the jump in kata is the lesson, or simply the shape we inherited. There are several kata where
Changing My Mind
Why experience should make us more willing to look again, not less. Many people assume that experience makes your views
Why the Dojo Still Matters
Why information alone cannot replace correction, training partners, and time on the dojo floor. Recently, I received a message from
The Danger of Certainty
How unquestioned assumptions can limit progress in karate – and in life A limiting belief is not simply a wrong
Does Being Taught a Bunkai Make It “The” Bunkai?
When we reduce kata to single, fixed techniques, we miss the richer picture of what they are trying to teach
