Empty Hands, Armed Assumptions
What the phrase “empty hand” can make us forget about real violence, and the assumptions we bring into the dojo.
Self-Protection
When the First Answer Feels Complete
When repetition, rank, and tradition make an explanation feel complete before it has ever been tested. In karate, some explanations
The Shape Is Not the Lesson
A stance should serve the body and the movement, not an arbitrary measurement. Everyone starts the same way in karate.
Waiting for the Attack
Why practical karate should not train us to stand still while trouble starts on us. Someone once told me that
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
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
