Should we look in the mirror before practice or attending an event at the Dojo? What would it be like if we disregarded our appearance or equipment? How might our own appearance impact our mind? Without our equipment well maintained, we will be concerned with its performance. How might our own vehicles perform without normal […]
Look in the mirror: Appearance and Equipment Upkeep Read More »
What do you do when you find a weakness? What do most people do: Hide from it? Get angry? Swell up to compensate? Start crying? All of these are normal human traits. What about embracing it? Hmmm Should our nature be one of finding weaknesses so something can be done about them? This discussion is
Finding Weaknesses Read More »
Working systems are a marvel to behold. Every component part of it working in concert, a grand harmony of interconnected pieces producing a final result, or just a continuation of the system itself. From just about any perspective, any such working system is opaque in its operation and invites no closer scrutiny. It is only
When it fails we can see how it works Read More »
The Journey Begins From Where You Are is another one of those thoughts that occurred at 3:00am. This time of the morning is very peaceful to me. Everything is still and quiet. My thoughts are free to roam without disturbance. Sleeping would be nice. The freedom to think is equally nice. Beginning from where you
The Journey Begins From Where You Are Read More »
Why do women have to be right? It’s a matter of life or death. End of blog. That would be too simple. I have had a thought for some time that was shared with the Dojo. When discussed, there is the approving look which indicates my thought could be correct. Many suggest our behavior, thinking
Why do women have to be right? Read More »
What do we miss when we are tired? Ahhh yes. Watching a student struggle, this thought came to me. He struggles not necessarily because the techniques performed were hard. More so because he was tired from working … a lot. Credit to him for showing up and putting himself through the struggle. However, many subtle
What do we miss when we are tired? Read More »
The number 3 is very significant and satisfying for human beings. “The power of 3,” “3rd time’s the charm,” 3 divisions of time: past, present and future. Along these lines I present to you my personal view of the three ingredients that make up the delicious dish that is Karate: Art. Physical conditioning. Self-defense. It
When watching young children at play you can see traces of our primitive selves. Before we “un-learn” all our ancestral instincts growing up in modern society we can observe many movements that complement our design. When children play or “fight” the natural instinct is to grab, wrestle and roll around. Children do not know, naturally,
Striking with the hand is Not Natural Read More »
For the last 7 years my son has been on a long list of medications for ADHD, OCD, Anxiety, DMDD (Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder) and Autism. For anyone that has had to deal with these issues it can be devastating. I’m not going to tell you karate was a fix-all solution, but I am going to tell you that his conditions are manageable without medication.
Kicking Medications: Karate Helped Read More »
In the dojo much of what we learn can be used in day-to-day life; outside of just “fighting” and martial arts. Disrupting the Pattern is a tactic used to throw off the attacker’s flow or rhythm, disrupt their movement or attack, and create a kind of “counter window” for ourselves. When we break their rhythm,
Disrupting the Pattern: More Than Just a Martial Tactic Read More »