Evolution
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
I swiped this image from Striking Thoughts. Perfect!
Change is good. Or is it? Over the past several years we've seen a major shift in what people refer to as "mart ...
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Feel The Power
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Recently I came across a good read that I thought could be relevant for martial study. Power vs. Force is a book that describes how power, as per author David Hawkins' ...
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Choose Your Weapons
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
I've never been a huge fan of traditional Okinawan weapons ( kobudo ). After all, karate - the empty hand way - forgoes the need for anything besides relying on the human ...
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Think Big
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
There's this guy from my area that runs a karate school out of his house. Basement dojos, I'm told, can be a rough place to train. At any rate, this particular fellow chec ...
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Striking vs. Grappling
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Do you train in karate or some related style? How often do you work ground techniques at your school? Most karate students train on a traditional wooden deck, so if some rol ...
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Kata: Doing It Right
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
For anyone who has been a regular reader of this site, you may know that my views on kata (forms) training are somewhat divided. Kata has some uses which I'll state, but f ...
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Keep Going
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Once, a friend of mine asked me what I would do after I earned my shodan. "What is there after black belt - do you keep going?"
When you think you've reached the summ ...
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Wanna Fight?
by
John V.
Posted in: Questions & Answers in Martial Arts
Most people get into the martial arts simply to learn how to defend themselves. Indeed, self-defense is a common euphemism for traditional martial arts (as opposed t ...
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The American Way
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
I used to have a gi with the American flag sewn on the sleeve. The caption read Martial Arts - USA as if this were some new paradigm. Maybe it is. Somewhere along th ...
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Cheap Shot
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
This has got to be one of the most disgraceful moments in sport karate. Keep an eye on the referee, Isao Nakamura Fushiki, 7th dan. If this doesn't make your blood boil, not ...
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Take It Outside
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Today I took my Okinawan kobudo weapons outdoors and went to town. I know that's a bit of an oxymoron, but I'm just trying to make a point. There's just not too many schoo ...
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Fighting Gear
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
My earliest sparring sessions in karate were without the mandatory protective gear you see today. The only requirement was the groin protector; a mouthpiece was optional. ...
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Visions of Violence
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness. - Confucius
Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba is credited as the author of aphorisms taken from lec ...
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Dress Code
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Years ago I entered an "open" tournament. All the quasi karate styles were represented there: kung fu, kenpo, tae kwon do, you name it. I saw uniforms of every imaginable ...
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Lean Karate Cuisine
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
Right after my promotion to shodan years ago I realized somebody slipped up in the ordering department when I tied my new black belt around my waist. I've always taken a s ...
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Just One Of Those Days
by
John V.
Posted in: Blog Posts in Martial Arts
No matter how well balanced you think you are there will always be moments when you just want to break something. Hearing tired aphorisms such as "Smile, and the world smi ...
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