competition

Most of us who train have either asked or been asked the same question. “How does kata relate to fighting and self-defense?” To the novice eye the connection seems iffy at best. Sure, there are blocks, punches, and kicks, but the stances seem too formal, the postures too stiff, the choreography too mechanical. Fights, on the other … Read more

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an impending demonstration that I was practicing for, and how this change of focus was bringing new ideas to light in my training (see A Rare Performance). The demo is behind me now. I don’t have anything major to report other than that it went fine and … Read more

Those of you who read my blog with regularity probably know where I stand on the modern sporting side of martial arts. I am firm believer in karate training focused on functional life protection skills. Kata, used as a tool for this purpose, generally looks a lot different then that performed in competitions, even traditional … Read more