Karate
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Karate & Kobudo: Two Wheels on an Axle
I started to learn Ryukyu Kobudo from my teachers Minowa sensei and Yoshimura sensei when I was 24 years old. At that time I was living on Amami Oshima and studying at their dojo in Naze-shi. Minowa sensei would often say to me that Kobudo and Karate-do were, “like two wheels on an axle.” At… Continue reading
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Mystery Bechurin
Back in 2011 I visited Kita Kyushu to see Yoshino sensei. The last time I had saw him, he had dropped a bombshell of a statement during lunch that he knew an alternate form of the Tou’on ryu Bechurin. My interest peaked and he said he would teach it to me the next time I… Continue reading
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Skill Technique Kata – 技 術 型
Here is an interesting view of Karatedo by Tadahiko Otsuka from his Goju-ryu Kyohan series (Volume 2, Page 11). It’s something that I wished I had known years ago, but at least people like Russ Smith have brought these concepts to the Karate community in recent years. Here’s the translation and my interpretation of the… Continue reading
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Traditional Karate: What is it anyway?
Let’s consider weaponless combat techniques on Okinawa 150 years ago – we’ll call it Karate. Think about what methods, equipment, training routines, philosophy, etc. were used. Now imagine that throughout the years parts of this tradition are discarded, and other methods, etc., are embraced, but we still call this weaponless tradition Karate. Now, suppose (for… Continue reading
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Crime & Karate on Okinawa
I recently published a Youtube video featuring an academic article published in Japanese on ¨Karate & Alcohol Consumption” published in the Journal of Statistics in 1921. It examined the inter-relationship between violent crime, alcohol consumption, Karate and education levels in the prefecture of Okinawa between 1910 and 1920. To provide more context as to the… Continue reading
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Learning to Learn
I’ve been really fortunate to cross paths with some amazing teachers, mentors and friends in my Karatedo and Kobudo journey. As I’ve shared in previous posts, I’m constantly amazed at the incredible patience all of them have shown me, regardless of my grasp on their respective art. Reflecting on their teaching styles, it’s clear to… Continue reading
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Mai-kata: Emergence of the Theory of a Prototype of Karate
One perspective on the origins of karate centers on the development of kata from traditional martial arts and skills passed down in Okinawa. One of the remaining early accounts comes from Funakoshi Gichin in his book “Karate Jutsu,” which discusses the history and development of karate. Funakoshi provides insight into the origins of Okinawan karate.… Continue reading
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Don’t Do Me Any Favors
This post is almost 10 years old and although the tone is biligerant, I think its message still rings true. The practice of Karate-do and Kobudo are not like other activities. I’m not saying that they are superior or inferior to other pursuits, just that they are different, and not meant for everyone. They are not hot… Continue reading
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Karate Kata & Grammar
Ok, so this isn’t the most interestingly sounding title for a blog post, but please bear with me for a few paragraphs. We all know that Karate is a traditional form of martial arts that originated on Okinawa that emphasizes the practice of kata, with kata essentially being a choreographed series of techniques that simulate… Continue reading
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Useless Titles
I was surfing on the web the other day and stumbled on a karate video on Youtube where a teacher referred to himself as “zokucho”; then another one where a different teacher called himself “gunshi”. I almost fell out of my seat laughing. It was an absolutely brilliant display of using Japanese completely wrong. Continue reading
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