Month: November 2015

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It’s All About Respect

Steve Rowe

It’s All About Respect “OSSSSSS! It sounded strange as the visitor bowed and entered the Dojo. Why so strange? Because our etiquette is to stand quietly to attention and bow to Kamiza (the shrine) as we enter the Dojo and then toward Sensei.  The noise sounded really odd to us.  Sensei nodded in the direction of the guest and said no more. As if this was not enough, our visitor strode up to Sensei. “OSSSS!  Sensei!  My name is Raoul, I am a nidan from the Magrid Shotokan Academy under the instruction of Chimo Sensei.  I am here on holiday … Continue reading It’s All About Respect

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Tai Chi – The Ultimate Skirmish Art

Steve Rowe

Tai Chi – The Ultimate Skirmish Art “I would consider tai chi to be the ultimate skirmish art” said a night club doorman of 28 years and lifelong martial artist.  “This is exactly what happens on the doors and it gives us the skills to deal with being pushed, pulled grabbed and hit from all directions at the same time, we’re often in a melee and the ability to cope with simultaneous multi directional attacks is essential. The mental image that most have of Tai Chi is that of the ‘hippy’ or ‘health’ version and of old age pensioners creaking … Continue reading Tai Chi – The Ultimate Skirmish Art

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Mindset In Karate

Steve Rowe

Mindset In Karate “Ippon Kumite!”  We all paired off for ‘one step mutual practice’ of attack and defend.  I ended up with ‘clumsy Ray’ because everyone else avoided pairing up with him. “Chudan uke ipponme!”  This is the first defence against an attack to the body, the attacker from left fighting position steps forward and punches with the right arm to the body and the defender moves back, matching his movements meeting his arm at the ‘wedge’ point and then stick, blend, follow and redirect the arm with an inside to outside movement of his arm, breaking the attackers balance … Continue reading Mindset In Karate

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Hand Healing In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

Hand Healing In The Martial Arts The kwoon was unusually quiet.  When I entered Sifu was standing with his hands on Jane’s head, she was seated with her eyes closed.  Everyone else was getting on with the business of training, warming up or in a conversation of hushed whispers.  The aura of the healing that was taking place gave the usually lively character of the room the feeling of a church. Its strange how Sifu was just standing and Jane sitting, to a casual observer nothing was happening and yet the energy transfer that was taking place was obvious enough … Continue reading Hand Healing In The Martial Arts

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The Importance Of Qigong In Form

Steve Rowe

The Importance Of Qigong In Form Tsou lou hsih au pu!”  Sifu called the name of the technique known as ‘brush knee’ in English, it’s repeated several times in the Yang Chen Fu tai chi form, signifying it’s importance for training the basic ideas and principles of tai chi. “Claire, you’re coming out of your legs and loosing your root as you step forwards,” Sifu advised. “I can’t see how I can stop doing that,” Claire said with a look of confusion on her face. “You need to soften down into your legs before you move and use your body … Continue reading The Importance Of Qigong In Form

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Waving Hands Like Clouds

Steve Rowe

Waving Hands Like Clouds “Was that ‘waving hands like clouds’ or ‘waving hands like clowns’?” We were working on the ‘Yang Chen Fu 108’ tai chi form, the most commonly practised form in the world, passed down through the Yang family for 4 generations.  It takes around 20 minutes to complete and is a complete workout in its own right. We were about half way into the second of three sections and doing the first of 3 sets of the technique ‘waving hands like clouds’, the first set contains 9 repetitions, the second seven and the third five.  The technique … Continue reading Waving Hands Like Clouds

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No Competition – No Fight

Steve Rowe

No Competition – No Fight “He’s too big Sensei.  Every time we collide I get knocked back.” “Then don’t collide.” “How else can you fight, there’s got to be an interaction of force and there’s no doubt that his is bigger! “Then don’t fight.” “How else am I supposed to learn Karate…….” “You aren’t listening to what I’m saying.” “It doesn’t matter how hard I train, how much road work I do, How many techniques, this guy trains just as hard and he’s bigger, so size works to his advantage……………” “You’re just size obsessed…………  It’s not what you’ve got, it’s … Continue reading No Competition – No Fight

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How To Do Kata

Steve Rowe

How To Do Kata What was it that made him so special? A middle aged man going through some Kata, he wasn’t that fast, he wasn’t that sharp, nothing like you would see in the Martial Art movies, absolutely nothing like you would see Kata performed at competitions…… and yet his was so much more……..  Whenever I watched Sensei practising I knew that I was witnessing something very special, something far deeper than just Karate…….  It was almost as if the perfect Kata was doing him……  It always struck me as “other worldly”…………… That was it!  He was putting nothing … Continue reading How To Do Kata

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How To Stop Bullying

Steve Rowe

How To Stop Bullying Simon was 13 years old and usually an enthusiastic and happy member of the adult class.  Tonight he really did seem ‘off his game’ – he was quiet and messing up his timing and distance by blinking and seemingly scared of being hit.  Sensei noticed this and followed him down to the changing rooms.  Simon was sitting staring into space. “You alright Simon?” asked Sensei “Yeah… sure…” said Simon in an uncertain tone. “What’s up mate, it’s unlike you to be off your game like this?” pressed Sensei. “Just an off day I guess,” said Simon. … Continue reading How To Stop Bullying

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Freestyle (Ji Yu) Kata

Steve Rowe

“Ji Yu Kata is a natural evolution of formal kata training.”  Sensei was beginning the lesson… “In some ways it is like formal kata but in other ways very, very different.  Tonight I’m going to show you why….”  It looks like it’s going to be an interesting lesson. “If your formal kata training doesn’t lead to ji yu it will definitely  be lacking.” ‘Ji Yu’ means ‘free style’ and most people these days when they hear the words ‘free style’ kata think of music, flashing lights, glittery gi’s, box splits, flips and cartwheels, but we knew that Sensei wouldn’t be … Continue reading Freestyle (Ji Yu) Kata