Author: Steve Rowe

Martial artist, philosopher, author, writer,
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Hands Of A Clock

Steve Rowe

Hands Of A Clock Sometimes life seems hard….. Greg walked into the Dojo changing room, put his bag down and sighed. “You all right Greg? “Yeah….  you know some days life just seems harder….” “Tell me about it.” “I almost didn’t come tonight, I had a hard day at work, the wife had cooked a great meal for the family, the house was warm and it was raining outside.  I didn’t want to come here – but just knew I had to….  The changing rooms are cold and my gi is still damp, I ache from head to toe and … Continue reading Hands Of A Clock

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Ignorance Of Youth

Steve Rowe

Ignorance Of Youth Youth………  the comedian Dave Allen says that it is a time when young men’s brains turn to haemorrhoids……..  The sudden rush of hormones deepens their voices and deadens their brain.  The happy, smiling children that love their Karate and train with so much enthusiasm suddenly become obstreperous and truculent spotty youths with longer bones and haircuts that look like their dad used a pair of nail scissors and a pound of gel……… Two years ago he had uprooted and gone. He had trained with Sensei since he was 5 years old, at eighteen he thought that Karatedo … Continue reading Ignorance Of Youth

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Kamae In Karate

Steve Rowe

Kamae In Karate “Wanshu!” A great kata, with a long history, Wanshu is one of the most popular forms amongst Okinawan karate systems.  We were about to study the Wado Ryu version. The kata is said to have been named after a Chinese envoy to Okinawa who was a martial artist. It is believed that it originated in China around 1690, making it one of the oldest forms. Wanshu was primarily used around the village of Tomari and therefore, part of the Tomari-Te karate system. The forms other Chinese name, Empi translates as ‘flying swallow’. The quick striking, grasping and … Continue reading Kamae In Karate

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Learning Friendship..

Steve Rowe

Learning Friendship.. If you want good friends, You have to learn how to be a good friend, It’s a two way street, And good friendship is life’s treasure. Martial arts training brings people together, People of a like mind, Wanting to improve themselves, Together you bleed, laugh and cry. Over the years, some will go wrong, But you cannot let one person, Make you into a twat like them, Remain true and others will take their place. Make acquaintances easily but not friends, Earning respect takes time, The better person you become, The better friends you will have. Friendship takes … Continue reading Learning Friendship..

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Why Me?

Steve Rowe

Why Me? Why me? I’m a good person, I don’t do anything wrong, So why do I have to suffer? All the horrible evil people in the world, And this has to happen to me, That can’t be right, Is there no justice? Do you think there is a God sitting in judgment of you? That people that do good get a ‘nice’ time? A God making sure that evil people suffer? Look around you…. There is the law of the universe, That is true, Then there is a current law of society, That is attempted by humans. It is … Continue reading Why Me?

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Icebergs Instead Of Mountains

Steve Rowe

Icebergs Instead Of Mountains We call them the ‘pontificators’, they have a view on everything, usually borne out of ignorance and just have to let everyone know. They are the proverbial ‘pain in the ass’ in any club.  There is an old saying that “if you ever look down on someone – it should be to give them a helping hand up” but the ‘pontificators’ do the opposite. They are unable to elevate themselves, so they beaver away trying to make others feel smaller and undermine their confidence. “You shouldn’t have passed your dan grading… you really weren’t good enough,  … Continue reading Icebergs Instead Of Mountains

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How To Avoid Being Clumsy

Steve Rowe

How To Avoid Being Clumsy It was one of those nights that you could feel the testosterone in the air… We had started by hitting pads, with the pad holder using front punch, cross punch, hook punch, front kick and round kick angles at random.  We then changed distance and angle so that the hitter had to move, gauging distance and angle to get the best hit.  Then the pad holder started ‘paying’ the hitter when he couldn’t get back to a guard position in time by tapping him on the head with the pad. Then it went ‘freestyle’ and … Continue reading How To Avoid Being Clumsy

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It’s Not What You Do

Steve Rowe

It’s Not What You Do What’s the best fighting style? What’s the best art for self defence? That art is not effective! Why waste your time with those techniques? We all like to judge, And looking at those judging, My first thought is, People in glass houses…. My second thought is, You’re looking at it the wrong way round, It’s not what you do, It’s how you do it that counts. It’s not the art, It’s not the style, It’s the person training, That makes the difference. I know great fighters, That have never done martial arts, They have a … Continue reading It’s Not What You Do

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Taking Or Giving?

Steve Rowe

Taking Or Giving? Not being a liability on others, Means you always pay your bills, Living within your means, And not spending like a fool. Modern society tries to make you a slave, The media want you to spend, To buy things you don’t need, And to owe your life to them. You have things that work and serviceable, Yet you always want more or new, Because you are hypnotised by others, Who want to own your soul. Taking responsibility for your purse, Is a part of taking responsibility for your self, Taking possession of your time, And preventing your … Continue reading Taking Or Giving?

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The Meaning Of Life

Steve Rowe

“So…. what’s the meaning of life Sensei?”  We had all just sat down for a short break in between classes. “What do you think it is?”  The question had really been rhetorical and the questioner hadn’t really expected an answer – or the question to be answered with a question. “He’d be happy with a nymphomaniac that owned a pub!”  chimed in a helpful friend and fellow student…. “With a friend!”  helped another…. “So you think happiness is the meaning of life?” “Yeah!” they all chorused…  “As long as you’re happy, that’s the main thing…” “But surely, the nature of … Continue reading The Meaning Of Life