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25 Signs You’re Ageing In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

You know you’re getting old in the Martial Arts when: You realize that those who taught you and many of your fellow students that you started training with are dead. You get out of bed and your first fifteen steps are like the “dawn of man” poster. The other students call you “Grampa” and you realize that you are one. You’re shaving your Father in the mirror. “Designer stubble” makes you look homeless. Your Karate belt gets shorter and training doesn’t make you slimmer or fitter just out of breath and more tired. Training on a cold day your head … Continue reading 25 Signs You’re Ageing In The Martial Arts

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Martial Arts – The Masterkey!

Steve Rowe

“To do Martial Arts you have to be totally dedicated!”…. “To be good you have to sacrifice many other things in your life”….. “To get there you have to be single minded”….. How often do you hear this?  How true is it? Words can be confusing because they are a method we use for defining an idea and often they mean slightly different things to different people, but let’s look at the idea that you have to dedicate yourself to one thing to the exclusion of most others to be good at Martial Arts – because I disagree. Martial Arts … Continue reading Martial Arts – The Masterkey!

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The Best Martial Art And Teacher…

Steve Rowe

Watching a variety of YouTube Martial Art instructional videos I was struck by the extent of what I would call unintelligent reasoning going on.  What the Coaches were saying sounded like structured teaching, but in fact they were focusing on unimportant points in the technique – and how they were explaining them meant that, in my opinion, most students would not be able to perform the movement with any efficiency. Some students will get better despite the Coach and they will go on to teach in the way that they have been taught and more often than not students with … Continue reading The Best Martial Art And Teacher…

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Grading Problem…

Steve Rowe

Is there a difference between a popular instructor and a good instructor? A popular instructor is often a charismatic and friendly character and structures his training around what the students want to do.  “Popular” often means good businessman these days as well, marketing the club efficiently and ensuring its financial stability. The problem can be in finding the balance between popularity and good Martial Arts.  Often an Instructor works hard at getting his club off the ground, caring about the students and encouraging them as much as possible, as they progress through the grades a personal friendship develops.  Often the … Continue reading Grading Problem…

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The Alchemy Of Tai Chi Chuan

Steve Rowe

A strange challenge – in Beijing in the early 1800’s in the house of Prince Daun sat two men facing each other with their right fists pitted against the other. Yeung Lou Sim (also known as Yang Lu Cha’n) the founder of Yang style Tai Chi Chaun or “Soft Cotton Boxing” as it was commonly known had been teaching many nobles of the Qing dynasty refusing challenges until he had been made the “offer he couldn’t refuse” by a boxing master of high prestige……. Yeung Lou Sim sat calmly as the boxing master began to sweat profusely and his chair … Continue reading The Alchemy Of Tai Chi Chuan

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Age With Dignity…

Steve Rowe

There’s nothing more undignified than an old person trying to behave like a younger one.  If you train well over the years, it’s only natural that you lose the aggression and ignorance of youth and the bullishness gives way to wisdom, emotional intelligence, cunning and skill.  A problem only arises  if you don’t continue learning and hanker after that which is past, then it can become embarrassing if the OAP is trying to convince everyone that he still ‘has it’ – a bit like your Grandad trying to dance on a nightclub floor to the latest music. When someone has been … Continue reading Age With Dignity…

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Buddhist Alchemy In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

“I don’t like any of that religious stuff in my martial arts…” You may not, but Buddhism is inextricably linked to the Martial Arts and it’s not religious in the formal sense.  Buddhism is simple, logical thinking in search of the truth – and that is in line with martial arts study.  A Buddhist is required to challenge what he is taught and to discover the truth for himself.  The term ‘Buddha’ means the ‘awakened one’, one who is awake to the truth. It’s often referred to as the ‘atheist religion’ as it has no gods or deities, it doesn’t … Continue reading Buddhist Alchemy In The Martial Arts

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Mick Randall MBE Interview 2003

Steve Rowe

This interview was published in 2003 A true Founding Father of English Karate, it was at this time of the year in 1963 – that’s 40 years ago – that Mick Randall and Ray Fuller decided to join the first Karate Club in Great Britain run by Vernon Bell. That 40 years of service to Traditional English Karate has earned Mick an MBE.  He trained under the first visiting Japanese Instructors like Tetsuji Murakami and Hiroo Mochizuki, featured in the first colour film of Karate in England in 1964 that was shown in cinemas all over England and took part … Continue reading Mick Randall MBE Interview 2003

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Simple Neigong – Insomnia Buster!

Steve Rowe

In our seated Tai Chi programme we teach a lovely seated Nei Gong exercise.  It is an exercise that reinforces correct posture and breathing and also serves a method for calming the body and mind.  It can also be incorporated into a pre-sleep ritual for those who suffer from insomnia – it help’s prepare the body for a peaceful night’s sleep.  It can also be used at your desk and in your car. Simple Seated Nei Gong 1 – Firstly you will need to be seated – either sitting on a chair or on the edge of the bed.  Ideally … Continue reading Simple Neigong – Insomnia Buster!

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The 4 Blocks Of Karate

Steve Rowe

Around 30 years ago I was taking a private lesson in Iaido with Okimitsu Fuji and we were practicing a form called ‘Uke Nagashi’ which involved me kneeling down with him walking towards me and cutting down towards my head.  I had to stand up drawing my sword in such a manner that it deflected his sword and then I would pivot and cut him from neck to hip in one fluid motion. As we did this our swords clashed as I blocked his.  “Uke!” he said as he walked back to repeat the process.  The swords clashed again and … Continue reading The 4 Blocks Of Karate