Tag: karate

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Responsibility Of An Instructor

Steve Rowe

Responsibility Of An Instructor When you’ve been in this game a few years and you’ve seen a few thousand people come and go you tend to be able to categorise people and their actions.  Having said that, after 40 years I am still surprised by people that the Martial Arts “alchemy” has worked with – those that suddenly “awake” and turn from being a waste of Dojo space into spirited, courteous and conscientious Martial Artists. As a Coach we have to lay challenges out for the student in a trail of bite size chunks and see whether they are prepared … Continue reading Responsibility Of An Instructor

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I Don’t Do Nice

Steve Rowe

I Don’t Do Nice “Cover up guys and sit down….” Despite the efficient warm down, everyone ‘squelched’ as they sat. When you’ve had a really hard work out and everyone is drenched in sweat, every bit of clothing, underwear and skin is soaked.  Even using covering track gear and towels, you can see the steam rising from everyone’s head and shoulders. When they get up, they leave wet bum prints – almost like ‘rear end personal fingerprints’ on the floor. We’d had a ‘classic’ session, starting with standing basics, working on the skills of making a proper fist, use of … Continue reading I Don’t Do Nice

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MMA Or Karate?

Steve Rowe

MMA Or Karate? John was bristling….  He’d been watching all the latest ‘no holds barred’ tournaments, shaved his head and left the obligatory UFC lines of hair, shaved his goatee into the ‘Chuck Liddell’ style droop moustache and had the ‘buy your cola here’ in Chinese tattooed on his arms and Maori designs on his shoulders He’d also hit the weights – but in the wrong way, he’d been bench pressing and ‘pushing’ big time, this had lifted his rib cage and separated the internal connection between upper and lower body, the shoulder development had also broken the arm to … Continue reading MMA Or Karate?

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How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent

Steve Rowe

How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent “Sensei ni rei!”  Everyone bowed with sensei. “Otagani rei!”  Everyone bowed again. “Kiritsu!”  We all stood up. “Sonoba zuki!” We prepared to deliver a basic punch from a natural standing position. Sensei looked thoughtful for a moment and then said “Yamee”..  we all stood down. “This evening, ladies and gentleman, I will teach you how to hammer and screw your opponent.”  Sensei had that mischievous look in his eye and knew the effect that his play on words would have.  Everyone suddenly looked far more interested… “I’ve been ‘hammered’ a few times” said … Continue reading How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent

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Injury Prevention

Steve Rowe

“Find a space and work on your grading kata.” Working independently was a good way of making us work harder and on what we needed most.  It also gave sensei a good method of getting around to each of us and giving individual feedback and advice on what techniques we needed concentrate. “Oh Jeeez!”   Crash!  Rosie hit the floor like a sack of spuds.  We all looked around wondering what had happened as we were working on our own it was the last thing we expected. “My knee’s just gone.” Rosie was lying on the floor clutching her knee.  Sensei … Continue reading Injury Prevention

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Why Karateka Can’t Make A Stance

Steve Rowe

“Junzuki hidari gamae…..  ich!” The smell of freshly starched karategi’s filled the Dojo, mixed with the incense from the joss sticks that Sensei had burned that morning at the Kamiza (shrine) during his shinto ritual, it made a heady odour that added to the flavour of our Sunday morning training. Sunlight flashed on the highly polished wooden floor, sensei’s Japanese pronunciation powered from his seiki tanden as he counted and gave commands and drove his ki to add to the mixture and invigorate the students. “Mawatte…(turn)…  ich!”  Everyone turned and kiai’d together.  There is something inherently tribal about moving and … Continue reading Why Karateka Can’t Make A Stance

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Powerful Grading Speech

Steve Rowe

I looked down the line of students ahead of me waiting to go out and perform their grading, theirkarategi trousers were quivering as a result of shaky legs… Out on the floor I could hear the call of the Sensei, “ich, ni, san, shi, go, rokku, shichi, hatch, kyu, ju!” “EEEEYYYYAAAH!” the responding kiai came from the students already out there strutting their stuff under the watchful eye of Sensei and other club instructors officiating.  I could just glimpse Sensei’s impassive face occasionally between some of the students nervously awaiting their turn to grade. Why do we put ourselves under … Continue reading Powerful Grading Speech

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Defence Against The Self

Steve Rowe

We had a ‘free’ training night in the sense that sensei let everyone work on whatever they wanted to and he came around helping people individually.  It was an excellent way of learning as it enabled us to practice and get help with what we thought we needed to work on. Bernie was not a young man, he was what sensei would call an ‘earth’ person, obsessed with the practicality of everything and unable to see the health, skill and art aspects to what we did – and it showed on his face as he watched the younger Aaron working … Continue reading Defence Against The Self

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Sanchin To Tensho

Steve Rowe

“Tensho!”  We all prepared for the ‘5 animals’ kata. “Snake, crane wing, tiger, leopard, standing dragon, laying dragon, remember to sink from the chest, find the feet, float from the waist, use the ‘asking’ hand, come on now, stay connected….  Manipulate, swallow the energy, now…. Release it, spit it out! Breathe from the stomach… now the back, soften the midline, use your eyes, tongue to the top palette…. C’mon guys…. Don’t make it hard work! Who remembers what the trinity of kata is?”  The hands shot up.  “Marcia? “Firstly medical, secondly, skill and thirdly, boxing Sensei!” “Well done!”  Sensei gazed … Continue reading Sanchin To Tensho