Tag: karate

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When Your Imaginary Opponent Wins

Steve Rowe

“Tonight is kata…”  We had warmed up performing standing basics, followed by moving basic technique up and down the dojo focusing on individual skills and mindset – and from that work, most of has deduced what the rest of the content of the class would be.  Sensei gazed around at the brown and black belt class… “Last week we worked on ‘kushanku’ – a system kata in our style and this week we will work on the other major ‘system’ kata…  can anyone tell me what it is?” The hands shot up.  Sensei had always taken the time to explain … Continue reading When Your Imaginary Opponent Wins

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What Is Chi..

Steve Rowe

The Chinese word chi often spelled qi, or ki in Japanese, gi in Korean and khi in Vietnamese is also close to the yogic notion of prana and is generally vaguely referred to as ‘internal energy’ in a magical kind of way and there are some very strange claims made as to its power. The word chi translates directly as ‘air’, ‘breath’ or ‘gas’, the original calligraphy of 3 lines resembles breath coming from a persons mouth.  The picture representing rice was added with the 3 lines of breath over the top so that it reads as ‘steam coming off … Continue reading What Is Chi..

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Armed Or Unarmed?

Steve Rowe

Armed Or Unarmed? What came first, The chicken or the egg? Weapons training, or unarmed? In martial arts it is a quest. You would think unarmed led to weapons, But it was most likely the other way. Ever since man existed, He threw rocks and used pointy sticks. All fighting was weaponised, Why do anything else? The only time it became unarmed, Was when the weapon was lost. Village sport was wrestling, Children in the garden wrestle, Pups and cubs wrestle, This made sport and play. Why is this important? Because martial skill begins with weapons, Unarmed are adaptions of … Continue reading Armed Or Unarmed?

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The Yo Yo as a Martial Arts Weapon..

Steve Rowe

The Yo Yo was the latest fad with the kids in the Club.  All the kids came in playing with them in the reception area and whilst they were training, rows of parents were left holding them.  In fact there was even an unofficial parents Yo Yo competition in the changing rooms whilst the kids were training! All this could not go by without comment from Sensei…… As training came to an end it was time for Sensei’s little “chat”……. “OK kids, who likes to Yo Yo?” All hands shot up without exception. “Who knows its history?” No hands came … Continue reading The Yo Yo as a Martial Arts Weapon..

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Beginner’s Mind

Steve Rowe

“It is easier to write on a clean sheet of paper than one that someone has already scribbled all over” It’s a bit like singing in the choir with one chorister horribly out of tune, as the class glided nimbly across the Dojo floor into Neko Ashi Hanmi with an almost imperceptible ripple of power through each body manifesting itself like a whip into a powerful Shuto Uke, there was one klutz among us spoiling the harmony…… Thud!  As his foot stomped down on the floor in an unnaturally elongated stance, you could light a fag in between the timing … Continue reading Beginner’s Mind

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Who Do You Train For?

Steve Rowe

Who do you train for? Is it yourself? Or your self? Do you train to please your Instructor? Are you good because he says you are? Do you ‘try’ to do your martial arts well? If you’re ‘trying’ to do something, You’re not really doing it, You’re admitting failure before you begin. If you separate yourself from doing your art, You’re doing the opposite to what you should. If you’re training to please a separate ‘self’ you’ll fail, If it’s to please any other person, you will always be vulnerable. If you stop ‘trying’, If you stop trying to please … Continue reading Who Do You Train For?

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Power For Punching

Steve Rowe

“Junzuki Hidari Gamae…….  Ich!”  The atmosphere changed to that of total awareness as the class took up left step and punch in forward stance posture with an audible snap of their Karategi. “Kette Junzuki……  Ich!”  Front kick followed by Junzuki punch again. “Yameee!  What was that?”  Delivered in Sensei’s immaculate take off of Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon….. “A finger pointing to the moon Sensei!”  Exclaimed one wag sensing that there was a bit of humour in the air. “More like a retentive hop with a finger in Uranus and mind in neutral…” mused Sensei. “Let’s look at the … Continue reading Power For Punching

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Training With Age

Steve Rowe

Leo was obviously trying too hard. He was no spring chicken, in his late forties he was trying to compete with the youngsters.  He had old, long term damage to his knees and ankles, he had a bit of “middle age spread” and here he was trying to leap around as if he hadn’t started shaving…… “Leo, take it easy,” said Sensei.  But this just seemed to aggravate him more. Well, it had to happen, his face got redder, his knees more wobbly, his movements more frantic and then one of the young bucks swept both his legs and unmercifully … Continue reading Training With Age

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The Structure Of Kata

Steve Rowe

It’s nice to get away on courses with Sensei……. He had been invited to teach on a course that includes many students and Instructors from different styles of Karate so it was interesting to see what their interpretations of the same movements that we practised were and also how they reacted to Sensei’s teachings.  It was also fascinating to watch Sensei’s diplomatic way of dealing with the differences…… Everyone was keen to share knowledge and were all patient with each other to get to the bottom of each interpretation.  Often with a lack of good instruction many of the attending … Continue reading The Structure Of Kata

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Move Like A Porsche

Steve Rowe

“Straighten the front foot, move from the Seiki Tanden, circle the foot through a line dropped from the hip, put the bodyweight through the power point on the foot, sink the chest to find the feet, tuck in the tailbone and stretch the neck as you would touch the opponent and apply the movement……..” We were working on Sanchin Kata and Sensei was working our “brain muscle” hard. “What’s the hardest muscle in the body to train?” “The brain muscle Sensei!” we all chorused, familiar with question. “Then why aren’t you using it?” “It’s too hard to think of all … Continue reading Move Like A Porsche