Tag: shi kon

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Ethical Is Successful Business In Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

Martial Arts businesses suffer from some of the worst marketing on this planet.  All the ‘hype’, ‘management consultants’, ‘Leadership Programmes’, ‘upgrades’, door to door sales, mass leafleting and buzz words that have lost their meaning such as ‘self discipline’, ‘confidence’, ‘self defence’, the self made ‘Masters’, countless ‘World Champions’, clubs that throw every Martial Art into the hat with lists that they couldn’t possible supply has left potential and existing students sullied, confused and lost. Schools wanting to develop relationships with outside sports clubs have had their fingers burned by the expansionist, badly run and heavily marketed clubs. Under the … Continue reading Ethical Is Successful Business In Martial Arts

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How To Get A Black Belt

Steve Rowe

“How long will it take me to get a Black Belt?” This has got to be the most common question asked to any Martial Arts instructor by potential students. “How long is a piece a string”  is probably the most common answer…. I try to equate it with other skills in life. How long does it take to get a degree at university?  If you work hard on a daily basis and attend all your classes and work hard it should take three years. If you wanted to learn to play the piano or guitar, 3 years of daily practise … Continue reading How To Get A Black Belt

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Bringing Zombies To Life

Steve Rowe

Bringing Zombies To Life Most people are zombies. Why is this? Because they are dead while they live, Their body lives whilst their mind doesn’t. They live in a dormant state, Texting while they walk, Earphones in while they run, Or just blank minded mouth breathers. How can they come to life? How can we bring that spark back? How can they become present in the moment? And actually live their life? The secret is in the Dojo, In the first commands you are given, “Stand tall, breathe deep and focus your mind,” The moment you do this you wake … Continue reading Bringing Zombies To Life

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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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You Can’t Stop Growing Old…

Steve Rowe

You Can’t Stop Growing Old… It begins when you’re shaving your Dad in the mirror, When your first steps in the morning are like the ‘dawn of man’ poster, When your designer stubble makes you look homeless, And your back goes out more than you do. Your karate belt gets shorter, To kick someone in the head, You have to kick them in groin first. When you look around the club, Everyone is younger than you. You’re now officially ‘the old boy’. Age can be a gift or a curse, You can either wear it with dignity, Or act disgracefully. … Continue reading You Can’t Stop Growing Old…

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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?