Tag: steve rowe

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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

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Continuous Neigong…

Steve Rowe

Neigong cannot just be trained for an hour a day, because for the other 23 hours you could be doing ‘anti neigong’ – and which would prevail? As you learn the skills, you need to practice ALL the time.  You are always doing posture and breathing and your life can only be enhanced by more mental awareness, concentration and sensitivity.  This is then an excellent exercise in ‘mindfulness’ to constantly and dispassionately recreate a mindful state of being in everyday action. This practice will instantly and in the long term effect your mental and physical wellbeing, affecting your emotional intelligence, … Continue reading Continuous Neigong…

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A Black Belt…

Steve Rowe

I used to think everyone could be a black belt. The ‘way’ was simple; All they had to do was train every day for 3 – 5 yrs, Attend 2 or 3 lessons a week, Pay attention to instruction, And they would make the grade. Over the years I realised that was not true. Many won’t make it as long as they have a hole in their backside. Some are just scared of the responsibility of being good, Some are scared of their spouses and family, Who don’t want a stronger version of them. Some are just so weak willed … Continue reading A Black Belt…

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The Language Of The Body…

Steve Rowe

The way that can be spoken about is not the eternal way….. – Tao Te Ching Entering and understanding the wordless mind is a very important stage in the training of a Martial Artist, it’s the point where the direct, intuitive knowledge of doing and being exist.  It’s one thing to know about something, to understand the meaning of the words and to actually do or be the reality that the words are inadequately trying to express. Your body is your oldest friend and has a wordless language of it’s own – how fluent in that language are you?  Training … Continue reading The Language Of The Body…

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The Art Of Listening

Steve Rowe

When I was in the Fire Brigade and worked in the Security Industry before the advent of mobile phones we used to use ‘RT’ (Radio Transmitters) where you would talk with the ‘transmit’ button pressed down and take your finger off the button to listen to what the other side of the conversation had to say.  This procedure has great relevance to learning and training in the Martial Arts today. Do you ever have that conversation with someone where you are acutely aware that they’re not listening to what you are saying but are only waiting to talk?  Or maybe … Continue reading The Art Of Listening

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Connecting Hands And Feet

Steve Rowe

On the wall in our training centre facing the students when they train is a list of 8 words, these 8 words represent the 8 principles that we need to fully understand to make our Martial Arts work. The first of these words is ‘Feet’.  Our feet is our contact to the ground that we stand on and the pressure of our feet to the floor is what gives us the power and energy to stand upright and move around.  Most people usually do this mindlessly not realising that the skill as a Martial Artist starts at this point.  Each … Continue reading Connecting Hands And Feet

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Stick A Needle In Your Eye…

Steve Rowe

Stick a needle in your eye – that’s suffering. Unrequited love – that’s suffering. Watching loved one’s in pain – that’s suffering. Poverty illness and hunger – that’s suffering. Growing old and ugly – that’s suffering, Not getting what you want – that’s suffering. Getting what you want, that’s suffering… Hang on – how can that be suffering? Because the moment you get it, you try to keep it, That new car as the mileage goes up isn’t new anymore, Every scratch, bit of dirt and use wears it away. You don’t have it – you suffer; You have it … Continue reading Stick A Needle In Your Eye…

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Death In Battle..

Steve Rowe

The  pennants fluttered in the breeze……… the red  sun  rose from  behind the snow capped mountains throwing fearsome  shadows among  the  warriors….. Icy fear gripped  my  intestines,  the heaviness   of  death  chilled  everything,  the  horses   reared nervously,  snorting  out plumes of condensation  into  the  cold air….. Today tempered blades would be severing many a spirit from incarnation and sending them back into the void…..The  generals sat motionless astride their mounts like  icons  of power,  their  eyes  narrowing  behind  ferocious   war   masks, maintaining a continuous growl of ‘Ki’ from their Tandens filling the  space  between  us and the enemy with  our  … Continue reading Death In Battle..

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Kata Doesn’t Work In A Fight

Steve Rowe

“If you want to learn how to fight, don’t study kata.  The only way to learn how to fight is to engage in the ‘real’ thing.”   This opinion is often expressed by those who hold Karate in low regard.  Their opinion is often formed from movies, online videos, or some out of context training. The statement is as naïve as thinking that a boxer goes into a ring to fight with his skipping rope. You could say that a martial artist is not a ‘fighter’ as ‘fight’ intimates a struggle between two people, a martial artist is a ‘peacekeeper’.  … Continue reading Kata Doesn’t Work In A Fight

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Women In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

The Martial Arts are primarily feminine. Many would think this a strange statement until they start to look a bit deeper. By nature men are linked to the sun (yang) and women to the moon (yin).  Women have a 28 day biorhythmic cycle and their emotions change to reflect where they are on it, their range of emotions tends to be on a far wider spectrum than men.  Some say that this would make them unsuitable for martial arts, but if they can use this range of emotions in a positive way they have the ability to become better martial … Continue reading Women In The Martial Arts