The Judge Decrees!

Even Funakoshi Got Caught Off Guard

March 10, 2010 | Filed under: Historical, Martial Arts, children, karate, mindset, self defense

Gichin Funakoshi, the famous karateka who inspired the development of Shotokan and the dissemination of karate throughout Japan, wrote a pivotally important biography known as “Karate-do: My Way of Life“. In this all-too-brief book Funakoshi describes his martial arts training and experiences throughout his long life (he lived to be 88).

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Interview: Bruce Heilman, 9th Dan Okinawa Kenpo Karate and Kobudo

March 5, 2010 | Filed under: Interviews, Martial Arts, Okinawa Kenpo, karate, kobudo

Bruce Heilman is the founder of the International Karate Kobudo Federation and owner of the Heilman Karate Academy. Hanshi Heilman has spent over 40 years in the pursuit of martial arts and has contributed significantly to the growth and propagation of the Okinawa Kenpo style.

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Gojushiho Kata Step-Toss Bunkai

March 1, 2010 | Filed under: Bunkai, Historical, Kata, Martial Arts, Okinawa Kenpo, Techniques, karate

I’d like to share a video this week that explores a portion of the Gojushiho kata. Many karate styles share this kata, which makes exploring the different versions very interesting and impactful. Despite their performance differences, most styles include a section wherein the practitioner steps in a kosa dachi fashion, performs a grabbing motion, and then steps out into a …

I Talk With My Hands

February 26, 2010 | Filed under: Martial Arts, Tips and Tricks, karate, self defense

Recently I whipped up a few videos for the website. In fact, my last post featured one of those videos, and luckily I had a weapon to handle the whole time. Something I noticed during my open hand videos is that I make a lot of hand gestures naturally throughout the course of my conversation.

I also noticed that …

Eku Bo Fighting Theory and Application

February 23, 2010 | Filed under: How-To, Martial Arts, Okinawa Kenpo, Techniques, karate, kobudo, sparring

The Eku Bo (aka Eiku Bo, Ekku Bo, Kai Bo) is a very interesting weapon. It is a traditional implement of Okinawan Kobudo, but not many systems have passed down its proper use and technique.

I’d like to share with you a video I created describing Eku Bo combat theory and application. In the video I talk about handling the weapon, …

The Perpetual Need For Self Defense

February 17, 2010 | Filed under: Martial Arts, karate, mindset, self defense

**I’d like to send some initial credit to Kris Wilder at The Striking Post for exposing me to the video in this post. He and I share some similar ideas in our analysis as well, so credit to him and his commenters for a thoughtful discussion.**

As society continues to grow and mature, there is more and …

How to Counter Joint Locks, Arm Bars, and Body Controls

February 14, 2010 | Filed under: How-To, Martial Arts, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, karate, self defense

Whenever I am teaching bunkai and self defense I advise students to “create a disturbance” before applying a joint lock.

A disturbance could be a strike to the body or face that causes the attacker to focus on the pain instead of you. It could mean a subtle pulling off-balance that puts the opponent in a position of weakness. It could …

The Story of Martial Arts Hierarchy (And It’s Benefits, Powers, and Perversions)

February 8, 2010 | Filed under: Historical, Martial Arts, Opinion, Philisophical, karate

**note: this is an abbreviated ‘big picture’ discussion of a very expansive topic. Forgive the necessary timeline jumps and generalizations used to paint the broader picture.**

Hierarchy is a polarizing mechanism. When it’s working fair and properly, individuals can benefit. When it is corrupted or run incompetently, everybody suffers (except perhaps those at the top). Hierarchy is a powerful …

How to Choose a Karate Uniform (Or Gi)

February 2, 2010 | Filed under: How-To, Martial Arts, Tips and Tricks, karate

This is a practical post for readers in various parts of their martial arts careers. One question that seems to come up a lot is “what kind of uniform should I get? What the heck is a 12 ounce gi??”

People often develop love/hate relationships with different brands of uniforms and different weights of uniforms. Depending on who you ask, and …