This past weekend was our Ryukyu Martial Arts Friendship Gasshuku, which was an event I put together with the intent of getting martial artists together to learn and train in a variety of martial arts from the Ryukyu islands. The idea actually came from the Ryukyu Martial Arts Facebook Groups that were set up by Ryan Parker Sensei. There are […]
As a martial arts nerd, I frequent several martial arts forums and groups, but the groups that I have made the most connections through have been the Ryukyu Martial Arts Facebook Groups, which were founded by Ryan Parker Sensei. These groups have been a melting pot for martial artists from many backgrounds, and have generated plenty of deep, thought-provoking conversations. […]
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the 2015 Brotherhood of Veteran Warriors Gasshuku. The BOVW is an organization that was founded by US Military veterans with decades of martial arts experience, for the purpose of providing settings where martial artists from different backgrounds could come together to share and learn. They do not have any sort of curriculum, […]
Kihon-geiko (basic/foundational training) is meant to isolate karate movements so they can be individually focused on during practice. Karateka from nearly any style will be familiar with a variety of methods for this purpose–punches while standing in shiko-dachi (sumo/horse stance), kicks with the hands on the hips, walking across the mat in a stance, etc. Whatever the technique may be, […]
Recently, I wrote an article in defense of the use of wrist grabs in karate training, which are often derided as being unrealistic. In that article, I mentioned that the most common complaint people tend to have about many karate and kobudo applications and fighting drills is the use of formal karate-style attacks and incorrect maai (distancing). Unlike wrist grabs, […]
As of the writing of this article, I have only been training for a little over 8.5 years, and I only just earned my shodan (1st degree black belt) last Summer. Even so, I’ve seen and heard of so many instances of the “shodan slump” to know that it’s real, and I feel grateful that I have managed to avoid […]
When you are attacked, you don’t really want to deal with an attacker that is throwing a barrage of punches at you–you want to stop their attack as quickly as possible. Limb control is one way of accomplishing this, and is a very important aspect of old Okinawan karate but, like many important aspects of old Okinawan karate, it has […]
Proper karate training requires physical contact, and as a martial art, that means there are going to be periods of discomfort, moments of pain, and instances of injury. It is important to recognize the differences between discomfort, pain, and injury if you want to train both effectively and safely, specially since you can get compensation with the Babcock Partners LLC […]
Kata practice–partner training on the left, and solo training on the right It is generally accepted that solo kata practice is a vital component to karate training. This is something that I wholeheartedly agree with! Solo kata practice is an important tool for memorization, visualization training, developing muscle memory, and strengthening the foundational movements required to use the applications of […]
Centered Punch by Hironishi Motonobu (L), Off-Centered Punch by Funakoshi Gichin (R) When practicing kihon (basics)–which carries over into kata practice–there tend to be two schools of thought on where to aim punches. One says that you should aim to the center, as if your opponent were standing directly in front of you, so that you can work on your […]
Slips, trips, and falls are one of the biggest causes of injury and accidental death in the United States, according to the National Safety Council. If you believe that a company, product or person cause the death of a person, then Wrongful Death Lawyer is needed to solve the case. With winter coming soon for much of the Northern […]
