From conspiracy theorists to profiteers to well intentioned, committed students, all karate-ka (it seems) have a take on the mystery of kata application and relevance. Ideas like: “Only a few select people are still alive who know the REAL bunkai for these kata”, “It is the OLD way of training and Karate has outgrown it”,
Continue reading The True Kata Applications…Part 1
What makes a “new style” of karate anyway? Is there such a thing as an old one? Does it matter if it’s old or new? These kinds of questions give me a headache sometimes. Partly, because they sound like a pair of 6-year–olds arguing over whether or not Superman could beat up The Hulk. But,
Continue reading Well…Don’t We ALL Have Style!
In a world of guns, bombs and chemical warfare it is very difficult to imagine an item such as a wooden stick or even a knife being considered a formidable weapon. But, in the proper, well trained hands, a traditional weapon (like those of the art of Kobudo) can be very effective indeed in face-to-face
Continue reading Kobudo: Traditional Weapons in a Modern World