Cheetahs and Gazelles The cheetah is known as the fastest animal on land, able to sprint at 96 kph / 60 mph. The gazelle is a common target for the cheetah. Gazelles have horns that are of limited defensive use against a cheetah attacking from the rear or side. The gazelle is agile but […]
“Look and Feel” in Karate Training – Part 3 Kumite (Sparring) In the previous two articles of July 2005 and August 2005, I presented different ways of exploring “look and feel” when working on kihon (basics) and kata (forms). In this article, the last of a 3-part series, I will address the subject of kumite. […]
“Look and Feel” in Karate Training – Part 2 Kata (Forms) As noted in my July 2005 article, techniques and movements can be improved by watching and also by “feeling” the position or movement. In kata, the ideas of looking and feeling can be practiced at yet another level. In the past few years, it […]
“Look and Feel” in Karate Training – Part 1 Kihon (Basics) Whether or not we train in front of a mirror, we all look at ourselves during our training; some people more than others. Watching what you are doing can help improve performance. But it can also detract from the idea of “feeling” the technique/movement, […]
Teacher-Student Relationships Should teachers and students be allowed to date? No comment. That is not what this article is about. As I have discussed in previous articles, there are different general methods of teaching and different methods of learning. Instructors can teach in different ways and students learn in different ways. Matching these types […]
Harder is Better I sometimes hear students in class asking if they are doing things properly. They wonder if they might not be doing it correctly because they find that the way that I am asking them to do it is “harder” than what they think it should be. Sometimes, harder is better. Why […]
Reference Points When we first began to do karate, we found many of the movements unnatural. We struggled to situate our bodies in relatively uncomfortable positions and to memorize sets of movements. At this stage, our initial reference points (that to which we compared the new things we were learning) for the physical movements […]
Blocking Timing The study of timing is a very important part of karate practice. In kata, we learn that some movements are better done slowly, some executed in quick succession, some movements begin fast but finish slow. In kumite, we study how to time the counter following an attack (for more on this, please […]
Time Management At one of the Instructors’ Classes at my dojo several years ago, we focused on the subject of “time management”. Within the context of karate, there are various ways to look at this subject. For the Instructor One issue relating to time management is how to break up the class time between […]
The Core The area known as the “core” (basically the area of the lower torso, which used to more commonly be referred to as the “midsection”) is very important in karate. We spend much time working on how to “develop the power of the hips” and doing our various exercises to strengthen this area. […]
