At the end of my lesson with my instructor the other day, I went put all the equipment away. I was walking very slowly because I was fatigued, and he called out to me, “Gene, walk faster!” I responded, “Sifu, I just had a really tough day—I’m really feeling it.” “What do you mean? Everybody’s having … [Read more…]
“To search for the old is to understand the new.” – Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan Karate My mother, an immigrant from Lebanon, taught me, my brother and my sisters good values: humanitarianism, self-control and mindfulness. And while she brought those principles from her home country, she wanted us to be American while reflecting her … [Read more…]
In traditional karate, once formal training exercises are completed and before the student bows to indicate they’re finished, there’s a short pause. In Japanese that interval or pause is called “zanshin”, or “remaining mind.” This is a very important part of Japanese martial arts. Zanshin is when the practioner takes a second to reflect, takes … [Read more…]
In 1988, I watched my teacher practicing a weapons form in a university gymnasium nearby. He went from one end of the basketball court to the other, back and forth, repeatedly. This continued for 45 minutes. At some point, he dropped the weapon. I didn’t know if his hands were sweaty or he had been … [Read more…]
I’ve long felt that the martial arts needs a solid teacher-student relationship in order to function fully. It’s a consciously-cultivated approach that takes our training from simply an activity into the domain of a mature study. That relationship is treated differently from classroom to classroom, and from country to country. When I visited Japan, I … [Read more…]
On the relationship between tradition and evolution in the martial arts… Share This:
There’s a common phrase in the martial arts – “a black belt is a white belt that never quit.” I don’t agree…. …entirely. See, I believe that every every serious beginner’s minimum goal should be black belt. Not just because of what you get but what you become in the process. It’s just so much … [Read more…]
When we’re working with a partner, there are times when we hold onto a technique too long. It becomes the sole object of our intention. We have it in our minds that the goal is within our reach, so we form an argument and a standpoint and we insist. When this happens, we don’t realize … [Read more…]
As a martial arts practitioner, understand the value of being great at your craft. Engage with and commit to whatever it is you’re studying. For people who are into their practice, just the the simple goal to develop a great armlock, for example, is enough. It’s like a Zen koan: the more you look at … [Read more…]
Back in the in the late 1980s and early 1990s, every Friday night I sparred with an Olympic Tae Kwon Do gold medalist. And it’s an understatement to say that it was arduous training. His main objective, truly, in every single round, was to knock me out cold – that was his sole purpose. And it … [Read more…]