The Shinken Dojo 真 剣 道 場

To truly understand the essence of Karate or achieving success really is down to perseverance and hard work, but for many, even the most primitive benefits inherent in practising the art of Karate will always be beyond their grasp. If you take the time to look deep enough at the photograph above, you will see where the basis of true Karate really lies. Or “See what no one else chooses to see”, as Patch Adams once wisely said. Some may look and see this as visiting Japan or Okinawa for more in-depth training, others may see the tranquillity of meditating under a blossom tree, or maybe even training outdoors amongst nature. Some of you may just feel that I am promoting the Dojo of my Sensei, or for those of you who can read a little Kanji that I am pushing the Goju Ryu way of practising Karate. All are valid in a way, but to look at Karate like this is kind of missing the point, just like those who only see Karate as learning to fight or as […]

I received a message recently from a friend asking why I hadn’t put a blog post up for a while. My answer was a simple one, “I’ve spent my time training in Karate instead of talking about it”. The thing is time is one of the most valuable commodities that we have so we can either use our time wisely or we can just waste it. Now, of course I don’t think that writing on here is a waste of time, of course not because if I did then I wouldn’t be doing it. However, at times my time can be of more value spent elsewhere. So how do I spend the spare time that I have away from working and being with family and friends… In the Dojo training my own personal Karate? Or do I spend my time talking about Karate or maybe even teaching it? For me personally there is no choice to make, so if I have a little spare or free time after my own training I will then commit thus to teaching others, then […]

It is often said that there is a fine line between failure and success, especially so in business. As far as achieving worthwhile goals go I’m not quite so sure, especially so when it comes to aiming for the benefits inherent in studying the Martial Arts. Without question two of the best attributes that one can have in life are positivity and patience, as anything of worth will not only take time to achieve, it will also take hard work and an unwavering determination or mindset. The mind required for studying true Budo for sure. What is most noticeable within the Martial Arts of today though compared to years gone by is students lack of patience at times, or there is to much thought on passing gradings instead of setting standards that are centred around ones own personal development and achieving things of worth. So often we see Karate Ka who have achieved either a Black Belt, a high Dan grade, or even having trained for many years. However, either their physical ability or Karate basis lacks understanding, to the […]

Over the years I have received much personal guidance from Tamaki Hidenobu Sensei 9th Dan, be this training under his watchful eye in the Dojo or during private conversations. Anyone who has had the privilege of spending time around him, will most certainly testify to both the uncompromising effectiveness of his Karate techniques, together with the exemplary basis from which his Karate stands. Not only has he been a loyal student to his teacher on Okinawa spanning some 45 years or so, as the Dojo Sempai he continues to lead from the front and by example through training hard alongside all other students. A lesson in itself that many Karate Ka would do well to learn from… Where by many senior Karate practitioners of this standing have sought fame or a large following of students, or maybe even talk more or better Karate than they do train. Tamaki Sensei has shunned all of this for a life time of studying the art quietly and privately under the guidance of his Sensei, whilst always allowing his personal Karate to do all […]

Yesterday evening just prior to sharing some training together, I was having a discussion with a friend who is also a fellow Karate Ka of many years. We were talking on Karate when he spoke about a kata from his chosen style that he hadn’t really done for a while but had been practising the evening before. Of which he then proceeded to both demonstrate and ask if I knew the kata in question, of which I said that I didn’t, even though I’d seen it performed quite a few times before. My reply though went a little deeper… “What I do know though from what you have just mentioned is that this is one of the significant differences in how they deeply understanding Karate in Japan or Okinawa in comparison to most Dojo’s in the West or around the World”! What happens in most clubs or Dojo’s outside of Okinawa is that for the norm or generally, training sessions are structured or set out on segments of the style or system. For example, many start off by working on […]

Regardless of what Martial Art one studies, when thoughts and consideration is put towards ground work as an area of practise, then there are a few things that need to be seriously considered. Firstly, this whole concept comes from the basis that probably all serious confrontations and fighting arts (Martial Arts), was and is to down the opponent, as in put them to the ground or knock them out so that they are then deemed out of action. Whereas an opponent or attacker who is on their feet, unless seriously backing off is always kind of still in the fight and dangerous. Secondly, during real life confrontations going to the ground really is the last thing that you want to be doing, and yes! the last place that you want to be too, as this puts you not only at your most vulnerable but also in danger to the point of things going off the scale. Self-protection or fighting for survival is bad enough when you are on your feet but to intentionally start rolling around the floor is ludicrous. […]

Over the past decade or so there has been a shift or desire by many Karate Ka to spend a lot of their Karate practise time on the ground, to the point that they are actually taking their Karate more and more to the ground. I do wonder and ask why this is for so many reasons? In truth I already know the many answers that will be given so I don’t really need to ask, as in most cases answers given will be along the lines of these I put forward below. Oh and by the way these are not my answers!! 1, if a Karate exponent with acquired ground work skills takes you to the ground and you don’t practise ground work, then you will be given a lesson in real fighting and what Karate is all about, a lesson that you will never forget. Many Karate Ka were previously poorly prepared for this eventuality. So a Karate Ka with say 50 / 50 stand up to ground skills is more proficient than one that is say 90 […]

One of my favourite Japanese proverbs is “Seven times down, Eight times up” or “Fall (Get Knocked Down) Seven times, stand up (Get back Up) Eight”. Personally, I feel that this saying not only epitomises the teachings of Karate and Budo but life too, because at times of struggle and hardship no matter how difficult things are a more positive way of thinking is crucially important for coming back from adversity. This being the case, whilst in Okinawa, Japan during the Autumn of 2013 the renowned Karate Sensei and calligrapher Tetsuhiro Hokama Sensei when he asked me what I wished for him to brush scroll for me. These words were chosen not cheaply or randomly, but for very good reason and with deep meaning so that they could hang at the front of my Dojo wall for all who enter to be constantly reminded of their value. This saying also acts as a reminder of words that my father would often say to me. He used to say “Where there is a will, there is a way” and also “Anyone […]

As a Karate Ka in search of the depths of Budo we naturally cross the paths of the other Martial Arts that have risen from Japan. Be this to seek further knowledge or guidance specifically or merely just as an observer our Budo paths will most certainly cross. Generically speaking of the other Arts, be it Judo, Ju Jutsu, Kendo or Aikido we rarely think of them or speak in terms of style… Yes, maybe a teachers lineage or specific back ground is spoken of but that’s a different thing all together. We tend to think of say Aikido as Aikido not in terms of styles. However, with Karate these days it either seems to be all about the style that one practises, or Karate Ka going on about having no style or system at all, when in reality just like when we look at the other Arts our focus and basis of training should be on the teacher and the quality of training or teachings that we are studying and is taking place within the Dojo. “We must not […]

The most powerful weapon that we have as human beings is the brain. For many though within the Martial Arts the mind actually becomes detrimental to ones understanding, study and progression. Why? Well as humans we often tend to think that we know best or come to conclusions very quickly without researching subjects or seeking out the facts. In many ways Sigmund Freud and then others like Abraham kind of came to the conclusion that we are all psycho analysts by nature, and as a practising Karate Ka I see this clearly on a daily basis. A problem is we ALL instantly absorb information regardless of where it is received, and then we start to come to a self conclusion, and shall I say at times belief. You only have to watch the news channels on television that are full of propaganda whilst being rife with bias to know this to be true. And… Yes the Martial Arts are just the same, or full of Kuchi Bushi as they say in Okinawa, with most, but not all, of the bull […]