The Shinken Dojo 真 剣 道 場

Studying Karate The Okinawan Way by Glyn Jones | Blurb Books UK In the work “Moving Zen” By CW Nicol. Takagi Sensei reminds Nicol “A hunter who chases two rabbits at the same time will catch neither of them.” Following this he said “Make up your mind.” – “Your spirit is pulled in two ways.” I have also seen writings where by Eiichi Miyazato Sensei of Goju Ryu Karate reminds of this too even though he was a skilled practicing Judo ka. Many Karate exponents think that this way of thinking and understanding just relates to their Karate training, but this is not true. If you have to much going on in your life and you don’t keep things simple, as is the Okinawan way of life, then all you do is become overloaded and less focused. Over the past […]

I recently watched a documentary by the Aikido Ka, and movie star, Steve Segal. One who was most certainly a highly skilled exponent of his Art back in the day, especially so with him being one of the first Gaijin to open a Dojo in Japan. Anyway, when asked if he had any advice for Martial Artists out there, this was his reply. “You won’t get very far by training under 50 different teachers. So just seek out one good teacher who has a deep understanding of their Art and follow them.” One can naturally have a few excellent differing Sensei along the way for sure. But I fully understand the sentiments that are being expressed here. Especially so with the modern Martial Arts phenomenon of trying to obtain greater knowledge by training under a different teacher each weekend. An […]

Within my soon to be released work “Studying Karate the Okinawan Way” I have added many referenced quotes and words of guidance from Karate Sensei of both past and present. We can either look deeper into the sentiments being expressed by these Sensei to help us improve our understanding of Karate. Or we can just disregard their words altogether. The choice really is our very own. What is surprising though is how many Karate Ka take the later approach because it is easier, at times thinking that they know better. If there was known to be treasure on an island, would you search and dig all over the island for this randomly. With little hope of ever discovering it.  Or would you prefer to have a map guiding you to the whereabouts of the treasure? Self-discovery is of course a […]

The present disturbing goings on in the world kind of act as a reminder of the true teachings of Karate, and why I personally practice the art. No not a Karate that is solely centred around numerous Bunkai or the destructive maiming of others. But an art that is based around longevity, compassion, and self-improvement, both in character and mind. A Karate that is based off self-preservation and the teachings of the peace-loving people of Okinawa, a people that are warming by nature who have no desire to ever hurt or kill anyone. People often just see the Karate Sensei of Okinawa through outside eyes, maybe then as just being tough and strong, both physically and mentally, which I suppose in many ways is true. I have though over the years seen my teacher, as in Senaha Sensei, in a […]

A book that I’ve been working on for a while now titled “Studying Karate the Okinawan Way” is scheduled to be published later on this month. It’s all finished and ready to go I’m just waiting on a few things. Karate originated through the blue zone peace-loving people of Okinawa, whose culture and lifestyle is about nurturing longevity, through living an active and fulfilling life. To the outsider though Karate is often just seen as a form of self-protection or maybe even a sport, when in fact, these are just segments of a more fully rounded art that has many inherent benefits. Regardless of one’s experience in Karate or style practiced, the reader can through this work capture the spirit, essence, and true nature of the art for themselves. As through gaining an insight into the way that Karate is […]

I rarely give advice when it comes to technical issues relating to Karate. There are a number of reasons for this, for one a Karate Ka must want to learn with an open mind. And, if truth be known I am continually working on my own Karate, together with being a Sensei to my own students. So of course, I try to refrain from being too concerned with what others are doing. That aside… I have had more than a few messages of late from both novice and experienced Karate Ka asking for my advice and thoughts on a few differing areas. This being the case, I will offer just a few brief pointers of guidance here that I have received along the way myself over the years from my various Sensei and Seniors. All is in the hope that […]

The phrase Uchi Deshi or inside student is often thrown around lightly by Karate Ka these days. There are of course many Karate teachers who offer live in training programmes over a period of time, with the term Uchi Deshi or Inside/Private Student kind of being fitting. However, for anyone who knows the ways of the older, more traditional Sensei of Okinawa or Japan, there is a whole lot more to being a student who is an Uchi than one often imagines, with loyalty and obligation being major factors for the Sensei and student alike. More than a few years ago now Senaha Sensei took the decision away from me, or may I say any thoughts of me possibly asking. Initially he kindly allowed me to visit his Dojo in Okinawa for further training in the ways of Goju Ryu, […]

I’ve always liked the saying “Karate is a lifelong battle, you verses yourself, there is no one else”. On many fronts this is so true but not just in Karate, but in life too. Because when it comes down to it, we are on our own, and the many challenges that we have to face are our very own to overcome. Karate is not easy, and it was never meant to be easy either, for everyone yes, easy no!  Theoretically the Karate that you do and practice is always your very own, be it physically, technically, mentally or even morally. You can’t go blaming others for your downfalls or failures, and you certainly can’t always depend on others either, it’s always your battle. Just as you can follow the ways of a Sensei of deep understanding for many years and […]

At times I am often a little mystified why many Karate Ka don’t focus more on the Karate of their choosing instead of spending valuable time attaching their Karate to that which is practiced by others. Now, having formerly spent many years practicing Japanese Shotokan Karate, together with achieving a few Dan grades along the way, the same in Okinawan Goju Ryu too. I can say with honesty that neither art is really any better than the other, they are simply a Karate with differing training methods and practices, and at times emphasis too. In reality ones chosen style/school/teacher is all just down to preference really. In many ways it is kind of like trying to compare fish to chicken even though by definition both are meat. They may taste different, you may like both, just one, or maybe even […]

At times in Karate, and in life too, we learn valuable lessons that kind of stay with us forever, revelation moments maybe. My mother always used to say, “I wish I was eighteen again but know what I know now”. I now understand what she meant as you can’t buy experience I know that, just like you can’t beat the clock or time either. The thing with Karate is that it runs parallel with life, you can either keep making the same mistakes over and over or you can revaluate then change course and direction. Onaga Sensei of the Shinjinbukan School speaks of Karate Ka not fulfilling their full potential and he has this saying, or words to this effect; “There are Karate Ka who have the physical ability, but they don’t use their brain or intelligence – And then […]

The rather strange thing about Karate is that you can have someone who has practiced the art for years, even decades in fact with a high dan grade to match. But, in truth they have gained little understanding of the art at all, which is quite sad to see really. When in reality all they have to show for their valuable time spent is numbers in years and in grades. Then on the contrary you can have another who has only trained in Karate for say five years or so, but both their physical and mental attributes as far as Budo goes are nothing less than admirable to the point of exceeding the level of the former. Strange but true. So why is this and which path would you rather walk??  Because let’s be honest here this is a Budo […]

During the later end of the summer in 2019 Senaha Sensei visited us here in England to teach Karate accompanied by James East Sensei. This was Sensei’s first return to our shores since back in 2007 when he was accompanied by Tamaki Sensei where we hosted them in Birmingham, which is where I was living at the time. This time around his visit was to centre around three areas of England, as in Devon, the Midlands and London. I not only always relish the opportunity of training daily under Sensei, but I also really enjoy spending time in his company too. As this is where I not only get to learn from his wealth of experience when it comes to both life and Karate, but it also makes our relationship a personal one. To the point that by the end […]

One area of Karate that I feel many Karate Ka often fail to grasp, is making sense of what they are practicing. My father would often say to me “Glyn, use your common sense will you son! or go away and work it out for yourself”! Similarly, there are many Okinawan and Japanese Karate Sensei who are well known for making students learn things for themselves and not spoon feed them everything. What this does is not only propagate maturity, but it also brings about a natural feeling or instinct for what feels correct or not when it comes to Karate. Just in the same way that pain is telling you that there is a problem. Remember, discoveries made through one’s own mind and seen with your own eyes are always more valuable than through those of another. When I […]

Staying on topic with my recent blog post regarding Fighting Karate. The following sayings do then come to mind “Train Hard & Fight Easy”, — “It’s Not the Dog in the Fight, but the Fight in the Dog”, — “Face it, Fight it, Finish it”,—“Train and Fight as though your life Depends on it”. Fights are not nice; they are in fact potentially life changing brutal affairs. Of which no reasonably nice person wishes to either attract or frequent them, they are in fact a fools endeavor. As Karate Ka though we do really have to be fully aware of reality, especially so if we wish for our Karate to be effectively operational in such times of need. Trying to use a flashy Kumite sequence or apply a fancy put together Bunkai move in the street, could well see you […]

I’ve always believed that most people who start Karate in the West do so with self-protection in mind. Not wishing to fight anyone of course, but learning how to fight or defend themselves for sure. Some may disagree and say that they started in the Martial Arts for fitness, socializing or health reasons, which is fair enough. However, are gyms and other more health conscious or sporting activities not more suited!? I did say start training in Karate! Because I do accept that once one has trained in the Arts for a number of years, then ones reasons for training can indeed become more varying. As without doubt the biggest challenges then to be faced are with oneself, achieving a calm balanced mind, pushing through the physical and mental hardships of training, goals set, self-motivation and even laziness all have […]

Much has been written about the similarities and may I say differences between Traditional Karate and Competition Karate, at times they can even overlap. Most of the time though it is all down to just a few basic factors. Depth of understanding and one’s approach to their Karate training, and most importantly of all, mindset. I like the way that in this clip Meitestsu Yagi Sensei tries to make a clear honest distinction between the two. Thus by showing how even members of his own Dojo and family can at times train in Kata with a totally different purpose and differing emphasis in mind. Personally, at times I feel that Karate Ka can hide behind the practices of either way. Doing a Karate that is poorly understood and rough technically isn’t an excuse for saying it’s Traditional Karate, no more […]

Conversations with Senaha Sensei have recently been featured in the Ryu Kyu Shinbun (Okinawa Newspaper). I’m sharing parts of it here as it may be of historical interest, plus there are many fine words of advice spoken. Senaha Shigetoshi Sensei (79 Years Old) was a longtime student of the Okinawa Goju Ryu Master Meitoku Yagi Sensei (1912 – 2003) who was an intangible cultural heritage of Okinawa. “A mans word must be kept to the end” Ikigai means commitment or an oath. I learned this value from Meitoku Yagi Sensei when I was around 19 years old, whereby a verbal promise made by a man should be the same as a formal contract. You should always keep your word and keep your promise! After training Sensei would seat everyone in a circle in the Dojo and begin discussions. This taught […]