MOVING MARTIALLY

As a career kata practitioner and teacher, I can tell you there is a certain developmental arc to learning any new martial pattern. The first challenge is to simply memorize the sequence taught to you. Don’t worry about any kata nuances until you’ve gotten the...

S7: Three Battles—Seven Powers

Martial Arts for the Spiritually Aspiring StudentAn important distinction can be made in marital arts between those who only desire physical skills for combating their opponents and those who wish to take their study into the interior or hidden realms of the psychic,...

PLAY, FIGHT, KILL

CHRONICLES OF THE DOKA#36 in a continuing series 84 days in the teaching life of an American sensei in 1999Sunday, January 16, 1999 Susan cancels her son’s ten o’clock class. “John’s sick.” Next up, Frankie and Chris at 11:00. Both teens are brown belts, sankyus....

Back (kick) To The Future

CHRONICLES OF THE DOKA#35 in a continuing series(84 days in the teaching life of an American sensei in 1999) I have a devoted teaching staff. Fifteen years ago, in the 1980’s, I could singlehandedly teach a class with as many as fifty-five children. That was the limit...