Given the interest in my ‘anti-Karate’ ramblings on here by Karate_Stylist (KS) in his various typo-riddled guises I think it’d be a good idea to try to put forward my point of view as succinctly as possible. I am not…
Karate
The Art of doing sanchin without doing sanchin kata
by JonLaw • • 2 Comments
In the last sanchin kata post I looked at the mysterious (to me at least) connection between upper and lower body sections and its importance in punching. Here I intend to use examples from beyond Goju Ryu and Karate to…
Power Punching with the Waist
by JonLaw • • 9 Comments
Increasing Punching Power by Opening and Closing The waist area is packed with muscle and potentially will add substantially to your power punching. In karate Senseis often tell you to use your hips but they should really be interested in…
Power Punching Tips – Connecting with the core
by JonLaw • • 5 Comments
This post takes a look at the role the deeper core muscles play in connecting the top and bottom portions of the body, i.e. the torso and the legs. This connection is critical if the full potential of power generated…
Karate Cat Stance, Feet and Pressure Points
by JonLaw • • 0 Comments
Neko Ashi Dachi usually translates to Cat Stance but that interpretation fails to account for the word Ashi which means foot. So the literal translation is Cat Foot Stance, which suggests that foot is important, how exactly is debatable as…
Cat Stance – how low should you go?
by JonLaw • • 4 Comments
I received an email from someone who read the recent post about Karate stances which mentioned the old old form over function thing. I …… have struggled and struggled with being criticized for not getting low enough. I have done…
Goju Ryu Karate Stances or Dachi
by JonLaw • • 7 Comments
After years of training in Goju Ryu Karate I needed more than what I was getting, I went out and got it. One of the things that really used to niggle was the insistence on inch perfect stances or dachi…
Self Defence Assault; Taking Cage Fighting out of Context and into Reality!
by JonLaw • • 0 Comments
Many people, and certainly the press believe that cage fighting is relevant to the street or pub car park! However, it’s good to be reminded that certain aspects of Martial Arts Training are NOT always directly transferable to a self…
Exploring the Sanchin Kata connection
by JonLaw • • 4 Comments
Sanchin kata can be viewed as many things not least the kata that underpins Go Ju Ryu Karate. This would give the impression that there are lessons in this kata that are worth knowing. Often neglected or completely omitted there…
Sanchin Kata – Sinking in Sanchin Dachi
by JonLaw • • 7 Comments
The phenomenon of ‘sinking’ or dropping your weight was first shown to me by a Go ju ryu instructor in Southampton on a sanchin course I attended many years ago (thanks Mike). I’d gone down there to learn more about…