There are two central ideas that are largely unmentioned in martial arts culture that I am increasingly compelled to address. I’ve had a few experiences recently that fly in the face of the how and why we do what we do. So: First, martial arts does not belong to anyone. Its sources can be traced… Continue reading Diversity and Adversity
Author: Karri
Yes, it looks like bull$#!t.
People give so-called “soft arts” a bad wrap. They look at the practices of these martial artists and consistently say things like “that would never work in a fight”, and they are absolutely correct. If you look at every single Aikido kata as-is in a manual, you will be hard pressed to see something that… Continue reading Yes, it looks like bull$#!t.
Chi (Qi) Demystified
There is a lot of nonsense out there about qi. A big part of it is due to mistranslation and others due to secrecy, misdirection and let’s not forget television. Let’s talk about what qi isn’t. It’s not magic. It’s not an ethereal, life-giving, cosmic energy that pervades the universe. You have every right to… Continue reading Chi (Qi) Demystified
Aiki vs. Awase
There is a big misconception about what the meaning of Aiki (合気) is. To many practitioners of internal of so-called ‘soft’ arts aiki means matching the speed and energy of an incoming attack. In reality, this is awase (合わせ) a part necessary to creating aiki, but it’s not the compete picture. Morihei Ueshiba called it the… Continue reading Aiki vs. Awase
The Role of Uke
In partner training, there are two people involved. There is a person working on the technical side of the form, and there is an attacker. This is a misunderstood thing in a lot of individuals martial arts practice. They think of the attacker as a wooden training dummy, Something to have a technique done to… Continue reading The Role of Uke
A Rationale For Fighting Back
Originally Posted on January 17, 2017 by Karri It can be difficult to decide whether to take defensive action against someone violating your boundaries, like personal space, inappropriate intimate contact or teasing gone too far. This is especially true if the offender is a friend or family member. But when given a wide enough perspective,… Continue reading A Rationale For Fighting Back
What the hell is “internal power,” and why should I care?
Originally Posted on August 22, 2016 by Karri Okay. There is a lot of talk about qi (or chi), and building your reserve of this mystical life-bringing energy in your abdomen that you visualize as radiant amber light flowing through your fingers that you manifest along your meridians that will destroy your opponents with a… Continue reading What the hell is “internal power,” and why should I care?
What’s Your Plan?
Originally Posted on August 18, 2016 by Karri In his book Meditations on Violence, Rory Miller states that the experienced martial artists who are most successful at surviving a sudden, surprise attack do so with a simple plan. In the fractions of a second, you don’t have time to remember a complex series of moves,… Continue reading What’s Your Plan?
The Spirit of Competition.
Originally Posted on November 11, 2015 by Karri For the longest time, I held the belief that competition in martial arts was unsafe, and ultimately counter to the guiding principles we engender. I believed that deliberately putting yourself in harms way, and looking for a fight was reckless and only served to fuel the ego.… Continue reading The Spirit of Competition.
Untitled
OK. So maybe we’re not all vying for entrance into Valhalla. Maybe we’re not striving to be immortalized in song, or in history. But that’s still no reason to lead a useless middle-of-the-road life. I was reminded by a friend yesterday how common it is to try to achieve just enough to get by. Neither… Continue reading Untitled