Category: Martial Arts

I was once told by my grandfather when I was young that only a fool will try and catch the same fish twice. The idea behind that sentiment was that if the fish managed to get away from you while using a fishing pole, you’d have to change up your approach if you hoped to get a catch. The same concept can be applied to karate. There are about a dozen mainstream styles of karate out there, without including offshoot or amalgamated styles as well as the ones who call themselves karate but really aren’t.

The point is that with all of these different styles, it stands to reason that there will be a number of different perspectives and different ways of doing the same things. Some will call a regular punch a reverse punch, while other styles will call it a back punch. Different names, different angles and different training methods are a key aspect when contemplating the differences between styles and how they train. If I take myself as an example, I spent the better part of three decades training in Uechi Ryu, an Okinawan style of karate that focuses on circular movements paired with short steps, contained movements and the concept that if it’s happening outside the line of your body, you shouldn’t need to block it.

For the past year, I’ve been training with a traditional school of Shotokan, which has been something of a culture shock for me. I use the term “culture shock,” because quite frankly, I don’t know what else to call it. The style focuses on grand movements and crossing long distances with their steps, even in fight situations. This goes against everything I’ve been taught as, it doesn’t make sense to cross ten feet to reach your opponent. If he or she is that far from you, not only can they not strike you but you’ll be unable to strike them. But in the interest of learning and adding to my overall martial arts toolbox, I’ve been taking it in and trying my best to develop.

This concept is not a new one. If we rewind the clock a few hundred years, the original founding masters would often meet and train together, learning from one another, sparring and comparing techniques and methods of fighting. There were no “styles” back then, no separate names for schools, just various people who loved karate, learning and teaching with one another in order to strengthen and improve the overall art. Even now, there’s something to learn from what they did, back then.

In the modern Western world, we hold our styles close to the chest, choosing to believe our way is the best way and shouldn’t be changed. This was certainly reflected in my dojo, where Sensei would not only decline to integrate techniques from other styles but would usually not allow students from other styles to visit and participate in classes. Although students have a tendency to have a bit more of a competitive spirit than they did in Okinawa back then, it didn’t leave much room open for learning something new.

It’s important to have an open mind and be willing to accept that your way isn’t the only way. There can be different ways of doing the same thing and, depending on the situation, it can be useful to do it differently. For example, I’ve spent decades strengthening and hardening my big toes because my style’s front kick include digging that big toe into your opponent. In Shotokan, a front kick is done using the ball of the foot. Both methods will work but one could argue that my method risks breaking the big toe. It’s all about perspective. And one’s perspective should be broadened to at least examine different views and methods. This is how growth is done. Food for thought… ☯️

Martial arts is old. Very old. Like, worse than Mr. Burns or Professor Farnsworth old (if you know, you know). For that reason, it’s pretty hard to “modernize” martial arts and still keep it traditional. The world’s sensitivities and the onslaught of snowflakes in the past decades, coupled with how everyone gets offended at the smallest things these days, also poses a challenge for the martial arts teacher who still tries to teach the art in the manner that it was intended.

That being said and I’ve written about this before, it’s a bit like riding a razor’s edge in order to find that balance between teaching in a traditional manner and trying to navigate the modern world’s sensibilities. If some things are changed or taken away, it will effectively destroy the spirit in which many of these styles were founded, which ultimately means you aren’t ACTUALLY learning the style; you’re learning some watered-down bullshit meant to accommodate the student I stress of passing on the teachings. And that’s never a good thing.

So if we shouldn’t alter our teachings in order to keep up with the times, is there ANYTHING that can be done to modernize martial arts? Some would argue that no, there isn’t. However, a touch of enlightened thinking should tell any genuine practitioner of a traditional art that where there’s a will, there’s a way. here are some things that modern dojos can do to step into the 21st century without compromising the quality and traditions of their style:

1. Allow Water in the Dojo: Most dojos consider food and drink a hill worth dying on within the walls of their environment. And I totally get that. in fact, I spent my entire childhood seeing Sensei toss people out fro bringing in their coffee while watching their kids. I’ve always understood the food part; a karate dojo is not the environment to be wolfing down your Big Mac while people are trying to train. But given the benefits to fitness and the maintenance of health that proper hydration provides, allowing students to bring a water bottle into class can go a long way towards helping to keep students moving, which brings me to my next point…

2. Take Breaks: I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of this one but I have enough of an open mind to see the benefit behind it. Most traditional instructors will argue that once you bow in for the class, you don’t need, nor should you take a break until the class concludes and you bow out. I’ve always agreed with that concept, since part of point (besides learning karate) is to get a workout in. It’s hard to do that if you’re constantly stopping. That being said, even the most die-hard fitness buffs will take rest periods between sets, so why shouldn’t a karate practitioner?

3. Call in Sick or Injured: Sensei used to have a concept that even if you were injured, you could still train. Although that’s true in some respects, one needs to be mindful of one’s body and injuries and how they can be accommodated in a limited fashion. For example, if you have a sprained wrist, there’s nothing wrong with doing kick drills, practising forms, etc. But you should avoid crushing out push-ups and striking techniques until the wrist has healed. Anything is always something more than nothing, right? But if you have an illness and aren’t feeling well, sometimes it’s not only better to stay home so you don’t share your typhoid with the entire dojo, your body will sometimes require a reasonable healing period to prevent being out of the game for longer than necessary.

This is a pretty short list, if I’m being honest. The truth of the matter is if you want to learn karate, you need to be willing to learn it as it’s taught. If you don’t like or you aren’t satisfied with what’s being taught or how it is done, maybe karate isn’t the right place for you. Part of the responsibility is totally on the practitioner’s shoulders. If you don’t want something traditional and authentic, there are plenty of sports, hobbies and fitness options out there that may accommodate a person a bit better. ☯️

Most people would be inclined to accept that they know what they know. Makes sense, right? If you’ve been doing something for any number of years, one may feel as though they know how to do it and may not feel as though they can necessarily be taught anything further on it. A good example I can provide for this is when I finally decided to take the leap and start on an insulin pump. I went into it thinking I already knew everything I needed to know about effective Diabetes management and just wanted to hook up and start the pump and be on my way. How very wrong, I was…

It wasn’t until I went through the pump training that I realized there was still a great deal to learn. Until that point, my insulin boluses were mostly “guest-imated” and I had never heard of, nor was I was practicing, carb counting. And the reality is that I’m still learning today, almost seven years after I first started on an insulin pump. I’ve learned to temper my perspective and have removed the Diabetic chip on my shoulder and stored it appropriately where it won’t interfere with my medial education.

The same can be said of martial arts. Sometimes it can be difficult recognizing that what one knows should prevent the learning of something new or accepting information from teachers you may have otherwise not sought out on their own. This is especially true if you’re cross-training in a different style. Given that I’ve been at this for several decades now, I’m beginning to encounter more and more scenarios where the person I’m getting instruction from wasn’t even alive when I started doing karate.

For some, this can be a bitter pill and quite difficult to consolidate within themselves. After all, in many situations I would be inclined to believe that I’ve “been there, done that.” The important aspect is that I may not necessarily been there and done it THEIR way. And if I’m genuinely there to learn and include these different styles and techniques in my overall toolbox, I need to be willing to humble myself long enough to recognize that knowledge can come from many different sources.

There’s absolutely nothing worse than someone who thinks they know better but still wants to advance and progress within your style. Guess what, pal? You don’t put in the work, you don’t reap the benefits. I’ve seen it countless times throughout my youth. Sensei used to have boxers, hockey players and students of other styles who may or may not have been trying to belt collect, walk in with MASSIVE chips on their shoulders. Only to get served and shown the error of their ways by Sensei before leaving with their tails tucked. Don’t be that person. Broaden your perspective and be willing to learn. You’ll be all the better for it and you’ll go much, much farther. Food for thought… ☯️