As a martial arts instructor and writer I spend a lot of time talking about the outstanding benefits of training. The self confidence, comradery, self defense skills, culture, etc etc. However I also feel that it’s my responsibility to make people aware of the more unpleasant side of the martial arts world; the manifestations that [...]
One staple of a good movie fight scene is a hero or villain working their way through a myriad of weapons. They might start off with knife, but that will get kicked out of their hand, leaving them defenseless until they grab a nearby pool cue. Once that breaks they eventually find their way to [...]Hey everyone. It’s been awhile since we’ve done a giveaway, and I don’t want you to think I’m hoarding all the goods for myself. I wouldn’t do that. Although…it’s tempting… Anyway – a milestone is approaching that I thought would be perfect for some prizes. The Ikigaiway Facebook Fanpage is rapidly approaching 5,000 fans. Honestly [...]
How do you go about exploring an art fully without getting lost in it? One of the most important elements of any martial art is being able to use it effectively at a moment’s notice. The techniques and methods of the art must be simple enough to ingrain in muscle memory for use when adrenaline [...]
Without bunkai (applications), kata is little more than pre-arranged dancing. The hands can be flowing in exciting and vibrant ways but if we never discover the meaning of the motion then our time would be much better spent hitting a heavy bag or sparring. Bunkai is the key to developing useful and effective techniques preserved [...]