It was a cool, dark November evening. I passed my Yellow Belt test a few weeks prior, and my whole family knew how much I […]
Year: 2009
Kempo Marinate and Black Belt Stew: The Journey of Advanced Training
In martial arts, achieving a Black Belt is often seen as the pinnacle of one’s journey. However, many students are frustrated by the long periods […]
How Phases Work
Teaching a room full of students at different skill levels has vexed instructors for years. What is the best way to keep everyone progressing towards […]
History of Karate in Hawai’i
A good article about Hawaiian Karate history so read it here at the Honolulu Advertiser. Hamilton Library exhibit celebrates spread of the martial art from […]
Loyalty and Lineage
I become increasingly frustrated with the state of affairs in the Kempo community, in the world of karate for that matter. Almost weekly, I learn […]
Lights, Camera, Kata!
When you compete in tournaments, remember that you are being judged on your performance of the kata not only the technical execution. Kata are subjectively […]
Musical Kata
“The irony of musical kata is that the kata were probably folk dances to start with. They lost their musical ties and have since been […]
Shaken, Not Stirred
Picture the scene—a grand European casino filled with well-dressed patrons. A strikingly handsome spy stands at the craps table. He replies to the waitress asking […]
Like the Matador: Get Off The Line Of Attack
This gruesome story illustrates a valuable fact of combat – defensive use of the line of attack. The angry bull charges the lone matador, yet […]
Out with the Old, In with the New
There’s a story about a family cooking a dinner ham. The daughter asks the mother, “Why do you cut the two ends off the ham?” […]