Posts Tagged ‘kata’
Traditional Karate builds Fitness
One benefit of all martial arts is that training in them improves fitness. No matter your style, you will gain physical fitness when you train. There are some additional physical benefits from the specific style of traditional Okinawan karate. That’s what we practice at our dojo. Here are the top five ways that traditional karate…
Read MoreFunny Martial Arts Video Scenes
For a little light reading and viewing, I’d like to share some of my favorite martial arts video clips. People around me and I myself sometimes quote some of these lines. This may be to lighten the mood, or to make a point. JIM CARREY SELF DEFENSE VIDEO Here’s a link to the longest clip…
Read MoreOKINAWA TRIP 5: KATSUREN CASTLE
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger Next, we were off to Katsuren Castle. Here is a model of the whole thing, with an artist’s rendition of the buildings. It was a bit of a drive to the east side of the island. We drove past the bay where the Battle of Okinawa started. Across the street from…
Read MoreRYUKYU KEMPO TRANSITION
Allan Amor Kaicho is the head and founder of the United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance (URKA). This is an international organization dedicated to the preservation of the Okinawan cultural tradition and martial arts, and the spirit of brotherhood fostered through these traditions. Our dojo, East Valley Martial Arts – Kenshin Kan, has been associated with the…
Read MoreLESS KATA, BETTER
-By Jenifer Tull-Gauger Allan Amor Kaicho, head and founder of the United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance, taught us to simplify. Because of him, we focus on teaching 12 base katas, and two weapons katas, before black belt. We could double that, and more, as some schools do. Learning and knowing more katas does not make a…
Read MoreFUN KATA PRACTICE
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger To learn a skill, you need to practice. To get good at something, you need repetition. In order to remember and understand techniques and principles, they have to be put into action. Practicing does not have to be tedious. Kata practice can be fun! Here are some ways to enjoy kata: -See…
Read MoreADVANCED RANK & RESPONSIBILITY
Each of the three brown belts in our ranking system is an invitation to black belt. These high ranks hold a lot of responsibility. Maybe the most obvious responsibility for brown belts and above in both the Kids and Adults program is remembering a lot of katas and complexes. To remember them and keep them…
Read More