Bunkai: 1st Kata, Kiai
The 45° turn from the fifth to the sixth direction in first kata is not usually recognized as meaning anything. But it can be used. It is also a simple version of a leg displacement technique which appears again in Pinan Shodan, Pinan Yondan, Rohai, Passai and elsewhere.
Contemplation of the Body for martial artists
An intruder in your home. Chaos on the street. An escalating confrontation on the road. An assault, a raid, a kumite match, or a quiet conversation that could determine the path of your life all demand intense focus. In the course of daily life, under seige by threats and promises, cons and seduction, we need […]
Defense Against Violence and Decadence
Protection from violence and fear is necessary. You might never get mugged or confronted. But nowadays our bodies and minds are under threat. Family life and personal relationships are under attack. Health and vitality are under attack. Work and property are under attack. Religious and spiritual life are under attack. Personal worth is devalued […]
Training Focus
The training time before and after class is best used when it has the same focus and sense of purpose as the formal class session. When we are paired off with a training partner before or after class we can best use the time to explore and test interpretations and applications, or to help newer […]
Power in the Storm
The gas in your car has enough power to move tons of metal, fast, for hours. Cars keep that power isolated and stable. If you burned that gasoline all at once it would make a big boom. Spectacular, like in a movie, or deadly, like in real life. And it would be over quickly. Not […]
念Advanced Training Page
Our 念Advanced Training page has info relevant to members and practitioners with ten years of training or more, but everyone is invited to take a look and use it. Yambayashi training is built on a foundation of self-defense skill: strength, speed, flexibility, endurance, experience and precision tactics. The pressure and risk required to develop these is as […]
2022 Fifth Annual Summer Seminar
Mountain Karate’s Fifth Annual Summer Seminar will be held from June 1 to 5, 2022 in Saluda, NC. Registration is open to all Yamabayashi Shorin Ryu Karate practitioners of all ranks and ages. At multiple dojo and mountain training locations. Seminar Training Topics: Techniques Body Mechanics and Energy Transmission Kobudo Tactics Applications Endurance and Conditioning […]
Sweet Dreams
Sugar is an addictive drug. It makes you fat, sick and depressed. It has many forms and names. It is in most manufactured food. It is easy to get addicted to it. It is difficult to quit. But once you do quit it is easy to do without. And when you do without it you can […]
空
Our hands have no fixed form. They change, as we use them for different tasks. Their form is “empty” of a fixed nature. Hand is written “手”and pronounced “te” in Japanese. Kara “空” means “empty.” Our hands, as we use them in karate practice, hold nothing. They do not grasp any implement or object or weapon. […]
Training and the Milgram Experiment
The fist about to smash my chest was traveling close to the speed of sound. I sent it past me and it disappeared. I had done it a thousand times. I was barely able to do it this time. But I did it. Then I did it again. And again. The fist was my training […]
Thanks to our Readers Worldwide
Thanks for all the great feedback on “The Good Fight”! If you have not read it, here’s some info on what’s in it: There is a sense that the world is spinning out of control. People feel something is wrong. Martial arts has a role to play, in our lives and beyond, to make things right. That […]
You Are Your Art
In the olden days the word “art” was applied to anything that required skill; like the art of farming, the art of architecture, the art of war. This is the use of “art” in “martial arts.” It doesn’t mean “for aesthetic purposes,” or artsy or intuitive. It is not distinct from “scientific.” Builders work with […]
The Good Fight
The groundbreaking new book by Jeffrey Brooks. In a culture of commercialized, trivialized martial arts, The Good Fight is essential reading. “Eloquent and thought-provoking…” -Mark Tankosich, Hiroshima University of Economics, Dan Rank Sho-ha Shorin Ryu and Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Jodo “Such deep thoughts about martial arts are very rare! I really enjoy the excellent content.” –Prof. Christof Paar, Kishaba Juku, […]
The Presumption of Innocents
Most of the people who come into the dojo for training are good people. Or so it seems. My impression is that the people who practice traditional karate and stick with it are decent. I know and have known a lot of them. They want to be happy and safe and strong. There are a lot […]