Articles
Reading Time: 14 minutes If you’ve spent any time in a karate dojo, particularly outside of Okinawa – chances are you’ve heard the word osu or oss. It’s shouted at the start of class, echoed in response to instructions, and used as a catch-all for everything from “yes” to “thank you.” To many, it embodies […]
Reading Time: 14 minutes Introduction: What Is Kiai Really? Why do karate-ka (karate practitioners) let out a sharp, powerful yell during their techniques? That sound—known as kiai (pronounced “key-eye”)—is more than just a dramatic shout. It’s a defining feature of traditional karate that fuses the mind, body, and spirit into a single explosive moment of intent. […]
Reading Time: 14 minutes In martial arts, the journey is as much about the mind as it is about the body. The Go Do Shin which can be interpreted as “The Five Guiding Principles “—offers invaluable guidance for practitioners at every level. These principles emphasize qualities that shape not only how we train, but also […]
Reading Time: 14 minutes What if mastering karate terminology was no longer hard? Romaji (pronounced with three syllables: roh-mah-jee) makes it easy for students to learn and remember karate terms. It uses the Latin alphabet to write Japanese words. This makes karate terms easier to understand. In this article, we’ll explore karate terminology. We’ll show […]
Reading Time: 14 minutes Welcome to our exploration of karate which has been my passion for over 40 years. It is a fascinating martial art that originated in Japan in which I hold the rank of 6th Dan Black Belt issued by the Nippon Karate-Do Kai in Osaka. The complexity of karate has resulted in […]