The Real Meaning of Osu: Renma and the Spirit of Karate
I’ve written previously about Osu. In that article I looked at the roots of the word, where it came from,…
Position Before Technique
Over the past few weeks I’ve been organizing material for a new student handbook project. I expected one section to…
Zen, Mushin, and Awareness in Kyokushin
Over my years in Kyokushin, I’ve had many conversations about Zen and its place in martial arts. Some people see…
Why a Boxer Will Always Win Against a Kyokushin Fighter
A boxer will always win against a Kyokushin Fighter. What? You didn’t know this? We hear it on the internet…
Is Your Karate Really Your Own?
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate after more than four decades in Kyokushin is how much of our…
Giri: What We Carry on Our Gi
The Japanese word giri is often translated as duty or obligation, although neither word completely expresses what it means within…
Could Martial Arts Have Helped Me Manage ADHD?
I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my 60s. I had gone back to college and was struggling…
Osu During Drills: Breathing, Rhythm, and IFK Pedagogy
In IFK classes, students vocalize “osu” with each technique as it’s performed during certain drills, particularly when practicing the syllabus…
Mas Oyama : Have We Forgotten his example?
This is one quotation by Sosai Mas Oyama that is frequently shared among karateka. It appears on social media, posters,…
Discipline Isn’t a Feeling
Discipline isn’t a feeling. It’s consistency – what keeps you moving forward when motivation doesn’t show up. It’s action, repeated over…
