Articles | YMAA

¿Golpeas al objetivo?
December 14, 2009
Nunca dudé, al ponerme frente a Kanazawa sensei, que iba a "enchufarme". Pero tenía la absoluta certeza de que no iba a hacerme daño.
Are you hitting the target in Karate?
November 30, 2009
There was never a doubt in my head when I lined up to face Kanazawa sensei, I knew he was going to 'plug' me.
Remembering Chojun Miyagi
November 11, 2009
Among the huge number of so-called karate styles in the world these days, all can be traced back to the island of Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu archipelago that stretches from the southern coast of Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan.
Hojo Undo: Traditional Karate’s Forgotten Training Methods
September 9, 2009
In an age where karate training is often viewed as a family pastime for some or a career path for others, many of the older and more traditional forms of training have slipped from use, replaced in many cases by a quest for physical entertainment.
Big Rocks: The Hidden Values of Traditional Karate
August 13, 2009
A philosopher and teacher of the ‘Way’ began addressing his students. He produced, from behind a screen, a large glass container and a box of fist-sized rocks. After a few moments of carefully placing the rocks into the glass container, he came to a point where no more would fit. He then turned to his students and asked: “Is it full?”
Never Surrender - June 16, 2009
The goal of self defense is not to win a fight, but rather to avoid combat in the first place. After all the only battle you are guaranteed to walk away from unscathed is the one you never engage in. Taking a beat-down can seriously mess up your life, yet winners have consequences too.
Benefits of Tai Chi Qi Gong for Arthritis - May 11, 2009
May is National Arthritis Month: One of the challenges we have in this country as well as in the rest of the world, is how to approach the health care goals of the growing wave of our aging population. We are living through special times. We can see a shift towards greater acceptance of new methods and treatments for various debilitating diseases such as arthritis.
Spotting an Adversary’s Tell - April 27, 2009
Lawrence A. Kane supervises employees who provide security and oversee fan safety during college and professional football games at a Pac-10 stadium near Seattle, Washington. This job has given him a unique opportunity to appreciate violence in all forms. Along with his crew, he has witnessed, interceded in, stopped, or prevented hundreds of fights. He has also worked closely with the campus police and state patrol officers who are assigned to the stadium. Here is what he says about aggressive behavior as well as the escalation process that precedes violence in crowd control situations.
Insights into Modern Day Martial Arts Training - February 17, 2009
Training does have to be adjusted and changed for modern day, but the principles and essence should remain the same. We are constantly striving to preserve the teachings of our masters, and we should be very cautious when to modify them.
Martial Arts in the 21st Century - Part 3 of 3 - January 22, 2009
There has been a clear and obvious downward shift in the average skill level of students, and even masters, of today compared to the masters and students of old.
Martial Arts in the 21st Century - Part 2 of 3 - January 15, 2009
In ancient times, many students would unconditionally sacrifice their lives to their training and beg masters to take them, often striving to prove themselves worthy for many weeks, months or years before they were accepted.
Martial Arts in the 21st Century - Part 1 of 3 - January 8, 2009
My Long Fist grandmaster, Grandmaster Li, Mao-Ching, spent 23 years and 1 month in the Chinese military during harsh wartime conditions while he trained everyday, under Great Grandmaster Han, Chin-Tang, one of the foremost traditional martial artists and graduates of the Nanjing Central Guoshu Institute
Occasionally Hollywood Can Actually Teach You Something - January 5, 2009
Recently I watched "Felon", a movie that makes some realistic and valuable points about self-defense. In most jurisdictions a person can only resort to deadly force to escape imminent and unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm.