Not long ago in West Africa, there was a warrior clan so fierce, so hardened and so unbelievably tough that it took the might of an industrialised nation just to slow them down.
Category: Martial Arts
I Fight Like a Girl
I may be a lone voice in this, but I really want to bring this rallying cry into the martial arts, and especially in karate. I hate hearing ‘you punch like a girl’ being leveled at boys, that anything feminine is inherently weaker. It is one of the reasons why we see such an attrition of young female budo-ka.
Dear Adult Beginners: It Gets Better
But as an adult beginner, the constant corrections are overwhelming, and sometimes humiliating. It’s hard not to feel like a failure, and to think that no one else has ever been this bad at karate, or aikido, or judo, or whatever you choose to do. But you know what? There isn’t a senior who wasn’t a junior, and who doesn’t learn every day from the junior students they teach. You’re not slowing anyone down by asking for help.
Women Warriors: The Gulabi Gang
The Gulabi Gang India, despite its respectable number of female goddesses, is not a country known for treating women well.… Read more Women Warriors: The Gulabi Gang
Black Belt and Imposter Syndrome
There are days when it feels like I stole my black belt, that it was given to me out of pity because I’ve been around so long and always help out, and not because I have any actual skill. I am pretty sure that pity gradings are a thing.
Women Warriors Series: The Ju-jitsu Suffragettes
The Ju-jitsu Suffragettes Just over a hundred years ago, a number of women who belonged to The Women’s Social and… Read more Women Warriors Series: The Ju-jitsu Suffragettes
Martial Heart Series: The Concept of Giri
Whether it is the federation that supports its instructors with consistent training by bringing in instructors from around the world, the sempai that took the time to train you on a Sunday morning on a rugby field when the dojo was closed, the junior that asks the questions that you hadn’t considered, or the Sensei who works tirelessly to keep the dojo open so that you can train with others – no one becomes a martial artist alone.
Hojo Undo 101: Chishi
A number of people look at martial artists and think, ‘do you even lift, bro?’ Actually, yes, we do lift, bro.… Read more Hojo Undo 101: Chishi
Fifty Fights, Two Hours and Ten Lessons
After a lesson covering some of the basic principles, gumguards were shoved into mouths and half-gloves pulled on. We lined up, the timers began, and so went 150 minutes of fighting. Here are ten things I learned while getting the shit kicked, punched and thrown out of me. Take them as dojo advice, or life lessons – I think the two are inseparable.
My Stance on UFC, MMA and Bloodsport
I know some MMA guys, just as I know competitive traditional martial artists who fight in tournaments under the karate banner. I myself have done the 100 Randori twice – 100 fights in one night, without a break. I know the siren song of the fight, of the joy of a well-fought spar, and the fear of going up against someone bigger and stronger and faster. Please believe me, I know how good it feels to fight.
Zojo Dojo 