Hidden Lessons in Terminology
Hatsumi Sensei encoded specific teaching lessons directly into the terminology of the kata scrolls. The words we use every day—aite, teki, uke: shift throughout each kata, and each shift carries meaning. But here's what surprised me: we use one crucial term constantly in the dojo, yet it doesn't appear in the book at all.
Imagining Re-Imagined
Should students visualize themselves doing perfect techniques?
Should they imagine performing kata just like their instructor?
We say: Absolutely Not !
Why Challenge Tradition? Rethinking Traditional Martial Arts Training
You’ve thought it:
“Is what I’m learning actually effective in a real fight?”
But t’s uncomfortable to question the authority of a black belt, to challenge what has been passed down for generations. We trust our teachers.. So when they tell us something is effective, we want to believe it. Should we?
Performance vs Learning
Here you are, studying how to teach martial arts. And famous basketball coach from UCLA, John Wooden said, “You haven’t taught until they’ve learned.”
That means:
Your AVERAGE student is your BEST indicator of your teaching skills.