“A master is one who is liberated from fear.” – Sensei Peter Urban “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up any way.” – John Wayne There is much to be said about yuuki, bravery. It comes naturally after Rectitude, as one’s just and valiant intentions must be followed by action....
The Seven Virtues of Bushido: Part I Rectitude The classical, traditional martial arts of Asia (notably Japan, China, and Korea) have for many decades of western popularity been revered as not just sports, or hobbies, or diversions. There’s something about these disciplines that set them apart from...
“The Empty Cup” Day One; your first class. You’re wearing that fresh, new white gi with the perfect creases down the sleeves and the awkwardly bundled –together obi around the waist. During kihon (basics), you come to the startling realization that despite graduating from preschool, you’ve neglected...
In order to distinguish student from instructor, the great Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo, instituted the belt system in his school. That was it. A student motioning into an eventual pattern or drill was the wearer of a white obi, and the dark-belted karate-ka were the proven, serious students who had...
You may have noticed some water bottles around the dojo, especially Sensei’s, with interesting particles floating about inside of them. What could they be? If you didn’t know, they’re chia seeds. Chia (or salva hispanica) originates from Central Mexico, and was the product of Aztec and Mayan cultiva...
The Classical Martial Arts Canada Diamond Under your Goju Fist may reside another crest. It is diamond-shaped, with a red border, and inverted maple leaves of black and white. You may also find its likeliness all throughout the dojo. Symbolically, there is much significance behind the official emble...
The Goju Fist No appendage other than the hand is so linked to the idea of karate practice. Total body co-ordination is the aim in physical training, but karate-do being translated as ‘way of the empty hand’, symbolic emphasis is placed on the –te (hand). As students of Goju Ryu (hard-soft style), w...
The Katana: A symbol of Japanese Culture and Budo “I make ‘mushin’ (absence of mind) my sword.” – excerpt from The Samurai Creed, author unknown, circa 1300 The katana, or sword of the samurai, rose to prominence in the hands of the samurai class during Japan’s feudal era, under th...
Why We Wear White Karate-do Gi The white keikogi (practice cloth) has several utilities. As a cultural garment, it has been speculated that Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo, adorned his students in keikogi that derived from the heavy, hemp-weaved clothes of firefighters of the late 19th century. In the...
A major reason behind the survival of humans is our ability to adapt. Arctic temperatures? No problem, we’ll build igloos and wear fur. Typhoon climate? Let’s build houses on stilts. The same adaptability is evident in our physiology; that’s what German anatomist Julius Wolff (1836-1902) theorized i...