Sometimes, when we’re learning something, whether it be a sport, an art, or something else, we find we plateau, reaching a point where it seems like we can’t improve any further. When you find yourself hitting this point, it might be time to try teaching others.
How will that help? Read on. (more…)
I was lucky enough to attend a tea ceremony at the grand opening of a friend’s karate dojo this past weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the perfect way to cap off the day. But what do karate and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony have in common? (more…)
It’s been a while since I wrote a life lessons series post, but I’ve been waiting for the right one. The one I’m going to share today is especially meaningful to me, because it’s the quote I chose to sign off with on my sensei’s dojo wall when I was given my black belt. (more…)
These days, we take many activities for granted. We complete tasks absent-mindedly, relegating what could be a really enjoyable thing to the realm of “chore” – a dirty word for many, to be sure.
One of those activities is shaving. All too often, shaving time gets lumped into the same category as sweeping the floor or doing laundry. I already wrote about how shining your shoes can be a relaxing and meditative experience, and shaving is no different… if you do it right. (more…)
This is a continuation of an earlier post on the journey to black belt. The grading felt like it was over as soon as it began. One minute we’re warming up, and the next we’re bowing out. I knew it would go quickly, but not that quickly. I mean geeze, I don’t even remember parts of my grading.
I’m told I threw knees during sparring, yet I have no recollection of that. I thought I performed four katas, when I really did six. What I do remember is that the warm-up was tough, designed to exhaust you before the grading even began. If you didn’t pace yourself, you were in for a world of hurt. So what else happened at our black belt grading? (more…)
It’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. There’s artisanal food, artisanal furniture, and artisanal mining – yep, that’s a thing. So what does the word actually mean? And why does it seem to be thrown around so carelessly? (more…)
If you’ve trained in a dojo for any period of time, then you know that there are times where you work with a partner. Most drills require partnership – after all, you don’t learn the physical side of karate just by hitting air. What isn’t immediately apparent to new students though, is that there’s an art to partnership. (more…)
My leg twitches nervously as I sit. The day I’ve been waiting for is here. Tomorrow I grade for my black belt in karate. (more…)
