#HeelTurn #Technique Now and then, I get this question from a student: “Which part of the foot should we use as a pivoting point when we turn?” “Should we pivot on the heel or the ball of the foot?” Before I come up with my opinion, and what I do, there is just one topic

#Kata #Naihanchi The Naihanchi Kata The Naihanchi Kata is a very old Kata, which can be found in many different styles and variations. The special thing about this Kata is the movement in a straight line (sideways). This has led many Karateka incorrectly to believe that the Kata is for fighting […]

#Heian #Pinan  #Kata The Pinan/Heian (平安) Kata Itosu Anko created the Pinan Kata for use in the Okinawan Elementary School around 1900. The creation of the Pinan Kata was to make the introduction to Karate easier for children and beginners. It also made it easier to learn the more advanced […]

#Taikyoku #Gekisai #Kihon #Kata The Taikyoku Kata Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka “Gigo” Funakoshi, are said to be the creator of the Taikyoku Katas around 1940. Some claims that Shigeru Egami and Hironishi Genshin also where involved in the creation. Taikyoku can translate into Great […]

#Itosu #Ankō #Yasutsune Re-examination of the Itosu Ankō photo Only a few karate masters have had as much influence on karate development as Itosu Ankō (Itosu Yasutsune), he was born in Gibo Village (Shuri, Okinawa) in 1831. Itosu Ankō was the teacher of Choyu Motobu, Choki Motobu, Gichin […]

#Technique #Tsumasaki-geri Tsumasaki-geri is a kick with the tip of the toes. Some would argue that this is the right way to kick (the old way of Okinawan kicking), compared to our ordinary Mae-geri, where we generally kick with Koshi. Personally, I do not think there is a new or old way of […]