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The WMKA (World Matsubayashi-ryu Karatedo Association) is scheduled to start construction of a memorial monument for O’Sensei Shoshin Nagamine, the founder of Matsubayashi-ryu, this September in Okinawa. The public unveiling of the monument was originally scheduled for November but has … Read More

The above video shows a demonstration of the basic kobudo bo drill, Fuso Kumi Bo that we performed in 2012. This video was shot when our dojo, The Academy of Traditional Karate, gave a karate and kobudo presentation at our … Read More

This post shows the step-by-step breakdown of the previous bo drill video, Fuso Kumi Bo. It uses a series of freeze-frames from the practice video to show each of the specific moves in the two person drill along with descriptions … Read More

The above video shows a practice session of the basic kobudo bo drill, Fuso Kumi Bo. I shot the first portion of this video last fall with my son in our backyard. It is easiest and safest to practice kobudo, … Read More

Hanshi-sei Ron Martin is a world renowned international kumite champion from the golden age of karate and kumite. He was the captain of the first US Karate Team under coach Chuck Merriman.… Read More

This post details the step-by-step breakdown of the previous kata video I posted, Kata Nagamine no Kon. It uses a series of freeze-frames from the practice video to show each of the specific moves in the kata along with descriptions … Read More

Last fall I had videoed a series of sessions practicing additional kobudo kata and drills. As I get a chance over the next few months to review and edit them, I’ll post the videos along with step-by-step breakdowns of the … Read More

This post details the step-by-step breakdown of the previous kata video I posted, Kata Suisho no Kon. It uses a series of freeze-frames from the practice video to show each of the specific moves in the kata along with descriptions … Read More

I had videoed a series of sessions practicing additional kobudo kata and drills before the dark winter set in. As I get a chance to review and edit them, I’ll post the videos and step-by-step breakdowns of the kata and … Read More

Hanshi-sei Ron Martin is a world renowned international kumite champion from the golden age of karate and kumite. He was the captain of the first US Karate Team under coach Chuck Merriman.… Read More

After you can easily stand in the Fourth Position, Standing in the Stream, for 20 minutes then you can start learning and working on the Fifth Position, Holding the Balloon in Front of Your Face. This is the fifth position … Read More

After you can easily stand in the Third Position, Holding Your Belly, for 20 minutes then you can start learning and working on the Fourth Position, Standing in the Stream. This is the fourth position in a Zhan Zhuang series … Read More

After you can easily stand in the Second Position, Holding the Balloon, for 20 minutes then you can start learning and working on the Third Position, Holding Your Belly. This is the third position in a Zhan Zhuang series of … Read More

I shot a few more videos over the weekend practicing kobudo out in the fresh air. Here’s another of the videos, practicing a Basic Bo form – Kata Fuso. This basic bo kata uses a few basic moves with the … Read More

After you can easily stand in the First Position, Wu Chi, for 20 minutes then you can start learning and working on the Second Position, Holding the Balloon. This is the second position in a Zhan Zhuang series of standing … Read More

站桩 Zhan Zhuang – Standing Like a Tree Zhan Zhuang (pronounced Jan Jong) means standing like a tree, post standing or standing post. It is an intermediate to advanced form of standing meditation Qigong practice for vital energy cultivation. The … Read More

I shot a few more videos over the weekend practicing kobudo kihon out in the fresh air with MJ. Here’s another of the videos, practicing the set of 17 Basic Bo Combinations which is a set of kobudo kihon or … Read More

站桩 Zhan Zhuang (pronounced Jan Jong) means standing like a tree or post standing. It is a form of standing meditation Qigong practice for energy cultivation. It appears deceptively simple, but is actually more difficult than motion meditation Qigong practice. … Read More

I shot a few more videos over the weekend practicing kobudo kihon out in the fresh air with MJ. Here’s the first of the videos, practicing the set of 14 Basic Bo Blocks which is a set of kobudo kihon … Read More

I shot a few more videos over the weekend practicing qigong zhan zhuang and kobudo kihon out in the fresh air. Here’s the first of the videos, practicing the set of 10 Basic Bo Strikes which is a set of … Read More

無極 Wu Chi (or Wuji) – Infinite As discussed in my previous post, Wu Chi – Wuji – The Beginning of Everything – Comparing Taoist and Modern Cosmology, Wu Chi (or Wuji, pronounced Woo Jee) means without limit, limitless or … Read More

無極 Wu Chi (or Wuji) – Infinite Wu Chi (or Wuji, pronounced Woo Jee) means without limit, limitless or infinite. It also means without pole or without polarity. It denotes the infinite void before the existence of anything else. The … Read More

In modern acupuncture, meridians are often thought of as metaphysical structures. A new research study of an ancient Chinese text found in a Mawangdui tomb suggests they were actually based on physical anatomical pathways discovered through dissection. Below are excerpts … Read More

Listen to the above video by Todd Ryotoshi Norcross discussing the Dokkodo The Way of Walking Alone as you read this blog post all about the Way and Miyamoto Musashi. 宮本 武蔵 Miyamoto Musashi was the most famous swordsman of … Read More

What is an online karate class like? Check out one of Shihan Goddard’s awesome online karate classes on zoom. This particular class was led by a special guest, 10th degree black belt, Hanshi Bernard, and was broadcast from the Academy … Read More

A Simple Man – My Life with Soke Nagamine by Sensei Bill George (Kyoshi, 7th dan) is a great read for anyone interested in the martial arts. [I also posted this review on Amazon.com] Hanshi Fumio Demura (9th dan in … Read More

Qigong (Chi Kung – Pronounced Chee Gong) is a form of motion and/or still meditation in order to cultivate and flow your chi or life force. One of the principles in Qigong is that of reaching a state of relaxed … Read More

Still Mind Martial Arts Masters Series (#1B) An Interview with Kyoshi Todd Keane and Shidoshi Kristen Keane – Part II This is part II of our interview with Kyoshi Todd Keane and Shidoshi Kristen Keane which continues where the part … Read More

This old kata performance just popped up on my Facebook feed in one of those “share this memory” posts. So I figured I’d share it with our followers. It’s MJ and I performing the Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Rohai Kata (Bird … Read More

O-Sensei Shoshin Nagamine Performs Yakusoku Kumite in 1983 Karate Illustrated Cover Story A recent post came across my facebook feed that included some scans of an old Karate Illustrated magazine (November 1983) with O-Sensei Shoshin Nagamine on the cover. They … Read More

Still Mind Martial Arts Masters Series (#1A) An Interview with Kyoshi Todd Keane and Shidoshi Kristen Keane Both my father and I train at the Academy of Traditional Karate in Wilmington Massachusetts. We have been training there for about 16 … Read More

I’m proud to be an American every day but even more so on Independence Day! I’m proud to be a citizen of the greatest nation on earth, founded on the principles of FREEDOM and LIBERTY for ALL! It was in … Read More

I came across an interesting article that discusses the differences between old-style Okinawan Shuri-te and Naha-te and the concepts of irimi and tai sabaki. It also described quotes from Choki Motobu and related the concepts to his kumite. It especially … Read More

I have read a couple of books written by O-Sensei Shoshin Nagamine, the founder of our style of karate – Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu. So I know a little bit about him. After O-Sensei Shoshin Nagamine retired in 1991 his son … Read More

Here is a great Yakusoku Kumite article that I came across during my online research that discusses the creation and history of Yakusoku Kumite by Shoshin Nagamine at least twenty years before the publication of his book. The Article is … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite VII shows how to control, block & counter strike a grab. It introduces the principle of checking the grabbing arm to monitor and control its position before simultaneously blocking and counter striking. This Yakusoku Kumite VII video study … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite VI shows how to bait an attacker with a false target while introducing the principle of simultaneously blocking/grabbing and striking. It also introduces the principle of shifting and rotating your body to remove the target. This Yakusoku Kumite … Read More

A bit of sad news today for Matsubayashi karateka around the world. This month they tore down Shoshin Nagamine’s Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu dojo. Shoshin Nagamine’s Dojo is Demolished. This was the birthplace of Matsubayashi Ryu where Matsubayashi practitioners around the … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite V shows how to defend against and use kicks while introducing the principle of simultaneously blocking/grabbing and reflexively kicking. It also introduces the principle of constantly changing angles and counter attacking from the sides. This Yakusoku Kumite V … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite IV introduces how to defend against an attack from behind using the principle of simultaneously blocking and counter striking. This is after first trapping the attacker’s grabbing hand while turning to face the attacker. This Yakusoku Kumite IV … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite III shows how to immobilize an attacker’s arms and introduces the principle of simultaneously blocking and stuffing both of the attacker’s arms to temporarily immobilize them. It also demonstrates using the block to open a vulnerable target, then … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite II shows how to yield to set up attacker for counter strike and introduces the principle of conditioning or setting up the attacker by initially yielding to lure him in while recognizing a repetitive attack. Then when ready … Read More

Yakusoku Kumite I shows how to intercept an attack with a strike and introduces the principle of intercepting an attack with your own attack. This simple principle became well known as the foundation of Bruce Lee’s fighting style, Jeet Kune … Read More

This is a Yakusoku Kumite video breakdown of me and MJ practicing in our backyard during the COVID shutdown. It’s a followup to yesterday’s post, Yakusoku Kumite I-VII Video Research Study, to analyze a more current video of us because … Read More

This is a research study of a wide variety of readily available online video examples of Yakusoku Kumite I-VII. When learning, studying, practicing and perfecting such material under the supervision of a qualified local instructor, be sure to perform the … Read More

Today we will take a look back at the origins of Still Mind Martial Arts. Over a decade ago in January of 2010 I was designing some martial arts T-shirts, hoodies, hats, coffee mugs and other martial arts merchandise. [We … Read More

In addition to the Baduanjin Qigong exercises mentioned in a previous post, I began practicing these Tai Chi Meditative Movements outside in the fresh air and sunshine during the Wuhan coronavirus shutdown. Fresh air and sunshine is great for your … Read More

This Qigong Nourishing the Kidneys exercise is another that I added to my Baduanjin Qigong exercise routine. I started practicing these outside in the fresh air and sunshine for some stress reducing meditation during the Wuhan Coronavirus lock-down. In addition … Read More

During the Wuhan Coronavirus lock-down I began practicing my Baduanjin Qigong exercises outside in the fresh air and sunshine for some stress reducing meditation and COVID stress relief. In these troubled times being stuck at home due to COVID-19, and … Read More

Check out the journey! This video shows the progression from the beginning of my training at 4 years old in 2004, to 16 years later in 2020. I cannot remember a time when I was not involved in karate, and … Read More

This set of kata videos started out as an advanced study project I took on as a Yondan and Renshi. By the rank of Yondan(4th degree black belt) one has completed acquiring all the kihon (basics), wasa (techniques) and 18 … Read More