Quest For The Truth – The Origin of Tang Soo Do’s Kata
This article is in response to John Hancock's article, Quest For The Truth : The Origin Of Tang Soo Do's Forms
By Brad Dennison ~...
The Pinan / Heian Kata Series as a Fighting System: Part 4
Welcome to part four of this Pinan / Heian Series of articles on the Pinan and Heian katas as a fighting system. In the...
Naihanchi’s Mook Jong Drills – Karate’s Hidden Wooden Dummy Techniques
Naihanchi or Tekki kata is one of several traditional Chinese-Okinawan karate katas whose origins have been lost over the centuries. While the Naihanchi kata...
Nunti Bo: The bo with the sai on the end
In Isshin-ryu we have three bo (long staff) kata. About 20 years ago I was pondering a particular characteristic of one of them. Let...
The Importance of Kata
Over the past several years I've written articles discussing various sides of martial arts training. In my article entitled, “Commercialism vs. Traditionalism” I talked...
There is Nothing Peaceful About the Pinan Kata Series!
In this article I want to challenge some of the commonly held beliefs about the Pinan kata series or the Heian series of kata....
Ju No Kata
So-called "Forms of Gentleness," as the ju no kata is referred to, is a grossly misinterpreted standard of Kodokan. As performed in modern-day judo,...
Willie Lim Kata Training is Outside the System
When I was training in TKD I was young and eager, an like so many others, interested only in the free sparring. In my...
Neihanchi Kata: A Half-Century Musing On The Kata Of Okinawa
In this essay I will share my observations of the Neihanchi kata of the Isshin Kempo and Isshinryu systems. I discuss Kiko and its...
Quest For The Truth: The Origin of Tang Soo Do’s Forms
Hwang Kee, founder of Tang Soo Do, claimed to have brought the art's Pyong Ahn forms back from China in the 1930s. That was...
Returning To Classical Kata With Willie Lim
A true understanding of karate is to found by returning to classical kata. Unlike modern karate, it is forms which hold the key to ancient...
The Basics of Bunkai – Part 2
In this second article, we'll be looking at the basic application (bunkai) for the knife-hand block or "shuto-uke". As we established in The Basics...
Tegumi – Karate’s Forgotten Range
It is believed that the native wrestling art of Tegumi, along with the Kempo systems brought to Okinawa by the Chinese, were forerunners of...
Kata: Lock or a Key
In this article I'd like to briefly discuss some of the ways in which we can view kata, and how, if we adopt a...
Master Willie Lim Analyzing and Interpreting Kata
Master Willie Lim is known for his expertise at analyzing and interpreting kata and he has traveled around the world making a difference in our understanding...
Taisabaki No Kata – The Body Movements of Form
By Dr. William Durbin ~ It has been acknowledged by most authorities, at least those who actually train in traditional martial arts, that Kata is...
