2026

2026-01-05

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

Our first class of 2026 had great attendance, and we’ve finally got enough students of sufficient rank to start a bit of genuine jiyu kumite. However, with that comes the necessity for additional safety. I’m asking everyone to purchase a mouth guard, and either purchase hand pads and head gear or use the shared gear I have on hand. I explain it like this:

• The hand pads are non-negotiable. They aren’t for you - they’re for the other person. They won’t keep you from getting bruises, but they should keep you from minor cuts if your blocks need work. (Also, for those wearing glasses, my personal rule is that the glasses come off when the gloves go on.)

• The head gear is mandatory for minors and strongly encouraged for adults. It won’t keep you from getting hurt if you walk face first into a roundhouse kick, but it will protect you from cracking your gourd on the floor if you get swept.

• The mouth guard is also mandatory for minors and strongly encouraged for adults. This one is a no-brainer. They cost less than $4 at Walmart and can save you a few thousand dollars in dental bills.

After reading all that, you may be thinking that this safety gear doesn’t sound like it protects you very much at all but, if so, you may need to change the way you think about kumite. The safety gear isn’t there to allow you to go at unreasonable, unsafe speeds. It’s there so you can go at a reasonable speed and still be protected when you (inevitably) make a mistake or two.

Think of it like the safety equipment in your car. The seatbelt and airbags shouldn’t encourage you to drive at dangerously unsafe speeds. If you hit a telephone pole at 100 mph, you’re probably still going to die. However, if you’re driving at reasonable speeds, they’ll do a very good job of protecting you when you have a fender-bender.

2026-01-07

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

When students begin free sparring, they tend to hold their hands like boxers - with their forearms pointing almost straight up. That’d be fine if we were boxing, but we’re not. When we stand in “guard” position, it’s best to have both fists pointing at the “bad guy” at all times. Think of it this way: If your arms are pointing up, then punching requires you to lower your arm until it points at the target before you punch - he’ll see that coming. It’s far better to simply have your arms pointing at the target in the first place.

I tell my students to pretend they have laser pointers strapped to their wrists and, unless they’re already punching or blocking, they need to keep the laser dot on the bad guy at all times. That way, there’s no need to “aim” because it’s already done. All they need to do is thrust their arm forward.

2026-01-12

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

Back in October of 2024, I wrote “Spirit first; technique second”, a look at the fifth principle of Funakoshi’s Niju Kun, and it came to mind again last night. I can (and do) teach my students the physical techniques of karate. It’s not easy, but it’s much easier than teaching them mental toughness and a never-give-up attitude.

After kumite drills last night, I mentioned this to my students, and asked them if they sensed a difference in intensity between partnering with a brown or black belt and partnering with anyone else. (They agreed that they did.)

If so, it’s because we senior students practice the mentality along with the physicality, because we know that how you practice is how you’ll perform. If your mental intensity and the ferocity of your kiai is enough to make your attacker reconsider before ever attacking, that’s not only good, that’s the goal. Nobody goes to the hospital and nobody goes to jail.

Thanks in advance to Sensei Barry O’Brien and Sensei Dave Bracklow for covering my classes while I’m on vacation for the next several weeks.