Iain Abernethy - The Practical Application Of Karate

In this podcast I wish to discuss what constitutes a “karate technique”. Or in other words, what makes a technique a part of karate? Can techniques be added to practise and legitimately be considered to be part of karate? And what of “forgotten” techniques that were once part of practise? Are they no longer karate techniques? How do we define a “karate technique” anyway? While it may seem this is one of those pedantic discussions that are so prevalent in the martial arts, I would suggest it’s an important question that has a huge impact on how karate is practised today and the future course it will take. Our discussion of this topic will also allow us to look at the relationships that exist between the various martial arts, and for us to tackle that long existing martial myth of the unique origin of technique. In the podcast we look at techniques which were not practised within karate but now are commonplace; techniques which were commonplace within karate which are now generally not practised; and what al

Welcome to the latest podcast! In this episode we discuss what differentiates a living kata from a dead one. When karateka commonly talk about kata being “alive” what they are referring to is a vigorous performance; as opposed to a lacklustre one. However, to my way of thinking, a kata needs far more than simply looking “lively” to be truly alive! For kata to be alive it must be part of a wider process. It is the "seed" that the fighting systems of the past produced. The seed can only truly live when it is allowed to grow and thrive. Kata must be practiced. The applications of kata must be understood; and more importantly the combative principles that those applications encapsulate must be internalised thorough drills and live practise with live partners, such that those principles form habits; habits we will fight in accordance with. The kata then is living and breathing within us. It’s if fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. It is not lying dormant awaiting the inevitable rot; it is alive and t

One of the never-ending controversies in martial arts is the role and influence of the combat sports. Some are ardent supporters and some see the sporting side of the martial arts as a heresy that should be challenged and slighted at every opportunity. Those who would class themselves as “traditional martial artists” often see the modern sporting offspring of the traditional arts as an aberration that is a betrayal of the values, objectives and ethos of their non-sporting forerunners. Those who concentrate on civilian self-protection are also often quick to slight combat sports for their limitations, rules and lack of “realism”. So in this podcast I’m going to come out in defence of sport against the traditional and reality based neigh-sayers. The reason I feel the need to do that is that our combat athletes are normally incredibly bad at doing this! The arguments put forward in defence of sport to the traditional and reality based communities are normally very poor. They are frequently logically unsound an

Welcome to the last podcast of 2013! This month we answer your questions! It’s been over a year since the last question and answer podcast so it’s about time we did another. Thanks to the many questions submitted, we cover a whole host of topics in a podcast that is a whopping 96 minutes long! Hopefully plenty to keep you entertained over the holiday period. Think of it as an early Christmas gift :-) Topics covered include stances, women’s self-defense, my top 5 martial arts movies, the relevance of kata in the age of MMA, high kicking vs. low kicking, weapons training, my favorite kata and why it’s my favorite, adapting technique to the circumstance and the individual, dealing with feeling de-motivated, meditation, the non-combative benefits of kata, martial arts and character development, conditioning vs. technical training, training for the over 40s, and loads more besides! I am extremely grateful for the support these podcasts receive and I hope this end of year mixed bag is something you enjoy. I’l

In this podcast we look at Street Fighting! In particular, I explore what the term actually means, the connotations it can have, and the confusion and dangerous thinking that can result. The podcast looks at the vital differences between “street fighting” and “self-protection” and explores the why fighting skills are not what is needed to deal with criminal violence. The podcast highlights and explores the key three problems with “street fighting”, why neither you nor the criminal wants a fight, vital legal considerations, and why most martial artists as blind to what truly works when things get physical. We also have the usual quick round up of news and some new theme music! Thank you for your support of these podcasts, and in particular a huge thanks to all of you who keep telling your friends and training partners about them! There would be no podcasts without your support! I hope you enjoy this latest offering and I’ll be back with more soon! All the best, Iain PS The download link for this

This is not the latest iainabernety.com podcast, but a “bonus podcast” of my recent interview with MartialPreneur TV! It’s just over 50 minutes long and looks at my experiences as fulltime martial artist. In the podcast I am asked about how I came to be a full time martial artist, what lessons I have learnt along the way, what is my advice for those who similarly want to commit to the martial lifestyle, my advice for those looking to publish books and DVDs, and quite a bit more too. I really enjoyed chatting with Scott and I think that comes across. I hope you the podcast! I’ll be back with the next iainabernethy.com podcast very soon; which is on the subject of “street fighting” :-) Speak soon! All the best, Iain PS The download link can be found below the player MartialPreneur TV Blurb: “This week’s special guest is Iain Abernethy. Iain is best known for his work on the practical application of karate and kata bunkai or application of the moves within kata for real combat. He has been a publishe

In this month’s podcast we cover two topics! The first thing we cover is “The Case for Kata”. The question is often asked if kata itself plays a meaningful role in practise. If kata is nothing more than a repository for bunkai, then why not just practise the applications and do away with kata? Does keeping the solo forms, and devoting time to their practise, serve any meaningful purpose? Naturally, I think the solo form does have an important role to play; and in the first section I explain why. The second section of this podcast looks at “A Warrior’s View of Fate”. I begin by discussing my take on the character development / life-enhancing side of the martial arts before moving on to the topic of “fate”. The warriors of the past had well developed views on fate in order to ensure bravery in battle and to help deal with the precariousness of their existence. It is also my view that time in the dojo can teach us about the workings of fate, and that we can use that knowledge to help shape our future outside

This new podcast looks at the ever controversial topic of money and the martial arts. In the podcast I share my views on whether it is right to take payment for martial arts instruction; what amounts to unethical  behaviour; the different attitudes that exist to money; how people can unwittingly help unethical instructors; how to most effectively combat money hungry “McDojos”; how money can effect the teacher / student relationship; how money can further good quality martial arts; and more besides! This podcast also includes the usual news and our first ever musical section! Towards the end of the podcast we have (in full and with permission) the brilliant song “Dojo Blues” by The Aspiring Legends! It’s a brilliant song that all martial artists will be able to relate to, and once it gets into your head it will be there for days! I hope you enjoy the podcast and I’ll be back with move soon! All the best, Iain PS The direct download link for this podcast can be found underneath the player below.

This month’s podcast covers one-step sparring; as well as the related practises of three-step and five-step sparring. Whist a very common form of practise in karate, taekwondo, etc. it is my belief that such training is a largely pointless. In the podcast I look at why I feel one-step sparring is a “dead-end” and why it does not develop any useable attributes. It is important to isolate techniques however, but this needs to be done in a way that can progress to live practise and free flowing application.  I therefore also suggest what I see as better ways to isolate techniques. The podcast also looks at common arguments made in favour of one-step sparring and explains why I don’t think they hold up to close scrutiny. I hope you enjoy the podcast and that, regardless of weather you agree with my position or not, you find it provides food for thought.  Enjoy and I’ll be back with more soon! All the best, Iain

Hi All, This is not the iainabernethy.com podcast! This podcast is from RichardBarnes.com and it is an interview Richard conducted with me a few days ago. The interview mainly focuses on my journey through the martial arts and how I ended up teaching for a living. Richard is a good friend and I hope you find the interview interesting. Those of you who have already heard this interview from Richard’s website may be interested to know that I’ve added an introduction to this version that explains how I “walked on water”! Please listen to the podcast and see the embedded image to find out more :-) Be sure to check out Richard’s other episodes and I’ll be back with my own podcast early in the New Year! All the best, Iain Link to Richard’s website: http://richardbarnes.com/real-life-real-people-with-iain-abernethy What I love about Iain’s story is how he gave up the day job and did the job of his dreams. In fact from an early age he made choices that meant he could do the thing he enjoyed most. Ia

Welcome to the latest iainabernethy.com podcast! It’s been sometime since we last turned the podcast over to the listeners, so I’ve put that right this month. I asked for questions via the website, facebook and twitter and we did our best to cover as many of them as we could. Topics covered include: realism in training, kicking in self-defence, scenario training, training with joint injuries, the evolution of kata, the physiological and psychological effects of conflict, the specifics of female self-defence, home training, using weights to increase punching power, time management for training, and loads more! It’s around one hour twenty minutes long so make yourself comfortable when you sit down to listen to it! This podcast is a little different from the normal as I’m joined by a co-presenter; namely the lovely Becky. She’s a goju practitioner who comes from a good karate family (her granddad, dad and brother are all black belts) and, in the interests of full disclosure, she is also my girlfriend :-) B

Welcome to the October 2012 iainabernethy.com podcast! This podcast is titled “The Masters Speak!” and it covers twenty-five or so of some of my favourite quotes from the works of the past masters. In the podcast we include the words of masters such as Itosu, Funakoshi, Otsuka, Mabuni, Motobu, Kyan, etc. What I hope these quotations show is that much of what is regarded as “traditional” today is not that traditional! The quotes show that the masters of the past thought that kata without application was “useless”, that karate training should include locking and throwing, that the directions in kata have nothing to do with the angle of attack, that the idea of the kata being for multiple “opponents” who attack in turn was “nonsense”, that awareness and avoidance training is vital, that we should hit first once conflict can’t be avoided, that there is no such thing as a “pure style”, and so forth. It’s all stuff that those listening to these podcasts are likely to agree with; and yet those like us often fi

Welcome to the latest iainabernethy.com podcast! This month we cover the very important topic of “context”. The failure to understand the huge impact of context is one of the biggest problems in modern martial arts / self-defence. This failure has people training in incorrect, inefficient and sometimes downright dangerous ways. It can also stop us from enjoying all the fun and benefits our training can bring us. In the podcast I define what I mean by “context”, explain how important it is to define the “win”, look at how context and the “win” determine what pool of techniques we should draw from, how the very effective tactics in one context can be disastrous in another, etc. I also look at some of the common misunderstandings relating to context. Context is often an underlying issue in many debates and discussions where we see people criticising “apples” because they are not like “oranges”, and where people see defining context as a slight to their favoured art or system. To me, context is one of the m

Welcome to the latest iainabernethy.com podcast! It’s been a little while since the last one due to the many demands upon my time, so I hope you feel this one is worth the wait! In the first part of the podcast I quickly tell you what I’ve been up to since we last spoke and give a short update on the World Combat Association. We then get into the main theme for this month which is the twenty precepts of Gichin Funakoshi and some of my thoughts about them. The twenty precepts are interesting and wide ranging and they give me an opportunity to talk about martial ethics, pre-emption, the importance of the correct martial mindset, the impact of the martial arts on life outside the dojo, the need for regular training, principles over techniques, the importance of avoiding conflict, awareness vs. paranoia, the purpose of stances, the application of kata in actual conflict, the difference between “practicing” and “doing”, the importance of mindful training, and more! The podcast is not indented to be a definitiv

In this month’s podcast we will be looking at verbal de-escalation. What I mean by that is what we can do to calm people down, avoid unnecessary physical conflict, and “talk our way out”. It’s not enough to simply give the topic lip service, as many do, with throw away lines such as “talk your way out if you can”. That’s like saying “punch hard” and expecting students to be able to punch well despite never having being taught punching or having practised it. There is huge skill set associated with talking your way out of situations that should not be ignored. Training solely in the physical, and totally ignoring the vitally important non-physical aspects of self-defence, gives us the massive problem that all we have is a physical solution! We could therefore find ourselves in situations we should never have been in, unable to avoid situations that could have been avoided, and running the risk of physical harm (and legal problems) when there was a way to avoid the situation becoming physical. If we truly

Welcome to the latest iainabernethy.com podcast! In this podcast I give my thoughts on Gichin Funakoshi’s “Six Rules” (of which there are five!). These rules form part of Funakoshi’s book ‘Karate-Do: My Way of Life’ and about which he states, “The strict observance of these rules is absolutely essential for anyone who desires to understand the nature of karate.” This podcast is obviously not attempting to be a definitive explanation or exploration of these rules, but merely my own take on them. Funakoshi expands and briefly explains all these rules so the podcast also looks at those explanations. Funakoshi’s explanations of his rules raise many points of discussion and are every bit as important to explore as the rules themselves. Overall, I think these rules are very useful for today’s karateka (and martial artists generally). However, I do find some parts of Funakoshi’s rules “uncomfortable” particularly with regards to his presentation of karate as a “faith”. In the podcast I explain my concerns abou

The podcast is back! Please accept my apologies for the delay between podcasts. Hopefully you will find it worth the wait! Seeing as you have been so patient, this podcast covers two topics in a kind of “double feature”! The first subject is “Discipline and Defiance”. Discipline is something readily claimed as one of the positives of martial arts training. However, it’s not all positive and in this podcast I’d like to share my thinking on how discipline, of the wrong sort, can be problematic when it comes to both character development and the practical application of the martial arts. The other related subject we will be exploring is that of defiance. It’s is my view that martial training needs to develop a sense of defiance in order to optimise self-defence skills and develop character. I hope you find my thoughts on these two attributes interesting. The second subject is “Practical Karate”. In that section I look at what the word “practical” actually means and therefore what attributes karate – or any

Welcome to August’s podcast! In this podcast we discuss the issue of multiple enemies. Despite the fact that multiple enemies are a likely occurrence in self-protection situations, I think it would be fair to say that the majority of groups ignore this likelihood and concentrate solely on one-on-one methodologies and tactics. Unfortunately, one-on-one methodologies and tactics can work brilliantly when things are one-on-one, but can be totally inappropriate and fail dramatically when the numbers increase. The need for solid technique at all ranges remains constant, what changes is what techniques we choose to use and how we choose to use them. In this podcast we look at multiple enemies from both a self-protection perspective and, towards the end of the podcast, from the perspective of karate kata. We also look at what tactics are most effective when facing multiple enemies, how to pre-emptively strike when facing a group, the basics of designing training drills for multiple enemies, some multiple enemy m

Welcome to the July 11 podcast! This month has me musing over a wide range of martial topics raised by listeners. We look at methods of breathing; the value of cross-training; using empty-hand kata for weapons; bunkai deniers; training for the non-physical aspects of confrontation; the order in which we should learn kata; the “two-hand” rule of bunkai; weapon defence in kata; Motobu’s place in karate history; karate styles; striking vs. grappling; home training for kyu grades; and my own personal kata practise. A pretty wide ranging podcast I’m sure you’ll agree! I have to say that I really enjoyed putting this one together and feel that it is one of the more information dense podcasts we’ve done. The podcast is around seventy minutes long so I hope that you enjoy listening to it. I have some themed pieces ready to go so I’ll be back with another podcast very soon. Enjoy! All the best, Iain

In this month’s podcast I want to discuss my personal take on visualisation training. Visualisation training is where we mentally rehearse a given task or scenario in order to help us prepare for that task or scenario. I’ve made use of visualisation over the years and I’ve found it to be very useful. It can be a great supplement to physical training and can help develop skill, improve performance, boost confidence and help give you a positive self-image. It can help you rehearse so you are well prepared for any task you are undertaking. It also has uses in our everyday lives outside of the martial arts too. Visualisation can be done anywhere and with no equipment. You can train as a passenger in a car, while sitting at your desk, on a plane, before you go to sleep at night, before you get out of bed in the morning, when injured, when tired, when ill, and so on. In this podcast I explain what visualisation is, how I personally practise it, how to ensure it is effective and some of the more common probl