Iain Abernethy - The Practical Application Of Karate

Sorry there was no podcast in February. All my time was taken up getting the latest issue of Jissen (free online practical martial arts magazine) ready for download. That issue was our most popular yet and we’re now back with a brand new podcast! This month we discuss the always controversial subject of “weapon defence”. The podcast begins by looking at the nature of karate and poses the question of whether the methods of kata effectively address this vitally important area? The podcast also compares unarmed combat and armed combat, as well as suggesting some ideas for effectively training with weapons. The podcast includes my own views on disarms and also asks whether “weapon defence” is even a viable concept? Perhaps there is a better way to deal with an armed enemy? I do hope you enjoy the podcast and find it useful. The podcast also includes a little bit of news on the Society of Applied Traditional Martial Arts (SATMA) which I hope you’ll also find of interest. All the best, Iain

April’s podcasts sees us discuss mind training! There are lots of differing ways in which people can approach mind training. Not all are too my tastes and I have to be honest and say I’m not that great a fan of some of the more “esoteric” approaches. I am with Gichin Funakoshi that the strengthening of the mind is achieved, not through any flowery / “new-age” practises, but through austere combative training: “One whose spirit and mental strength have been strengthened by sparring with a never-say-die attitude should find no challenge too great to handle. One who has undergone long years of physical pain and mental agony to learn one punch, one kick should be able to face any task, no matter how difficult, and carry it through to the end. A person like this can truly be said to have learnt karate.” – Gichin Funakoshi In this podcast I discuss the ways in which martial arts training can strengthen the mind, and how that strengthening process can benefit our daily lives as well as our combative skills. I thin

In the first podcast of 2009 we will be discussing my views on the history and applications of Chinto / Gankaku kata. This includes a discussion on the kata’s history and the key aspects of its application. The history of the kata has not been definitively established, but it is widely thought that Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura created this kata following a period of instruction from a shipwrecked Chinese martial artist by the name of Chinto. This podcast recounts the story of the kata’s creation and examines the impact this has on how we should view the kata, and how we should apply it. This podcast also compares Chinto to other kata – such as the Pinan / Heian series, Kushanku (Kanku-Dai) and Passai (Bassai-Dai) – in order to explore the kata’s unique nature. Examples of the bunkai (fighting applications) of the kata are also discussed. We also cover some historical information about Matsumura’s recorded distain for certain methods in order to see how the modern versions of the kata may contain elements that wer

This month we will be covering the history and evolution of modern boxing. In particular we will be focusing on the life and times of James Figg (1695 – 1734); who is regarded as the father of modern boxing. As we will see, the boxing that Figg practised and taught was quite different from the boxing of today. Old style boxing included punching, kicking, grappling, throwing, weapons, etc. Indeed, the evolution of boxing has a great deal in common with the evolution of karate. Both arts were originally brutal and holistic, but became more and more specialised as time passed. These parallels are also explored in the podcast. To illustrate how boxing was originally practiced, the podcast describes Figg’s bout with Ned Sutton in 1727. This bout included punching, throwing, ground-fighting, cudgels and swords! We also cover how Jack Broughton – Figg’s student and boxing champion for 20 years – introduced the rules that saw the banning of gouging and kicking a man when he was down. Modern boxing has also had a st

Kushanku kata (also known as ‘Kanku-Dai’ and ‘Kosokun’) is one of the most popular forms in modern karate. It is a physically demanding and visually impressive form (when performed correctly) and it has a great deal to offer the practically minded karateka. In this podcast we will look at the history of the kata and examine some of the key concepts relating to its application. The kata is a record of the combative techniques and concepts formulated by a Chinese martial artist who went by the name of Kushanku. In this podcast we look at the historical descriptions of Kushanku and the combative methods he is said to have employed. The podcast then moves onto discuss who created the kata, the linage of the kata and how it has come down to us today. The main part of the podcast discusses the combative methodology recorded by the kata. This include a discussion on the concepts of datum setting - the throws of Kushanku, and the reasoning behind the order in which the techniques are presented in the kata. This po

Would you believe it’s been a full two years since our first podcast! Thanks to everyone for your continued support of them! This month we are discussing the basics of power generation and the use of impact equipment. Being able to strike hard is without a doubt the most important skill needed for the combative side of self-protection. Karate is an art based on the “one blow, one kill” concept and hence power generation, and the use of impact equipment, should be central to what we do. It would be fair to say, however, that this is generally not the case. This podcast covers some of the reasons why much of modern karate has lost its way with regards to power and impact; as well as covering what we need to do to put things right. The podcast starts with a look at the basic concepts of power generation. This includes the key principles of bodyweight, hip movement, timing and torque. An understanding of these principles is vital if you wish to have fight stopping power in your strikes. We look at these principl

This month’s podcast sees us continue our discussion on kata-based-sparring (KBS). Last month we covered the broad principles of KBS and established how it relates to kata and fits into karate as a whole. This month’s podcast moves on and covers the structure of KBS and looks at some specific KBS drills. This podcast is divided into two sections. The first part covers the key ideas that you need to be aware of when structuring your own KBS drills. These ideas will help ensure that your drills are related to kata and will develop true self-protection skills. The second part of the podcast gives examples of specific KBS drills that I make use of in my own teaching and grading syllabus. It is obviously not possible to cover every single drill, but it is hoped that the combination of the discussion on structure and the examples given will give you the broad picture and enable you to develop your own KBS drills. The combination of this month’s and last month’s podcasts will help listeners to gain a good understan

In this month’s podcast I wish to return to the very important, and frequently misunderstood, subject of kata-based-sparring. As many of you will know, kata-based-sparring (KBS for short) is a term that I use for live training drills that are based on the techniques and concepts recorded within the traditional kata. I feel it should be obvious to all – but often is not – that if we wish to be able to apply the methodology of kata in live situations, then we need to practise that methodology in a live environment. It is my view that solo kata, bunkai study and compliant drills are nothing without live practise. This live practise should not be confused with common dojo sparring; which often has no connection to kata and is almost always based on the rules of modern competition. Kata was created to record the civilian self-protection system that was the original karate. Our karate sparring will therefore have genuine relevance to real situations if it is based on the kata and the original methods of the system.

As many of you will know, I recently taught a series of seminars in various parts of Canada. Without exception all the seminars were great fun and I’m very grateful to all who attended for their warmth, their enthusiasm and their ability to digest the information we covered. I had a blast! Whist I was in Canada, James Freeman (organiser of the events) and I were interviewed on a morning radio sports show. This month’s podcast includes that interview in full! Topics covered in the interview include my martial background, why I took up karate, the nature of kata, my thoughts on MMA and self-defence, the current state of martial arts, the true nature of self-protection, what the seminars in Canada covered, could I kill someone with my thumb (!), and had I ever kicked someone’s head clean off?! Seriously, I was asked those last two questions! I thought the mix of serious and tongue-in-cheek questions made for a fun and informative interview and I hope you enjoy listing to it. Thanks to Scott and Elliot Knowles f

This month’s podcast is a little different! Instead of giving you some information, we’re going to give you something to do. This podcast provides a 25 minute workout which includes shadow fighting, traditional basics, conditioning exercises, aerobic drills, anaerobic drills, punching combinations, slow kata, normal kata, and more! The idea is that you download the podcast to your MP3 player, mobile phone (cell phone for our friends on the other side of the Atlantic), laptop or burn it to a disk. You then listen to the podcast and do as instructed. It’s an ideal “bit of everything” workout for those days where you don’t have enough time to train as you would like. It also requires no equipment and very little space; making it possible to use the podcast in your home or a hotel room. At the foot of this blog post you will find the link where you can download the podcast (right click on “download”). You can also find a video clip that explains how to use the podcast (visit www.iainabernethy.com if you are read

In this podcast we are looking at Beginning Bunkai! One of the most frequent requests I get via email is for advice on how to get started with the study of bunkai (kata application). So I thought it was about time we did a podcast on that topic! The podcast covers finding regular instruction, setting up training groups, making the most of seminars, dealing with any negative reactions from your instructors and peers, studying the works of the past masters, what your study should include, developing your own unique approach to bunkai, etc. If you are one of those people who is keen to make practical bunkai part of what they do, but you are not sure how to get stared, then this podcast should help. This podcast also includes a free to enter competition! We have received quite a few emails about my accent over the years and I thought it would be fun to run a related competition. I have therefore included a short martial arts related phrase in board Cumbrian (my local dialect). One lucky winner – which will be wh

This month’s podcast is called “Karate Grappling: Did it really exist?”. The podcast begins by asking if karate really did include grappling in the past. Was grappling part of old school karate or is “karate grappling”, as many modernists suggest, just a modern invention in response to the popularity of MMA? What about the traditionalists that say grappling is not a part of karate? Do either of these views have a case? We’ll also look at the evidence for grappling within kata. If grappling is in kata, what kind of grappling is it and how should be training in it? To explore all these issues, the podcastexamines what the past masters had to say on the subject of karate grappling in their writings. In addition to looking at grappling within karate, the podcast also includes a brief examination of the related Okinawan art of Tegumi. This examination is based upon Gichin Funakoshi’s description of his involvement in these bouts and how he believed such training to be of great benefit to the karateka. I feel the

In this podcast we discuss the concepts of “jutsu” and “do” and the related benefits and shortfalls of “karate-justu” (karate for real fighting) and “karate-do” (karate for physical and mental development). In the podcast we examine both approaches and see where they differ and where they have common ground. These two suffixes are becoming more significant these days as the need to differentiate between the many activities that reside under the coverall banner of “karate” increases. In recent times, the term “karate-do” has become associated with ineffective karate that makes little or no attempt to train in a realistic way. The other side of coin is that those who tag themselves as practitioners of “karate-jutsu” are often viewed as dangerous psychotics who revel in violence and who are base individuals unable to appreciate the higher aspects of the martial arts. Are these views justified? Are we using the terms “jutsu” and “do” in the right way? We also look at what a number of history’s most influential m

In this podcast we will be examining Anko Itosu’s 10 precepts of karate! In 1908, Itosu – who was the creator of the Pinan (Heian) kata – wrote a letter outlining his views on karate and explaining why he felt karate should be introduced on to the Okinawan school system. It is this letter, and the 10 precepts recorded within it, that is the subject of this month’s podcast. There are many English translations of this important document; but unfortunately they vary quite a bit and in some instances express very different sentiments. There is a 1938 book called ’Karate-Do Taikan’ which contains relatively good quality photographs of Itosu’s 1908 letter. To get the translation discussed in the podcast, I scanned the pictures of the original Itosu document from the book and sent those scans, without any background information, to one of the UK’s leading translation companies. As non-karateka and professional translators I felt that they would be able to give an accurate translation. The translation company infor

This latest podcast calls into question the accepted translation of “Pinan” as “Peaceful Mind”. I’m currently preparing a book on the combative application of the Pinan (Heian) series and, as a result of some of the new research for that book, I’m now convinced that the karate world has got the translation wrong and that this alternative translation has ramifications for how we should view those forms. You can see the characters used for writing “Pinan” (Heian) as part of this blog entry and their meaning will be explained in the podcast. I believe that Anko Itosu (the creator of the Pinan Series) did not intend for these characters to be read as “Peaceful Mind” and that they do in fact have a name directly related to their purpose and combative function. The view expressed in this podcast runs contrary to the universally accepted meaning of “Pinan” and I am aware that this view is potentially controversial. To my knowledge, I am also the only person to who has suggested this alternative theory to the widely

This month’s podcast is entitled “The most important part of practical karate training” and, as its name suggests, it covers the most important part of karate training! The podcast is just over 17 minutes long and should be of interest to all those who believe karate training should address the needs of self-protection. Please see the foot of this blog entry to download the podcast or listen to it on-line.   I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support of these podcasts and for enthusiastically spreading the word. I’m delighted with the feedback we are getting and that so many people are listening to them. Thank you very much!   I hope you enjoy this month’s podcast and if you’d like to be informed as soon as next month’s is available, please be sure to subscribe to the newsletters. Thanks once again for your support.   Best Wishes,   Iain

Welcome to the latest Iain Abernethy.com podcast! This month’s podcast is called “Kata: Why Bother?” and it discusses the nature and value of kata from a practical viewpoint. It also asks if there is a place of kata in modern training or if it is increasingly becoming an archaic waste of training time? The podcast is around 18 minutes long and is based on an article I wrote a number of years ago. The podcast also looks why kata were created in the first place and suggests how we need to approach kata if it is to have value as a record of combative techniques and as a training method. I hope that you enjoy the podcast and as always any feedback will be gratefully received (iain@iainabernethy.com) Best Wishes, Iain

This month’s podcast and video lesson have been combined to provide a guided workout on the bag! I figured it was time we did something practical in addition to all the theory we have been discussing.  What you first need to do is watch the video clip below. It will briefly explain and demonstrate all the various drills included in the workout. You then should download the podcast (right click on “download”) and burn it to a CD or put it on your MP3 player.  If you listen to the podcast whilst working out on the bag it will guide you through the drills and tell you when to stop and start. The whole workout lasts around 20 minutes and can be put at the start or end of your training sessions. Done correctly, the workout will develop aerobic and anaerobic fitness, explosiveness, muscular endurance, technique, power and the correct combative mindset.  The workout is structured as follows:  Hands only (1 min – moderate pace) Kicks only (1 min – moderate pace) Hand & Feet (1 min – moderate pace) 1 Minute Res

 Hi All, Please find below the latest podcast! You can listen to this podcast online using this blog’s built in player, or you can download it to listen to later. In this latest podcast I cover the combative application of the Pinan / Heian series of kata. These kata are sadly often considered to be little more than a form of physical exercise for children or beginners. However, it is my view that the Pinan / Heian series do in fact represent a coherent, complete and highly effective civilian combat system. Some of the reasons for why I hold that view are covered in this podcast. This podcast includes information on the fighting style of Anko Itosu (the creator of the Pinan kata), why the Pinan kata are structured as they are, an explanation for why Itou’s opponents were said to frequently end up face down and unconscious, the combative progression that is central to the Pinan series, etc. The recent video lessons included in this blog have included instruction on how the Pinan / Heian kata counter

Hi All,  Please find below the latest Podcast! We’ve had a lot of feedback from the podcasts and plenty of you have been writing to let me know what subjects you’d like me to cover. One topic that kept coming up was weight training for the martial artist. As you may know, I am also a qualified weight training coach and a keen weight lifter. In this podcast, I discuss some of the fundamentals you need to be aware of if you are to make weight training an effective supplement to your martial arts training. This podcast also covers how I personally train with the weights and the methods I’ve found the most effective. I hope that you enjoy this podcast and find it useful. As always, all feedback will be gratefully received.  All the best, Iain