The Pinan / Heian Series

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...
Donald Miskel

Martial Art Subtleties: The Lessons Kata Teach

The kata were created in such a way that they required careful learning, training and much repetition to acquire the skill and learn the...

Hyung: The Hidden Secrets of Tae Kwon Do

Many black belts and students of Tae Kwon Do don’t realize the devastating self-defense applications that are hidden within every hyung (forms) taught in...
Hohan Soken

Mike Hancock on Kata Bunkai

For centuries the martial arts have been cloaked in mystery and folk lore.  The deadly techniques used by master practitioners of karate were frequently...
Willie Lim Classical Dimension

Willie Lim Unlocks Martial Arts Truths

Willie Lim likes nothing better than to unlock martial arts truths. He is demystifying martial arts, shattering illusions that many would like to keep...
Willie Lim Classical Dimension

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

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...

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...

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 ~...

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,...