Broken Hand…but resolute spirit! Sparring! A hook punch to Dirk-san’s right hip bone and one broken metacarpal. It happened so quickly just three weeks ago. “The time to strike is when the opportunity prese…

This Friday we had a special practice session at the dojo. Sensei was talking with us about the two first codes of Isshinryu. 1. A person’s heart is the same as Heaven and Earth. 2. Blood Circulating is Similar t…

Mind without mind – Mushin Over the years of my training and the special code of karate class I attended last Friday, Sensei Oliver has shared the meaning and its relevance to developing as a student of I…

“Pain and pleasure like light and darkness, succeed each other.” – Lawrence Stone Sunday sparring and accepting the pain. It is what it is! As Ike-san, Dirk-san and myself took turns sparring, my final round for t…

This Saturday there was a welcome change to the routine. My son and I attended a sword casting class at the dojo. Throughout the morning we learned what different types of swords there were throughout antiquity. We…