by Richard Conceicao This particular hand formation has become, in the western mind, as representative of all Asian martial arts in general; from the “judo chop” on. It is ubiquitous in all of our forms, and taught in all dojangs at some level. Obviously the founders...
by Richard Conceicao As with any discussion of the principles in martial arts, each one could take many years to a lifetime of exploration, in order to gain mastery. The understanding of angles and angular relationships in combat is another example of this. In our...
by Richard Conceicao Basic Blocking In order to understand the proper application of what we call “blocks” a distinction has to be made for each one having a separate defensive and offensive application. While discussion of the different applications will be resumed...
by Richard Conceicao Cat stance A stance while not commonly used as much in modern-day karate still maintains its importance in self-defense situations. As with all stances described it must be understood that these are transitional states, they are not meant to be...
by Richard Conceicao Now that we have discussed structural basics common to all stances, but begin to examine each one in slightly more depth. FRONT STANCE The proper way to structure your front stance is as follows: The feet should be shoulder width apart. This...
by Richard Conceicao Elements of Structure (or: The fat Chinese guys in the paintings had it right!) Introduction: Structure is an essential part of any martial art. It makes a difference in every technique, every stance, every move. It forms the basis of everything...
