Great kihon makes great kata and kumite.  This is something that two of my Sensei’s, Sensei Cieplik and Sensei Brien, have shared with me over the years. For those unfamiliar with Japanese, kihon means basics.  Basics are a technique or combination of techniques that make up the majority of training …
After many years of assisting Karate students, I have found one area that I often have the hardest time explaining to students of all levels. This particular issue is the bow (bending at the hips and lowering your head, not the bow and arrow) before the start and at the …
Below is a video playlist from the 2014 Illinois State Karate Championships held on April 27, 2014 in Palatine, Illinois. There was a lot of good competition since this is the qualifier for the upcoming Karate Nationals that will be held in Las Vegas in mid July. The mats were …