by Thomas Kurz High kicks were introduced to karate between 1936 and 1945 by Funakoshi Yoshitaka, son of the founder of Shotokan karate, Funakoshi Gichin (Draeger 1974). The original karate of Funakoshi Gichin, based on Okinawan te, was oriented toward self-defense. Its stances were wide, its kicks short, powerful, and low — to avoid counterattacks […]
Why and Since When Are High Kicks in Karate? Read More »
by Thomas Kurz After immigrating to the U.S.A. in the early 1980s as a political refugee, I was looking for a way to make a living from my sports-science know-how. So I was looking at publications on various aspects of sports training and p.e., among them martial arts’ magazines. Especially in those martial arts’ magazines,
High Kicks and Splits, Monkey Mind, and Advertising Read More »
by Thomas Kurz Some time ago I talked with a sports instructor friend about using teaching cues, including those I call “control points,” as well as analogies. And a few days ago he pointed me to a mini-course based on a book The Language of Coaching: The Art & Science of Teaching Movement by coach
Comments on The Language of Coaching: Not Only for Coaches and Instructors Read More »
Making weight takes time and effort–but if you exercise in shorts and a t-shirt (or without the t-shirt) at or below a freezing temperature (0 °C = 32 °F) you can do it quicker and easier than if you’d exercised within human thermoneutral zone (for people of normal weight it starts at 21 °C and
How to Make Weight Sooner and Easier Read More »
by Thomas Kurz Information on this Web page is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before treating yourself or others. Always consult a
Injuries: When You Have to Have Surgery Read More »
by Thomas Kurz Well-schooled instructors know thoroughly their sport’s techniques and tactics as well as the methods of teaching physical skills. Instructors with teaching know-how make their students learn skills quick and easy. Such instructors’ knowledge of teaching methods makes it so. No matter how great is an instructor’s mastery of a sport, if that
A Bit of Know-How for Teaching (and Learning) Techniques Faster Read More »
by Thomas Kurz In efforts lasting more than a few seconds, do you breathe (i.e., you do not hold your breath) throughout your movements and positions? For high performance and for athletic longevity you should breathe throughout movements with resistance permitting several reps, for example, kettlebell lifts or mace swings done in multiple reps, grappling
Breathe for Better Performance Read More »
by Thomas Kurz When you lift weights, can you move slowly but fluidly or with stops but without bouncing or “jumping” over some range of your movement’s path? If you can’t, then the cause is a weakness at the movement’s range over which you have to “bounce” or “jump.” That weakness may be caused by
Slow Down for Great and Lasting Strength Read More »
by Thomas Kurz Look at the video, laugh, and be glad you know better. A perfect demo how not to stretch for splits Aren’t you glad you know better?
A Perfect Demo How Not to Stretch for Splits Read More »
by Thomas Kurz I get questions like, “I am 40. Am I too old to improve my [insert here some athletic ability, for example, flexibility, or strength, or endurance] following your training programs?” I let the below email from Tom Corrie be an answer to such questions. “I am writing to thank you for producing
Too Old to Get Better? Read More »
