Principles 2 and 3

2. There is no First Strike in karate

At first glance this principle looks very odd. Surely it is impossible to have a fight without there being a first strike? In every bout of a martial arts exchange someone has to go first surely? I think there is a deeper, more esoteric meaning here. Various commentaries imply that this is all about forbearance; that a Karateka should not resort to the actual violence of combat until they have reached the limits of what is an acceptable level of endurance. This makes good practical sense; Karate is an art where the body is a weapon and can be used at will, therefore to avoid undue injury (or jail time) the practitioner should avoid it’s casual use and only deploy it as a last resort. In fencing it’s different. Your average fencer does not carry a sword at all times, ready to charge into action a la Zorro. (Or at least I don’t!)

So what relevance does this principle have to a fencer? Well, in my opinion it’s all about reacting in a calm and controlled manner. Do not be provoked into rash actions and on no account get annoyed or upset by any antics your opponent may try. It is vital to remain in control of yourself and therefore the fight at all times. Avoid being driven into making the first strike; but make the first strike at the right time if the opportunity arises.

3. Karate Stands on the Side of Justice
To me this means that when fencing you should behave in the right way and do the right thing. You should also encourage others to do the same. End of lesson!

Principle 1:

Do not forget that Karate begins and ends with respect

This is fairly self explanatory but is worth considering from a fencing perspective. Fencing has a long tradition of respect; for your opponent, for your training partner, for your coach and for the president. It is an integral part of the sport and one should be mindful of this at all times.     

The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate

I was given a book at Xmas regarding the Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate as written by Gichin Funakoshi.* You may wonder what relevance these will have for fencers but let me detail them for you and see what you think....
1. Do not forget that Karate begins and ends with respect
2. There is no first strike in Karate
3. Karate stands on the side of justice
4. First know yourself, then know others
5. Mentality over technique
6. The mind must be set free
7. Calamity springs from carelessness
8. Karate goes beyond the dojo
9. Karate is a lifelong pursuit
10. Apply the way of Karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
11. Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state
12. Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing
13. Make adjustments according to your opponent
14. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
15. Think of the opponent's hands and feet as swords
16. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies
17. Ready stance is for beginners; later one stands in natural stance
18. Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
19. Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique 
20. Be constantly mindful, diligent and resourceful in your pursuit of the way   

So there you are, the guiding principles as specified by the founder himself. The relevance to fencing of some of them is obvious, others not so. I will leave them with you to ponder for a while, then I will return to the subject in subsequent posts......


* "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate - the Spritual Legacy of the Master" Gichin Funakoshi. Translated by John Teramoto. Kodansha International 2003      

The Theory of Relativity

One of the things that has always amused me as a coach is how the enthusiasm and energy levels of fights between young students rises meteorically when it concerns siblings. I was coaching a group of younglings this weekend and things were going pretty well, quite relaxed and some good fencing until brother and sister Eduardo and Francesca faced off. Then it was carnage a go go! Francesca (who I think is about nine or ten) suddenly became a whirling dervish when faced with her brother, but at least they didn't hurt each other.... too much!
I had to smile later on when presiding a fight. Francesca was judging for her brother and raised her hand enthusiastically signalling a hit. I halted the fight even though I hadn't seen a hit and enquired "So Eduardo has scored a good hit...?" I could almost see the cogs whirring as realisation dawned that she was just about to award her brother a point. Hand still held proudly aloft, she frowned and said definitely "NO....."
As I said, I had to smile..... Just one of the perilous but humorous dangers of coaching children!       

Happy Birthday Ali

Muhammad Ali is 70 today. Here’s a selection of quotes from The Greatest


"Champions aren't made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

"When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace."

"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life."

"I'm the best. I just haven't played yet." Ali on golf

"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

"I think maybe my Parkinson's is God's way of reminding me what is important. It slowed me down and caused me to listen rather than talk. Actually, people pay more attention to me now because I don't talk as much."

Fifty steps, one hundred steps

I read an interesting Japanese saying recently; "Gojuppo hyappo" which translates as "fifty steps, one hundred steps" i.e. if you have taken fifty steps then make the effort to complete one hundred. This seems to be very apt as another year turns before us and we enter 2012. It is very easy to start something at this time of the year and then never finish it, whether it be that improved lunge, new diet, fitness regime, or that book you've been meaning to write. In fencing terms some budding fencers will walk into a salle for the first time ever this year, some student will win their first fight whilst other athletes will be hoping to stride onto the Olympic stage. Life is really nothing but a series of steps at the end of the day and whether you are taking a new path or struggling bravely along the old it serves well to take one at a time and keep putting one foot in front of the other. The path of fencing and indeed of life is really an endless one but it takes spirit sometimes to keep walking. Take all obstacles one step at a time; after all, we are all on the same path. Happy New Year to you all.  

And whilst I'm here.....

...... Happy Xmas to all you folks who keep on dropping by! And best wishes for a prosperous and successful New Year.  

Injury? Opportunity? Or Injuritunity….?

I have recently been talking to my students at length about utilising opportunities when they arise in fencing. One strange opportunity that I have been given over the last seven months is chronic tennis elbow. This is described as a low impact medical injury but anyone who has had it will know it is high impact on the sufferer. Basically it is like someone sticking a red hot needle into your elbow on a continuous basis. I injured mine at epee and have been unable to fence competitively (or do any circular actions against resistance) since mid-May. Initially this proved very frustrating and a tad depressing but I have come to regard it as an opportunity. Why? Well I have been able to spend more time on my coaching, particularly with our budding foilists and it has proven to time well spent. There is now a great sense of camaraderie within the group and I am getting regular requests for individual lessons. I have also taken great pleasure in seeing some new coaches beginning to thrive. This is really the ultimate pleasure for a coach, seeing some of his students taking on the mantle and enjoying it. So I guess the moral of the tale is that even though something may initially appear to be a major pain in the backside it can turn out to be an opportunity in the end!       

Fencing & Sherlock Holmes

With the release of the new Sherlock Holmes film I thought I’d post some of his quotes which in my opinion relate well to fencing. Which is after all, all about solving problems……..


“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear”

“The little things are infinitely the most important”

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”

“There should be no combination of events for which the wit of man cannot conceive an explanation”

“Education never ends Watson. It is a series of lesson with the greatest for last”

“Things must be done decently and in order”

“We can but try”

Think about them and see if you can see the relevance.......

Stealing Arrows

I watched a John Woo film called “Red Cliff” last night and was struck by one particular scene. The story was about a group of Lords who stood up to a tyrannical Prime Minister in ancient China despite being out-numbered and isolated. At one point they run out of arrows and their venerable and knowledgeable chancellor hatches a cunning plot to steal some from the enemy. He sails some ships toward the enemy fleet in a thick fog and provokes the complacent enemy generals into firing volley after volley into his cleverly padded flotilla, thus collecting a huge amount of arrows for their cause. The enemy do not realise they have been duped until it is too late, believing that their superior resources and strength will gain them victory. Their over-confidence in their own strength proves costly.


It struck me that there are parallels in fencing. Have you ever met an opponent who was so sure of one technique that they used nothing else? Perhaps a compound attack or a parry riposte that they did repeatedly? In effect they are presenting you with an opportunity to steal their arrows…. That compound attack could be provoked and defeated by revealing an opening then doing successive parries. That parry riposte could be defeated by a first counter. There are always opportunities to turn an opponent’s strength against them….