Every now and then - nahhh, actually once in a blue-with-pink & green-polka-dot moon will you meet a karate student who truly tests your teaching skills. Not with their attitude or effort, but with geometry. I’ve got one who simply cannot grasp the concept of a 45-degree angle. No matter how many times I demonstrate, adjust their stance, or place masking tape on the floor, they still end up somewhere between “almost straight” and “completely lost.” Sometimes it’s 20 degrees,

Before I start typing my nonsense, apologies in advance if things don’t make sense or flow from thought to thought….Been a long day celebrating here. My LA Dodgers won the World Series Baseball today and I couldn’t be more effen stoked!! It’s funny how something as simple as a baseball game can trigger such a high. I’ve followed em almost as long as I have my footy team here in Brisbane. Anyway, after training today, a few of us went out for our usual Sunday coffee and chat.

Yeah, so we've got one social platform we use, Facebook - Just because our sensei in Okinawa likes to see what we're up to. Like every dysfunctional business, we don’t want to get the word out there. And no signs just give us that little bit extra bit of privacy so we can train in small groups. The smell of rice in front of the home gives the dojo a great impact. Smells really good when training, and also when we have our after-class chit chats. We've recently gone from nine

I received news today about the upcoming 3rd Okinawa Karate Tournament and it’s a biggy! Starting in 2026, adults will no longer be able to compete, instead, they’ll only be able to take part in demonstrations, while the competitive side will be left entirely to children and teenagers. Now normally, I’m not a fan of tournaments. Honestly, they’ve never really done much for me. But this one actually meant something. Why? Well, it all started about eight years ago when my ko

Karateka seem to often pride themselves on muscle memory, repetition, and discipline. But if there’s one lesson that keeps kicking me in the Jatz crackers, it’s that you think you remember exactly what you're doing… until you realise you don’t - which is exactly what occurred at our little black belts get-together last weekend. Over the years, I’ve found that keeping handwritten notes, plus dodgy stick-figure sketches of what I’ve learned from my sensei has been invaluable. W

So I’ve been getting a number quotes for having air cons installed at my place. First thing I learned is there’s always a callout fee....

Today I found out that a karate guy I once met passed away. I didn’t know him well, not mates, not even long-time acquaintances. I went...

the next World Okinawa Tournament. So the Okinawan government has just officially announced the 3rd World Okinawa Karate Tournament is...

I once saw a karate student walk out of the dojo mid-session. This person was clearly unhappy that the sensei hadn’t been spending enough...

Yesterday I heard the news that Big donny trump had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, which had me scratching my head - what even...

As I stepped in the dojo tonight, wrapping my belt around my waist, it hit me that my belt is starting to look a little scruffy. Not that...

Not talking about your cranky girlfriend, but every few months, like the portals opening in a different dimension, I get the same kind of...

The other day after training, one of our students whipped out a photo of their freshly framed, place-getting tournament certificate from...

This Friday is Anzac Day here in Australia and I have to admit, I like a good Anzac biscuit. To be honest, there's not many biscuits I...

Another year, another trip….So much happened in such a short time, but I’m not going to document every detail here. It’s just a mini...

In the past month or so, I’ve received a flurry of inquiries, all from the same karate club. Apparently, the sensei of the dojo is...

The past few days, I’ve been glued to the Bureau of Meteorology website, obsessively checking every update on the once-in-50-year cyclone...

When you think of Australia, what comes to mind? Kangaroos in a biff with humans? The hideous low-class accent (Haay Craaaaig,...

So, guiding people through what I believe is Okinawan karate, I get the ‘unique’ pleasure of teaching a diverse group of students -...

As far as I know, in most Karate and Kobudo dojo in Okinawa, and probably most budo dojo throughout Japan there is an end of year...