A Lifetime in Budo and Zen
by Walther G. von Krenner with Ken Jeremiah Originally, the Japanese language did not have a term for green. The word ao referred to both blue…
Category: BUDO – Karate & Aikido
The Three Minds of Karate
By Garry Parker The power to succeed, fail, grow and change is within you. We all have it within us. Extraordinary acts are accomplished every day…
Not Your Black Belt
By Garry Parker One Friday evening after training, Takamiyagi Sensei called me to the side; “Pa-ka, ashita… hima aru? (Do you have free time tomorrow?)” Sure,…
Blackbelt Satori: O-Sensei (Part 1)
By Herb Borkland This romance between martial arts and enlightenment is a global cliché. Philosophic boxers wander through the world’s imagination. Kung-fu cinema stars flying Zen…
Strike Lessons from O-Sensei
Aikido founder Ueshiba Morihei, affectionately called O-Sensei (Great Teacher) by students, warned, “In your training, do not be in a hurry, for it takes a minimum…
Ukemi and Atemi: Receiving and Striking
People begin training in the martial arts for many reasons. Sometimes they are just looking for exercise, while others seek some sort of spiritual direction that…
Living and Training Karate in Okinawa
Karate sensei Garry Parker was born in Columbus, Georgia, and began training in Kodokan Judo in high school. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States…
My Journey in Okinawan Karate-Do
From the beginning of time, mankind has had to invent and progressively adapt methods of protection to survive. To ensure the survival of our species against…
Reflections on New Karate Memoir, Chanpuru
I’ve always been fascinated with martial arts and the many journeys one can find and take along its paths to self-discovery. Among my favorite books are…