Applied Methods by Adam Carter
Adam Carter, founder and senior instructor of Shuri Dojo, has over five decades of experience in karate training and teaching. Applied Methods explores practical karate, context, real-world application, and perspectives on practice, teaching, and experience.
Latest from Applied Methods
Practice Until You Can Rely on It
Why getting it right once is only the beginning One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that […]
Getting something right once only proves that you were capable of doing it once.
Getting something right once is only the beginning. Real reliability develops through continued practice, changing conditions, resistance, and learning how…
The Problem Inspires the Technique
Why familiar mechanics can mean different things in different contexts The commonality of technique across the martial arts is that […]
The same movement can appear in very different martial arts contexts.
A useful reminder when looking at any martial arts movement: don’t judge it only by its outward shape. Ask what…
Zanshin: The Situation May Not Be Over
Why awareness should remain after the technique has finished Zanshin (残心) is often translated as “remaining mind” or “lingering mind.” […]
Zanshin is often explained simply as awareness. Stay alert. Be aware.
One of the problems with structured training is that we can become accustomed to structured endings. The technique works. The…
The Instructor a Student Remembers
Why encouragement, example and trust can matter long after the lesson is over As instructors and teachers, one of the […]
We do not always know what a student sees in us.
Whether we intend to be role models or not, young students may see us that way. That carries a responsibility.…
Does Karate Inherently Improve Your Character?
Why years of training, rank and tradition do not automatically make someone a better person Character traits can certainly be […]
Years of training do not guarantee good character
Karate may give us opportunities to develop patience, discipline and self-control. But years of training do not guarantee good character.…
Move the Body, Not Just the Feet
Why the movement between stances matters as much as the stance itself One of the things that can happen in […]
We spend a great deal of time studying the positions in kata.
We spend a great deal of time studying the positions in kata. Perhaps we should spend just as much time…
The Question Behind the Kata
What kata may tell us even when their exact origins are uncertain I have sixteen kata in my standard curriculum. […]
We may never know precisely who first assembled every movement of every kata.
We may never know precisely who first assembled every movement of every kata. But someone thought those movements were important…
Why Is Karate Taught This Way?
How the development of Karate-Do changed the way kata is taught Because this is how Traditional Karate-Do developed. If someone […]
Learning a kata and learning from a kata are not the same thing.
Learning a kata and learning from a kata are not the same thing. That distinction has been on my mind…
