hidetaka nishiyama Archives

Sensei Nishiyama, The Practical and The Philosopher

Next week, on November 8, it will be 5 years to the passing of my teacher, Sensei Nishiyama. He was like a second father to me since we spent most of our days together. Sensei Nishiyama was very pragmatic and a philosopher at same time. His greatness was that he merged the old wisdom of Okinawa karate, with the old traditions of Japanese Budo (martial arts) and with latest sport science. In his teaching he was very methodical and scientific, and every detail had a reason and had to work and be part of the whole picture. His karate was […]

Sensei Nishiyama, The Practical and The Philosopher Read More »

Does Repetition Make Perfect?

Avi Rokah

One of the characteristics of karate training is repetitions of basics, Sensei Nishiyama used to start the class with hundreds of kizami/gyaku zuki followed by hundreds of kicks. Some researchers believe that it takes about 10,000 repetitions in any art or sport to achieve mastery or expert level of technique. Repetitive practice makes the difference between a world class athlete and the rest. With each repetition we are wiring the nervous system, creating connections and patterns, and the more repetition the more myelin, which is an insulation substance, covers those pathways (Axons). Myelin allows for signals to travel faster and

Does Repetition Make Perfect? Read More »

Power Needs direction

Avi Rokah

Sensei Nishiyama repeatedly said: “power need direction” What does it mean? There are few components to this. First component, One does not need to be as strong as opponent, but should be able to integrate the whole body, and produce force from the body center, using ground reaction, to any direction, instantly. We must learn to recruit our full potential, teach our nervous system to use all muscle groups and all body segments to cooperate to one direction, and produce force in a shortest amount of time, at one point to specific line of energy. Externally, all body segments has

Power Needs direction Read More »

Kime Is From Eye

Avi Rokah

Sensei Nishiyama used to repeat “eye, face guiding (the) body (when changing direction), Eyes, face setting the body at kime, when eye(s) stop this is kime”, “kime is from eye” or “at kime nothing moves, even eye(s) don’t blink”. We all know that at kime we make pressure to floor and sharp total body contraction, but we cannot forget that in a sense kime is from eyes. If eyes are blinking at kime, coordination between breathing and muscle action is lacking, also if eyes moving at kime intention cannot be strong, and the stronger the intention the more the muscles

Kime Is From Eye Read More »

“Keep Trying”

Avi Rokah

I love this quotation by Thomas Edison “our greatest weakness is giving up. The most certain way to success is to try one more time.” Many times when a student asked Sensei Nishiyama question about technique or express difficulty in getting something to work, the answer was “keep trying”. Sensei Nishiyama was a man of few words (when it come to karate, he loved to talk when socialized), he said just enough to give you direction, but wanted you to find out through training. We must train than contemplate, repeat but don’t be mechanic, don’t just keep going, reflect on

“Keep Trying” Read More »

Ho Shin – Give Your Mind Away. Also, Learn to Use Your Full Muscles Potential

Avi Rokah

Once decision is made, there is no mind in the technique, no hesitation, win or lose one must give everything. When we can apply this concept and give everything, the mind is clear, there is no more judgment, and paradoxically we can become more sensitive, more intuitive, and more aware when we try less. There is another aspect to it, very few of us are able to use our full muscles potential, generally we use only small potential of our musculoskeletal system, because of fear, past traumas, protection of the joints, but hand in hand with the developing the muscles

Ho Shin – Give Your Mind Away. Also, Learn to Use Your Full Muscles Potential Read More »

Once You Go Don’t Stop Until You Finish

Avi Rokah

Sensei Nishiyama used to tell us that often when we spar: “Once you go, give everything, don’t stop till finish”. I think that because we focus so much on finishing technique (todome), karate people have tendency to stop after one technique, but it is not always possible to catch the opponent with one action. Sometimes I will do one technique to close the distance without giving space for counter, in order to make the right distance for finish technique, and sometimes I will execute the first technique to create reaction from the opponent, and to open the door for finish

Once You Go Don’t Stop Until You Finish Read More »

Karate Competition and Judging

Avi Rokah

Kata Look inside and not to the outside, of course, the outside form should be correct, but people have different body types, and the point is not to judge how fancy and beautiful but rather how effectively one uses their bodies, how the whole body cooperates into one purpose, using ground reaction, proper body action and muscle action, and transferring this energy to the technique. Judges should learn to see how well ones uses whole body snap, make strong and proper kime, pressure to floor and sharp total body contraction to line of technique. In kata, one should project strong

Karate Competition and Judging Read More »