Notes from the Workshop
A Collection of Essays, Insights, and Personal Reflections on Okinawan Karate and Kobujutsu
008 — Beneath the Belt: Karate and the Meaning of Rank
Belts and ranks are everywhere in modern karate—but where did they come from, and what do they really mean? In this article I explore the surprising origins of the ranking system, its benefits and pitfalls, and why true progress in karate is measured not by what’s around your waist—but by who you become.
007 — A Warrior in the Garden: True Pacifism, the Power of Choice, and the Monster Within
True pacifism is not weakness—it’s strength under control. In this essay, we explore what it really means to choose peace, drawing on martial wisdom, a powerful Japanese proverb, and Jordan Peterson’s provocative insight: "Be a monster—and learn to control it."
006 — Kakie: The Hidden Heart of Okinawan Karate
Before sparring and spectacle took center stage, there was Kakie—a quiet, rooted exchange of pressure and presence. This ancient drill reveals the true foundation of Okinawan karate: structure, sensitivity, and spirit.
004 — Karate: What’s in a Name?
What’s in a name? In 1936, Okinawan masters gathered to rename their art “Karate”—a deliberate shift from “China Hand” to “Empty Hand.” This article explores the meaning, mispronunciation, and cultural weight behind the word many say, but few understand.
003 — Dōjōkun: The Ethos of Karate Practice
The Dōjōkun is more than a list of dōjō rules—it’s a living guide to how we train, how we act, and who we become. At The Karate Workshop, these eight timeless precepts shape not only our practice of Okinawan Gōjū-Ryū Karate but our everyday lives. Rooted in tradition and passed down through generations, the Dōjōkun teaches humility, patience, strength, and sincerity—values we carry from the dōjō into the world.
“No matter how you may excel in the art of Te, and in your scholastic endeavors, nothing is more important than your behavior and your humanity as observed in daily life.”
— Tei Junsoku (1663–1734)