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Canadian Matsubayashi Ryu Karate Association, Georgetown, ON (2026)

09/10/2026

Preserving the Way
Exploring the history, philosophy, traditions, and people that continue to shape our karate.

Takuan Sōhō: The Mind That Doesn't Stay in One Place

One of the ideas that comes up again and again in Takuan Sōhō's writing is the importance of keeping the mind moving.
That might sound a little strange at first.

We usually think of concentration as the ability to focus on one thing and ignore everything else. And certainly, there's value in that. When we're practicing a kata, learning a new technique, or working with a partner, we need to be able to pay attention.
But Takuan was interested in what happens when concentration becomes fixation.
There's a difference between paying attention to something and becoming completely absorbed by it.
In The Unfettered Mind, Takuan describes a mind that moves freely. It doesn't settle permanently on the opponent's sword, or on a particular technique, or even on the thought of winning. It remains available to whatever happens next.

I think there's an interesting parallel in karate.
When we first learn a kata, we're often thinking about everything. Where are my feet? What comes next? Is my stance right? Did I turn far enough? Am I breathing?
Eventually, with enough practice, some of those things become automatic. We're no longer consciously thinking about every individual movement.
And that's when something interesting starts to happen.
We can begin to see the kata as a whole.

The same thing can happen in kumite. If we're completely locked onto one particular attack, we may not notice the opening that appears somewhere else. If we're too concerned about what our partner is supposed to do, we may miss what they're actually doing.
The challenge isn't to stop concentrating.
It's to learn how to concentrate without becoming trapped by whatever we're concentrating on.
I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy coming back to these old writings. The language and the examples may come from a completely different time, but the experience they're describing still feels surprisingly familiar.
We're still learning how to pay attention.
And we're still learning how to respond to what's actually in front of us.

If you've enjoyed this week's Preserving the Way, please consider sharing it with someone who might enjoy exploring the ideas and people behind the martial arts.

09/07/2026

Reflections from the Dojo – Begin Again

With September comes a return to familiar routines. School is back, schedules start filling up again, and many of us find ourselves settling back into a regular training routine.

After a busy summer, it's not unusual to feel a little rusty. Maybe your timing is off, your flexibility isn't quite where it was, or you're simply trying to get back into the rhythm of classes.
That's okay.

One of the things I love about karate is that every class gives us a chance to begin again. It doesn't matter if you've trained for six months or thirty years. We all line up together, bow in, and start with the basics.

There is something refreshing about that.
Instead of worrying about where you think you should be, focus on where you are today. Bring your attention to each technique, listen carefully, and enjoy being back on the dojo floor.
Karate has never been about being perfect. It's about showing up with a willingness to learn.

So as we begin another season of training, give yourself permission to start fresh. Let each class be an opportunity to improve just a little, and trust that those small improvements will continue to add up over time.

Welcome back. Let's enjoy the journey together.

Reflection Question:�What are you looking forward to improving this fall?

If you found this helpful, please share it with a fellow student or training partner. Learning together helps all of us grow in karate dō.

09/03/2026

Preserving the Way
Exploring the history, philosophy, traditions, and people that continue to shape our karate.

The Problem With Trying to Be Perfect

One of the things I appreciate about studying older martial arts writings is that they often make me think about things I thought I already understood. Take perfection, for example. Most of us have heard that chasing perfection isn't particularly helpful, but knowing that intellectually and actually experiencing it in our own training can be two very different things.

In karate, it's easy to become caught up in the details. Is my stance correct? Was that punch fast enough? Did I make a mistake in my kata? Those questions are part of training, and paying attention to those details is how we improve.

But there comes a point where focusing too much on our mistakes can become another form of distraction.

I've certainly experienced this in my own training. I'll make a mistake and immediately start thinking about it. Why did I do that? What should I have done instead? How do I make sure it doesn't happen again? Meanwhile, I'm already moving on to the next technique, but part of my attention is still stuck on what happened a few moments ago.
That's one of the things I kept thinking about while reading Takuan's ideas about the unfettered mind.
The goal isn't to become someone who never makes mistakes. It's learning how to recognize a mistake without allowing it to take over our attention.

In the dojo, we get another opportunity almost immediately. The next repetition gives us another chance to adjust, learn, and try again.
There's a difference between learning from the past and being stuck in it.

If you've enjoyed this week's Preserving the Way, please consider sharing this post with someone who might enjoy exploring the ideas and people behind the martial arts.

08/31/2026

Reflections from the Dojo – Leave a Little Better Than You Arrived

As August comes to a close, take a moment to look back on your training over the past few months.

Maybe your techniques have improved. Maybe your balance feels stronger. Maybe you've become more comfortable working with different partners.

Those are all things worth celebrating.

But there is another way to measure progress.

Are you a little more patient than you were at the beginning of the summer? A little calmer under pressure? A little more aware of yourself and the people around you?

Those changes are just as important as any new technique.
Every class gives us an opportunity to leave a little better than we arrived. Not perfect. Just a little better.

That is how karate works. Small improvements, practiced consistently, become meaningful changes over time.

As we head into September, bring that mindset with you. Keep learning. Keep refining. Keep enjoying the journey.

One class at a time.

If you found this helpful, please share it with a fellow student or training partner. Learning together helps all of us grow in karate dō.

08/27/2026

Preserving the Way
Exploring the history, philosophy, traditions, and people that continue to shape our karate.

Takuan Sōhō: The Mind That Doesn't Stay in One Place

One of the ideas that comes up again and again in Takuan Sōhō's writing is the importance of keeping the mind moving.
That might sound a little strange at first.

We usually think of concentration as the ability to focus on one thing and ignore everything else. And certainly, there's value in that. When we're practicing a kata, learning a new technique, or working with a partner, we need to be able to pay attention.
But Takuan was interested in what happens when concentration becomes fixation.

There's a difference between paying attention to something and becoming completely absorbed by it.

In The Unfettered Mind, Takuan describes a mind that moves freely. It doesn't settle permanently on the opponent's sword, or on a particular technique, or even on the thought of winning. It remains available to whatever happens next.

I think there's an interesting parallel in karate.
When we first learn a kata, we're often thinking about everything. Where are my feet? What comes next? Is my stance right? Did I turn far enough? Am I breathing?

Eventually, with enough practice, some of those things become automatic. We're no longer consciously thinking about every individual movement.

And that's when something interesting starts to happen.
We can begin to see the kata as a whole.

The same thing can happen in kumite. If we're completely locked onto one particular attack, we may not notice the opening that appears somewhere else. If we're too concerned about what our partner is supposed to do, we may miss what they're actually doing.

The challenge isn't to stop concentrating.
It's to learn how to concentrate without becoming trapped by whatever we're concentrating on.

I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy coming back to these old writings. The language and the examples may come from a completely different time, but the experience they're describing still feels surprisingly familiar.
About learning to concentrate without becoming trapped by whatever we're focusing on
We're still learning how to pay attention.
We're still learning how to let go.
And we're still learning how to respond to what's actually in front of us.

If you've enjoyed this week's Preserving the Way, please consider sharing it with someone who might enjoy exploring the ideas and people behind the martial arts.

08/24/2026

Reflections from the Dojo – Learn to Listen

When we hear the word "listen," we usually think about using our ears.

In karate, we also learn to listen with our eyes, our hands, and our body.

Good partner training isn't just about performing techniques. It's about paying attention.

Can you feel when your partner is off balance? Can you recognize when they're unsure of a movement? Are you aware when you need to slow down so both of you can learn more effectively?

Some of the best lessons in karate aren't spoken at all. They come through movement, timing, and shared experience.

After many years of training, I still find that every training partner has something to teach me. Sometimes it's a technical detail I hadn't noticed. Sometimes it's simply a reminder to be patient or to approach a familiar technique with fresh eyes.

If we stay curious, every class becomes an opportunity to learn.
That's one of the things I love most about karate. No matter how long we train, there is always something new waiting to be discovered.

Share this with a fellow karateka. Learning together makes us stronger.

08/20/2026

Preserving the Way
Exploring the history, philosophy, traditions, and people that continue to shape our karate.

One of the things I found most interesting while reading Takuan Sōhō's The Unfettered Mind is that he wasn't really talking about becoming some sort of superhuman martial artist. His concern was much more ordinary—and, in some ways, much more difficult.

He was interested in what happens to our minds when we become too attached to something.
Takuan wrote about this in the context of swordsmanship. A swordsman might become so focused on his opponent's sword that he stops seeing the opponent. Or he might become preoccupied with winning, with avoiding a particular mistake, or with trying to remember exactly what he has been taught.

The mind becomes "stuck."

I kept thinking about that idea while reading the book because I think most of us have experienced a version of it, even if we've never held a sword.
It happens in karate, too.

Sometimes we're so busy worrying about getting a technique right that we forget to actually feel what we're doing. Or we're thinking about the last mistake we made while our Sensei is already explaining the next one. In kumite, we can become so focused on one thing—perhaps a particular attack or an opponent's hands—that we miss something happening right in front of us.
Takuan's answer isn't to stop thinking. It's to stop clinging to one thought.

That distinction really stuck with me.
The more I read, the more I began to see why The Unfettered Mind has continued to interest martial artists for so many generations. It isn't really about becoming fearless or perfectly calm. It's about learning to keep your attention available—to notice what is happening and respond to it, rather than becoming trapped by what just happened a moment ago.
That's a pretty useful idea to take into the dojo.
And, honestly, probably into the rest of life as well.

If you've enjoyed this week's Preserving the Way, please consider sharing it with someone who might enjoy exploring the ideas and people behind the martial arts.

08/17/2026

Reflections from the Dojo – Learn to Adapt

One of the great things about training with different partners is that no two people are exactly alike.

Some are taller. Some are quicker. Some have years of experience, while others are just beginning their journey.
That's one of the reasons partner training is so valuable. It teaches us to adapt.

If we expect every technique to work exactly the same way with every person, we'll quickly become frustrated. Instead, we learn to make small adjustments. We change our distance, our timing, or the amount of energy we use.

Those adjustments are not weaknesses. They are signs that we're paying attention.

The same idea applies outside the dojo. Life rarely unfolds exactly the way we expect. Being able to stay calm and adjust without becoming frustrated is a skill that serves us well wherever we are.

Karate teaches us to be steady, but not rigid. Strong, but not stubborn.

Like many lessons in karate, adaptability grows one class at a time.

Karate is not learned alone. Share this with others. Growth in understanding strengthens the entire dojo.

08/13/2026

Preserving the Way
Exploring the history, philosophy, traditions, and people that continue to shape our karate.
— Takuan Sōhō: Training the Mind

When we think about the great figures who have influenced martial arts, names like Miyamoto Musashi or the masters of Okinawan karate often come to mind. But some of the most important ideas about martial arts came from people who were not martial artists themselves.

One of those people was Takuan Sōhō (1573–1645).
Takuan was a Japanese Rinzai Zen monk, but he was also a writer, calligrapher, poet, gardener, and influential thinker. He lived during a period of enormous change in Japan and became known for his connections with important figures of his time, including the swordsman Yagyū Munenori.

Takuan's writings on the mind and swordsmanship eventually became known to many readers through The Unfettered Mind, a collection of writings exploring how the mind can remain clear and responsive—even in moments of great pressure.

Although Takuan never taught karate, his ideas have found a natural home in martial arts discussions for generations.

And perhaps that's because the central question he explored is one every martial artist eventually encounters:
How do we keep the mind from getting in our own way?
In karate, we spend years learning how to move. We practice stances, strikes, blocks, and kata until our bodies become more capable and our movements more natural. But alongside physical training is another kind of practice—the training of attention, awareness, and composure.

That is where Takuan's ideas become interesting.
Over the next several weeks, we'll explore some of the ideas found in The Unfettered Mind and consider what they might teach us about karate—and about the way we approach challenges beyond the dojo.

Because ultimately, the martial arts have always been about more than learning how to fight.

They are also about learning how to think, respond, and live.

If you enjoy learning about the people and ideas that have shaped the martial arts, please consider sharing this post with someone who might enjoy exploring the Way with us.

08/10/2026

Reflections from the Dojo – Don't Chase the Technique

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to force a technique, the less natural it feels?

I still catch myself doing this from time to time. When something isn't working quite right, my first instinct is sometimes to try harder. More effort. More speed. More power.

More often than not, that's exactly the wrong answer.

Good karate usually isn't forced. It develops through good timing, good positioning, and relaxed movement. Sometimes the best adjustment isn't adding more effort. It's removing what doesn't need to be there.

The same is true in partner training. If you're constantly reaching for your partner or trying to make a technique happen, you're probably working harder than necessary.

Be patient. Let the movement develop. Trust your fundamentals.
Karate has a way of teaching us that timing often matters more than strength.

This week, instead of asking yourself, "How can I do more?" try asking, "How can I do this better?"

Sometimes less really is more.

Please consider sharing this with classmates or students. When we learn and reflect together, we all improve.

Canadian Matsubayashi Ryu Karate Association

09/10/2026

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