St. Albert Karate Club

2026 ISKF Alberta Provincials

Another good day of training . . . two bronze, a silver and a gold.

Some KUGB History

Circa 1980

Stultification Through the Dogma of Kata

Kata--prescribed movements of defence, counter and attack--are essentially unchanged since their conception; yes, some minor changes have been instituted from contemporary interpretations but nothing substantial. Kata developed two, three or more hundred years ago were, perforce, circumstantially constrained by the period in which they were developed. Height is an obvious parameter in design of techniques with little variance due to standard deviation. Next would be clothing -- long over-garments would restrict kicks to low level but would enable the garments to be grabbed with one or both hands.

Successive rectilinear motions (e.g., 3 steps forward, 3 steps back) belie their conceiver's intent when viewed through a two hundred-year-old lens; turning counter clockwise through 90 degrees to receive an attack (all the heian kata) is similarly incomprehensible.

What is understood, from extant records, is that the kata were intended as mnemonics for self-defence--and self-defence against non-expert opponents; and, from modern understanding (Abernethy) that the opponent is always in front.

Here's where kata in place comes into play; it is a brain exercise (visualization) with practical application. Most kata (certainly all Heian and Tekki) are amenable to this type of training. It is fundamental training in the St. Albert Karate Club, moving away from dogma.

Congratulations to Katelyn and all the competitors at the 2025 Red Deer Juniors' Tournament.

Successful Last Chance To See Practical Applications Seminar, October 18, 2025 at Bearspaw Leisure Centre, Calgary

The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 final, featuring Canada against England, will be broadcast in Canada. The match is set to take place on September 27, 2025, at Twickenham Stadium in England.
Broadcast Details

In Canada: The final will be available for streaming on Paramount Plus.
Kick-off Time: The match is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. ET (4 p.m. BST).
This coverage allows Canadian fans to follow their team as they compete for the championship title against England, who are currently ranked as the top team in the world.

On October 18, 10AM, at Bearspaw, Calgary, explore the inferential probabilities and statistics behind the practical interpretation and application of the kata. Learn a new kata, a Heian Shodan derivative, from an applications perspective.

Understand the concept of "no first attack" is a false premise. Appreciate the limitation of action/reaction as applied to distancing (maai 間合い) and how to exploit natural reaction or flinch when receiving a right hand attack.

Learn why Heikō-dachi (平行立, parallel stance) is preferable to Hachiji-dachi (八字立, natural stance) for hip engagement when training in place. Use Heikō-dachi when performing the kata in place.

Learn the meaning of "wax on, wax off" as applied to sanbon zuki -- 3 consecutive traveling punches.

But it's only two hours . . . and it's only $20 ([email protected]). See poster for details:

The State of Mushin

A state of no mind, of no thought -- a simplistic expression of a Zen state achieved through spiritual, philosophical and meditative processes. But more practically, to the Western mind, in the context of karate it is an expression of the final stage of learning, of acquiring necessary skills:

1. Unconscious incompetence -- I don't know that I can't do this
2. Conscious incompetence -- I know I can't do this
3. Conscious competence -- I can do this if I think about it
4. Unconscious competence -- I can do this without thinking

The final stage of learning (anything) is acting without conscious processing; for example, a fluent reader. Idealized in the karate world, efficacious self-defence.

Heian Shodan Bunkai Kata

Backward changeovers, wrist lock, throw, carotid artery strike.