Kick into Richard Poage sensei’s GoFundMe

Richard Poage sensei, together with Noah Legel, is one of the creators of the waza Wednesday, an excellent weekly short video into one aspect of karate practice – bunkai, weapons, etc.

I’ve never met or trained with Richard, but enjoy his contribution to karate analysis. Recently Richard travelled to attend a seminar with Iain Abernethy sensei (interviewed back in Episode 9 of the the podcast). On the way home Richard had a seizure and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Richard had emergency surgery and is slowly recovering.

Richard has a long road to recovery ahead of him, and Noah has setup a GoFundMe for Richard’s Brain Surgery.

Richard, his family and friends have a lot to deal with in the coming days, weeks and months, and any contribution would go long way to helping them all.

Richard and Noah make an important contribution to the karate community, and hopefully the karate community that benefits can make a contribution in return.

Fundraiser by Noah Legel: Richard Poage’s Brain Surgery

The Classical Budoka talks Dojo Variations

Wayne Muramoto Sensei talks about Dojo Variations:

And I think, too, of what my jujutsu sensei said once; that before dojo structures, martial artists used to train outdoors, out in nature, so they were in tune with the greater natural world, the “daishizen,” much more than we were. Handling a sword, maneuvering for a throw, handling a weapon, were part and parcel of their total world experience, as much a natural part of their lives as cutting firewood, knowing when it would rain or snow, intuitively sensing the lay of the land or knowing the changing of the seasons. In that sense, even the most “traditional” dojo is still a controlled environment at least one step removed from the roots of ancient martial arts, which came out of being embedded in nature’s own environment and rhythms

I’ve long been of the opinion that the dojo functions best as a home base, but that you need to get outside and train also – gasshuku (training camps) are one opportunity, but so too are everyday opportunities to train in the park.

In the karate tradition, few master had dojo, as such, before World War 2. Most trained in backyards, and even at the family tomb.

The dojo is a laboratory, but outside is where the real learning takes place.

From: The Classic Budoka | Dojo Variations