Squaring the Circle

 Squaring the Circle

A conventional way of thinking about karate is through its three core components:

• Kihon
• Kata
• Kumite

When learned correctly and in balance, these can be imagined as three circles merging into a single circle — a complete technical system of karate.

But karate, when approached holistically, is more than this. Around that central circle sits a wider package of benefits that emerge when the art is used with intention. This broader dimension can be represented as a square fitting neatly around the circle, containing elements such as:

• Philosophy
• Health
• Fitness
• Sociability

How much these matter depends on the level at which you choose to engage with karate.

For me, when I first started, it was the health and sociability aspects that drew me in — both as a way of managing specific medical conditions and as a shared hobby with my son. In fact, karate was recommended to me on medical grounds by my doctor.

During COVID, the health dimension came sharply into focus. It wasn’t just about physical well being anymore; it became a matter of mental resilience. Like many people with underlying conditions, I had to confront the stark realities of risk and uncertainty. As part of my Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, I began using kata as structured anchors, assigning one kata each to:

• Mindfulness
• Tensioning and Relaxing
• Breathing

I wrote about this in more detail in

Mindfulness, Tensioning, Breathing and Relaxing (with PJ Broomy):

That period kept my practice alive, but it also created a blind spot. When I returned to the dojo last year, it became clear that while my technique had survived, my stamina had not. This was confirmed during the grading exam I took after my return — something I reflected on in:

Do You Want It? Come and Earn It…

A recent two‑hour lesson on the bo reinforced the point. It also reminded me that bo work — especially when combined with simple exercises like walking — is an excellent way to rebuild stamina. I already had a jo, a toothpick bo, and a full‑weight bo at home. During Covid, I had even stitched together the six bo kihon we are taught into a compact kata suitable for limited space, which I wrote about here:

Kobudo and the H‑Embusen

So I’ve now added a fourth element to my personal practice by resurrecting that simple bo kata. I don’t expect to regain the stamina I had in 2020 — I was 59 then, and one of my conditions is progressive — but I’m confident this will once again be “what the doctor ordered” at my next health review.

This gives my karate‑for‑health model four pillars:

• Mindfulness
• Tensioning and Relaxing
• Breathing
• Stamina

If we return to the earlier metaphor, these four elements sit neatly on the four sides of the square surrounding the technical circle. Together, they form a complete picture of what karate has become for me: not just a martial art, but a structured system for maintaining health, resilience, and balance — one that adapts with me as life changes.

Thanks for Reading,
Robert Young
24/03/2026

Exploring Mawashi Uke: A Circular Block with Hidden Depth

In our dojo, the students were recently set a simple but valuable challenge: research a different uke technique and demonstrate it in class. I chose to explore Mawashi Uke — the circular-style block often associated with Goju Ryu — and to look at how it can be applied in practical self‑defence. My son helped me demonstrate the variations in the accompanying video.

Although Mawashi Uke isn’t native to my own style, Shorin Ryu, it appears in several Okinawan systems. In Goju Ryu it forms part of the foundational kata Sanchin, while in our Shorin Ryu kata Naihanchi it is often interpreted as an outside block followed by a double block. But when you look more closely at the mechanics, the movement reveals a much richer application.

To show how deeply the technique is embedded within Goju‑ryu, it can be found from Sanchin, through Tensho, Saifa, Seiyunchin, Seipai, Kururunfa, all the way to the most advanced kata, Suparinpei.

Beyond Blocking: The “Parry Pass” Concept

Rather than thinking of Mawashi Uke as a static block, it becomes far more effective when viewed as a “parry–pass” sequence:

·         The first hand parries the incoming strike.

·         The second hand passes or sweeps the attacking arm outward, taking control of it.

This two‑stage motion redirects energy, disrupts balance, and creates immediate openings. When combined with a quarter turn of the body, the technique extends the aggressor’s arm and exposes their back — a position that offers multiple follow‑ups.

Specific Techniques Demonstrated

The specific techniques I demonstrated were variations on this parry–pass and quarter‑turn principle. These included: a Pass Parry with a quarter turn into an arm bar applied by the parrying arm, followed by a kick to the head and a drag‑rotate motion on the arm to perform a drag‑down; a Pass Parry and quarter turn into an arm bar or shoulder control, followed by a stomping kick to the rear of the knee; and finally, a Parry Pass with a quarter turn into arm extension and shoulder control, stepping in front with the leg closest to the opponent before pushing down on the back of the head and dragging the arm to execute a throw over that leg.

See the Technique in Action

For those who prefer to see the movements demonstrated, the full video is available here:

Mawashi Uke - Circular Block

The video follows the same structure as this article, showing the Sanchin and Naihanchi interpretations, the parry–pass mechanism, and the three applied examples.

Why This Exploration Matters

Cross‑training concepts like Mawashi Uke helps deepen our understanding of kata, body mechanics, and the shared roots of Okinawan karate. Even when a technique isn’t central to our own style, studying it expands our options and sharpens our ability to interpret movement under pressure.

Thank you for reading.

REY 25/02/2026

Acts of Habitual Violence

Violence rarely arrives as a surprise. It builds in small, predictable steps — the same steps I was taught to recognise first as a security officer, and later, from a very different angle, in karate. What struck me over the years wasn’t the difference between those worlds, but how closely their principles overlap when things start to escalate.

The SIA approach to potentially violent situations was simple and structured:

• Avoid
• Call for backup
• Try to de‑escalate any situation (non‑verbal cues and talking)
• If it escalates, be aware of the laws of self‑defence
• Only act in self‑defence as a last resort, if you can’t walk away and backup doesn’t arrive

Years later, when I took up karate for health reasons, I was struck by how familiar the material felt. Different environment, different purpose — but the same underlying logic:

• Awareness
• Avoidance
• De‑escalation
• Distraction and escape
• Awareness of the laws of self‑defence
• If you believe a threat exists, make sure people around you know you are the victim
• Attack, disable, escape

One thing that was usually not taught to trainee security officers, however, was how to act in self‑defence if it became unavoidable. Proportionality was discussed, but the physical “how” was left largely untouched.

In the style of karate I study (Shorin Ryu), as well as in other Okinawan systems, realistic responses to potential real‑world situations form a fair part of the syllabus. Recently, a friend of mine posed a scenario online to see what responses people from different backgrounds would offer.

The replies were enlightening. The principles of avoidance, engagement, and legal awareness were almost universal. What surprised me more — though perhaps it shouldn’t have — was how similar the physical responses were across styles. Differences in kata references aside, most people gravitated toward broadly the same mechanics, with only minor variations.

The scenario involved escalating aggression: chest punches followed by a swinging punch to the head. The required outcome was to:

• Avoid being knocked out
• Prevent continued aggression
• Control the attacker
• Alter the relationship
• Escape

This matters more to me than it might to others, because one of the standard responses — distract and escape — simply isn’t an option. My health issues preclude me from “making a run for it,” so I have to be more certain than most that my techniques work.

The majority response to the scenario matched almost exactly the example I had submitted based on the brief:

• Frame
• Crash and bridge
• Step back and pull down
• Knee strike
• Drag down and escape

When crashing, the right forearm presses into the side of the neck while the left arm receives the incoming punch, forming a double bridge for control.

This aligned with the general consensus. And that being the case, I can honestly say that this is one scenario which — while I never want to find myself in it — I feel relatively comfortable I could handle within the bounds of proportional response to the violence being attempted.

I still hope I never have to use any of this. But if someone insists on offering me a practical demonstration, at least I know my response won’t be guesswork. Habit is a far better plan than optimism.

Thank you very much for reading if you made it this far.

Regards,

REY

04/02/2026The summarised conclusions from the exercise can be found at: 

Summarised Conclusions

A video with explanation of how it relates to the kata I know can be found at:

  AHV response