01/03/2026
Are you searching for a practical exercise that you can do at any stage of life, something motivational that will lift your spirits and energize you?
Train outdoors with me in Lakeway, TX in Okinawa Karate… I have a few spots open for new students that are available now.
Okinawa Karate is a 400+ year old Self-Defense system that is a holistic exercise, improving your overall health and attitude in life as you progress!
Face it, the gym can be boring and monotonous = no motivation to continue.
Okinawa Karate training is much more than drilling punches & kicks… It’s about discipline/mindset, breathing, resiliency and the attainment of goals.
I have benefitted from 48 years of instruction…. You can as well.
Okinawa Karate has a strong influence from the Chinese Martial arts, specifically, Ch’uan Fa, Fist Law. You can see it in its forms and applications.
It evolved on the island of Okinawa in 3 villages - Shuri, to the north, Naha to the south and Tomari, the middle village. 3 distinct styles were formed, Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te.
Shuri-te techniques focused more on the external
Naha-te techniques focused more on the internal
Tomari-te techniques combined hard & soft, external and internal aspects
The form that I’m demonstrating in the video is called Passai, Pe*****te the Fortress. It is practiced in many styles of Karate and is performed slightly differently depending upon Ryu, style. Many years ago, I had researched that it came to Okinawa from a Chinese martial artist from Taiwan. It is a Tomari-te, student-level form that combines internal & external techniques. Kata are prearranged movements, in this case a series of bouts, orchestrated into a complete form with an interesting story...
The ideal way to practice this form is in the dark or with a blindfold.
Its name, Pe*****te the Fortress, not only refers to the four spear hand strikes at the beginning of the form that can be practiced to penetrate/thrust at the opponent’s body, it’s also used metaphorically… this form reinforces a scenario where a warrior might have entered/penetrated a dark fortress to face multiple lurking opponents inside. Thus, you see slow careful movements and then quick retaliations to attacks, if you can interpret the form.
This interpretation is called, bunkai… and must be understood and manifested by the practitioner while training in the form to obtain the most benefit. Bunkai is an interesting study... the more one knows about the combat applications of the martial arts, the deeper one can interpret the forms.
Most Karate practitioners cannot bridge Kata (forms) into combat. Bridging it in and automatizing/conditioning the body is the primary purpose of Kata practice… there are other purposes as well, it is a chance for one to practice the development of their breathing and internal energy without the concern of imminent attack. Once you can practice forms like this, the physical and mental benefits are abundant.
I can train you and help you to understand how to apply what you are practicing, so you can bridge the lessons into your life as a contemporary.
If you’d like to discuss training, I’d love to hear from you… Contact me by phone, text or IM me here.
C. Nemeroff, Soke
917-640-5294
