Ma-ai — The Space Between This article reflects my personal understanding of traditional karate as taught by Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama and transmitted by Sensei Avi Rokah. Any errors of interpretation are entirely my own. There are concepts in Japanese martial arts that resist translation — English simply has no equivalent for them. Ma-ai is one…
Part 3 – The Philosophy and Integration Sensei Nishiyama often reminded us, “Once you think you know, you are finished — you don’t learn anymore.” For him, philosophy was not an idea but an action. Sensei Avi Rokah, who studied under him for many years, recalls: “The philosophy that Sensei taught was in the doing,…
Part 2 – The Solution and Application Once you recognise that slow and fast practice are not the same, your whole approach to training begins to shift. What felt like a single continuum divides into two complementary modes, each with its own logic and purpose. Sensei Nishiyama used to say that every detail in training…
This three-part series explores a simple but often misunderstood truth: techniques performed slowly and techniques performed at speed are not the same. Drawing on motor learning research, traditional methodology, and the teachings of Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama and Sensei Avi Rokah, it examines how slow and fast practice build different forms of understanding. Part 1 uncovers…