Author Archives: Anthony Alessandro

Energy is neither positive nor negative; it is the mind that colors it according to our understanding.   Topic   Responding to Attacks Energy surrounds us. Whether we’re aware of it or not, all of life is energy, from the … Read More

At the most basic level of self-defense you do not care about the attacker, you do whatever you have to do to get away. At the highest level of self-defense, you take the situation completely under control without hurting the … Read More

Around eleven years ago my journey to becoming a black belt started when I took my first class. It was a little samurai class, I was five or six years old. There, the groundwork was laid for all the skills … Read More

If you face an opponent, you cannot be in mushin. There are no opponents where there are no thoughts.   Topic   Mushin Why do people practice martial arts? What do they want to achieve? What’s their goal? When they … Read More

       Relaxation frees the heart          Courage opens the heart      Compassion   fills the heart Topic Conscious Relaxation Relax, Focus, Relax Relaxation is a crucial component of practice. No matter what techniques we’re … Read More

What is a black belt? This question seems simple, but it is more than a just a belt. If it were as simple as wearing one, everyone would be one. What past leaders and masters of karate are really talking … Read More

I started taking karate when I was 3 and a half years old. At first, when I went to karate I would run around and have fun with my friends. Since I was so young, I wasn’t paying much attention … Read More

Karate, and this karate school, is and always has been a big part of my life. It’s where I found my passion, myself, an extended family, friends, a second home. I can remember the day that I stepped into A.T.K … Read More

When I tell people that I do karate, a common response is “Oh I did karate when I was three, then I quit.” I started karate when I was seven, and I didn’t quit. I trained every week and worked … Read More

Students training for Black Belt are required to write a paper about what their Karate training has meant to their life and what they hope to accomplish in the future. This dojo that I have trained in for the past … Read More