It was awesome to catch up with everyone in Hinnerup! Two fun days looking at the use of kata methods in live drills. A fun weekend with good people!

Congratulations to Henrik Thørring, Ole Bjarke Nielsen and Mathias Trige Andersen on passing their 1st dan gradings! Kata, bunkai, combinations, various form of sparring, etc. Well done!

We had a fun day sharing our thoughts on creating kata to enhance solo training! Lots of folk from overseas had asked for footage of the seminar. So we filmed the whole thing and it will be added to the app soon! It was a very enjoyable day and we are both very grateful to everyone who joined us!

Valentine’s Day, so Mary bought me a Viking Seax (I got her a medieval axe last year). We then had a romantic time hitting fruit with training weapons and our hands. Woe-betide any grapefruits or watermelons who try to ambush a viking!

Congratulations to Joe Andrews (6th dan) and Greg Lynham (5th dan) on their grading success today! Kata, bunkai, impact drills, numerous types of sparring, etc. Both looked strong and sharp from start to finish! Well done gents!

In this video, I discuss core throwing principles. “Old school” karate has a lot of throws and takedowns within it. A set of solid throws, based on solid principles, should be part of the arsenal of all pragmatic karateka. WATCH HERE: youtu.be/rkVfz04xpSE

On my way home from a fun weekend in Burgdorf! Great to catch up with everyone! Nijushiho bunkai, flow drills (full kata), and related pad drills. A great weekend with likeminded karateka. Thanks everyone! Loved it!

Always great to teach with Les Bubka! Functions of stances, critical thinking, alternate approaches, debunking myths, angles in kata, tactical positioning, drilling bunkai, and a host of drills to support all of the aforementioned aspects. Les always teaches in a thoughtful and enjoyable way.

An awesome day teaching alongside John Johnson 8th dan! Main themes were power generation, the various ways limbs can be controlled and manipulated, and the use of methods in Tensho. A very enthusiastic group! Thanks everyone!

Congratulations to Timo Salmivalli of Finland for gaining his 5th dan last week! Timo is a thoughtful, experienced and highly capable martial artist. He and his team are recommended if you’re based in and around Turku.

First time in Slovenia this weekend and it was awesome! Good to meet up with friends old and new as we explored Pinan / Heian bunkai, live drills / sparring, and pad drills. Thank you for a great weekend! Loved it!

Awesome to meet up with everyone in Grünwald this weekend! Kata principles, decoding kata, and pad drills. It was great fun and I’m very grateful to everyone for their enthusiasm and deep questions. A fantastic way to kick off my martial year!

Me (left) and my two youngest daughters, and one of the cats … as envisioned and created by the youngest out of the clay their uncle and aunt got them for Christmas. I’m impressed!

Follow link for upcoming seminars in the UK, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, etc! iainabernethy.com/seminar-dates

Happy Christmas everyone! Thanks for all the support over the last year! Have a well earned rest and I look forward to seeing you back on the dojo floor next year! 🥋🎅🏼👊🏻

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO: In this video I discuss three things that can hamper your progress and enjoyment of the martial arts. These are mindset issues that are best avoided. View HERE: youtu.be/nDzZqoYy3es

I was looking through an old hard drive yesterday and found this short clip of young Iain helping with a demonstration at BCA course from way back. Peter Consterdine (one of my instructors) doing the teaching.

A “throw away” technical drill we did as a cool down at a recent class. The aim was to combine a number of limb-control and redirection methods in one drill for the kyu grades. A more detailed breakdown is available in the “iain abernethy” app. 2000+ hours of exclusive content that is updated weekly

Thanks to everyone in Dundee today! We explored the trapping, locking and close-range striking elements of the Pinan / Heian series and how they integrate. Thanks to Kizuna Karate for hosting!

Congratulations to Chris Oswin (1st dan), Nick Smith (2nd dan), Scott Flynn (2nd dan) and Martin Muir (3rd dan) on their grading success today! A special mention to Ryan Butterfield (instructor) who drove across the country straight off the nightshift for the 8am start! They did great!

Congratulations to Eddie Cahill and Rory Connellen on gaining their 3rd dans last weekend! Solid kihon, kata, bunkai, sparring, etc. Well done both!

I had a great weekend in Kilkenny! Thanks to Kilkenny Shotokan for making it happen and for all who supported the event. Tekki Shodan open flow drills, gripping and limb-control, and Heian Nidan open flow drills. It was a blast! Thank you!

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO! In this video I cover bunkai and a flow drill for Tekki Nidan / Naihanchi Nidan. The footage recorded at Christian Wedewardt’s castle retreat in July 2025. WATCH HERE: youtu.be/ErfwYdrDExI

Thanks to all in Swansea today! Advanced Pinan / Heian drills were the theme. I appreciate everyone digging deep and getting to grips with it all. Thanks for all the great questions and insightful observations too. Well done everyone!

A great day in Didcot looking at power generation, hitting on the move, and various types of pad drills. You did a great job, folks! I was seeing good stuff and hearing lots of satisfying “BOOMS!” :-) Thanks to Grove Martial Arts for organising and for help with demos!

One of the pad drills from a recent class.

An awesome weekend in Castlebar! Flow drills for Pinan / Heian Sandan, Saifa, Tekki / Naihanchi Shodan and Nidan. Thanks to everyone who participated and Yotoshinkai Karate Club for organising! It was a ton of fun!

Congratulations to Eddie Doyle (5th dan) and Daniel Dubaj (2nd dan) on their successful gradings today! Strong performance throughout the combinations, kata, pad-drills, sparring, etc. A solid knowledge of bunkai and kata principles too. Well done!

Congratulations to Frankenthal Shotokan on their 40th anniversary! A most enjoyable weekend! Good fun, good conversations and good company!

On Sunday the 14th of December 2025 I will be teaching an open seminar in Dundee! The theme will be the overlooked trapping, locking and striking elements of the Pinan / Heian kata! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

Seminar in Kilkenny, Ireland! Saturday the 29th of November! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

On Sunday the 23rd of November 2025, I will be teaching an open seminar on kata bunkai / practical karate in Swansea! The theme will be advanced drills for the Pinan / Heian / Pyung Ahn series! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

On Saturday the 22nd of November I will be teaching an open seminar in Didcot! The theme of the seminar will be practical pad drills and power generation. iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

I will be teaching an open seminar on the 15th and 16th of November 26 in Castlebar, Ireland! The theme will be kata based flow drills! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

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Today I found out NASA has a “Pluto Time” calculator which lets you know what time of day in your location is as bright as midday on Pluto. It’s surprisingly bright considering how far it is away from the Sun! My daughters were less interested than me :-)

Pinan / Heian Godan flow drill today in Waltham Cross! A continuous flow drill for the entire kata which covers the bunkai in order. Thanks to Lee for help with demos, Terry for making it happen and everyone there for their support and great work with the drill!

Thanks to everyone in Norwich today! Kanku-Dai bunkai and drills. I’m very grateful for the enthusiastic participation, good questions and hard work. Thank you! I was delighted with how much we covered!

Bike all nice and shiny after yesterday’s drive out. Hate cleaning the thing: fiddly, time-consuming and boring. However, I love opening the garage to a shiny and clean bike :-)

233 mile ride out today. To one side of the country and back. It was the UK’s Route 66 ie the A66. Not as iconic as the US one, but the original seeing as the Romans laid the foundations for it ;-)

It was awesome to meet up with everyone over the weekend! Pinan / Heian applications were the theme of the gathering. Fantastic to see the watch museum too. Thanks Reto!

On Sunday the 26th of October I will be teaching an open seminar in Waltham cross! The theme is advanced bunkai and flow drills for Heian / Pinan Godan! This will include long flow drills for the kata and will include strikes, gripping, locks, throws, cranks, etc. iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

Many thanks to all at the gathering in Maldon! A fun day exploring the methods and principles of Choki Motobu! I’m very grateful to Lee for making it happen and all his help with the demonstrations. Great to see everyone and thank you for the support!

A massive thanks to all at Durham! Tekki / Naihachi 1 to 3 focused around a continual flow drill covering all three kata. Thanks to Steve for making it happen, Dave for his help with demonstrations, and all who supported the session for their hard-work and enthusiasm.

A short extract from a basic “throwaway” drill done at a recent class. Two “Gedan-Barai” followed by a dropping strike. The aim being to emphasise to kyu grades that the function of any given movement needs to be understood in the context of the wider kata.

Well that was fun! Thanks to all in Turku this weekend! My take on the methods of Motobu and the kata I created for that. Lots to cover and I am very grateful for everyone’s hard work and enthusiasm. Special thanks to all at Yamamichi for making it happen!

On Sunday the 23rd of November 2025, I will be teaching an open seminar on kata bunkai / practical karate in Swansea! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...

Kushanku / Kanku-Dai / Kosokun-Dai partner drills and pad drills in Blairgowrie! Great to see everyone and congratulations to Ally Whytock on being awarded his 6th dan!

I’m a little behind on adding seminar photos. Thanks to all at Yorkshire School of Martial Science recently! We looked at the principles and pedagogy of the Pinans! It was a fun day and I was delighted with how much we got covered. Thank you!

UPCOMING SEMINARS 2 of 4 Seminar in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland! 18th / 19th October 2025: iainabernethy.com/events/semin... On Saturday 25th of October 2025 I will be teaching an open seminar in Norwich! iainabernethy.com/events/semin...