Missing Link Martial Arts

Combat Has Structure — Chaos Is Only the Surface

Combat often looks chaotic. Especially in unarmed fighting, many things happen at once: movement, striking, pressure, balance, clinch, interruption, disengagement, re-entry. Because of this density, fighting is often exp…

Keeping Martial Arts Alive Without Chasing Every Trend

Keep what survives contact. This article shows how constraints, cycles, and partner pressure turn values into behaviour — and training into something that lasts. Sandro Sandten teaches partner-contact–oriented Karate wit…

Movement First: The Stance Fetish in Traditional Karate

There is a curious obsession in traditional martial arts, and karate in particular, with the way you stand. Not with how you move, not with how you get somewhere, but with the precise frozen moment at the end of a techni…

Chaos, Adrenaline, and the Moral Compass

Real-World Lessons for a Functional Karate System (Part 2) Author: Tony Bolton In Part 1, we looked at the mechanical and strategic gaps in modern training. But a fight is not just physics; it is physiology and psycholog…

Karate and Self Defence

Real-World Lessons for a Functional Karate System (Part 1) Author: Tony Bolton We often describe traditional Japanese Karate as a "Japanese Garden"—beautiful, structured, and manicured. But real violence is a jungle. It …

Fear: A short induction

A few years ago we recorded a GLIMPSE video that got a bit of attention. We were asked to create a readable version for those of you who do not want to sit through a lengthy chat. Fear originates in the amygdala, trigger…

Fear: An introduction

A GLIMPSE video with some serious martial arts knowledge, recorded during the pandemic. Here, Gary Bohm and Heero Miketta dive in the issue of fear and fear management from a martial arts perspective, but touching topics…

Beyond the Cute Photos: The Reality of Martial Arts for Children

Parents often bring their children to the dojo with a specific vision in mind. They hope for a bully-proof child, better school grades, iron discipline, and perhaps some lovely photos in a crisp white uniform for the gra…

Not hiding the cracks: Karate as personal journey

Some deeply personal thoughts by Sensei Chris Edwards The people that know me well know how much I struggle with my Mental Health. My one saving grace between my job as a Nurse and my other stresses in life is Martial Ar…

Bringing Values to Life in Martial Arts

Thoughts by Sensei Sandro Sandten Does martial arts train character? Many of us started martial arts because we were looking for more than just movement or self-defence. We wanted to develop a posture—an attitude—to unde…

The Karate Buddy – Learning, Even When You Can’t Make it to the Dojo

Sensei Sandro Sandten about Peer Tutoring in Martial Arts. In Karate, you often get the feeling that you have to work everything out for yourself. But many eventually discover that learning in the Dojo becomes much easie…

Gendai Koryu Karate - 現代古流唐手

Missing Link is the Method. Gendai Koryu Karate is the Style. After nearly 15 years of Missing Link Martial Arts, we have decided that the Karate we practice deserves its own name. For a long time, we had good reasons to…

The Allure and Trap of the “Island Talent”

Why Missing Link teachers are guides, not gatekeepers It’s a familiar figure in any dojo, in any art. The competitor who is untouchable in point-sparring but freezes when the context changes. The kata specialist whose fo…

Practical skill beyond the tickbox

Sensei Heero Miketta about Empowering the Student… and the Teacher Traditional karate, and many well-known martial arts, are built on checklists . Kihon, Kata, Kumite: three sacred pillars, three tick-boxes. Master the e…

Balancing Safeguarding of Young People and Personal Safety in Conflict Situations

Sensei Tony Bolton, Manchester, addresses a particularly difficult issue In recent years, UK police statistics have highlighted a concerning trend: as children transition from primary to secondary school, their risk of b…

Conflict, Fighting, and Self-Defense: Escalation Responses in Martial Arts

Self-defense in the context of martial arts—now there’s a topic that has been discussed endlessly, yet still leaves room for fresh perspectives. What new insights could possibly be added to this well-trodden subject? Let…

What sets Missing Link Martial Arts apart from regular Martial Arts styles?

In today's martial arts landscape, where many schools focus primarily on competitive sports or strict traditional forms, Missing Link Martial Arts takes a distinctly different approach. Our community's philosophy goes be…

Covid summary: Martial arts post pandemic

So we survived. Remember the end of 2020? When we collectively said good bye to year full of challenges and hoped for a better start in 2021? Things are never quite that easy, it seems. Whatever your opinion about the ye…

Debodification: Missing Links between body and mind.

It has been more than two decades ago when I first started identifying an issue that became a defining topic for my work in the years since then. In the lack of a better term we called it "Entkörperung", back in the days…

Winter is coming: The importance of physical health.

I remember times when the word “Winter” triggered mostly positive emotions: Snow (yay!), holidays, Christmas and baked apples. Today, there seems to be a certain feeling of doom and gloom connected to winter time, maybe …

Traditional Martial Arts in a Modern World

The topic isn't exactly new, and we have had a long KarateTalk about it some years ago, but it is a discussion that pops up again and again. What does all the traditional martial arts stuff even mean in our modern world?…

Collecting martial arts knowledge

The concept of Missing Link has a long history. On the one hand, in terms of traditional martial arts that all of our founder circle and master circle members have studied for many decades. On the other hand, in the way …

The Missing Link Teacher scheme

Curiosity and innovation: The Martial Arts community is full of both. To nurture this search for knowledge and skills is our most important goal in Missing Link. We are an international community of curious, open minded …

The Online Dojo is now open.

Learning martial arts online – is that even possible? The short answer is: No. Martial arts needs the whole person, connects body and mind. Learning it is based on experience in the dojo, with and without partner, with …

How relevant is full contact training?

Like with most things that you invest time to learn, you will fantasies/day dream of how good it will be when you reach your goal. This could be learning guitar or learning another language, and the fantasy of that could…

Self Defence & good mental health

What can you expect from a self-defence course? You'll learn to use your body - your arms, legs, head - to efficiently fight yourself out of an attack. You learn about risk assessment, typical offender and victim behavio…

Male instructors in Women's Self Defence: Does that make sense at all?

The Mancunian Missing Link Karate dojos currently embark on a special venture: Bringing the highly developed Women's Self Defence concept of the German police to England. This raises an important question that we encount…

Knife Awareness

A look into our Knife awareness seminars in Manchester: Why Knife AWARENESS, not DEFENSE? Because knife defense techniques are most of the time madness. A knife is a dangerous weapon, and it should not be brought to any …

Karate & Transfer

I always try to push my students beyond technique. Always trying to open pathways of understanding and giving them the possibility of understanding the underlying general principles, that will crack open, not just that t…

MasterLevel gradings 2019

The Missing Link concept replaces the Dan grading system with an own approach to individual development, research and learning within the community. Instead of counting up the number of Dan degrees, the Okuden and Kaiden…

Meerbusch 2019 seminar

A little look back on Meerbusch 2019, beyond the Kuro Obi and MasterLevel gradings a fantastic seminar with Cornelia Heinz and Sascha Wagener and Master Circle Member Sandro Sandten, covering for the injured Heero Mikett…

KarateTalk 4: Beyond division

For the fourth KarateTalk Heero and Jorge take a look at the two biggest sources of modern martial arts: Chinese and Japanese styles and what connects them. We discuss methods, principles and didactics with Klaus Günther…

Missing Link Karate Seminar in Meerbusch 2019

Founder Circle Seminar with gradings for Kuro Obi and Masterlevels in Meerbusch/Germany, close to Düsseldorf. Two days of intensive training with Cornelia Heinz, Heero Miketta and Sascha Wagener. Recent Posts Combat Has …

Summer camp Denmark 2019

Summercamps have a long standing tradition for Missing Link - and for Ten Chi Jin Martial Arts Academy in Denmark, home of Master Circle Member Jorge Garibaldi. 2019 marked a new step in both traditions: The Missing Link…

KarateTalk 3: Kihon-Kata-Kumite

Kihon-Kata-Kumite: Does this Karate mantra make sense? Jorge and Heero chat with full contact guru Jürgen Höller. Karate Talk No 3: Martial Arts are much more than just physical education. Reason enough to dive deeper in…

New Year Seminar in Schwerin/Germany

A yearly tradition in Schwerin/North Germany: Karate Dojo Ronin Schwerin ( https://www.dojo-ronin.de ) welcomes Karateka from across the country for their New Year Seminar with Heero Miketta and usually at least one othe…

2018 edition: The Missing Link bible

And here is the new edition: The Missing Links of Martial Arts describes the concept and also covers the curriculum and the way how to create an individual syllabus. Included three examples: The Dortmund Syllabus, the Aa…

Winter seminar Dortmund 2018

A little look back on our winter seminar with Cornelia Heinz, Jorge F. Garibaldi, Heero Miketta and Sascha Wagener in the Missing Link HQ in Dortmund. Training and sweat were part of the schedule - but the high class ins…

Karate Talk 2: Online Training, does it make sense?

Remember last month's KarateTalk from Schwerin/Germany? No? Not a surprise. The transmission broke and Jorge and Heero chatted for over half an hour in front of a camera that didn't work. We are doing this again, but thi…

Seminars: Winter 2018

As an example for what we do: Here some memories of three days of intense training and gradings in Manchester 2017 and Dortmund 2018. Our seminars are the place to be for Missing Link Karateka and everyone else who is in…

KarateTalk #1: How does Karate fit in the world of modern Martial Arts?

The first KarateTalk with Jorge Garibaldi and Heero Miketta. Recent Posts Combat Has Structure — Chaos Is Only the Surface Combat often looks chaotic. Especially in unarmed fighting, many things happen at once: movement,…

Ancient footage: Manchester seminar Five Elements

Flashback to a seminar with Sascha Wagener and Heero Miketta in Manchester years ago in 2013. Topic: Kakie Waza and the five elements in Karate. Recent Posts Combat Has Structure — Chaos Is Only the Surface Combat often …

KarateTalk: A Missing Link view on Karate

Martial Arts are much more than just physical education. Reason enough to dive deeper into the background of Karate with this brand new format: Jorge Garibaldi, educator. Master Circle Member and high ranked Karate instr…

Welcome to the Community Blog

Since Missing Link Martial Arts was founded, it has grown in many ways. Most important: In content. The Community has attracted great Martial Artists from many different fields and started growing into new countries. Thi…