Sensei Hanratty offers coaching tips. Among the topics discussed:
-The difference between coaching and instructing
-How to build a good team
-Tips for teaching kids, including the role that parents play
Key quote: “What I always want to do is bring out the best in you.”
Sensei Hanratty looks at the differences between the Shotokan and Goju Ryu styles.
He also discusses the following:
-Difference between inside tension and outside tension stances
-Urban myths surrounding karate, such as ripping flesh from an opponent
-How most weapons will work if you hit the right target
-Location of nerve centers
-How his traditional dojo is set up
In the 66th episode of the Hanratty on Karate Podcast, Sensei John Hanratty discusses the following:
-A trip some of his students just took to Okinawa, where they trained with a Gōjū-ryū grandmaster.
-Criteria he follows when taking juniors on international trips.
-How the Gōjū-ryū style, and particularly its kata, differs from Shotokan.Episode recorded on November 24, 2025
Sensei Hanratty discusses ethics, morals, standards, and responsibilities in the dojo.
He touches on the following:
-Certification of instructors
-Why there should be a governing body for martial arts schools
-How ethics and morals are set by an instructor and organization
Sensei Hanratty discusses how katas evolve. He also touches on:-Teaching Jitte kata-Using a bō in the kata-Whether some katas are meant to be done with a weapon-Doing variations on kata for demonstrationsKey quote: “The goal is to get better every day in your karate, in your philosophy, and in the way you look at the world.”
Episode recorded on November 11, 2025
Sensei Hanratty breaks down the application of the katas Kanku Dai and Heian Shodan.
Sensei Hanratty discusses his views on kata application and how you can reverse engineer katas to come up with bunkai.
Sensei Hanratty describes some of the body's natural weapons and the best targets to use them against.
Sensei Hanratty wraps up this series of discussions about karate camps. Some of the topics he discusses in this episode:-A karate camp at CFB Esquimalt, in Victoria, BC-A camp at the army and naval academy in Carlsbad, California-The role of ability vs. capability in grading-Dissecting a kata for applications
In this ongoing discussion of karate camps, Sensei Hanratty touches on the following: -Some Japanese instructors he got to know-His involvement with starting the WSKA-A camp he taught in the San Bernadino mountains-A great camp he attended in Sunderland, UK-A very memorable camp in San Diego, with Sensei Ray Dalke
Sensei Hanratty continues his discussion of what he enjoyed about the karate camps he has attended, including those in La Jolla, California, and Banff National Park.
Sensei Hanratty continues his discussion of karate camps. In this episode, he discusses the following:-Attending camps in California hosted by Sensei Nishiyama
-A friendly match he participated in between the Dubai team and the UK team
-A karate camp he used to host in Banff National Park
Sensei Hanratty begins a series of discussions about karate camps. In this episode, he describes camps and competitions he attended at the Crystal Palace in South London in the 1960s.
In this episode, Sensei Hanratty wraps up his discussion of kumite by discussing the following:-Importance of proper mindset-Difference between predator and prey-Voice as a weapon-How mental attitude leads to success in karate and life-Why some people, even if they have good techniques, aren’t good at kumite-Why “Mental attitude is everything”-Concept of personal space -How violence is a form of communication-Difference between kumite and street fighting
Sensei Hanratty offers more tips on teaching kumite, including:-Different drills for teaching kumite-Importance of situational awareness and attitude for self defence-Steps in the psychological ladder-Different kinds of timing-Attacking the intention
Sensei Hanratty offers tips for teaching kumite.
Sensei Hanratty offers tips on how to effectively teach kata.
Sensei Hanratty discusses the most common injuries suffered by practitioners of karate and other martial arts, including how to identify and treat them.
Sensei Hanratty begins this series of episodes about karate instruction by discussing the following:
-What belt to wear when joining or visiting a club
-How he started teaching in the UK and then Canada
-Origins of his instructors' course and Shotokan Instructor's Handbook
-Coaching training he’s done
Key quote: "You ease into instruction through necessity.”
Sensei Hanratty discusses what karate has in common with golf, another sport he loves. He touches on the following:
-The importance of a good mental attitude
-The difference between criticism and correction
-His impressions of the first club he trained at in Canada
-The value of karate over most sports
Key quotes:
"A strong spirit carries a weak technique.”
“Do it for yourself – do it for your own satisfaction... Be proud of what you do, and just keep doing it.”