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IMAC Dojo Blog

IMAC Dojo Martial Arts Blog

A multilingual article library for Judo, Karate, Wushu, Muaythai, Wing Chun, Chen Taichi, and Self Defense in Bangkok.

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Judo ThailandJujitsu & BJJShinkyokushin KarateTaekwondo & HapkidoWing Chun ThailandChen TaichiChinese WushuMuaythaiSelf Defense
Featured Article
Two grapplers practicing a ground control position on mats
Jujitsu & BJJJudo ThailandSelf Defense

Jujitsu vs BJJ: What's the Difference? A Watcher's View of How Both Arts Grew

A historical account of how ancient Japanese jujitsu split into Kodokan judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, tracing Kosen Judo's parallel triangle-choke discovery and BJJ's return to Japan through Yuki Nakai, before comparing BJJ with modern sport Ju-Jitsu.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 22 Sept 2026

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A karate student holding a basic stance in the dojo

Shinkyokushin Karate

The Chinese Roots of Karate: Evidence, Legend and the Dojo

A dojo founder traces his personal path from Chinese boxing to Shinkyokushin Karate, exploring the historical links between Fujian martial arts, Okinawan Tode, and the naming of karate itself.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 19 Sept 2026

Cover montage of Shihan Fumiaki Frank Nagashima at IMAC Dojo, explaining, demonstrating on his feet and seated in seiza, beside the brushed characters 新極真会 and a Thai headline

Shinkyokushin Karate

Shihan Nagashima, WKO Branch Chief, at IMAC Dojo: Bio, Kihon, Tanden

On Friday 18 September 2026 Shihan Fumiaki Frank Nagashima visited IMAC Dojo and taught a short session of about 40 minutes. He focused on three things: sitting and rising as Budo etiquette requires, using Hikite to generate power in Kihon, and Ibuki breathing to control the tanden, then presented the belts and certificates from the 21 August grading. The article also carries his biography, from Keio University and a first grading under Sosai Oyama to his appointment as WKO Branch Chief for Thailand in 2011, and the interview filmed that day.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 23 Sept 2026

Karate practitioner in a low cat stance during kata

Shinkyokushin Karate

Garyu Crouching Dragon Kata

An in-depth look at the Garyu kata's origin from Mas Oyama's home village, its crouching-dragon philosophy, technical structure, and its role as the mandatory kata for first-degree black belt in Shinkyokushin karate.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 15 Sept 2026

Karate students stretching legs and hips before training

Shinkyokushin Karate

Choosing a Karate Gym That Warms Up the Body According to Sports Science

A straight look at warming up for karate: what the research says about stretching before versus after training, how long a static hold has to be before it costs you power, what the iliopsoas and the hips have to do with kicking, why I do not let partners press down during splits, and how to judge whether a karate school takes its students' bodies seriously.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 16 Sept 2026

Karate practitioner in white gi performing a focused strike

Shinkyokushin Karate

Karma or Coincidence: A Buddhist View on the Kyokushin Master's Illness

A Kyokushin karate practitioner reflects on Mas Oyama's final illness and death through a Buddhist lens, examining the Godhand legend, the organizational split that followed, and the lessons applied at IMAC Dojo.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 14 Sept 2026

Four karate practitioners in gi kneeling to wipe the wooden dojo floor with cloths, an instructor standing behind them

Shinkyokushin Karate

Japanese Karate Training: A Spirit Toward Ultimate Truth

Drawn from training alongside Japanese friends, this article explains how the bowing ceremony, mokuso, the kihon-kata-kumite structure, and wiping the dojo floor add up to the spirit of budo.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 12 Sept 2026

Four scenes in an arena: a karateka in a white gi and black belt throwing a high kick, a muay thai fighter in Thai shorts and hand wraps hitting focus mitts, a judoka throwing an opponent to the mat, and a pair grappling on the ground in gi.

Self Defense

What Are the Martial Arts? Families, Range, and How to Choose One

Instead of ranking which art hits hardest, this sorts the martial arts into families by range and by how an exchange ends, then gives criteria you can actually decide with, and says plainly what we teach and what we do not.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 22 Sept 2026

A dentist training Kyokushin karate to build core endurance

Shinkyokushin Karate

How Kyokushin Karate Training Eases Muscle Pain in Dentists

A dentist in my dojo told me his back felt like an old man's after ten years of chairside work. This article places research on pain prevalence, the limits of ergonomic equipment, and core muscle mechanics next to what I actually teach in the dojo.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Aug 2026

A teacher and students training Wing Chun on the wooden dummy in a training hall

Wing Chun Thailand

Lessons Learned from Training Wing Chun in China

My son Ryu-GeGe called after his first Wing Chun session in Xi'an to say nobody there rushes to finish a form: the teacher corrects your hand position degree by degree. This article gathers what we learned, from the art's real history to the state-recognised inheritor system and the discipline we brought back to IMAC Dojo.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Aug 2026

A Thai schoolgirl in uniform surrounded by karate, judo and wing chun practitioners, with a phone showing the self-assessment quiz and a Thai headline about reducing school violence

Self Defense

Reducing School Violence Through the Right Martial Art

After the 7 August 2026 attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, the founder of IMAC Dojo on what martial arts genuinely help with in bullying — and what they don't.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 8 Aug 2026

Children practising karate and taekwondo in a dojo comparison

Shinkyokushin Karate

Karate vs Taekwondo: Which One Suits Your Child?

A practical comparison of karate and taekwondo for children, covering training goals, rules, movement, and injury evidence through a family's first-hand experience.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Sept 2026

Shinkyokushin Karate students practising kumite in a dojo

Shinkyokushin Karate

Shinkyokushin Karate: From Japan to Thailand

How Kyokushin's transition in Japan led to modern WKO Shinkyokushinkai, and how Phoenix's family journey connects that history to IMAC Dojo Bangkok.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 18 Aug 2026

Middle-aged adults practising karate with focus in a dojo

Shinkyokushin Karate

Why Starting Karate Between 30 and 60 Can Be One of Your Best Choices

Phoenix began karate at 42. His first-hand experience is considered alongside research on lifelong motor learning, injury evidence, and age-adapted activity so adults can decide without rushing their bodies.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 20 Sept 2026

A Judo practitioner training Ukemi, the controlled breakfall on a mat.

Judo Thailand

What Is Ukemi? The Judo Skill of Controlled, Safer Falling

Ukemi is Judo's method of receiving a fall with control. Learn its purpose, major forms, progression, common errors, and the safety limits every beginner should understand.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Sept 2026

Cultural illustration of Huang Qiying, one of the Ten Tigers of Canton and a Hung Kuen lineage figure, not a historical photograph.

Chinese Wushu

Huang Qiying: The Ten Tigers of Canton Master Behind Wong Fei-hung

Huang Qiying sits at the meeting point of southern Chinese martial arts history, oral tradition, Hung Kuen training, and the later fame of his son Wong Fei-hung. This guide separates common history, lineage storytelling, and modern media memory.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Sept 2026

A woman practicing Wing Chun self-defense with structure and centerline principles at IMAC Dojo.

Wing Chun Thailand

Wing Chun for Women: Self-Defense with Structure Instead of Strength

Wing Chun is a close-range martial art that uses centerline, structure, timing, and efficient movement. That makes it a practical entry point for women who want self-defense skills without starting with hard-contact sparring from day one.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Sept 2026

Cultural illustration comparing the Shaolin Ten Tigers and Guangdong Ten Tigers; not a historical photograph.

Chinese Wushu

Shaolin Ten Tigers vs Guangdong Ten Tigers: What Is the Difference?

A careful guide separating the legendary Shaolin Ten Tigers from the more Guangdong-based martial arts memory of the Guangdong Ten Tigers, with Hung Gar, Huang Qiying, Wong Fei-hung, and Southern Shaolin context.

By Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix) · 9 Sept 2026

Reading Guide

Read by training goal

The IMAC Dojo Blog connects Judo, Shinkyokushin Karate, Wing Chun, Muay Thai, self-defense, Bangkok, and Ladprao 101 topics with real classes at the dojo.

Judo for falling skills and body controlStart here if you want safe breakfalls, gripping, throwing, balance, and Japanese discipline connected to the Judo Bangkok course at IMAC Dojo.Read articleShinkyokushin Karate for body and spiritRead this path for Full Contact Karate, Kyokushin spirit, fitness, discipline, and practical standing self-defense training in Bangkok.Read articleWing Chun for close-range self-defenseExplore Ip Man Wing Chun, centerline theory, structure, timing, and practical self-defense for beginners, adults, and women.Read articleMuay Thai and Wai Kru for Thai martial cultureUse this topic to understand Wai Kru Muay Thai, rhythm, balance, traditional movement, and the cultural roots of Thai martial arts.Read article

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Which article should beginners read first?

Start with the Ng Mui and Wing Chun article for close-range self-defense, or the Shinkyokushin Karate article for fitness, confidence, and full-contact basics.

Do these articles connect to real IMAC Dojo classes?

Yes. The blog links directly to Judo, Shinkyokushin Karate, Wing Chun, and Wai Kru Muay Thai classes at IMAC Dojo near Ladprao 101 in Bangkok.

How can the Blog help choose a course?

Read the short answer, key takeaways, and FAQ in each article to compare goals such as fitness, discipline, self-defense, confidence, and martial arts foundations.