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There was one Okinawan teacher who got rid of yakuza types who attempted to intimidate him thinking he was an easily scared old man. They would not so subtly remind everyone that the building where the dojo was and many other parts of the neighborhood was their turf, and therefore owed them something. They often showed up acting arrogant, threatening and belligerent demanding recognition and « respect ». Instead of cowering in fear, the 9th dan 70 something sensei invited the yakuza in and showed them his personal makiwara, which was basically a piece of iron/steel sheet. After striking it a few dozen times with his hands and then with his toes(similar to sokusen kick in uechiryu), he asked if any of the yakuza characters wanted to have a go. One tried to look tough not to loose face, but visibly winced and very obviously could not continue beyond a couple of halfhearted punches. The sensei asked if anyone else wanted to try, but they all looked at each other, gave a sheepish bow and left. They never bothered him afterwards, even ignoring him if they saw him.

I am nowhere even close to a black belt, ...if I do get to that point I'd like to stick around and help other students, but we'll see.

There is something to be said about finding the right community. Great people with great attitudes in a great atmosphere goes a long way in keeping people around.

"It may seem difficult at first, but all things are difficult at first." --Miyamoto Musashi

Hello you lovely people... Have you thought about any goals you have this year? I used to be rather big on setting goals for the year, don't always make a big deal if I didn't meet them, I didn't want to put unnecessary pressure on myself, just gives me something to work towards I guess. Also, since covid I think I have finally thought about setting goals like this again... since I have stopped my regular classes and focusing more on my training for the past 18ish months, I'm still constantly working on my own content and putting together sourcebooks for kata I practise, so some of my goals are more focused on that, but within my friends club that I have now become a part of, he is keen on having me share more of what I do, particularly with his black belts. So one of my biggest things I want to do this year is get myself to a place where I feel comfortable doing that. Since covid and stopping my club I did suffer with confidence issues and anxiety when teaching, but I do want to get back into it and especially give something back to this club for taking me in, so would like to get more comfortable there and start helping out a bit more, have done a few little bits one on one there and always get good feedback. Another thing is that I'm trying to do something exercise or martial art related everyday, even if it's just 5 - 10 minutes. Just to create a habit more than anything. Going strong so far! 6 days in and haven't dropped a day yet.

Something important to remember is that you're not alone. Everyone has gone through periods of feeling overwhelmed and disappointed. It can be tough looking at people who have already gone through what you're going through and think that they somehow were better at learning than you are. The truth is that they weren't any better, they just stuck with it.

Mine is to get back into BJJ. I trained in it for about 2 months in 2023, but eventually had to drop it because adding it to karate was keeping me out of the house too much and it was causing problems with my wife. However, I found a BJJ school that has 6 am classes, which will allow me to get back home when everyone else is waking up. And, most importantly, these morning classes will allow me to continue having the same number of evenings per week that I stay home with the family.

I don't have any martial arts goals this year. The only goal I set is to intentionally travel, by foot or bike, the distance from The Shire to Mordor, about 1779 miles (2863 km) over the course of the year.

Lots of great advice has been put forth already. As martial artists, we've all been there in that beginning phase. The truth is, it just takes time, and you have to tell yourself that you're looking years down the road, not days. It's easy for me to say, "don't be so hard on yourself," but the fact of the matter is everyone is different and this is tough for some to accept. I started Aikido back up very recently, and I get frustrated with myself in class at times because I just can't seem to make some things work. The sensei is good about telling me to not worry about trying to be as proficient at Aikido as I am with Taekwondo, so I try to take it all in stride. You need to do this for you; it's got to be your journey. You'll have lots of help on the way, but only you can put the work in. Try to take one positive thing out of every class. Just one. And focus on that. Keep a journal, and have an entry for every date that you go to class or practice something on your own. Write down little notes you remember. These could be feelings you had about a certain topic in class, or they could be tidbits you recall the instructor telling you to improve one aspect or another of a technique. Jot these things down, and you can look back on them for reference, and it's also a log of your progress. It also keeps you accountable. I've found it to be a very handy tool. Then, come back here to KarateForums and talk to us about it. Heck, start a thread that's a log of your training like several of us have done here. I've found this community to be very supportive, and coming here to discuss my thoughts on classes and testings really is a motivating factor in going back to class. I think you will find it to be true, as well. Go back to class. Believe in yourself. We do.

I hope that you do return! There's a reason that we're so passionate about it. Those who stick with it become incredibly passionate about it. There's just something about martial arts that keeps us coming back. Lean on how supportive the people are. They don't care about how good or bad you might be, they care that you showed up willing to learn. It can definitely be frustrating. I've been doing martial arts for 23 years and I still get frustrated when learning new things sometimes! I remember learned a set of kata and thinking that "I will never teach anyone these kata!" because it was frustrating to me. They're still not my favorite, but now that I'm a few years removed from that learning experience I see the value in them and would teach them to anyone who wants to know.

I also wanted to add - for most belt manufacturers, kanji characters are 2.5 cm tall on a 4.5 cm wide belt, and 2 cm tall on a 4 cm wide belt. Most will reduce them to 2 cm on a 4.5 cm wide belt if you go over a certain number of characters. To determine the proper length of the belt ends, multiply the number of kanji or katakana characters by 2.5. You'll need 5 to 10 cm of clearance above the kanji to prevent the embroidery from going into the knot. You'll also need 8 to 10 cm meters of clearance below the characters on the label side, and 4 cm on the non-label side. So: Length of label side end = 8 to 10 cm + (number of characters x 2.5 cm) + 5 to 10 cm Length of non-label side end = 4 cm + (number of characters x 2.5 cm) + 5 to 10 cm This assumes a 4.5 cm wide belt, so on a 4 cm wide belt, use 2 cm instead of 2.5 cm. Whichever side is longer, that's how long your ends should be. The belt size calculator on the Kataaro website assumes the ends below the knot are 30 cm. So adjust for that if your ends need to be longer. Kuro Obi Ya has a formula on the site as well, but it doesn't tell you how long the ends are when using that formula, so it's not of much use.

I'm not sure that we'd be having this debate outside of the English language. An example of this: in classical music, we don't translate the word "maestro." We just leave it in Italian. I think we're reluctant to call the conductor a "master." It's taboo in the English language, hence why we're so ready to dogpile anyone who uses such a title. Is it possible to "master" a martial art? If a martial art cannot be mastered, then what can be? Perhaps when the word "master" is used in martial arts, it means that someone has reached a particular level of authority within the art. I think it's fair to say that, in any subject, it's at least possible to do that. I say that if there's a problem with the word "master," then perhaps even a title such as "master instructor" doesn't adequately solve the issue here. Perhaps titles like "senior instructor" and "chief instructor" would be perceived as even less pompous and self-aggrandizing.

I look it at more as being a 'master instructor,' like how one might earn a master's degree in a field at college. I don't truly feel that I'm a "master" of the martial arts, but I do feel that I can competently teach another person at a high level.

We were very similar in this regard! and it's an aspect of my training journey that I regret. I chased that Sandan hard! I was already teaching at this point and felt like I needed that grade to ratify myself in the instructor world... I achieved my Sandan at the age of 21, faster than I should have done. But like yourself I completely gave up on chasing ranks. and the more time passed the more I realised there was no need to chase. 10 years later was the next time I graded when I got my Yondan. To be honest for me, my current training period is the one I want to relive... After covid and becoming a father, I have had to take a step back on the teaching side of things. for the past 18 months I have been training at a friends dojo, it's a different style but they have accepted my grade. I'm just happy being there and training as a visiting black belt, occasionally I help with the teaching, most of the times its a black belt group and the main instructor likes me to teach them something from my style to give them something a bit different to work on. But at the moment it's just nice to be focusing on my training just for the sake of training. One day I'll look into kick starting my club up again, but when the time is right

My answer is sort of bittersweet, I think. I would like to go back and relive my Shodan phase, for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is that my late Sensei was still alive and in good health, and I would love to have all that time to learn from him again. I would ask so many more questions, and workshop so many more things with him. There's also the fact that, for a long time after getting my brown belt, I just figured I would never actually earn my Shodan, both because I didn't really see it as very important and because I didn't think I was good enough.

空手の日, "karate no hi", or Karate Day, celebrates the meeting of karate masters on October 25, 1936, where the name 空手, "karate" was officially adopted for the art we know today. It also established the kyu/dan ranking system. In 2005, the Okinawan Perfectural Assembly officially established October 25 as Karate Day to celebrate this anniversary. Each year, karate-ka from around the world gather in Okinawa to celebrate, culminating with a massive group demonstration of kata in Naha, Okinawaa. In fact, the 2016 Karate Day celebration established a Guinness World Record for the most people simultaneously performing a kata. This year, my CI and his wife went to attend the celebrations and to train with other high-ranking instructors in Okinawa. The video of this years' celebrations is posted below. The Uechi-Ryu contingent performs the kata Sanseiryu (三十六) at about 9:40 into the video. My CI is front and center in the contingent for most of that segment.

Patrick's belt should be gold color.

I have to avoid caffeine due to Meniere's disease. However, years ago I started struggling with fried or greasier foods and found out that I had Chron's disease. You might get with a gastroenterologist to see if you have developed Chron's or colitis.

dont worry or over think it. just go..... meet people, make friends. the rest will come naturally. try for at least three times per week. and practice what you can at home. even if its just slow forms practice to get the movement, kick, punch etc perfect... places teach differently so cant comment much on the training. some are better than others for beginners and have a better schedule and layout of classes, adult beginner classes, some even have an intermediate class once a week and then advanced classes. while some places just have an adult class with everyone lumped in together. while these can be confusing for some at first they can still be good dojos to learn from. you just have to go... you will learn it and get better as time progresses. dont be so hard on yourself or lose interest before you really give yourself a chance.

When it's time to go it is time to go.

I saw a screenshot of a post on Facebook and it got me thinking about Kumite, and how much some people struggle to adapt to how different some people fight especially when they are preparing for their Shodan. In my mind; this is sometimes something that I have noticed some clubs don't really teach or have people consider. For instance, I fight somewhat like a MMA Fighter; biding my time and making opportunities. Along with being a pain in the butt by fighting "Dirty" which a lot of people hate. But by "Dirty" I mean: low kicks, making the person look at my hands and then kick them again. Also annoyingly having a lot of "sticky hands" when I fight.

Perhaps the disappointment might be less important when there are less students. The matter of fact is that it is a normal thing to occur, even just for a fleeting moment. It does no good to dwell on it, especially when students and prospective students are abundant. That could hardly be considered coldness. It’s just how teaching works and, a wise instructor knows from the beginning that most students will probably quit well before the 4-5 years(average) required to even get to shodan(or equivalent). Never mind beyond that.

Our dojo has 2 floors - we have mats on the downstairs dojo, and hardwood (bamboo) floors upstairs. I find that it's harder to balance on one leg on the mats; I also find the mats tend to get slippery a lot easier than the bamboo floors. However, I definitely do not like falling on the bamboo floors!

I really enjoy doing our 2-person drills with a partner who really pushes me to do my best. There are a handful of partners I truly enjoy training with -- they are strong enough, fast enough, and skilled enough that I need to be at my best to keep up with them. It's a real joy to train with partners that bring out the best in you.

You're more than welcome to do so, but here is the draft ruleset so you can have the full outline. Competition Kakedameshi Draft Rules.pdf

I actually think it's pretty widespread because enforcement is rare, I suspect that is within the martial arts world, too. You really have to be very blatant to get caught, so I suspect most don't expect there will ever be any repercussions.

You're welcome!!! BTW, the pronunciation guide of the manual on pages 3 to 6 is how I was taught when I took Japanese in college 37 years ago (wow that is so long ago, LOL!!!)

Fraud is definitely a concern, but it is frustrating that many people seem to feel there is a link between popularity and legitimacy. This is something I have seen time and time again in the martial arts world--people who think that if an art is legitimate, it will be popular, and if it is popular, it must be legitimate. I have actually faced that quite a bit with regard to KishimotoDi, personally. All I can do is keep publishing information and putting out video content, and encouraging others to do the same. I don't think you have wasted your time, at all! It is definitely sad to lose a rare art, however. The "not knowing what you don't know" aspect of the knowledge bell curve is pretty common! Yeah, not everyone is a writer, or thinks they have much of value to write, even if they do, but books absolutely help. I'm sure time and resources are barriers to entry, but there are usually options available to learn at least a little bit of what there is to learn about rare systems if you really want to. Uchi-deshi programs are definitely rare these days, and I think most of them are in fairly popular styles. Maybe that will change. Cross-training is absolutely important for a well-rounded martial education, but it's really unfortunate that competition seems to be the only way for a style to gain mainstream popularity. I understand why, but the combat sports communities have done a good job of convincing people that traditional martial arts don't work in modern combat sports, so people with an interest in competitive fighting aren't likely to seek out traditional arts. With regard to KishimotoDi, specifically, it shares 3 of its 4 kata with other Shuri-Te lineage systems, but it is quite distinctly unique in movement and power generation, so the crossover isn't as significant as you will see in modern karate styles.

As far as karate goes it's to keep training and not get overwhelmed, and discouraged.

Thanks for starting this thread, Ashley!

My new goals for 2025. Begin each day waking up with a pulse. Don't fall over putting my underwear, pants or socks on. Be able to manage any aches and pains encountered throughout the day. Resist the urges to strangle, beat, defame, belittle or run over the little idiot in Walmart with the purple mohawk, dozen piercings, tattoos up the wazoo wearing all black. That's about it.

Win in Your Head, Win in Your Heart, Win on the Mat 3/29/2024 “Win in your head, win in your heart, win on the mat,” was a pre-match tradition I started with my oldest son when he was a young wrestler, and I share this tradition with my youngest son as he wrestles. The saying was meant to inspire them in their preparation for matches, and although it held meaning for us through wrestling, it applies to other athletic endeavors as well, especially other martial arts performances. It has always held meaning for me and my boys, but I wanted to finally put it on paper. As I describe each aspect, I’ll do so in a wrestling context, but know that it can easily apply to other martial arts. Win in Your Head This covers the physical aspect of the physical endeavor. This means you need to know you have the knowledge to compete, which comes from practice. Drilling takedowns, stand-ups, switches, reversals, turks, etc, until you know you can make them work. This drilling should build “physical confidence,” or the ability to perform the techniques confidently and effectively. This confidence should also allow you to make adjustments to the techniques or to other techniques as necessary. Win in Your Heart This covers the mental and spiritual aspects of the physical endeavor. You have to know in your heart that you can compete. Don’t look at the size of your opponent. Be confident in your physical abilities so far and know you can win. Don’t lose your match before you even start it. To quote Dan Millman, “If you face just one opponent and doubt yourself, you’re out-numbered.” Embrace the spirit of competition with another human being. You honor each other by facing each other. Embrace the fires of adversity, bathe in them, and grow stronger. Win on the Mat This is where it all comes together. All the blood, sweat, tears, meditation, and focus come together as you pit yourself against another person. Let your body do what you’ve trained it to do. Let your heart fuel you. You’ve trained yourself with the moves to win. You’ve seen yourself win through visualization and actualization. You know in your heart you can win. Now it all comes together. It’s a rather brief dissertation, but I hope others can find some meaning and inspiration in these words as they move through their training journey and their life.

just read it..very nice!!

For me there are a few, martial arts related and general exercise related - the general exercise ones if i don't meet them i owe a friend of mine £50 per target missed and the same for one of the bjj ones - anything where the success is outwith my complete control doesn't have a penalty. Martial arts goals : Get first 2 judo belts - have been dabbling in judo for a while now and want to get a little more serious about it and get a couple of belts. Am putting this as under my control as i was told i am being graded for first one in February and that i should be able to get another later in the year. Finally sit Shotokan shodan - this is depending on available locations for the grading tbh: i don't think there will be one in Scotland i can make so i will need to travel quite a bit to England to sit it. Will then depend how viable that is Get a couple of stripes on my bjj belt - need to get my finger out and start progressing: have had my current grade for an obscene amount of time! Try to average a minimum of 1.5 bjj classes a wk, ideally 2. Set this to 1.5 to take into account things popping up with kids, illnesses, injuries etc. so i think at worst i want to average it out at 1.5/wk. If i don't manage it i owe my friend £50 General exercise : want to manage a 200kg trap bar deadlift by end of year. If not successful i owe friend £50. Think this should be fine and realistic. Want to manage 100kg x 2 bench press. Have always found it to be one of my worse lifts so since i managed 1 when i tested it a week or two ago i want to get strong enough to manage a double. If i get this easily i will revise target upwards. Again this costs me £50 if not achieved. I settle upon a £50 penalty as it is enough to care and not want to lose it but not so much you end up in difficulties!

Thanks for mentioning it, @pandaGIRL, and for answering, @Zaine.

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That's cool. Starting out small makes it much easier to implement. Keep us posted on how this affects you. It may be worth trying.

Wow I wasn't expecting such a range of replies! It's been a long and winding road for everyone it seems. I wonder what it was like for your Sensei teaching a beginner-but-not-a-beginner. That must've been tricky, but hopefully also rewarding. I went through a similar, but lesser, journey when I moved dojo and my new Sensei worked with me slow and steady through each Goju kata over about two years. It's hard to "reprogram" yourself. It seemed like Sensei really enjoyed reviewing the kata in such detail though.

Welcome to KF, @rtiq. Great to have you here. I'm a little late to this, and it sounds like you've found a place to start. That's the best thing you can do; just get started. Getting to a school with an instructor in front of you will be a great step in the right direction. As for not being very flexible, barring any physical ailments preventing it, flexibility can be increased over time with some regular stretching and just practicing kicking. I'd also advise to keep an open mind. The style you start with may not be the style you end with, and that's ok. Keep a good attitude and keep learning, and that will take you a ways in your journey.

I'm going to echo a lot of Bob's (sensei8) suggestions here. I have been studying Uechi-Ryu (another Okinawan style) for a little over 7 years now. Here is why Uechi Ryu works for me (and could possibly work for you): - We don't require a lot of flexibility in our techniques. Most of our techniques are done in a neutral, upright stance (Sanchin-dachi). We don't do a lot of kicks, and our preferred targets are at or below the waist: the bladder or front of the thigh for a front kick, the floating ribs or knees for a side kick, and the floating ribs, calf, or outer thigh for a roundhouse kick. We do occasionally use a "shiko dachi", or low stance, but it is always done for practical reasons; generally to do an elbow strike to the floating ribs or solar plexus, and to get underneath the center of gravity of your opponent for takedowns/throws. - Our techniques are intended to be practical. We practice our techniques through kata, hojo undo (supplementary techniques), yakusoku kumite (prearranged 2 person drills), and free sparring. When performing the techniques, we generally have 2 different ways of doing things, the "textbook" version, and the "practical version", which takes your strengths and limitations into account. This is most applicable to our two-person drills; we have specific adaptions for certain body types and combinations. For example, if you have a short defender against a tall attacker, there are specific changes to some of our drills we expect you to do. - Our 2-person drills encourage you to control and/or disrupt your opponent. Some styles expect your 2-person drill techniques to look pretty with perfect form without touching your opponent. We expect the defender to manipulate the attacker and keep him off-balance. You did mention that you are not fond of the idea of kata, but also keep in mind that kata is a great way of training without a partner. When we were under COVID restrictions, we were unable to actually touch our partners. I ended up learning the black belt level two-person drills by shadow boxing, and once the restrictions lifted, I pretty much had to re-learn the drill. With kata, I was able to train and build the muscle memory for the techniques without needing to rely on a partner. Once I've trained those patterns, applying them to a 2-person drill or self-defense situation involves adapting a sequence of moves I already know. What I would most recommend is that you find an instructor near you that you can train with at least occasionally in person. Training with a partner and a good instructor will increase your learning speed by leaps and bounds. Good luck in your journey!

Welcome to KF, rtig; glad that you’re here!! Do whatever style fits YOU!! Just like buying a car/house. You’ve an idea on what type of car/house you want to buy!! You look at many before you finally decide!! You’re all in now to that car/house and it now depends on you to make it work across the board!! Maturing in one’s MA techniques takes a lot of time. If your kicking has its limitations, then any quality instructor can still help you become effective. Kicking is just another tool, and kicking high isn’t always the most effective technique. No. In Shindokan, the style I train in, we don’t kick above the waist. In the matter of fact, we concentrate on our opponents legs predominantly. Kempo would be a style that might fit you comfortably. Their kicks are mostly generated to their opponents legs. Nonetheless, Kata is important in training. Any quality instructor adjusts training to fit the student’s limitations. If a Kata requires kicks that you can’t do, high, for example, then you kick low. Like Bruce Lee said…”Absorb what is useful, discard the rest.” I believe this speaks to you in volume as far as your MA journey is concerned and what you’re seeking on the floor. KarateKen has given you some solid truths that deserve to be seriously considered!! Good luck and please let us know what you decide. We got your back!!

I'm thinking my particular system doesn't put a big WHOOP on tests and belt advancement. The testing sensei asks the students to do certain kata, various learned skills or techniques that he\she wants to see (usually ones you've struggled with), decides you know it, or not...and move on. There's not a lot of emphasis or making a big deal out of testing. The only time my original sensei really did anything special for a test was if somebody got their black belt. Then it was time to break out the Saki and TOASTS!

Thanks for sharing that interview. Really cool experiences there.

I would perhaps send them an email or call them over driving to their dojo first, but I don't think it's odd at all to inquire about it. You don't ask, you don't get.

Well, I could tell you all why we Okinawan stylists stand pretty naturally, rather than in a deep rooted stance, but they I'd have to kill you all. So, there's that aspect. Well, OK, I'll share. We stand rather naturally because we're a more relaxed and "natural" system. Shorter stances, relaxed posture instead of tense and tight, the entire dojo and training system is based around this concept. A huge part of it is the way Okinawans view themselves compared to the Japanese and Koreans. Okinawans are more Polynesian in nature, and appearance, than the Japanese and Korean people. Their way of viewing and doing things is different. their entire culture is different. Take a look at the typical Japanese or Korean dojo. Strict regimen, stand at attention when sensei speaks, lots of bowing and scraping, barked commands, loud yelling, punishment for infractions, etc. Whereas in some Okinawan dojos they're laid back, laughing, relaxed, not much for militaristic control, smiling, happy, butterflys dancing and unicorns singing. Oops, ignore that last part. Those are the very high sensei's doing that stuff. Anyway, the mindset of a Okinawan dojo is a lot different that that of the Japanese and Korean dojo, as are the techniques.

Me, well, I'm very aggressive while I press my opponent as I attack the legs, which is what is expected in Shindokan. Don't forget, our main goal at any given time is to get behind our opponent. "Dirty" fighting to me is an excuse because one hasn't matured in techniques, yet, which means that one's afraid. To me, there's no "Dirty" anything, Kumite or not, because in the game of surviving, anything is fair game. Adapt or fail, and I've never any desire to fail on or off any floor whatsoever. Refusal to fight dirty, whenever necessary, is a limitation that I can't abide to.‎ My focus both on and off the floor is to succeed at any cost because my survival depends on it. "The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus."~ Bruce Lee

@Montana, I like your approach to self-defense techniques. I don't like the "rank specificity" either. My Aikido sensei teaches techniques regardless of rank as well.

I love the idea of framing holes in the wall and labeling them. That's hilarious.

Thanks for the information. I'll review my article when I have time and make some adjustments. No reason to apologize, as I have no dog in the fight. I'm just a simple TKD practitioner trying to track down the history and determine if anyone is still around doing anything close to what the original Kwans were doing, or if they are still somehow tied into those family trees. It sounds like this organization is not.

I do hope you were buying a protein bar when you did that!