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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.

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.

I didn't know that! I might look into it then, I like holding the magazine when I read articles.

Absolutely. Culture of the school is just as important, if not more, than what you're learning. I would much rather go to a place that was welcoming and friendly than somewhere that had a reputation for good martial arts but bad attitudes.

100% agree on all of that. There are always a few players who midway / nearer the end of their career everyone talks about as "surefire first ballot HoFer", even cases like (ignoring the steroids issue) ones like Barry Bonds where the comments were "clear first ballor HoFer, definite inner circle player up there with Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth etc." Players like that, where it is so so so obvious that they should be in should basically always be unanimous in my opinion. When it comes to the voters i can see the argument for it not being the writers but then unfortunately you run the risk of personal bias amongst players creeping in even more. Using another sport, football, as an example: the Spanish football team used to have an issue in the past where the Barcelona players and Real Madrid players would flatly refuse to pass to each other during games due to rivalries; i live in Glasgow and the rivalry between Rangers and Celtic is rather well known and would lead to similar issues. Journalists seem like the least bad option to me tbh unless it becomes a set of statistical criteria which them removes some of the mystique (eg if it became need to average 2 standard deviations more home runs over a ten year span that players from comparative sample A, plus have metric B plus metric C).

I actually really like the fact that they are still kicking and punching, gives you more things to worry about as well as the bo...

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

I've recently been watching a lot of kata video from various competitions. Something that I have noticed is the difference of length of the kiai in Okinawan/Japanese martial arts (Shotokan, Goju Ryu, etc.) and Korean martial arts (TKD, Tang Soo Do, etc.). Okinawan/Japanese styles tend to draw out their kiai, whereas Korean styles keep it short. For the Okinawan/Japanese styles, I can attest to being taught to draw it out a little. My sensei preferred deep, guttural kiai that came from the diaphragm. The Korean poomsae I have seen seem to prefer short kiai from the throat. Can anyone help fill in my lack of knowledge?

Thanks. I actually had a blood test done about six weeks ago and everything was normal.

Hey all, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. Our April Fools' Day joke this year was requiring that all posts end with "oss!" or "osu!" But not just requiring it, automatically inserting it into the bottom of all posts, just to ensure that you would not run afoul of our community guidelines. Respect is a big deal in our community, and we do pride ourselves on being a friendly, respectful discussion community. But forcing specific language into posts is not something that would help us accomplish that. So, this was just us poking a bit of fun at a martial arts custom. I hope everyone had a fun day. Thank you to @Nidan Melbourne for coming up with the main concept for this year's joke. I'll go ahead and leave it online for a couple of days so that folks that missed it can see. Thanks, Patrick

caffeine can raise blood sugar levels, as can fried chicken, which can make one sluggish or cause nausea or a "sick" feeling after eating,. while chicken itself is a protein the breading is usually flour based which is all carbs. and depending on what spices are used... you may want to have an a1c test next visit to the docs just to rule out anything medical..... probably nothing but helps to know for sure.

I am new to this term. As many say, "you never stop learning." Edit: Awwwww I just looked at the date. Is this an April fools' prank?

Thanks for checking. No, no, I'm not. I just decided I would try to be prepared for next time (or when someone in my family has it happen).

I have played it a bit, but I think I have it on Switch.

Congrats!

The steroid era is a tough one tbh as it is almost impossible to know how many people were on them. It isn't guaranteed that you become massive when you are on steroids (ala the change in Bonds over time) with different substances having different results - just need to look at Tour De France cyclists using steroids / performance enhancing drugs to improve other aspects of fitness. Just because someone was not massive doesn't mean they didn't take something to avoid injury / increase stamina etc. My personal solution would be to have a "steroid era wing" (not labelled as this but with the years instead) and have the players in that and some exhibits for context. I just keep coming back to the fact that all the players had to compete in the same environment: yes they may have been stronger and able to hit further but defenders may have been faster and able to chase down more hits / jump higher for an above the wall catch; pitchers may have been throwing harder or had more break due to ability to grip harder and impart more spin. In my head it is kinda like baseball having to lower the mound after the absolute domination from Bob Gibson - the mound obviously benefitted him but does it invalidate his numbers ? For me it doesn't. I do take the argument though that it was self inflicted! Plus it is nice to have halls of fame: it isn't something that we really have over here - plenty of footballers who are club legends and legends of the game but there isn't a museum dedicated to them etc.

The more I think about season 6 the less impressed I am by it. Seasons 1-5 were awesome, six was eh. As much as I enjoyed the return of the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai world, I am fine with it being over.

Way to go @crash

Now at 100 points Dallas becomes the third team to clinch a playoff spot.

Hello everyone Not sure if this is OK to post ..but is it worth it to subscribe to the magazine? or is anything else worth out there subscribing to? regarding karate or martial arts..

Congrats!

There were thousands of people with complaints about how MLB TV was not working properly for opening day. However, if you still wanted to get MLB TV for free you can if you use T-Mobile. I am not sure of all the details but there is an app you can download as a T-Mobile customer that gives you one year for free. You have get singed up by April 1.

I am also turned off by the amount of gambling ads and how it has seeped into the sports. I really, really don't like it. But I also think Pete Rose's worst enemy on his HOF candidacy was himself, unfortunately. I went through a bunch of positions over the years on him. When I was younger, I wanted him to be let him. As I got older, I came to really see himself as someone who really dug himself a hole that was hard to get out of, and he became someone it was hard to advocate for as more and more things came out about him, including the relationship with a minor (which he also handled awfully when it was revealed). Of course, there are plenty of bad people in the Hall of Fame. But then I ask myself: Why does it need one more? Ultimately, if he makes it in one day, I will consider that to be justified for his playing career, but it doesn't make any sense to me to celebrate it.

Sub-Zero is my all time favorite!! Those were the days. I use to spend a lot of time playing Mortal Kombat but then lost interest for some reason. Oh well, I still have fond memories.

I agree on the unanimous thing. It's just sort of a hang-up that carried over from a different era. Ichiro, Jeter, Rivera, Griffey, Randy Johnson, Glavine, Maddux, etc. all should have been unanimous, and Pujols totally should be, too. I can understand the point on the writers voting, but I do see the merit in having people voting who were strict observers and don't have as many personal relationships. No one is going to be objective and everyone has their favorites, of course, but I think having only players voting probably wouldn't lead to a more satisfying result. That doesn't mean players can't lobby, of course, and use their influence to make the case for folks they think should be in the hall.

“Sports writers play a significant role in determining who gets inducted into the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame because they are part of the voting body for the Hall of Fame’s election process.” WHY?? Seems that the MLB and NBA gave a power to their respective sports writers but the NFL and the NHL didn’t. I understand that sports writers play a significant role in any sport, both amateur and professional, but they’ve not ever played professionally and have no idea what it takes to be in thick of the game as armchair players who’ve not shed their blood, sweat, and tears on the gridiron, diamond, court, or ice but behind a typewriter. Does Rose deserve to be in the MLB HOF?? I don’t know!! Seems to me that that decision needs to be rightfully up to those who’ve played the respective sport as well as those who’ve earned their places in their respective HOF, and not to the sports writers. Imho!!

Thats a fair point. They have some very odd stances - such as Ichiro not being unanimous to the Hall. Granted i have some slight bias as a Mariners fan, but i can't see how he is anything but a top tier hall of famer. I understand the historical precedents for this in prior years but once Mariano went in unanimous then i thought that should set the precedent going forwards for guys like Ichiro, Pujols (when it's his turn), Verlander etc. The stigma of being the first player to be unanimous and making sure they were deserving has been dealt with and there are multiple guys now who should get it.

Ok, State Championship tournament has come and gone, and I'm going to give this one a thorough rundown. We got in on the afternoon of 3/14, and Kenneth weighed in at 242 lbs. Day 1, 3/15/2025 Match 1: Unfortunately, this match was a scratch. Not sure what was up with the kid, but the new was the kid he was supposed to wrestle was 0-4 or 0-5. Still, would have rather wrestled than not. A note here on the bracket. The way it plays out, is depending on which district you get matched up with (they rotate them each year), the 1 seed gets a 4 seed from the other district. The 2 seed gets the 3 seed, etc. Well, the way it worked out, there was no 3 seed from the opposing district, so the kid Kenneth actually beat twice to get the 1 seed had a natural bye in the tournament, and Kenneth did not. I think that is something that needs to be addressed, as the higher seed should get rewarded with the bye if it's there. But, be that as it may, I'm certain Kenneth would have taken care of business if he would have had a first match. In a way, he ended up with a bye anyway. Match 2: At the start of the match, Kenneth was tying up well. His opponent did a lateral drop, but Kenneth had good pressure and hip placement to sprawl out and come back up with the opponent. So they were back to neutral and fighting for position. His opponent started a slide-by and ended up giving Kenneth a headlock. With that, Kenneth took him over and worked to pin. The opponent was rolling around and trying to roll Kenneth through, and he ended up rolling back into Kenneth, which allowed Kenneth to sink it in even deeper. He tightened it up and got the pin, nearly choking the kid out in the process. 2-0 on the day. Match 3: Semifinals! No matter what happened now, making it to the semifinals meant the lowest he could place was 6th, securing his first ever podium finish at state. Kenneth opened up with two underhooks and a throw for 3 points. The opponent rolled through and Kenneth "cut him" (let him up). They hand fought and pummeled, and the opponent went for a headlock, and Kenneth got a body lock with an underhook and threw him again, scoring another 3 points and also getting 4 back points for a near-fall. They ended up out of bounds and got reset, and Kenneth kept him broke down with a tight-waist/ankle and rode out period 1, up 12-1. To start the second period, the opponent chose top, and Kenneth did a "quad-pod" stand-up, and got caught in a cow-catcher. He sprawled out, got back to the quad-pod, posted his arms out and scored an escape. Kenneth got to the underhook body lock again and threw again for 3 more points, going up 16-1. Kenneth held him down after the takedown and pinned him for the major decision. 3-0, and into the finals! Now the lowest he could place was 3rd, and I'll elaborate on that in just little bit. Day 2, 3/16/2025 Match 4: This was going to be a tough match. The opponent was 4th place last year in this same tournament. The kid was very tall and was a very solid wrestler. When they started off, Kenneth was getting his inside ties and was doing ok pummeling for position. The opponent took shot a single-leg and Kenneth sprawled out, and they got up. The opponent came in for a headlock and Kenneth got his body lock again. From there, neither could get the position they wanted, so they backed out to collar ties. The opponent went for a trip but they had worked over to the edge of the mat and were called out of bounds and set back to neutral. Now here, it seems like Kenneth got pensive about tying back up. This was bad, because Kenneth was on his heels moving back slightly, and I started yelling at him to make some connections so he could work again. Too late. The opponent shot a blast double that finished out of bounds. The reset with Kenneth on bottom position, and from there Kenneth got broke down with a head lever and got turned for a pin. 3-1 for the weekend, and one would think that since this is the finals, Kenneth finished 2nd place. But not so fast.... Starting last year or the year before, KS Kids Wrestling started initiating the "true second place" rule. The way this works is that the wrestler that takes 3rd place can challenge the 2nd place finisher for "true second" if the 3rd place wrestler had not been beaten by the 2nd place finisher earlier in the bracket. We got to watch the 3rd/4th place match as they were up before his match. One of the wrestlers was the kid Kenneth beat in the semifinals, and I was hoping that kid would win, then there'd be no challenge. But the other wrestler won, and he was hanging around watching Kenneth's finals match. The 3rd/4th place match was a sloppy one, though. The two came in high on each other, basically in a headlock battle to see who would fall down first. They both had height and weight on Kenneth, but I really wasn't too concerned about either of them. The kid watching Kenneth's match yelled out in excitement at his chance to challenge for true 2nd when Kenneth lost. What I was really worried about was Kenneth's head-space after just losing a title match, and getting him mentally reset to take on one last opponent. So, I gave him a pep talk that I can't repeat here, but the abridged version of it was that he wasn't going to let this kid come take his runner-up finish away, was he? He agreed, and waited about 10 minutes for a few other true 2nd matches to finish up before we began. Match 5: This was literally the last match of the day; tape was getting pulled up and mats were getting rolled up all around us. So they go out, shake hands, and it's on. Kenneth gets inside ties, and the taller opponent tried the headlock like he did in the 3rd/4th place match. Kenneth explained to me that the opponent had the headlock on the wrong side, on his own (the opponent's) side, and he couldn't throw him. Kenneth had a true headlock. They ended up backing out of the headlock positions and pummeled for position. Kenneth got two underhooks and a body lock to a trip for a takedown and 3 points, and the opponent did a knee-slide out of bounds. They reset with Kenneth in top position, and Kenneth broke him down with an ankle ride. Kenneth defended a "big man roll" and broke him down again. He got a chicken wing and turned his opponent for 2 back points, and his opponent crawled out of bounds again and got called for stalling. That ended the first period with Kenneth holding a 5-0 lead. To start the 2nd period, Kenneth chose neutral, and he pummeled to an underhook, and the kid went for Kenneth's head, and Kenneth got the body lock with an arm in, and threw him nicely, landed on top with basically a barbed wire pinning combination set in, and Kenneth settled in, T-ed out, and got the pin! While getting pinned, the opponent got his hand pulled away from Kenneth's face by the ref; the opponent was trying to push Kenneth's head away, and nearly gouged his eye in the process. Either way, it wasn't enough to stop the pin from happening, and Kenneth secured his 2nd place finish! 4-1 record for the weekend! I was so happy for Kenneth, with this being his first podium finish, after 7 years of wrestling. It had been a long time since that 6U 4th place finish. Kenneth was so happy, too, and we got to share that moment together, and I'll always remember it. And he's got one up on big brother Kendall; Kendall's best state finish was 3rd. What I really think kicked things off for Kenneth this year in wrestling was the success he experienced at the Heartland Duals we went to last year. I think it set him up with some understanding of how to compete and that he knew he could compete. This year he got past the point of worrying about everyone being heavier and taller than him; he knew in high school wrestling he'd have to be a giant slayer this year, and he carried that attitude into the Kids season. It has all paid off. I'm looking forward to three more years of wrestling. Come what may, we got to have this year, and this year was great.

Depends on the severity and the cause, for me. If it's mild, I can generally use mint or ginger to calm my stomach. If that doesn't cut it, I take dramamine, and after that I can take Zofran or Fenergan, but those are prescriptions. If the nausea is caused by migraine, I have Ubrelvy to stop the migraine and reduce the symptoms, but that's also prescription.

The only thing I wish we had gotten was a fight between Terry Silver and Mike Barnes, it would be awesome to see Barnes fight his former boss who also burned down his store.

I just finished it up tonight. I was kind of getting dragged down by the overly-dramatic things going on, and in the back of my mind I kept wondering why it was titled Cobra Kai when everything seemed to be turning up Miyagi-Do? But then they brought everything full circle, and did a pretty masterful job of it. Great end.

I take a Dramamine here and there to try to quell it. If things get really bad, I have some more potent prescriptions. If there is anything natural that anyone knows of, I'm all ears, too.

That’s awesome. Like so many martial arts fans, it’s inspiring to see an icon such as Chuck Norris still alive and well at an advanced age, even more so if the man in question is still training and maintains a high level of skill. Many martial artists can only hope and dream to reach that age and still be strong.

Several years ago, I wrote an article that focused on a class full of front kicking, with lots of component breakdown and variations on the basic front kick. I shamelessly plug that article here: Just the other day in class I found myself breaking down the flying side kick we do in our version of Choong Moo hyung, and it's enough material to be considered a class all on it's own as well. So I thought I'd share an article in the same vein here. I referenced the process I used in that class in a post in The Martial Artists' Training Log, but I've refined it much more here. Enjoy, and I look forward to KF feedback! The Choong Moo Flying Side Kick Breakdown Class Here is a step-by-step breakdown to help students better understand the nuances of the flying side kick in our version of Choong Moo hyung. Where noted, a Wavemaster standing bag will be used to give the student feedback on the alignment and power direction of the kick. The student starts in a left foot forward back stance, double knife hand block, just like in the hyung. The only difference is I'll have them switch and do both sides. The kick is only done with the right leg in the hyung. This teaching progression is also good for the 3rd dan and higher ranks that have to the flying side kick over obstacles for their testing. The flying side kick is done after taking two steps, then jumping by throwing the back leg up and using it as the momentum to get up, turn sideways, and kick. It's not done like the traditional ITF version of Choong Moo; this version is easier. This version is basically a back leg side kick just done in the air, and I like to break things down all the way to the most basic movement. The big focus in a good back leg side kick is getting the knee chambered up tight and around so the body is side-on to the target and then finishing by pivoting the base leg foot and turning the hips to get power. The two steps done prior to the flying side kick shouldn’t be great big, bounding steps. Instead, they should be more controlled steps that help build a little bit of momentum and then allow the student to spring up as high as possible to kick. The goal of this kick is not to travel a huge amount of distance, but to jump high while advancing about another stance length while kicking and then recovering with a controlled landing and double knife hand blocks in back stance. Constantly remind the students that they have to keep the knee tight and get it around so they don’t end up kicking with the toes or the ball of the foot. If the pivot isn’t tight, the toes or ball of the foot tend to lead the kick instead of the heel. The pivot is just as important when done in the air as it is when done on the ground. 1. Back leg (#2) side kick. Floor drill, no bag or shield. 2. Back Leg (#2) side kick, this time on Wavemaster bag, both sides. Many reps. Partners could also hold kicking shields for each other, backing up for each new rep. 3. Add the two steps for the flying side kick, done at my count; 1st step, then 2nd step, then chamber position, focusing on getting the chamber around and tight by pivoting the base foot. Three counts, no kick, no bag, no jump. Do as floor drill, starting and finishing with double knife hand blocks (remember hand/foot timing!). 4. Same as step 3, at my count, but adding a fourth count, which is to back leg (#2) side kick. So four counts at this point in the progression. Floor drill, no bag or shield, no jump. Finish with the double knife hand blocks in back stance. 5. Same as step 4, but now done with a partner holding a kicking shield, backing up for each rep. Partners then switch roles once they get to the end of the floor. Or use Wavemaster. 6. Same drill as step 5, but now the student has to put it all together and at his own pace and count. Here is where you start to see them cheating on the chamber and have to correct it. Slow and smooth, smooth is faster. 7. From the back stance and double knife hand blocks, bring the back leg up to that chamber position, getting the chamber around while jumping into the air (not taking the two steps, and not kicking). The goal is to "throw" the back leg up while "pivoting" in the air to get the body turned side-on, keeping the knee tight. The knee is thrown up to gain momentum in the jump, much the way we do with our jump front snap kicks in basics; we just add the turn here. The student finishes by landing and setting down into the double knife hand block in back stance with the other leg forward. Floor drill advancing about one stance length with each jump, no kick. 8. The next progression is adding the "cannonball" aspect (that's how Master Biskie referred to it). When running and jumping, you want to pull the knees up as high as possible. The student takes two quick steps, bursts off the ground by throwing that back knee up high and turning, “pivoting” while in the air, and pulling up and tucking the knees as high and tight as they can (the “cannonball”). I shall affectionately refer to this drill as “The Cannonball Run.” 9. Now the students do the flying side kick, all together at their own count. Start in the back stance/double knife hand blocks and finish in the back stance/double knife hand blocks. The trick here is to land on the base leg foot with the kicking foot rechambered, then reach back and set down into the blocks. Again, hand/foot timing! 10. For the students preparing for flying side kicks over obstacles (which is usually two or three people) for testing, the next progression is to set up some kicking shields or other obstacles on the ground in front of the Wavemaster. I set the shields on their sides and about 6 inches apart from each other to represent the obstacles. This version of the kick is usually done with more distance and taking more steps and has more of a forward trajectory than the kick in Choon Moo hyung.

Thanks. I met with the first one and frankly couldn't get out of there fast enough. Still waiting for a response from the Shorinkan. I have a Goju Ryu school lined up if I can't find Shorin Ryu. It's not ideal but it's a solid operation with good people.

So, last two tournaments: first one, he had a rough day, went 0-2. Next up was regionals. This regional was probably the toughest regional for heavyweights in 3-2-1A KS. He lost his first match to a senior, then went to the backside of the bracket and had a couple of byes. He met up with a sophomore he's wrestled several times, and he pinned him, moving on. The last match was against a really talented freshman. Kenneth wrestled great, went all three periods with the kid, but lost 9-2. He had two great standups against him, which showed me he couldn't keep Kenneth down. Kenneth had two takedowns that were great; the first I think was well out of the ring, so didn't count. The second he definitely still has a foot in the ring, but the ref called them out, and the only reason I can guess that is because they were close to the scorer's table. As I think about it, they should have had those tables backed off from the mats more so the wrestlers got the full use of the ring. But either way, it is what it is. If he would have won that match, he'd have wrestled in the 3rd/4th place match, and gone to state. I'm super proud of his effort; he worked really hard. He finished the season right at a .500 record, 17-17 or 18-18, can't remember which. What's really a stinker is the region west of us had a freshman in it that Kenneth has worked all year long. That kid finished 4th and got into state. That region was considerable weaker. Kenneth's region had last year's state runner-up and third place finisher. So, with the high school season closed out for him, he's signed up for Kid's Wrestling, and has this year to wrestle 14U again. He's going to give it his all in the hopes of making a run to the podium.

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.

Scorpion is my favorite! GET OVER HERE!!!!!

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.

Absolutely!! There’s so much to Kata than memorizing the embusen. Because of that, drilling said kata over and over on the intricacies that belongs to said kata is critical.

I like this view a lot. I have a Masters degree in English, so technically I am recognized as a Master of the English language. What this really means, in my summation, is that I have the ability to teach it and understand it at a high level. It doesn't mean that I've mastered every aspect of it, just that my understanding is keen and has been sharpened to the point where I wield the language better than most.

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.

"Old man tricks" - I like the sound of that -- that's a lot of what I do when I spar. For example, if someone does a roundhouse kick to my midsection, I'll eat it, grab it, and then step in, give them (what would be) a good solid punch to the midsection, grab them by the gi, step in again and take them down to the mat (again, with good control). I also keep an eye on my opponent's feet - when they step in to deliver a jab, I'll do a quick sweep of their front foot -- like a kouchi gari in Judo. The idea is to land this right BEFORE their foot hits the ground, but they've already committed to the step. If done right, it won't necessarily take them down, but it'll off-balance them enough that you can step in and land a few strikes on them. Also, in our sparring legs are a valid target, so I like going after the front thigh with a low roundhouse kick. The usual defense to that is to lift up the leg in a crane block. Do that once or twice, then step in a bit deeper, and when they raise up for the crane block, follow that roundhouse kick through to take out the back of their opposing thigh. Again, it may or may not take them down, but it'll distract/unbalance them long enough to let you land a few strikes. Do I do these in such a way to hurt my partner, absolutely not. I make sure to never strike at a joint, or put my partner in a position to get injured (bad fall, etc), and I don't strike hard enough to injure. But you know what they say, "old age and treachery wins everytime"

I think it's very important to spar with different body types, ranks, and experience levels. It's good to see something you haven't seen before, and it makes you better. Sparring tall opponents has always been a problem for me, so I like to spar taller people when I get the chance. I tend to spar the others in our dojang using what I call "old man tricks." I get in close and punch a lot. When kicks come in, sometimes I'll pin my elbow into my ribs and end up blocking with my elbow. I'll take a shot to deliver a shot of my own. I don't bounce around a lot when I spar anymore, and I'll sit down and kind of "tank up," letting them come to me and then retaliate with some quick bursts. Reaching out and hooking their hand is fun, too. They think about that and try to avoid it, opening up something else.

Well I do now.

We kiai only during Kata. Yes, we understand the importance of the kiai and all that. We'd kiai away from the kiai as the time was called from whomever felt it necessary from time to time, which usually was whenever a student wanted to express themselves during kumite. Many tournaments' open kata divisions with the long drawn out kiai makes me cringe no matter its reason(s).

What I've seen over the last 45 years is a longer, more aggressive "tournament kiai"..one aimed at intimidating, impressing or "SEE ME" type of kiai. There are 3 purposed of a kiai: 1. Startle your opponent. 2. Tighten your body to absorb impact. 3. Add strength to your technique. IMO, these long Kiai, especially at the beginning of a kata, are ridiculous!

These are some thoughts I jotted down one day while I was reading a book on Aikido. The passages just caught me and caused me to think about things more, and it helps to write it down. It also makes it easy to share here with everyone and see the thoughts of others with more experience than me. Notes on reading Aikido and the Harmony of Nature, by Mitsugi Saotome: 3/29/2024, reading pg. 191 about Shomenuchi Ikkyo: I guess I never thought of defending a kick or a punch this way. But in sparring, techniques come at you so fast, one can get overwhelmed. I will try to focus more on this concept, and not just think about blocking a strike. The strike coming at you is a concrete thing; the idea of the direction of the force seems more an abstract way of thinking about it. In the end, perhaps it simplifies things? Instead of thinking about how to defend a side kick or a front kick or a straight punch, think about the direction of the force, which these three different strikes produce a similar direction of force. Defend that direction of force. Also important here is to pay attention to their center, and how you can affect it through defense. If I only deal with the striking tool, I leave myself to the mercy of the other striking tools, whereas if I deal with the center, I can perhaps better control the other striking tools. The passage then goes on to talk about subtly changing that direction. Sensei Brandon has referred to this as “blending.” I will try to see it more when I train. Saotome wrote about some class teaching experiences in which he’d focus on a particular movement or feeling (like a particular technique). He said the beginners will be the ones really conscious of the point he made, but the more advanced students, who have done it more, are often filled with preconceptions of what the technique should be. He stated, “that they have forgotten how to see.” This makes me think of complacency. I’m sure I do this in my Taekwondo training, but I do it less in Aikido right now, as it is still fresh and new, and I can view things through “the eyes of a beginner.” 3/30/2024, reading pg. 197 about de-ai, “the meeting”: Sensei Brandon talks often about using our center when doing techniques, keeping weight under center and the like. As a new student trying to get techniques down, I find myself thinking of what I’m doing or what I’m doing wrong all the time. I try to keep track of where my center is, but thinking about the center of the two of us is going to be difficult. But I’m going to try to make the effort to be cognizant of it. I think once I get the hang of keeping my center where I want it, being aware of the center of both of us will come more easily (yet still be difficult!).[/i]

Great topic, Brian; thanks for sharing it. I've not read this specific book; might be worth the gander. Many think that Aikido is ineffective, whereas I think that Aikido is another methodology/ideology that is effective, and imho, what's ineffective is not the style, but the practitioner. My thoughts... This is akin to what's taught in basketball 101. In basketball, if the defender watches their opponents center, and not the hands, the defender can see everywhere the opponent is moving, thus, not being faked-out. Where the center of the opponent goes, so does the body. Same thing applies to the MA. We concentrate primarily at the attackers' center, with the occasional glimpse here and there as mere visual checks. By concentrating at the attackers' center, one can see the whole picture, therefore, feints, for example, are easier decerned. This seems to be one of Aikido's modus operandi. Allowing the force to continue without resisting it, therefore, using the attackers force against them. Like the saying goes..."Why fight it?!". To me, it's akin to what we do in Shindokan. Allowing our attacker to move into our space of their own volition, of which, we turn their advance against them. For us, it aides us in getting behind our attacker, which IS our modus operandi. For sure!! Without our combined centers being in concert with one another, there can be no awareness, and awareness of how both can, might, and/or will move in any given direction(s). One can't move without the other detecting said movement(s) and/or any given intent. Bruce Lee speaks about just that, and to the immediate quote above... “A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself.”~Bruce Lee It's Bruce's quote, the two centers are in combination of one another. Who comes out the victor?? Perhaps then the combined centers brought the juxtaposed fight to light. Imho!!