sensei8

Congrats; well done and well deserved!! Feels good, huh? You'll improve in time!!

I wholeheartedly concur!!

For me, and for now, the standard hanging heavy bag will have to suffice! The price doesn't bother me, and I'd only have this at the dojo and not in my home for various reasons. In the dojo... *Can multiple bags be hung? If not, then this device is only for solo training and NOT for group lessons because time is a valuable commodity, and waiting ones turn at this new toy will eat of floor time. Imho!! I wouldn't want to have multiple apparatuses hanging from the ceiling because that might make getting around the floor quite busy, and in the way of class, and I wouldn't want to hang bags up and take bags down all of the time.

Those were the days! I miss them quite a lot!!

probably end up visiting once in a while after i get heat for posting my opinions. Fun reading and great points of view. For anything... Your posts, thus far, have been a bit of fresh air, for me, and I've enjoyed them immensely!!

YES!! Without students, the floor is a lonely place, and of no purpose other than having a nice place to train by oneself!!

In Shindokan, we don't kick higher than the stomach, and 99% of our kicks are for set-ups and the like to the legs for our hands; which are used 85% of the time. As for blocks! What's a block? We deflect and/or receive the technique(s). I learned TKD back when I was a JBB while I was in high school for one main reason...TO LEARN HOW TO KICK above the waist. To learn how to kick above the waist allowed me to properly deflect/receive those type of kicks at open tournaments; they were eating me up for lunch. Axe kicks particularly were the bane of my existence...hated those darn things!!

I've not experienced any problems with Eosin's website, as of yet! Did you call them to find out what gives?

I agree with you! When I first encountered the slapping techniques as a score...I was befuddled, to say the least, because to me, and others, the slapping techniques lacked penetration, or the appearance of dynamic penetration. A hit was a hit and a slap was a slap, and a hit earned a point, while the slap shouldn't have. But, tournament arbitrators back then saw a way to make a slap worthy, and I believe that that was possible because the tourney was theirs to do with as they please. In that, a slapping technique became a point. So, whenever I entered tourneys that amplified and encouraged the slapping techniques over the penetrative techniques, it was hard for me to adjust right away, and in that, I ended up being disqualified for the dynamic penetration as being a technique that lacked control, and that became a safety issue for that tourney. Change is inevitable, but at times, not all changes are good, imho!! You must have loved how competitors gained 4-6 inches of reach by stretching there "FOAM" century hand pads . classic. Yeah, that was equally upsetting. Anyway to get a point, but I mean, sheech!! Then the loud kiai that earned a point...man, oh man, I was expecting running out of bounds was the next way to earn a point!! Let's forget about a clean and undeniable technique as the way of earning a point!!

Ippon is 1 full point!! not according to the WKF.... they think ippon means 3 points. WKF does not understand that if they are trying to get "KARATE" into the JAPAN GAMES, they should change some of the crazy terminology they have. Example: Japan should take a sport like bull fighting and change all the traditions and terminology and try and approach Mexico/Spain with adding it to the olympics if mexico or spain ever host the olympics. Solid post!! To the bold type above...Well, in that case, the WKF, then I stand corrected!!

I agree with you! When I first encountered the slapping techniques as a score...I was befuddled, to say the least, because to me, and others, the slapping techniques lacked penetration, or the appearance of dynamic penetration. A hit was a hit and a slap was a slap, and a hit earned a point, while the slap shouldn't have. But, tournament arbitrators back then saw a way to make a slap worthy, and I believe that that was possible because the tourney was theirs to do with as they please. In that, a slapping technique became a point. So, whenever I entered tourneys that amplified and encouraged the slapping techniques over the penetrative techniques, it was hard for me to adjust right away, and in that, I ended up being disqualified for the dynamic penetration as being a technique that lacked control, and that became a safety issue for that tourney. Change is inevitable, but at times, not all changes are good, imho!!

What you have picked up on seems to be a difference between groups within the style of Wado-ryu. In my experience, the JKF Wado-kai tend to withdraw the kick and place the foot next to the supporting foot before advancing into the Shuto-uke. The Wado-ryu Renmei on the other hand seem to put the foot directly down without withdrawing it - effectively dropping backward into the Shuto-uke! Worth asking the question whether you look at this technique as a kick or something else of course. K. Solid post!! To the bold type above... That's something to consider, and something to understand because, like a block, it's not always a block. Same thing for a supposed kick within a Kata. If that technique was indeed suppose to be a kick, the kick was sloppy, imho!

Solid post!! Times surely have changed quite a bit from then to now!! And not just bits of pieces here and there, but the whole thing across the board has changed; a new horizon has emerged

Yeah, the Urquidez family had the advantage there because they didn't have to look to far to fill up their team!!

Does the instructor have to meet all of your expectations to be considered a good instructor??

Luther unleashed, JR 137, and Alex [tallgeese]...I wholeheartedly concur with each of your posts; solid!!

As sad as that is, it's true! ::sighs::

What makes a good instructor? One who can teach, therefore, one who can't, will not make a good instructor! Sorry, I'm going back to my corner.

I love it!! Why? My opponent is alive, and my opponent MOVES; not statically stuck in one place. That which you present here mimics movement, and that's important, especially when training with a heavy bag. Heavy bag training is important, but you have to move around a hanging bag that sways, but doesn't move. This bag MOVES, and that's closest to reality, and reality training is vital too!! Thanks for sharing this video, Danielle!!

Thought many here might enjoy the link below... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDgCQtxXhQw Video is about 30 minutes, give or take a few; history unfolded before your eyes. At the time of this video, 1968, I had been training 4 years, still not a JBB yet, just a fledging brown belt. I was deeply involved in the MA tournaments back then, and enjoyed them immensely, and entered as many as I could or was allowed to. My emphasis was always Open tournaments, and a rare Closed tournament from time to time; Open tournaments were much more challenging. Those from this circa, might enjoy memories from yesteryear, and those that aren't from that circa, might enjoy what it was like back then. Every single name and face seen in this video is well known by myself, and I thank them for pioneering the Karate tournaments and the like, of which, todays MAist owes them that respect!! Your thoughts, please!

Welcome to KF, Maybetrue; glad that you're here!!

Ippon is 1 full point!!

Not just standing there while your opponent/partner has his/her way with you...one technique after another until the end of the series. That's fine, for learning and refining, which is still learning! You execute a punch, for example, and your opponent/partner executes a series of techniques while you offer no resistance...you just stand there!! You don't resist...you don't block...you don't counter...you don't duck or move out of the range...you don't escape, if being grasped...you do, well, NOTHING!! How's one to know what to do when plan 'A' doesn't work like it did in the dojo?!?!

Is there a reason that your Yoko Geri just has a 3 count, instead of a 4 count. Your kick stalls, and drops straight to the floor without having to momentarily return back to the knee of the supporting foot?? Because of that, I can't tell if the kick is suppose to be a keage or a kekomi, had I not already knew what that kick was. Up Out Back Down The Back part seems to be missing...unless this is the methodology of the style! Kusotare makes solid observations; I agree!!

First off...Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Secondly... The trail by fire, ah, memories, both fond and OUCH!!