sensei8

Imho...NO!! Not until your doctor clears you for that type of activity!! Take your time, I know it sucks and you want to get onto the floor ASAP, but rushing it, imho, might cause you unknown problems to occur and/or make it where you'll never return to the floor. Please, ask your doctor, and then don't return UNTIL your doctor clears you. Even then, take it easy; work up to full abilities. If you're going to PT, as directed by your doctor, I'd go there before I went to the dojo. The floor is patient; it will welcome you back with open arms. However, the floor is a taskmaster; one that you're not ready for UNTIL your doctor clears you. You've waited this long, waiting a litter longer will benefit you in the long term. Please, don't rush it. You're not coming back from a sprained ankle...your injury is much more severe, and imho, much more severe injuries require patience through and through. Are you frustrated and/or impatient? Sure, you are, and that speaks loud and clear that you're a serious MA practitioner because you miss the training so much. Don't ever listen to me because I'm no doctor. Please listen to the medical professionals who are advising you, they're there to help you and I'm sure that they wouldn't rush you. Hang in there!!

Typically--not always, but typically--the issue you describe can be resolved by shortening your stance. You only have so much leg to drive your hip with, and if your stance is too long for your legs, you won't have any leg left to drive with. Of course, it is possible that you really do have restricted hip mobility, and my suggestion won't help. I would still give it a try, though. I will point out that you definitely do limit the amount your hips can move when you keep the heel planted. You'll never be able to move them as much with your heel planted as you can with your heel up. Sometimes that's good, and sometimes it's bad. However, you don't plant your heel in midstream of any punching technique. You must allow the technique to complete, and the heel planting isn't done until the exact moment in the punching technique. Plant the heel too soon, arrests the power curve, thusly, your hip movement's arrested as well. Don't plant the back heel UNTIL it's time to do so; AT THE END!!

At 23, being a 3rd Dan is quite doable without having to have ever been a child BB. Her saying that she's retired from being a MMA instructor, might mean that she is no longer teaching MMA. As we know, there are quite a lot of women training in MMA, and some teach MMA. I do agree, there's no belts, to my knowledge, in MMA. And being a 3rd Dan in some form of Karate is usually the time when most 3rd Dan's embark in opening their own dojo. I'm only speaking out loud because I wasn't there, and I don't know her MA background. I don't know why she would even tell you that she was a 3rd Dan because that's out of line; that's something that karateka's don't speak outwardly willingly. Imho.

Sounds like your first class was a good one for you across the board. Things will come together, and as in everything, it'll take time. There's no hurry! Train hard and train well!! To the bold type above... If the Red and White were panels, that usually denotes 7th and 8th Dan's.

Transition continuously at all angles. Strike with force and with great intent when a grappler gets in close to you. The grappler wants you on the ground; that's where they're the most comfortable, and you might not be so comfortable. Sprawl them if you can't strike with greater intent! As Wastelander points out...best to learn grappling! Not in a passing, but with serious intent! If one's not comfortable on the ground, then one must to all that is possible to stay on one's feet. If not, one better have more than a basic knowledge of grappling. Grapplers aren't going to let you do anything, if they can help it. They're well and aware of what their risks are, but they're coming to get you to the ground. If you can keep them at bay, then that's half the battle, but it's not going to be an easy battle. Grapplers are fast in transitioning from one point to another...aka, from where they are and where you are!! Don't be afraid of grapplers...they're humans too!!

Yes. I have read that name in the Kyoshi's bio. Other names I recall were Glenn Keeney & Herb Johnson. Well known karateka's and well respected!!

This argument will never die!! Let me ask you all this... What does your STYLE teach? Do you believe in what your style is teaching? Do you believe what your CI is teaching you? Heel down?! Heel up?! This must be discovered by YOU!! Today...you're of the opinion that heel down is more effective! Tomorrow...you're of the opinion that heel up is more effective! And as you go thru Shu Ha Ri, you might go from one opinion to the other over and over. To me, this isn't a bad thing, but more or less, it's what one discovers as one trains to improve ones own MA betterment. But the core of what your style teaches remains! You're just going to have to fine tune the whole darn thing!! Question it! Deny it! Examine it! Tear it apart...over and over...again and again, if necessary!! Having said that... Boxing's cross/hook is NOT the same as a Karate straight punch, Gyaku-Zuki. In basics, back heel is kept down. Why? It's easier to utilize, and this means control, the hip rotation because it lives on a horizontal plane. Movements are isolated, and it prevents the elbow from rising upward too soon. Too soon might cause one to throw more of a hook than straight. Straight is the idea in Gyaku-Zuki, after all. Wherever the target might be, the straight line from "A" to "B" is intentional at all times for Gyaku-Zuki. Also, especially for beginners, but also for all levels, imho, it's beneficial to keep the back heel down because it's so much less stressful on the body, more importantly, concerning the Achilles tendon. It's our/your styles methodologies as well as ideologies that dictate how techniques should be executed. It's foolish to criticize the style that you believe in because their way has been your way since day one when you first walked upon the floor. However, it's not foolish to explore and examine and question and discover everything each and everyday. Back heel up or down?!?! That answer will have to be found by YOU...each and everyday! Listen to the advice of those in your style that have been there and have bought the t-shirt; your styles high ranking instructors. If you can't trust them and believe in what they're teaching...well...then you'll not believe anyone else. Imho!!

Two more words that fit KF... ~Compassionate ~Definitive

Appears to me that they were quite close minded through and through, imho!! To say well known Kata's don't exist is one thing, however, they should of at least said that those Kata's were unknown to them for whatever reason. Learn all of the Kata's that one wants to, but in my opinion, no Bunkai, then no kata. Have to learn and discover the many endless applications that await the practitioner. Another fine example, imho, of not having a minimum idea of what they're speaking about! It's akin to walking into a dark room without a flashlight; almost immediately you're going to run into something.

As always, great tutorial; quite dynamic transition. I always appreciate it when one can get the "hugger" types to release without doing any striking. Btw, your BB looks good on you!! I also got a kick out of the guy over your shoulder in the beginning of your tutorial.

You'll enjoy WC, and wait until you work the WC Dummy; close range training at its best, imho.

Consistent!!

Congrats, Alex....very well deserved. Feels good, huh? Not that you've anything to prove to me, I just want to say...you're definitely a black belt that CAN teach; your students are in great hands!!

Thanks, Brian...I greatly appreciate your answers. Alex, I surrender your thread back to you sir!!

Thank you, Patrick, Heidi, and Brian...it was my pleasure!!

Great discussions, thank you all!! It might be great and acceptable for the football coach or the basketball coach or whichever sporting coach to yell at their players. It might be great and acceptable for the CEO or the District Manager or a low level member of management or whichever business entity to yell at their subordinates. But, in the MA, imho, that has no place!!

Again, when you put it that way, Brain, I do see your point. I don't see dishonor in exploiting a weakness!

I'm sure. But, ugh...I'm glad Taekwondo doesn't rhyme well enough to rap about.

Solid answer to my question, Brian. I'm no LEO, therefore, my assumptions weren't from experience; having students who are LEO's cause me to speak out of turn at time. Forgive me for that!! Tasers...yeah...I'll never know enough MA to counter that!! Good to know that LEO's aren't suppose to stand there and get beat to a pulp. So, does the IAD suspend an officer immediately after a suspect accuses an officer of excessive force? And, does that cause some LEO's to do his/her job with a more kid-gloves mindset? Please forgive me, Alex, I don't mean to highjack your thread!!

I don't have an issue with it. If it was that serious of an issue, then the other person should have stopped fighting and gave up, or the corner should have thrown in the towel. If I was in a fight, and I think I broke the other guy's rib, I'd keep going after that rib until the fight was over. Competitions like this are fought to be won. As long as its within the rule set, then fight to win. Perhaps it does sound like her tactics were pretty cold, but the individuals who can step into the ring like this to fight like this aren't necessarily like the rest of us. When you put it that way, Brian, I can see your point.

The laugh will be on us all if they made a lot of money.

Many similarities in governing bodies.

Where I train, there are actually a group of blue belts whose constant training, effort and growth have thrown them deep into Karate-do. I watched during their last grading in a near state of awe, for if they removed their green belts I would have guessed they were grading from purple to brown belt. Immediately I knew, they were no longer "green". Therefore I will say that I believe the transition from beginner to dedicated, knowledgeable student is somewhere between 6kyu and 4kyu. In most cases I observe a dramatic distinction between orange and green belts for whatever reason. Perhaps at this point, they learn more about their own body mechanics, what works for them, what doesn't, and how to move around in stances with more fluidity. As well as this, perhaps that little knowledge and confidence they've gained will leave them craving more and more. Sensei Teruyuki Okazaki, 10thDan, once said something along the lines of "My one wish before I die is to execute Heian Shodan (kata#1) perfectly." It is this kind of thinking that keeps the dedicated Karate-ka going, and constantly improving. However, going back to the beginning in no way means that one has to be a beginner. After 66 years of dedicated training, It would be silly to consider Sensei Okazaki a beginner. Solid post!!

I think I see what you are asking here, Bob, but I'd like for you to elaborate on what you mean just a bit more, so I can be sure to answer properly. For obvious reasons, LEO's, if I'm correct, can't apply certain techniques, nor can they apply certain techniques to finish. Not like I can!! Sure, there are laws that regulate everything, and I can face criminal charges. However, I believe that LEO's have a greater chance at facing criminal charges, suspensions, and the like than I. Inasmuch, a LEO must be able to defend him/herself at any cost; life or death...that's then going to be up to the courts to decide. The LAPD's choke hold was so modified, and for some great reasons, imho, that it's more of a temporary restraint to allow more transitional, and accept per department policies, control restraints. Choke hold...transfer down to a double or single chicken arm hold. After all, a choke hold can cause death, whereas, an arm-bar can't! IF a LEO hurts a suspect, accidentally or intentionally, department policies dictate the level of discipline, if any. Department policies exist in addition to law. Law's the only thing that governs citizens; we've no department policies to adhere to. Whether a suspect is correct in his/her accusations towards a LEO or not, IAD will be immediately involved until the case is closed. It doesn't take much to put a LEO on the hot-seat at the word of the suspect; perception is all that's needed.