sensei8

Solid posts thus far all!! Thank you!!

Congrats and well deserved!!

Solid post and good luck in March; look forward in hearing your results!!

Solid post!! I believe that this thread is about sparring combinations.

This is some of the criteria that the WKF (World Karate Federation) uses when judging a kata performance. 1> The kata must be performed with competence and must demonstrate a clear understanding of the principles it contains. 2> The kata performance must have demonstrated correct focus of attention, use of power, good balance and proper breathing. 3> Consistency and correctness of stances. 4> Correct weight distribution according to the kihon being demonstrated. 5> Smooth and even transition (center remaining “weighted down”) between stances. 6> Correct tension in stance. 7> Feet edges firmly on floor. 8> Accuracy in techniques. 9> Correct and consistent kihon with the style being demonstrated. 10> Correct tension, focus, kime. 11> Show proper understanding of the kata bunkai. 12> Contrast in tension, breathing and movement. 13> An understanding of those techniques being demonstrated. 14> A realistic, rather than “theatrical ” demonstration of the Kata meaning. For discussion purposes only...Which criteria, if any, from the list above, do you not agree with and why? I'm not so keen with #7 and this is because of it's ambiguity. I was taught to do a reverse punch, for example, with the knife edge of the rear foot up but keeping the heel down & transferring the weight to the inside or instep. This is to: 1. Maximize hip rotation 2. Center the power/weight up the middle line of the body and the inside of the thigh & base That being said, no matter how one's been taught, and no matter how one may or may not agree with WTF's criteria, one will have to execute in said manner if one wants to compete within any WKF venue. I suppose that it's the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" kind of thing.

Someone walks into your school of the MA...By just looking at someone... Can you tell if that person is or isn't a MAist? If so, can you tell if this MAist is a black belt/equivalent or not? If so, can you tell by her/his posture or his/her aura or how he/she carries him/herself or by his/her conditioned hands/knuckles? What's the first thing about this someone that catches you eye?

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Personally, there's nothing "hidden" within any kata. 'IT' just hasn't been experienced by any said practitioner of the MA. Hidden this and hidden that, to me, it's been there all of the time, just waiting for someone to see it and explore/examine it for its effectiveness, if it even exists at all.

I've just two words...Oyo and Shu Ha Ri

Tough questions for me to answer right now. But I'll try!! 5 years ago, I was physically, mentally and spiritually stronger. I've endured some deep heart aches since then that I may never recover from. I've transitioned from one heralded responsibility to another; both of which I'm deeply honored and thankful for. Our style, Shindokan, has also endured some trials and tribulations that have scarred us beyond reconciliation, but we've held onto one another while we rebuild a tattered and torn Hombu in which we weren't prepared for nor were we expecting in our wildest dreams and/or nightmares. God willing... In 5 years...in 10 years...in 20 years...I've no idea what the future holds for me; I'll take it one day at a time, and in that, I'll be so very thankful to honor those who've made all the difference in my life.

I can give you one for each one, but the net is jam packed full of info, some accurate and some not; ambiguity runs the gambit on the net. The value of what you find will be up to the reader. Shorin-Ryu http://www.shorinryu.com/ Shotokan http://www.jka.or.jp/english/e_index.html Taekwondo http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/about_taekwondo/taekwondo.html Wing Chun http://www.cheungswingchun.com/ Hapkido http://worldhapkidofederation.com/ Hopefully this will head you in the direction in finding just what you're looking for. Good luck!!

That's dead on and solid across the board!!

Her hits didn't have any effect. True. However, she fought as a point fighter right from the start, and he, well, he didn't fight at all. Why he didn't want to engage her is beyond me because chivalry doesn't belong on the floor; she wasn't shy at all for one minute in tagging him. She had some good moments even though her ground-work, for one, was almost insignificant across the board, she still fought while on her back, and for me, that's admirable. She studied herself, she studied him, she made a plan, and then she carried out the plan. The victory was hers no matter how it looked.

I agree!!

Well....you'd better exhume confidence, haven't you?!! The overall execution of said kata, if solid and undeniable, can make the fact that you're in the middle mute. If the team is solid across the board, the judges will understand why you're in the middle and why the two brown belts aren't. Allowing the lower rank in the middle speaks in volume for both the team as well as the brown belts. Having said that, the opposite will occur if the overall execution of said kata isn't solid. A chance worth taking, imho. Make the decision, stay with it, practice it, and commit to it. You'll be just fine!!

I've been blessed in that I'm a full-time MA instructor; I've done nothing else.

Heian Yondan because it has quite a lot of elements within it that most judges like to see; quite solid across the board. Of the kata parameters you've listed, Heian Yondan, again, imho, is a solid kata for a team to tackle. Most important key is that the team moves as one. But even more important, and what I like to see, is when the team mixes in Bunkai with said kata. The balance is tricky so that one segment doesn't over shadow the other. You brought up a good point, and that is, the entire team must know said kata very, very well. If not, that will show up quickly and will be undeniable to ignore. Video your practices so that you'll all see what's going on both the good and the bad. What the camera sees will be close to what the judges see. Because of your ranks, I believe that Heian Shodan would be a bad choice for a team kata. Tekki Shodan would be a bad choice, but only if you can't move as one; a domino look just doesn't look good. If the three of you can't move as one on the floor, it would be best if the said kata was only performed by one, and only one, instead of three. Bad kata, or the appearance of it, can be cured by some serious practice because the three of you will only have one chance, and one chance only to impress the judges. Both!! The highest rank had better be the most confident. If not, then have the most confident in the middle position, but don't let the judges know that the most confident isn't the highest rank. Nonetheless, judges can pick up on that the entire team isn't confident in their abilities; confidence, or the lack thereof, will wear like an albatross over ones neck. Be confidence or stay off the floor. Have the confidence and have the abilities, all at one time. Practice.................and more practice......... Good luck and have fun!! If nothing else, enjoy the experience.

Congrats on earning your Shodan...feels good huh?!!

MP, you are FUNNY!!

For those who are becoming/are quite versed in grappling, please check out this video and give your honest assessment how they both did. I think you'll appreciate the submission here.

While this video is a tad over 9 minutes, try to watch it in its entirety...especially when she battles back while being on her back with him standing over her [nice hook kick from the ground]... Comments?

In addition to what tallgeese posted...here's Mr. Kirby's link... http://sweatboxboxing.com/?page_id=660

Now that's a solid post!!

Very nice topic!! Self Defense. When all is said and done by the end of the day, self-defense, is the primary reason as to why I even started to learn the MA, and still am. While I agree with tallgeese that SD isn't as preeminent as it once was; it's still a very important part. That can't be denied nor can it be circumvented across the board. It's true that the many, many years have been very kind to me, it's the students that truly keep me coming back; they're the exclamation to my MA journey.

And yet belt systems are everywhere.Yes they are, and I use one. Still, I know exactly what my students' levels are W/O a belt system; the floor gives away everything.