sensei8

Well, there are many drills and the like that one can do by themselves to hopefully improve ones kumite, but, imho, the best way to improve ones kumite is to actually kumite. I know it's not the answer you were hoping for, but offering you one drill after another is fine, but being able to transition said drill(s) into actual kumite, well, that can be very hard to do, especially with beginners. Beginners, without ever trying, seem to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but, it's all part of learning. Before long, you'll have your AHA moment!!

I'd say that it might depend on the type of throw that's executed. In that, even if it's the smallest amount of a positional change. You know, it's kind of like when you're standing there working at a table, for example, and while you're standing there, you adjust for either comfort and/or for leverage, still, you moved from your original position/stance.

A very solid post!!

This is when one hand is moving, forward in this case, and the opposite hand is return, pulling, back to its chamber position, wherever that point is. These two separate actions are performed simultaneously. Hence...pulling hand. The pulling hand is returned to its chambered position forcefully. The reason for that is so that the pulling hand remains close to the body as well as it returning on its shortest path. It's the old...to every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. For the beginning student, practicing pulling hand increases balance as well as it aides rotational power. Beginning students need something to visually understand certain principles in Karate, and pulling hand, imho, is ideal. As in most Karate principles, pulling hand does have it's drawbacks. If I incorporate pulling hand in my Tuite, I run the risk of not being able to use that hand for the moment because I've trapped one of my opponents hand/arm/something. The twisting of the hand on the pulling hand side can be applied/interpreted as a grasping/grabbing motion. Hopefully, what I've described here isn't as disjointed as my OP; for that, I apologize.

Now that's cheating...and I'm for that..."I love the smell of napalm in the morning...smells like...victory"!!

While I'm on the side of....Not all black belts can teach because it's true....not all black belts can teach....and shouldn't! What any Hombu, large or small, should not do is graduate someone from the Instructor Training Course who doesn't possess not one iota of teaching ability. This is the time to act, during the course, not after. The Hombu should spot an Instructor candidate that's not cutting the mustard because the Hombu is suppose to be closely monitoring each and every candidate from day one. It doesn't take all to many days to discover those candidates that aren't all that and a bag of chips in the instructor ability area. In that, drop them from the course just as soon as it's duly noted. Sad thing is that many Hombu's DON'T drop those said Instructor candidates from the course, no, they pass them anyway for some reason or another. I say drop them like a bad habit without any hesitation! For those Hombu's who don't, I'm sure these Hombu's also just give black belts away like it's Christmas without any thought whatsoever.

Imho, Century's Ironman Gi is solid, however, not many can afford the $119 price tag, still, it's worth every penny across the board.

Some of the old school ranking went...white, brown, black. Even some styles went...white, green, brown, black. JKA Shotokan ranking goes...9th kyu to shodan and up...white, yellow, orange, green, blue (5th/4th kyu), brown (3rd kyu/2nd kyu/1st kyu), black (shodan - judan). Possibly, those here at KF that are of the JKA Shotokan could confirm and/or correct any errors I've made here.

I was working on this the other day in training with a black belt. I have trouble with this and one other basic. I have been taught that you should protect yourself at all times. If you constantly practice pulling to increase hip rotation you leave your chin vunerable. When we practice this, its natural to me to keep my hand near my face to defend against counters. Is there another way to practice the hip rotation? After all isn't karate about defending first then countering? On another note I also tuck my chin, which is also wrong for basics. He also told me I need to correct this and look him in his eyes, which if done in conjunction with the pulling hand is a recipe for a knock out. Help me out Sensei8. I never said that the pulling hand HAD to end up at ones hip, and/or that one had to not protect oneself. Just as long as the pulling hand, in basics, is returning to a said point, because if the hand isn't returning then, imho, it's nothing more than a push. I have not seen anyone explain how keeping the body square, not using "pulling hands," and avoiding similar martial arts training devices are suitable for teaching, generating, or applying any body dynamics or special techniques. In basics, the context that most often the "pulling hand" is used to start large muscle activity that then generates other techniques, and all of this takes place within a tenth of a second or so, while "returning" implies some post actions. It takes quite a bit of training before you can rely on the large torso muscles to properly transfer momentum to the arms and legs. "Pulling hand", imho, is an excellent training aide to maximize the chances of all this occurring. For example, the most usual reason for loss of power when the elbow doesn't follow the fist close to the hip in a basic punch is that the shoulder is tensed, creating a line of tension along the outside the arm which tends to make the elbow come out. The reason this usually gives away to a weaker punch is that this often signifies that the torso isn't driving the arm by connections of muscles under the arm to the chest and back muscles; in that, you're punching with your shoulder instead of maximally using power derived from stance and hip dynamics. In advanced training, I hate the usages of the "pulling hand" because it's, for the advanced student, yesterday's news, but for the beginner, it's basic training, one has to start some place, and the "pulling hand" methodology aides the beginner to start in understanding, visually at first, rotation dynamics. Since I don't bow to any practitioner and/or any headquarters, even the Shindokan Hombu, because my martial arts is mine and mine alone, I simply state my own support for rotation dynamics.

Imho, those practitioners, styles, schools, headquarters, chief instructors and the like feel these sorted ways because of one thing....THEY'RE TERRIBLY AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR STUDENTS to another style, to another instructor, and/or to another headquarters and the like!! Infecting their students in such a way that their students start becoming a proponent for their shared as well as their own insecurity across the board. These type of practitioners aren't complete in their totality as martial artists. If they were, imho, they wouldn't care what their students do in this and/or these regard(s). It doesn't bother me at all! I don't own my students and my students don't own me. And in that, what you've stated in your OP is what kills any chance of securing any betterment for their martial arts, for themselves, and/or for their headquarters across the board. And yes, if one doesn't like whatever it might be or what it might not be...QUIT!! Find a school that doesn't propagate this type of negative mind set. But, I guess that this type of negative mind set has always and will always permeate the pores of every type of martial arts because "MAN" in itself is a jealous and insecure creation right from birth. And in that, a few have learned how to break away from the boundaries of their old self to be reborn a new person within themselves as a true martial artist!

Momentum...force...pressure...they are not different variables, but rather are related to each other. Who wins? Who loses? Momentum? Pressure? Both, because they differ depending on targets and in which way that those targets are attacked. Imho, one methodology is no better than another because they have their own properties to consider and that alone makes them both valued by an open hand or a closed fist or even a kick. Your thoughts?

The use of the pulling hand is essential to maximize instigation and synchronization of large torso muscle groups that then effect the technique, that is, the block in this case. While maximum power for each technique is not the only issue in sparring, it certainly is for basics. Reverse-rotation and direct-rotation dynamics execute quite different effects on arms and legs for techniques, and proper training should include both kinds of dynamics. How the main center of the hips are moving is not the crucial issue in deciding whether one can perform direct-rotation or reverse-rotation techniques. Just about any circumstance in just about any stance or during accelerations which have definitive forces reaction forces in play and can generate and use either kind of rotation dynamics independent of the main line of shifting, for example, by using auxiliary tensions. Your thoughts?

Does your punch depend on your stance? Does your punch work independently from your stance? What about your pulling hand? Does your pulling hand even help at all? For most people, the pulling hand is a convenient device until they can truly feel and initiate powerful motions directly from the torso. Maximum power is not always the goal of every technique. Your thoughts?

Please check out this link first before we begin our discussion... http://www.jka.or.jp/english/karate/qualific.html YOU in this topic speaks about you. While "YOU" in this topic speaks about your styles Headquarters. How would YOU say that your school differs that of the JKA? I'm not expecting any school/Headquarters to want to mimic the JKA because I'm sure what "YOU" have available is quite fine, and more than likely, what "YOU" have equals and/or outweighs the JKA, possibly. Should only said karateka's Sensei define and mold them in the field of teaching? OR... Should only said karateka's Hombu define and mold them in the field of teaching? OR... Should the field of teaching said karateka to be an instructor be a joint collaboration between the Sensei AND the Hombu? Your thoughts?

Our current Kaicho, Kancho, and Lead Counselor are flying out to Okinawa this Friday Night, and they'll stay for a week to find/locate our San Dai-Soke and discuss many things of great concern to our future. So, I wish them safe flights and great success on the ground.

Solid post...you hit the nail right on the head!!

LOL My test got rescheduled to this thursday. I was busy all day and never got the notice, so I got there and the place was locked up tight. Thanks stinks! In the hope of the notfiying everyone when the school closes my instructor listed our school on one of the local TV stations. Good Luck. You've a very wise instructor!!

I appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. Several key people, including myself, have written letters to our San Dai-Soke, providing the mailing address information is accurate. However, no responses have been received by us as of this post. We feel ignored!! Yes, we've given the thought of starting anew some serious thoughts, but that's all we've done....thought about it. We'll probably act very soon. Yet, what would we look like if we acted too prematurely, however, what would we look like to our student body if we act to late...feels like Catch 22.!!?? You're right. You're caught between the rock and a hard spot. For what it's worth, I'll give my 2 cents. I offer it not because I think I'm exceptionally experienced or wise. Rather, because I know that a fresh perspective often helps to clear the mind and sharpen the soul. This situation really comes down to loyalty. The question is this, to whom do you owe your loyalty and how do you acknowledge it? Without question, your instructors and superiors at the Hombu helped you get to where you are. Certainly your Soke and his family have taught you much. You have trained for many years, learned valuable lessons about fighting, peace, and life. You've stained their floors with your sweat and blood. In turn, they've fostered you both professionally and personally. It's quite likely that you've shared much food and drink, many laughs and even heartaches together. You embarked together on a journey to understand and embrace the warrior spirit. Most assuredly, you owe them loyalty and respect. How about your students? They, in turn, have chosen to bleed for you. They have chosen to laugh with you. They have chosen to follow your path. They sit at family dinner and speak of their amazing Sensei who can cut a man down with a single blow...or lift him with a single word. You and I both know that such stories are greatly exaggerated, but we can both remember telling such tales ourselves because we took such pride in our instructors and the path they walk. Most importantly, they have chosen to give you their loyalty. And in return, they too deserve your loyalty. The clear choice is simple. You must honor both by demonstrating loyalty to both. The path of a warrior is a lonely one; but that doesn't mean you must be alone. Open your school. Welcome your student's back. Honor your teachers by passing on their art and always speaking of them with fondness. Should any of your students ever asks, "why did the San Dai-Soke leave," answer quickly and decisively..."The path of a warrior is, ultimately, a journey we must take on our own. He was simply following his path." This is not only a solid post, but it's a powerful post across the board. With your permission, I'd like to share your words with my fellow Shindokanists in the hopes that your words will inspire them and comfort them. I deeply bow to you!! Thank you so very much!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!

I appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. Several key people, including myself, have written letters to our San Dai-Soke, providing the mailing address information is accurate. However, no responses have been received by us as of this post. We feel ignored!! Yes, we've given the thought of starting anew some serious thoughts, but that's all we've done....thought about it. We'll probably act very soon. Yet, what would we look like if we acted too prematurely, however, what would we look like to our student body if we act to late...feels like Catch 22.!!??

Even though you like this instructor, it sounds to me like you're questioning him across the board, which is fine, but just be very careful on how you approach him, and in that, ask him straight out any and all of your concerns and questions with him because only he knows the answer to your questions.

Yes, the video in your link is a good example of shadowboxing. In the video...I see no power in any of his techniques and this is because, imho, he's working on another part of his shadowboxing and in that, he's not using his hips for the translation of power. Nonetheless, he's working on combo's and this is important to work on so that you're not executing the same old thing over and over and over...mix the techniques up....and he was trying to do just that. Imagine your doing heavy bag work....now...remove the heavy bag...there you go...you're shadowboxing...use of the hips is up to you. I do both when I shadowbox, use of my hips, but I'm primarily working on fine tuning my combo's while keeping respect to the basic fundamentals.

Let me speak personally, and somewhat harshly to my Hombu for just a moment, if I may. In and/or about 3 years past we've lost our Soke and Dai-Soke by their passing's. Then, out of nowhere, our new San Dai-Soke, the son of our Dai-Soke, announces through proxy a petitionary vote of the hiearchy to move our Hombu out of the USA; petition was unanimously approved. Then in short order; our Hombu packed up our questionable future in many tidy boxes, put in a change of address, wrote some fine letters, turned off the utilities, finalized any and all financial obligations, turned in the front door key to our realtor, and then shuffled off to Okinawa without any farewell party. Here today, gone tomorrow! The worse part of the entire thing is that there's no established USA office and we've not heard from our Hombu, no hide nor hair, nothing, in a month!! It also appears that no one and I mean NOBODY relocated to Okinawa except our San Dai-Soke and his family. However, the Hombu bank account here in the USA is inactive, yet, remains open. Nonetheless, we're standing about in dismay with our mouths wide open in total shock. We've been cast adrift, it would seem, for us to tend for ourselves. I ask my Hombu....exactly, just what has your student body done to deserve this unprofessional and incompassionate treatment??

Rank with no affiliation...this sounds like its waiting for us all just over our horizon. I fear that it's more closer than that. I say that the actions of martial arts organizations are not for the betterment of their students, but it's for the belt/rank/ego that they are more willing to wrap around their waists these days. I say that it's not the size of any said martial arts organization and the like, but that it should be the size of their hearts. I say that it should not be the quantity of their bank account that should matter, but it should be the quality of their instructions that should matter the most. In the era of modern day martial arts; it's only taken less than 100 years to debauch and subvert just what our martial arts forefathers had envisioned; a betterment of totality for all martial artists. It would appear that no matter what we say to any said organization, it'll fall on deaf ears as well as hardened hearts. I guess that it's true; man is his worst enemy.

One must try to remember when concerning professional athletes is that once a person is being paid to play; that payment doesn't guarantee that that person will be any good.