sensei8

Thanks for letting me vent my boredom....sheech...I need a hobby or something.

Thanks Brian. How different is yours from ours? Thanks in advance! The blocking hand starts up by the ear, palm towards the ear, and the reactionary hand is up high as well, crossed on the outside of the blocking hand. This is basically a protection for the head...the outside hand stops the movement, the inside arm reinforces this, and then the inside arm can move down to strike, intercept, or whatever.Aha, and thans Brian!

Similar to what Cung Le does with Sanshou?!

You're right, bouncing isn't bad as long as its controlled. A target in motion isn't that easy to hit as a stationary target. CONTROL THE BOUNCE! EDIT: I meant to say "A target..." not, "I target. Sorry!

In addition to what I've just posted, let me just say this. Isn't all of the many different discussions with fellow martial artists just might be no more than semantics. If I'm walking differently than someone else, but, what they do is similar to what I'm doing, yet, it's still walking, we're both walking, just done differently. But the ends of the means are still being made.

That's about the most absolute SOLID post I've ever read!! Right on the head of the nail! Let me say it again...SOLID!!

Whose fault is it, if fault is an appropriate word, that students are so impatient in reaching black belt? Is it the students? Is it the parents? Is it the instructor? Is it the headquarters? If not any of the above, whom then?

OK!?? I tried this on our laptop, but, NOTHING happened. Tried it on our main computer and it worked. Why the diff? I've no idea! If it doesn't work...it's my daughters fault!!

Check this out.... >Go to Google >In the search bar, type in "google gravity" >Click on the "I'm feeling lucky" button Watch and see what happens. You can be the master of Gravity while you play with Gravity. My daughter showed this to me today when she got home from school. Pretty cool! But, I've a feeling that most, if not all, of you already knew about this. I'm so bored and behind some of the times....yikes!

That was pretty cool. I liked the texting because it kept up the suspense and forced me, happily, to wait in great expectation for more. At first, I was thinking when the screen went black, that my year, 1957, was TOO FAR BACK and dismal. I entered different years from the years of birth of my wife, my kids, all of my relatives, my Dai-Soke, and my Soke, as well as other well noted martial artists. Cool! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Very nice. I'd always wondered if one could jump over the flagpole, and now that I know that it can be done and what happens if one actually did/does that. Thanks Patrick!

Just for fun, grins, and giggles... I've seen, you've seen, and we've seen proof that our Earth is round. Pictures from space confirm that. I understand what a circle looks like! This = O That's a circle, that's a genuine representative of what Earth looks like...Round/Circle! I'm in no way a math genius. I'm by and far away from that, but, a circle is still a circle and something round is still round. That brings me to my question... If the Earth is round, how can something be level? Yes, it's true, since I've retired from the Hombu, I've really got just to much time on my hand these days. Still my question stands/remains.

Although this is SKIF based, it might help you... http://japanways.com/Articles/Kyu%20Rank%20Requirements.pdf

I'm not excited at all about my Cowboys. Pre-season means absolutely nothing to me, it's a waste of time, for me, not for the players and the coaches. The W or the L don't even count. We've got two more pre-season games left before they count...for good. Romo is STILL there....darn it! I wish he'd go somewhere else! Romo stated that the mistakes by the Cowboys can be corrected. Well, then do it! The Cowboys will host the Saints on turkey day and I've a feeling that the Saints are going to manhandle the Cowboys. We've got the Vikings in week #6 in their house, and we've a chance to beat them, but, it'll be a hard fought game. Our schedule looks quite challenging for the Cowboys. I really see no easy game for the Cowboys, but, the Cowboys will only see two teams twice during the regular season...Redskins and the Eagles. Both have abilities and both make mistakes...who doesn't in the NFL?! My prediction for the Cowboys....10-6 in the regular season and will lose their first and only game in the playoffs. WHY? PRESSURE!! GO COWBOYS!! PS>>>>GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any straight blast that could come close to Bruce Lee's straight blast...then by all means....USE IT!! All someone can do with it is...well...fall down...and stay down...and not get up for awhile.

I'm with you on the bouncing. It drives me crazy...it reminds me of what someone would look like after having drank a gallon of coffee. Bouncing to me is an unstable movement and offers up so many opportunities to offset and penetrate...unless they can stand/walk in the air...but they can't and I love to show them that gravity is real...and so is the sudden THUD that follows.

That's a very valid and solid soapbox!!

Thanks Brian. How different is yours from ours? Thanks in advance!

Yes, you're absolutely correct. I used "Downward Block" for the laymen of the martial arts so that it [block] would be more easier understood. Btw, your post was solid!

I could only imagine that if the new Karate Kid movie is the reason for someone joining a martial arts school, that they'd be to embarrassed to say to a potential instructor that that was [Karate Kid movie] why they wanted to join in the first place...MAYBE...stranger things have been known to have happened before!

Speaking of semantics, we could call 'it' a karate-chop. I've only known 'it' as a Shuto (Knifehand) of its plethoria of its kind. To me, it's just another waza that's rarely used, if at all, outside of any martial arts school. To be honest, in all of my years, I've more than likely only used a Shuto when performing tameshiwara (Breaking).

ps1, How's the video testing performed at the Gracie University? Is it performed by a live video link? Or, is a tape/disc recording sent in for them to review? Thanks in advance!

I'm with Brian and ps1 on this one!

You're a wrestler and you want to shoot, that's ok, one of my most favorite counters would be to SPRAWL, but the sprawl takes some uncanny timing, and that's cured by practicing.

In Shindokan, we teach a myrid of "Blocking" techniques. Should one view our curriculum, one would see that we teach approximately 34 "Blocks" leading up to Shodan. However, the term "Block" is extremely general in it's content, but it's context is uncomplicated, therefore, it's more easily understood by the laymen. What will be discovered, in its own time, as one's karate matures is that the "Blocks" are indeed counters. That bears repeating in a different manner...There are NO "Blocks" in karate; only counters! For example, Gedan Barai (Downward Block) is performed as a 2-step movement. That "Block" is way to slow to be effective against anything. Even still, each and every "Block" that's used in any kata are performed with the 2-step approach. A "hidden" technique comes alive and understood with one exclamation...AHA! In Gedan Barai (Downward Block), the "Blocking" hand goes up beside/near ones ear on the opposite side, while at the same time, the other hand crosses ones body with ones hand by ones groin; this is the chamber position...step #1. The "Blocking" hand travels in a downward motion, and just stopping on the outside of ones body, while at the same time, the other hand travels/returns to ones same side by and/or near ones hips; this completes the "Block"...step #2. Against, for example, Mae Geri (Front Kick), this kick is simply way to fast to incorporate the 2-step movement. By the time the Mae Geri is returning from it's target, the Gedan Barai (Downward Block) is beginning to finish; hence, the Gedan Barai (Downward Block) has just missed. Cure: Stop chambering the darn thing...just use the lead hand straight into the "Block"/COUNTER! This, of course, is for another topic/thread. That's the "Block"! Now to what the "Block" truly is; it's a COUNTER! For example, let's say that your attacker is reaching out for you to grab your shirt/label. Just bear with me here, and hopefully, you'll see Gedan Barai (Downward Block) just as it's meant to be performed in any Kata. First step: In the kata, your blocking hand is traveling towards your ear on the opposite side. Nomenclature of the COUNTER is...Grab one of the fingers of your attackers outstretched hand as your attacker attempts to grasp your shirt/label. Now I've got a firm hold onto my attackers finger/knuckle. I then rotate my attackers hand back and under and then upward...that is Gedan Barai's step #1, as seen in Heian Shodan, for example. I'll know my Tuite is working because my attackers body has changed from one extreme to another, and if I've done it properly, my attacker is also standing on their tip-toes. All the while, keep pressure on the finger joint/knuckle so that control is maintained continuously. Second Step: In the kata, your blocking hand is traveling downward to the immediate outside of your body. Nomenclature of the COUNTER is...Rotate your attackers hand with their palm facing downward, and then at almost the same time, start pressing downwardly WHILE stepping backwards and continue to do so until your attacker is prostrate before you...that is Gedan Barai's step #2, as seen in Heian Shodan, for example. I'll know my Tuite is working because my attackers body has once again changed from one extreme to another, and if I've done it properly, my attacker is now lying down. What one does after that is entirely up to you. What you've just completed was a COUNTER, not a block. Remember, Bunkai is the analysis of what one does in any said kata. Sure, I guess Gedan Barai (Downward Block) could be used to deflect a kick/punch, but, there are no blocks in karate, only counters. Hopefully, in your minds eye, you can see how the movements of Gedan Barai as executed in, for example, Heian Shodan are nothing more than a 2-step counter, and that's it's not a "Block" at all. Next time you perform kata and a "Block" is called upon, you'll "see" the counter instead, and that you'll start to explore the many possibilities of your Bunkai.