BDPulver

yup, wavemaster is for punching but where I live in a apartment I have to be careful on how I hit it so I use it for block training.

tallgeese has hit how my home gym was set up before I moved into an apartment. Was important is room and how much you have. Is the equipment collapsible and so forth. I have a wavemaster which I use for working my blocks, a makawari pad that I use for strengening my hands/knuckles on. I cant think of the term, it slips my memory but I made a so called clap board for doing conditioning on my arms. Plus some wieghts and stuff.

Well i'm proof that no matter the injury, age or restrictions. As long as you know your limitations and push yourself you can achieve what you are after. I've been doing martial arts since 8, and isshinryu since 14. In that time I've trained with a broken ankle (due to racing mtn bikes), dislocated shoulder (from rock climbing) and broken fingers and toes which is from sparring. I've had back surgery done. High blood pressure which runs on with my parents also but able to control. Knee injuries from running as well. I'll be 40 this sept but I dont let that stop me. Its what I love to do. So yeah, as long as you know your own limitations you can do whatever you also want.

Congrats yup no matter what rank we are we are always a beginner.

Pretty we're the same way sensei8. Students bow on and off the floor, parents/guest are encouraged to join if they want but not forced to what their kid/spouse/friend etc is doing. We want them to be as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

Congrats Blade96

Alot of good points here. When we did team kata's, we just looked at it as a seperate class. In that when we practiced we generally just did the kata in unison like one would do when sensei had the formation in class. The difference is trying to have the energy flow from each person but as if its done by one. Here's where the coordination comes in play along with timing. It is fun to do. my most memormable team kata competition came from us getting together cause there wasnt alot participating in the tournament. We thru it together in bout 30mins and won 2nd place. But since we already knew everyones moves it made it easier to get a group together.

Thanks guys, I try

She stored em for the time being till I can make a trip back home. Someone my sister knows said the glove is worth quite a bit though.

yup, i thought it was a bit close minded myself but I didnt want to argue with him.

my mom found my old NES system. I had the glove, robbie the robot and god knows how many games.

we do all forms of sparring in our school. Lite to control contact. Higher ranks do free sparring. But it is dependant on the instructor more so then the style. A instructor of tang so do I met in the army had some classes and let me practice my style there as long as I would spar his students. Another instructor I met didnt like his students spar outside practicioners of other styles but his own.

an associate I know has warned me if something ever happens I would be treated differently in court due to my knowlegde. I never got into a fight though and always am able to talk and calm things down. I do know that that will not work all the time but never got to the point of seeing the back seat of a police car. (knock on wood)

I actually cant wait for it. Some of my tattoo's are reflected to the 4 elements of airbender. I also watched this with my daughter along with the jackie chan cartoon. At that time my little one was around 4 and thought she could do what they where doing. talk bout instant care seeing her trying to do a flip on the couch.

I study and teach isshinryu. been doing it since '84. John Hughes - William Duessel (was last american to study under Tatsou) - Kichiro Shimabuku - Tatsou Shimabuku

Good Luck and Good job!! Wish I could get lucky like that. Not sure how much longer my body can withstand working for cable. Climbing poles, ladders, crawling in crawlspaces and stuff is hard on ones body. Defiantly need to look into opening up some classes again.

It's a tough and easy question. I'll go with personal answer first. I've always been fond of weapons whether from china or okinawa to japan. When I started martial arts, the first style didnt have weapons in it. Or the instructor didnt know them. After I got into my 2nd style I was fascinated by the weapons wall. I couldnt wait to learn how to properly wield a bo or sai or even twirl the nunchuku without banging my head. Now after many years of being in the same style but working with other styles as well, I've learned that weapons can be a extension of oneself and even can improve unarmed techniques as well by helping with the balance and cordination. Which leads me to the 2nd response of my answer. I believe that weapons can help a person become better at unarmed as well as armed defense/offense. Thats how I see weapons use in all martial arts that have it.

Sweet thanks Patrick Cant wait. Is the villian Mickey Rourke??

I know its late but saints fan here. Friend got me to like them back in the late 80s ( I was a Jets fan at that time ).

Thats cool Patrick. Snow I miss, lived in NJ up till 98 and been living in KY since then. I loathe the cold cause we hardly ever get snow. When it does snow its gone in a day or three and then its mud and cold. Makes me miss home sometimes.

to help out here. My mom use to work in a laundromat that cratered to dry cleaning also. To avoid shrinkage always wash in cold. Doesnt matter about the drying though. ( i usually hang dry my uniform anyways unless I need it right away). on the hemming, if you got a good weight gi its gonna hurt trying to hem that by hand. If you can afford one try getting a portable sewing machine. I'm looking at one in walmart, cant remember price. I use to pay a coworker I use to work with to put my patches and hem my uniforms but since I moved and no family in the area I have to do stuff myself.

Since I work in as well, I loathe the cold.

Well just forced myself to watch the trailer finally. I know i know, threads been up for awhile. I was really afraid to be disappointed but after seeing it, I do want to see it. It kinda looks like the next next karate kid to me though. New teacher, new student, different area, same problems.

If I remember listening to Hanshi Duessel at one of our camps a long time ago. Master Shimibuku adopted the punch we use cause it was stronger and it threw ppl off when you applied it in technique. Also when the thumb is placed on top it creates a stabilizing joint so that when a isshinryu practioner threw the punch it should always be straight with just the top two knuckles hitting the target only. Punching a makawara pad this way does show how one can do the punch wrong and right. I've had many a nights with bloody knuckles from right and wrong way.

Actually if the stance is done right your weight should be even on both feet. If you can shift your weight correctly you shouldnt telegraph what you are doing. Pretty much the basic stance of it is shoulder width, both knees bent just slightly to where if you looked down at the front leg you should not see your toes. Hips locked. Now from the description I beleive this is the stance you are describing. After many years, I will admit to picking up bad habits on my stances and have been looking back into them.