Wa-No-Michi

I agree with AJ here. If the only thing stopping you going back is the sparring, well surely you should be able to adapt. Also, small price to pay in order to get a bone fide dan grade you can be proud of. "Budo Association" type boards who issue "generalised" Karate dan grades are only after your money, and its money that is willingly given by many, it would seem, in order to receive that all important grade advancement. Personally I would go back to either the Shito or Goju group you were part of and work up to your Yondan. It will be far more valuable to you in the long run. Otherwsie its a case of Yondan? Yondan in What?

Indeed, there are a lot of good little tips locked into them.

Personally I think that looking at the chest is the wrong thing to do. Most beginners will instinctively look where they are blocking and punching, but in doing so they are closing off their field of vision. As we progress through the ranks our training steers us away from this habit. For example do you focus your eyesight at chest level when performing Kata? No of course not. It's akin to blindfolding yourself really. But I guess if it works for you then why not.

I tend to look at my oponent through "relaxed eyes" as it were. The key is the use of the peripheral vision as others have said, but I would be looking at their eyes if I could see them. I would not "focus" on them because this closes down your field of vision, but I also think that the eyes and face of your oponent can be read and thus often give you a split second "heads up", so I would not look at a different part of the body either. Elbows and knees tend to move with noticeably large signals, but if you were looking in the direction of the center of the body mass you will not see the finer signals made by the eyes.

The Japanese refer to this ultimate state of mental awarenes as "Zanshin"

So, no pressure then dad?!

And BTW I am petrified of firearms and I don't think that makes me a bad person. I am fairly new to this board, but I have had a little look around the weapon sections and TBH most of it is not my bag. But then again, I am not from the US and I guess the whole "right to bear arms" culture is a lot easier to understand in the US.

A past girlfriend loved archery, which she was introduced to and practiced in college, and we know that the origins of archery were for hunting and warfare. She never used (and I don't remember if she ever mentioned seeing) the large arrowheads that are still used for bowhunting, just the target arrows/arrowheads. I met her after she graduated from college, and though she no longer did the bow and arrow, she was open to fencing. She and I took fencing lessons together, and the sword was certrainly developed as a fighting tool, but the swords we used were of course designed with tips that wouldn't puncture. However, she was afraid of firearms (I used to target shoot), seeing them associated only with violence. The war/violence concept of arrows and swords were "lost in time" for her; they were sports, fun, but not martial at all in her mind. I never debated the point with her; she was comfortable with this thought and I saw no reason to make her uncomfortable. But at that level, aren't they just sports? Targets to shoot at etc.

Hi moriniuk, I haven't read any of Mas. Oyama's books but if they are anything like Otsuka's book the translation probably leaves a lot to be desired. Factor into this, that the translators were probably not Karate-ka nor were the printers, editors, type setters etc. (let alone Japanese), and there is a wonder you can understand any of the book at all. Otsuka's book however is the work of a genius and this permeates through the bad translation and type setting etc., as I am sure Oyama's does too. Without doubt, the best way to understand Japanese used in karate (and how best to write it) is to train with Japanese Instructors. Well I guess it was, and like most things karate based, when they arrived on the shores of mainland Japan, they were given Japanese names. So perhaps it was an easy label to attach to the process.

I couldn't agree more. That is very well put.

But you would agree that they are still valid martial arts though?

Actually Bushido-man I agree with you. The club where I train is a traditional Wado club, but we never loose sight of the fact that our training should be approached from a "live" martial context. In other words making it real. One of my old senseis used to say that the difference between a kata performed as a dance and one performed as a martial artist was "intent". But I would just like to throw another thing into the pot about where the line between self defence and martial art can become smudged. As I mentioned in a previous post I am a bit of a "nipponophile", and I like to read books on art arts like Kyudo (archery), and Iaido (sword drawing). Both obviously have martial origins, but from a self defence point of view they are seemingly useless. (Unless of course you carry round your bows, arrows and shinkens at all times). What do you guys think?

Hi Dobbersky, Its as good a name as any really. Reference the Ryu bit, the word literally means "stream" or school in a karate club context. I guess you realise it is not unique to Wado though yes? What Wado techniques are you looking at importing into your style.

Hi Dobbersky, that's a very bold thing you have done. What is your new system called.

I think thats it really bushido_man96, martial arts mean different things to different people. That's the beauty of it is suppose. If you take the older folk that practice their Tai Chi in the park, its a bit like Yoga to them with the health benefits that it brings. Of course it has Martial origins and I know that there are versions of Tai Chi are more combat focused. The phrase martial art mean to some; the study of technique for martial advancement. To others though it is the study of on art that has martial origins with all the trappings that brings. I guess in an ideal world a good martial art should have a good balance of both. Just out of interest Bushido-man, do you consider Tai Chi to be a Martial Art?

Hi unknown style, sorry to come in on the end of this, but does this mean that you have stayed with your original group, and they are still ok for you to train with your original sensei (even though he has broken away from the group)?

I guess there is a chance. The Wado community is a fairly close knit one after all.

Well my Sensei isn't Japanese but he speaks it well. I also train regularly with the Japanese instructors from the Wado-kai who are based in Japan. Mainly though I am a bit of a "Nipponophile". I like most things Japanese including the language. I am no expert though by any stretch of the imagination

Wow, even get a welcome from the main man himself. Thanks Patrick

I guess so, but the phrase "Martial Art" covers a huge spectrum IMO from the "soft"internal arts like "Tai Chi" (predominantly practiced as I understand it, by people for the qualities of self improvement it offers) to the "hard" external arts like Kyokushin. They are all equally valid "martial arts" and will bring different benefits to different people. Just because however something has a label on it that says "Martial Art" doesn't have to equate to self defence. Self improvement yes but not necessarily self defence per se.

Thanks guys

Hi tallgeese, I will poke my newbie nose in here, but does Aikido "purport" to be effective as a self defense system? I think that like a lot of arts, the sd thing comes, but I don't think you can put a timespan on it. I am not sure its the goal of such arts. Just my view. PS I have done no Aikido lessons at all so I could be talking rubbish.

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. it is: keriwaza it is: mawashigeri it depends on if the "2nd word" is behind or before. tachikata shikodachi tsukiwaza junzuki So actually it does matter. This is grammer. kumite gata kata yakusoku gumite It matters in pronouncation. Hi Guys, first day on this forum so I thought I would get stuck in. With reference to origins of "tameshiwari" I think all explanations are probably valid. I know that the Kenjutsu guys practice their sword cutting with something they call "tameshigiri" which literally means "test cutting". Maybe this is where at least the name originates from. As far as the Japanese is concerned I think Wado AJ is correct. I have always understood that words that start with "phonetically" harsh sounds like K's and T's are rounded off (into G's and D's) when they are preceded by words that end with softer vowel type sounds. So strictly speaking it is Kihon Kumite but also; Jiyu Gumite. So the spelling is different in this context in order to assist correct pronunciation. Good topic though guys.

Cheers "bushido-man96". I see you have a few posts under your belt.

Hi Guys, Have been loitering around this Forum for a while now so thought it was about time for me to say Hello. I see there are a couple of other Wado guys here so I am not alone. Anyway, look forward to chatting with you all.