Wa-No-Michi

IMO such a kick done to the side is a side kick, irrespective of what position your foot is in. I think your Shihans are right by the sounds of it. WNM

How would you refer to a kick executed to the side but done with the ball of foot and toes upward? WNM

I would agree with Bushido_man. As I see it Axe kick is not so much a kick forward but a Kick in a downward direction. In Japanese it is referred to "Otoshi Geri" literally drop kick. WNM

Very well put Sensei8, I would agree that the "mental" off-balancing of your opponent is just as important if not more so than the physical. Of course you can apply force to the human body by pushing/pulling/striking etc., which has a physical effect on the posture or "Shisei" to off balance, but also kuzushi can be achieved without actually touching your opponent: To throw someone physically you first have to throw them mentally as it were. This can be done in number of ways like breaking their rhythm, shifting angles, changing distance suddenly, changing speed suddenly, Kiai (shouting), distracting etc., etc., .... all ways to mentally throw off your opponent leaving them vulnerable. As sensei8 alludes to, this is where the training of the mind comes into our karate, so as limit the chances of us being "mentally" thrown. Karate-ka should train to have "Fudoshin" or immovable spirit. WNM

Hello, SKIF is Hirokazu Kanazawa's Shoto group. As such it is very well served in terms of media available. Here is a link the the US group: http://skifusa.com/ Under the "catalog" section there an extensive list of titles. Enjoy WNM

Go for it. "Shiai" or competative fighting is a great way to test your skills. It's good fun too. Enjoy, and let us know how you get on. WNM

Striking can help with that, too.Striking = Kuzushi in this respect. WNM

Kuzushi?

In Ohgami sensei's book "Introduction to karate" he explains that "Maegeri" (front kick) in Karate is technique to kick forward by using the ball of the foot. Of course he is also mentions that "Karate is a martial art in which all parts of the human body are to be used". Furthermore, he suggests that maegeri, or ways to perform a kick to the front can be classified as: Maekeagi - upwards kick with very little bend of the knee. Maekekomi - where the knee is lifted as high as possible and the foot is pushed forward in line with the target Maegeri - where the striking part of the foot takes the shortest route to its target. Three different ways to perform a kick to the front that allow different parts of the foot to be employed. WNM

I was a happy go lucky single guy, when I met this girl at the dojo. Now all these years later I am married with kids. How did that happen? So be carefull, you can get yourself in all sorts of trouble before you know it, and your training will never be the same again. Pesky kids Grrr!

Urban Myth #2719 - Never been the case in the UK and it appears the US either (not surprising considering they are based on the same legal constitution) https://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/452?print=1 Different terminology / kanji. Rei as romaji can mean command, it can also mean zero and servant etc, its how it’s written and in what context it is spoken that defines its meaning. In terms of Karate it is "礼" which means to bow out of courtesy as thanks/respect. WNM

One of the reasons I kept my hair as short, is because it fell out a many years ago, but Tallgeese is right about not grabbing with both hands (as you have just reduced your limbs to his/her ratio). Also, everyone seems in a hurry to put people in arm locks these days. If you don't know how to do it well, it could spell disaster for you. Why not stick your finger(s) into the soft bit of your attckers throat (just underneath the adams apple). Do it hard enough (in a downward direction) as if to peirce the skin and they will let go. WNM

Well done, Thats the best attitude you can have. Good luck and I look forward to hearing how you get on. WNM

Hello and welcome to the forums. I hope you don't mind, but the correct word to describe your rank or level is "Kyu". "Ryu" on the other hand means flow or stream and is taken from the word "Ryuha" to describe a particular school or style of Karate - littereally mainstream school, or school of thought. Unless the school you are about to join is part of the same group you got your belt from originally, it would be entirely down to the discretion of the school as to what grade to start you at. (and even if it was part of the same group a lot of time has passed). Different schools have different syllabuses and differing standards, what might have been good enough for your old school may be substandard for the new one and vice-versa. Also you were only 11 when you trained last. You are 18 now and probably a bit different in your shape and build, and as Sensei8 says, its good to recap sometimes - ultimately there is no rush. WNM

I almost hate to ask, but I'm not familiar with either kisame or gyako zuki. I've never heard those terms before. Would you mind explaining in a little more detail? Kizami-zuki = Front hand jab punch. Gyaku-zuki = Reverse punch. WNM

If it is competition type sparring you are after (shiai) then these sort of blitzing combos are really good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYHN-LvCII I have taught them for years, and also had a fair amount of success with them myself. The only advice I would give beyond this; would be to avoid staying on the same line - diverge and experiment - build angles into your combinations. Sometimes Karate is a victim of its own success and people forget that the renraku waza done in Kihon (in a straight line) is merely just another kata. WNM

IMO Kumite is one section of Karate - but it is nothing without Kata. And given that kata was never on the agenda for inclusion into the Olympic karate anyway, it sort of just makes it another kicky punchy sport like TKD which is on a downward spiral in terms of the viewing figures and stadium ticket sales at the Beijing Olympics - which has given karate the KB in terms of getting in now. Maybe 2012 might be a different picture but from what I see the WKF are taking Karate down a pretty similar path to that of TKD WNM

is your shizentai like _ o _ ? shizentai should be \o/ No, it's not my shizentai!!!!!! In kicking, not every kick, the relationship from the lead leg to the supporting foot IS as you've noted. The supporting foot is 180 degrees opposite of the kicking foot/leg. This is the methodology of Shindokan. Hi, I think what AJ is eluding to is the fact the it is unnatural / unstable to stand with your feet turned out 180deg to each other in shizentai and this is the same when doing a kick. Its a trade off between rotating your supporting foot far enough around (to allow the hips to open as required) and giving your base some width. Turning your foot 180 deg allows the hips to open but is unstable sideways and also puts the knee of the supporting leg in a vulnerable position when you apply sideways force to it. Like others have mentioned, I think about 135 deg is probably more in the ball park - when it comes to kicks like jodan mawashi / sokuto I would say that the foot turn to nearer 180 deg with ushirogeri. WNM

Here is the current Management table of the JKF Wado-kai - the original group set up by Ohtsuka to practice Wado-ryu Karate. https://www.karatedo.co.jp/wado/w_eng/e_index.htm Ohtsuka sensei (I've never really heard of him referred to as Soke) died in 82, after leaving the Wado-kai and setting up a private organisation (Wado-ryu renmei) to which he appointed his son as chief instructor. Still by far the biggest wado association in the world is that of the Wado-kai and as you will see there are no Soke (Dai or San) to be seen. But the groups still produces some of the best martial artist in the world today imo. WNM

Karate is a Japanese art. The sensei, senpai, kohai relationship is a very typical and important part of the pedagogy behind transmiting these arts. It is a system that has flourished in Japan and has little or nothing to do with ego. IMO everyone has their part to play and should do it to the best of their ability. WNM

Hi Tony, The saying ignorance is bliss can surely be no more appropriate within many modern MA dojo. Still, enjoy you Tai Chi. WNM

I do know what you mean and actually done well the "Sport" Mawashi (ie round house chambered the same way as front kick) is pretty devastating. I have seen several competitors knocked unconscious with this kick when it is well targeted. As my old sensei says - you don't actually have to hit people that hard to knock them out - after all you can condition your body to accept powerful blows but you cant really condition your skull. This is an excellent example of the full power Mawashi (knee from side) by Kagawa sensei of the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei BTW even in my prime (and I am well past it now ) I wasn't able to get anywhere near this guy's standard. He is awesome. WNM

The latter is really difficult to generate any sort of power with if you chamber to the front of the body.... but it does conceal your intentions. Personally, I have learnt both this way and also with bringing my knee in from the side - which is more powerful but less discrete. WNM

A couple of times a week a go for a jog round the block (jees I hate running ) after which I practice some wado kata and basics in my back garden - with my running shoes on. This is not the same as it is in the dojo and I am happy with this. Even stepping through on junzuki - with shoes on changes the dynamics "slightly" .... but you have to learn to manage this. Its a bit like the old adage of doing junzuki uphill is the best way to learn it. Also I would add that it is a commonly held misconseption that just because Japanese MA like Judo and Karate are "typically" practiced in bare feet means that they are "only" done in bare feet. - Not necessarily so. WNM

Maybe it is more difficult to realise it in shoes because of their structure, and the fact that most modern shoes (particularly trainers) tend to support the shape of the foot a lot more. WNM