swadoryu2000

Well, in my opinion, both styles are great ones. But it depends on the instuctor and his/her teaching methods. I haven't heard much of the Ashihara style, but I understand it is more Kyokushin, and their style of combat is more contact-oriented. Again, whatever you feel more comfortble doing.

Yeah, I can see that happening. Good one, too. Makes sense. Or, you could be blocking an oncomming attack with the left, striking with the right at the neck (the move after the x-block). After that, the right hand comes down to the opponent's left shoulder, the left hand comes under the opponents left arm (assuming he was comming with a chudan tsuki) and comming over that same arm, grabbing his elbow. While you do all this, you step to the left side, and breaking his arm via elbow or pressing down on the shoulder (the area that connects the arm to the shoulder, the tissue area).

Yes, we step foward with a low x-block. Then, without stepping foward, tuck the x-block in (over the knot in the obi), opening your hands, bring it up over your head, crossing the hands over (originally it was right over left, now it's left over right) and bring it down to your obi. I see it (this whole sequence) is that someone mae geri'ed you toward the crotch, you x-block, twisting the opponent's foot as you cross the hands so the opponent will face the opposite direction. And from there, you can do whatever. Again, hard to describe, but that's how I see that move.I see this as a move from Pinan Godan? Weren't we talking about the third sequence of Pinan Yondan? Not your fault, this thread has jumped about a fair bit. Oh my fault, I'm thinking of Pinan Godan, hehe. Let's stick with Yodan for now, for less confusion if you want. Ok, with the x-block in Yodan, could blocking a mae geri, but catching it before the opponent makes contact (around the shin area is how I see it). Then the next move in the kata is stepping foward with a reinforced block. You could be catching the kick and shoving them off.

A good way to train on your own, is to practice your kihon. For example, find an open area with lots of room. You can do basic drills like steping foward from yoi into zenkutsu dachi left leg foward with a gedan barai. Then progress with that technique. Then change legs and blocks. Maybe add a punch, or a combination of punches. Combinations help also, like one combination can be stepping foward (from zenkutsu dachi) progressing with a mae geri, then jodan uke, then gyaku tsuki, all in one count. Or whatever you feel like practicing. Or you can do kata. Or if you really want to, you can pick a kata and pick out the moves and find some bunkai's for them. Or makiwara training, whatever you want to do. For kumite...unless you have a willing uke at home or a friend, you can always do light sparring. And if you don't have a friend at home or an uke, you can do some footwork or some running for stamina. Least, this is what I suggest if you want to practice at home or on your own, in addition to the punching bag.

Yes, we step foward with a low x-block. Then, without stepping foward, tuck the x-block in (over the knot in the obi), opening your hands, bring it up over your head, crossing the hands over (originally it was right over left, now it's left over right) and bring it down to your obi. I see it (this whole sequence) is that someone mae geri'ed you toward the crotch, you x-block, twisting the opponent's foot as you cross the hands so the opponent will face the opposite direction. And from there, you can do whatever. Again, hard to describe, but that's how I see that move.

Wa-No-Michi, you're right about the jodan uke. That is how I do it in the kata also. I can't put the description in words as well as you do. But it's pretty much the same as what you said, only more accurate. In Pinan Shodan, the opening move is a jodan uke and an age tsuki, least that's how I perform it (rising punch, uppercut, whatever you want to call it). How do you see the opening moves as?

Try to RELAX and SLOW DOWN. Sometimes, if you just slow down the pace to 3/4 speed or half the speed you spar at, you can find some openings and connect with it. Also, you might want to ask another student or one of the instructors to help you with sparring, and maybe ask for more kumite time? The main thing is to relax and have fun. Don't worry--it will come naturally. Good luck on your kumite!

Hmm..the only suggestion I can give is that you do some stretching exersizes before you attempt seiza. It can help loosen the knees and ankles since seiza position puts pressure on these two points. Of course, all students in some way, shape, or form has this problem, or had had this problem. I hope you get better at it!

Hey, karatejock! You are definately NOT TOO OLD to come back to karate-do! The dojo that I go to has a lot of ''aged'' senpai's and students. When I mean ''aged'', I mean 30's, 40's, and a few 50's. And the reason I put it in quotation marks is because I believe those ages are still young. It's never too late to enjoy an art form such as karate-do! Hope you get back into it!

Hmm...If I wanted to keep five of my favorite kata and still be practicing the kihon's as well, it would go like this: Kushanku, Niahanchi, Bassai, Kihon Kata Shodan (the first kata I was taught), and Jion. But of course, I like all the katas I've learned thus far! OSU!

Well, I know a lot of bunkai's I have come up with. One of them, for example, is the opening move of Pinan Yodan with the open-hand blocks (or strikes, depending on how you look at it). Our (how my sensei teaches it) opening move is stepping out in neiko ashi dachi with the two open hand block, with the left out in a chudan position, and the right in a jodan position. Well, one way is that you can block with the left shuto (if the opponent is comming in with a chudan tsuki), grabbing the punch with the left hand, pulling it in ( hence the pullback position) while twisting your hips (you'll end up in a zenkutsu dachi) and doing a shuto uchi to the neck with the right shuto. Heh, I know it's hard to describe in words, but that's just one of the bunkai I found in that kata.