JohnKeats

As of lately I'm trying to breathe (when I think of it) from my stomach, feeling my lungs (well, more probably my diaphragm) hitting on my abdominal muscles (I breath "down", my abdomen gets a little bigger, but gets tense). Breathing these way seems to help when I'm too tired and almost out of breath, after some tiring exercise.

Now you answer I realize I forgot to add my ideas Later I'll try, I'm busy right now. Don't worry, as long as you have something interesting you want to say, sure you won't forget about it

Looks like this thread is going down, while I guess a lot of people could add some information to the way the breathe and how do they feel. I'll go take a shower (I have been training at home for an hour or so) and then I'll post more or less how do I feel and how do I (try to) breathe.

Tough! I can't do even one, my lower back hurts a lot. I tried to do one with my knees fixed (like the relaxed push-up for those of weak arms), and it was more demanding from my back than my arms. I guess the point is to strengthen the lower back?

Indeed, I really enjoy it. I take classes at my university's sport center, by a really good sensei, 7th Dan BB in S.R. I discovered after paying there that his dojo is in the same town I live (I moved around a year ago), so probably next year I'll go there, as I want to add some more kobudo (we have been taught the basics of bo, and I like it). The style is very technical, which appeals me, and karate has been a source of mental discipline and physical strength. And being and endless path of improvement, I like it this way

I started Shito-Ryu around the 8th October, 2008. Thus, almost exactly 6 months.

Hi, I would like to say "Hello!" to everyone here, although it has been a few months I am on this great forum. JohnKeats is not my real name, neither my usual nickname, which involves my name. I don't want everybody I know (or who may google me) to know I do martial arts, but you can learn my real name and everything related from my webpage. Sorry to say it this late, but everytime someone called me John I felt like I was lying. But I don't mind being called this way either, this is the nick I choose Btw, John Keats is an English poet, who happens also to be (more or less) the protagonist of the "Hyperion cantos" by Dan Simmons.

It looks like the subject is changing rapidly. Looks like Traymond acknowledges his sensei's actions... so what? It is up to him. We won't be able to change the way he thinks (I don't judge it, I wouldn't know what I would feel in your same situation). Besides I'm amazed an "old man" is his eighties, looking to last no long is able to do that to a shoulder. The belt thing... well I don't really get it. I haven't asked my sensei about what he thinks about the whole belt worshipping thing. Quite a lot of my classmates (I mean karate class mates... if sometone has the "technical name", please tell me, English is not my mother-tongue) are into this "don't ever wash your belt!!". As I said, I don't asked my sensei, because the first day I got my karategi and white obi, after 3 classes (I had no time to wash in-between) the belt was slighlty yellowish (sweat+some dirt from the ground), so I just tucked it into the wash-machine with the karategi. And it has been the same since. Now I'm yellow, I haven't still washed it, the colour could fade and melt with the gi, but probably this week I'll wash it. It's a belt. YOU can respect it, but I don't have to do it. It has nothing to do with karate. It's not the same as respecting the martial part of karate, it is just a piece of cloth. When I had my karategi dry-washing and getting ironed I wore white tennis trousers and a white T-shirt. The same I wore the first days before getting my proper uniform. And my sensei just said my karategi looked funny now, and then more seriously asked where it was. Summing up... believes are for the believer, and the unbeliever won't get it easily. I'm not my belt, and my belt doesn't really reflect what I may know. It just a piece of cloth. And it doesn't work perfect to keep the karategi closed, moreover

Could it be you lost eye contact with him, and he didn't want THAT? Just an idea, when you bowed, you stopped looking at him, did you?

Although it is still early in my karate road, I have quite a fond view of kata. I enjoy practicing them, and I feel they help with movement and strength. More or less I agree (and find it a good way to state it) with what Kuma said above.

Congrats kkenedy219!

Today we had our test and everyone passed. It wasn't as physically demanding as I expected (although my legs are still stiff), and I am already looking forward my orange belt test, probably in December. Now `the way' has really begun

Thanks, nice and clear explanation

What do you mean by inhale on soft and exhale on hard? Also, the "breathe from the hara" always troubles me.

What you have to say will be most welcome, as everything everybody has said so far. Come on!