Kuma

I pay 5-10 bucks a class and no more than 40/month. Testing is usually 10 bucks which is mostly for the certificate and the belt.

Thank you sensei8. That was the drill that really seemed to make it "click" within me hence why I'm partial to it. I like working my ido geiko and kata with it occasionally as well.

Sadly the only drills similar to that fashion in my system is sanbon/ippon kumite (both formal versions and knockdown fighting versions). We don't have the exchanging like in a lot of yakusoku kumite. Ours is much more simplistic and not focused on properly in many cases.

I can only attend formal class once a week but train on my own several times per week.

A favorite drill of mine is practicing your uke waza and te waza from a side fav and locking into the technique from a forward stance. Using a right reverse punch as an example, as the punch left my chamber the hips would follow. Then, at the last second, I would turn my feet into a left forward stance while locking my rear (right) leg. Difficult to explain via text so I hope that makes sense.

Pre-arranged sparring drills are an excellent introduction to the real thing.

If weighted dips and chin-ups count as armwork then that's about the most of what I do.

You have two days devoted to your arms and nothinng for your legs. Very unbalanced program.

Don't shake hands with anyone you don't trust.

In sparring rules where leg sweeps and low kicks aren't allowed it's probably all right. Outside of that though it's a risky behavior. The moment I see someone rise up off of the ground with both feet is the moment I close the distance and attack as now they have no base.

TFT = repackages SCARS. SCARS was deemed too lengthy for service members to learn and Peterson's ego grew too large so they got booted from teaching straight military. Larkin was caught passing himself off as a SEAL before and got busted for it. His ads are the typical fanfare of learn how to kill in 5 seconds and all that jazz. Needless to say... save your money.

You may have just been at a very busy class for some reason. Try another if you're willing to give it a second chance.

What area do you live in? Sometimes it's a lot more beneficial to train in what's available so you can actually obtain proper instruction.

As I get older, sometimes if I'm tired I need a pair of glasses. Obviously I take them off for sparring but other than that I don't have too many issues other than as JZv said the occasional adjustment or accident. Just make sure you get a durable pair.

Which stance specifically did he demonstrate with hiddendragon98? What is your Isshin-Ryu stance and what is your Shotokan stance? Otherwise I'm not quite following.

I always like to think of the knee chamber as being the sights on a rifle. You shoot what you put your sights on and you kick what you aim your knee at.

A great exercise for improving footwork that hasn't been mentioned yet is shadowboxing. Make sure you're moving all around, imagining an opponent in front of you. Practice defenses and counters, fighting combinations, and anything else to your heart's content. I always start every training session with 5-10 minutes of shadowboxing.

That sounds much better then. After a month of training I think it's pretty fair to say your punches are definitely not 'almost perfect' at this point. I first learned how to punch about two decades ago and I still don't have perfect technique. If your punch was almost perfect it would also be very powerful as well. Give it some time.

To keep these answers simple: (1) Work on your technique with your instructor and at home until you get it darn near perfect. (2) Punching heavy bags is an excellent way to develop power in your strikes. (3) Do not ever punch something more solid than yourself, as it will only damage you in the long run.

Contact sparring isn't for everyone. I can understand going 100% for testing but not as part of a regular class. That said it depends on the system and school. To earn a yellow belt in Kyokushin in my organization you spar with knockdown rules for 10 continuous minutes, switching out opponets every few minutes. A different approach than most, but effective I feel. As for getting better at sparring, work hard on your sparring drills and spar more. Just remember sparring is not competitive, it's a chance to learn. The minute you focus on "winning" in sparring is when you really lose a lot of the benefit.

A good drill for improving your angles is one we call the "Eight Directions Drill". I go in-depth with it in another thread here on KF: http://www.karateforums.com/post469512.html#469512

Great pic! LP - Rocky Marciano slugging Jersey Joe Walcott is a classic. http://www.antekprizering.com/marcianowalcott6536.html

We've had this a few times over the years pop up with my training group. We typically get a lot of guys who claim to have had boxing/kickboxing/MMA experience but you quickly see it's not the case. Fortunately they seem to never show up after they realize how our classes are.

I think that's what Kuma is saying. Before you start your work out, do all the shuffling and drawing of cards and write all the techniques down then get to work. Redraw them all next time you work out so you can have a different set to work with. That's correct DWx. A little planning beforehand is sometimes all you need to make sure your workout runs smoothly.

You will get used to it over time, though once you get the technique down you'll see it's much less about blocking and more about redirecting. As far as outdated, how can it be? Human beings haven't changed much since when it was last used, have they? Watch some boxing and MMA, you'll see plenty of forearm blocks.