Kuma

Just be wary of what you practice by yourself. If it's already things you know, no worries. However, if you're trying to learn new skills from just solo teaching, you can pick up some very bad habits that will become so well ingrained it'll take a long time to get rid of them.

No offense, but I'd just find a teacher. That can help you loads more than solo training.

Keep a bucket nearby, it does come in handy. A lot of it is just practice, practice, practice. This video is pretty decent:

In Kyokushin we often do continuous sparring sessions, especially for belt tests. The higher you go, the more intense it gets. For his nidan my instructor had to spar 50 minutes straight against a new opponent every 2 minutes or so. Running is a great way to get in shape for this type of sparring, as because it's so long it does get aerobic. For my last belt test I would work combinations on my heavy bag for 2 minutes and then skip rope for 1 minute during my usual "rest" time. Once you can do that for 10 rounds you'll be ready for anything.

I have Wii Punch-Out and if you play it the right way (using the controller and nunchuck to do combination punches) you can work up a pretty fair sweat.

Not really a song that describes me, but I really enjoy listening to Fort Minor's "Remember the Name" while training. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5YJfPBqPNE

I think ps1 is spot on. In knockdown tournaments you're allowed to use athletic tape to support the wrists for both the kumite and the tameshiwari. Most do just because a sprained wrist from either hurts a lot.

Probably the simplest and best is oi tsuki - gyaku tsuki.

Let me know how it goes.

So this was pretty interesting and something I thought would be fun to share. My wife and I occasionally play Wii Fit together, and today I took one of their body tests where they test your balance, weight, and calculate your BMI (which always calls me obese since I'm about 60 pounds over their suggestion of my BMI being 22, despite the fact I have visible abs). On the body test you have to try to stay perfectly balanced on the Wii Balance Board while they measure your weight. They test you by trying to determine if you're 50-50 and depending on the day I'm usually off a little bit here and there, never totally 50-50, and none of our friends who occasionally play with us ever got 50-50. So today I decided to take a more Sanchin-like posture while getting weighed. I lightly gripped the board with my feet, tightened my body, moved my hips slightly forward, and sunk down into my posture. And wouldn't you know it if it didn't say I had perfect balance, an even 50-50 split. As an experiment I had my wife try the same as I walked her through it and positioned her the same way I was at and it too told her she had perfect 50-50 balance. Not scientific by any means but it definitely shows that the attributes of Sanchin kata really do give you great balance.

It varies, but since Kyokushin emphasizes its kumite on full contact with minimal protection we wear very little. I think the most I've ever worn at one time is a mouthguard, 2oz gloves, and cloth shin pads. Usually the gloves are out of the picture but we were working head shots that day.

If you look outside the box that is karate, one of boxing's strongest punches is also a rear straight. However, if you watch a boxing match you'll see it's rare to see a fighter who will throw a rear straight as the initial punch in a combination. This is why they jab so much.

Thanks guys. If you use it, my only restriction is that you let me know how it worked out for you.

Lotss and lots of sanbon and ippon kumite.

A great exercise that reduces a lot of telegraphing while letting you work on technique: Face a large mirror standing in a natural position. Then, without warning, fire off a gyaku tzuki while stepping into your stance. The key is NOT to count ("1,2,3") or in any other way anticipate what you're going to do. You want to see yourself standing naturally then in a blink of an eye you want that gyaku tsuki. By watching yourself you can learn to eliminate your telegraphs and by doing it without any kind of anticipation you can also increase the speed of the technique.

Kyan Chotoku was a mean nasty fellow. He was also an incredibly talented karateka and instructor. Martial arts and noble character do not go hand in hand.

Gotta say, I don't agree with that, but to each his own I guess.

I like it a lot, actually. http://www.theshotokanway.com/tubetraining.html

Figured it was going to happen shortly after the show. Kimbo's tough and interesting but really can't hang in that level. White was just using him for the show.

Kano did some cross-training with some karateka too I think. It seems like virtually all the techniques in the Kodokan Judo manual are derived from karate.

Definitely ask your teacher for the technique. Physiologically we can talk about it, though. A strangle affects your carotid arteries on the sides of your neck. These cut off the blood supply to your brain and cause a person to fall unconscious within seconds, with death being a very real possibility if you don't let go as soon as they're out. http://www.musc.edu/intrad/procedures/cad.shtml Chokes affect the airflow of your opponent, effectively cutting off their air supply and making them unable to breathe. These, however, can take a few minutes to make your opponent fall unconscious. http://judoinfo.com/chokes4.htm

Ditto. Sometimes LEOs do need to use lethal force, and in that instance when you're fighting for your life you need to use everything you can to make sure you and/or your partners get home that night. Besides, even "white belt techniques" can kill somebody (i.e. rear naked choke). The nice thing about proper training is you know many more ways how to end the conflict without seriously injuring your opponent. My all-time favorite saying. You never know when your martial arts training will come in handy. Everyone always think everyone else is going to be a victim and not then. Problem is, YOU are "everyone else" as well. Many people never think it will happen to them and consequently are victims. Training helps you become less of a victim and more of a fighter.

I'm bored right now, so why not. A) Which weapon would do the most damage to an opponent?[/b] I'd have to say the kanabo, or iron staff. It's heavy, made of steel, studded, and is designed for crushing people. I'd say that it's bound to leave a mark. B) Which weapon would do the less damage to an opponent?[/b] Since the lariat doesn't really hurt you unless it yanks you down hard or off a horse, I'd say the lariat. C) Which weapon would be the easiest to learn?[/b] Probably the push dagger, since it's basically a blade you punch with. D) Which weapon would be the hardest to learn?[/b] Any of the soft weapons. E) Which weapon could be made the fastest with what's lying around on the ground?[/b] The kubotan probably, since it's just a stick really. F) Which weapon do you like the most?[/b] Of ones I have experience in, tonfa. Of ones I would love to train with, the tomahawk. G) Which weapon do you like the least?[/b] You won't catch me ever using one of those fans.

Michael Janich is a good person to research on. I like his knife work a lot.

Or change your son's diaper in nekoashi dachi.