Kuma

I think tai sabaki is actually under-emphasized in many dojo nowadays when really it should be a much bigger part of your training. I feel it's this lack of emphasis why we so often see many karateka moving like their feet are stuck in wet mud.

Glad I looked before I said the same thing. I saw the same thing. Well said ShoriKid.

The problem is you are trying to compare two completely different fighting formats. If your entire strategy revolves around landing one clean hit to win, it's quite different from one where you have to hurt your opponent badly enough that he cannot continue. Instead of comparing two boxers, you are essentially comparing fencing and boxing. In systems which revolve around full contact fighting you will get a variety of fighting styles within that same system. You have your punchers and your kickers, your dancers and your tanks, your outside fighters and inside fighters, your flashy guys and simple but effective guys. You claimed that a Kyokushin fighter fights nothing like Shotokan but then couldn't tell the difference. You claim to be unbiased yet started this thread out of nowhere. I have trained with several Shotokan folk in my day and though there sanbon and ippon kumite was solid the minute we went to continuous fighting they had a lot of difficulty reacting and coping. Rather than making untrue assumptions why don't you try some training with the Kyokushin folks over your way? I have a feeling you might surprise yourself in more ways than one...

How do you know he's a Shotokan fighter though? I am a bit phsicic ! Don't play the lotto anytime soon. That's actually Shihan Nick da Costa, 6th Dan in Kyokushin Karate and who has only studied Kyokushin Karate. http://www.docklandsdojo.co.uk/page4.htm

How do you know he's a Shotokan fighter though?

That was why I referenced Ali. He kept his hands low as he fought, because he was quick and an excellent counterpuncher and wanted his opponents to think he was leaving an opening. If you establish a rhythm with that bouncing, all they have to do is time when you do your forward movement and they can easily catch you off balance. It probably works in a format when you typically only have to worry about one technique at a time, but in continous fighting it's a big weakness. I'm still letting you critique the video bassaiguy posted before I say my piece on it. Pretty impressive knockout actually.

For some that may be the case. In other cases, going back to your Ali reference, they often keep a lower guard in an attempt to draw attacks up high so they can use that to their advantage. One of my favorite fighters, Hajime Kazumi, is very much like that. He just waits for a high kick to come and demolishes the supporting leg. As can be a rear straight from a more kickboxing-oriented stance. bassaiguy used one from 1987. Does it really change that much over the years? Any comments on that video by the way? Most of the clips are so short it's tough to tell but I still think they look slug footed compared to other fighters in different striking arts. The bouncing thing is always a poor idea as well, very easy to get swept or eat a hard low kick.

I'll let pers say his piece first. What are your thoughts on that video bassaiguy?

So their stance and guard is unrealistic (despite being the adopted stance of virtually all striking arts that fight full contact) but lunging forward in an over-committed zenkutsu dachi is realistic? Do you have any experience fighting outside of Shotokan or is that the basis for your entire comparison? Because I find it very strange you don't see where Narushima is setting up his angles and using the distance to his advantage. He is quite good at it, hence why at a mere 70kg/154 pounds he could take on and beat much heavier fighters. You are also forgetting that Kyokushin and other knockdown styles have tournaments for those wearing gloves: You can see though how adding the gloves makes it more like kickboxing and less like karate, hence why the preference for knockdown still remains as it's still true to the intentions of Mas Oyama (who, interestingly enough, earned his black belt in Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi himself). The reason why it may not look as appealing to Shotokan fighters who prefer fighting from the outside is Oyama also had an extensive background in Goju Ryu which favors infighting and was a big influence on Kyokushin jissen kumite. And you honestly feel the Shotokan fighters in the video I posted were more fluid?

Not really an accurate interpretation. When you have a system that regularly trains fighting, you tend to get very individualized styles. You have your fighters who focus on footwork and angles to stay in close. You have your power guys who can take a hard shot and give a harder one. You have your dynamic fighters who favor flashy techniques. You have your efficient guys who just punch and kick low. You even have some who are brilliant kickers and who use virtually no punches at all, fighting from kicking range exclusively. Much in the same way that Liston and Ali both came from one system, you have similar fighters in Kyokushin. If you can't see a good use of footwork, distancing, and timing in this video, I'd question whether you actually know what you're looking for. Strange that you would claim that Shotokan's footwork is just like Ali's too, when Shotokan competitions tend to be notoriously linear.

I actually just started Judo myself last month and am in basically the exact same place you are at. It's been a blast so far. Any art with a competitive aspect to it, if you focus solely on the competitions, becomes only a sport. Like many arts that have a big competitive base, it offers a lot more than being just a sport.

Most Kyokushin dojo are with the times and train for sparring in both contexts. I presently have a split lip from getting clocked with a punch from sparring last night.

A syllabus is very important. It's also important to show your training background and who taught you. If you weren't taught something but are teaching it (e.g. Kalaripayattu) students are bound to ask questions. If you can't give a good answer, your reputation will be seriously damaged and your school could go under.

That's quite a busy schedule, AOF. Be careful as you're not allowing yourself any real rest and you may have problems learning so many arts simultaneously. Wish I was young again... My current training is 5 days a week with 2 recovery days. During those 5 days I attend two Judo classes and one Kyokushin Karate class which is usually our heavy sparring day. At home I also fit in 3 kickboxing-style workouts (shadow boxing, bag work, skipping, combinations, double end bag, etc.) and 2 sessions of traditional basics and kata. For S&C purposes I train with kettlebells 2x a week, 400m sprints twice a week, and abs 3x a week. I either get up early on my off days or fit them in once the kids are in bed. Monday - Kickboxing workout, kettlebell training, Judo class. Tuesday - Basics/kata, sprints, abs, Judo/Kyokushin class. Wednesday - Recovery day. Thursday - Basics/kata, abs, Kyokushin/Judo class. Friday - Kickboxing workout, kettlebell training. Saturday - Kickboxing workout, sprints, abs. Sunday - Recovery.

I don't think anyone has been trying to "tear you down" but simply try to make you take a realistic view of things. Martial systems were never created willy-nilly; when your life depends on your training you don't take it lightly. If you can't answer these simple questions now the harder stuff will be virtually impossible.

The late Sosai Oyama once said if you have trained a technique 1000 times then you are still learning. Once you have trained it 10,000 times you can say you know the technique. But to truly own the technique you need to train it 100,000 times. Even if you train every technique 100 times per day (which would take hours a day) it would still take almost 3 years to truly own a technique. Technique collection isn't mastery either. Techniques are specific and limited. It's the PRINCIPLES behind the technique that matter. If you don't understand the principles you don't understand the technique. Care to explain more? Because what it sounds like you're describing is actually widely taught in karate as one of its fundamental principles.

So after just a few short years of training, you honestly feel you have exhausted the systems you are learning to the point where the only way to further yourself is the creation of a new martial system? And I personally do not believe someone with just one year of karate training would have the knowledge and capacity to fully understand karate and be able to pass it on in that extremely short period. There are some other posters on here who have probably been training in different systems longer than you have been alive that have still not yet exhausted what their systems has to offer. Is it really out of necessity, or if after taking a good hard look at it is it more of an ego thing?

If you desire to train in Kyokushin I think you should. If you're not planning on leaving your current dojo maybe just attend the Kyokushin training once a week initially to see how you handle the traveling and if you like the training. Regarding only being taught by senapi - In some Kyokushin organizations you can be up to sandan (3rd degree black belt) and still be considered a senpai. I was taught by a shodan for years, who actually received his shodan when I was in diapers. He just never had an opportunity to join another organization until shortly after I began training with him and finally achieved his nidan.

I hate to play the devil's advocate but do you have any experience in either of those three? I seem to recall the majority of your training was in Kuk Sul Won and a year or so of karate training.

I have to chime in and say I think if you are training to defend against a weapon, you need to have an idea of how to use that weapon in the first place. If you are skilled with a knife and know how to properly use one, you're bound to understand how to better defend against one than someone who has no idea which end to hold it in the first place.

Adding new techniques in hardly constitutes the need for a new martial art. So long as the principles of the art itself remains the same, it is merely a variation on an established technique of which there are many. It's the principles that are the most important part; if those change, then you may need to develop a new system as then the principles of the old art may no longer apply and it would no longer be in the spirit of that system. Simply adding techniques, however, does not constitute a new system.

Great post JZ. Everything I was going to say and more. Though I don't follow an organic diet myself, the wife and I do try to do a lot of our shopping at local farmer's markets as in our opinion it saves us money and tastes even better. That's about the extent of it though.

Many people talk about developing their own system, but fail to realize that in reality they may not be presenting something new. A new system should be one that is unlike all of the current systems present nowadays, hence the need for a new system, rather than just the want of a new system.

I prefer whey powder in whole milk, so this way I'm getting a good dose of casein in too. Personally I avoid soy as there are studies that show it might be bad for men in particular.

I don't see this accomplishing much to be honest. When you spar with a friend, it's just sparring, not a competition. If you make it a competition, you risk losing a friend over pride. Not a good choice.