Grego

best part about a mouthguard is how if keeps your secure inside of it when somebody knocks the tar out of you and sends it flying. My sensei said it always made it easier to find teeth that had been knocked out

Alot of samurai armor was made of iron (as per wikipedia). Likely, it was just a way to show off.

We break boards occasionally in Chito-ryu. I've never attempted to break more than two. I don't like it, I kinda think its a waste of perfectly good lumber.

I don't have much use for breaking. I don't think that breaking wood, concrete or diamond is indicative to my skills as martial artist.

My sensei decided to put more focus on less Kata. So, while we might practice the taikyoku katas, our main katas are: Seisan Bassai Chinto kusanku Which, of those, I only know Seisan. I'm looking forward to learing bassai though, because thats my next kata.

sweet. That is really awesome. Congrats.

Is that like a mouthguard? Anyways, brand doesn't matter.

being able to break blocks isn't really important to martial arts. Its good to be able to, but you shouldn't judge your ability based on how many blocks you can break. Maybe you just hit it wrong or something. You're not any less a martial artist because you didn't break through the third.

Congrats, I should be a 4th Kyu soon as well.

I've never used Tokaido or Shueido. I've used century and proforce. Right now, the best I own is a ProForce Diamond (14oz) Gi. I love it. It is the best gi I've ever owned.

I completely agree. "Old" ways are fun. No pads during sparring, hardcore instructors, standing in zenkutsudachi until your legs shake

Karate was "invented" in the 1930s from Okinawan arts that were designed to kill Samurai. It wasn't designed for the battlefield, it was designed so that when a samurai caught an okinawan out after curfew, the Okinawan could escape with his life.

yeah, since we're a free school, theres no sense in having a bunch of ranks and belts that people need to spend money on. As of right now, we don't even have a building, we've taken to practicing in the local park in street clothes, so we don't even wear our gis very often. But, Sensei is a very talented Martial Artist, and I'd rather train in the park with him than in the best dojo in the world under a less talented artist.

He's just kinda introduced it, and hasn't been implemented yet. I'm pretty sure that there stripes. white belts get a black stripe added to the end up the belt with each rank. Brown and green start with three white stripes, and then go down to one. At least I hope he keeps it that way, so I don't have to change the stripes on my green belt.

My sensei decided to go with a more simple ranking systems. White (10-7 Kyu) Green (6-4 Kyu) Brown (3-1 Kyu) Black

in our school, Dan ranks are allowed to wear a white top and black pants, but we rarely do.

My sensei decided to go to a new ranking system White Belt division 10-7 Kyu Greenbelt Division 6-4 Kyu Brown Belt Division 3-1 Kyu Black Belt Division

All Martial Arts are starting to blend. My sensei is wanting me to start teaching some ground fighting, since I have a pretty strong backround in it.

I don't think any form of karate has any animal totem that it bases itself on. I think that its more beneficial to take those animal qualities and apply them to yourself. for instance, basing your style on a bear's attack probably won't do me much good if I weigh 120 lbs. However, it might work if I based it on a leopard.

Apparently, the alot of chinese and okinawan arts was the Monk Darma. He supposedly developed fighting techniques that he tought to Shaolin monks. I don't know the whole story though. Besides, I've never sparred in Zenkutsudachi. We spar in seisan dachi. I've used martial arts in real fights before, i'm sure others have.

congrats! I hope to test for brown later this year.

I've never used a century gi, but it appears that they use similar sizing to proforce. This is the sizing chart direct from century. http://www.centurymartialarts.com/Uniforms/Heavyweight_Uniforms/14_oz_Ironman_Uniform.aspx Its specific for their Ironman Gi, so I hope it helps.

After getting into Karate after ten years out, breathing is something i had trouble with. I still knew most of the techniques, it was just that is was back into that "hold my breath" mentality My sensei likes big, audible breaths. He should be able to hear me breath out as a strike.

Its always preferable to avoid conflict. In that instance, running away should be the first route you take. Generally, I can out run big people

I don't have any issue with MMA (Army Combatives effectively is MMA, based on BJJ with some striking, ect) I have issues with the fact that MMA is the new "McDojo" draw. Instead of offering children "karate", these same places are offering MMA to adult. In effect, they're cheating the children, and then their parents and older siblings. I have issues with these fads, because it cheats people. And i also have issues with the posers that MMA seems to produce. I know that all martial arts produce posers, but the MMA sort are especially annoying.