Espina

I weight 210 pounds and my "Kombat" gi has worked for me for about 4 years. kombat is a costarrican brand, which now costs around 50 dollars

Hi all, I've recently found a Central American gi factory. They even have WKF approved gis. I'll give more information as soon as possible, since I'm still looking for it.

Hi, Well, as you might have read above, we are currently in Costa Rica . I've never been in Michigan before, but I'm totally looking forward to travel to other parts of the world to practice karate.

I strongly agree with you

Shihan Ramon Lono Ancho used to say: "If problems are here, try always to be in the opposite direction" "I don't teach you to be fighters, but Martial Artists". "If you must get in a fight, make sure the other one goes to the hospital and eats with a straw for a few months". "Stop hitting when you are sure the other guy won't stand up again" "If a fight longs more than 1 minute, it's a real trouble". Once I heard Master Demura taliking to my sensei: Merinoi: but master, Demura, my dojo is little... Demura:"A Dojo doesn't need to be big. It needs to be full"

I'm getting my Engineering degree next week, and let me tell you something: it is possible to practice a martial art and go to college . I'm the living example and I'm sure there are many more (In fact, one of my teachers is a third dan karate black belt) Just bear in mind that this demands a lot of time an discipline from you, since you have to give your best in school as well as in the Dojo. Since you already have a black belt in your waist, you should have a really good background for practicing other martial arts. Remember that you can always go back to TKD anytime you want, but I recommend the experience of practicing another martial arts (as other people here suggested). You won't "forget" your TKD, nor diminish your TKD training for practicing another MA, I think that what will happen is just the opposite: you'll grow as a martial artist and will have the opportunity to expand your knowledge. I wish you the best of lucks in your college and in your martial arts.

Are they for Kata or for kumite?

The groups is pretty big, we are like 20-25 active dojo members. Ee have classes everyday, except sundays, and there isn't any differences for skill levels.

We train in Barrio Amón (Downtown San José). The dojo is located 50 meters north from the northwest corner of the INS building. You can contact my sen sei at this address: contacto@merinokaratecostarica.com All you can call him. His phone is 83782119. Oh, and our website is http://www.merinokaratecostarica.com/index-en.html Osu!

I was born in Peru, and let me tell you something... there is nothing better for high grounds than coca leaves

I remember, when the dentist took out of me 4 teeth that acetaminophen is not a good idea when you are bleeding, since it makes harder for the blood to get solid.

I passed away hehehhe. I laid conscienceless over the filed for a couple of minutes and then I woke up, not knowing where I was or what happened to me... until I started to feel the pain again heheheheh. I don't wish this to anyone, not even an enemy.

My Sen Sei bases his decision to let someone make an exam based on the following: 1) Has accomplished all the minimum hours of training required for the particular grade (the higher the rank, the more class hours you need) 2)Has accomplished the minimum time in the particular belt (for example, you need to spend at least one year in brown belt before moving to the next one) 3)He/she has the technical level to win the exam. My sen sei never sends someone to make the exam without knowing he/she is going to pass it. You must be "over ranked" to do you next-belt exam.

With all due respect... yes, I think that was very dumb hehehehehe. One time I was playing soccer (as a goalkeeper) and basketball with my high-school team, so my hands used to be pretty hurt all the time, specially my fingers. One day playing soccer another guy kick my hand while I was trying to grab the ball. He hit me in my small finger of my left hand. I was so scared when I looked at my finger and found it pointing the other direction... I tried to relocate it, and then I tried to convince myself that nothing bad happened. Now a days I'm not totally capable of moving it hehehhe, I didn't want to go to the doctor. Now I regret a lot. Maybe I could have use of mi pinky finger.

I don't like taking pills either, but sometimes they are good, specially if you have to continue training

Because I think it has the main component of cartilage

Heheheh, yes, I concur

Yes, usually these fake schools are the one with more money... strange, isn't it?

My father has a joint problem, he uses glucosamide sulfate. I don't know if you have heard of it. It's supposed to be the main ingredient of joints. They sell it over here without prescription.

I used to drink some fruit smoothies as well. Here in Costa Rica fruits are soooo cheap hehehehehe

Does acetaminophen works better for you than aspirine? I have found out that Ibuprophen doesn't work with me

Hehehehehe, I really like the sleeping part, but sometimes when you wake up you feel worse. Everything hurts a lot more.

I think there is a problem with it also. For example, many years ago we went to a full contact tournament. (My main styles is Ashihara). Back then we were all white belts, and we had to fight brown belts from another academy. We were really scared, because they were brown belts, and we didn't have that much training as a brown belt would have. So, when we finally had to fight, all of us beat our respective brown-belt rival. It seemed to me that it was better to be a white belt in my dojo than a brown belt in that particular academy. Later on I found out that this "academy" was a false academy, with false "sen seis" and that the brown belts were given those ranks in less than a couple of years. The "sen seis" only wanted to get money as fast as they could and then run away. All these kept me thinking: howcome there is no like "internation regulation commitee" where you can compare your rank with some rank that it's recognized by all... something like and ISO standard hehehehe.

Maybe you can tell the difference because of how many ego-boosted fighters are westerns, while asian martial artist don't seem that way. What I'm trying to say is this: Think in 5 fighters that you think they have a bad attitude because of their ego. The names that just came up to your head... were they easterns o westerns?

This is something I've always ask myself: What is the best way to be fully functional after a tournament/kumite session ? I always use the traditional methods: lots of ice and voltaren hehehe. What do you use?