akedm

It's pretty obvious which style wins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8jyGbgjTAA&feature=related - Eric

I was quick in my post so I forgot one thing until you mentioned it in your reply. I was wondering what it would do to the class if the karatekas in this case were allowed some days to train in shorts and a t-shirt? You know, gym clothes. Probably wouldn't fly in a combat-related discipline. I know the gi is important mainly as a way to prepare the mind before class (as you're putting it on) and to keep the mind focused while in class. And your point on the belt and the analogy of the gym's who's who was great. A few days ago I was running on the treadmill and there was this old guy next to me, looked like a couch potato, hair messy, wore a t-shirt and sweats he must have lived in and he was flabby like you wouldn't believe. He didn't even look like he was entirely straight on the treadmill. And this guy was a machine - faster, smoother, greater endurance, less exertion - a really incredible sight. The appearance of someone really does influence us. Getting off the belt-thing for a sec, as far as dojo etiquette, rules and whatnot, I think it's very important. Things like the gi focus the mind on the task, as you're preparing for class putting it on, and while in class. But too much of it can be, well silly. For example at this one dojo you wear a black gi if you're in the Black Belt Program where you pay years ahead, or if you're paying month-to-month you have to wear the white gi. Too much. What kind of lesson is that teaching to everyone? It says is "awwww you're not committed" or "awwww you're poor", that's for sure. Not good lessons. When I first saw the dojo I thought it was just a choice - some chose to wear black and some chose white. Nope. Sad. I think I'd turn down the black gi myself unless it was required, then fine I'll wear it. I'm pretty sure though I'd be keeping a log of my progress and thoughts from day 1 so I could express what I really thought of the sensei, the rules, the dojo and lessons - the good and bad. Anyway, back to the belt. That's the question! What does it mean to you? Thanks for your post!

Well this is more of a philosophical question really. I've been wondering what a belt means, aside from the obvious notation of rank. I'm heading to the gym here in a moment so I'll try to type this out quick. I was standing next to a friend who said to me I bet I can kick up to your head. I'm 6'4", she's 5'3" so I assume that she was trying to impress me, impress herself, maybe even get a flinch out of me if I were to move while she tried it which would make her feel...powerful and dangerous...maybe?? You know it gets a smile when you move out of natural reaction to danger. She ended up about halfway up my bicep though it took her a while to believe it even though others saw it too. On the way home I remembered her words for getting into Karate: To learn more about herself, a self-journey she said. I remembered her words as she talked about Karate: Humility, Strength, Confidence...big on rules and lessons, you know, the normal stuff. Now I know nothing of Karate, but I'll bet my right hand that one of the lessons is not to boast or demonstrate your skills unless you have to. I see that her pursuit of the belt went from learning about herself to showing off what she learned; thereby, showing that she learned very little so far. After all my guess is that when it comes to incorporating discipline and lessons into your life, the physical stuff is the easiest. The real lesson lies deeper. I've noticed more confidence in her to be sure, but also aggression, and even a bit of delusion. And now she cant wait to get her black belt. And I wonder if she's looking at belt like Gucci bags, as accessories proud to wear and a mark of status. I'm sure she'll grow out of it. I intend to talk to her. In my short opinion a belt means nothing today: You demonstrated properly in the past and you have the ability to demonstrate properly in the present. Whether or not you do? Each day is a new test, and who you are today is what matters. Quick side note before I go : Years ago I worked at a medical supply store where I met a 14 year old girl who was talking care of her chronically sick mother. And from her I learned that age is not a mark of who you are. That girl had an amazing spirit and .....wisdom? Maybe? I soon broke down a lot of my ideas about status including age, rank and belts. After all a 14 year old girl may in ways be wiser then an elder. Where do you think the term "out of the mouths of babes" comes from? So what does a belt really indicate? I ask myself what would a belt mean to me if I were in Karate? And I'm asking you. My friend is not atypical. I have become cocky and conceited when pursuing an goal with excitement and a feeling of ownership. I still do. I'm not proud of it, it's a weakness, but I'll admit it. Why shouldn't I? If I were in Karate I could very easily see myself walking down the street thinking I could take that person, I could take that person. It would be a lesson I'd have to face. I could also see myself envious even jealous of others. It's natural. We all get frustrated after all. But I can also see myself remembering why I originally signed up and eventually how to stop looking at the belts like Gucci bags (not that I'd carry a handbag) or something else to be coveted. So I ask whoever wishes to answer, what does a belt mean to you? And maybe for bonus, has your reasons changed? Now I know there's no real way to answer this anonymously. If you mention the bad things everyone will know it's you, and no one looks to be pegged admitting selfish stuff. But maybe this is a way to evaluate yourself. So I leave it up to you how or if you want to answer. Like I said it's a philisophical question, but one that deserves examination, and in my opinion this question deserves greatest importance when it comes to being outside the dojo. Thank you.

Thank you, Justice, for acknowledging that the V position may be "fairly sensitive to the build of the practitioner", and then associating it with the squat stretch from my post. I think that phrase "fairly sensitive to the build of the practitioner" was the phrase I was looking for in my post. Your style I've not heard of, but I see you're in Anchorage too. I will look further into what you advised in your post. Thank you, Beast, too for the suggestion about augmenting my natural footing with blocks (or plates) to increase the angle of my lower leg. Very practical, and I'll try it tonight at the gym while stretching. I have an idea: I'm a visual learner (or maybe I just like picture books. Who knows) so I'd like to post a photo of myself trying these positions. I want to focus on the ankle joint angle and the location of my torso in relation to the heel of my foot (a profile view). How would I go about posting/uploading such a photo? I'm hoping people can look and go "oh yes, now that I see it, you need to..." or "oh yeah now I see what you're talking about." Keep the suggestions on my original post coming too. Thank you all. - Eric

Hi, My name's Eric. Here's a pic of me on the KarateForums site / photoalbum link, titled Eric In Alaska. I'm not in Karate or any martial art for that matter, but I've seen similarities between my exercise and some martial arts, which isn't too surprising. After all there's only so many positions a body can be in, so there's bound to be some overlap between disciplines and sports. All martial arts are basically body-weight exercises (BWE), in other words there's not a lot of dumbbells in the dojo, yet you're building strength and endurance; hence, BWE. So working on BWE can help me. In fact I think I can get more of a workout from BWE than with weights for the most part. For example I'm a tall guy (6'4" 255lbs) and that may be part of it, but I cannot get the proper form for a squat down - I keep falling on my butt. Maybe it's my ankle flexibility, or maybe it's my leg length or both. But unless I can maintain proper form to simply go down and back up with weight on my back, I dont want to do it. Despite some of the photos out there, I've been told NOT to place the feet as far apart when squatting weight (shoulder width or slightly more only, feet forward or very slightly turned out). Going wide may be good for whatever, but it's disastrous for bearing weight. The trainer at the gym, she can do it like it's nothing - down and up, down and up - other people can too in the gym, but no one that's as tall as I. At least no one that does it properly according to the trainer. I've been told it's my flexibility and I've been given various techniques to try and achieve balance while learning the exercise. The exercises are not exactly alike, but similar to these here. I'm showing links rather than trying to explain them (pic = 1000 words, right?) I've noticed the square stance and the horse stance in martial arts differ between disciplines, but both are very similar if not the exact same as a squat (less so for the square due to the feet position), except they're held in the lower "squat" positions. A horse-type stance (except knees in) is also used by hockey goalies (the link's to a flickr account that's not mine, but the photos are better than I've seen elsewhere), whose quad muscles I'd wager can rival most anyone's' holding that hurtful position (I mean that's all they really do for the game: fall to the knees, back to the squat, hold, fall to the knees, back to the squat, side to the left, hold the squat, one knee down, back to the squat --- ouch!! In uniform too.) Even tennis and golf use the square stance to a lesser degree. So since all these exercises are intermixed, I'm looking around online picking up bits from here and there and wondering why I cant do the squat or any other those stances. I run, swim, bike, hike, etc... I'm overweight but even sumo-sized people can do it. So I'm thinking my leg length (as the square,horse requires thighs parallel to the floor) or my ankle flex (as my butt ends up too far behind my ankle to maintain balance. It doesn't look like it's too hard as far as ankle flex goes, but I'm running out of ideas here. I mean before I put this together I thought my biggest concern was my asthma. My asthma's pretty well kicked now, but I didn't expect this too. I tore the ligaments in one ankle growing up, so the repair grew with me. My other ankle suffered tendinitis around the same years. So my ankles are not easily flexible (one more than the other). They pop in the mornings and are stiff no matter how I stretch the day before, or dont stretch. This I put together recently, and it explains why I've not even been able to run like I did when younger though I run regularly (I cannot stride like I used to before the tear/tendinitis, cause my ankles cant catch my stride, if that makes sense). It explains why I have for years never been able to regain my running form (I'm a heavy-footed runner now). And it may explain why I cannot get my knees out in front of me enough to allow for the other end of my thigh bone to keep from pushing my torso past the balancing point, even long before I get my thigh parallel to the floor (and with a squat I'm supposed to do that and more). I cant even stay up in a horse stance unless I'm holding a 10 pound ball straight-armed in front of me, and even then it's iffy. That's how much I need to compensate for the balance. So what do you all do? I read some tall people have a disadvantage to this stance, especially when it comes to keeping the torso close to vertical while maintaining balance. But I'd like to hear from particularly the previously-injured, the trainers, the teachers (sensei's), the tall-ones and the squatters. Alright I tried sprinkling some links throughout here for you all to read. Thank you. PS : Quitting is not an option for me, neither is injury. When I get discouraged I write. I'm very discouraged. PPS : I know I'm bouncing around here with legs together vs legs apart vs this and that, but I'm just trying to find out answers. Seems as though I have a bigger problem than just a proper squat position. Oh and I can do a sort-of square stance with my thighs parallel as long as my torso is completely forward and my arms outstretched (thats why I call it "sort-of"). I can hold it for about a minute since I've been trying this week, so I know that I got the balance, but if I try to straighten up my torso or pull in my arms even from there, onto my butt I go.