Sokusen

I bought mine off eBay. A little stiff, but good quality. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Makiwara-Develop-Explosive-Penetrating-Punch-/190619090127?pt=Martial_Arts_Equipment&hash=item2c61c87ccf#ht_834wt_689

Here is me breaking a bat with my fore arm. This was not a demo bat, to be honest I didn't know such a thing existed. I bought this bat at the local sporting goods store but you'll have to take my word for it. This was a very clean break so I don't know if you can tell from a video wether or not the bats used in the other videos are demo bat just on the break alone.

If you want to become good at sparring, then stop trying to win when you are training. You and your partners are so concerned with scoring the point you forget why you are in the dojo. You are there to learn. This is a common problem when students first begin to spar. They think “I need to score a point, but I can’t let them score a point!” This way of thinking couldn’t be more inhibiting for the learning process. I don’t care if how you train whether it’s light contact, or harder contact. Forget about “winning” and focus on your technique and what you are trying to accomplish when you spar, whether it be distance, timing or control. Leave the “winning mindset” for the competitions, keep the “training mindset” for the dojo.

Uechi ryu has 3 original kata with 5 bridging kata worked in between for a total of 8. If all you studied were the 3 original kata and left out the other 5 you would still have a strong understand of Uechi ryu.

Maybe literal isn't the right word? Do you mean "plainly obvious what each movement is meant to do"? If so have you ever seen a Uechi kata? Short and sweet. As for a surface evaluation there isn't much artistic interpretation needed.

Most two handed chokes are due to a crime of passion and people usually aren't thinking about what they are doing except trying to squeeze the life out of someone. Which is why I think most people have a hard time putting them selves in the position of the aggressor. I think the form of question has merit but the attack in the scenario leads people into thinking themselves as the victim. If you were to change the attack to a punch or a kick or even a simple push it would be less leading.

Sit in on a class, the proof is on the floor.

I think that’s the key. It took you 30yrs to really understand what your trying to teach. Even if that’s an exaggeration it still probably took you a long time. When we truly begin to understand something I think we all forget how long it took to get to that point. So when we explain whatever we are trying to teach to someone we get a little irritated when they can’t do it right away. And once they do get it, there is always the individuals interpretation of whatever is being taught. Some of the time people need to experience what is being told to them to really understand it. For me I have been doing Sanchin Kata for over 16 yrs. In that 16 yrs people have told me what Sanchin means and how to do it. But it wasn’t until recently did it finally make sense to me. And I stress “ how it made sense to me”. Sanchin means three conflicts but that’s not what the kata is about. When two things have a conflicting philosophy for example hard and soft, they both are lacking what the other has. Therefore when they work together there is harmony. When hard and soft work together you get power. Power in your strike, power in your blocks or power in your stance. Now I can explain this to students but unless they can “feel” it when they perform the kata it’s just words.

I thought we were talking about MMA? Or Sparring? In a Self defense senerio if you can get away, get away. I dissagree. Infact its good way to get knocked out by someone who can close the distance quickly. Especially if they are baiting you to drop your hands so that they can explode in on you when you least expect it. Now I'm dissagreeing with Gracie, I am saying he may not be taking into account the distance that must be made up before landing the strike.

I think you need to define what the meaning of a range is before you can say they don't really exist. One way to define it is that you are able to hit your opponent without having to close the distance. If that is the definition then there are specific ranges for kicks, punches, knees and grappling. A flying knee starts far away but it doesn’t work unless you close the distance with the flying part. The actual strike is a knee which is very up close. This definition becomes very apparent when someone is horrible at closing the distance quickly. If they can't get in fast then none of the techniques that seem to defy the rule are going to work. Now this person has to methodically find his range where a kick will land, a punch will land, and where he can grapple.

It's actually not that bad. It’s all about forming the weapon correctly. Once you do, the toes are compacted and have nowhere to go so the energy goes into the target. It's a lot like punching with a fist. You hit someone with a loose fist, on contact the energy created from the strike goes into your hand which could break your hand. If the fist is a nice tight fist the energy goes into the target. Same with the toe kick. I have broken up to 5 boards with a toe kick, buts what’s funny is I have never tried to break anything with the ball of my foot. It's something I should learn how to do it if for nothing else but to expand my horizons.

There are 2 Uechi Ryu schools in Mo. Though I have no idea how close they are to Columbia. They are in Barnhart, Missouri and St. Peters, Missouri. I like Uechi for it's simplicity and you could go either way with the sparring, knock down or point.

I am a huge fan of kicking with my toe, almost to a fault. I have a hard time pulling my toes back to kick with the ball of my foot so as not to hurt people in my class. My toes just automaticly form the sokusen when I kick. Here is a youtube link of some of my toe conditioning. This way you can see a different weapon using a kick that isn't the top of the foot or the ball of the foot.

The Blauer gear seems to be a good compromise between protection and mobility. I have never used it but saw some video where two people were geared up and were able to go at it with decent contact, but still have enough mobility to pull off submissions as well. Anyone ever use it?

Just so we know I didn't write the above statement even though I am quoted. MMA-Jim I think one of the misconceptions you have with "karate" and not being able to punch properly maybe that some students you come across don't move beyond the basics. I am lucky to have a teacher who started out as a boxer and then moved onto Uechi ryu, so I get a nice mix of both. Even though he has the boxing background he starts beginners with the typical chamber and punch, this is a training tool much like a swimmer will drag the backs of there hands through the water to force them to keep there elbows high during the crawl storoke. No one expects them to swim a race like that and my teacher would never tell a student to fight with a chambered punch. When the student learns to use there hips and legs for the strike then the student moves beyond the chambered punch. You may not agree with the teaching methods but but try not to assume you and your chool are the only ones who know how to throw a good punch.

I agree. If they don't have proper technique then I agree with you. Now here is a hypothetical question. Turn that 17 year old into a 30 year old still 140lb but has proper technique, speed and a strong understanding of the system he is studying. But due to the sheer fact that he doesn't have the body mass behind his strikes he will never be able to really hurt someone bigger then him self. Does he deserve a black belt?

If you can't fight do you deserve a black belt? No. If you can fight do you deserve n a black belt? No. If you start handing out black belts to those people who are only good fighters then you cheapen the belt as much as those dojos that give them to those who can't.

So now according to your criteria you have to be a great fighter and in a particular style to be considered a black belt in the martial arts. Well at least now I now where your coming from and we can agree to disagree.

Your the one that brought the UFC into this when you said the fighters who lost were lying to themselves. They were experts in the areas that they studied and they lost fighting a better fighter. That doesn't mean they should forget what they learned and burn there black belts. The reason I used the example of woman fighting a man is in reality if woman has to defend herself it is going to be against a man, most likely bigger and meaner then herself. She most likely would not win a stand up fight against a man significantly larger with bad intent. But if she has properly studied the martial arts then her training will get her home safely. Not through a knockdown fight but more likely by avoiding the situation all together. I shouldn't be singling out women here because this lesson goes for men as well. I never said a martial artist should't know how to fight I am only saying it is not the only criteria to be a black belt. As well as building confidence, mental toughness and that over all yes I can attitude. Then they are not surgeons. You specifically mentioned surgeons. There are several types of medical doctors out there that know nothing about surgery does that make them any less of a doctor? All martial artists aren't great fighters it doesn't make them any less of a martial artist. Art Noun expression 1. The making of objects, images, music ect. that are beautiful or express ideas. 2. An activity through which People express particular ideas

So then whats the bar? Where is set? If your ability to fight is your criteria then who in your mind is the person someone needs to hold there own against? In the majority of dojos around the world there is a nice mix of men and women who study. In general, I would say most women in those dojos could not stand up to a 200-to 250lb male in a full contact match. I know this may sound like a very chauvinistic statement but let’s be honest when you give up a 100lbs to your opponent who is skilled in fighting then the out come is not going to end well. Any way, back on track, even though those women maybe good at there martial art and be able to produce power in there strikes they don't deserve a black belt because they are not as good of a fighter as there male counter part? Or is it possible that there is more to Martial Arts then just being a good fighter? I say yes. Things like respect, fortitude, courtesy, modesty, knowledge and other criteria that are tough to put into words, are all things I think of when I think of the martial arts and what is needed to obtain a black belt. These can be applied to fighting but they can be applied to a million other things in life that are far more important. If fighting is your only criteria then yes you're right. But it isn't, or at least in my book it isn't. By your tag name you obviously enjoy studying mixed martial arts, which tamashiwara (the art of breaking) is not apart of. So I am not going to get into the benifits of it. You use the comparison of a surgeon to make your point but unfortunately it doesn't work. A Surgeon does surgery so if he/she sucks at being a surgeon then there is a problem. But the martial arts isn’t just about being a good fighter, if fighting is not your forte then that doesn’t mean you’re not a quality martial artists. Now I agree a person needs to be able to demonstrate an apptitude of what they learned. But it shouldn't be all about fighting. When it just becomes about fighting to much of the art gets lost.

I am a little confused at what you would consider the criteria for what a black belt means. Maybe I am misinterpreting your post but it seems to be saying that if you can't step into a ring with a professional fighter then you must have learned from a McDojo and your black belt is worthless. Or if you happen to get mugged on the street then your black belt is worthless. I think we can all agree that this type of criteria is a little harsh. Anyone can get mugged be it Chuck Liddell or the soccer Mom. And there is a very small percentage of people in this world with the drive and athleticism to step into the ring. I remember seeing a video on YouTube of a demonstration put on by Master Shinjo in Okinawa. All you see is the upper torso of an older Okinawan gentlemen and he is holding his arm out in front of him. Master Shinjo then proceeds to hit his arm with a Bat there by breaking the bat over his arm. The video then pans out and you see the man grab his crutches and walk off the stage, he appeared to have some sort of muscular dystrophy. Now I found this to be very impressive on many levels. In reality I could probably beat this man to a pulp considering he could barley walk, but does that mean he is not deserved of a black belt? Setting a very stringent sweeping set of criteria over multiple disciples is a very ignorant way of looking at the martial arts. Ultimately it’s up to the individual who wants to learn, they have something in mind they want to learn and they pick a school accordingly. Then it becomes buyer beware. Obviously nobody thinks a person buying there black belt and opening a school to teach whatever they teach should be allowed. I would not put that under the label McDojo but rather label it a con-artist.

I'll bite Gender: Male Age: 40 City: Boston Monthly Cost of School:$150 Style: Uechi-ryu Current or Last Organization:Kenyukai Rank: San Dan (3rd degree) Favorite Kata: Sanseiryu Favorite Move: Shomen geri Starting Age: 23 Black Belt Age: 28 Straight Step or Moon Step: Sanchin step (I guess you would consider this a moon step) Primary Gi Top Color: white Primary Gi Bottom Color: white List of Katas you teach/consider part of your style:Sanchin, Kanshiwa, Kanshu, Seichin, Seisan, Seiryu, Kanchin, Sanseiryu

I was just joking I do not suggest you start kicking with your toes. The time and effort it takes to get your feet to form the weapon for a sokusen would be about the same amount of time and effort it would take to form the weapon to kick with the ball of the foot. The difference is you then don't necessarily have to condition the ball of your foot. So stick with what makes sense to you. And understand with any strike you work on it will take time to teach the body to form the weapon so that it becomes almost second nature.

Maybe your feet are trying to tell you to do a sokusen

My suggestion would be to stop asking everyone else what you should learn. Pick something you like that fits your schedual and do it. If you don't you will never stick with it especially if you injure yourself again. Those injuries become ecusses if the fit isn't right. If you find a dojo you like but dosen't fit your schedual talk to the teacher about private lessons, the one on one training would probably be better for someone recovering from an injury.