barefoot-kohai

Shortyafter, I do not know if you have already read it, but If you have some spare time , get yourself a copy of Funakoshi's book "My Way of Life" I think you will enjoy it.

Well... everything is nice and beautiful when you are 20... your stance is strong your kicks are hight... But I (some of us) am (are) not 20 anymore... In fact I am about to be 51... Kicks are not so hight (well... not hight at all), legs hurt, agility is... not what it used to be... How do you face it? Good thing about age is that you are empowered to start doing things "your way" and start adapting to you new circumstances, despite what other people say. In my case... I find myself in a phase of discovery... In my case, all this is leading to the discovering of my "true way of doing things". I am not a person who is afraid of age (one more year is not a tragedy)... I like travelling my path through life. There is a time for youth (and for doing stupid crazy things), a time for maturity (and regretting all the crazy and stupid things you did) ... an a time for seniority will come (finally time for wisdom -expected-) . I intend to enjoy each step of the way, because evolution is what life is about... If it were not... What would be the purpose of it? And karate is a part of it. What do you think? If you are in the same circumstance... How do you face your future (present) in martial arts?

Most effective technique... 1 - Avoid fight (As said above) If not... I heard this same question asked to my instructor long ago... What is the best thing to do in a dangerous situation? He replied... What is the first thing that we do in class? Kihon and solid techniques? - pupil replied No, before that? Warm up and stretching ? - said pupil No, before... - sensei replied Before that ... we run,... (in my language no difference between jog and run ) So the instructor replied: that's it... that's what you shall do when facing a serious threat... run! It is really "un-martial"... but the truth is that the only winners in a war are these that remain alive when the war is over... no matter which side you were figthing for. There is not a definitive and most efficient technique. As long that your opponents are varied and different, your approach has to be adapted to the circumstances. Silver bullets do not exist... If such tecnique existed, what would be the good in developing a whole combat discipline if everything could be solved with a definitive misterious single technique? So... learn a lot and "be water... my friend"

One of the most difficult things, the true Philosopher's Stone in martial arts is making things easy. As a wise boss of mine used to say: The person that uses thousand words to say something that can be said in ten, is capable of many other evils. Only a piece of advice: Don't be the one in your way. As Pablo Picasso said at 80: It takes a long time to become young.

Couldn't say. I never have given much importance to (high) kicks. I have never been able to go higher than my waist, so I have devoted my efforts to perfecting other things: Stance, fist techniques and medium level kicks. I prefer things like this: (but not so high)In case you body allows you, an effective one: But, As I see it, belts and performance are different things. There is no correlation between grade and techniques execution.

As Shotokan practicioner, I know these katas as Tekki (the three: of them shodan, nidan and sandan). Rules state that they have to be performed in Kiba dachi -"standard " length of the position, about twice the size of your hips (just to say something)-. But as long your years start piling up your position tends to be a bit higher (as your aches and pains are more frequent )

My little piece of advice: Be yourself. About etiquette: "In Rome do as Romans do". Practice your best and be open to corrections and adjustments. You may find dojos with with relaxed atmosphere and some others with lots of ceremonial and discipline. As long as is healthy, there is nothing bad about it. Best person to talk about this subject is your instructor: He must know people about attending his/her class. It is his/her duty. Of course you are not going to be able to change from one style to another in a week. Your first style or martial discipline is like your swear words: You may speak many languages, but you will always swear in your native one when you are really angry. But take into consideration the small corrections that you instructor will probably do. In the class I am attending there are a couple of guys that used to practrice TaeKwonDo. You can notice. From time to time, sensei says: Hey! that heel! Look at the stance!... Shouldn't be a drama. You are going to a school to practice, learn and have a good time, not to be punched or be scolded. Best of lucks.

Can't say... Tae Kwon Do seems to be holding.

Easy: Something like https://www.wkf.net/pdf/WKFCompetitionRules2018.pdf Links: https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/karate/ https://www.wkf.net/olympic-tokyo2020.php Like in all sports, the competitor's selecion is a matter of the local olympic comitee through the official Country Karate Feederation. For example, for the Americas and USA https://www.wkf.net/structure-panamerican-karate-federation.php https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Karate

Never understood the word uke as block. We translate it as 'defense' (when is a technique) or 'receiver or defendant' (when is a person) I think the meaning is more clear.

Old subject, but i would like to give my opinion. Unsu is a beautiful and difficult kata BUT: Unsu IS a kata with a (big) jump in it. Unsu IS NOT a (big) jump with a kata attached. Jump is important if you are a competitor, just for the sake of spectacularity. If not, specially if you are facing seniority, just do what you can or what you think is correct and, of course, meaningful, and, please, don't break yourself anything. When in yoi, you can see in performer's eyes that they are thinking in the jump. You can see all along the performance that their mind is in the jump, and after the jump, they relax as if the job has been finished. Don't do it. Seen lots of beautiful jumps in ugly Unsus... pity.

Old subject, but intersting. As I see it (with example): Gedan barai, from yoi and turning to the left (beginning of Heian shodan) From yoi, you twist your body facing left side and extend your right arm (later the hiki-te arm) -your chest is "facing" left side- and then "untwist" your body performing gedan barai with your left arm and turning your hips "towards your back" (like twisting a piece of cloth) -"creating a snap with your hip counter-movement", that is Gyaku Kaiten From yoi, you "charge" your gedan barai "giving your back" to the opponent and then pushing your technique with the hip in the same direction of the gedan barai, that is Jun-kaiten. Summarizing: Hold a bottle with a screwcap. Open that bottle turning both cap and bottle in opposite directions. That's Gyaku kaiten Hold that same bottle and turn it in the closing direction holding the screwcap. Let inertia close the cap and let the cap follow. That is Jun Kaiten Hope it helps

Karate evolves with time... and kata practice also evolves. These are some performances of Bassai Dai (including the two already mentioned"). You can see the evolution Old one: Enoeda and Nakayama Sensei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhooy5dZ_1Q I do not know the exact year of these films, but by the style they must be pre-seventies. Kanazawa: By the kind of performance must be eighties. The following ones are "modern" performances : Kurihara Kazuaki Kazuaki 2017 Germany 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIAmfyHu1cQ You can see the evolution. You must take into account that performances evolve with time (and with performer's age). The requirements in tournament kata change with time. As my sensei mentioned some time ago, Shotokan practitioners "adapt" to the new competition styles and aesthetics: compare, for example, Kanazawa (classic) with Luca Valdesi (Modern). Sadly, evolution tends to competition, where the choice of kata, the rhythm and dynamics and even the wrinkles in the karategui affect. If you search in youtube for Bassai Dai performances, for example, you won't find many Shotokan Bassai in championships. Even though is a disctintive kata, Shotokan performers must compete with karate-kas of all styles. You have "nothing to do" if your opponent goes with Suparimpei or Seienchin: they are long katas, fast and spectacular. If you practice Shotokan you end up with Gojushiho(dai or sho),or Kanku(dai or sho), just for the sake of lenght, or Unsu, for complexity. The mre or less exact thing that my teacher said about one of his competitors is that he "in performance, is Shito-ryu-izing itself" Just compare Enpi: Nakayama (40s), Kanazawa 80s, Valdesi (2012) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6V-NIizD3g Plus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSF91ojuhNc

What is black belt? Interesting question, easy answer: it is a belt that is black in color. Serves its purpose: hold the karategi together and puts a lot of eyes over you... What is black belt?... It is just the beginning. Just compare Karate with writing: When you learn to write you follow a process: First you learn to draw strokes and circles Then you learn to write capital letters and learn the alphabet Then you learn to write small letters Then you learn to join letters and make syllabes and words Then you learn to make sentences When you can make sentences you start joining them and make paragraphs. Then you are ready to start creating your own texts: Then you are a Black belt. But this is only the beginning. Then you have to learn to create your own college compositions. Then you can evolve and write short stories. Then you learn more and more and write short pampleths. Then you go on and start writing books And then you keep going on and are able to write trilogies, and book series... you are a grand master. But, first of all, you have to learn to write and be able to do it. There is a "before" and an "after" of "I can write, I am good enough to write". This moment in time is your First Dan Black belt... But beware... critics are terrible and sometimes audience is not buying your book... so keep calm and carry on. Everybody ask me: Why are you practising karate? Is it for discipline? is it to better yourself?... Even this question (Why...) was asked to me in an exam. To me the answer is simple: I practise Karate because I like it, because I have fun, because It makes me feel fine. The day this would change, that day I will stop practising... This was my answer in the exam. The belt is just a burden I have to suffer... Sensei told me to wear it... something about knowing who is who in class and some "social thing". I can live with that. At least it holds my pants in position.

Thank you very much! The only backstory is that I am a foreigner. I will think about another dojo. First: Find a new Dojo. If you have been respectful to others, others must be respectful to you. If somebody, specially a sempai (or even a sensei) thinks that he/she is better than others, just for the simple fact of having a more advanced degree than you they don't deserve to be called sempai. I have seen attitudes like "I am a black belt, these white or yellow belts shouldn't be addressing me unless asked". People with such ideas can be good, or even excellent practicioners, but they will NEVER be sempais. They don't deserve to be considered as that. Degree may give you some privileges, but they come with a price: you become a "sort of" public figure in class -something like a model- and you must give example, in practice and attitude (at least in class). Honestly, a particular day, sometimes a black belt "feels the need" to spar with other black belts, but this particular day the circumstances lead you to practice with a beginner. If you are a black belt, don't think about it as a nuisance: In terms of quality, sometimes YOU WILL LEARN MORE FROM YOUR KOHAIS THAN FROM YOUR SENSEI. Kohais (or beginners), also must know when to "leave space" to sempais: sometimes, when practicing complicated techniques or preparing some kind of formal kumite, is not the best time to interrupt with a question about how gedan barai is performed. It is a bit on each side: respect and etiquette. I follow the rule "we are all friends here" Second: Being a foreigner shouldn't have to be a problem. Karate is karate: in a Dojo you are neither asian nor american nor anything. You are a Karate-ka, your culture is respect and your language is karate. Tsukis and keris are not local or foreign. Best of lucks.

Some images : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBxL-_pEw1Y Best regards

Hello everybody. To me, trying to 'quantify' the amount of knowledge and skill associated to a black belt is like trying to catch with your hands the moon reflection in a pond: there is not such a thing in this world as a machine where you can put a person on and measure his "blackbeltiness". Same thing happens with karate (or any martial art). Being able of beating forty enemies in a row, breaking 10 bricks, knowing 100 kata or winning a tournament, does not mean that a person is necessarily a good karate-ka. Showing defects, being beaten, not having broken a single brick or piece of wood in your whole life and avoiding fights does not mean that that person is a bad karate-ka. (Avoiding fights means that he/she is wise). There is "good" and "bad" in everybody. Perfecion does not exist, as there is not a "good, pure and true" way of karate-do. Let's go to the matter As I see it (from the things I have seen in my practice), I consider that a black belt is a person who is in the way (his way, his path), a person in his DO. A first dan is a student with knowledge enough to be able to start walking his own path: after mastering (or knowing) basic knowledge he can (and has to) develop his own ways in the martial art - is like being transfered to the "grown-ups" class. A first dan black belt is not the goal, it is just the beginning. You may love and respect your teacher and your style, but you are neither your teacher, nor your teacher's teacher. Keeping the "basic rules" and the teachings -in a strict or broad sense- you have to develop your own ways: If your teacher is "lord master of long and agile legs" and your legs are short and clumsy it is obvious that your own way of practising will be different than your teacher's: probably you will have an incredible punch and your own way will be "fist-oriented". If your teacher does not see things like this, just change your teacher, learn your ways in secret or suffer in silence. I've always hated "quantifications": The sort of assertions as "You are black belt, but I know more kata than you, so I should be black belt too" is the kind of simplistic (and stupid) argument leading nowhere. Karate (and martial arts in general) is not all about kicks, punches, stances, katas or getting your nose broken in the street. There is also a "non physical" part - I call it "internal karate". When I talk about "internal karate" I'm not talking about deep meditations neither philosophy nor gods-worshipping and all these things, but about something we could qualify as a "clear state of mind" that is visible through the karate-ka's (mental and personal) balance. Is when you stop doing punches, kicks, defenses and stances and you simply "do karate". I'm 42 and maybe the young blue and brown belts in my club kick higher than me, they beat harder than me and punch faster... but, are they (and their karate) mature enough ? They have mastered "how" and "when", but not "why do I...": Why do I choose this tecnique and this way of attacking or counter attacking among others ? I'm a first dan black belt. Not because I kick higher than anyone or my technique is more depurated, but because my teacher thought that the time had come to me to start my (own) way. Regarding the question of "why" said above: My teacher considered that time had come for me to start solving this question and start developing my (own) ways in karate without having to justify them as to myself. Anyway, I'm just a black belt: neither better nor worst than any other karate-ka. As I say to my fellow class colleagues, If somebody thinks that any other person should wear my black belt instead of me, just tell me who and if that person wants it, I will gladly give him/her my belt: But only the belt... my "myself" is mine and mine only. Best regards

From my experience, I think that the best thing is having a talk with the instructor. As an experienced practicioner he must know that every person has his/her own physical constraints that determine "what that person can/can't do and how he/she has to practice". Inside martial arts in general (and in my case karate in particular), there is always "something for everybody": a martial art is a sort of "rigid" discipline, but up to a point. Karate becomes real when is performed by some person, and that person is conditioned by his body. I practice karate to keep up my physical condition and "make my brains work", but above all, because I enjoy it and I'm having a good time each time I practise. It's not a religion: if someday I'm not feeling well or I'm not having a good time I will leave the practice and that's all. Karate is part of my life, but it is not my whole life: It will never be (again). In my case, I have never been a very flexible person, and at 16, I knew that I would never would be able to perform jodan geri (kick at the level of the face). I had two options: trying to perform insane flexibility stretching (with a high risk of getting hurt) or search inside karate what was in it for me. So I focused in the sort of techniques that suited me : solid stances, fist techniques and kicks at waist level. (without leaving completely appart other things which I know I will never perform in a totally correct way) What I want to mean is that a martial art should never be a rigid discipline: "inside the art, there is always something for everybody": "Rigid" discipline means "rigid" people, "rigid" people are just machines, not people. Karate (or any martial art) has to be an extension of yourself. If you have nothing inside, your karate will be as empty as you. A "machine-man" can be at most a good practicioner and even master any tecnique or movement and be "invincible". But everything will vanish as his/her condition evolves with age, just because all this wonderful things he/she could do were just artificial things. You can keep them for a limited period of time. Only the things "natural" to your body and mind will remain for life. I have always been a Shotokan practicioner: low and solid stances and so on. Now I'm nearly 42 and after a period of inactivity I'm overweight, my body is rigid and soar and if I practice very hard, my joints ache. It's not the perfect condition but it is the physical condition I've got, so I had a talk with my Instructor and I told him about this. We agreed that I could work using higher stances, changing some techniques (for example, performing yoko geri instead of mawashi geri or chudan geri instead of jodan geri), or even leaving the class if I'm not feeling well. Anyway, if you have some physical constraint, the best thing is trusting your physician or consulting a chiropractor (people who perform massages and are knowledgeable about muscles and articulations) and talk about it with your Instructor. Best Regards

Of course, there is not any universal rule appliable to each kumite encounter (if it would exist it would be the philosopher's stone) I also agree with DWx (sorry, still don't know how to quote messages properly): When circling towards your opponent's back you may enter in the line of circular or spinning attacks. How could this question be solved? First thing I would take into account is distance. If my opponent is really good at reverse techniques (ushiro mawashi geri or ushiro geri) I would move towards his back and would adjust the distance, maybe making it shorter in order to make his kicks "too long" (he/she wouldn'h hit me with a completed geri, it would be "half way" at the interception point), or longer in order to making his kicks "too short" (he/she would kick in the air): this is yours to decide. Anyway, reverse keri techniques (ushiro mawashi, ushiro geri) are not very common in karate kumite: they leave your back unprotected, ready to receive any tsuki attack, so the only real menace is yodan mawashi geri with the front leg (a very common technique). Again the way to avoid this is adjusting the distance: again, make it too long in order to "make him slow" or keep it too short in order to not letting him spread his leg and reach the objective. If your reaction capacity is really good, the starting of a "kizami" mawashi geri (mawashi with the front leg) is the perfect moment for a sweep. As I said, there is no universal rule. Even more, every martial arts practitioner is normally biased and conditioned by the (competition) rules in his discipline. For example: In some places (I don't know if anywhere), Tae Kwon Do competition rules prohibited foot sweeping. That meant that (as I was told), normally, the Tae Kwon Do-ka positioned his body offering the "less open space" possible. That meant that both feet remained all the time "perpendicular" to the attack line. To a karate-ka (whose combat rules allow sweeping) that meant an open invitation to sweeping (like an arrow shaped sign with red little bulbs saying "Sweep here !! " - Rule: always sweep in the direction where toes point to) In certain styles of karate kumite, punching in your opponent's chest does not score point (it doesn't count), so Why protecting it ?, maybe you will receive some good ones there, but they do not score (so your opponent is not going to hit there) and with proper training it won't hurt (more than necessary). What's the meaning of all that ? is a bit like the well known "be water my friend". Each opponent is different, there are not two equal ones. Sometimes he/she will have a really good gyaku tsuki or a fantastic mae geri, or being all his/her techiques mediocre, his/her control of the distance and timing is perfect. Then what ? The answer as I said: "be water my friend". Try to explode your opponent's weakness in your favour and try to avoid the situations where he is comfortable: make yourself an uncomfortable opponent, just adapting your combat to the circumstances. If your opponent has a very good gyaku tsuki, fast and precise, get out of his way or keep a long distance. If His/her front leg mawashi geri is good, be ready to change the distance: if you are confident and brave going forward and anticipating (sen no sen, at least you get an ai-uchi) or if you are more conservative, going backwards in the right moment and retire yourself or prepare your counter attack (gono sen). In short (as my teacher said) : Make the combat, your combat. Adjusting the distace or choosing a straight / circular movement are just starting rules. Rules are just guides, they are not not matter of worshipment. You have to work on them, consider if they are good for you, and if so, adapt them and make them yours. Best regards Barefoot-kohai

Well, that little pieces of advice were the ones my former teacher used to give us when practised kumite. If your opponent is faster than you and you are just in front of him/her, he will be in advantatge because of his/her speed : He/she can reach you "more easily", just attacking in straight line. If you break your opponent's "attack line" (moving towards his back - and keeping your distance), then he/she will have to "readjust" his attack line before issuing the attack. This "extra-little-time" helps you to compensate for the speed difference and overcome the speed-difference problem. Also you break your opponent's "fighting schema": If he decides to attack, the readjustements may give you that extra time, if he decides not to, you will have avoided an attack and maybe you will find the right moment to attack yourself. In the dojo where I practise we normally work both traditional Kata and Kihon, but also Kumite, with limited contact: we are there to enjoy Karate and practise both art and sport, not to get injuries. A limited level of contact is allowed at chudan level (I have to admit that sometimes I even enjoy it), but attacks to sensible and dangerous areas as the face or articulations must be controlled and "contact free". These are only little rules. Only a starting point, like those signs in the road that help you find your way. Anyway, nobody will walk that way in your shoes : you have to adapt everything and discover your own way. Another little thing I learned being in a club which had a kumite competition team: do not expect to master 50 techniques in order to apply them in (competition) kumite, nor even 10. Even good kumite competitors have a technique range limited to 3 or 4 techiques as much (and their combinations). The winning movement is not a tecnically perfect attack (or counter attack), is a combination of technique, timing, mental state and... why not... luck (sometimes) Best regards Barefoot-kohai

Just some basic things to try (in sparring kumite - ju kumite or shiai kumite) as an starting point First: test your opponent. Then : If he is taller than you (he will be comfortable in long distance), shorten the distance between you and your opponent: he will be uncomfortable. If your opponent is shorter, make the distance between both of you bigger: he will be uncomfortable, you "will see him coming" and your bigger lenght of arms and legs will be in your favour. If he is faster than you then "Search his back": move in circles, always towards his back (if you move to the other side -his front- he will hit you easily with gyaku tsuki). If he is slower (for example, you are agile and he is big and clumsy, but powerful), move in straight line, forward or backwards. The fighting distance is very important. If you can keep your opponent in a distance which is comfortable for you and uncomfortable for him you have got a big point in your favour, but ALWAYS keep the right distance. Best regards. PS- I'm not a native English speaker. Sorry for the language.

Hello everyone, Before saying anything, this is my first post in this forum, so please, if something is not right or not appropiate, please tell me. I decided to post, because I find this subject (belts) very interesting. Apart from dojo rules (sensei-set: this means that is a must), I've always prefered focusing these subjects from a personal point of view (and luckily I've had the chance of doing so). I'll explain myself: It's true, a belt is just a (n essential) piece of cloth, with the poetic mission of holding together both sides of your gi, and avoiding an uncomfortable dropping of your zubon (throusers). Anyway, I'm letting myself some drifting... A belt (his color), define (nowadays) karate-ka's grade of achievement and expertise, but in my opinion, the whole thing goes beyond this simple appreciation. In my dojo (well, not mine... the dojo where I practise), long ago, we used to say that black belt was a heavy burden. Black belts have the chance of practising more advanced techniques and staying in the first ranks in class, but also have to "give example" to lower belt rank students and honour his rank: they must be a model. We also said that "a white (or low) belt student is always protected by his belt": a black belt trying to go too far (or just boosting) with a white belt student is something considered (at least in my point of view) disrespectful to the white belt as a person, and dishonourable to his own belt (also dishonourable to the sensei if he/she allows this things happening in his class) I never believed in black-belt-worshiping: each person has to be treated with respect and respect must be deserved: either white belt or tenth dan have to be treated in the same way and equal respect. I find something disgusting when a black belt karate-ka treats disrespectfully a white belt only because he is a black belt: a black coloured obi may mean that this person is a tecnically more advanced karate-ka, but not necessarily a better person. Keep an open mind, you may learn a lot from lower-rank belt karate-kas. My teacher used to say : "Watch your students, you will learn a lot from them". I think that the personal attatchment to a particular obi, earned with effort, given by a particular master, or "inherited" from a respected or beloved person, depends always on inner reasons: in my case, when wearing a particular one I feel that I'm not alone in my do. Passing a belt from one person to another is not just passing a piece of clothing or feelings: it means passing your heritage in it. I like to think about the colors of the different belts in the following way: The belt is like a piece of paper where any karate-ka writes his history. At the beginning the book is completely white and pure. As the karate-ka advances in his way, he "writes" his knowledge in his belt. The belt once white, turns yellow, then green... and darker. A time arrives when he has a lot of knowledge and this "paper" once white, has turned black. But a black belt is not the goal: It's just the starting point of the do. During all the time you have had kyu-ranks you have learned how to walk, how to jump, how to rest and how to survive: You have learn the alphabet, then the words, then how to make sentences. The black belt means that the karate-ka is mature enough to begin his (personal) way. He has to put together all the knowledge he acquired and start discovering and developing his personal do: he that knows how to write sentences has to discover how to write paragraphs, then texts and finally books: The karate-ka has to express himself through his art. This means, in some way, detatching yourself (not forgetting) from all the things that does not fit in your do: things written in "your paper", keep falling as you advance in your way, as the years go by, and as your belt is turning again white and pure, as you karate should be. Returning back to earth: Personally I prefer cotton belts (I'm not very keen on silk - I find them rigid, unconfortable, and sometimes pretentious) and they (cotton) do not turn white as they get worn. Normally, I'm wearing my rank-belt in class: I have the right to, and I must do it. Anyway, when I'm training in my own, I'm very attatched to an old white belt... just sentimental... and more comfortable. Best Regads barefoot-kohai PS: Sorry, I'm not an English-native