mr_obvious

Even more relevant..... Your particular dojo may frown on you wearing a Gi not purchased from them, or a different brand, etc. That said, I've had good experience with the KD Elite brand from just as a no-frills beater. I can't wear them to class, but I do occasionally don one of my KDE's for practicing Kata in my backyard. Nothing quite replicates the snap you get from a Gi, so yeah..... I do wear a Gi while practicing alone (however odd that may seem). Plus I can keep my official school Gis in top shape, longer

I was gonna say -- this thread is like Deja Vu...

^^ X3. I love training in the art of Karate (any flavor, doesn't matter) but am frustrated with the constant, heavy emphasis on rank ("When you test, this. When you test, that...") I don't flipping care, just teach me! Often times, I'll play with pieces of extraneous Katas (YouTube, FTW!) before class while warming up. Just 'cause I'd be bored doing 'my belt's Katas' 32940834098723 times over. Maybe we should start a paradigm shift...... Introduce something like the "Non-Ranked Belt" (plaid perhaps, I dunno) for those students who feel sufficiently motivated on their own, and don't need a different skittle-colored belt every few months to stay interested......

Doughnuts for breakfast, cheeseburgers & fries for lunch, pizza for dinner everyday will sort you out. Oh, and be sure to drink A LOT of alcohol. Might hit GNC and pick up some weight gainer for added effect In all seriousness, if you want to gain, you need to increase calories someway, somehow.

Ok, well it's new to me (never seen or heard about it until a couple months ago).

^^^ X2 Aesthetically, I prefer black. It's. Just. More. Sinister!

Well.....IMHO, I say forget rank and train. So if you like(d) your old dojo / style, why not go back and just start anew? If you want to change styles, perhaps just to do something new and fresh, then go ahead. In either case, Karate sure does get in one's blood, huh?

Concur 100%. Lyoto's default stance is far from the standard forward-tucked Muay Thai stance. BTW, another "Karate Fighter" is Chuck Liddell (Kempo is tattooed on his delt).

It's interesting you bring this up (sorry for the hijack everyone!) Me being a 6'1" light-heavyweight, and all the females in class being, not only female, but of smaller stature..... When paired up with them, I tend to take more of a "living heavy bag" posture. After all, us guys really aren't and shouldn't be training to beat the snot out of girls. Maybe it's just the way I was raised, I dunno.

Miyagi say -- "always someone better."

For all those HDTV subscribers, there's a new-ish show on Discovery HD Theater called Fight Quest. It follows two martial artists (Doug and Jimmy) across the globe, as they sample train in various styles. The show usually culminates with the pair, squaring off against stiff competition in the respective styles at the show's end. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/fight-quest/fight-quest.html

My sentiments exactly. No matter what format you're competing / sparring / training...... Just my rule, don't hit in any way I wouldn't want to get hit myself (unless in real-life, self-defense situations, of course.) Me personally, if that dude kicked me in the elbow, on purpose, was generally out-of-control, then add in the judging inequities........ All that spells: time to forget the rules (since winning is clearly not possible) and get it on!

Here's another factor -- liability. I've on occasion forgot to wear closed-toe shoes, and the gym owner (whom I know fairly well) explained to me that "they" really don't care what I wear, but their insurer does. So I respect that

Good article. I for one am a fanatic about what I eat. Down to the point where I track and plan the nutrition of nearly everything I eat through the day. My fitness strategy is targeted at muscle size and strength, of course sacrificing extended cardio stamina. Therefore my diet is primarily solid proteins, complex carbs and veggies. Aside from Whey, Casein and NO2 supps; I try and get two servings of red meat and fish (usually Salmon) every week. The balance of my protein target is usually through chicken breasts. So despite the love of a good steak 2x/wk, my last CBC showed total cholesterol was in double digits and HDL higher than LDL. I train like a freak though

For what it's worth..... I've been pretty happy with my Everlast HydroStrike. http://www.martialartssupplies.com/hydrostrike.html Available in varying weights up to 150lbs, and only $160

I've always told ambitious types in class "don't hit me harder than you want to get hit in return." Reinforce this in practice, and generally the idea of light contact resumes on their part. To the OP, I'd be pretty miffed if a senior student jacked up my nose in regular sparring. IMO, the idea is to practice techniques, not beat the stuffing out of your classmates.

.....missing it. As it happens, I've been forced to take a break; taking care of a sick family member and can't make set evening class times. So either I have to give it up until things settle down, or find a new dojo that offers classes weekday mornings (the only time I could reliably attend).

How's this for scientific: I weight train because it feels good. The stretch and pump of a heavy lift....the adrenaline, seeing your veins pop like roadmaps on your skin (vascularity). If for no other reason, I lift to build / keep a moderate amount of bulk. Applied to MA, you could say this adds to the intimidation factor. Say a random street robber has a choice between two guys, both 6'1" and 225, one's a little flabby, the other....a little bulky upstairs......who do you think gets hit? As usual, just my $0.02

I just happened to look through my local community college catalog.... Looks like they offer classes (for credit) once a week, at two different campuses and different instructors. Might check it out. Since the class would only be about $90 for an entire semester.

Regular washing with detergent and bleach. Mine's sooooooo dang white, people have to wear shades to watch me (j/k, lol).

Sweet Potatoes, FTW. I also take a supplement called "NO-Xplod," which has a good amount of Potassium. I too get foot cramps. My school has thickly padded floors, which do tend to hyperextend the arches a bit, from time-to-time. I have a prescription muscle relaxer which clears it up quick.

Kettlebells are great at providing a more linear resistance than dumb/barbells; more analogous to a cable tower as the weight is harder to "cheat" (transfer) over your body's centerline. IMO, the "problem" with kettlebells, is that you have to procure a range of them, whereas home model dumbbells (the type with threaded ends) are usually adjustable with mini weights.

My thoughts are fairly simplistic..... Don't-get-hit-in-the-friggin-nose!!!!

Heh, heh.....yeah. In response to OP, I'll once again use analogy. Say for instance, a Shodan level Karateka were to switch schools (maybe for work relocation, school closing, political disagreement, whatever other reason). In many cases, their previous rank wouldn't necessarily be recognized at the new school; possibly requiring resumption all the way back to white. In this example..... Would this person be a beginner? No. The belt merely signifies their place in the new school. So I'd say yes it is entirely plausible, the concept of an "advanced" white, yellow, orange, blue, brown, plaid, camo, whatever belt. Arguably none of the fruity colors matter until you are recognized as black in your respective organization.

My interpretation -- what "makes" a good Dan Rank student is not only a solid grasp of basics and some advanced techniques; but more importantly, the ability to relay knowledge to lower students. You're absolutely right, a high proportion of our society wants something tangible they can hold in their hands. Call me the minority, the antithesis if you will, of this mentality. I'm always of the opinion that your skill, ability, dedication, etcetera -- in anything -- will be apparent. I've come across really weak black belts, and really solid yellow belts. So I just ignore the whole belt thing, and handle my bidness Just droppin' my humble $0.02 into the slot.