CheekyMusician

*jumps up and down excitedly* Go for it, go for it, go for it!! You might now be able to keep up, but if you try your hardest you're bound to learn something and have a great experience. You don't know if you'll get the opportunity to do this again so grab it while you can. I'd wanted to go to a course with Kanazawa Sensei, but my dad wouldn't let me. Granted I'd only been doing karate for a couple of months, and granted that the course was miles and miles away, but I really wanted to go. Kanazawa is so cool

I've got space for maybe 2 kiba dachis, but I could maybe make space for 3 if I kept my legs closer together and made the stance a bit "smaller". I don't even know the heian kata yet though! Ach well, if I just keep trying I'll be a Grandmaster someday!

*looks around nervously* Well, to be honest, I have trouble with most techniques! Maybe its just because I'm a beginner, or maybe its because I'm too much of a perfectionist and think that the slightest thing wrong with a movement makes it a disaster and an instant failure, but yeah, I suck quite a lot I hate doing soto ude uke and mae geri right now, for some reason. Yeah, apart from that I just spend about 75% of my time looking on blankly as everyone else kicks and punches about. The other 25% of my time is usually spent on my butt after trying (and failing) to imitate what everyone else was doing. Oh well. *shrugs*

Heehee. I've got my own "dojo"! My dad was going to convert the loft into a room for my sister but decided against it, then he was going to make it into a gym for me, my sis and mum, but my sis and mum decided they wouldn't go up there because of the spiders and the fact that you have to climb into it using ladders. So finally, after my dad had raised the beams a little, floored it and cleaned up some of the junk in it, he bought a punchbag and we fitted it to a beam yesterday. Well it aint exactly the Hilton, and there's not even enough room to practice a kata, but there's enough room to kick and punch away till my hearts content, and since no one else is likely to come up there I get some peace and quiet!

I've only been doing karate for a few months, but I'm itching to start another art to coincide with it. I reckoned a more 'grappling style' art would be best so I don't confuse the two arts, and I found out there's an aikido class near me. What will I need to get started in it and how much do you think it will all cost? Do you think I could just train in my karate-gi instead of buying a suit for aikido? Thanks in advance for any answers you guys might have

I don't study Aikido, but I'd like to start. I'm contemplating joining the local club in the next week, but I don't know if it would end up getting in the way of my karate.

Shotokan

I'm sure you'll pick it up sooner or later....just keep trying!

That certainly is a good point. I was actually thinking that before I sat the test too and it did help quite a lot.

Yeah, I thought my first test would be the worst too because then in tests after that I can always reassure myself by saying, "You've done this before. Just focus and you'll be fine." I must admit though, I wasn't even half as nervous as I expected to be. I think I would have been worse if my sensei hadn't came over to me before the test and asked how I felt, then he gave me some words of encouragement and just reassured me that I'd be fine. He's quite a scary guy and so this made me realise that he was human after all, not some devine entity. I was actually more nervous about one of the instructors watching the test than I was the sensei because the instructor who watched has basically taught me everything I know and is the one who always helps me out if I'm a little confused so I didn't want to let him down or anything.

I'm so chuffed! I passed my 9th Kyu. Not exactly difficult, I know, but I'm really shy and was dreading doing it and now its done and I'm so happy. Both my instructors were being really nice to me and I'm sooooo happy!

Everyone gets to spar with the trainers at our club from when they're white belts. I think that's a pretty good system, because it teaches you from the word go that the Sensei is just anpther person in the club who you can learn from and go to for help with things. Its not like he's some devine being who resides over the club and then picks and chooses who he thinks is "good enough to fight with him". I sparred with him once when I'd only been going to the club a few weeks and sparring with him gave me so much confidence because he knew how to keep the fight going and make me look good. He was making me look like I was giving him a run for his money (even though I know I wasn't) and he wasn't showing off and trying to show me that "he was boss". Even though I knew he was giving me loads of easy shots etc. it still built up my confidence a lot knowing I'd sparred with my Sensei and hadn't got killed! I don't think anyone in my club would "challenge" our sensei as such, because they know they have plenty of chances to spar with him in normal training sessions and show him their wares.

Its about a 2 or 3 minute drive away. I could easily walk there, but my parents are paranoid that I get attacked on the way and so insist on driving me. Oh well, it saves me from using up some precious energy, I suppose.

It's good to know that I'm not the only one! *hugs Shorty* Dang Kiais!

Well I've only been doing karate for a few months, but I don't intend taking any holidays off. My parents have always encouraged me to keep up any activities I start no matter what. I have piano lessons, a youth group that I help my mum run, karate, church and marching band to go to every week, and I just fit my work from school in around them. Last year and this year I've had a pretty heavy school schedule so I might take the occassional week off one activity to catch up on work, but I don't do it often if I can help it.

Apparently I'm a porcupine, but the description doesn't really describe me well at all, I don't think.

I'm in the exact same boat as you. I hate Kiais! They're the bane of my life. I didn't go in for my belt grading because I didn't want to Kiai! I just point blank refuse to Kiai. I keep telling myself to just do it, but I just can't force myself to no matter how hard I try. I just feel like a doofus.

I like the people at my club, but I'm not sure if I like my club. I worry that its a bit of a 'McDojo' at times, although I think I'm just being paranoid. My sensei is terrifying during class, but afterwards he sometimes talks to me and he's a nice enough guy, and the other instructor who takes us is an absolute gem of a guy....he's really nice. I feel really out of place there though because there isn't really anyone there my age. Its all folk a lot older or a lot younger, so I tend to be a bit of a "social outcast"

Heehee. I sound like a dojo bunny! lol I joined karate to learn karate and didn't have any non karate thoughts about my instructors or fellow students for the first few weeks. Now I have major crushes on my sensei, the assistant instructor and a black belt student! Gah! I'm only 17 though, so you know what teenage hormones are like...I have an excuse! I don't go around chasing them though....on the contrary, I tend to avoid them as I always go bright red talking to them! Anyway, the instructors are both married and in their 40s, so I really don't think I'd be in with a chance somehow! Occassionally my crushes decide to take their tops off and my face just lights up, so yip, I think they might just have guessed that I like them. Damn.

My club teaches everyone Taikyoku Shodan for their first belt, and then teaches them the Heians.

Yeah, I guess you're right. I must admit, my class is pretty good with me. Even if I spar with someone quite high ranked or someone a lot older (and bigger!!) than me, they don't try and hurt me or anything. Once I'd to spar with my sensei and I was really nervous as this guy is totally evil (I honestly think he's possessed by Satan) and I really thought he would just go at it and hit me if I didn't block in time, but he was actually nice and didn't beat me up. I was so happy! I just feel a bit of an idiot when everyone else is hopping around, throwing kicks and punches and I'm just standing there looking clueless!

I must admit, I'm glad I'm not a parent in this day and age. I'd be constantly worried! When my big sister and I were kids (we're 21 and 17 now), my mum wouldn't let us play outside. We were allowed to play in our garden and no where else. My mum never used babysitters, or even allowed friends to watch us: she would either take us with her and my dad, leave us with our gran, or cancel any plans she'd made and not go out. She never took her eyes off us. My dad thinks she was overprotective, but I think she was just sensible. The world is a dangerous place these days, and little ones are totally innocent and naive. Kids just don't think about danger, they always think the best of people and put their full trust in them.

I read quite a lot when I have the time. For part of my English dissertation this year I'm reading a play called Huis Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre, and I think it is awesome. I read martial arts books too when I can find any decent ones. I read a book a few months ago and it was about martial arts legends, fables, "parables" etc. It was excellent.

Well my big interest is music. I started playing piano when I was 6, guitar when I was 7, drums at 14, trumpet at 15, and flute and clarinet at 16. I now play grade 6 guitar, grade 5/6 piano, grade 5/6 trumpet and about grade 3/4 flute and clarinet. I played grade 4 drums, but gave them up at 15 as I prefered getting a melody out my musical instruments! I compose a little too when I'm in the mood, but I find that quite difficult compared to performing. I play in a band that plays at charity events and at old folks homes, and in a marching competition band. Apart from my music I also like to teach myself new things eg. painting, Japanese etc. My latest little hobby is learning Japanese. I've so far familiarised myself with katakana and some level 4 kanji. I find hiragana really hard to memorise though....its so squiggly! I've only been learning for about 6 weeks though, so I guess I'll just wait and see how things go with that.

I've been doing Shotokan karate for a few months and I'm loving it! I originally wanted to study Tae Kwon Do though, and only went for Shotokan because I couldn't find a TKD club near me. I've found a club now and would like to attend it, but I don't want to give up my karate. I feel that I would like to wait a while before attending TKD too though, to make sure I've got a firm grasp of karate, yet I'm "biting at the bit" and don't know if I've got the patience to wait any longer! Do you think TKD and karate are compatible though, or do you think that they're too similar to one another and will just get me confused as to which is which constantly? Thanks in advance