Soheir

Okey, it makes more sense then. As I checked out their websites, propably because my english .. Couldn't understand what the style is , karate?/taekwondo? So thanks for makeing it clearer for me!

What karate is it? ATA, isn't it just an organisation?

As there is many styles that are told to be good for learning self defence, and they go from boxing to aikido, Do you think that the style, whitch should be helping you to learn self defence, should have actual sparring in it too? Shortly (and clearly), do you think it's impossible to learn how to defend yourself without sparring, or do you think, that it has nothing to do with that? Of course, those were just the extremitys.

Yeah, there was this one situation that I read about, it was old though. A guy stabbed a woman (Kitty Genovese) in a park (New York City, Queens) at three o'clock in the morgning.. Someone called a police at some point, yes! ...but, that was after the woman was already dead. After all, thirty-eight people were Watching, literally watching, this whole incident from their homes. And finally a woman from some apartment called cops, After she had called her friend to ask her what should she do. And another one too: In New York, Bronx, an 18 year old operator was raped and beaten up while she was alone in her office. she got to run away for a moment, and ran out on the street, naked and bleeding, yelling for help. Approximate forty people gathered at once, and stared in the middle of the Day, how the raper tryed to drag her back to the office, and not one tryed to help her on any way. At least, two cops happened to walk by, and went to help.

It's hard to say just based on what you just said... I'd say MMA too, maybe kickboxing/thaiboxing, BJJ... Or check what styles the schools near at you have. They might teach styles that you haven't even thought about..

If I had to chose, then I would not want to know about the test. Because I usually get really nervous when I start thinking about messing stuff up... But when the teacher keeps the test for some people, he propably is aware of the state of his students skills. Or does someones teacher do the test for someone who he doesn't know, will the student get through it or not?

I chosed, that the Martial Art should adjust for the person. For me that means, you should chose the art on how the style fits you. Everyone has their own weakness and strengthness on their style, which makes the style peculiar for you.

I don't know....(or can I say that? Of course I know!) It's just something that I have been wanting to do for a long time before I could start. But now, I'm actually happy that I couldn't start few years ago, 'cause I would not be in the style that I am now.

In our style, we don't use those same blocks at kumite as we practice in kihon. We're not allowed to do, for example, gedan barai in kumite, because when you take your hand down, it's not possible to take it back fast enough after the block, and also, because you tend to put your head down a little at the same time, and that's not wise. Altought, there is some blocks that are quite similar (same blocks, just made practical for kumite) to kihon blocks, and practicing kihon is practicing the blocks for kumite too. If I didn't answer your question (or didn't get it)....If you are supposed to you those blocks and you know them why not just practice them, do some easy sparring?

I think you are doing the right thing, I know I would do the same thing. It's not fair for anyone, if somebody gets belts without sparring as it belongs to the style.

I think it's going to be some marketing for kung fu, but why is it karate kid, or is there a reason for that?

I completely agree with you.

I have to keep that in mind and practice, thanks! And thanks from everyone's answers! I appreciate your help.

You are right on that..it's better than hitting somewhere else, but, it sometimes takes my mind of everything else, I'm starting to concertrate on that more than I should. I'm trying to hit when he hits, whitch isn't bad when thinking that he gets it somewhere worse than I do, But in long time, it starts really irretating especially, when we are hiting hard. And yeah, I can move out, but it's quit useless, 'cause right when I come back to strike, he hits, before or after. I can't really switch the side, it would make it hard for me to fight too.

No. I usually try more like, not take the conversation there, IF the person is someone who I think wouldn't "understand". *Heh* I've thought I'm the weard one. I know some people who are almost too happy to discuss about their Martial Art and training to people who aren't close to them or anything (Hardly knows them). I'm not saying it'd be wrong, but there's some arrogance with some guys, when they talk about it. And the injurys... Even if we forget about the style itself.. everyone doesn't understand, why would anyone want to do and train something that hurts, you know. Something that you might get hurt quit bad too. And that's one hard thing to explain for someone who doesn't do any Martial Arts. It just leads the conversation to the area that you might not be that comfortable with.

Hey! I hope to have some advices on kumite. We sparr on Kyokushin rules; no hits to head, no strikes to groin nor backside of the body. Full contact, and no striking when the opponent is down. Do you have any ideas, what could I do, when I get an opponent that keeps hiting on my arm. The same side and place always. I don't know what could I do, 'cause, if I hit, he hits if I don't, he hits. I can kick, but not all the time. I'm always fighting on the same side.. so I'm pretty much blocking everything on the same arm too

No. But, in Japan and in China, it's not unusual(?). I think it's .... not right, something's weard on that.... We don't have any age where you can or can't get a black belt, but there is a certain time that you have to practice until you can get it. And of course you have to also be able to do all that stuff.

I'd go to the one that doesn't seem like a McDojo. And still... I'd say Goju-ryu

I doubt it. But you might be in the wrong place.

Okey. I have never been in töölö sporthall but I've heard that there's no closed place to practice on tatami, BUT I am not sure of that, so maybe that'd be a good place too.

As gichin Funakoshi said: Don't pretend to be a great master and don't try to show off your strength. How can you ever be sure that there's nothing more for you? Or think that you know EVERYTHING already? When you get your first black belt, you can be almost sure you know the basics.

Are you sure, there is no any indoor place near your place, where you could practice? Like free place which would be meant for danceing or something like that? Or if you could think of a place outside, where would be very little people?

Yes - as I said "imo". I think however it's very important to draw a line under the difference between arts like Shotokan and Kyokushin. Neither is better, but Shoto - with its “precepts” in "budo" does not lend it's self so readily to Kumite as "sport" perhaps. Kumite’s fine if that’s your bag, but of course there is a lot more to Karate than fighting. Chitsu I understand. Not the main point, still there... There is no need for shotokan to be same as other Karate styles, which have different kind of training methods. If you like it it's fine. What does anyone loose on the point that Shotokan has no full contact kumite, 'Cause if somebody doesn't like it, there is planty of styles to pick from.

You mean, that is your opinion? But, in any Martial Art, that has kumite in it, I don't think it's just a by-product. It is a part of that style, and you can't just take it away. Which almost makes it a big part of the style and its history/philosophy.

In sparring case, I beilieve it would. Of course, it's a different style from other Karate styles, so why should it be different? But I gess, one side could be, that those people who doesn't know anything about karate, sees Shotokan karate competitions, and assume, that's it. It's karate, the only and the same Karate for them.