TheKarateKid

at my dojo its 10 press ups and when shihan takahashi is doing the gradings (2 time a year) we do drill the pressups no matter what. i like it, i have become physically more strong in my upper body.

ohh boy! well for me a year long rego and insurance is $100 and each time i go to the dojo which is a pro organisation its $4AUD if i go or $2AUD if i go with my dad. so thats how i can train twice a week and not worry. although i do owe about $80 on rego so i should prolly do that tues or wed night.

actually one punch jodan would! kazami will do the trick if you can get in fast enough. my kazami makes the most sturdy of BB's stumble a few steps and earn enough praise to be told i have the potential to hurt someone....at ungraded level ((at the time)) Kazami is one of my fave punches. i also recommend a fake magari ((just flick your foot)) moving into a washigari. its worked with me

my 'aha' moment was when shihan takahashi spoke to me in japanese and i understood it. that is after i had greeted him and introduced my self the traditional japanese way/ karate way. mixing Oss with konichiwa. i have never spoken so fluently in my life.

Humm this might be rather helpful http://www.karate-made-easy.com/karate-stances.html it has helped me with my stances and mine have gotten deeper and longer just with practice.

at TSKF dojos in australia we get BB ((once reached that level)) with our names on them and they are personally given to us by Shihan Takahashi. we don't have a choice in what type of belt we want. Ours comes all the way from Japan.

the thing is it might not be the students place but alt'ly its affecting the students learning in karate. So if a student approaches their sensei and says politely 'sensei, i think that training sesh was very out of the ordinary for you, is something bothering you?' you are being a student who is expressing concern while also saying that was out of character for them to teach that way.

Its strange that you mention the hook kick; i graded in march to white belt and because of the classes i am able to attend, in the training kumite session we have just started doing them (( i'm told to do it to the best of my ability of course)) i do have one thing going for me and that is...i'm no lightweight so it takes a couple of kicks before i actually move.

the best way to rectify this is to practice 'contract and expand' example being: on the 4th count of heian shodan you spin right? well just before it ((punching chudan age uki)) bring your feet together andbend you knees slightly for balance turn then go into gadambari(( picturing it)) Here is a Youtube of Nidan for you ((notice at the very begining he brings both feet together. That is called contrating. do that be for you turn))

How come you don't have a 10th kyu??

yes i agree it is a poor example but it was the best i could find. To me knockdown karate looks more like boxing in a do-gi! all i suggest then it train at home with wrist and ankle weights on and that way you build up the strength in your forearms and not your bicepes. in karate all power comes from your hips, once you nail hicatai you're righ

he's not blocking correctly then. when being attacked Jodan by your sparring partner or whoever the proper block is jodan age uke which is to have your forearm at an angle like so http://www.3battleskarate.com/images/jodan%20age%20uke_lg.jpg when blocking Chodan the right block should ALWAYS connect with the wrist and not the hand and when counter attacking you sweep the opponents fist across their body so you have access. learn Chudan age uke correctly and you won't get hurt [/url]

at my dojo we bow before we enter, before we start, during training, after training, and as we leave. when we have drinks break we bow and if we approach any black belt of 3rd shodan or higher we bow, say oss and continue with whatever. we also bow to our partners when doing kumite. it gets a bit repetivie but i don't mind as it stretches my back. i actually hang out with a couple of the black belts from my dojo and we greet eachother in the normal way.

Ok so i leanrt from a national champion how to and not once did i damage anything. i also recommend any of these ways of wrapping http://www.boxinggyms.com/tips/handwraps.htm

Eww yuck! that's too much for me! i hate kata but absolutly LOVE kumite. i'm absolutly lethal in kumite they pair me with black belts because i can keep up with themand to a certain extent once i've figured out a technique we do free sparring (( no other belt that is below purple is allowed)) but i keep up and hit hard enough. if shotokan style karatians know who shihan takahashi is ((which by the way you should)) i was personally told by him i would make an excellent fighter but because i'm crap at kata he won't let me skip a belt