Kassen

KarateGeorge, we do much the same in that we will only teach junior grades basic techniques and start to teach senior Kyus (brown belts etc) an interpretation or finishing move, usually the most obvious or least destructive. Only when you acheive your Dan grade do we start looking into different applications for finishing an opponent. One of the aspects I enjoy most of Martial Arts however is looking at different methods of finishing a would be attacker or various applications of techniaques to give you a range of possibilities. I certainly agree though that junior grades, until they have proven that they have the discipline and skill to perform more dangerous techniques both in a club and real life situation, should only be learning and practicing more basic moves and combinations

Sorry, coming in late to the thread but I wanted to contribute. If someone has been training for years, train on a very regular basis and has the technical ability to perform techniques common to senior Kyu grades, then why should they not be graded to BB? Your training starts in earnest at black belt and you start understanding what your techniques / kata / bunkai etc are and I am not saying that you should teach under 18’s some of the more sensitive aspects of martial arts. However by allowing them to attain the junior BB grade, you are just allowing them to be recognised for their skill level and to have the recognition within the club. They can then continue to hone their skills until they reach 18 and their real training can begin There must be an understanding that junior Dan grades do not have the same rank as an adult BB or standing within the club or martial art as they do not have the level of maturity. It should also be clear that I am not advocating teaching the application of certain techniques to minors or expecting them to have a full understanding of what they are doing but they should have the opportunity to put themselves in a position to do that once they are mature enough to continue their martial arts career. Kids are the future, if we do not train under 18’s to a high standard while they are young, not only will we lose some to other sports and interests, but these senseis of the future will never reach their potential and help carry on martial arts to the next generation. We need to allow the younger generation the opportunity to be the best that they can be and if we are not letting them progress to BB before 18 we risk losing people that could help martial arts progress in the years to come. There are many clubs out there that are only interested in generating revenue and throw black belts at people after a few years of training once or twice a week. It is vitally important that, when a junior is identified that has the skill, motivation, desire and discipline to train to BB level, we continue to train and develop them, allowing them to take the art forward in the right way and teach the next generation the values and discipline that martial arts has given us. p.s. Sorry for the long post

White (Given to beginner at the beginning of their training) Red (9th Kyu) Yellow (8th Kyu) Orange (7th Kyu) Green (6th Kyu) Blue (5th Kyu) Purple (4th Kyu) Brown (3rd Kyu) Brown - White Stripe (2nd Kyu) Brown - Black Stripe (1st Kyu) Black (1st Dan) I understand that they belt / grading structure is a relatively new system however I find it interesting that so many different sequences and structures exist

I am 5' 8 and, while it can be more challenging fighting taller opponents, there also advantages to this. If you can get inside a taller opponents reach you can make your height an advantage. I have found, being smaller than many of my opponents, that anticipation of attack is key, if you apply the sen principle, anticipate their attack and move to either counter at the same time or ideally before their technique is thrown. This means that, as you are smaller, you are in too close for their natural fighting range to be effective and you have the advantage. I have always found that as a smaller fighter it is imperative to commit to getting inside techniques, especially kicks. You might take a couple of knocks on the way in but that is far better than taking many while outside your range.

Hi all, My name is Phil, I have been training Wado Ryu Karate for the past 23 years, I act in a instructors capacity within my club but my main focus is training and improving my knowledge base and technical profciency. I am fortunate in the respect that we have a number of senior level students and our sensei(s) are also excellent and of a high grade meaning my training can continue for years within the club. That said, I have been very impressed with what I have read in this forum and I am keen to get more involved in sharing ideas and gaining more knowledge from like minded people globally. On a personal note, I live and train in Birmingham, England and I am a recruiter by trade.

My take on finishing is that you should always aim to finish an opponent but the type of finish is really situation dependant. If you have set an opponent up for a sweep / takedown / throw then fine but in many situations a break, strike or point finish is more suitable. It also depends on your opponent, if you practice one method, sweep / throw / takedown for example, and you opponent is difficult to throw (e.g. larger than you or with a grappling background) then multiple options are useful. It is very important to assess your opponents characteristics and potential weaknesses and act accordingly. I prefer not to limit myself to thinking I must finish in a certain way and enjoy looking for different ways to stop an opponent as in various situations one option may not be available.