honoluludesktop

Generally speaking, I do not have a problem sparring with anyone. Once you have enough "mat time", and control of your ego, sparring is "a walk in the park". I don't mean that you will be able to dominate everyone, but that you will know how to be safe, and to get the most out of every match. This however, is not to be confused with competition, or street fighting.

To me, full contact implies only one thing. KO to the ground. Everything else is control, or inadequate ability.

Basically, the golden rule of "doing on to others, as you would have them do on to you" with a like minded partner applies.

It probably is true that most fights go to the ground. Especially among those with little training. But probably not for those that have mastered stand up fighting. IMO when equals fight, especially as the match becomes extended, the odds increase the chances of going to the ground.

Good advice. Quinteros1963, another thing to consider, is that once you start teaching, you are no longer a student. You will have less time to practice and your Karate will take on a different dimension. I do not believe that anyone should teach for free. While you don't have to pay yourself, you must buy insurance, purchase equipment, conduct seminars, pay rent, etc. People who are unwilling to invest in their lessons, will not take them seriously. If the situation warrants it, you can always provide a scholarship in special circumstances.

Aside from your willingness, IMO it takes more experience that even the average black belt has to teach, without a Senior person to guide him. I wouldn't do it with my 20+ years of (almost daily) experience, and certainly not in your situation.

Druid, The strength of punching technique is not a function of style. It is wholly dependent on the puncher. IMO this goes for any measure of effectiveness. No established style is technically superior to another, they only differ superficially. There are differences form one school to another, but these are mostly organizational differences. Unless you have some criteria other then martial skill, its more important to study under a great instructor, then in a good organization. Trouble is that for most of us, we are lucky if the first instructor we study with is great:-(

Even if you offered a mat fee, the request would sound like a challenge. Think about it, would a teacher risk his paying student against a unknown? If it were me, I would require your sons to attend a class so that I could gauge their skills. I would then only allow them to spar against someone clearly superior. But why would a senior person risk hurting, or getting hurt, either physically or emotionally, in a match with an outsider. He wouldn't, and may decide to take out your sons. Not a good thing for either side. You could enter them in competitions. If you do this, make sure that they understand point sparring. You don't want them to be responsible for hurting others because they don't know the restrictions that come with with point sparring. I believe in one step sparring, and semi free sparring. IMO, there is no better way to learn how to give, and take. When there are three of you, with your experience you should be able to control, yet challenge their abilities. The bigger, stronger one always takes the role of the mentor, the other as the student. Here's an idea. If you are a qualified teacher, start your own school, and recruit a limited number of students. Make sure you have insurance, get the student's parents to sigh a agreement clarifying legal issues, and be available to teach in a organized way.

If he is trying to study on his own, getting him a book probably will not help. He may only look at the pictures, not understanding anything he sees. I would get, and lend him one of those bags with a base that is filled with water (so that it rocks when hit), and let him practice with that. He will probably get tired, or decide to find a teacher. If he quits, you can take it back, and use it.

Isn't that what I posted? In this instance, correct distance being the greatest time/space that can be crossed without an effective response. Else, unless feinting, why would anyone attack at greater distance?

Yes, we all have those moments. After a long absence, I returned to practice, and my Sempai (who was never absent) did the same to me. It was a long time before I regained enough form to fight him even. Still, there were things I marveled at, even after his physical body began to deteriorate. I still recall the first time we did ipon kumite in my second life in Karate. He moved as though in slow motion, no effort, perfect timing and distance. Sigh.....Can't see myself, but I hope that I match that level of skill today.

Likeke, Thanks for asking, but I prefer privacy. My Kartate, and I are old school, "Japanese" Karate in the manner that it was originally envisioned by the early idealist:-) Btw: The way I learned to strike Jodan accurately with absolute control, is to practice it very slowly. In other words, no matter how your partner moves, when striking Jodan, do it as though you are in slow motion. You won't win any points, but your eye will get better, and your accuracy will increase. When practicing defense, I always try to step into shikaku. To the side by nagashi, or inside my partners distance by irimi. You will get hit after often, but IMO the best way to learn. Every master admonishes their student to "invest in loss". And yes, to me, nagashi and irimi are both preceded by distance feinting. Irimi is difficult to learn. I am still working on it.

Yes, basically you got it. Tournament timing is very different then dojo kumite. As you have experienced, in tournament, most initiatives result in aiuchi. The technique will work, but only if you strike by reflex on the second part of the technique. This is where timing comes into play. Feint then just our of range, pause in "heighten awareness" ready to oizuki. If you are to beat the incoming strike to the punch, the timing of your strike must be by reflex to distance. If your opponent doesn't come, your feint is ineffective. I am a little concerned about your "pull back", it telegraphs your intention to a good fighter. Still, everyone has their own way to move. I like to start every strike with the same movements. This way, I might get the jump on my opponent before he figures out what I am coming with. Ideally, the distance of the technique following the last, should always be based on the distance of the previous one. Use the mid step pause, "out of range", to reset the attacking distance. Strive to see your opponent's facial expressions in the position of "heightened awareness". Of course, never do the same thing twice, unless it is to feint. Sorry for the long winded reply.

Yes, you do this whether you realize it or not. The trick is to find the combination in your own set of techniques to show one and attack by another. Typically, the change up is to show short, and attack long. When they anticipate long, change up by timing.Of course, you only gain a fraction of a second with any change up, and the actual technique still has to be unexpected enough to beat their reflex. I still need you to say what you would do by actions, not by concepts as you have.

Not sure if I can explain without doing it with you. Why don't you tell me how you would execute my post based on your experience, and then I can respond to you. There are three parts to this technique, telegraph one distance, attack by another, by using timing. How would you do the first?

The change up, telegraph one distance, then attack by another using timing.

Didn't know that. Are you sure? I thought that katakana was just the Japanese alphabet, and kanji Chinese ideograms a alternate way of writing.

It depends on your teacher, and the emphasis of his school. While most show some kata bunkai by grappling, the fact is that most karateka don't practice it enough to use it in a match. There is a huge difference between learning a technique, and mastery (being able to use it). Part of the problem with throwing and grappling in karate, is that many teachers, although excellent in striking, have themselves little experience in this aspect of unarmed martial arts. I don't see Judo teachers trying to use striking as part of their art. Don't know why Karate practitioners try so hard to include it in theirs.

I did judo as a child, and if you don't have the mats, falling is very dangerous. Judo practice always began by taking break-falls. Can't imaging a karateka doing 15-20 minuets of falling before beginning practice. When you think about it, in the manner of judoka, perhaps we should start practice by taking hits from each other, by taking turns holding a bag against our bodies while the other hits. Perhaps we would be mentally more resistant to contact, by conditioning our bodies in this way. There just isn't enough time in a class to practice everything. The best competitors that throw, are usually very experienced, and practice a lot on their own. Biamonti has a fantastic reverse kick, and uses it to gain opening to throws.

IMO Karateka do not generally get to practice enough throwing to get as good as a judoka. So we should do the easiest ones. Any throw that requires a frontal approach must be very fast, or unexpected, not to get countered. Sweeps are at range, and often do do not require holding. Osoto gari, is close in from the side, a position that often naturally happens with side step techniques. Something that I have seen work in competition (and street fighting) is when close frontal contact naturally occurs, one side squats, grabs the other person's legs, lifts them off the ground, then throwing the other on his back. If you are Cung Le, you would hold higher and throw him over your head:-) Though not a technique easily mastered by Karateka.

Hi ps1, While I primarily agree with you, I don't completely discount the value of kata. Dancing is a skill that in some instances can be beneficial to a fighter. Most real fighter's training is "set up" to prevent injury, while getting as close to experiencing the fight as possible, and even champion boxers and mma'ist do a lot of dancing as part of training. Also, in Karate, it's difficult to get a lot of willing partners to trade blows, just to practice. One must also take into the consideration the belief that excessive contact can work against a fighter through the creation of involuntary flinching, etc. When I kata, I try to move as though it is in reflex to distance, with the feelings I have experienced in kumite. Can't do any more the that.

Ashibarai on attack, Osoto gari on defense after nagashi. (This is a series of animated jpgs, I hope OK by rules) http://judoinfo.com/images/animations/kotaniosotogari.gif

I read elaewhere that splitting is a functuion of pushing the stretch muscles, and the correct angle of the limbs. I don't think your flexibility can be so bad in a year. Try this.

Lineage is only as good as one's teacher is.

Don't know about Kata, but I have always thought about kumite and conversation in the manner that you expressed. The problem is when people start shouting at each other in order to dominate a discussion. I believe in sempai / kohai kumite, where sempai is always taking care of kohai, and kohai respects sempai. Problem with this is "who" is sempai. Especially in the case when a naturally powerful inexperienced beginner is unable to act as the stronger fighter, and take care of his partner. An experienced Sensei will know how to handle this, but it means exercising special care with this kind of beginner. Unfortunately, some teachers do not have the experience required to handle this kind of situation.