brickshooter

I think that Nakayama's Dynamic Karate is probably the best technical manual I've seen. The author actually breaks down the mechanics of each technique and commenting on it so that a person can understand what they're doing. Therefore whether you're agreeing or disagreeing with a technique, you're coming to a rational conclusion.

Chudan is prefered in Kata and Kihon in most Karate styles. In reality, it depends on the size of your opponent and his build. Chudan on someone built like Mike Tyson will just tickle him pink.

IMO, the best training is flexibility and balance training, then kick repetition. The best kickers I've ever seen were the ones who don't telegraph their kicks. They don't look that fast when observing as a spectator. But they always tag their opponents. Aids such as ankle weights is a recipe for hyper-extension.

You're going to have an extremely difficult time proving that a person punching an attacker in self defense while the attacker is still standing as attempted murder. That's if the DA even decides to prosecute. Had I swept the attacker and stompted him while he lies on the ground, then you may have a case. But even then, prosecutors will likely skip my case since there are more important cases such as actual murder and robberies to go after. A district attorney who is an elected official in the US isn't going to be re-elected for wasting taxpayer money prosecuting ordinary people using excessive force in their own self defense rather than go after rapists and murderers. Such is the reality of a limited budget criminal law system. A legal recourse may be brought via the civil sytem. And even then, it is unlikely that the jury will be sympathetic to an attacker. He better look and act like Mother Theresa to have a chance in hell of prevailing. As a martial artist, I have two modes. Before the swinging starts, I always assume that I'm wrong. I will apologize profusely to the point of embarassing myself. But once I reasonaby feel that my life is in danger. Either the attacker is going down. Or I'm going down.

As I recalled... I think training was done after brown belt. We did some training a couple of weeks before dan grading. Then with every dan grading. Frankly, we weren't really impressed with board breaking. Since most of us were young and fit men, our body weight did most of the breaking whether or not our skills were proficient.

I couldn't agree more - well apart from the losing face thing - why would saving your backside by running away -be looked at as "losing face"? I was simply referring to your earlier post where you commented on someone being doubled over gasping for breath after you had done your bit on them (there is your compliancy right there) and at that point you want to still hit them repeatedly in the head!!! Teaching students the full implication of their actions is in no way dumbing down Karate (from a technical or moral perspective). In fact it is often teaching the most common sense and efficient approach. What if - whilst you were busy "finishing off" your opponent - his mates turn up. Karate is Karate at the end of the day -there is no differentiation imo. Sojobo If I'm attacked, I'm knocking the attacker out in the least amount of time possible. The first strike pulls his hands down. The second strike finishes him off. If not, then add a third. You could throw all the theoretical scenarios in there all you want and talk about philosophy and morality, but when threatenned with great bodily harm, I'll take my chances in court rather than 6 feet under.

Hhmm, Personally, if I can walk (or run) away safely - without having to strike someone in the head on multiple occasions to "finish him" as you put it - that would always be my preferred option. Not sure about the law in the US, but here in the UK, we have something called "reasonable force". Sojobo If one can run in self-defense, one should run even if it means losing face. But often, one can't run. Rapists and muggers are often noncompliant. Instead of dumbing down Karate, I prefer full instructions and allow the student to decide for themselves what reasonable force is. Afterall, it's their lives that's on the line when they're attacked on the streets. But none of this is relevant. The question asked was not what should one do in a self defense nor is what is the legal standard of reasonable force. The question asked was which is the better strategy, an attack to the body or head.

IMO, the head is harder to hit but requires less force to damage. The body is easier to hit but requires more force to damage. Therefore, the tactic should be to attack the body with 100% effort. And while he's gasping for air and hunched over with his hands aound his stomach or groin, finish him with a head strike. Gyaku Tsuki to the body. Then Oi Tsuki to the head.

Seems like the video is simply promoting relaxing the shoulders before a strike, and the use of a whip like motion. It's the same concept as in Karate. Not a fake. But it's not a breakthrough in striking theories. Here is a sample of a Shito-Ryu Karate school applying the same theories in Karate at 10 seconds -

Gym based sparing: You have rules. Nice smooth floors. The referee won't kick you in the head. No hidden knives. No tunnel vision. Everything is under a nice and safe controlled environment. Heartbeat is about 130. You get to "feel out" your opponent, take your time to measure his strenght and weakness. Frankly, your attacker is very much like you. And in a worst case scenario - you wake up. Street fighting: A lot of chaos. It just needs to be over as soon as possible. The longer it goes on, the more you lose control of your environment. Heartbeat is probably close to 200. Your attacker is likely much bigger than you. If he's not, he's carrying a weapon, or his buddies are standing right behind you.

Remember that Karate is a system intentionally designed to be simple. So anytime you see a complicated technique in kata not resembling a real world strike, it's not really a strike. It's actually a throw, sweep, armlock, or strangulation. Unfortunately, Karate folks tend come from a long line of strikers. So they reasoned that everything in Kata must either be a strike or a block. As you progress in Karate, you'll know what I'm talking about. But to NOT correct your Karate instructors. Remember your etiquette.

I recommend the Best Karate series by Nakayama if you're interested in Shotokan. Nice BIG pictures. JKA/JKS Karate you tube videos are good too. Personally I use the Kanazawa book on kata. But the photos are very very small. And unless you've been formally trained, you can't really tell what is going on from the small picture. An instructor giving constructive criticism is best. But sometimes we don't have one available. BTW, there are many schools of Karate. Shotokan just happenned to be one of them. So other schools of Karate will do their katas differently. There is no right or wrong way. Just a preference. Good luck.

Looking to Japan, I noticed that their average martial arts practioner has a much higher skill level. I think it's their training. They do FAR more drilling of basic technique than we do in the West. In the West, we have a tendency to believe that knowledge is all that's needed in the martial arts, ignoring the fact that the martial arts is a physical activity requiring drilling to build muscle memory.

TKD have been criticized in the past for promoting too much sparing. But most traditional martial arts won't let you spar until you learn the basics. And most people with one month of instruction haven't gotten their basics down. So you're going to have to prove it to your instructor that you are capable of sparing. Pull him aside and show him what you've learn. If you've advanced enough, he'll let you spar. BTW, most beginners say they love to spar until their first bloody nose.

The side kick is not the most natural kick. For most people, it's the first time they've ever used that set of muscle. I think that in addition to the streching exercise recommended earlier, beginners or those with side kick issues should do low-level side kicks until it looks perfect. This will develop and loosen up those muscle groups needed for the side kick. Yet at the same time, it'll build muscle memory and balance. Personally, I always start off with low level side kicks in any training sessions until my body adjusts. And I normally side kick head level.

Where's your sense of adventure? Why not suggest that your organization adapt the philosophy of a rival organization in your paper?

If I'm facing multiple attackers, I'm very sure I'm fighting for my life. So the only three things I could add is: 1) Put your back to a wall. I don't think I can emphasize this enough. 2) Try to finish single attacker at a time. And an eye gouge or groin strike generally isn't enough, it's useful distractor so that you can actually knock him out cold when he's most vunerable. 3) Look for a weapon. A brick, a club, a rolled up magazine, a chair, etc. to even the odds. BTW, if you're going to pick it up. Have the intent to used it immediately. Don't pick it up just to make a threat.

Personally I've always thought that locks are more effective if applied after a strike rather by itself. But I was never successful at convincing my Aikido or Judo instructor on that theory.

IMO, most if not all jumps are actually (judo) throws. We just happen to interpret them as leaping over a stick attack because most of our past senseis are punch & kick driven. Karate is a system design for simplicity. Mastery is by repetition of simple techniques. There are no double-super-secret complicated death strikes. So anytime you encounter a weird technique such as a jump or funny block, ask yourself whether it could be a non-strike/block. Could the weird openning double block in Heian (Pinan) Yodan actually be an armbar? That's how they teach it in the US army manual. Could the weird jump low x-block in Heian Godan be actually an ippon seoi nage (shoulder throw)? Ask a judoka to break down an ippon seoi nage and you'll know what I mean.

What is the difference between a purple and blue belt? I noticed that most BJJ folks stop training at blue. Or they remain there forever. What is the big hurdle?

Congrats. Could you describe what they put you through? What was it like?

Intersting school you taught at. It wasn't a reform school was it? LoL. Just watched the Lesnar - Valasquez fight. Valasquez won the fight by going on the offensive versus Lesnar. Apparently Lesnar doesn't like getting punched in the face. Lesnar never looked like he was in danger of getting KO while on his feet. But the moment Valasquez landed a couple of head shots, Lesnar threw all plans out the windows and panicked. From my own personal experience, wrestlers are highly submission resistant. I think they're made of rubber. But getting hit by a strike is very foreign to them. So IMO, the moment they're open, one should take the innitiative and try and knock them out immediately rather than dance around thinking that one can avoid their take downs.

I'm guessing that he got physically hurt when he got swept. But he's too proud to let on. Probably took a week off to nurse the leg. I'd ask the instructors to teach how to sweep and how to break fall in the next couple of classes, particularly when the sempai gets back. That way everyone knows how to break fall including the sempai himself. This isn't competition and it's not the streets. Help each other out.

IMO, a black belt signifies expert knowledge in a combat system. But that's all that is - knowledge. If we give black belts out to winning fights, then would Mike Tyson beating a Jiu Jitsu BB earn his BB in Jiu Jitsu? Would a 250lbs. white belt male beating a 100lbs. BB female in Karate earn his BB in Karate?

Helio studied Judo newaza/Jui Jitsu before he further developed it into today's BJJ. It wasn't as if Helio was born with a black belt as his umbilical cord and wrapped in a gi by his doctor. Careful with all the marketing propaganda the Gracies put out.