Wastelander

Welcome to the forum! And old-school indeed--I caught the a/s/l you put in there

Karate is made up of arcs (if you break up the kuruma concept) and angles, and what better things to make wedges from? Now, I don't know if you're speaking of evasive methods, deflecting methods, trapping methods, attacking methods, etc., but such principles are going to come into play pretty widely. If you're learning effective techniques, you should learn to use them whether you know what the principle is or not.

As I mentioned, not every style does slow movements, so it's not something universal. It's also important to remember that there are many possible applications to any given movement, as Bob suggests, so depending on your application, you could do ALL movements slow, or NO movements slow. There is also the matter of different mindsets to consider--do you want to train the kata movement slow to reinforce that you have to practice it slowly on your partner, or train the kata movement fast to reinforce that you have to do it fast in real life, even though you have to do it slowly with a partner? As to Seiyunchin, yes, I work that kata--I originally learned (basically) the Shito-Ryu version, but have tweaked it to be more like the Jundokan Goju-Ryu version. The movements are done slow, generally, but if you ask Hokama Tetsuhiro Sensei, he does them fast. He does all of his kata at actual application speed, actually. In the applications I work for the opening of Seiyunchin, it would be hard to do them all fast because they are grappling methods, and if the opponent resists, you will move slower. Some are also joint locks which are safer to work slower. That said, there is also the distinct possibility that the slow speed is meant to give time to focus on the structure of the movements, since that is a major component of Goju-Ryu, which is built on Sanchin.

As long as your school is known to produce skilled black belt students, then it can be assumed the instructors know when a student is skilled enough for a given rank, and they will only ask you to test when they know you are ready. I have never asked my instructor to test, but whenever he has told me to test, I have done so. I also encourage all students to test if Sensei has recommended it to them, and when I see a student who I know should test, I tell them so. As for the value of belts, I will say that belts only have value within the dojo they are given, and even then the rank you have is only as valuable as you believe it to be. Do black belts matter in Kyokushin? Sure, as much as they matter in any other style. That said, Kyokushin is usually (but not always) a very competition-focused style, and so in many dojo, as long as you can beat black belts in kumite, that is the main criteria for the rank. I know that Judo was like that when I did it, as well--I knew all the material for brown belt, but my Sensei wouldn't promote me until I was consistently beating brown belts in shiai, which I wasn't doing. As I said, though, that is going to be different from dojo to dojo. In any case, I suggest you worry more about skill than rank--the skill is what you will take with you outside of the dojo, when you have taken the belt off. Test when your Sensei tells you to test, but otherwise don't worry about it. Train, practice, study, research, and keep moving forward.

Well, I may not be the best person to comment on this, because we don't do any of the movements in our kata slowly the way you describe--even Pinan Godan, which was one of your examples. Even the founder of our style, at nearly 90, didn't move all that slow: https://youtu.be/th7ELIPbNl8 That said, I'm familiar with some kata that do slow movements down, and I tend to think they are joint locks or chokes, and the kata is reminding you that you have to do them slowly for safety. In some cases, it could just be that you will likely encounter resistance, and so the movement CAN'T be performed quickly, if you were actually applying it. Unfortunately, I think there ARE some instances of movements being slowed down because it looks cool, but those are changes to the kata that are more recent--probably from the 1950's onward.

As part of the Shorinkan organization, we wear Nakazato Shugoro Sensei's patch on the left breast of our gi, which is a round yellow patch with a black border, and black embroidery of Shureimon (the "Shuri Gate") and "Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan" in both English and Japanese script. Shureimon is a global landmark for Okinawa, and has the saying "Land of Propriety" on it (in real life and in the embroidery), which is pretty symbolic in itself. The yellow background is a royal color on Okinawa, rather like purple in Western culture. As a dojo, we have our own logo/patch, which is my avatar here. It is a mitsudomoe superimposed over a taijitu (a yin-yang symbol), with the name of our dojo encircling it. The idea is that there is supposed to be a balance and blending of peaceful, healthy endeavors, and practical, martial endeavors. The nature of these symbols means that black and white are naturally part of the logo, and the red is a symbol of strength.

Welcome to the forum!

That's "boxer's knuckle," which is a common tendon injury for those who punch things a lot, particularly if you're doing it too hard too soon, without enough padding. You'll want to consult your doctor, but I have always just had to stop hitting things with that fist and let it heal, and then when I start hitting the makiwara again, put some extra padding on it.

I've done it the past two years, and I may do it again this year, but it coincides with a training camp, so I may not have the energy to do it . It's a fun thing, though

Welcome to the forum, and to the obsession! It's wonderful that you have found such a connection with martial arts, and you are certainly in good company, here.

Welcome to the forum!

I would definitely take him aside and ask for specifics--not in an accusatory manner, but simply asking what you could do that would be more appropriate, and where you went wrong. Now, you may not have actually done ANYTHING wrong. Maybe it was just a bad day. Maybe he has a specific approach to running classes that you just didn't realize. For example, my instructor doesn't mind if I help people or answer questions when he is running a class. On the other hand, another instructor at the dojo doesn't want anyone helping or answering questions when he is running a class, which I admittedly forget from time to time.

Welcome to the forum!

His father started the "Machida karate" thing, as far as I know--it's just his personal approach to the Shotokan he learned and teaches, and makes no secret about that. I recognize it for what it is, certainly.

I have used them, but not regularly. You can hook your foot through the handle of a kettlebell, as well, for some things. That doesn't work the grip of your toes, though

We don't specify what kind of vocalization, provided the correct breathing and muscular contraction is occurring. Oh, and we don't let people say "kiai" as their kiai. Mostly it comes out as "huh" or "hah" variants, and some people (like me) also do more hissing kiai from time to time.

Everybody has their preferred methods of protecting steel tools and weapons, and while there are some that are simply objectively better for certain applications, a lot of it boils down to personal preference. You should never use a petroleum-based oil or lubricant on steel that is going to be kept in a leather sheath or pouch, for example, because the petroleum will break down the leather. For sai, in particular, you have several options. If you are just doing kata and don't care about traditional looks, you can paint them with automotive paint, or something similar. It holds up well, and if it does chip it can be touched up. If you want something more traditional than paint, MatsuShinshii's suggestion of a gun bluing kit is excellent. Parkerizing kits are good, too, but more expensive and take more work. For forced patinas, I prefer a vinegar soak over mustard, but anything acidic will do.

The topic we covered in this week's Waza Wednesday video is one that is important, but often neglected by karateka, which is a point of ridicule from people who practice other systems: groundwork--specifically working toward getting back to the feet, where escape and effective striking are viable options. As we point out in the video, we are only covering three specific situations to consider, and there are many other contingencies to include in your training. Additionally, we believe it is very important for all martial artists to have at least basic grappling skills, such as the ability to escape from a mounted, side-mounted, or half-guard position, and dealing with basic submissions and takedowns. Dealing with such situations has always been a reality when it comes to violent physical conflict. Obviously, avoiding such conflict is ideal, and avoiding ever being taken to the ground is ideal if you do end up involved in such a conflict. Unfortunately, no matter how much some may want to believe that they are "too fast to be taken down," or that they can stop such a thing with "anti-grappling," things happen. Ankles roll, shoes slide, gravel slips, attacker's catch you off guard, punches mess up your equilibrium, etc., and you fall down. In early karate books by Funakoshi and Itoman, we see this addressed with primarily keeping the legs between you and the opponent, kicking, knocking them down, and regaining the feet. This can even be seen in the Bubishi. For those who are curious, my Sensei and I are not BJJ black belts, nor are we trying to create top-level submission grappling competitors in our dojo. We do both have varied backgrounds with grappling experience, and do work grappling regularly in the dojo to keep up our skills and evolve and explore. Since we are karateka, who primarily strike and work standing grappling methods, this type of approach to grappling is our focus, although we do cover things more in depth for those with an interest. How many karateka actually work a full array of grappling methods and randori (free grappling/sparring)? How many work self-defense-specific grappling like this? How many stick to takedown defense, or "anti-grappling?" I would be interested to see what is out there in the karate community, today, especially with the growing prevalence of MMA, and its impact on society.

As sensei8 points out, Okinawan stances are not generally very low in comparison to Japanese styles, and neko-ashi-dachi, in particular, is not a very low stance. It only goes so low before you compromise the structure of the stance.

Excellent opportunity! Have fun!

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Thank you! I'm glad you found some value in my ramblings, and the videos that my Sensei and I have put out. I don't know about being an Internet star, but thanks! Iain Abernethy Sensei has some great stuff, and even when I don't agree with certain techniques or methods he likes to use, that is usually based on my personal preferences, rather than ineffectiveness. His base art was Wado-Ryu, but he also had some Shukokai Shito-Ryu influence, among other things. He is one of a growing number of instructors who have stopped carrying the label of their style with them, though. For a rather similar approach, Vince Morris Sensei and several of his students have videos online going through applications to kata. Morris Sensei's methods and Abernethy Sensei's methods have a lot in common, although I find that Morris Sensei's tend to use flow drills less. For some very good information on kata bunkai and body mechanics, Chris Denwood Sensei is a great resource. His public videos tend to be very detail-focused, and show very isolated examples of techniques and drills, but they are excellent starting points for beginners, and good jumping-off points for more advanced practitioners With a bit of a bias, I would recommend looking at content put out by Ulf Karlsson Sensei (he is my KishimotoDi teacher, albeit mostly remotely) on YouTube, and by Jan Dam Sensei on his Genten Kai Facebook Page. Karlsson Sensei has a few videos out showing old-style Suidi (Shuri-Te) applications, particularly focusing on the Tachimura-lineage version of Naihanchi. Jan Dam Sensei is formerly a regional head of the Shinjinbukan, so his material comes from Onaga Yoshimitsu Sensei's approach to Ti, which is a combination of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, and old Suidi and Nafadi (Naha-Te) principles and training methods. Ryan Parker Sensei has some good, thorough videos on YouTube, and articles on his blog, regarding old-style Okinawan techniques and methods. Many of his videos are older--from the 90's and earlier--and he admits to having altered his views and approach since then, having grown in his study, but it still provides good food for thought.

Welcome to the forum!

The color of embroidery allowed on your belt is entirely dependent upon your dojo and organization, so you will have to check with your Sensei to see what is allowed

Like Spartacus, I'm a Kobayashi guy, but from Nakazato's lineage instead of Miyahira's. It takes 6-8 years to earn a Shodan under my Sensei, on average, and we have a total of 19 kata; Chibana's 3 Kihon Kata, Nakazato's Fukyu no Kata, 3 Naihanchi, 5 Pinan, Passai Sho/Dai, Kusanku Sho/Dai, Chinto, Gojushiho from Iju Seiichi, and Nakazato's Gorin. The kihon and fukyu kata are all essentially just moving basics, more than actual kata, and Gorin is just an amalgamation of movements from various other kata that Nakazato put together to present at the 1996 Olympics. The idea isn't to have a perfect, elite-level kata competitor by Shodan, but to have someone who is comfortable with all of the techniques, movements, and sequences in the system, at least enough so that applications won't seem totally alien to them. We learn applications as we learn the kata, of course, and explore the bunkai process, so that students all get an idea of what they are looking at, and can drill it and make it useful. Really digging deep in the kata happens as a black belt for us, though. Up to that point, it's much more about being shown and practicing, more than trying to work out things for yourself (with guidance, of course).