Wastelander

@bushido_man96 - If you're ever in the Phoenix area, definitely let me know! I'll do likewise if I find myself in your neck of the woods @Bulltahr - Yes, that is one form of a te-makiwara. I generally use my wallet as one, for small-surface strikes, but recently started working on a wooden one, as well. @amolao - Makiwara aren't very popular in most modern dojo, and even the ones that do have them often only use them for conditioning, which isn't the intended purpose. Kobudo has a similar problem, but since I'm not much of a kobudo guy, myself, I suppose I'm not really helping that too much. My instructor does teach kobudo in our dojo, though, and I do practice a little. @JackD - I'm glad you found it valuable! I definitely think a makiwara is a vital training implement for every karateka. @Alan Armstrong - We don't teach "ikken hissatsu" as the "result" of training, so much as it is the "hope" of training. If you can hit someone hard enough to stop them in one shot, that is great. If not, though, you have to be able to adapt and overcome, which is more emphasized in our training than the "one hit, one kill" philosophy. As far as the women and girls in our dojo, most do not work with it, but most students of both genders don't work with it. We show them how, but don't force the issue. Most karateka, if we are honest with ourselves, train for other reasons than self defense and fighting, and they don't necessarily need makiwara training. It would be nice, and we do make sure they work with it from time to time, but it isn't a requirement.

Thank you, everyone, for the replies! I wanted to comment on everyone, but the forum doesn't have a multi-quote feature at the moment, so forgive the lack of quotes: sensei8 - Haha, yes, I expected this type of answer--I already knew you trained with the makiwara . Do have any drills/methods you especially like? bushido_man96 - We'll have to get you to visit! MatsuShinshii - The conditioning that you describe (Wolff's Law, along with a companion law related to soft tissues, which I can't remember the name of right now) is something I see as a secondary, even coincidental benefit of makiwara training. For me, the feedback the makiwara gives me helps me develop my structure, muscle engagement, and power generation more than anything else. Of course, the resistance also builds strength in all of the tissues involved in the strikes being used. I primarily use a flat tachi-makiwara, myself. I broke our last three ude-makiwara at the dojo, so we need to work something else out for the mount for those. I find sagi-makiwara interesting, but essentially do the same exercises with hanging bags. The large taketaba I like for striking and grabbing, just not with my nukite--I prefer maize bags for that. Nidan Melbourne - You could build a platform makiwara, like the one I built for my use at home. The thumping would probably not work out well in an apartment, but it would give you one you could use at the dojo! Can't very well have a Goju-Ryu practitioner without a makiwara, now can we!? JackD - The slotted, wall-mount "makiwara" are definitely not very good for much. They can work for some hand conditioning, but they don't give you the feedback a proper makiwara does, which is really the main benefit of a makiwara. On top of that, since it's mounted flat to the wall, there are some drills that you can't really do, since there is no space behind the makiwara. I highly recommend building yourself one! Shorin_son_goju_father - Since you've trained in two different Okinawan styles, I'm curious as to whether you were taught different methods in each, or if you just carried over one into the other? Do you make use of the feedback component of the makiwara, or just conditioning and accuracy? Bulltahr - What you describe sounds like a te-makiwara, which is definitely intended just as a portable hand conditioning tool. I have actually found that my wallet works well for small-surface strikes, whereas I can use a harder tool for large-surface strikes. _____ Now, sensei8 mentioned that he has a wide variety of ways to train with the makiwara, while JackD said he really just uses reverse punches. Personally, I have a lot of different drills I work with the makiwara, aside from just standing still in front of it and pounding away with whatever strike I want to work on (which I also do). I find that it's much more interesting to work with the makiwara in different ways, and I also benefit from it in different ways. For starters, there are different ways to hit it just from a static stance with reverse punches. I've put some examples together in this video for that: Then, of course, there are tons of ways to incorporate footwork, receiving movements, and combinations of strikes. Jan Dam Sensei, from Denmark, shows some in the first video, below, while you can see some of mine in the second: https://www.facebook.com/GentenKai.Denmark/videos/1837060476550648/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BMWoW6ZDuVe/?taken-by=karateobsession Does anyone have any favorite methods or drills?

To the bold type above... But why has that been deemed as so?? In all honesty, I'm not entirely certain. The style is very old, and very small, so it may simply be leftover fears of people claiming to have trained in it when they haven't, if they learn the kata from videos. The head of the system said so, though, so it is what it is.

At my old dojo, seniority was determined by time-in-grade. If TIG was the same, then it was determined by total time training in the martial arts. If that was the same, then it went by age. My current dojo doesn't bother with such things.

Thank you, everyone! The clip isn't mine, actually--it's my KishimotoDi teacher's. I have only learned the first two kata of the KishimotoDi system (Naihanchi and Nidanbu), and will be learning Kusanku in March. The KishimotoDi versions of Passai and Kusanku are not supposed to be made publicly available, so I don't have those for reference material. That said, as I mentioned in the original post, Gensei-Ryu does share lineage with KishimotoDi, and videos are available from them. This is the Gensei-Ryu version of Tachimura no Passai, which has been heavily "Japanified," as well:

As someone who practices Okinawan karate, I work with a makiwara fairly regularly. That said, I know that not all styles, or even all schools, make use of makiwara training. I also know that many who do use makiwara don't use them the way they are intended. I'm curious how many folks here at KF train with the makiwara, and how/why?

Thanks! These types of drills can definitely be applied in a variety of ways, whether it be for sparring or self defense. We also use various "fence" positions, but you can't really stand around or walk around holding a "fence" posture without looking like a crazy person . It's great for dealing with confrontations, but this is more for a sucker punch situation, where you may not have much/any lead-up to the attack, so you wouldn't necessarily have time to employ a "fence." That's why the "hands ready" positions are great--they are relaxed and neutral, but still readily useful.

Congratulations to all! I remember those tests at the Morton dojo, and the graduation ceremonies in Peoria. Fun times!

I had been planning to do the 100 kata challenge on Saturday, along with everyone else, but spent the entire day teaching and helping with a belt test, instead. Still, that's a pretty "Karate Day" thing to do, I think

Hello, everyone! My Sensei and I's latest video takes a look at some conceptual drills for developing self defense reactions--one for developing a pre-emptive strike reaction to visual stimuli, and one for developing a defensive reaction to tactile stimuli. These are very simple drills that can be easily expanded to fit your preferred techniques or specific scenarios. In the first drill, one person holds a pad while the other holds their hands in a "hands ready" position in front of their body. The pad holder then cocks their other hand back to throw a punch, and the "hands ready" person has to strike the pad as soon as they see this preparatory action. The "hands ready" hand position is intended to be neutral and non-threatening in appearance, and is a comfortable way to hold your hands when simply standing around, while keeping your hands available for use, unlike a "fence" position, which is meant to be applied after a potential defensive situation has begun. You can, of course, practice this drill from a "fence" hand position, which is easier. You can expand on this drill once students have learned to read the preparatory action, and have the pad holder put on a sparring glove of some type, and actually throw the punch. This gives you the ability to work the drill from an offensive approach (pre-emptive striking) or a defensive approach (blocking and countering), or any number of options in between. It can also be done with the pad holder reaching to grab/shove, or reaching for a weapon, or setting up for a backhand, etc. While the first drill was meant to develop reactions based on visual cues (the hand drawing back to punch), the second is meant to develop reactions based on tactile cues. Fights aren't all sucker punches and haymakers--grabs, chokes, hair pulling, etc., can all make an appearance, whether they are the initial attack, or happen in the midst of a fight. With this in mind, the second drill has one person close their eyes, and then their partner grabs them in some way. In the video, we show a simple two-handed choke from the front, but it could be any grabbing/pushing/pulling attack. With the eyes closed, the student has to rely solely on their sense of touch to determine how they are being attacked, where the attacker is, and what they are doing, in order to react. That is a lot to figure out in a short amount of time, so the more you can drill it, the easier it will become, but drilling against known attacks, or attacks you can see coming, is going to be easier than random attacks you don't see coming. Both of these drills can be fun and interesting, and very beneficial. I hope some folks here can find a use for them in their dojo!

Congratulations!

While we do end our punches at an angle, as you describe, it isn't standard to use the fist formation you describe. That said, we do occasionally teach alternative first formations and striking methods, and allow students to use them as they prefer in their training.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. When I started training in the martial arts, I often heard black belts talking about how "concepts are more important than techniques." Unfortunately, none of them ever really explained what they meant, so it took me a while to work it out on my own. Of course, early in your martial arts training, it's much easier to understand a technique than it is to understand the underlying concepts. As you develop as a martial artist, however, the concepts will benefit you much more than a collection of techniques. Some people, in their quest to advance, begin collecting techniques. This is partially influenced by the fact that most schools have a list of techniques that must be learned before someone can test for their next rank. This, in a way, incentivizes technique collecting, especially if the fundamental concepts of those techniques aren't explained. This results in martial artists who "know" many techniques, but they tend to have difficulty applying them or modifying them. They think of techniques as "right" and "wrong," rather than fluid methods that can change based on innumerable variables, without changing the concepts that make the technique work. So, what exactly is a "concept," and how is it different from a technique, when we are talking about martial arts? That can be a bit difficult to answer, but to put it simply, a martial arts concept is the basic physical or psychological actions and principles that make a technique work. If you learn a technique, you know a technique, but if you learn a concept, then you know many techniques. It's like the difference between memorizing that 10*2=20, and understanding that any number multiplied by 10 will simply have a 0 added to the end. To use an over-simplified example of a physical concept, we can look at a punch. While a punch is recognizable, no matter what style someone practices, every style punches a bit differently. We can recognize it because a punch is pretty much always going to consist of the extension of an arm in order to strike a target with a closed fist. There are many ways to generate power, form a fist or move the arm, and there are many targets you could potentially strike, but it is still a punch. Even complex techniques, like compound joint locks, can be broken down in this manner to find the essence of what makes the technique work. Sometimes, a concept is more of a psychological thing than a physical one. Just like physical concepts, these are key factors in making techniques work, and they can be a little more complex. They include things like aggression signals, flinch responses and active resistance. These things are not techniques, of course, but if your attacker shows signs of certain types of aggression, or flinches or resists in certain ways during an altercation, it will have a major impact on the techniques that you can use. Rather than having specific techniques for every possible factor, you can simply modify your techniques based on the concepts that make them work, by understanding the psychological concepts that are in play. It will always be easier for a student to learn a technique, but it is important for instructors to point out that the techniques we teach work because of the physiology of the human body and physics, which can be applied in a myriad of ways. Without that additional understanding, they are simply memorizing movements, and not learning how to move for themselves. Early on, in the Shu (copy) phase of Shu-Ha-Ri (a developmental process), this is perfectly fine, because it gives the student something to work with. Over time, though, they should be able to use the concepts they have learned to modify techniques when necessary, as part of the Ha (adapt) phase. In the Ri (rranscend) phase, they should be freely applying techniques that they haven't necessarily learned before, but are based on concepts that they have previously learned. This is, of course, a very granular application of the Shu-Ha-Ri concept, but it is a fairly clear example. In order for us to evolve as martial artists, we must understand more than just how to perform a technique: We must understand how it works, at a fundamental level.

Hello, everyone! In addition to Shorin-Ryu, I'm a practitioner of a small, rare system of old-style Shuri-te called KishimotoDi on Okinawa, or Kishimoto-Ha karate, on mainland Japan. The style consists of just four kata; Naihanchi, Nidanbu, Passai, and Kusanku. As it stands, I know the KishimotoDi version of Naihanchi, and Nidanbu (which is unique to KishimotoDi). My KishimotoDi teacher, Ulf Karlsson, plans to teach me their version of Kusanku in March. He has been on a bit of a Kusanku kick, lately, and just put together this video showcasing some applications for Tachimura no Kusanku (also known as Takemura no Kusanku on mainland Japan). I do not have any public videos of Tachimura no Kusanku, performed in the original KishimotoDi fashion. The closest that can be found is the Kusanku of Gensei-Ryu, which shares lineage with KishimotoDi, but has been heavily "Japanified," for lack of a better term. You can see the Gensei-Ryu version of Kusanku, here:

Welcome to the forum!

Your build may be small, but your STRUCTURE can be made strong through training. No need for a specific build to train.

Hello, everyone! This week on Waza Wednesday, we switched gears a bit and took a look at one of the more esoteric weapons of Okinawan kobudo--the san-setsu-chaku (three section flail). It's similar to the nunchaku, which more people are familiar with, but since it's much less common, we wanted to highlight it for people.

I see that all the time in styles that do long, deep front stance. If you want to get really confused, start training in our style, where we DO lean just slightly forward I'm afraid I can't really provide much more guidance than having someone check you periodically, or check yourself in a mirror, and get used to the feeling of when it's right so you can self-correct

Hi Curtis, There are actually some recommendations being posted in this thread, already, which may be useful to you: http://www.karateforums.com/recommend-a-youtube-martial-art-video-vt49983.html

I appreciate the endorsements! Honestly, I don't even upload that many videos on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/wlbushido). Most of what I do is with my instructor, and uploaded on our dojo YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/peacefulwarriormartialartsandhealingcenter). As far as my recommendations go... Paul Enfield Sensei - Okinawan Goju-Ryu: https://www.youtube.com/user/GKCgoju John Titchen Sensei - Practical Karate (Shotokan based): https://www.youtube.com/user/jwtdart He Jinbao - Yin Bagua: https://www.youtube.com/user/YSBinternational Funker Tactical - Modern Weapons and RBSD: https://www.youtube.com/user/FunkerTactical

Welcome to the forum! You're lucky to be finding an interest in karate while living in the birthplace of karate! Don't worry too much about the language barrier. Karate can largely be learned physically, at least to start with, and most dojo will have a few people who speak some English, even if the instructor doesn't. The Okinawan people tend to be quite friendly and welcoming, so it shouldn't be an issue to get some help when you need it! I hope you and your son enjoy the experience!

Congratulations, CTTKDKing!

My Sensei and his girlfriend, who co-own the dojo, collect payments themselves, by check, money order, cash, or card. Dues are paid at the beginning of each month, and there are different rates depending on how many classes you plan to attend each week. Instructors fill out timesheets and turn them in to be paid on the 15th of each month. It's a pretty antiquated process, from the perspective of an IT guy (me), but it does work.

Welcome to the forum!

Ridgely Abele Sensei has written some books on Shuri-Ryu, which I understand to be quite good, but they are also very expensive. Since Trias created Shuri-Ryu, and it is a relatively small style, there just isn't a great wealth of material covering it, specifically. You can definitely find valuable information elsewhere, though! The Bubishi is a good choice from a historical and cultural perspective, and a very interesting read. I would also suggest Mark Bishop's books, of which there are several to choose from, for an exploration of Okinawan styles. The best book for karate history is going to be Karate 1.0 by Andreas Quast.