Wastelander

Thanks for the support, everyone! Part of the reason I'm so nervous is that I know it will be a very difficult and demanding test, and my health has been quite poor since November. I've been dealing with unexplained motion sickness and fatigue since then, and no doctors have been able to figure it out, so I haven't been able to train the way I feel I need to. Objectively, I know that I can only do the best I can do when the time comes, but I always put pressure on myself to do better. As far as what will be on the test, I know the curriculum items that will be included: 66 kihon waza 43 self defense techniques, demonstrated in the air and on an attacker 19 kata, and applications for them 7 yakosoku kumite drills, both attacking and defending roles There will also be questions on history, philosophy, details of movements and body mechanics, etc. My Sensei also knows that I know kata outside of the curriculum, and may ask me to demonstrate them, along with possibly asking me to demonstrate applications. I suspect he will ask me to do a kobudo kata, as well. I've never seen one of his shodan tests, before, so I really don't know what to expect--the only thing I have to go by is the one shodan test I was an attacker for at my old dojo. I expect to be nitpicked on form until it drives me crazy, made to do things over and over again for minute mistakes, and asked to do strange things (like backwards kata with push-ups every three moves, or something), all to try and make me give up. Then, of course, I have to spar everyone on my testing panel after everything else, when I'm completely exhausted.

ps1 is absolutely correct--if you're going to try to research this, you are going to have a hard time. In addition, different styles use slightly different body mechanics, so if you end up pulling information from people who do things differently, your instructor may tell you that your paper was wrong. And that's just for power generation! Snap is a totally different can of worms. You're going to have to define "snap," for one thing--there are different characteristics that martial artists might call "snap." One kind of snap might be good, and another might be bad, depending on who you ask. Your best bet is really going to be studying how your art does it, and explain that to the best of your ability. You said "in martial arts (specifically, karate)," but that is extremely vague when it comes to the topics you have to cover. If you feel you need more information on how your style does things, you could try reaching out to other people who practice it and ask them. We are happy to help people on this forum, but this is going to be a pretty tough one!

Welcome back to the forum, and karate! Which "Okinawan Shorei-Ryu" do you practice? There is Shorei-Ryu that is headquartered in Okinawa, that I am aware of, and there is the "Okinawan Shorei-Ryu" that came from Robert Trias, before he changed the name to "Shuri-Ryu."

I don't set aside time for it, but I do at least a little training every day, and it's usually scattered in bits and pieces throughout the day. A kata here, some bagwork there, things like that. I try to always work Naihanchi Shodan, at least, every day, and rotate through my other kata. I do, occasionally, do a longer 1-2 hour workout, but they aren't planned in advance.

First of all, welcome back to karate, and welcome to the forum! Gi manufacturers follow "standard" sizing for all of their production uniforms. Most people don't fit within those "standards," but they can usually get by with hemming or rolling up sleeves and pant legs. Unfortunately, overweight people don't usually have this option. I know some overweight karateka, and they almost always have to settle for a gi that isn't quite large enough, or a gi that is far too long for them. The best option is really going to be buying the largest gi that fits around you, and then having it shortened and have the legs and sleeves taken in, if necessary. The alterations can be done fairly cheaply, if you can find someone who does seamstress/tailor work out of their home--usually, asking around will find someone. It's also probably best for you to buy the pants and top separately (that's really best for most people) because the proportions aren't going to be right. I have yet to see any company provide a gi that is actually meant for overweight people. You would think someone would get on that.

Well, I guess it's really happening... My shodan shinsa (1st degree black belt test) is set to be held in just 10 days, unless it has to be postponed. One of my dojo-mates, who is also supposed to test, broke his foot at Nationals and is willing to test with a brace, but my instructor is considering either testing him separately in 6 weeks, or pushing everyone's test out 6 weeks. To be honest--and I feel selfish saying it--I would rather not wait. One month out from our test date, the reality of the upcoming test hit me, and I don't really want to feel that for 6 more weeks! The rank of shodan carries with it a very interesting paradox. On one hand, it is literally the "beginner level," and rank really means nothing, anyway. On the other hand, most people seem to believe that the standards for earning a black belt should be rather high, and the test for shodan should be the most difficult rank exam. If you believe the first, then you should not believe the second, and vice versa, and yet it seems that the vast majority are somehow able to believe both. It's both interesting and terrifying, to me, because I'm having a hard time reconciling both aspects of it. I'm very nervous about the test--I'm absolutely dreading it, really. That feeling of dread tells me that I care about doing well in the test and earning the rank of shodan. At the same time, my dread is compounded by the fact that I don't WANT to be driven by rank. It also doesn't escape my notice that the vast majority of people who say "rank doesn't matter" already hold black belt ranks, for whatever that's worth. Perhaps I'm having this inner conflict because I'm still supposed to care about rank? I'm really not sure. Sorry for the rambling, everyone--I ramble on when I'm nervous!

mal103 and cheesefrysamurai nailed it, in my opinion. If you were to ask the instructors at my dojo, or (I suspect) most traditional dojo, they would tell you that you are being tested every single day. The "official test" is really a pressure test. They already know that you know the material, and have the skill, experience, and personal qualities required for the rank you are testing for. What is being tested is your ability to demonstrate those things in a short period of time under a great deal of physical, mental, and emotional stress, without giving up. The character portion is something that can't really be tested in a short period of time, in any effective way that I can think of, and it should most definitely be evaluated way before you are allowed to test.

Welcome to the forum! Do you currently practice karate?

My Sensei starts asking for kata applications when you test for brown belt ranks. We don't do "kyogi" (we don't use that word for anything, actually) like you describe, but our applications don't have to strictly adhere to the kata, necessarily. Many of the applications of our kata are implied (cat stances can imply a kick, knee, or sweep, for example) so sometimes it won't be an exact match. Also, if your partner does something weird and you have to change what you're doing, that's fine--it's more important that you can make it work, and adapt if it fails. As far as I know, he doesn't have any set number of applications that he requires. Typically, I tell people to have two or three "go-to" applications for every kata. In my next test, I'm sure I will need quite a bit more than that, though.

I've made a few. The method of making them is pretty standard, but the diameter of the haft is up to you, and it's hard to judge how heavy it will be based on the size of the weight. Once you have your haft (should be about knee-height for a traditional chi-ishi), put nails or bolts through the end that will be in the cement. Line your mold with Vaseline. Place the haft into the mold and then pour in the cement. Wiggle the haft so it gets thoroughly embedded in the cement. Tap/vibrate the mold walls to get out air bubbles. Let it set long enough to be firm, but not dry, and then cover the top with water. Let the cement cure while covered with water for a week, or so, then remove it from the mold and place it in a bucket of water for another week. After that, it will be ready to dry and coat with whatever protective material you choose. Here are some little ones I made for single-arm exercises, weighing from 2.5lbs to 5.5lbs, that were molded in Clorox Wipe containers: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQgvw3rnuqo/UTYkqYCBPdI/AAAAAAAAGQI/mcnGUL4P5wA/s1600/Homemade+Chi-Ishi+Set.jpg And here is one of my big ones that I made for double-arm and full-body exercises, which was molded in a 5lb protein powder container and weighs about 13lbs: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WOBvsAzOGO4/U5m_mN6tFJI/AAAAAAAALD4/HWSO4Rrncwg/s1600/heavy+chi-ishi+coated.jpg

A dozen of our competitors qualified to compete at the USA Karate (WKF) National Championships in Reno, NV, and today was the last day of competition. The last day is Kumite Day, and our youngest competitor, 5 year old Kaylee, took the Gold in this match. It was a tough, back-and-fourth match, but she stuck to her game plan (kick them in the head) and pulled out the win. We're very proud of her!

I'm in complete agreement with Zaine. If you throw 10,000 punches a day, you will be overtraining, which can lead to injury, as well as ingraining bad habits and poor form. 100 to 500 a day is plenty, depending on your skill/fitness level, and even then I don't think it's actually all that necessary to do it every day. ESPECIALLY if those punches are all in the air. You would get more benefit out of hitting a target, like a makiwara, punching bag, or focus mitt.

Our curriculum includes ukemi--not to the same degree as grappling arts, of course, but it is there. Since our system includes throwing techniques, you have to know how to fall in order to train. That said, ukemi is definitely the most useful thing you will learn in martial arts! I have not had to defend myself since I was in High School, but I can assure you that I have slipped and fallen more times than I can count!

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Of course, only so much can be shown in a video, so a lot of details and nuances will be missed. I'm glad it's helpful, though! guird - In our style, a lot of applications are implied, and the knees and kicks here are examples of this. Those applications are most definitely historical applications for nami-gaeshi, but the mechanics are slightly different than the movement in kata. For this reason, the movement in kata can actually be done differently depending on the application.

There is more to being a good/qualified instructor than winning fights and having students who win fights, and looking out for students' safety is part of it. Of course, as DWx said, we weren't there so we don't know how your instructor said it--it may very well have been a comment made in jest. Either way, though, I stand by my assertion that beginners shouldn't be sparring each other until they've learned to control themselves by sparring with more advanced students. You say you have a brown belt and your Sensei in class--spar with them.

To me, it sounds as though her kick to the groin was accidental, and caused you some discomfort. Your knee to the ribs was purposeful, and caused significant pain. Sparring is not a contest of toughness, nor is it a tournament--you are supposed to be learning and practicing techniques you have drilled in a more live setting. If you feel the need to "get her back" after an accidental kick to the groin, when you weren't even wearing the proper gear, then you aren't ready to spar, in my opinion. If you do spar, I think you should only be sparring with brown and black belts. People who are new to sparring are the most dangerous, and need to be taught how to spar by sparring with more experienced students. Letting beginners go at it is a recipe for disaster. As you said, you are afraid you can't control your power. That's because you can't, which is totally normal! It takes time to develop that control, and once you have, it will be safe for you to spar other beginners, and smaller people.

Welcome to the forum, Baldor!

Congratulations!

It's definitely an interesting project, although I agree that it's a bit too pricy. What I don't like is the premise, though. According to the video, the whole purpose of these gloves is to "learn how to punch without a coach." I think that they can be valuable for those with training and instructors, but their value is going to be severely limited for those without. As far as your comments about gloves analyzing form and bone alignment, I don't believe we currently have the technology to do that with a glove. 3D motion capture, sure, but not a glove. Who knows what the future holds, though!

Glad you're here, Jack, and I'm happy to share! I actually share every karate-related article you write with some martial artists I know. For what it's worth, Masaji Taira Sensei's top Western student had this to say, about this article: "It's great that there is serious discussion in the mma world regarding this type of topic. And the authors statement, "but if—like me—you don't believe in the performance of kata adding anything to your martial arts game, but rather in the kata as a historical document of ideas" is a point that needs to be brought out into the open and deserves serious consideration in my view." Also, one of the people I shared it with is in one of the clips you used I'm definitely looking forward to more articles like this from you. Your breakdowns are always interesting and thorough, and it's great to see karate--realistic, old-school karate--get some positive attention. Thanks!

We have a full set at the dojo, and it's excellent! It definitely builds explosiveness!

Thanks, and my pleasure! I definitely use this in sparring and randori with strikes, myself. The step-around throw entry works especially well for koshi-guruma (hip wheel) and kubi-wa (neck ring), but you have to be sure to take their balance, first. There is a variation of this where you can actually throw them with the step, itself, but it's too technical to show in such a short video. I'm interested to hear how it worked out for you in class!

http://fightland.vice.com/blog/fighting-motives-a-study-in-saifa--part-1 Jack Slack is arguably the most respected striking analyst in the MMA world, and he also happens to have a karate background. Over the years, he has quietly slipped comments about practical karate into his articles. Recently, he's been more open about it and, now, he has started a series that focuses entirely on the applications of a traditional kata--Saifa. I don't practice Saifa, but I am most definitely familiar with Taira Sensei's material, which he references frequently in this article. It's awesome to see practical karate getting publicity, and I can't wait for Part 2!

First off, I totally agree that we need to stop this use of "man up" as a way of saying that someone needs to be tougher and more stoic. That implies that one gender is "better" than the other, or that someone isn't "living up" to the expectations of their gender, which simply isn't true. Along with that, I've seen a few people in this thread say things along the lines of "what did she expect when she joined a martial arts class?" and "karate is for self defense and should be real." Considering how vocal I typically am about what I train for, and what karate is meant for, I'm going to argue against this line of thinking. Yes, karate was developed for self defense, and for practical, effective self defense, you must train with the appropriate contact/intensity. That said, there are other benefits of karate training, and the likelihood of needing the self defense skills is relatively low, these days. If someone joins your dojo for their health, or just the enjoyment of karate training, then what right do you have to tell them they shouldn't do so? I think the woman in this story should have told your son to lighten up during sparring, rather than afterward, but that's her right. If you can't adjust your level of intensity to work with your partner, then you are the problem. I will be honest, I have gone through phases with this, myself. Early in my training, I found it very easy to lower my intensity for my partners. Later, as I became more heavily focused on practicality and self defense, I found it very difficult to do so, and became frustrated. Now, it's gotten easier, again. As a senior student in the dojo, it's my responsibility to help my dojo-mates along their karate journey--whether they take the paved path to the scenic overlook, or they take the sheer cliff-face to the summit. They don't need me tripping them and beating them up along the way because I don't want to take the same path they do. That would be incredibly selfish! Now, you mentioned that your son is training for competition, and that's why he needs to hit hard in sparring. If he has a competition coming up rather soon, then this makes sense, and he should only spar with partners who can accommodate that. If the competition is a ways off--say, more than 6 weeks away--then he should be able to tone it down for a partner or two here and there. In fact, I would argue that it would be good for him. There are times to train for yourself, and times to train for others. He needs to learn the difference, someday, if he is planning to continue his training.