Wastelander

I agree that training should be directly related to MMA competition if you are going to call what you do "MMA." For that reason, even though we cover a lot of the same material, our dojo doesn't call what we do "MMA." As I said, even though the literal term "mixed martial arts" may be accurate, that isn't what people think of when they read MMA--now, they think of cage fighting.

We certainly utilize and emphasize the use of torque, in addition to sinking or rising body weight, for power generation and force transfer. I recently got the chance to train in old-style Okinawan Shuri-Te, and that system also uses body rotation, sinking, and rising, but differently than more "modern" systems of karate. The body can only be used so many ways, so it isn't surprising, in my opinion, that we would see the same or similar methods of power generation.

In truth, the vast majority of what we call "traditional martial arts" are, or were at one time, mixed martial arts. Karate, for example, is a blend of Okinawan, Indochinese, Chinese, and Japanese martial arts. Judo is a blend of a couple different traditional Japanese jujutsu styles and Western wrestling. The trouble is that the term "mixed martial arts" is now associated with a specific type of competition, rather than being a description of what you do in your training. When people talk about MMA, these days, everyone assumes they are talking about this competitive format. Because of that, even though plenty of "traditional martial arts" really are "mixed," they should probably stop using that term to avoid confusion and misrepresentation. All that said, it is certainly possible to teach "traditional martial arts" that do fit the MMA mold. At my dojo, for example, we teach both striking and grappling arts, and we spar and roll in a manner that can be transferred into MMA competition if you so choose. If you think about it, the vast majority of MMA fighters actually trained in a variety of traditional arts, to begin with, so it makes sense that this is still acceptable.

Hello everyone, A little over a month ago, we had a KishimotoDi practitioner spend 10 days teaching us a little of his system. It's a rare style of old-school karate (Shuri-Te, specifically) that most people haven't even heard of, so we were thrilled to get the opportunity! There is a lot that is familiar, but because it's a style of Te, rather than modern karate, it has some strange aspects to it, as well. I thought some people here might be interested to see the differences and do a bit of comparison. Here is the version of Naihanchi Shodan we practice at my dojo, which is the most popular version of this kata: Here is the KishimotoDi version of Naihanchi (they only have one Naihanchi kata), which looks familiar, and yet strange at the same time: And to see a little bit of Tachimura no Naihanchi (what they call their version) in action, here is a snippet of a drill we did during his seminar:

Well, I don't know how helpful we can be when it comes to setting up seminars, but if you come through Phoenix, Arizona, you'd be welcome to stop by our dojo!

Welcome to the forums!

Congratulations!

Not if one is punching properly, as you've mentioned. The MMA gloves look like a shorter version of what Bruce wore in Enter The Dragon. After the movie aired, one could buy a glove just like that. I did. What I didn't like was that the glove was thick all over. However, I couldn't fully close either fist completely, and I didn't like that at all. I'd be aware of that as well with the MMA gloves. Hopefully, modern technology has fixed that. It isn't so much the punching you have to worry about with the fingers, as it is the blocking. Many styles, and many people, in general, do a lot of open-handed blocking. That is what leaves the fingers vulnerable to injury while wearing open-handed gloves. I've seen the Bruce Lee gloves, and thought they were very interesting, but seemed like you probably couldn't make a proper fist. Modern MMA gloves don't have that problem, if they fit properly and are made properly.

Thanks, everyone! Somehow, I managed to totally miss this thread! I appreciate all the well-wishes!

I actually prefer to do the vast majority of my bagwork without gloves or wraps, at all--it's better for preparing your hands for impact to ensure that you don't get injured later. That said, MMA gloves definitely aren't bad for your hands, as long as you punch properly. I will say that the fact that the fingers are exposed means that it is easier for them to get caught on things, and injured that way.

There are no universal requirements, but some organizations may require you to be of a certain rank before you can run a school that is officially affiliated with the organization. Typically, this seems be somewhere between 2nd and 4th dan when I have seen it. I've definitely seen Shodans running their own schools, and 6th dans that just want to be students.

I don't know the original intention behind those being the only allowable strikes--I'm not a Shotokan practitioner, and so I'm not familiar with the details of its history. What I can say is that those strikes are much harder to land than, say, a jab. More difficult to land = safer competition.

The majority of hojo undo practices found in karate originally came from China and India, and were given an Okinawan flavor over time, as far as I can tell. These methods are present in all Okinawan karate styles, to some degree, but Naha-Te systems (Goju-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu, primarily) make the most use of it, generally. It's really up to the instructor whether or not he/she wants to make use of traditional hojo undo methods.

I've learned how to kick with all three striking surfaces, but most of the time I use the bony mass on the instep, just below my ankle. Most people who kick hard prefer to use their shin, but the instep/ankle area works best for me. I've broken my big toes a couple times without letting them heal properly, so it's difficult for me to pull them back for any kicks with the ball of the foot.

I'm going to have to slightly disagree here. I get the impression that just because Itosu invented the Pinan (Heian) kata for school children it appears to me most do not put much value in their importance. While they may have been made for school children the move is going to be the same, but the application changes. Iha sensei of Shorin Ryu Shidokan once told us there is a mudansha (lower grade) bunkai and yudansha (black belt holder) bunkai. For example there is a move in Pinan Godan that is exactly the same in Chinto. While teaching it to the lower grades you teach the "basic" bunkai which is a block and counter, When it gets to the advance kata the application taught is an advance tuite technique. By then the student has a better mastery of the moves. From my training and experience what made the kata much better suited for school children was their length and lack of teaching the advance applications. In other words, they are much shorter by about a third of the advance kata. If any of you have taught children you know that their attention span is much shorter. Also they were being taught in the school system with a limited amount of time. Here's something else, use the Pinan kata as your basics like basic math and multiplication. It's the foundation to the advance techniques. It opens that door. Without it, it makes it that much harder. Anyway, my humble opinion. I think everyone here has given some outstanding advice. I'm not surprised that you disagree--most people do, actually. My point of view on the Pinan kata can be a bit inflammatory, so I don't get into it in public forums too often. Suffice it to say that I subscribe to the idea that if you have time to practice the Pinan kata, you have time to practice Passai, Kusanku, and Chinto instead.

A bunch of those guys were actually wearing their gi earlier in the day, but there was a no-gi division at the end of the event, so they took them off. I wasn't feeling up to going any more rounds, so I just hung out in my gi. Thanks!

We do it at the beginning and end of belt tests, but not regular classes. Every now and then, I will meditate on my own, but I learned meditation from what most would consider to be an "unusual" source before I ever started training in martial arts.

Banah certainly sounds like it would have come from somewhere other than karate, but the other two sound like poorly-pronounced Japanese words. I would propose that "I-Hon Kata" may actually be "Kihon Kata" as pronounced by someone with a bad accent. The word "kihon" means "basic" or "foundation," and breath kata are often considered "kihongata" in karate, so this makes sense. Do you have a video of it, by any chance? This is the only video I could find that might be it: Chonan isn't a kata I had ever heard of, but if it's this one ( ) then it looks like a modern creation--probably post-WW2. The movements look very much like the basics of modern karate, with one or two throwbacks to old techniques.

http://s16.postimg.org/5q1w6u6z9/Freestyle_Judo_Scrimmage_Blue_Collar_Fighter.jpg Today, despite my ongoing (non-contagious) health issues, I participated in an open Freestyle Judo scrimmage event--sort of a small, "practice tournament"--at a local MMA gym. My division only had four people in it, and one of them had to leave early, so I only ended up having two matches. I won the first one by a pretty good margin on points for a throw, reversals, and submission attempts. I lost my second one by a narrow margin on points against a guy who is either a blue belt or a purple belt (I'm colorblind, so I can't tell which it was) in BJJ. Considering the fact that I have zero cardio because I haven't been able to train with any intensity for about 6 months, I feel like I did pretty well. In the photo, above, I'm the goofy-looking guy in the off-white gi top, just right of center in the back row.

The first thing I would mention is that the Pinan kata aren't a great place to be looking for the original intent of any technique, for the very reason that CredoTe mentions--they were made for school children. To see the techniques in the proper context, you should look at them as they exist in the older kata that they came from. In this case, Kusanku--some versions of which do it on both sides, although most do it on one. That said, I completely agree with CredoTe that it doesn't really matter if the kata does it on one side or on both, since you practice it on both sides on a partner. For this technique, as with most techniques in kata, there are many ways to use it. You might use it as a throw if you do it against a right hand punch, but if you started to do the same thing against a left hand punch, you might use it as an arm lock instead. Same movement, different application--just like "wax on, wax off"

I'm not surprised that you're having a hard time--kickboxing and karate are similar enough to cause a lot of difficulties, particularly if you haven't been training in one for quite a while before starting the other. To be honest, though, you'll have to decide for yourself which one you want to do. From the way you've written your post, it sounds like you've already decided that you prefer kickboxing to karate. If that's the case, then you should drop karate and continue with your kickboxing.

With regard to your second topic, I would go with about a 60/40 split between enthusiasm and physical ability. In my experience, enthusiasm can make up for a lack of physical ability, but there is a limit to how much of a lack it can make up for. I think the 60/40 is a pretty good balance, since the higher level of enthusiasm keeps them working at improving, and they are still physically able enough to make decent improvement through their practice. Once again, though, that's the "ideal."

Karate belts are primarily for holding your gi closed--the pants have drawstrings these days When it comes to ranks, senior students and instructors use them to be able to quickly tell what material a lower rank student should know. It also helps them figure out what they will need to work on, and at what level. All of those judgements are fluid, though, and once a senior student or instructor starts working with you, they will have a better understanding of you, as a martial artist, and won't need to judge you by your belt anymore.

Welcome to the forum, Iskrax! Don't worry about making mistakes--you've been training for 9 months, so no one expects you to be perfect! Honestly, I've been training for nearly 8 years, and I still make mistakes. When an instructor is watching you, and you make a mistake, it is simply something to correct and move on. They don't dwell on it or think that someone is terrible just for that. Karate is a lifelong pursuit, so you have lots of time to fix your mistakes

I'm also in agreement with tallgeese--when the arts are as different as BJJ and karate, it isn't as important to have a solid foundation in one before starting the other. That would definitely be the case if you wanted to cross-train in similar arts, though.