Wastelander

A makiwara does, indeed, need to be flexible--that is how they function, after all. No flex, no progressive resistance. The solid makiwara, like that one, serve their purpose, but it isn't developing power and striking structure, which is what a real makiwara does.

I would expect working Kyokushin kihon and kata to mess you up--I know it really threw me off when I tried doing it with the group I work out with on occasion. Your best bet is probably to just ask them when they will be sparring, and stop by for that every now and then, while continuing with your regular judo training sessions for the most part.

I'm afraid they aren't kata that I am familiar with, and when I Googled them, the first thing that came up was actually your blog . I did notice that you practice Shudokan, which is interesting to me because I just started discussing Chibana no Kusanku with someone yesterday, and that seems to be a kata that is only passed down through Toyama Kanken. I can't watch videos while I am at work, so I can't comment on the videos you have of the kata you mention in your OP, at the moment. I can say I would definitely love to discuss Chibana no Kusanku with you, though! Sorry for the tangent!

You can try asking local martial arts instructors if they know any other teachers in the area--most of them do, even if you can't find them on Google. That said, the best advice I can give would be to visit all of the karate schools in your area, talk to the instructors, watch classes, and try classes, and attend the one you like best. Style is really less important than the environment and teacher, so you might find that any number of other karate styles actually give you more enjoyment. Just a thought

I have not been training long enough to participate in this survey (almost 8 years, currently), but I did pass it along to some people I know who do qualify. I hope the research goes well!

What part of AZ are you in?? I would love to stop in if I am nearby! Thanks Our dojo is in the Scottsdale Airpark.

Well, last year I set goals to compete in my first MMA fight, pass my Ikkyu test in Shorin-Ryu, and attend more seminars. I did compete in my first MMA fight, I did pass my Ikkyu test, and I attended one more seminar than the year before, so I guess I succeeded! In 2014, my goals are: 1. Attend more seminars (there were more I could have done and didn't) 2. Pass my Shodan test in Shorin-Ryu (scheduled for "summer" sometime ) 3. Compete in a couple grappling competitions

Welcome to the forum! It's interesting to get Chinese martial arts input. I'm actually in Arizona, as well, so let me know if you are interested in stopping into our dojo!

Wolff's Law I completely agree with you, and we don't typically do any tameshiwari at my dojo unless we are doing a demonstration. That said, I think that the schools that do not do any conditioning but require breaks usually either kiln-dry the boards/bricks/blocks/tiles/etc., cut them partially, or only hit them with kicks, which are relatively safe to do, even for people who haven't done any conditioning.

Some people call it an "oblique kick." Conveniently, I made a quick-and-dirty, not-thought-out-in-advance video explaining it here: Of course, as sensei8 said, it is just one of many applications . And yes, all techniques really are only implied until you use them--that's a good way of looking at it! That's close, but, imho, it's not the same as Nami Ashi. It might appear close, but it's not. What you're demonstrating is that your kicking leg is coming up first, and then out towards target, but in our version of Nami Ashi, for the most part, said leg is coming right from the floor, from Kiba Dachi, as its used in the Naifanchi series, across to the opposite legs thigh, at least that's how we execute it, and our hips must stay level, and not coming upward. That is what I meant by "implied" rather than "explicit." When we practice Naihanchi, our hips also stay level during nami-gaeshi/nami-ashi, and the foot comes to the thigh. The foot going to the thigh tells you where to kick when you torque your hips and extend the kick. This is just part of our bunkai method, of course, so that doesn't necessarily fit everyone's style.

Silat has a lot of similarities to classical karate, in my opinion--it's not surprising, considering how big a player Okinawa was in oceanic trade across the region. Indo-China was very much within their realm, and I would be absolutely shocked if Silat and karate were not exchanged during that time.

Welcome to the forum! It's great to have such an experienced practitioner join us! You can do breaks without conditioning, particularly if the breaks are easy and you don't do them often, but it's not a great idea. I was introduced to tai tanren (body conditioning) in Shuri-Ryu, but it has been much expanded since I started training in Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi), which is also when I was introduced to hojo undo from a strength perspective. These are key practices for practical karateka, in my opinion, but I also realize that not everyone trains for self defense/fighting purposes.

Some people call it an "oblique kick." Conveniently, I made a quick-and-dirty, not-thought-out-in-advance video explaining it here: Of course, as sensei8 said, it is just one of many applications . And yes, all techniques really are only implied until you use them--that's a good way of looking at it!

Welcome to the forum!

Turns, lifted feet, stances, etc. could all imply potential kicks. The most obvious example is in the kata Naihanchi--I think it's called Chulgi in TKD, if that helps? There are sections where you do sweeping motions with the feet that, in addition to legitimately working as foot sweeps, can be the chamber position for shovel kicks. My style also makes liberal use of cat stances throughout our other forms, which take your weight off the lead leg, which frees it up to kick or sweep.

Haha, yes, I think that throws people off, sometimes. In our kata, the only kicks that are explicitly used (performed the way you would in application) are front snap kicks, back kicks, and one inside crescent kick. All other kicks--side kicks, shovel/oblique kicks, roundhouse kicks, etc.--are implied, meaning the forms tell you that you could do them there, but do not have you perform them completely.

I've trained in parks, garages, small church halls, community centers, warehouses, and some modern dojo in commercial building suites. Having space is important, but where that space is doesn't matter as much, in my opinion

To the bold type above... It's interesting that you say that. Why? Because its been my impression that the governing body DOES dictate how said technqiue is delivered. Although, those of authority have been known to "change" the method, even if just ever so slightly. Now, what the practitioner does, is up to said practitioner. Imho. That may often be the case, but it doesn't seem to be in our style--the roundhouse kick isn't a "traditional" technique, in the sense that it does not exist in it's explicit form in any of our kata. The techniques that are explicitly performed, rather than implied, in kata are the ones that are dictated by our governing body. Even then, though, different people will teach things slightly differently. Perhaps Nakazato Sensei teaches the roundhouse kick only one way in the Honbu dojo, but no one seems to be corrected on it when they travel to Okinawa, or when the Okinawans travel to our training camps here.

Hey, now--I've done some good training in dodgy warehouses, and I know some great people with too many tattoos. Don't judge In all seriousness, your best bet is pretty much ALWAYS to try out classes and see which place you like best.

I had seen something about that, but the report I saw was in Japanese and obviously Google Translate wasn't entirely accurate--I had thought it was simply closing for open training! The translation gave the impression that the dojo, itself, would still be there and in use by regular students. This is definitely sad news

Congratulations!

During Sensei Bethea's most recent visit to our dojo, I had a chance to sit down with him for a bit and ask him some questions. It's taken me quite a while to get the interview video edited and uploaded, and I forgot to zoom the camera in before we started, but I don't think it turned out too bad. No secrets were revealed, and no mysteries were solved, but I always enjoy hearing senior martial artists talk about their experiences.

Foot orientation in roundhouse kicks isn't really governed by our style--we teach a variety of striking methods. For those with flexible toes, roundhouse kicks with the ball of the feet work quite well, as they have good penetration and speed. For those with strong, sturdy toes, roundhouse kicks with the tips of the toes work well to soft targets. For everyone wanting to get the most power possible into their kick, the shin is the preferred striking surface. For speed and reach, the top of the foot is better. In our dojo, none of these is "wrong" or "correct," so long as they are used in the appropriate context.

Welcome to the forum! If you are just looking to do martial arts for exercise, then just about anything will fit the bill. The key is to find one that you enjoy doing, because that's the one you will stick with, and the only way to really benefit from exercise is to do it consistently. Check out the schools available in your area, talk to the instructors, try out some classes, and pick the one you like best. Expenses are an area that is more difficult for us to help you with. Pricing for classes varies greatly from art to art, and location to location. Training can cost anywhere from $0 to $250+ a month, depending on what you do and where you do it. Similarly, equipment and uniforms can vary in cost as much (or more) as the classes, themselves. I can say that you will want a cup/groin protector, and a good mouth guard, for any martial arts that do partner work (drills, sparring, grappling, etc.). Anything else will probably be more specific to the art being practiced.

Welcome to the forum!