Wastelander

Well, I'm a little hesitant to comment on this topic because I think my view may seem a little severe, but I feel this should be said; he isn't ready to test for Shodan. If he hasn't been sparring very much, and when he does spar he is too afraid of being hit to use what he knows, then he isn't ready for training with other black belts. There is no shame in this, but it must be recognized. I know that it seems like he has put in a lot of work over the past year to reach his Shodan test, but that training was not wasted because it has still made him a better karateka. It won't hurt him to wait a few more years to test--he's only 10 years old, so he has PLENTY of time. You say he is a good karateka, which means that by the time he is really ready, he will be a GREAT karateka! Take your time and introduce him to sparring situations where he can't run away (trap him in a corner, or tie your belts together) and where he is going to get hit. This will need to be a very gradual process to acclimatize him to the stress and pain he will experience. Maybe in a few years, he will have overcome his fear and hesitance in kumite, and by then he will be an even more knowledgeable and skilled karateka for the experience.

Hello everyone, I did some video recording on Saturday, and finally got a few clips edited and uploaded to share. The first is an application for the one-legged turn (a jump, in some styles) in Kusanku/Kanku. The technique is a throw found in Okinawa Shima (a grappling sport in Okinawa that descended from tegumi) and Sambo. This video simply shows the throw in isolation, without setups or distracting strikes, and I set my partner down lightly to avoid injury, so the landing doesn't match the kata like it would if I slammed him. The second video is for the kata Wansu/Enpi, where you sink into a horse stance and execute a low block, then shift into a front stance and punch. In the version I learned, the punch is done as a keiko-ken-tsuki (Phoenix eye fist punch), and I carried that over into this application. I demonstrate it as a defense against a shirt grab with a punch to the head, although it can be done from the grab before a punch is thrown, and if you sink into the arm enough you can actually turn them enough to prevent the punch. It's hard to see in the video, but I aim my keiko-ken-tsuki for the brachial plexus or vagus nerve, depending on what is available to me. The last video isn't a kata application, exactly--it is a quick explanation of a "side-step" uchi-mata (inner thigh throw) performed in conjunction with a shoulder lock (which can be found in Naihanchi kata).

In that case, your instructor should be familiar with some of the techniques listed here. That said, there are some throws (single leg, double leg, body lock, and suplex all come to mind) that are really best learned through wrestling, and since you're going to be in High School you should definitely either join the wrestling team, or ask someone on the wrestling team to help you out. I understand that some people just don't fit into a wrestling team (I was one of those people), so if that doesn't work for you, I still highly recommend finding a club/school/gym that focuses specifically on a grappling art.

First of all, welcome to the forum, Michael! As far as your question goes, I'm afraid we can only be of so much assistance--it's always best to learn takedowns from a qualified instructor, both to learn to do it effectively AND to learn to do it safely. If you have the opportunity to cross train at a local judo/JJJ/BJJ/Sambo/wrestling/etc. club, I highly recommend it! That is going to be the best way for you to learn grappling, because there are just too many subtleties to be able to learn properly without an experienced instructor and partners. That said, I would be happy to suggest techniques to ask about when you go to those places! Double-Leg Takedown Single-Leg Takedown O-Soto Gari (major outer reap) O-Goshi (big hip throw) Deashi Barrai (advancing foot sweep) Ko-Soto Gari (minor outer reap) O-Uchi Gari (major inner reap) Ko-Uchi Gari (minor inner reap) Hip Spring (as done in Sambo and Okinawa Shima, not the same as the "spring hip" throw in judo) Sumi Gaeshi (corner reversal, a sacrifice throw to the front) Tani Otoshi (valley drop, a sacrifice throw to the back)

I had one of my younger brothers make one in his High School shop class for me--it looks somewhat like a torii gate, but with two rods spanning the gap between the two columns, and the belts wrap around the rods and tie in place. My parents still have it, and it has all of my old belts on it except for my white belt (I use that for visiting other schools), my green belt (my judo rank), and of course my brown belt, since I'm still using that .

I have bought and worn quite a few different gi for different reasons, and they have ranged from less than $60 to more than $100. In your specific price range, I only own one gi, and it was given to me--a KI Intl. brand heavyweight gi. I can say that my more expensive gi have held up better for longer, but this one is still serviceable (despite being discolored and frayed) after several years of service. In the end, the more expensive gi is a slightly better buy, but not by much, and then only if you know you are going to be training for the rest of your life. If you have just started training, it doesn't make sense to spend $130+ on a gi when you can buy a $25 lightweight one while you figure out if you like martial arts. After you decide you like it, a gi in the $60-$100 range is a rather reasonable choice, as it will probably last you 3-5 years (depending on how hard you train). If you love training, then a $130+ gi is probably in your future .

I assume you're referring to the clips of knockdown competitions where people get knocked out by the jumping spinning hook kick to the head? As mentioned, above, the way the video is edited makes it difficult to really break things down. That said, I think I can still address your question, which is whether the kick (or maybe the styles being shown?) is any good, and whether it represents "real karate values." That kick is certainly flashy, but it also works quite well when it lands, and due to the rules in knockdown tournaments it is reasonable to throw such a kick. I, personally, wouldn't throw it in self defense, where the floor isn't padded and my attacker might have friends, nor would I throw it in MMA where my attacker could turn the tables on me with grappling and ground-and-pound. That doesn't mean it is a bad technique, though, and I certainly wouldn't say that the knockdown arts being shown are "lame." As for "karate values," I'm afraid it's hard to say. There are certainly karateka out there who find knockdown competitions (and MMA, for that matter) to be appalling. I'm not one of them. To me, competitions like this are about testing your spirit as much as testing your technique, and I certainly think that is part of what makes karate great--the fact that it forces you to face your own weaknesses and fears in a way that makes you feel both empowered and humbled after you have overcome those adversities.

Usually, the black belt with the white bar is a Jun-Shodan or Shodan-Ho ranking, which would be a "Junior Black Belt." Sometimes, though, I have seen that used to denote a "Shidoin" title. The black belt with the red bar I have also seen used for people with a "Shidoin" title, but some people also use it to denote "Renshi" level instructors.

I have certainly had them, but I'm afraid I haven't kept note of when they happen, or what they are about--they all blur together like trees in a forest for me . I really do wish I could remember individual instances!

I tried to follow your format, but it was a little awkward for some of our stances, so I hope this makes sense: || - Heisoku-dachi \/ - Musubi-dachi \_/ - Hachiji-dachi |__| - Naihanchi-dachi \___/ - Shiko-dachi |_ - Shizentai-dachi _/ |_ - Zenkutsu-dachi _ _/ ^ - Neko-ashi-dachi _/ |_< - Kosa-dachi

Happy birthday to the forum!

Glad I could help! The bamboo I used for the taketaba is, indeed, used for staking plants. I would use the whole stalks instead of the split ones, if you can find them, though.

Lol, I think quite a few people have leather straps come to mind when they think of things like this. Whipping can condition the skin, but these tools are for impact, so they also condition the muscles and bones. After taking the above photo last night, I took the taketaba to the garage and gave it a little more character: http://s16.postimg.org/gguh273f9/tetsutaba.jpg

I just finished making myself some tai tanren kigu (body conditioning tools)--a tetsutaba (iron bundle) and a taketaba (cane bundle). The tetsutaba is made with a length of 3/4" PVC pipe and 50 heavy-gauge steel wires, although normally they are made with 108. Since this is a new tool for me, I'm starting with a lighter one than normal, and I'll make a heavier one later on. After taking this photo I put a coat of black spray paint on the PVC handle, and I'm going to wrap it with twine to give it a little nicer look and feel. The taketaba is made of 25 3' long bamboo stalks, approximately 3/8" in thickness, tied together with jute twine. http://s22.postimg.org/6pfjxri9d/tai_tanren_brushes.jpg

That's definitely a much better spinning hook kick than I can throw! Very cool!

I prefer not to bounce most of the time--it is more mobile, but it uses up energy you could be saving and leaves you susceptible to sweeps and leg kicks.

We don't always teach everything in this exact order, but this is generally how we progress people through the kata: Kihon Ippon Kihon Nihon Kihon Sanbon Naihanchi Shodan Naihanchi Nidan Naihanchi Sandan Pinan Shodan Fukyu no Kata (I'm honestly not sure why this is taught between Pinan kata) Pinan Nidan Pinan Sandan Pinan Yondan Pinan Godan Passai Sho Passai Dai Kusanku Sho Chinto (I'm also not sure why this is taught between Kusanku kata) Kusanku Dai Gojushiho Gorin All-in-all, I feel that we have too many kata, but that's another discussion, entirely!

Congratulations, indeed! Well deserved!

Well, my answer applies to both questions, quite honestly: There will be days when you feel like you are a terrible martial artist, and nothing is clicking. Don't let those days stop you, because working through those moments will enrich your life. Those are the days that help you build your discipline and determination, and when you finally start feeling like you're making progress again you will be better for the experience.

That sounds like a very intense experience, and I'm sure it is a moment you'll remember for years to come.

Good luck!

Well deserved, Heidi! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!

It sounds like you have already done some research. Unfortunately, no one can seem to agree on this particular issue. My personal opinion is that you need to train with contact against a resisting opponent if you want to be effective at self defense. I believe that "scenario drills" are probably the best way of doing this, but contact sparring works, as well. That said, I don't think "full contact" is really all that reasonable--MMA fighters and kickboxers certainly don't spar full contact, because they would be injured all the time if they did. A medium level of contact--something that would knock the wind out of you, or bloody your nose, if you were hit--is sufficient for daily practice. To test yourself, the best you can do is compete in some sort of full contact combat sport. I did an MMA fight, because it put me in a situation where I would have to deal with full contact strikes and grappling against an opponent who truly wanted to take me out.

Congratulations, muttley!

Thank you, everyone!