Wastelander

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!

We have gotten a few complains like this, which my Sensei typically responds to with "karate requires effort and contact to learn, and sometimes that hurts." Sometimes they stay, and sometimes they don't, but it works out better for us in the long run, in my opinion.

I also agree with AdamKralic's advise. Defensive side kicks are a fantastic tool against opponents who rush in, and they will quickly learn not to do that. The bonus side-effect of this is that not only are you learning to intercept an attack, but they are learning to more safely close the gap between them and an opponent. AdamE3, you must remember that you can be aggressive and offensive in sparring without losing control of yourself. In a self defense situation, you need to be able to flip the switch from defensive to offensive the second you are in danger. That should come out in sparring, to some degree. With regard to a "full contact street fight," I have to say that you should never end up in one of those. A "fight" is something that two or more people agree to participate in, and you should always be leaving that type of situation. If you end up being attacked, then yes, you will be at a bit of a disadvantage from not having done any full-contact training. That said, I don't personally believe that you need to train full-contact on a regular basis, so long as you do spar with some medium level of contact regularly. If you get the chance, I highly recommend competing in some form of full-contact combat sport at least once--that will help a lot when it comes to dealing with the stress of fighting, being hit full-power, and being grappled at maximum resistance.

Well, I suspect pretty much everyone will be picking the art they currently practice . Of the karate styles I have personally experienced, I like Shorin-Ryu the best, which makes sense since it is my primary area of study. The focus on speed and technique over strength, and the practical approach to self defense through kata application and cross-training have really had a huge impact on me. Outside of that, though, I find Uechi-Ryu and old, semi-obscure family systems to be quite interesting.

Thank you for sharing, and for the kind words!

I have heard of Mr. Carbone, and I am actually friends with him on Facebook, somehow or another. There really is no way I can confirm what he says about who taught him how to make sai--all I know is that everyone that has bought sai from him love the balance and quality. I can't tell for certain without handling a pair, but they don't look hand forged to me, which would be the truly traditional method for making them.

Welcome to the forum, welcome back to karate, and congratulations!