Wastelander

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!

It's definitely amazing how wide our "audience" is for KarateForums!

It's always great to learn about our fellow martial artists, and I'm always happy to meet another Baldur's Gate fan . Thank you for the kind words, and I look forward to our future discussions!

The judging system currently used in MMA is definitely bad. The way they say it works is that each fighter goes into each round and earns points (up to 10) for being the better striker/grappler, for pushing the pace, and for controlling where the fight ends up. If it actually worked that way, it might not be so bad. The way it actually works is each fighter starts each round with 10 points, and gets them taken away. If the judge feels one fighter is outclassed in the category that judge feels is most important (striking, grappling, aggression, or cage control) then that fighter gets a point taken away. If there is a drastic difference in ability, that fighter may lose an additional point. The scoring system technically allows for more outcomes than this, but this is what typically happens. Because the scoring is done by taking away points for what the judge feels is important, everyone has a different opinion on the outcome. I would much rather see a weighted categorical rating system used to judge MMA. By that, I mean that each judge should have a list of categories--a direct carry-over could be a striking category, a grappling category, an aggression category, and a cage control category. The judges would then have specific criteria for rating those categories as "Effective," "Neutral," or "Ineffective." Those ratings would correspond to point values, and each successive round would be worth more points. This would result in scores that reflect actual results, in my opinion.

Thank you for the forum, Patrick, as well as the well-deserved celebration!

I've never gone all the way out, but I've gotten pretty close--vision going dark and sparkly, and starting to close in. As far as I'm aware, healthy people do not generally have any problems unless the choke is held for an extended period of time (15 seconds or more is what I've always heard) after they lose consciousness. I have heard of people having strokes caused by built-up and released pressure to the neck, which dislodged plaque or a clot in their blood vessels, but I don't believe it is a common issue.

This is a good article on the subject--thank you for sharing!

There is Sensei Wah's Kyokushin dojo in Pleasant Hill--a friend of mine trains there. It isn't Shotokan, but it's similar and they seem like a dedicated group of karateka. This is their website: http://www.wahdojo.com/

Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment!

Congratulations! I honestly don't know which is harder--being scared about an impending test for rank, or being suddenly given a rank and not knowing for sure if you're ready for it. I've always had belt tests to be nervous about, but once or twice I was double-graded and it certainly freaked me out to be suddenly held to (what I perceived as) a much higher standard.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not particularly fond of the Pinan series, as a whole, but of the lot my favorite would be Pinan Yondan. There is some good stuff in it, but nothing that isn't in other Shorin-Ryu kata outside the Pinan series--it's very "Kusanku-ish."

I know that my art is effective--the question is, am I effective at using it. That's what pressure testing is for. Some people do it through competition, while others do it through their occupations, but generally the people with the most confidence in their arts are the ones who have pressure tested themselves the most.

Welcome to the forum!

I would certainly not call them frail or fragile, but as ShoriKid says, they aren't a super sword. If you drop any steel sword and it breaks, it was improperly heat treated. Any sword can have the edge chipped, though.

There is a lot of information in our Health, Training, and Fitness section of the forum: http://www.karateforums.com/health-training-and-fitness-vf19.html?sid=c36f5d0a8464654558b061987f5e6ae0 As for styles that include low kicks, you have a lot of options but they depend on the instructor. Traditional Okinawan karate styles, traditional Chinese styles, and Kyokushin karate (and its offshoots) include lots of low kicks, but some instructors favor them more than others. I've also seen some schools not use them at all.

Welcome to the forum, nayku! I am of the opinion that, in general, the instructor makes more of a difference than the art or style. Based on your interests, I think that karate or Muay Thai would be better than boxing, since you mention wanting to strike with the legs. Some Chinese martial arts schools don't kick hardly at all, and some do, so that may be hit or miss. All that said, you may find a great boxing gym and decide that kicks aren't all that important to you . Your best bet is going to be visiting schools in your area, watching some classes, talking to the instructors, and taking a couple trial classes. Do this at multiple schools before making your decision. A good instructor will be able to tailor your training to your limitations and skills, and you have to be sure you can get along with them. Good luck in your search!

I chose my arts. Where I lived growing up, the only choices of martial arts were Shuri-Ryu karate, Taekwondo, and boxing. I wanted to learn an art that would let me experience more of the Japanese culture, so karate was it! From there, I picked up judo because I had been introduced to some judo techniques in my karate training and wanted to learn more. After moving to Arizona, I specifically looked for an authentic Okinawan karate style taught by a knowledgeable instructor that worked practical kata application.

There is nothing wrong with Ronin Brand, in my opinion. My dress gi is a Ronin Brand super heavyweight, and it's pretty nice and didn't cost me a fortune. I imagine their middleweight would be perfectly fine for you!