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Welcome !

This is not the case with all karate styles, though. Heck, the words I repeat the most during the classes are "relax" and "move" And I can never emphasize enough that you have to be "with", vs. "against", your opponent. Back to the original question, I think what matters most is to move out of the "danger zone". And you don't need to move by much ! If your timing and distance are right, a simple shift of weight to the back is enough. Applying the same principles, we also practice moving in, and aside at the last moment - this is irimi, and this is extremely confusing for the attacker since you deliberately give him this target, to better take it away at the very last moment. Whatever the technique, the key point is to do it timely. Doing it too early is just as bad as not doing anything, because the attacker with follow you. So you have to move out only after he has fully committed his body into the attack.

Well - to me they are dangerous signs of egotistic / power trip behaviors. Especially if they don't demonstrate anything.

OK, I'll take the risk of being controversial.... To me, any instructor relying on "Yes Sir" and pushups punishment to earn respect is not worth learning from.

Well, I've finally found a place to train - I'm going to start my own group. So, anybody interested in free Karate-Do Shotokai classes for adults, please get in touch.

Tallgeese, I was assuming the original poster already had a good level of physical conditioning - in this case, 1 week of extra care (especially regarding the diet, like cutting all alcohol and extra fat) could give him that extra push. This is similar to what marathon runners do on their last week.

Very nice, and quite close to our own practice.

As ninjanurse suggested, working on ankle flexibility should help. Also, in my opinion, having the feet perfectly pointing forward is not so important in this stance. If your body can't - then don't. Just make sure that the knees are properly positioned, though - they should never be allowed to bend inwards, as this is dangerous for the joint (and a very weak stance too).

I'll join the chorus and tell you that you should go back too. Yes, your body is not as strong as it used to be - so you will have to adapt, search, find new things. In the process your karate will improve. I'm even willing to bet that it will end up being better than what it used to be. No matter how hard we train, our physical abilities go down with age. Learning to deal with this is part of the art.

My style doesn't do tournaments so take my advice for what it's worth - but if I were in your shoes, I would also make sure I am physically on top - maybe forget about karate for the last week, watch your diet, do aerobics and/or swimming. A superior technique won't save you if you're gasping for air.

Yes - but if you think about it, this has been around for generations. After all, didn't the colored belts system get introduced (at the end of the 18th century) because students didn't like spending 10 years with a white belt, until they moved to black ? And didn't this go on and on over the years, adding more colors and stripes, so that students can now get a new rank every few months ?

Another common mistake is actually to punch in the other direction, trying to counterbalance the effect of the upcoming block - which is where it is good for the partner to change side unexpectedly. Another option is also to fake the block and watch Uke lose balance on his own but anyway... being a honest uke is, I think, believe 200% sincere when performing your attack - regardless of what is coming.

If your partner is good enough he will notice and block you unexpectedly in the other direction - which should get the point across without inflicting any pain

Hi, I just realized I already posted a few messages without a proper introduction here. This is bad etiquette, and I'm going to fix this right now with this quick presentation. I have been practicing Harada Sensei's Karate-Do Shotokai since 1987, and currently hold a 2nd dan in this style. I have just moved to New York City and am still looking for a place to train, so if there are any New Yorkers in there, please get in touch !

On a somewhat related note, you might find this interesting: Shigeru Egami - an effective tsuki

Interesting question - and I apologize in advance for playing the antagonist for one of my very first posts in this forum Unfortunately, what happens in a lot of schools is this: the program is designed with a lot of emphasis on body strength and athletic conditioning. There is nothing wrong with that per se, and indeed, many practitioners do this for years and reach impressive levels (provided they don't get injured along the way). In any case, at some point their physical strength and abilities start to fade with age, and they start looking for alternate ways to achieve the same results - which is where they could have started their journey ! Karate-do is a lifelong journey. Because of this, I don't think there should be a specific program for seniors. To use your cognac analogy: all brandies, even XO's, followed the same path.

Also, for practice purposes, going for the head makes it much more likely for you to lead the gyaku tsuki from your shoulder, which is plain wrong. If you aim chudan (or even gedan), your elbows will stay low, your hara focused, and your body will learn more about the mechanics behind the technique.

Next time you teach a class while he is here, focus on sweeps and gentle takedowns. Then have the class practice kumite at 50%, trying to place sweeps. Then kumite with him and let him sweep you a few times. Face is restored, and his level has improved so you now have a better opponent to train with: you're both winners.

Here is the Harada Sensei video, you can see the contact-less knockdown towards the end: As you can see, it is very different from the video of the original poster.

You are right about Harada Sensei. And indeed, what he does (and still demonstrates, at 80+) is knockdowns (and not knockouts). It works because he is attacking and destroying the structure of his opponent. It is a bit like seeing a massive, solid wall coming at you in the middle of your attack, and knowing that you are going to crash into it - your body automatically tries to avoid it, in effect breaking your structure/balance. Of course, this only works because of his impeccable, out-of-this-world sense of timing As for the guy in the original video.... I'm far from convinced.