Ueshirokarate

This is the first I have heard of him. Impressive videos though. Any others you would recommend?

Its at least 5-6 years of hard training in traditional Matsubayashi schools. If there is one thing I have learned from years of training, you get back what you put forth. One year for a black belt? Ok.

I have hit bare handed walls, makiwara, heavy bags, etc. I don't get aches all them time. If I strike something exceptionally hard, my hand will hurt for a few days but nothing after it heals.

What I noticed in the video was the transition from one position in the kata to another, including the foot sweep, not that all of what he was doing was Naihanchi, but his technique on the grab, sweep and throw is identical to the form of Naihanchi Shodan I practice.

Nothing wrong with it, if done correctly. It will certainly help make your bones stronger (i.e increased bone density), just like a makiwara can due to Wolff's law.

I am going to guess that almost everyone on here has taken a long break of time from training. Because of my career, I stayed at the same kyu rank for 17 years. Through that time, I spent several years (cumulative) in formal classes and trained 100% on my own. For six or so of those years I did nothing physical. I have now been back for almost a year and am in the best shape of my life. Karate is a marathon. You are training for yourself and no one else. Just do it as the Nike commercials say. Don't worry about rank, just train for training sake. You can be a San-kyu and have more knowledge and skill than a Sho-Dan. The belt color doesn't define you, you define it.

For active flexibility (not static stretching), you need to do some dynamic stretching. http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dynamicstretching.html My flashplayer isn't working, or I would post a couple of videos of such stretches. By the way, your pain may not be flexibility related at all and you may wish to consider seeing a physiatrist (MD Physical Medicine) about it.

White (7th Kyu) White with 1 Green tip (6th Kyu) White with 2 Green tips (5th Kyu) Green Belt (4th kyu) Green Belt Brown tips (3rd Kyu) Brown Belt (2nd Kyu) Brown Belt Black tips (1st Kyu) Black Belt Sho Dan You can get your green belt in about a year of hard training. However, it typically at least five years of hard training to become a Sho Dan and you can only test by invite. Other Matsubayashi Ryu systems are a bit different. The higher you go in the Kyu ranks in our system the slower you advance. I wonder if it is the same where you guys train.

I am curious, how long does one have to wait to re-test if you fail?

While similar, I don't consider TKD karate, to me TKD is TKD a separate and distinct art from karate. Not that one is better than the other, but all martial arts have their own training methods and to me, karate (well at least Okinawan karate) and kata are inseparable.

Hopefully your challenge is just temporary and you will be able to train again soon. You don't have to stop training though, do mental kata.

What do you mean by lift for "power"?

In a sense, aren't they one and the same? Only if the Art is strongly built upon kata Some schools may use kata simply as a means to delevop coordination, basic techiques and movement. Not sure I agree with that philosophy. But in the system I am in, kata is the heart of karate. This is really the only experience I've had with forms training. Its a testing requirement, and it teaches various ways to move and do techniques. I've never had any applications taught or practiced from the forms. We have always done that through one-steps, sparring, and some self-defense work. However, over time, I have come to recognize some parts of the forms that can have applicable self-defense. That's unfortunate, but not uncommon. So many people dismiss kata without fully understanding what it is, etc. The Okinawans who developed "karate" spend a great deal of time focusing on kata. Some spend a lifetime trying to master just one. It wasn't uncommon for the junior students to spend two or three years training just Naihanchi Shodan. Kata is basically a method to impart karate into you. You do it over and over and over again so that when you need to move in a fight, you just do (musihn).

As I see it, there are multiple applications for many of the moves. Some can be applied as a throw, strike or block. Would you agree? Frankly, I like 'literal' kata: "This is where you grab the head, smash the face, and break the neck." I don't know, there isn't a move in any of the 11 katas that I know that I couldn't use to hurt someone or block someone's attack with.

As I see it, there are multiple applications for many of the moves. Some can be applied as a throw, strike or block. Would you agree?

In a sense, aren't they one and the same? Only if the Art is strongly built upon kata Some schools may use kata simply as a means to delevop coordination, basic techiques and movement. Not sure I agree with that philosophy. But in the system I am in, kata is the heart of karate.

A punch can be both a punch and a block. A block can also be a strike. There are no hard and fast rules in karate and most techniques you train in kata have direct application in a fight and often times they are multiple.

In a sense, aren't they one and the same?

This is so true. It takes a long time to get a black belt in our system (5-7years) and you need to be invited to test. Most deshi green belt and above in our school are already pretty skilled. Probably the same in most of your dojos as well. I train in a formal class twice a week. I also train on my own, as well as training with sandbags, weights, etc two days a week. So typically I am doing something 5-6 days per week.

As far as I know, all kata (at least in the system in which I train) is literal. Each and every move has an application and should be practiced as literally as possible in one's mind and body. Kata is the single most important part of Matsubayashi karate.

In person only. Any of you in NY or visiting here you are welcome to come to the dojo, just PM me.

I've been doing Nahachin since 1975 and I sure didn't see it in that demo. There was a sweep..yes, is that what you're referring to? Yeah...I'm with you on that observation; the sweeps were the only spots I saw any comparison at all. Quite difficult over the internet. Wish I could demonstrate for you guys. I guess technology still has its limits.

Isn't everything?

I've been doing Nahachin since 1975 and I sure didn't see it in that demo. There was a sweep..yes, is that what you're referring to? Not just the sweep, but also the upper arm movements with that sweep. While we are both Shorin Ryu stylists, our katas may be slightly different. Yeah, they must be because there are no punches like that in Nahachin 1-3...the older version anyway. Its not the punches. It is the sweep and throw. If your kata is anything like the one we do, you should be able to see what I am talking about. Look at his hands as he sweeps. He is holding the uke in the same position you would be in the kata with your two fists in a ready position.

I've been doing Nahachin since 1975 and I sure didn't see it in that demo. There was a sweep..yes, is that what you're referring to? Not just the sweep, but also the upper arm movements with that sweep. While we are both Shorin Ryu stylists, our katas may be slightly different.