brickman

shito-ryu started in Okinawa....but to my knowledge the system you refer to is dominated by Japanese guys. One of the coaches of the US team is Shito-ryu. I know Minakami sensei. He was pretty good at fighting and is still in great shape. What questions do you have about kata or what not? If you ask, perhaps we can help.

Where in the US is his dojo? Is it Washington? IF so, he is pretty good at what he does. I have not trained Shito-ryu for a few years. I seem to recall some principals of the trade if you have specific questions......

beermonster..good reply. TJs....I agree about being attacked when you least expect it. Dont we all train for the unexpected? Is that not why we practice? I for one used to work at a prison and I can tell you when you are attacked, the world slows down and that training comes in handy. Should you know how to fight from the ground? Of course, but, I do not want to stay there. For that matter, most of the fights I have ever witnessed, neither does the other guy. From my personal experience, karate has served me well (and I also used to point fight). Therefore; from my perspective karate is a good art to study. I believe also it depends greatly on whom it is teaching you.

ok...here is the point in karate. If you want to ground fight you have to get me there. If you want to grab me and throw me....try....if you want to tackle me....try. If your karate school is not teaching self-defence or whatever find another. If you are good at something, it is only because you know your weaknesses and what everyone else sees. You must be able to counter what someone may throw at you. If you cannot then we have discussions like this one.

eventually you will get hurt, no matter how good you are. Broken bones, torn muscles, etc. are all part of training.

You need to hand wash your belt....if you dont they will turn the area around it on your gi a dingy brown color from all the sweat it absorbs...you dont need to do it every day, but once every three or four months is a good idea. I have had my belt for almost four years now and it is just starting to wear at the knot...and I wear it an average of four times a week. I would prefer a slightly worn belt....because it is comfortable.

hit them more than they hit you.... Also, at a tournament, know where the judges are and where the out of bounds is. If you position yourself well you dont necessarily have to land a technique to score.

neil...your teacher is right. My teacher is Okinawan and he makes bos...they are all straight.

footwork...telegraphing....squaring to the opponent too soon...sticking my butt out when I am tired. LOL

ksn doug, Just parallel? ok...thanks for the info. Are you on the balls of your feet or are you in a heels down stance?

hmmm....there seems to be no love of someone in a low stance. Am I correct in assuming that a low stance just means you are lower in your fighting stance? Why must one's heel be on the floor in this stance? I think being low is great....fighting high will get you countered while attacking (if you attack anyone very good). I agree also with the comment about transitioning....how can you move from either defence to offense or vice versa? change stances? Why then do all the stances we do in karate have us bend our knees and work on leg strength if we are going to fight straight up? I for one fight from a low stance (mind you I am talking of only lowering the body perhaps 20 inches or so...but the knees are bent)...it works very well for me and makes me much faster whether I am going forward or backward.

We all take classes...or teach....those dont move too fast. After class we workout hard for about 90 minutes or 2 hours. We do that about three days a week...(classes last about 3 hours). Saturday is the killer....we teach classes from 9 am to 1:30...then work out until 4:30. When we leave on those days we can barely hold our pads.....great fun though

Zakariru is right on target. However, it is good to practice technique in a mirror too...to see if you can detect your own flaws. Having people attack you is great....timing is everything. With timing, even slow guys look fast.

I have been in karate for about 13 years....I have had to use it a couple times. Believe it or not I had to break up a fight at a prison. It got ugly, but the final stance I was in was a "horse" stance. The guy I had a hold of was on the floor at my feet. I used a lot of what my sensei has shown me through the years to get out of a very rough situation. I believe as some have mentioned, there are men and women who claim to know much about karate and couldnt beat their way out of a wet paper bag. However, I am very confident that all the basics I have practiced have practical use....and many of those uses have been shown to me as I have progressed through the ranks. If a sensei cannot explain why basics are used.....or a karateka for that matter, it is not the style's fault. I do agree that many basics have no true use...but they do condition the muscles used in fighting.