Kevin Wilson

To me fray is when the silk begins to come of and thread showing the white cotton underneath . Fade means to turn from black to white through color loss. I was at a course at wkc world championship years ago. It had suposingly the top ten most known sensei at the time from many styles. Most of there belts had frayed to almost complete white but the bits that had silk still on were still jet black .

Can some instructer please list in order there club busiest days / times with kids and adults maybe separate ? I'm looking for some market research and the more info I get the better . I know afternoons are best but what days ? I don't have kids and I work weird hours so its hard for me to even estimate at things like, on a Monday first day back at work are you to tired to go to karate ? Has any one been busy 3.30 when schools Finnish or is it 5 when mum's and dads are around to take children ? As much info on busiest days would be really appreciated . Thanks in advance

I can't stand pickers ! There is a guy that has same belt as me trains almost as much as me but his belt is almost white . Now that would be ok if its only a small difference but mines is only small bit around the knot !

Take the replacement if you can get it lol. I know its weird but its defiantly looks like the marks on mine . It was a number of things it done it to but not a gi(thankgoodness). One thing was my gf 100% cotton jumper. I never thought at time about cotton not melting I was young. It looked exactly like that and it became more and more frequent till it happened to something expensive so phoned end showed him and he new exactly what caused it . I only wash in cold regardless . Save the polar bears ! Lol

I put it down to the way that (well in Scotland) we treat it as a hobby ( all be its very serious one) all my instructers seem to have the attitude that its karate you should want to train it. You should want to travel for miles to the best club and then travel halfway up the country for every grading ( from 10th ) from the best sensei because it ment something. If you should just wake up one morning wanting to do karate and not join an other martial art or association. unfortunately this doesn't bring people in. That's why I believe my association is dying even though it has some of the best instructors I know (thanks to there rep I have been privileged to train with head instructors from around the world and from many styles) . people may see it as a bad thing but even though I respect my karate instructors I think they need to meet in the middle with " customers" . Not to go to the extreme taekwondo does with heavy marketing all over the place all the time but just some were between. It would do karate and especially our association a world of good ! don't you think ?

Would not be even cheaper to build your own ? Isn't that how they were invented any way as a cheap way to condition your self. Never attempted to make one mind you !

Yup that's kinda how mine looked to. I could of swore they had melted to! Wastelander is correct contact juka. Did you buy it from them directly?

No never on a gi and espicially not on cold washes like you should be washing them no matter how stained they are ! I dont mean to be rude or insult your intelligence but could it be a washing machine defect ? The weight and bulk of a good gi could cause it to catch on summit? This part could be hot or worse a hole in washing machine. It sounds daft but the only time I seen this was when my washing machine started very rarely looking like it had melted the odd thing once every two months. I phoned eng out showed him the damage its done. He knew straight away and showed me it was actually the way things can get ripped and stretched in the washing machine. A 50p had got stuck between innards and drum without any one noticing. It almost opened the inner drum up like a tin opener weird and especially the way it looked melted as you say.

Thanks for the youtube post

That was my plan to but it failed! I need a motivational video to watch the motivational video lol Worlds worst procrastinator here, though im working on it.

I think some people maybe a little confused . The army breaks you down and teaches you say how high when asked to jump. It does not mean you fear your superior its a way of instilling discipline. You have make your own decision on how far you are going to trust them. In the case of the army you trust your life to your superior . The discipline you get from doing there orders first then asking questions could save your life if its time critical. You have to put your faith in them at the start that when they break you down and build you back up its going to be for the good. It does not mean you fear them however. Though I do fear my superiors in Karate because I believe they are lethal weapons even more so than me. If they were not they wouldn't be superior. I have at the start though put my faith in them. I believe that they have built me up for the better. I have faith they wont hold me back to stop me from becoming better than them.

Japanese had deep philosophy and peace yet considered themselves warriors . They are many ways to argue this but there is the battle against yourself . Im always fighting my body it always wants to sleep never wants to trains and always wants to reach for junk food lol . Im a warrior against me (and I dont always win)

Havent been to one but I am on the look out for a decent one.

Has any one here in karate competed in open competitions? I was thinking of participating in the Irish open as its suppose to be one of the biggest in Europe. Even though it open the videos I have seen seem to be of a more kick boxing with same kick being used over and over.

I'd bet money you chose lightest of them .... Good choice to try though, there expensive but good investment thell last years so you will want to get it rite.

I have been building a motivation page for my self. Just full of song quotes pictures things that make me want to stop my procrastination and work ( im such a bad procrastinator). It just got wiped clean and this all I need I even feel bad about taking time out to post on this blog now and I know I aint sleeping tonight.....

Its the only type of competition we used to do as there wasn't many spectators any way. Its not a spectator sport as competitor are very wary of each other half points are a little useless and even they are rarely give. One good technique and its over. I rarely seen ippon matches go past the minute mark. Most matches are won with a reverse punch If there are any spectators they normally dont even see the point as there quick and generally not as sloppy as 3 point sparring

It seems to happen in shotokan Karate alot. I put it down to were passionate about our style but its still not an excuse

Weight is up to you and hwo hard you work . I had a always wore heavyweight suits apart from my first couple of cheap gi's when younger. I got a Kwon kata gi 10oz though it looked superb . I got it for heavy session were I didnt want to be bogged down by a heavy suit. I liked the gi so much I decided to get Kwons 16oz version. I had been wearing the 10oz for so long now I prefer it so much its strong enough to sand up to some grappling we do to. Any chance you can maybe try a couple of weight on to see what you like ?

Livingston Martial Arts Main style is shotokan Instructor? Their is a few through Scotland

WOW, Kyu certificates? Is this standard practice in arts like karate or TKD too? I presume you don't get certificates by your shock ? Are you at a reputable kick boxing organisation ? If something happened like your instructer moved or you got fed up in politics again ( how bad is karate for this ? Lol) and you went another club are you just going to start from beginning again ? If your with rep association you cam hand over certificates to prove you've done the work . You probably have to sit a grading still to make sure . I don't understand what you thought you would do ?

Lol I did mean for karate sorry . Yea I would not even attempt to were an 8oz judo gi . The smallest ive seen is 12 oz and they go up to an amazing 33oz I dont think I could were that ! Still wouldn't really recommend 8oz for karate but I think 10oz does it these days there is no need for 16oz karate gi's

I'm sorry if this is in wrong topic . I have always been taught one of the main points of kata is to teach you to think outside the box. Its why I get a little mythed when some numpty goes .....whats the point in kata no one will ever attack in that exact set of ways..... Well we know but that's not why we practice. I know its also helps with muscle memory but whats the other reasons just incase I havent heard them before?

I'm looking to. The only people I can find is a uk company with website kamae .co.uk I have emailed them as I want to sell these black belts but never got a reply . There brilliant I got mine when I was 15 for xmas its the only one I wear and its barley gone white at all. (well compared to some people I know, there's aged as much in one month as mine in 8 years they pick ! we know they pick! ) I have went direct to shureido and I am waiting on reply .

Does any one else find that with the advances in materials and construction techniques that lightweight gi's seem to be becoming the better option now ? Obviously you dont get the same snap but some people that are getting a good snap are doing the technique wrong .