bassaiguy

This is something I've missed never having been in a large association. It must be exciting and nerve-wracking to test with a cohort of training partners. My shodan test was conducted as a surprise examination in my dojo when our senior instructor visited one night. My nidan test was another solo event, but formally scheduled. Since I'm independent now (I can only train sporadically with my seniors) I don't see any further tests in my future. I envy you guys in large associations for the opportunities it offers you.

Right now I'm alternating between Empi and Hangetsu. They seem like flip sides of a coin. Empi is light and fast while Hangetsu is rooted and sturdy. Both kata have some interesting changes in speed and tempo, too. For a long time I though Tekki Shodan was my faovirte kata (simple, strong and has lots of applications), but these days I'm looking more at kata as a "systems platform" and Empi and Hangetsu seem to represent two complementary systems in Shotokan.

Wonderful! I may never test again (because of politics, not desire), but I hope I'm still training when I've gone old and gray(er).

The Pogues are the best band of all time and I'll 'rassle anyone who says otherwise!

Sad week. First Jim Kelly and now this. Some of the greats are passing too quickly.

Thanks a lot! I've really enjoyed the time I've spent on this forum and the friends and colleagues I've gotten a chance to talk with. Ossu!

Good job! I love seeing traditional forms in tournaments.

Love your sig. That's how I feel most nights at the dojo!

If you're not happy in the dojo or you don't feel safe you should leave and find another place to train. However, you said that in four years yours was the only broken bone you ever saw in your dojo and that your reaction to the sensei and sempai was due to your fear and not some overt act by the instructors. Think about it, you had one (fairly minor) injury and you are afraid to participate in training, when confronted about the incident you didn't get the reaction you wanted so you left in a huff. I'm not sure I'd welcome you back with open arms either. I don't believe in bullying on the dojo and I won't have anyone intimidate a fellow student, but karate is a contact sport and Shotokan is a hard style of karate. I've broken fingers, toes, ribs and dislocated my jaw in training - it's just the name of the game. Look at other contact sport athletes like rugby or football players, wrestlers, judoka, even gymnasts, etc. No one is able to train for years and years without sustaining an injury. I would say that after four years you're not where you should be, so change dojos, but from the description you gave I'm not totally sympathetic either.

Teaching is often the best way to learn, IMO. When I have to break things down to share them I really have to think through the process. I often rehearse my lessons to make sure I know what I'm going to explain and that I'm able to demonstrate properly. I'm a high school teacher in my day job and I do this with my school lessons as well as my martial arts lessons.

I benefited from training in Judo and a little free style grappling, but kept karate as my core art. For me that was a better path than totally switching. I'd rather be on feet in the street than wrapped up with a guy while his buddies put the boots to my head, but even the old masters saw the value in cross training. Funakoshi advocated Judo training for Shotokan karateka, Oyama studied Judo and added elements to the Kyokushin syllabus, Kano invited Funakoshi to teach karate at the Kodokan (Judo hq) and Gozo Shioda told his aikido students to study Judo after they had achieved shodan in his dojo.

Thanks! That's excellent material.

I'm making Empi kata (Wanshu for non-Shotokaners) my special project for this summer. I'd be interested in collecting any interesting bunkai vids or links for Empi kata. Thanks for helping me out.

I, too, love this kata. I think the blog Ikagiway did a piece on Seisan comparisons awhile ago, too. Even within styles there are variations of this kata. In Shotokan's Hangetsu (Shoto-version Seisan) there are distinct differences in how this kata is performed between Kanazawa's system, JKA and Asai-ha. I've also seen a Five Ancestor's Boxing set (Wuzuquan) that looks a lot like Seisan.

I just saw Warrior's Way. It came out in 2010, I think, but is now available on Netflix. Fun mix of martial arts, steampunk and Western genres.

Last class of the season for us (I teach in a high school program), so we ended the year with our regular warm-up and conditioning drills and tameshiwara (breaking). We broke single and double pine boards with front punch, lunge punch, front kick, side kick and ridge hand. Then we broke patio blocks with fumikomi (stomping kick). Great job by my yellow and orange belt high school students!

I agree with B-M96. Keep practicing what you can with a qualified instructor. Much of karate (especially Okinawan karate) is just modified kung fu anyway. If you want to look into kung fu in depth look at video of the kata of southern kung fu systems and you will see obvious links to the Sanchin, Tekki-Naihanchi, and Hangetsu katas. Focusing on these forms might be good ways to Sinocize your karate in preparation for kung fu study at a later date. I've been involved in karate and TKD for more than 20 years and would love to find a good CMA teacher in my neck of the woods, but I think qualified instruction in many kung fu styles is still very hard to find.

Best news I've heard today. Yes - (at least a chance of yes) wrestling. No - karate.

2nd dan Shotokan 1st degree Moo Duk KWan TKD Green Belt Judo (a long time ago)

Think of stances as the most efficient way to deliver a technique, e.g. gedan barai against a frontal attack is strongest from zenkutsu dachi or a parry and counter attack combo like ude uke (front hand) and gyaku zuki (rear hand) may be most effective from fudo dachi. However, we should flow from one stance to another effortlessly as we initiate attacks or respond to attacks. We do not "choose" a stance, we use a stance that is most efcient for the present circumstance. Funakoshi said (I'm paraphrasing) that low stances (i.e. what we think of as formal stances) are for beginners, while high stances (like hachiji dachi or the natural position) are for experts - the expert can flow into and out of a more formal stance at will.

Wado-ryu = Shotokan and Motobu-ha karate mixed with jujutsu locks and body movement. Aikido = non-contact jujutsu + Shinto in skirts. you make the call.

I'm a karate guy and for several years I focused on Bassai Kata (dai and sho). Hence, the guy who does Bassai-dai has become the bassaiguy!

Can you provide a citation?

I had never seen that before. Just snorted diet coke through my nose. Thanks!

Looks good. Interesting that you practice with both hands (arnis style?) since I've read that the gladius was almost always a right-handed weapon because Legionaires carried the shield in their left. I suppose for gladiator games, cavalry operations and single combat things might have been different. I thought I was the only guy to have a basement full of martial arts junk - nice to see that others share my disease!