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Ofcourse, im not saying that leaving is the best option. Its just one of the many things people can do. There was a time not so long ago when i thought i needed something else. But after trying a few things i realised that the training i was already doing was still what i needed so i continued with my original training and am very happy with my choice. I just thought it was important to present both sides of the argument (so to speak), but my advice would be find what your happy doing and stick with it for the long haul.

Yes. this has happened at our school with a couple of people in the past.

I think most people reach a certain point in their training when they feel the need to look for something more or something different. Its at this time when some venture out and try other styles, maybe finding what they were looking for. Others start to look deeper within the style they already do and find new things they didnt notice before, this gives there current training a new life so to speak. Has for your question Simo, I would say definetly give hapkido a try, if you like it im sure you will find it to be a great compliment to your goju, if you dont like it, then its just another experience you can add to the list.

Generally after a couple of weeks, when they find out what training is actually like. And like others said, at brown belt.

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Good point. I suppose that is an example of principle over technique. Which i feel is important has you advance in your training. Alot of the techniques you do in kata and kihon are not always replicated exactly how you practice them, but the principles you learn from doing them can be applied in many different ways.

I think its a matter of experience. (keep in mind the style I train is not strictly shotokan, but is based almost exclusively around it.) In our school at least, knees, elbows, hook punches, etc. are part of our kihon. Everyone must do them. That doesnt mean everyone can use them in sparring or self defence right away. When most people first start they find it hard to do the basic punches in a live situation let alone trying to grab or do elbows and knees etc. This is where experience comes in, to be able to do these techniques (in karates way of training) you need the experience of constant training. After a certain time you will find you have more control over yourself,(which allows you to 'hang' just outside fighting range... or the "bubble" that killer miller is refering to.) Then when you enter fighting range, everything happens very quickly and the control and experience you have allows you to utilise all your tools and also control your opponent, rather than finding yourself on equal terms with them.

Dont really like the idea, it means you would have to carry 2 wallets basically everytime you went out... Im not sure i have enough pockets for that. Also, i dont usually carry much money in my wallet, and a person would need alot more than just my card to gain access to my accounts. I think its more important to manage what you have and make sure you only carry what you need in your wallet, if you need to transport lots of money, find better means than a wallet. All this is coming from a person who lives in an area where the chance of being mugged are extremely low, if i was in a different situation im sure my views would be slighty different.

My view on pressure points is that it definetly helps to know where they are and how to manipulate them, but they shouldnt be your first line of defence(or attack). Your aim should be to hit hard, and aim at vulnerable areas. The key to this is the "hitting hard" part, not the "vulnerable areas" part. If you strike with power and hit your opponent in a place that isnt considered a vulnerable area, it will still hurt them, and if you happen to strike the pressure point in the process then its just going to hurt them more. And i agree that pressure points are nothing magical, just some parts of the body are more sensitive to pain than others.

I like palm strikes, and do them quiet alot. Good way to save the knuckles.

A number of reasons. I really enjoy my karate training, but recently i was looking for some "answers" and i didnt think my karate training was providing me with these. But after doing boxing for a short while it didnt really have the answers either, so i did alot of searching and started looking deeper into my karate and realise it will be better for me in the long term.

Yes, i returned to my karate training.

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At your school how does the application of your striking techniques differ from the kihon? We all know the kihon starts with one hand on your hip and has you do the technique your other hand draws back to the hip. In application we start with our hands in the boxing position(both hands near chin height), and we execute the techniques from there while the other hand stays up protecting the chin... Is this how all karateka do it? i feel that sometimes im missing out on something by not applying the techniques from a different position.

Maybe it would help if we discussed HOW karateka actually apply the punching techniques they learn, because there are effective and in-effective ways to punch. We all know how to do the basic punch, hand starts chambered, extends, twists just before impact, other hand does the exact opposite. But moving on from that, how does everyone perform the punch in sparring or when working on pads etc?

In application i perform a "karate punch" like a "boxing punch" anyway, but the bottom line is, its just punching, if your hitting hard and follow the basic principles of correct punching it doesnt matter what you call it or where you learned it from.

Boxing punches dont use only the shoulder, you are still getting the power from your lower body and hips.

2 important things to remember: 1. The way you practice a punch in karate and the way it should be applied are 2 different things. 2. There are only so many different ways a person can throw a punch.

The final chapter: Ok, after alot of eperimenting, thinking, and a long discussion with my karate instructor, I have decided to resume my karate training. The break helped me put alot of things in perspective and sortouf what i really want. I learned alot of things and am glad i left training on good terms with the instructor because it allows me to come back now that i see the benifits of his training. I will continue boxing for a while, for the conditioning aspect, but i realise that karate is where my heart is and that its a life long persuit. Thank you everyone for your replies, advice and constant posts that help me organise my thoughts and put things into perspective.

There are not many places to train in my area either. I guess you just need to pick the best there is in the area.

Ok, i finished up my boxing training. I really enjoyed it and have taken quiet a few drills and conditioning ideas that i can apply to my training now. I would recommend all martial artists to atleast give boxing a try for a few weeks and you may learn some interesting and practical training principles.