hertsmas

Lo all, long shot I know but any active forum members who can give me some info on clubs in the Canaries. Google has suprisingly turned up very little info for me and it is of course in Spanish. I do try but my Spanish is limited and rusty. Cheers Mas

I live in Hertfordshire and clubs charge 5 to 6 pounds per adult and around 4 or 5 for children. Most of them do NOT offer a pay monthly for a set fee type deal. I think this is pretty poor if you want dedicated students especially children who are the future of our sport. My 7 year old is pretty dedicated and trains 4 days a week ( was 5) so with both myself and my son 4 days a week that would be at least £ 160 a month , though TBH most clubs here only seem to offer training in your area 2 or 3 days a week maybe 4 if your lucky. If you work you really need to have options so you can pick days also. Our current club offers all in for 80 pounds for two people in a family and any further family members free. The club is quite new but growing slowly but surely. Regards Mas

Guys all genuinely interesting , and refreshing to get some plain speek opinion Forgive me i didnt really think to mention style as even in our 'style' rules seem to vary. We practice Wado ryu and Shito ryu and though its not exactly practiced in class i have certainly noticed a few sneeky ' grab and throws ' at the higher level comps (as a spectator!) Theres clearly no score for a throw though just for the punch in the head that follows lol Cheers

Thanks for the interest and opinions. I didnt glean any magic technique of course but if was that easy we wouldnt have to practice would we it sounds like my idea of mastering sideways and angular movement nay be the way to so for now ill crack on with that . Cheers Mas

Embarrasing really to say yes because I only ever reached 2nd Kyu in Shotokan whilst in my 20's. He was head of our association ( SKIGB) and did attend the odd grading though I remember Asano Sensei usually graded us. I can say trained that I with him because I did one of those 2 day courses under him and actually stood up as the 'demo' once or twice. Not much I know but amemory that has stayed with me. All I can remember (it was 20 odd years ago) is that he was extremely polite , calm and dignified compared to some of the high grade instructors you seem to meet in the U.K today who strutt around and seem to enjoy blanking you. I still have a VHS copy of his kata video on my shelf but have no idea if it is knackered or not as I don't have a VHS machine Mas Regards Mas

LO all, I have noticed that I am finding the worst opponent being one who rushes foreward with multiple attacks ( usually fists) and probably has a reach advantage over me. If I am shifting back then I'm not in a position to strike them properly and of course the end of the mat or getting caught with one looms. Dont get me wrong some opponents walk straight on to a well placed kick in the chest from me but if I dont score with it they are on top of me quickly. I am thinking perhaps that I should work more on moving sideways/foreward I.E in to them but accross so that I am in a good position to catch them as they fly in. Is this practical for your average 3rd Kyu ( like there is such a thing ! ) Basically I am looking for some inspiration as to what to practice in this regard. Cheers Mas

Please understand i love my club and i am most certainly enjoying tbe 'style' , i only ask tbe two questions as i find martial arts interesting full stop. my background is as i said from a very traditional and relatively shall we say regimented style. in contrast you can walk in to most shotokan clubs in the uk at least and find you are pretty at home with what is being taught , if that makes sense. Thanks for the insight so far. Cheers Mas

Lo all, recently I took up 'Wado Ryu' but the longer I was at the club the more I found different instructors all stating that we train in a combination of Shito Ryu and Wado Ryu. This is despite the fact that our grading and licence states ' Wado Ryu'. I find this a little frustrating as though I appreciate most styles/arts ( I'm from Shotokan + Judo in years gone by) I kind of like to say what style I do if asked in conversation for starters. I should add it is a large association with many clubs and a very competitive international team ( under Karate Sport england) so is no mean setup. The club is very much based around competitive sport Karate and appears to have developed this method of teaching under the influence and friendship of A Sensei Christophe Pinna who I have now learned has a very solid reputation throughout Europe. I have 2 questions : One is this common as associations develop their own training systems which come between two styles as I'm not used to it. Two : is there really a great difference in these two styles because all my Googling tells me very little of this except that some katas the club teach aren't true Wado. ( I'm still on the Pinans due to my lower grade so my Katas are indeed Wadu for now). Many thanks Mas

Admitedly I have 'returned' to Karate not just started but I am 46 and have returned to Karate after a 20 year break from any serious training. I have started a totally new (to me) style from scratch and am training 3 days a week minimum plus practicing at home. So you can guess my answer is NO , for my mind if you are fit enough to take excersice you are certainly not any way near to old to take up Karate. Best of luck Mas

LO all , hopefully a bit of a story not just hello will be welcomed, i know I like to learn how folk get in to their Karate I am a 46 year old chap from Herts U.K. and did used to practice Shotokan karate for several years back in my twenties. Back then I reached the not so giddy heights of 2nd Kyu before quitting due to a career ( as well as chasing girls). Having briefly gone back very briefly 10 years ago which quickly fizzled out, I only recently took up Karate again due to a firm belief that it is absolutely the right thing for my young son. I returned to Shotokan and quickly got myself back to 3rd Kyu but there was no Shotokan close by to our small village so my sone ended up in a TKD class and me training after work in London completely in Shotokan. This was NOT at all why I went back to Karate ! . I wanted to train with my son and had dreams of supporting him through a whole Karate 'career' gradings competitions etc so i quit my Shotokan club ( though i was thoroughly enjoying training) and joined him at TKD. To cut it short if you can call this short , he was learning nothing at the TKD club basically he was just to young with no balance concentration etc , we soon tried a Kyokoshin club in the village but they did nothing no effort went in to the club at all , no gradings , comps camerardery it just seemed empty to me and my son. About a year ago we found a smallish local club in the nearby large town and I took my son ( by now approaching 7) along. He was obviously comfortable there and the instructor though relatively new to teaching was fantastic with the children and clearly as an ex competitor himself able to do more than just 'talk Karate'. My boy quickly settled in and after a short while I became the lone parent in the class. Our new style is Wado Ryu and though my instructor constantly excuses my poor stances and lack of flow with ' Yes but its the Shotokan way its what you were taught' I keep telling him no its just me those are my faults and my traits. I happily wore a white belt for some time and after several months was awarded a Blue Belt by the Assocuiations senior instructor as White belt really wasnt me. I was quite happy to wear any belt but clearly needed to train with folk roughly of my own ability for everyones benefit not just mine. I am now training regularly 3 times a week minimum as well as practicing at home and am loving my Karate especially as my son is starting to grow in his. My lad is 7 in two weeks time and has already taken his first three coloured belts , he will be taking his fourth soon ( though i constantly tell him its not about the belts). I am not one of these parents who thinks his son is always great I'm a realist, however I can now see he really can do some Karate unlike 6 or 9 months ago when that was far from the case. I should add he is training 5 days a week of his own back and if he had his way it would be 7 but i have drawn te line at 5 ! I hope someone enjoyed reading my tale anyway. Thats so far and where we are now so to speek. Regards Mas