jaypo

I would offer you this suggestion: pull up Youtube and research self defense techniques from the Katas you practice (probably the Heians). Try to type in "didier lupo bunkai". I've always been impressed with his interpretations. Another good one is Iain Abernethy. He has some awesome vision as well. The fun will start when you see how your katas can be used, and it becomes even better when you start to figure things out on your own. Since you're in Shotokan, I'm sure you're working on Heian Shodan. Try to perform the kata using only offense. Each gedan barai is a hammer strike to the stomach. After the first step and punch, grab the opponent's gi. The turn to the right is a throw, etc. When you think of things that way, you have a different perspective. I really think you'll like those videos above. Try 'em out!

We usually average about 10-15 per test. We usually let the students spar against each other, and sometimes with a black belt. Just to see how well they incorporate their techniques into kumite. I used to have reservations about the stripe belt system, but what I found was that so many kids (especially those coming from other schools) were used to testing and getting "new belts" every month. And I don't feel that anyone can learn everything they need to in 30 days to jump up a full kyu. And there were those that felt they should be testing, and we knew they weren't ready for a full rank advancement. So if they show progress, but just not enough to jump a full kyu, they're given the choice to get the striped belt or wait until they're ready for a full test. The other part to the equation is that over the last 2 years, we've literally quadrupled in size. We grew very quickly, and a lot of students were coming from other schools. It was difficult to schedule tests regularly due to the timing of the influx. So we just had to play everything by ear. Now, things have leveled out, so it's a little easier.

I have only held 1 testing myself, but I've assisted in countless ones (and taken a bunch myself!) Ours usually consist of a warm up followed by basics (blocks, strikes, kicks). Then, we do one steps. Next is kata. Then Kumite. After all are completed, we present the trophies and belts. We're not part of an association, and my CI's reasoning seems to be the same as yours! Our tests usually run like a big class, except we spar at the end. Our CI in reality is testing people during every class. I had this conversation with a parent yesterday (who happens to be my best friend for 36 years)- when we see that enough students have progressed enough to warrant a test, we'll set a date for the test. We have students that will test for the next RANK (white to yellow, yellow to orange, etc), and we have students that will be awarded "advanced" level of the same rank (advanced yellow, advanced orange, etc). This is done when someone has put in the time and effort, but may not necessarily be ready to jump a full level. They're given the option to skip the test and wait for the next one to try for full rank, or they can participate in the current testing cycle and work towards the "stripe" on their current rank. It's a way to be able to keep rewarding and motivating the students without compromising the "meaning" of the ranking system. We don't want to become a belt factory, but we do understand that to keep students, they have to be motivated. So during the classes, our CI will recognize those that are ready and give them the option to test. But he will dictate what they're testing for based on his opinion of how they've progressed. If he thinks a student knows enough to go from 4th kyu to 3rd, he'll give them the opportunity to test. If he sees that a student has not progressed enough to test, he won't invite that student. If he sees one that has put in the time and effort, but just hasn't progressed enough to jump a full rank, he'll offer them the choice to test for the stripe or skip the cycle and wait for the next to obtain full rank.

This topic is the one small complaint I have about my school. We learn the Shotokan katas and Shorin Ryu katas, but my CI has developed 10 school specific katas based on our blocking and striking sequence pattern. I feel that they're very good to start the young kids on because they're very basic. But the issue I have is that we spend a LOT of time on those katas due to the large amount of lower and intermediate ranked students. We don't spend enough time on breaking down the traditional and advanced katas. Sometimes, I just feel that we spend too much time learning MORE katas and not enough time PERFECTING katas. As the saying goes, don't fear the man that does 1,000 KATAS. Fear the man that does 1 KATA 1,000 times, right? That's just my opinion.

1. Respect 2. Hate 3. Love 4. Disrespectful or inconsiderate actions 5. Tuite! 6. Laughter from my children 7. Whining 8. Hunting guide 9. LEO- because I believe they are some of the bravest people in the world with one of the most important functions, yet they are the most disrespected profession in the world right now. It drives me crazy thinking about it. 10. Let's begin class!!

I am a student of a Shorin Ryu'Shotokan based style, and I also train in Kyusho. And I love MMA competition. But I view it as such- competition. They don't allow groin strikes, eye attacks, and small joint locks, and those things are a big part of what TMA's teach. Because they're taught for self defense, not for competition. I watched the first UFC event, and it was totally different. It was the movie "Bloodsport" in real time. Style vs. style. And BJJ USUALLY won. Fighters with a strong grappling base won the majority of the time. Therefore, fighters started to diversify their training and incorporate BJJ, wrestling, etc. There were no time limits at first, and it was done in tournament format. I actually preferred that era! Both have their good and bad attributes. But I believe that "martial arts" are better for mind/body/spirit than "MMA".

Hawkmoon, I can relate very much so to your situation. My father fell ill as well, and it was my brother (22 years younger than I) that had the bonding experience at that point (he was 5, and I was 27). And I also lost my closest friend to a motorcycle accident (June 5, 2008). Got the phone call at 4:00 AM on a Thursday. The rest of that week was numb for me. But I did as you did. I decided that I would use those things to gain strength from. Once I got my head in order, I picked myself up and continued pursuing my goals in life- one of which was to earn my Shodan ranking. So congratulations for all of the hard wok and determination you've put in. Your story is inspiring!

They filmed some of it in nearby New Orleans. As a huge fan of the original, I was bummed when I read about the "reboot". But I'm a huge JCVD and GSP fan, and I think it may be okay!

I love this topic. My thoughts are that a student should be testing every time he steps on the floor, and that the "test" itself is more or less a "show off" day. In our dojo, tests are not set until our C.I. determines that there are enough students that are ready to move up. And from the time he announces the test date, he begins testing them unofficially. By the time the testing date arrives, they've already demonstrated what is needed to advance. The "test" itself is their chance to show everyone else that they have it. And as it was said above, disrespect or something to that effect can result in a failure. I also agree about the rank fitting the student. For example, I am 41, and I have 2 bad knees and poor flexibility. So I'm not going to have perfect technique on every roundhouse kick, and I'm not doing anymore jump spinning crescents. There are orange belts that have perfect roundhouses and better "looking" stances, etc. So should my form be held in the same regard as theirs? I was watching the video of my Shodan test last night, and it was amazing to me to see how far I've come since then. I've improved tremendously according to my own parameters. There are others that have been able to do certain techniques better, but the growth of a student is relative. And I believe that the rank of a student should be a reflection of what that student can achieve, not what those around him are able to achieve.

My Kyusho instructor is a chiropractor, and he also does accupuncture. I believe it gives him a great advantage when applying techniques because he uses a lot of the same principals in his daily work.

I've been a fan since Mid South Wrestling in the 70's. My dad took me to a local event for my 10th birthday, and I saw the Rock and Roll Express take on the Midnight Express. I was in Heaven! I've been to a lot of events in the 90's when the NWO was running wild (DDP, Hogan, Sting, Hall and Nash, Macho Man, etc). I was in the arena when Hall and Nash offered DDP an NWO shirt, and he took it and then Diamond Cutted them! Last year, TNA Wrestling came to town, and I took my daughter on her 10th birthday. We got to take a picture with Chris Sabin (who was the champ) and Jeff Hardy! It was awesome! Since Sting left TNA, I have stopped watching it. I refuse to watch WWE because it's now "Entertainment"! But every once in a while, I'll youtube some old grainy "wrasslin" videos from the old days!

I had this conversation the other day with one of my classmates. We did a private class with our CI to prepare him for his upcoming black belt test. We did a lot of katas and applications. After the class, I was explaining how I incorporated some Bassai Dai apps in my last sparring session with him, but that in class, it's hard for me to do applications with my CI because he has one vision of what he wants me to apply, and I'm the type of person that learns by doing. He may want me to execute a type of arm technique, but until I "do" it, it's difficult for me to envision what he wants me to do. I also have different tendencies than my CI- he's 5'4 and stout, while I'm 6'0 and 185lbs. Our bodies are vastly different, so the techniques that he would use in a certain situation are different than I would use. When I get in close, I prefer to use my longer limbs to dictate what type of throw/takedown I execute while he prefers different ones that mesh better with his more compact base and shorter limbs. Neither is better. Just different. Just last night we went thru a bunch of those. He was teaching a technique from Heian Yondan where, at the end, the knifehands leading up to the knee could be used as a takedown, but it required my lead leg to come down behind the opponent's front leg. That was difficult to do because my legs are longer. It's a lot easier for me to come down with the back elbow. But he preferred to land with his (shorter) leg behind the attacker and do a takedown. Both work, but one worked better for me. Simply put, a lot of times, I "feel" different applications than my CI is looking for. But I feel that they work just as well for me.

6'0, 197, about 18% body fat. I've done 33 in a row (I saw a video of someone doing 32, so I decided to beat him that afternoone!). I did P90X when it came out, and I got to a point that I was determined to match Tony Horton. I got strong, and my pullups are probably my strongest exercise. With a 45lb plate, I can do a couple of sets of 10.

I see that sometimes from the lower belts and younger students. They're so eager to "land something" on a black belt that they throw out the entire premise of kumite. We have a young lady in her teens that was just awarded her junior black belt a few months ago, and she HAS control, but she doesn't use it. In partner drills, she makes hard contact, and in sparring, she does the same. So when I had to spar with her for her test, I used a little more force on my blocks (not to hurt her, but to let her feel it a little). I also kept jamming her techniques, and I threw in a few takedowns in the session. The reason I did this was to let her know that by going without full control, you open yourself up to things. By throwing hard techniques without full control, it leads to harder blocks, and more pain on you if they don't land. By not being in full control of your position, you leave yourself open to someone getting inside on you. And by not throwing controlled strikes, you leave yourself open to being taken down. All 3 of these things proved accurate in that session.

UFC LHW champ and P4P best in the world was stripped of his title, suspended by the UFC indefinitely, and Reebok has cut their endorsement contract with him as a result of his hit and run issue. Back story- Jones had a previous DUI episode when he wrecked his Bentley into a tree. He tested positive for Cocaine before a recent fight. And the other night, he ran a stop sign and crashed into a pregnant lady's vehicle breaking her arm. He was arrested for a felony (and is out on bail). As a result, the above actions were taken. Do you think the punishment fit the crime? Too harsh? Not harsh enough? Your thoughts.

I put my son in my CI's junior class, and he stayed for a year. However, he moaned and whined the entire time! My wife wouldn't let me take him out of class, which surprised me. What sucks is that he was really good! I never instructed his class, but I find he was more receptive to practicing with me at home instead of practicing in the Dojo. Ultimately, Soccer won out, and he's no longer a martial artist. A few years ago, my daughter asked to train with me. I was training for my 1st kyu, and she started during that time. We were able to test at the same time, and we both passed! She trained a little while longer and got to 8th kyu, but she got involved in drama and singing, and that is her passion. I appreciated the fact that she asked if she could train with me, and I never had to ask her!

I like that application, and my Kyusho/Hapkido instructor would appreciate that application as well. But I've always been taught that it is a strike, grab, and hip toss. But then again, that's the fun part of examining Kata. It's like a poem open to the reader's interpretation and creativity!

I think of Kata as the alphabet to Karate. Karate being the language, and Kata being the letters that make it up. In the first kata I learned in Shotokan, there are a bunch of basics- gedan block, step punch. Turn, block, hammer fist, step punch. Etc. The literal bunkai says that you're blocking a low strike to the left, punching, turning and blocking another. But you can do so much more with that movement. After the punch, a grab of the gi with the punching hand can be turned into a throw to the right with the swinging of the arm to gedan block. Bassai dai- literal- double block into a T stance, turn, outer forearm block. Creative- strike and grab, hip toss. My point is that I don't think kata was designed for only 1 type of bunkai. Look at Abernathy and Didier. Both of their interpretations of the same katas provide different applications, but they're based on the same movements. I think the difference between a "karate student" and a "karateka" is that they can see those things and create techniques that work on their own.

Branch Manager/Lender at a Bank. In other words, greedy banker!

Awesome replies! I didn't know that about Bassai Dai, and Kanku65, I absolutely love your breakdown of it! I also heard about the balls being ripped off philosophy, and it is awesome! I now approach it as a leg grab and trip (to avoid actually ripping my training partners' balls off!)

I remember years ago, my old Shotokan Sensei said something to the effect that you cannot take more than 3 steps backward in any situation because you've essentially run out of room. In my current system, we move back only as a last resort. We get inside as much as possible, and this is achieved by forward movement. Even when we go "back", it's not so much back as it is at 45 angles or side angles. If I am not stepping towards the opponent, I'm trying to deflect his attack and get behind him. My C.I. always says that "Shorin Ryu IS inside fighting".

I personally like "think like you're breaking into the fortress" when starting Bassai Dai. That double block/strike/or whatever you wanna call it is powerful!! I love that.

I'd say you did the right thing. Imagine if you had stayed, the guy came back even angrier, and you had to take some action. You'd probably have to do something that you wouldn't want to do, and I'm sure the reactions you're getting would have been far worse than what you're seeing now. And nowadays, especially dealing with someone with documented anger issues, who's to say that he won't come back with a weapon. I know the age old adage is that you pop a bully in the mouth, and he leaves you alone. But this was a man with anger issues, intoxicated, and not thinking/acting rationally. He may try to meet the threat with greater force, and since he knows you're able to take him hand to hand, he may stack the deck against you. So you'd be put in a situation where you'd have to defend against a weapon, and if you're like me, my course of action is determined by the threat in front of me! I've been in a few situations where me walking away left me open to a lot of scorn. However, by doing so, I probably saved a lot of people a lot of pain, myself included! I am not very fond of getting sued, so I find it a little easier to deal with people talking than with people taking away the things I've worked so hard to obtain in my life!

The strangest involves something I can't explain. I'm not a UFO buff by any means. However, driving home from work about a month ago made me wonder. It was one of those days where the sky was so blue, no clouds, and I wished I could fly. I was pulling into my neighborhood and driving to my house. I looked up as I turned onto my street, and there was a light in the sky. My initial reaction was that it was an airplane that the light was hitting at the perfect angle (since I got my contact lenses, white objects "glow" when the sun hits them at a certain angle). So I turned into my driveway, put my car in park, and looked up again. The object was gone. A couple of things to note. First, my field of vision from my yard is huge, so I can see a lot of sky without obstruction. So if a plane is in my sight from that point, I could follow it's path for miles. And on a day like that, usually, there are many jetstreams in the sky because around here, there are a lot of people that fly (one of my good friends owns 2 planes). However, it usually takes a few minutes for a plane to exit my field of vision. (example, a commercial plane would take at least 5 minutes to make it from one end of my vision to the area past my field of vision) In this case, in a matter of 3-5 seconds, the light was gone. And there was no jetstream. So for an object to exit my field of vision that quickly, it would have to have been travelling multiple times as fast as a jet. So as I said, I will not offer a suggestion as to what it was. I just can't explain it.

I'm guessing that a lot of people think that they're not moving fast enough up the ranks. I've noticed a lot of the younger students learn a few new things and believe they're ready for the next belt automatically. There were 3 younger (10, 10, and 11) guys in our club. They progressed pretty quickly in the beginning. They were all pretty athletic and retained things very well. However, when they all got to Orange belt, we started working them on their next kata, and we began to focus on not only knowing the moves, but knowing their meanings. One of the students could do the "choreography", but his technique was lacking, and he didn't demonstrate the true knowledge of the kata. He told our C.I. that "he was ready for his green belt because he knew his kata". Our C.I. told him that it takes more than going thru the motions to earn the next belt. Shortly after, he stopped coming. And shortly after that, his brother and cousin dropped out as well. Also, they're starting to get into more than just basics and choreography, so some may start to realize that it's a little more difficult than they thought.