Harkon72

There we go, the argument that wearing head guards makes the fighting even more dangerous. There no control here, none. It looks good, it has none of the etiquette of traditional Kayokoshin Kumite, a style for tough guys, oh yes. I hope the associations that run it are honourable or one sad fact will always run true; When you are on top of your game, they will love you. But if you get injured, they will forget about you in a week. Be careful guys.

The short answer - you can't. Training gives you options, like you said, you had choices. He is fortunate and so are you. Your options are your gift to him. He may not realise, but you do and that's all that matters.

I know a 5th Dan master who claims that none of his students will surpass him. He demands respect but does not give it. When you meet a real master, you will know. They are the most humble people, they do nothing but give. There is humour, and their achievement comes from your happiness. They learn from you and even the most innocent of their class always teach them something. "He's not a martial artist! He's not a fighter! He's too soft!" Maybe, but give him something or someone to love and you better not stand in his way.

Chuck Norris? Who's She?

Hello, I live in a North Wales valley. You are most Welcome. Can you tell me what Taekwondo-Kickboxing is?

I'd never heard of it, it sounds a little unorthodox; It claims to be Shorin Ryu, but it was founded in Tokyo, Japan. As most admit, Karatedo is Okinawan. I looked on You Tube, the techniques look like karate, but there is little hip in their action. It may be influenced by other than Shorin Ryu, I don't know. It may be a modern rendition, as Shukokai is of Shito Ryu but I'm only guessing.

Thank you Bob, I was with my Dojo members last night for our Christmas meal. It's quite remarkable, if you add up the years of experience around that table, the number would surprise you. I know how lucky I am, they are Aikidoka, Karateka, there is a Kravist, a Iaido master and our Sensei studied in Japan with Morihei Ueshiba's students. Sadly my Shorinji Ryu Sensei has passed, he was a merchant seaman based in Okinawa for 15 years. I know the history of the island, and it is not so long ago. I have great respect for its legacy, long may it last; it has bound men with honour for generations. Gareth Williams, Nidan Shorinji Karatedo, Usuru Gin.

So Shindokan Saitou-ryu is not a Karatedo? I have misunderstood, I know Shuri te is a parent tradition, our Shroin Ryu or Shorinji Ryu were derived from it, I thought we had that root in common. I'm sorry. I know Okinawa is not Japan by the way.

Oh yes, some people will argue till they are blue in the face but it is true; the higher you kick, the more power you lose.

First of all, I'll tell you that grasping a limb can pull your opponent into a technique or it can be used to control him, similar to the Wing Chun Pak Sau. But what you will find is that you may deprive your attacker of one of his weapons; but you use one of yours to do it. In other words, I have your limb but you also have mine. The second clip leaves me a little confused, I am guessing that what you are looking for is to increase sensitivity for your limb to limb contact or as the Wing Chun stylists call it, the sticking hand. We do this in Aikido, it's very relaxed, you stick to your opponent, the touch is heavy but very light. I know it sounds daft, but that is how it feels. It happens in Ikkyo, you put no pressure on your opponent's limb at all; all there is is the weight of your hands with the movement of your hips, no strength is used, you are hardly touching him. You don't even grasp him, here is an example of Ikkyo;

I wouldn't get too hung up about the height of kicks, their value is the greatest misconception in martial arts. I'd rather smack an opponent's thigh than attempt a head kick, they're just too risky.

Some systems of Tai Chi have two forms. Wing Chun has three, Bruce Lee only learned two of these and he did ok. I think that the length of the kata doesn't matter, I'd go for my current kata Ananku.

I know it's a paradox, but training in two styles of something so similar is very difficult. I trained in Shorin Ryu for 8 years, then Shotokan for 6 years, then back to Shorin Ryu and passed my Nidan. It is possible, challenging but it can give you a dimension to your karatedo that is very positive. It depends at times on the attitude of the person that teaches you; if they are a jealous type who are closed to your development, it can be very hard. Never empty your cup fully, in time you can choose what is best for you. I train in Karate and Aikido, they both benefit, if your art comes from the heart, it is never wrong.

I trained Karate for over 20 years, with this the spine is a major power source. In Aikido, even though the hips and legs are were the power generation happens, the back is kept straight. The use of muscular strength is discouraged, it's more to do with physics. That's my vote. BJJ is leverage based, I think you would struggle with it.

I've said it before here, and I'll say it again; any martial art can be world class with the right teacher. A good martial artist is not always the best teacher either. I have been very disappointed with some systems only to realise that it was the way it was taught that was to blame. If you go every week and get your head kicked in; you will not learn anything. If you go and do postures and movements that you don't know what they are; again you are wasting your time. There are excellent teachers out there, go and find them. Never judge a book by its cover and go with an open mind. You might be surprised, even in the most unlikely places. If anyone tells you things like; "This is the best system in the World!" or "I'm a black belt in 10 martial arts!" just smile at them, they need the money for therapy.

Karatedo - Okinawan. Aikido - Japanese.

Hail and Welcome. I find that set very interesting, punches, strikes and rolling blocks. nice. I train in Okinawan Karate and Japanese Aikido. Also Irish Bata and other Western weapons on occasion. I saw some of your stick drills too, they are different to the Irish teaching in that we never twirl the stick, we react to our opponent, we give him no energy to work with. Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing more of your style.

As was said, your self defence awareness will improve through karate training. It's a sad fact though that most modern martial arts teaching is useless in a real fight. Karate - Do you think a real opponent will bounce up and down and mirror you at a nice mid distance so you can exchange techniques with him? Aikido - Do you think that your fight will be over when the opponent rolls away from you? If don't disable him, he will get up. Tae Kwon Do - Do you think you can rely on kicking techniques and long arm punches when you are confronted in a confined space such as on public transport? Krav Maga - Do you think you will be able to disarm someone with a hand gun faster than they can move their finger to pull a trigger? Brazilian Ju Jitsu - Do you think that going to ground always hands you the advantage? How will you fare against more than one opponent? As you can see, each and every martial art has its challenges, and here I have included the ones I train in first. There are solutions, train and you will find them.

If you learn where karate goes, you wont need to. Another of my favourites is the original Karate Kid Series, the one liners from Mr Miagi are classic. It's a pity that Daniel San is arguably the most miss cast character in martial arts movie history.

The truth of the matter is in the linage of about 4 or 5 prominent teachers here in North Wales. A self proclaimed Master cut corners and developed an easy to teach watered down version of Shukokai Karate. They have been very successful with parents and students who know no better. However hard these Sensei work, they can't get away from this sham of a system. You can see the attempts on Youtube, they are pitiful. For me, the grading certificates they give out aren't worth the paper they are written on. My original Sensei and his master would not recognise this rubbish. Basically, they make a profit from ignorance. I'm moving on, I feel sorry for those who are left there, but they will live and learn as I did.

Yes, the bounce there is very pronounced, and a clear telegraph. You say this sine wave contributes to power, in this case, I can't see how.

Yes, I have "Do" written in Chinese on my left shoulder.

I admire your attempt, and I wish you the best of luck. What you are looking for is very difficult to find. Categorising the origin of Karate Kata is a mammoth task. Many books of theory exist on the subject with a spectrum of ideas, but I'll give you my best guess. Okinawan Karate was derived from many roots on the Chinese main land and later Japan itself. The two prominent schools were Naha-Te and Shuri-Te. Both gained much influence from the Shaolin tradition, and you are correct, the classical animal forms can be seen in modern karate kata. But like most of these things, it's not quite that simple. Most families in China have their own Wu Shu style, or as is referred to today, kung fu. Many traditions of Philosophy such as Buddhism, Taoism and other organisations fed the influence over the water in the Ryu Kyu islands with martial art traditions over time. There are styles that claim input such as Southern Boxing; Choi Li Fut, Pak Mai, Wing Chun, Tong Long Chuan. Traditional Japanese traditions such as the Ju Jitsu style family have influenced Wado Ryu for example. You will find movements in kata that are remnants of the Kobudo weapon schools and even older boxing and wrestling traditions long past. I hope that you can find some correlation for your study, knowing the kata will teach you many secrets too.

We do that as well, you take sections of the kata and practice them. There is nothing better for a Sensei than to see a student execute a combination from a kata in free sparing, it shows understanding at the next level. That is what I believe kata is intended to do.

You are very lucky Danielle to have transparency in the financial aspects of your association. There are many that are not so fortunate. Parents know very little at times about the structure of martial arts clubs and how the money is spent. They believe what Sensei says with no question. Some see no paper work at all. I have seen licences and grading certificates that mention affiliated bodies that don't exist and a few that when you inquire have never heard of the club. One common trick is to let your Dan grades register with a governing body, they go on national courses and compete on a national level, but the body of the club has no affiliation at all. They use the logos, wear the hoodies, but your children have nothing to do with the main body, insurance or otherwise. I've had a very bitter experience with a local instructor. He saw me come to his club as a Dan grade from another style. He gambled that I would not stay. He then deliberately left me unregistered and uninsured, hoping that I would quit. Not only did I pay him all my dues, but he graded me and left me liable fraudulently. When I enquired with the head of his association, he was initially interested but then I was faced with a wall of silence. Can you see where my concerns are coming from? I have found that this practice is not unheard of. I'm sorry if I sound negative, but the situation is real. I have landed on my feet now with real martial artists and I'm not looking back.