Harkon72

It sounds as if you are lucky to have them. Our little warrior's mother watched our every move, she expected results and a return for her time. We could not disrespect our other students by letting her son grade too early. She lost patience with us even though her son was enjoying our class. It's sad when the parents want their children's belts more than they do.

Yes mal, I think you are right; the fact that people expect preferential treatment because they have come to you from another club is sad. At the end of the day, your loyal students need to feel that their grades are a product of hard work, that you are proud of them and they won't be disrupted by those who think they can buy their grades.

Yes, very good; I see a lot of them on the high street on a saturday night

Yes, I was told the end of Heian Sandan was a shoulder throw or Seo Nage.

Hello James and Welcome. Your posts will be very interesting I'm sure. Good Luck with your career, I wish you all the best.

I've just had a disappointing message that a student has left us to return to his old instructor. He joined us with an orange belt of the same style. Our Sensei asked him to be patient and wait for the time for grading when he would earn his next kyu grade from us. Until then he was allowed to wear his orange belt in class. The worrying thing was that his standard was way below that of our yellow belts, he took his place in the line but it looked a bit awkward. It was obvious that he would have to skip several gradings to come up to standard. He was not happy, his mother thought that for her money he should receive more belts. He has left for the other Dojo, disappointed and with the delusion that money buys grades. I know we should have made him a white belt, but his pride made that impossible. We are sad but we stuck to our principals. Has anyone else experienced this kind of pressure?

Incline walk 15min Bike 10min Shoulder Press 3x12 Seated Row 3x12 Chest Press 3x12 Bike 10min

After the Tetsui Uchi, then Oi Zuki, opponent grabs your wrist, then as you say, the 180 degree turn with Gedan Barrai, still holding their wrist this can be a Tai Otoshi throw over your left leg and hip. You then follow with the punch or strike if it's Heian Shodan or in our case Pinan Nidan.

Our Sensei's Instructor is a Karate Master, also a Kobudo 2nd Dan and holds a Dan grade in Ju Jitsu, I hope these skill will be taught to us in turn. Our Kata are old but I hope that the applications will be taught and re-taught in a new fresh light. My Sensei will go for his Godan this year, then who knows where our Karate will lead us.

I know of a 3rd Dan Goju Ryu instructor that broke away from his association and became an independent MMA style club. One of his students said that they kept their Goju grade into the new system but their grade would not be valid any where but within their club. I think they got a rough deal.

Good Pictures, it's nice to see a line of white suited focused katateka. How did the grading go?

All Karate Bunkai are free to interpretation, while some Sensei teach you the bear minimum, we are encouraged to seek our own techniques in the style's applications. There are techniques like body drops in most turns in the Pinan Kata, shoulder throws and a Kote Gieshi in Pinan Yondan for example. The fact that they appear in Karate Kata doesn't mean they don't work. We are going on a Bunkai based Throw and Take Down course this summer.

Our Karate applications are full of throws, even the most basic Kata have them, the last few moves of Pinan Sandan for example.

I agree, many gangers don't get to know what damage a knife does until it is too late. I have carried a knife while working on a farm and while fishing, if a policeman stopped me I would have a good reason to carry one. At Christmas 2011, a young mother was stabbed to death in our village; it sent shock waves through our close knit community. The assailant walked two miles to the victim's home with a kitchen knife under her top. This was judged to be intent to cause serious injury, the court found her guilty of murder and the use of a deadly weapon. She will receive no less than 18 years behind bars. A wasted life, a miserable existence, three children left with no mother or a mother they will never know. I'm sure the women had no idea what kind of injuries a knife can do; it was a single stab wound, straight through her heart.

Congratulations Sensei! An inspired effort.

First Eleven on Facebook - Soccer Manager Game, bit of fun.

Samurai, we have a lot in common. I have a friend as an instructor who I see as my brother. His sempai is like a sister to me. I feel so lucky, I wish you all the best too.

Good Luck, Tiger Balm is good for injuries, smells nice too.

I agree, each one of makes our own style, our own way of interpreting what we are taught. The myth that each student can be taught in the same way, the same techniques and with matching stances is only a theory that is dis proven so easily when a class comes together. The regiments of white clad students portrayed in the Enter the Dragon film gives a false impression of how a class really looks. We are not clones of each other, as you say each body and soul is different; but we are all leaves on the same tree.

I think Kick Jitsu might be a free style sport for those who like to mix it a bit. I have a niggling feeling it could be an ideal vehicle for the less grounded in our midst, to say that it could come with fries.

Inclined Walk 15min Shoulder Press 3x12 Chest Press 3x12 Skiing 10min Seated Row 3x12 Biking 15min

There is more to Kata than a nostalgic training pattern; this is where the Karatedo is - it's the blueprint for the style. Interpretation is the fine art of what is the soul of the Martial Art. To write your own is a skill that Dan grades must master, but this has to be rooted in the art not the sensational, a Kata lacking in the substance of the Karatedo is just a sequence of moves.

Most styles of good Karate have hard and soft aspects, the secret is to relax. If you have no tension between techniques, the application is faster and more focused. Strength must be developed in muscles in both directions - in shortening and stretching. Weights can build endurance and definition as well as conditioning. You also need stamina and a degree of muscle memory - these can be developed through repeating relaxed movement and good breath technique. Always practice against resistance equipment and impact shields and a living target. You can condition your body and mind and develop a peaceful open consciousness, that can give the insight that the practice of Martial Arts can bring - a new state of calm in realizing your spiritual potential. Good luck on your journey, peace be upon you.

I'm playing a vintage WWII sim called Hearts of Iron 2, classic world domination!

Branded tags in MA are the most common misconceptions at times. MMA is an over used term because of it's contextual connection. Karate is a massive umbrella term for many arts and passtimes. Kick Jitsu is a new one on me, it's a mix of freestyle Karate and Jiu Jitsu apparently, sounds quite cool doesn't it?