Harkon72

I would only use them in a dire situation. A strike to the head with an octagonal nunchaku baton with any force can kill. I keep a set in the house, they will never see the light of a real fight unless I was faced by a deadly weapon or superior numbers. Our village is not the Wild west, I hope it will never be the case; but I know where to find them.

Oak cord Nunckaku can be the cheapest to buy. About £5 a pair. Chain, ball bearings and even flashing lights can be included; they just add to the weight and the cost. A simple pair in the right hands can be more impressive. Foam flails are good for beginners, but a real pair give you a chance to benefit from the feel of a traditional weapon. They feel good and deserve respect.

There is a school of thought that says if you need to throw a punch in a situation, then you have failed as a martial artist. The best you can do is fail very well!

I would call myself a Traditional Karateka. But my present style has evolved down the tree of styles over the years. I have studied some Wing Chun and Ju Jutsu, perhaps years ago, but I still use their principals in my Karate. Cross training can work, it can work well!

The Samurai Code asked them to look for a good death, indeed to seek it. The Vikings also tried to have a death holding a sword in their hand. Dying with your boots on was a goal in some cowboy films too. I concur, it's better to go out kicking than to fade away.

Thank you everyone! Osu!

Great picture! I have never studied a Korean style, there are no Kwoon here where I live. But I'm encouraged by the Young Olympic Taekwando gold medalist from North Wales. I watched her winning match, I was very impressed. My Karate is very different to that sort of kick fighting, I find it very interesting though. Keep up the good work guys! Osu!

Ball of foot! Your heel should only lightly touch the floor, in ready stance to cat stance, the weight should be 70% at least on the ball of the foot.

They do waterfall training in Wales, I've seen it done at Aber Falls near Bangor. You do Kikon under the freezing water. Not tried it myself, might do one day.

John ASe could be right, I may have spelt it wrong, sorry

With competition Kata, you need perfection, that is the perfect representation of your stye in motion. Good Luck! Osu!

With a takedown or knockdown in Ippon Jui Kumite, you usually need to score a final strike with your opponent on the ground to score the full Ippon.

Done, a pleasure.

Yes, Hobgoblin Ale is a great improvement!

Karate is a facet of my life that is bright and high, dark and low. At the edge of giving up, I've stepped into the abyss and felt a comforting hand. My martial arts have filled my life with good people, made me the worse and the best I can be. I'm lucky that I have no real injuries, but to transcend the material is the key. To touch the divine in Budo may take a lifetime, or you can see it in a child's first kiai. There is such a thing as a perfect cherry blossom, a life spent looking for it is not a wasted life. Many men never find it. But Zen tells us that all cherry blossoms are perfect.

I'm sure it's more than a salutation. In Shukokai we perform a Shuto Tsuke or knifehand thrust to finish a combination. It's more than a block or strike, it's the style's signature.

Kata is the Soul of Karate, it's like a piece of music; you can play it fast or slow, loud or quiet. But the point of it is that everyone can recognize the tune.

Sensei Kato is a small man with a pot belly, but he can leap over my head! Enough said I think! Osu!

Maybe the difference between a coach and an instructor is purely academic, I agree, all we can do is to learn in life. Experience will teach us no matter how well we achieve. This is a great thread guys, hammer and tongs, keep it up! Osu!

I've been in some nasty neck fights while training in Wing Chun. Our teacher always let us mix it with him standing and on the ground. Our teacher's Master was an awesome fighter, practiced iron shirt and iron palm qi gong. Happy Days! Thanks for the tips BTW, much appreciated.

I train for ease of movement, hopefully with no injury. I meditate for ease of thought, hopefully with no stress. As I get older my Martial arts become more Spiritual.

I'm a striker, I find striking targets to good effect works well on the ground too. If your opponent's Ki is broken, a shift of weight and balance might be the key to success.

I'm about a stone overweight, I feel the gradings I have had with this instructor as he really pushes me. But they are getting no easier, all my sensei does is make me try harder.

A coach leads and guides you to achieve more than he can do. An instructor shows by example and you follow to achieve as much skill as him one day. That's how I see it, my friend is a football coach, my Sensei is a Karate instructor.

We should always learn from another's experience, but if they can't perform any more they become more of a coach than an instructor. Usain Bolt's coach can't run as fast as him, I see your point.