Harkon72

A balanced lifestyle; sport, art, work and relaxation teamed with a good diet will make you naturally fit whatever your size.

I agree, your instructor should be able to perform all the syllabus he's teaching, many have their sempai do the demonstrating for them in their older years. A Sensei should not teach any technique he can't perform himself.

I wouldn't like to fight a sumo wrestler is all I can say, they have a different kind of fitness. If a master of Martial arts doesn't train his body as well as his mind, then he has no balance and therefore poor spiritual development. This is how Kung Fu was born.

Good advice indeed! This Kata is similar to our Pinan Nidan. There's more to it than if first apparent. There are hidden techniques in it, such as the shoulder throw in the turn after the first kiai. Good luck, you will find more and more in it I'm sure, Osu!

Visualize each opponent in the form, think they are real. Do each combination as if your life depended on it. Focus on each kime, and kiai with you whole spirit. Very good form over all, keep it up. Osu!

We extend the hip more than I used to in Shotokan, our heel comes off the floor when we execute the reverse punch. Our belt moves 90 degrees with each techniques, yes the same, very fast. Relax and let it happen.

My weight goes up and down all the time. I weigh 13st 4lb now, a bit heavy. When I did my Nidan grading in 2000 I was under 12st.

I agree with darksoul, good post. An overwhelming force can overwhelm the one performing it.

Im getting a new gi after my 3rd kyu. Nine Rings Japanese cut for me!

Adidas make gis for Sport, Heyashi make gis for the Art, Tokiaido make gis for Show.

Free sparing is allowed in our club on reaching 5th Kyu. When you need control and maturity for Kumite, this is a good idea.

I know a 7th dan who can't see his toes! He runs an international Mcdojo. No names here, and he is one of a few.

I found that being on the ground to some extent was like standing up, you can use the same blocks and strikes and locks and chokes. The only thing that is new is that you can't escape and the opponent can use their weight to pin you.

I have trained in three different styles of Karate, my teacher has never told me to empty the cup, just add to it and learn from it.

Yes! Our Sensei teaches effective Bunkai to the first, most basic Kata. In Shiozuke he teaches a neck break as a response to the first attack.

I have only fought in two styles, semi-contact points and Ippon Jui Kumite. In the latter, as you say the contact to the body can be quite strong. To the head, all that is allowed is a touch. An ippon can be scored to the head, but it has to be perfect, and therefore, quite rare. If an opponent suffers multiple strong attacks or is taken down and scored upon, then an ippon is scored and the bout is over.

Yes, a marriage sound more apt than a mix. I suppose the elements of each ingredient in your fighting style will change to give a rounded system that works for you. Concentrating on your strengths and minimizing weakness.

My Sensei tells me to do Kata as if my life depended on each combination. He calls it "Do or Die Kata", it feels good and your spirit in the end transcends the technique.

Yes the center of ki in the mind is a potent state to master, I think they call it "one point" in Aikido. This is an interesting topic, thanks guys

I can see your argument, and it is very valid. It's just that old fashioned guys like me are set in our ways. Any combative sport has an art to it, I just watch Olympic fencing to see that. I can see a martial prowess to MMA despite it's brutality. All martial arts are deadly by definition.

Thank you for the explanation, I was aware of the concept but I never had a Japanese term for it. Evasion of attack by moving your center line to put your opponent under a disadvantage is a sound principal and central to good Karate.

I agree, MMA is a Sport, not an Artform. If you can win or lose to someone outside yourself then it's a competitive sport.

I try to visualize each opponent in Kata, then applying Bunkai, regulate the appropriate speed and power.

Being able to pick your strike usually is a privilege few of us have in the chaos of an attack. But if you are calm enough, relaxed enough, then a telling blow is something you can choose from your armory. I just clenched my fist to my chest recently in a confrontation and seeing this was enough to make my opponent back down. I was about to fire a reverse punch to the temple, I had no idea of the damage it would make at the time. It just came into being from my memory and almost happened.

In our school you can wear what you like until your first grade. The only thing that is frowned upon is an all black gi, as this is reserved for 3rd kyu and above.