Harkon72

That's strange, Shito Ryu and then Shukokai have similar kata to that, they're not even that advanced, it looks like a brown belt kata to me.

Wow, I'm going to sound a little cynical here ok? If anyone says to me "Shh, this is a secret kata that no-one knows outside Dai Hanshi Shidoshi's circle and it's only been taught to the seventh student of a seventh student." then I'm going to be slightly cautious. But, as you say the kata does exist, it has been taught and in some circles it must be well known. In that case, go for it, but keep in mind that you are learning your teacher's version of it from his teacher and so on. We all know of the Chinese Whisper effect of learning kata along the linage, but good luck, you might enjoy it.

GKR get a good blasting of poor reputation, but the sad thing is, they are not the only ones that fit this unfortunate model. I know we don't like to admit it, but there are countless schools of martial arts that follow this business pattern now, all over the world. Martial arts is big business, it's hugely profitable in the right market. I know of a few good instructors that have been seduced by the dream of making a fortune; and some have and some do. The victim is not always the parent who is chased over the phone from a different country because their monthly payment was late, it's the art itself. Some seem to want to chase the newest trend, sadly where the money is. Look for a school with a real tradition behind it, it can be any martial art, and they are out there thankfully. My Sensei thinks that making a living from your spiritual path is not quite right, he believes that you lose the essence of what you started and where you are going. I can say that I agree with him.

I've heard varying comments about GKR, some say they are ok, others say they are awful. For me they seem like a business, a belt factory. Basically, if you pay, you pass. The rumor is that they value their numbers and their income so much that they would never fail anyone, regardless of their level of skill. It sounds like the iconic Mcdojo model, expensive rubbish. And to have a non-contact system? If this is what you want, join a gym, do aerobics.

That's a fantastic story, inspiring in fact. You say you started Tae Kwon Do 1993 and achieved a black belt in 1994! That's incredible! It took me 8 years to reach black belt. Then I was a white belt again in 1996, then again in 2008. Now in my present club, everyone's a white belt. I was given my 2nd Dan in Shorin Ryu Karate in 2000, 14 years after first stepping on the mat. The fact that you gained a shodan in your art after a year of training has blown me away. I can only congratulate you and wish you the best with your grading.

Well done, keep up the good work.

If you want my gut reaction to your story - a good fighter doesn't always make a good martial artist. I know its a paradoxical thing to say but from my point of view its true. You need more than kicks and punches to be a karateka for example. You need respect and control, also the character for the best use of your art in a mature and responsible way. As for rank - as Sensei8 says, it means nothing. I have recently joined a martial arts club local to me that have no belts. The Sensei on the mat is the only one who wears a belt different to white. There are martial artists there with 30 years experience, but still they wear a white belt. They are graded, but only they and the Sensei know their grade. We are all equal, we line up according to experience, but even this is flexible. Rank is an illusion, a good martial artist will know your level of achievement with just a glance.

I wish Hanshi Arneil the most blessed birthday. I had heard of him many years ago. Sadly Kayokoshinkai is unheard of in our area, but it is one of the most respected karate styles in the world. Hanshi made his mark in a style that is considered the real thing. In a time and place that pulled no punches. You didn't just walk into a Japanese dojo in those days. Respect is too little a word.

I've had my pants split from waist band to waist band doing burpees. The class had women members and thankfully I had black pants underneath. I could have got away with it if it wasn't for the loud ripping noise.

Yes, I can see that within the style this kind of fighting is very effective. But this is true of almost all karate and kickboxing based styles regardless of their origin. My Aikido Sensei commented that I have a black belt in attacking and defending in a certain way, "I know karate Gareth, I know what you are going to do. Aikido has no style, no stances or forms, you have no idea how I'm going to react." This has been a very difficult wake up call for me. This is what I have practiced for more than 25 years; Now I must get used to this; http://youtu.be/J_K6LOFBBCc I admire martial artists of all backgrounds, I can see and recognize skill and dedication. Making a move from one mind set to another is tough, I may be over critical and I'm sorry. Thank you for your article Danielle, in truth I find it fascinating.

Today, in modern karate schools, you may assume that those of shodan level should be able to perform head height round house kicks. But, you will find that many traditional schools don't have such techniques as a priority. Some believe that the higher you kick, the more vulnerable you are to counter attack, the less able to defend yourself you are in a crowd and that the fact that the higher you kick, the more power you lose. Then again it depends on the style and their tradition. Personally, I can kick to head height but in a real situation, I prefer to deliver a hard kick to the thigh than a tap on the head.

My friend, you hit the nail on the head. It is to do with range, long range for TKD and short range for BJJ. That's fine if you practice within those ranges, quite comfortable in fact, but combat is not like that; it is chaos, you cannot assume anything or specialize too acutely into any form or rule. As Bruce Lee said you must be formless like water.

Tea Kwon Do stylists may train in a multi technique system. They may use their fists and arms just as much as their legs in their practice, but in their sparring, especially in competition, a punch is never thrown. One reason I have heard from a Tea Kwon Do stylist is that the kicks score higher and that they score even more the more complex they are. Fair enough, so the sparring is a sport and it has nothing to do with practical combat. This can be said of other styles too, like BJJ for example. I asked a local BJJ player if he thought that voluntarily going to ground was a good system of self defense. He said that their style's self defense system was totally separate from the teaching of the BJJ art. Is this true of the Tea Kwon Do style too? I'm a traditional martial artist, and I feel that if the style is not for self defense, then it is not a martial art at all.

I totally agree, you can practice and practice for hours and hours but unless you have the confidence and courage to act on your acquired skill then it is worthless. Do not fear a man who knows 100 kata, fear the one who knows how to apply 1 kata with confidence.

The training usually involves wooden tanto and plastic training blades but we do displays with live bowi knives and tomahawks. A few of our members use throwing knives and axes too.

Do the kata as best you can, you already know it. Even if you make mistakes, you can still pass if you maintain your focus and carry on. Gichin Funokoshi said that spirit comes first and technique comes second. Also, don't worry about the other karateka in the test; you just concentrate on yourself. You are the only one you can influence, forget the past, don't worry about the future; effect the now and do it with confidence. Your Sensei has faith in you or you wouldn't be offered the test. Go for it and let it happen, good luck.

There are two kata that I practice that are quite close to eachother in pattern and application; these are Matsukaze and Jurokeno, I especially like the end of Jurokeno with the techniques done in crane stance; the knockout strike to the jaw with the hammer fist is a favorite of mine. Another kata I like is Pinan Yondan; I like the combination of scalp grab, knee strike and elbow strikes at the end, smashing.

Maybe it is to do with my Pagan background, it could be that the term "Warrior" has different meaning for different people. For me it is not a trivial label or a title given to myself as I look at myself in the mirror while wearing my karate gi. It is a vital archetype in my fabric. In our culture and Welsh Celtic tradition it is an important role in the way we look at our spiritual selves. Maybe it is a factor that our land has been invaded and defended almost perpetually in the past and we still feel the threat as a colonial nation even today. Maybe this threat is not a physical reality, but it exists psychologically in our culture. I know there is no battles in open fields with chariots at the vanguard any more, Wales is a relatively peaceful place to live. But still the value of warriorship is strong with our people, be it in the Dojo or on the Rugby field.

If this is the case then by definition it is not a martial art. Soldiers get paid, warriors fight for their survival and that of their loved ones. Many professional armies have suffered defeat at the hands of common warriors defending their homeland; from the Crusades to Vietnam. I don't know about others, but my budo is not a pass time or a hobby and defiantly not a sport. It is part of who I am; It's physical, mental and spiritual; that's why it's a martial art.

The only live weapons I train with are tanto and tomahawks, but then we have blade guards and covers on them when we spar. I have thrown live weapons, but they can get damaged and this can prove expensive. I'm happy with the bokken, it seems to fit what I need it to do.

My Karate is Okinawan, it has developed since it left there but it's root is authentic. My Aikido is Japanese, my Sensei was there for 10 years. My Ninpo is a mix of Japanese budo and western combat arts studied and taught by military veterans and gypsy families. I'm studying Aikido at the moment and I visit my home island to train with my friends at Ninpo, I always fall back on my karate as this is my parent style.

A Soldier does as he's told, a Warrior stands between danger and those he loves and holds dear. If there is a threat to my Wife or family, it'll have to get through me to harm them. Such is Bushido, such is the Warrior Spirit of my Celtic people. Are you willing to die for those you love?

Yes, I don't want to get political here, but, the Chinese government are pleased to allow some practice for health and fitness; but if your martial art becomes a movement for change or cultural liberation, then they will outlaw it. I met members of a Chinese Qi Gong association that suffered persecution, jail terms, torture and death at the hands of their government, just because the Party felt threatened by their cry for spiritual freedom. The decline in Wu Shu suits the Chinese government very well.

I know it is not immediately apparent by Aikido is an effective combat system. I was a skeptic for many years, this mystical cliche filled art was my pet hate, I just couldn't understand it. That was until I was sent from my karate class of many years because my sensei felt that my edge was too keen, I took the kata bunkai too seriously and kumite with me would not be safe. I was going through a traumatic time in my life, I needed a new direction. Sensei Halsall's Aikido has been a new dawn for me. This was a true martial art, I had studied karate for 25 years but I had never experienced the simple principals that sound so obvious yet can take a lifetime to master. The way of thinking is mind bending, the realizations and lessons in natural movement are overwhelming at first. It sounds crazy, but in one session I had to learn how to walk. The deficiency in natural movement and posture comes from years of practicing karate. Sensei asked me to attack him and said; "I know karate, I know what you are going to do. When I attack you, you have no idea what my attack will look like, I have no style." My other style is Ninpo, that is an unarmed combat and weapons art; the main teaching is Japanese based, but we are taught western weapons such as tomahawk and bowi knife. I don't know if that is a martial art or just a combat based training, still it's a good work out and I enjoy it.

To be honest, I had never seen Aikido practiced in the way Sensei Halsall teaches it. He tells us to appreciate that every opponent is different, their bodies are different and they react in different ways. He teaches total flexibility of approach, there are no stances, no form, no set technique only simple principles that are applied to each combat situation. It is effective in responding to one or multiple attackers and the state of mind is relaxing and liberating. Here is Okamoto Sensei applying a very similar outlook;