RAM18

This is a UK site but has many styles and types should be able to find in the US or globally: http://www.martialartshop.co.uk/holdall-kit-bags/

I had a friend with GKR. To me it sounded a very muddled style and a bit of a belt factory. It certainly doesn't hold a good reputation with anyone i know. That said if people enjoy GKR and get something out of it then ultimately that's a good thing.

I would say mine is still quite Okinawan. We use the Pinan sayings rather than the translated Hinan for our katas. We bow and then asked to mokso to clear our minds. That said use Japanese for our instruction such as turning and basic movements. Personally i like that but i'm in the UK and i think that a lot of schools still hold those true.

Chinto (Gankaku) is mine. it flows very nicely and can performed with strength and/or speed.

As someone who has lost 8KG (17.5lbs) in this year alone due to Karate i would say its tough but absolutely worth it. Don't worry about what others do or say though. Martial arts is a personal journey.

I assume with short stance = hidari shizentai? Deep Lunging Stance (Forward Stance) = for us is Junzuki Dachi The rest is basically the same as Wastelander.

Not technically a movie but a series: Street Fighter Assassins Fist. http://www.streetfighteraf.com/street-fighter-assassins-fist/ Amazing.

This is a great question. I get asked this a lot especially by friends who have no interest in Martial arts. At age 6 i begged my parents to take me to a karate class. I wish i could remember why i had a desire at that age. It was the 80's and the original Karate Kid film had just come out. i guess that may have been an influence... I did Shotokan Karate up until about 10 as a child got bored of the repetition as it was a small school with little direction. A few years ago i had half a mind to maybe get back into it but did little about it. I then watched a film that called Never back down. Its essentially a fairly bad US high school drama about an underground fighting ring. One aspect of it is that the main character of the story goes to train with a Sensei who does not promote fighting but trains him in dedication, fitness, spirit and the film manages to get across the core beliefs of Martial arts...just about. That really stuck with me and i decided to look at local clubs. Initially i wanted to get back to Shoto but i came across a local club who had the same belief that martial arts was not only for fighting or sport or self defense or fitness but all of it and more. They made you feel part of the family immediately. This was a Wado Ryu club. I joined up there and then and loved it. I have now just graded 1st Kyu... My only regret is i waited so long to get back into it.

Yep. I was told by my mate who is a PT that most people think that the correct thing to do to loose weight is: Do Cardio -- Lots Do weights - Some Change Diet -- a little. Which inst the case. Most people have it back to front. In reality that should be: Change Diet -- Lots Do Cardio -- Some Do Wights -- a little Diet is a huge factor for most people carrying excess weight. As someone that has lost 8 - 10 KGs in the last year it seems true. My diet isnt that tailored either i am just watching how much i am putting in my body. No fad diets or special programs. Just not eating more than i need. Most people would be shocked how much sugar and empty calories are in things like fruit juice!!

As a Wado Ryu school we use the Pinan (Hinan) series for our belts then a mixture of the general ones at advanced. Beginners only start learning some of the first one. White - none Red - none Yellow - Pinan Nidan (which is actual Hinan Shodan in other styles) Orange - Pinan Shodan Green - Pinan Sandan Blue - Pinan Yodan Purple - Pinan Godan Brown - Kushanku (Kukandai) mixture of techniques from previous Pinans Brown/white - Nifanchi brown/black - Chinto Black 1st - Seishan. Then blackbelts learn Bassai, Rohai, Niseishi from there... The Pinan / Heinan series are the core of Wado Ryu and Shotokan i believe.

Congrats!! Much the same story as me too. Did Wado Ryu as a kid about 9 years old. Then went back to Wado about 2 and a half years ago when i was 31. Skipped from 10th to 8th Kyu... and now i will be grading 1st Kyu this month! Its amazing what your body remembers from childhood!

Osu and its uses has always been controversial. My Sensei likes us to use it when he calls for a water break or to collect some pads or issues instructions just so he knows we heard him and understand. Its much easier to hear a dojo full of students say osu than a muddle of yeah, yep, ok, yes sir, understood etc. Not saying that its the correct usage from Japan but works for my dojo.

I train both. They are so fundamentally different from each other it really wont matter. Karate has no ground work at all. BJJ is all ground work. You might find over time that you prefer one to the other and naturally with move towards that one.

I love my Karate school and the people there but the problem is that they only teach 2 hours of Karate skills a week... I really wish we could do more. Is that really enough? I do train kata's at home but 2 hours seems very low.

Basically as above. They are the Student ranks. 10 kyu being beginner. 1 kyu being advanced student.

As other have said practice!! Also depends a little on style but our advanced students are taught that each transition between moves is done smoothly but each punch / Block or kick is strong and well defined.

It cant be an Olympic sport as there is too much variation. Look at the Kata Seishan, There are literally about 5 completely different "correct" ways of performing it based on the Style. Who decides if Shotokan or Wado Ryu is the official Olympic style? Some styles fight points based some continuous...Karate has diverged massively over time. The closest unified tournament body is probably WKF and that's a long way from Olympic standard really. Its a sad truth of Karate.

Yes! very true about Karate Leadership!! We got invited to a tournament they were running to compete in point sparring, kata, high kick and breaking. We walked away with a fair few trophies and didn't get invited back Back on topic. 99% of Karate schools are a business at the end of the day and there will be charges. its when these charges get excessive or your not sure what your paying for then time to move on.

I've just started a Hybrid JJ class. We take elements from BJJ and JJJ. The real basic generalization i was given is that JJJ is strikes and take-downs and arm locks where as BJJ is once you are on the floor working for mount position to work for submission.

I would also add that the standing foot has a lot to do with a well executed round kick. You have to twist your standing foot! trying to do a head height round kick with you foot planted forward means you are jamming your hip bone in the socket! At the point in which the round kick should strike your standing foot should be facing almost the other direction away from you. This means you hips are in a far more natural position and this improves the height and power.

Hey, Many will know Iain Abernathy's great practical kata stuff but personally i think this video is amazing. Kanku-Dai / Kushanku i think are quite well known katas and this really shows some interesting applications of it.

Circuit training is such a loose term too. Its a great method of fitness. If you want a challenge try this: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/spartacus-workout-1

9kyu - none 8kyu - Pinan Nidan 7kyu - Pinan Shodan 6kyu - Pinan Sandan 5kyu - Pinan Yondan 4kyu - Pinan Godan 3kyu - KushanKu 2Kyu - Nihanchi 1Kyu - Chinto 1Dan - Seishan / Bassai-Dai Some more at 2nd Dan but cant remember them. Wado Ryu likes to be different

There is one main reason for licensing. Insurance! Your school licenses through an affiliate body. In the UK my school uses http://www.nakmas.org.uk/ These affiliates provide insurance to your school in case someone breaks a leg a sues you!! They also hold a register of every school and a register of every blackbelt associated.

They are essentially the same: Stamina (noun) The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. synonym: Endurance My personal opinion is that Body conditioning was more the ability to change you body to accept a certain situation. (harder knuckles, better balance etc?)