ninjanurse

May I respectfully say that the point trying to be made here is that Shotokan Karate itself has many techniques and theories taken from other arts so if you study Shotokan you are being exposed to all of those arts. Hence, Shotokan does not stand by itself as a unique art it is a SYSTEM. It is then logical that the arts that were borrowed from have some merit and validity and should not be discounted. Devotion and loyalty to your art is admirable and definitely speaks to your committment but the founders of Shotokan understood the importance of living life harmoniously among ALL and strove to teach their students to resolve conflicts peacefully through training, study, and understanding of not only others but yourself as well.

Focus mitts and bag work...lots of it!!!

Stance training develops strength, balance, and flexibility. Having recently begun to train in kung fu I am finding that their stances offer a lot more to this training than one may realize.

You are correct. This is one of the things that Gichin Funakoshi taught his students...to win by never putting yourself in the position to have to fight. This includes never revealing your experience or skill through public contest or boastfulness.

We teach a totally non offensive posture when confronted. Students are taught to block/counter or strike from this position if need be. It is similar to shizen-very natural, body slightly angled to reduce target area, hands in a non-threatening position at the sides. During sparring we use a boxing style guarding stance hands high, balls of feet, etc.

I have done both. Most recently I joined a new TKD school and was allowed to keep my current TKD rank. I have been training furiously for months to learn the entire curriculum as I am expected to test in soon. There is an added pressure and a higher expectation when you join a new school wearing a Black Belt as opposed to a white belt. Wearing a white belt decreases the expectation somewhat even when you are "discovered". I agree with glingglo about discouraging other students but I also believe that one can also be an inspiration .

I agree TJS. A senseless argument to say the least! Further postings should attempt to reflect a sense of mutual respect for all persons AND arts. If you have nothing nice to say then please don't say anything. Thanks!!

I have instructed in a school that uses a rotating curriculum of sorts and found it to have its pro's and cons. You have to be very careful that you don't leave out curriculum that students need or present it too close to grading. Some students can fall through the cracks because of missed classes due to illness and/or vacation so you really have to stay on top of things. We offered scheduled private lessons (free of charge-but often compensated by parents) for students missing and requesting a makeup. It can be very effective at keeping students interested and motivated provided the instructors are consistent and keep it moving smoothly. Typically weekly lesson plans are posted for the instructors outlining the entire week or month. "A" days usually involve basics, forms, and self-defense-basics being done each class, the rest rotated weekly. "B" days are sparring and kicking days-rotating through kicks, sparring drills, free sparring, and step sparring. "Open Class" days (usually a Friday or Saturday) are "A/B" days focusing on one particular aspect of curriculum each week. Hopefully all the required curriculum is covered every 2 weeks in a variety of ways. A side benefit is that instructors must use their creative talents and time management skills more effectively and thereby builds better and more efficient instructors. My new school is planning on going to a rotating curriculum which will be a good thing as the class structure as it stands is very rigid and predictable which is effecting student retention in the younger ranks. Which can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the schools goals.

Classical Jiu Jitsu and Shotokan are a good mix! I agree that some modern JJ schools are lacking in technique and have lost sight of the ideals of Budo that the art was founded upon-it's too bad but "old Skool" is still around if you look hard enough!

Who's pressuring you...you or your spouse? The suggestions given already are good but I doubt you will find a mens only art these days as most serious women martial artists do not have a problem grappling with men (and vice versa) and there are more and more of us showing up in classes . You may however find a Defensive Tactics/Military type group willing to have you as a student that will have less females-but probably there will always be one or two.

Ditto!

Still recooping from traumatic arthritis in my wrist that caused the bones to fall apart, requiring fusion. This after many years of joint manipulations and pounding various hard objects (or getting hit by them ). That's probably the worst-at least the one that kept me out of training the longest. I did have a head injury from a 360 jump wheel thrown by a very large man who wasn't paying attention in class.

Make up drills using different techniques and combo's and then drill, drill, drill!!!!!!!!!

Balance is the key to most things in life. I agree with all of you and it is a daily effort to maintain balance-especially where martial arts are concerned. Balance physically, mentally, spiritually; Balance with your family and their needs; Balance with your job; Balance with your students. To go to the dojo or not go to the dojo? That is the question!!!!!!!

I have trained in both TKD and JuJitsu so I tink I can answer this from both points of view. Delta makes a good point in that when faced with multiple attackers a good jujitsuka would stay on his feet. You may not know but many JJ systems teach kicks, punches, evasions, and strikes in addition to ground fighting. It is not just a course on how to grapple, it is a course on how to maim and kill when confronted, period. TKD also teaches kicks, strikes, punches, and evasions, and at the higher dans-in some systems-throws and grappling. The fair match up here would be 2 people who have trained to the same skill level-not just a jujitsuka versus a TKD guy because acquisition of techniques follows a different path in each style. The combinations of scenarios are endless but in general I think it could be a very good fight-the winner being the most determined. There are however such differences in style that a fair comparison would be difficult to give, too many variables such as the individuals strengths and weaknesses, skill level, environment, etc. It is also not fair to assume that a TKD stylist has never had exposure to any other arts or vice-versa. I myself would probably use a fair amount of JJ in any fight but would use my TKD skills when the opportunity presented itself to avoid a groundfight regardless of who I was fighting...but then even that depends on many variables.

Nightshades include tomatoes, potatos, onions, and eggplant. They contain certain chemicals that can exacerbate arthritis symptoms. I myself do not have a problem with any of them. To see if you do you must eliminate them completely from your diet for a minimum of 2 weeks and then re-introduce them one at a time into your diet. If you have a return or increase in symptoms don't eat that food! Go back to 2 weeks without any and then re-introduce another. Takes time but worth it in the long run. I would suggest a diet of whole foods-nothing processed or prepackaged-for a month. You will be surprised at how your arthritis symptoms will decrease when you stop eating chemicals, sugars, and unhealthy fats. Once you feel good it will be pretty easy to stick to it because you won't want to feel like cr** again. For me, elimination of ALL dairy made a huge difference!!!

So how do you guys know that the other trees wouldn't point and laugh? You don't know what trees really do when no one is watching. Welcome!!!

Welcome!!!

I agree in different styles for different folks but I also believe that it is not the style that makes you a good fighter, it is you. Take all the tools given to you, decide which ones work best, experiment with variations, and build your own personal arsenal of techniques. Then use them during sparring class (within the "rules" of course)-just because the other guy just stands there and kicks doesn't mean you have to !! There is a nice article posted by TJS on Comparative Styles that may give you some encouragement until you talk things over with your instructor. A lot of times instructors are not aware of how their students feel-I don't think they are all unapproachable! If he/she is not, or doesn't offer you a solution you can live with then maybe you should dabble in something else or change schools. Good luck!

Welcome to the forums!!!

Welcome to the forums!!!

Welcome!!!!

Good article!!! Thanks!!!

You are a serious student who has learned much and has even more to learn.

Keep as mobile as you can or you will lose what mobility you have! I have arthritis in several joints and find that if I lay off even just a week my joints bother me. Drink plenty of fluids and eat well-knock off the dairy and sugar and you may feel better overall too. As far as supplements-talk to your orthopedist to get a recommendation...or a good homeopath or holistic physician. You can adapt any technique to fit your "challenges" but it may take some experimentation. I wouldn't change styles, I would just change mindset.