Samn01

Another newby was choked out at BJJ last night as he didn't tap (not sure he knew to tap tbh) I was a little surprised when it happened, but the instructor reassured me that its just part of BJJ and happens all the time. I was almost tempted not to tap yesterday just to see 'what would happen' as I've not been chocked out before. How often are people choked out at your club and are there any side effects / dangers that you are aware of?

Thank you, some really good responses there and food for thought for sure.

I have a bit of a dilemma. I'm currently training and grading in a style that practices the Pinan kata. I need all 5 for my next grading plus a couple of others (I'm currently a 2nd kyu) once every two weeks I train at a great club of another style that practice the heinan kata. At my grade they are keen for me to practice all 5 regularly. There are several major differences between them obviously and many small ones between the way the two styles want even the steps that are shared performed. I feel I get a lot from this second club. I enjoy the way they train and what they cover. They only train together weekly or biweekly however and it's far from home. Am I making trouble for myself? How can I best approach my training? Is it possible to attend both clubs without worrying ill mess up on my next grading by dropping a move etc? Sorry if this post sounds a little pathetic but when one sensei tells me one thing and my other sensei tells me something else I am not quite sure what to do, or that I am good enough to adopt one set of moves at one dojo and another at another dojo? Any advise?

Had my third bjj lesson last night and loving it. My gf also did her first lesson at another club last night and she loved it too (she is a 2nd dan in Wu Shu Kwan).

I really enjoyed it. Learnt loads and I am already looking forward to my next lesson. Thanks again all.

Thanks all. Some really good advice and reassuring to hear from more experienced karate-ka. I am off to a beginners BJJ tonight.

Hello all, I am hoping for some advice please? I am a 2nd kyu karate-ka and currently only training twice a week in karate, I also swim, bike, run, lift weights and climb from time to time. I am planning to give my karate a little more focus and increase my sessions to 3 or 4 a week. I hope to grade to shodan in 2015. I enjoy sweeps and there is part of me that would love to also try some bjj or judo. My question is, should I just forget this idea, get the extra karate session in and focus my efforts in improving as a karate-ka? Or is it okay, perhaps even a good thing to play with other martial arts as well? The quality of advice on this forum is always so good. Thanks for any advice. Sam 2nd Kyu Ishinryu Karate, UK

Love that!

Thanks for all the responses!

Thanks for your response. My new sensei has been quite happy for me to wear my brown belt. There are only higher grades in the club currently (all black and up) apart from me. Apart from the kata the syllabus is quite similar. I am not sure how I would have felt about putting on a white belt again (as I wasn't asked to do so), but well done for you for doing it again. Still not sure I have any answers to my questions though

Hi all, My first post. I am a returner to Karate after a few years out. I trained up to 2nd kyu and relocated to an area where there are no clubs in my previous style (Ishin-ryu), so I have joined a small shotokan club that train once per week. I would like to train up to black belt so need to find more places to train. There is another shotokan club close by where one of the guys at my current club trains. The thing is, my current club is great but very focused on the application of karate as well as basics and kata etc, the other shotokan club is also very much focused on basics and kata (I am told), when I trained Ishin-ryu we obviously focused on those areas but I also enjoyed free sparing and competition style sparing (more than anything else actually). I am occasionally in the area where I used to train and I hoped to go back and do some sessions with my previous sensei. (sorry for the long winded back story), my questions are: What is the etiquette around training with more than one club? Each is with a different association, is it okay to do? Do I need to buy a licence from each? What is the etiquette about training in more than one style? Should I grade to 1st kyu in shotokan or should I continue grading in ishin-ryu (I will not be able to attend my ishin-ryu club weekly, more like a couple of times per month), and if I grade in shotokan will I be welcome at my old club? Sorry lots of questions, hopefully non of them too silly. I know that karate has lots do's and do not's and I don't want to rub anyone up the wrong way, I just want to train! thanks in advance.