Hawkmoon

In Kyokushinkai we do have a "special" look, to our suits. The cut of the Gis and the weight of the cotton used is what makes the Gi a kyokushin Gi! The legs are cut to be more 'baggy', the cotton used is a lighter weight to the jacket. The Jacket is a much heavier weight cotton and the sleeves are shorter, then to that add the Kyokushin Kanji is embroidered on the left lapel. There is one specific maker, Isami, that is refereed to as the official 'Gi' to be worn by all, but it is generally not law! At a cost of £150 ($220+) many are pleased by the none lawful status. There is a second maker, Ichi Ban which make Kyokushin Gis, about £90 ($130+) if you want the cut and Kanji. The grading I was at allowed me to see that many other suit makers are worn by students and some even have the Kanji as a patch sewn to the jackets lapel, why is this a reverent point to make? The only thing I I see as being law that is adhered to is the colour, traditional cotton, bleached or unbleached, not red or blue or ...etc, white! My sons has a special suit, (he doesn't do traditional Karate) he does a kick boxing hybrid type system. His systems fighting pinnacle has the students fight in just the trousers, the jacket is not worn. Then in the dojo the students are permitted to wear the full suit or the replace the jacket with an 'official' tee, or a plain white tee. So I'm a little annoyed that they want the whole suit to be brought for them, they are the only supplier, and its only worn in gradings ... mostly! I'm wondering if we should maybe consider if the suit is just training attire or a uniform then we can better judge or request this or that one is worn ?

That is actually really really good to read well spotted, good find! Guilty admission, I did read it like a quiz and write my answers down and see if I was in line with them! Not to shabby even I do say so myself!!

Thanks guys, I had to write it up for my own peace of mind, I had to get it off my chest as the saying goes! Putting the belt on has changed me, the world and how others see me that is for sure. Walking into the dojo, people look at me, they smile and bow, but more than that the look in there eyes, says so so much more than saying 'Osu!' I am no longer a brown belt to any of them, I'm no longer the happy funny guy who smiles all the time! I'm a black belt a shodan, calling me over to have a word or ask a question isn't just calling: Osu! can I have a word please? or Osu! is this right? Its: Osu! Sampai can I ask a question please? or Osu! Sampai I need your help please? It is ... still taking time to sink in! Osu!

Consider a piece of plastic, a ruler for example! Flex it one way then the other, it returns to its original form, a straight edge of the same length that it started out with. Think of your tendons as the ruler, they are flexible, just as that ruler is, they return to there original state when you relax (when you stop flexing the ruler one then the other). The ruler has strength it didn't actually want to flex at all, and it resisted you when you flexed it. Your tendons did the same, and like the ruler resisted the movement, so how to reduce that resistance to get a better stretch.... Get the ruler and flex it more than last time and keep doing that, over time the ruler offers less resistance, and its movement becomes more pronounced and easier. Your tendons will do just the same, BUT ... a few things to consider. 1. As you stretch, breath it will ease the stretch. If it hurts you are already to far relax, work up to that level/point. 2. Over work it and like the ruler something might snap, see point 1. 3. Reach a point that no matter what you do to go further hurts? You are at your range, maintain that else the tendon (if not worked for a long time) will return to its normal state but be that much more stronger to resist the stretch it again How many of us have stretched regularly then stopped or relaxed on the stretching regime (what ever the reason) and one day decided lets do that again ...and failed! maybe even painfully so? Had to work harder at getting it back didn't you (we)? Set a level reach a level, but what ever else maintain that level.

hmmm .... Me personally I see no harm in having a dojo that runs some form of celebration activity for its students! I see this as a way of making stronger bonds between everyone, what I will say and stand against is celebrations for the sake of celebrating! For me this sort of activity removes all meaning and value from the 'get together'. Children are the future they do need to feel and be 'a part of something', the better, the bigger 'that' is can be is a great thing, truly is. BUT, is only important if it has meaning, it has value, to offer a service for the sake of a service ... not sure I like that to be honest, I'd much prefer to see a 'surprise' gathering being done for a person/student with the help of the family, and in that action give more value more meaning to the event!

Some of you might have noticed I've been missing from the boards this year ... I hope the title offers a suitable reason for my absence! ****************************************************************************************************************** The grading was set and a plan created to follow to reach this mile stone in my life and MA career back in 2014! (The result is known to me I will share, but wanted to report on my ... journey, maybe something I write will help others on there road ... maybe not ... you'll understand the latter comment as I try not to bore you to death!) So towards the end of 2014 I was offered the opportunity to stand up and attempt the grading and be called 'sampai', to wear the rank Shodan here in 2015! The year started like any other January 1st a day just like any other I guess, yet I walked into the dojo session one for 2015 and something was wrong, nothing felt right ... January, February, March all rolled ever onwards, each session things just not working, some days were poor others worse! Stress is the reason my mind is not ordered enough I'm struggling with the concept shodan. All I could see and feel was I was pushing, pushing so hard I was blowing valves and gaskets at every step, every movement, every breath, clearly being to hard on myself over thinking each and every movement to the 'nth degree'. Sanchin stance ... I have never hated that stance so much until the first quarter of 2015, my feet were no better than pig trotters, left handed rear pig trotters! I was stressed, clearly way to much, I was not coping at all so when I fell ill mid April, stomach bug that simply would not quit I felt it like falling out of a tree and landing flat! Most of April was spent at home resting and only going out to work, nothing else, I decided towards the end of the first week of being ill that I would take a few days extra when I felt better to put my head in order and get that 'wrong feeling' out into the cold and close that door! Didn't get the chance to test that straight away, my father was taken ill, I found myself worrying about him, I feel guilty saying this but I found being focussed on him (as I should be) a welcome break from the worry of the now much closer grading! Somehow this was wrong, yet my sane self, the family even the guys at the dojo supported my thinking ... when I turned up to train. My father was released end of May, new meds and a new nebuliser and from May until July was re-admitted two mores times the second visit looking like a one way activity and the third uncovering the doctors instructions to staff being 'Do not resuscitate....' That, that was a changing point, the world now had a different colour, all my senses that were so on edge so heightened now dull if they worked at all. I am the eldest of three I know how much my father loves us all and how proud of us all he is, I am a father as well I love my family all equally and fiercely. Then my youngest came to me one evening and cuddled up to me simply saying I needed a hug! My youngest is ten (sorry nearly eleven) ... in that moment he floored me, out cold nothing I could do to stand, I could not move this fight was over I wasn't loosing, I had lost I just didn't know it yet! The only thought I had, the only thread I clung to was to be the strong man he believed I was, the person who had protected him in the past and would protect him tomorrow and the next day for all his life! We talked about granddad, and I noticed he was worried he was scared and he was fighting a fight I had been fighting. I realized in that moment, he was trying to come to terms with death! So we talked and sat silent and talked some more about stuff, putting things in order. He has no idea how much strength I gained from him, how much pride I felt in him for his strength, his power, his need to be held, he grew stronger in my arms as I held him as we sat watching something about Egypt on the TV. July is coming to an end now, dad is home, my son is happier, he asked that his brothers come with him to see grandad, they all turned up and my boys went to see my dad. They all come back changed, happier closer then when they went out! Ok, time to rescue myself from this mess, how could I have been some dumb to go on a self destruct mission in the beginning of the year, I've lost so much time madness!! utter madness! I go to the dojo, game time, game face on, mind straight with one goal, one thing to do, one chance, time to step up and get it done! August, weeks now separate me from the grading, Kata is now working, silly mistakes now no critical ones, no fundamental issues, just mad moments! Feels good, do these mistakes here not in the grading, yes feeling much better now, were good! Kihon, ok doing well I have 3-5 techniques I mix up with each other, "Shuto Jodan Uchi uchi with Shuto Jodan Uchi Uki" they sound the same, they are however very different in execution look and feel, gotta nail these as well as the others! Still feeling better than I have felt all year, I can do this, dare I let confidence say 'easy!' Really feeling good now! Two weeks before the grading, I have kihon sorted,no mistakes no mix ups, I can go from 10kyu to Shodan and back again happily, kata is performed by name or by kyu its associated with, yes this is going to work! Ren-Raku (fighting combinations) I hate these always have, I have never been able to get these to 'stick' in my head ... nailed they are in order they are remembered, they are fluid, they work! All I have to worry about is fitness, the year to now has not helped, but I am stubborn and out of time, all I can do is all that I have, I'm hoping its enough! The week before the grading .... I loose a a long term friend in a motorcycle accident. He hit a trailer at speed, no chance to brake or swerve, he is killed instantly. I can't believe how devastated I am, I was not expecting to be affected by his passing this much, his friends are all at work walking around like zombies, I go to the dojo, one night ... fall apart, melt down! Someone, no idea who, says a few words, words my friend would say if some one was quitting, I do mean his words, as I hear them I see his face hear his voice say the words! I remember my son and his needs, and his battle what he said tome, the hope in his face the fear in his eyes when he said I needed a hug, I feel shame, true shame! The grading ... starts on day one nice and early, kata fist! taikyoku sono ichi taikyoku sono ni taikyoku sono san all done in various stances! All my nerves all my veins are on fire, I'm sweating like I've done a four hour session, it's funny to me, I have done three out of twenty or so katas ... I've the rest of the day and two more days to get through! Hanshi Steve Arneil calls out this is the warm up, now we do kata! :o :o :o First part of the morning comes to an end all kata done, Pinan sono yon is done a couple of times, seems some one down the line is being looked at real close! Kihon now, now things get (for me) weird, I recall Hanshi calling out 10, 9, 8 and maybe 7th kyu kihon, my next memory is shodan kihon being called out! The morning is now over, time for lunch! The afternoon session starts with Ren-raku, all good done and dusted! Exercise now, .. time to show I am fit enough! Sit ups, squats, kicks ALL of them done over 100 times each! I struggle with push ups but I get through I push .. hard real hard ... I said i was stubborn! Fights now, Hanshi calls for skilled fights not knock-down they are on day three! Day 1 over! Day 2 starts at 6am and finishes at 9pm! Day 3 starts at 6 and finishes at 5pm! Across these two days people grading are separated out and taken to one side to prove stamina power, endurance kicks again, over 100 each for mae, mawashi and Hiza geri! Chudan and Gedan! Punches are added to the routine, to add some flavor! Afternoon. Can the students looking to take shodan or higher teach, get a lower grade to do learn new skills! More stamina Day 3, Morning Bag work, power strikes can you? do you? are they? Afternoon Fights 20 fights! Yes kyokushin fights! People grading DO NOT rest, you seek out a new opponent and stand ready to start, each fight is counted to make sure get your all your fights.... Hanshi Steve Arneil calls "YAME!" Were done its over, now we wait to be called out or not .... I'm standing in the line aware of the others all looking and feeling as I do, tired, exhausted, standing tall standing strong, none of us showing the pain the shakes in the knees or hands, no weakness! We enter the main hall and told to sit relaxed, no need to kneel today you have earned the right to sit and calm your mind and bodies down! Hanshi calls out people who have come to grade to 2kyu, happy faces now break out as the new kyu grades collects there updated licenses. 1st kys now, more happy faces collect newly updated documents. Hanshi now tuns and is handed a certificate and license - shodans now! All my nerves, veins are burning .... He calls me! Hanshi Steve Arneil calls my name out and calls me Shodan! My sons my dear friend I thank you for being there when I needed you, thank you! I will never forget my shodan grading, it has more meaning for me because of you than you realize or understand, this belt I wear is a club belt, 'my' belt is being made and I hope to wear it soon with you all in my mind body and my soul! That gold bar is as much yours as it is mine! Osu! Now anyone got a good joke or two to share?

Osu! Well done, keep it up, the world will change when you hit 4th kyu, so learn now and learn well! (At 4th kyu ...its goes knockdown as a rule and then the fun begins!)

The question is: Do some schools test too leniently? The short answer is yes! We generally refer to them as McDojos' or "We-Con-You" styles, they are nothing new in any sport arena! Look cycling, athletics, Football you name it there a section/area/group that do not always press that hard .... Thing is do we see them as less focussed, lenient if you will, or merely a group a layer for the never going to be the next world champions? There are leagues 1, 2 3 etc of divisions in every sport, the structure places teams or people in order of success, in order of ability, as spoken in a film one time: There can be only one! I've been away, preparing for a grading (Not going to say in this thread what the result was !) and took my son to his 'dojo' when I got back nothing said nothing mentioned as he walked in and I was reminded of his last grading and I compared it to the grading I had just under gone! Massive difference So the answer to that question for me is yes, they do, but I know the group my son trains with, they can fight so it seems to me that it works they way they want it to! The testing to me seems best compared between the same styles and dojos, not across different styles and schools, there is no real frame of reference to compare them evenly I feel.

... been a while! So lets jump in ... both feet! Skimming over the thread I see comments like belt factory, money machine, a personal fav ... electrical tape (do like that one for so may reasons) over inflated organisations ... nah! lets say it for what it is ...egos! I have absolutely no issue with any of these comments! Each and everyone is correct! Gradings are held regularly, people are presented with bills to pay, the money does go to one coffer or another! How else does a school or organisation operate if not for free...money has to come from somewhere!! The student, no matter the age has been taught and that teaching has a price, and the test needs to taken to prove the education was well worth the effort! .... now step back a little, its a bit strong to say money machine, belt factory ... maybe! "We" grade as often as we need to to reach the rank ....hmmm we grade as often as we want to ..... hmmm! "we grade" because "we" need to see progress, its human nature, we test ourselves as much as we test others in competition, to see how well we are doing! Gradings are held to fit that need, or at least that is how they should be done, the cost/price value is just that a value to the people involved, to cheap, then to fail to pass is mealy a word... to expensive and the pass to fail is a massive impact on the people involved,both good and bad vibes! (not to forget the profit line!) To me the cost is an amount that if set correctly presents a step in a persons life with financial value that is large enough to warrant more thought then expected but not require a second mortgage to afford! If the cost has you say to your self "am i good enough?" and you cannot say yes, honestly, then you are not ready, wait until the next grading and ask yourself again! If you answer "honestly" with an affirm then go ahead good luck, and when you pass, well done you! There is pride in the action, worth in the passing and a clear concious for undertaking the activity in the first place, its well deserved enjoy it you have earned it! Its up to the examiner, to say to you, yes or pass at the end of the day, its up to you to commit and have the confidence to stand up and do it! Its you teachers job to work with you and get you ready, and be honest with you and say yes you can do it, I believe in you! ...BUT only you can be 100% sure you are ready and can do it...be honest with yourself! We do not have to grade because the grading is here, we do not have to grade because our friend has decided to step up we grade because we are ready! Belt factory money making, yes these are things that happen,... aka: McDojo ... but not all are factory or machines some do set up to have flexibility to grant all the chance to stand up and take the test!

Well done you! Keep up the work rate the focus and as I always say "Enjoy what you do!". Congratulations

The 'black belt' who will not fight/defend a person who is in need of help/is being attacked. No this guy makes a big scene about having no other option its illegal he cannot act outside the dojo, so he walks away. Leaving the victim to suffer. (personal experience- a girl who gets what she deserves from her 'man'....oh I so love his kind yummy!)

Depends on your view of "chi" or "ki" ... The question is .... Inner power, inner strength form where exactly? I view the use of the terms "chi" or "ki" as desire, the voice that drives you to do one more push up, one more lap... that something extra! Your spirit to try harder! Others assign some mystical hidden magical power that you tap into when you hold a crystal or two in your toes as you rub a toad over your eyeball on the third Tuesday of the second phase of the blood moon whilst you wear a potato sack ... hmmm...

to add ...sounds mad, it feels mad, but it will give you results, big results. When at home practice with your eyes closed! Be careful of mums best china though!

oh man yeah! I go along to my sons tournaments and watch and hear the instruction and my own experiences screams NNNOOOoo...but I bite my lip (bite hard sometimes) and let 'sensei' deal with his students. Its like being a driver sitting in the passenger seat of a car being driven by someone else ... the foot brake on my side of the car is missing or broken!

please forgive my ignorance on how the grades to kyu line up, corrections welcome! ! ? Green (6th Kyu) to purple (5 kyu) would be 12-15mths of work, half way to Shodan? ? My take would be that to many that's a long period of time and a great deal of work ... just to still be a junior grade! So to drop out here, would that shine a little on the type of person involved, as in the wrong type of person, so them dropping out is actually a good thing? (I see this in Kyokushin) As this is half way isn't this where work load and work rate step up a gear? Sorry my only experience of grading is in Kyokushin and 5th kyu is the last grade before things go 'knockdown' (up a couple of notches) for many clubs. (So I'm kind'a assuming it much the same for all systems around the world here, again sorry for my ignorance, corrections welcome!)

To answer the topic question directly: MA should teach honour, respect, control, patience and confidence in ones own ability. What MA is doing in this modern world at the moment is sadly down to poor teachers missing the point and creating a money machine (aka: dojo) and presenting parents, not the children, parents with a contest of who as the highest graded child! But worse still, I watched a junior contest at an open a couple of years ago and watched a kid who clearly had no talent destroy his opponents. Thats not me using a figure of speech, he truly destroyed the opposition! An accidental heavy punch, low kick, spinning sweep ... all in a points contest with other 7-8-9 years olds! The judges did speak with him and his coach about these indiscretions, he did get his act together, but only after the other combatants had seen him do what he did they were not so excited about fighting any-more! The coach I later found out was his father! So to answer the question with the way things appear today: MA seems to be used to make better bullies! (Not that it makes me mad or anything! sorry rant over.

hehehehe!! Likewise I am the only member of the family who has taken up MA, and I had advice from 'dad', uncle and even advice from a boyfriend of my daughter! (That was sooo funny ...!) Now both Dad and my uncle were Ex army, so there advice was to offer to teach me 'un-armed combat' "a far more useful and street smart skill than this .... this katate stuff!" Now I was honest with myself in saying if this is 'acceptable by the military to teach the troops, and dad was PT instructor to boot, then its good enough for me!". (remember I do Kyokushin karate!) So I made an agreement that I would take up the offer to learn 'un-armed combat' after I graded a few times, the idea was to be as honest as possible to both systems. So I graded to 6 kyu, and started to work with dad ... A few weeks into working with dad I had a tournament come up and I needed a lift, I asked dad as no one else had room for me in the cars that were going... he eventually agreed, some resistance to driving all that way to be bored as the karate stuff was not that interesting. So the day came we drove down, he was supportive and happy and in high spirits! He was dad his complaining was behind him and he was now behind me! That day I collected my first ever trophy, a 2nd Middle Weight Clicker! After the presentation I walked over to dad all proud and full of smiles .. so was he, we never mentioned un-armed combat again, and I always had a lift to any tournament! My Uncle was likewise happy...but moved to offering that squash was a better test ... I never did take him upon that! LOL! Now my daughters boyfriend, he 'apparently' had done something (sorry really do not recall what it was he said, 'nan budo' something or other) and he was certain that this made up stuff I did was a waste of money!! I wanted to go see what he was talking about and asked if he could take me, well it seems his art (what ever it was) was so hard, the students had not come back and the club had to close! So I invited him to the Kyokushin dojo I attended .... ... he was less cocky after that.... can't think why! I've a few more, well at my age I have a long period of time to look back over, I'll share later in the thread !

lots of kihon and kata work for a few weeks (prep work for a grading later this year) 2/3/15 1 hr bag work 40 mins fighting (round robin) 1 in the middle fights everyone standing around them swap and continue until all have stood in the middle!

Welcome, hello and well done! speak up, join in and enjoy your time...not a bad bunch of guys and gals in here!!

Hehehehehehehe!!! Kyokushin since I was 18...I'm not 18 any more! ...mind you I'm still good looking and debonair! Forty something ...I forget now ...getting senile in my old age! I've completed my novice level requirements for a year or so now and qualify as an Open fighter! I might have one or two more tournaments, then retire to be honest ... recovery is taking longer and longer after each fight! LOL! .... looking to grade shodan this year! (Before I turn 40 something that much closer to 50!) I took a break for about 15 years or so and ... well like you I missed it and had reason to come back a few years ago, there is just something about Kyokushin ... it gets into your soul!

hello Iskrax, I'd work on the stances more than anything. You say yourself "I'm not feeling comfortable" & "I feel very uncomfortable moving on the left", the reason for this is its because your stances are bad and feel wrong so you don't feel right! (Blunt sorry for that its the simplest way to say it!) ..so I say work on the stances more than anything, be happy with them feel comfortable in them, your fighting will follow on its own accord simply because to stand on that 'other' side in a stance feels good...punches and kicks etc will flow as a result! All fighters have a good and bad side, some focus on developing the good side and to quote Sensei8 they 'dominate while using one side only' likewise to quote wildbourgman - practice practice practice. it was and will always be practice, be that both sides of just the good side. Me as an example, I do kyokushin, full contact combat (we call it knockdown) we fight bear knuckle, we work hard on power, speed and conditioning. As we fight we are aware that the guy in front has worked as hard as we have so the fight tends to be more a battle of spirit and attrition (to wear the other guy down) to get the win. Now an absolute give away would be to swap stance in a fight and stay on that side, the other fighter will see the swap and even feel you hit harder from that side! Why is this important? A good fighter will see this as a sign of fatigue, you are starting to falter you have switched to your default mode, you have little left to offer the fight! So I say work on your stances, be a better fighter on that 'weak' side and so have more options open to you in a fight!

What he said and good luck!

two of 'em, have a look at my avatar! The 'target' thing'y aka: Kanku is on my chest, the kanji on my lower arm!

I love this post it worth reposting it hits so many bulls eyes! An action I see in clubs all around. The BB is seen as the final goal and not the first step! We say Black Belt, we write BB, but its Shodan (Sho-Dan) - "First Grade",not master not teacher, FIRST grade. "but its only a word" ... nah! its a symbol and we are not seeing it or its real meaning at all in any way! Which is what happened with me, I changed jobs, started a family and moved home. Now I've a happy family nice job, and I'm back in training! hmm ... agree and see point 1. The joker in me wants to say "There can be only one", master, so seeking better is a constant journey, stand up, stand strong, keep striving for higher and better levels! Yup and yup. I truly do not see any harm in expanding knowledge and testing yourself with cross training. A discussion else where in this forum touches on cross training as a means of bettering yourself and the best part is you don't have to look to another MA to train to achieve this!

27/1/15 1hr - various katas 40 mins - bag work kicks punches 20 mins light sparring. 29/1/15 * 30 min - free fighting. * 40 mins - bag work kicks punches * 20 mins Kata. * 30 min kihon *mixed/separated by pushup, squats and situps - 3 sets x30, x50, x50