CredoTe

Congrats!

Very cool list... Congrats to all who have been nominated, and thank you to everyone who took the time and consideration to nominate someone.

Sorry for being late to the party, but... Wow! Congrats!! And thank you for all that you do for KF and MA community!

Congrats! Well earned...

I always thought it would be cool to find a pressure point that releases the bladder. That would stop just about any attacker and embarrass the hell out of them. Imagine a guy talking all this trash to you in front of everyone, then a quick, light strike somewhere before he realizes it, and his pants are wet. Humane self defense at its finest IMO.

You win...

...not to mention the powerful effect that adrenaline has on a resisting opponent that renders most pressure-point techniques ineffective.

I agree, this is a huge consideration, one that isn't in play when experienced practitioners are conducting a demo with a cooperative uke who isn't actively trying to fight their instructor.

Absolutely... When I get really impassioned about this sort of stuff is, for instance, when I see other instructors in our region teaching pressure point tactics / "kyusho jitsu" techniques that are way too complicated and involved to ever work in a self-defense situation. The reason being is that these instructors fill their students' heads with notions and practices that will get them hurt.

I feel the same whether it's pressure points or basic bunkai/o-waza/oyo.

Our "kyusho jitsu" training only covers the main vitals that people know of naturally (they know because they're human). From head downwards, they are: eyes, temples, neck/throat (jugular/trachea/windpipe), groin. There are plenty of great targets on the torso center line, but we don't necessarily train them as "kyusho jitsu", just as good targets to strike once engaged in iri kumi (inside fighting).

I really like this approach, and in my time with Combat Hapkido and what I do with my defensive tactics training, is taking the opportunity to soften someone up with more reliable targets in order to facilitate our control tactics.

What you're saying here makes fighting sense to me...

Great responses, thus far!!

Having the OP behind me, please understand that just because Kyusho Jitsu, imho, isn't an exacting science, it surely doesn't mean that one shouldn't apply them at all. No! It means, that one has to know the who, what, where, when, how, and why per the circumstances of the moment.

Kyusho Jitsu is akin to touching ones hand to a flame; either you'll jerk your hand away from the flame, or you'll gauge the heat of the flame. Therefore, experience speaks towards many parameters, in that, effective confidence can dictate quite a lot about the results. The more inexperienced the practitioner, the more unsure, on the other hand, the more experienced the practitioner, the more sure.

Over confidence will kill you in a split second!!

Like in a game of chess, you had better be thinking 3-4 moves ahead in complete totality!!

Agreed... The vital areas I listed above are targets that we treat both as "kyusho jitsu" targets and as atemi targets (destructive / destructive power targets). Meaning, we see them as targets used to gain an advantage as per kyusho jitsu (say, when transitioning from iri kumi to tuidi) or as total destruction targets if the situation warrants it. They're never first / primary targets for us, only follow-up / secondary targets after the self-defense action (an uke or an uke and counterstrike) has already been initiated. Why? Because, like I mentioned previously, every human from infancy naturally knows that those areas hurt a lot / incur a lot of damage with little force applied. So, naturally, humans know to be wary of those areas and are expecting to be hit thereon.

IME, the situations I've been in, the assailants were way too amped up on adrenaline or drugs or both and didn't respond to any of the pressure points I attempted. Granted, my own experience in kyusho jitsu is limited, so I very well could have applied it incorrectly. But, nonetheless, only my tactics / skill in the other areas (te waza, atemi, iri kumi, tuidi) combined with my quick reactions due to training saved my life (which I did utilize the vital targets I mentioned previously).

Now, if there were a way to apply kyusho jitsu to all nerve / pressure points simultaneously, similarly to a stun gun / tazer, I am all for learning it...

I saw this on Facebook earlier (after Iain Abernethy shared it). Really like the look of this drill.

What is the kata and style it has come from as I would like to look into this a bit more?

Thanks! The initial armbar, and the shoulder lock, are both from Naihanchi. The straight-arm lock and throw are from Pinan Yondan. That said, with some slight modifications, you could use entirely techniques from Naihanchi.

Great video, great share Shows some good tuidi o-waza/oyo from Naihanchi and Pinan...

Another good concept to take away from this is taking waza from kata in pieces and practicing them with a partner in (a) controlled step-sparring drills, (b) controlled flow drills, and © free sparring drills. Then, take what was learned about said waza and put it back into the kata. This is a great way for students to grasp understanding what waza from kata are actually doing, what the waza are meant for, why they're doing it, etc...

When the economic downturn hit a few years ago in the USA, I ended testing fees permanently. Then, as Kaicho, I did the same thing for our Hombu!!

Both had overhead, but this is to be expected for any business, and yes, my dojo AND the Hombu IS a business! That's how we/I have treated them for as long as we/I can remember.

If you didn't treat it as a business, their would be no dojo. I don't know why people have such a hard time with people trying to earn a living. There is a ton of greed in every field, but people have the idea that every penny that a business takes in goes right into the pocket of someone who doesn't need it.

My father has owned his own auto repair shop for going on 40 years now. Everyone thinks he owes it to them to fix their car for free so they can get to work. A regular customer started making stupid comments one day about labor rates. My father pointed to his tool box and said "That alone cost me about $100k to fill. Do you think $10 an hour is going to cover it?"

Another one of his favorites: "How would you feel if your boss tried to work out a deal every week when he hands you your paycheck?"

Solid post!!

Absolutely... Agreed

Thank you! Same to you and all!

...not to mention the powerful effect that adrenaline has on a resisting opponent that renders most pressure-point techniques ineffective.

Our "kyusho jitsu" training only covers the main vitals that people know of naturally (they know because they're human). From head downwards, they are: eyes, temples, neck/throat (jugular/trachea/windpipe), groin. There are plenty of great targets on the torso center line, but we don't necessarily train them as "kyusho jitsu", just as good targets to strike once engaged in iri kumi (inside fighting).

"I'm concerned practicing it too much without an instructor present will cause me to develop bad habits for poor form."

Honestly, if you are concerned about it, you should consult with your teacher.

Welcome to KF, burunaruda! Glad you're making us a part of your journey!

Hey Liger,

Do you have a link to your podcast?

Be interested to take a look.

Regards,

Bull

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDTIjBzIjECqRL0kf8klXcw

Not the best in the world just something I do and sometimes my friend and I do for fun.

Ah... You have LP's on your channel... Cool... I'm not into Minecraft (it would leech away all of my time...lol), but other games/LP's...

Sounds pretty good. Do you know what is the media it records to (i.e. flash memory - like an SD card or USB port, or mini-disc, etc)?

Also, what is the make/model?

If my time for MA training is limited, I just keep on punching. First with stationary stances or walking drills to warm-up, then with tenshin against air (like shadow boxing), then with tenshin against a heavy bag. Constant movement while while I keep on punching...

I have two:

1. The Blademaster sword forms from The Wheel of Time saga by Robert Jordan.

2. Earth Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender (check out my KF avatar image...).

If you have alot of internet friends or even friends that have a computer you should check out steam shop page and look for table top simulator.

Hmmm... I will have to do that...

As I'm new to karate, I'd like to accelerate my training at home my practicing my Kata. I'm not really that concerned with rank, but at the same time, I'd really like to get out of this white belt ASAP. I've got Fukyugata ichi roughly memorized, but I'm concerned practicing it too much without an instructor present will cause me to develop bad habits for poor form.

Do you guys have any favorite sites or youtube channels for breaking down Kata movement by movement?

My style is Kenshin Kan, if that makes any difference.

I don't know what your full kata curriculum is, but since you mention Fukyugata Ichi, I recommend getting Shoshin Nagamine's book, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do. It contains all of the kata of Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu), including the Fukyugata.

You mean that was a joke? It has to be real. You've got the half moons on your finger nails. Haven't you flat-lined someone before?

You got lucky with countering his ki with your foot; his ki was weak. Putting your tongue to the opposite side of your mouth is far more effective. Just ask George Dillman.

Or ask this guy:

...

By the way, before the term McDojo caught on, schools like this were called "black belt factories". The definition was a little different, but the sneer was about the same.

This is the term I was familiar with for many years. I agree that the connotations between McDojo and black belt factory (sometimes shortened to belt factory) are different. For a lot of folks, though, I think they're similar enough that they're used interchangeably.

I like to think of it as one of those relational graphs, almost like a Venn diagram. They both definitely overlap, but there is certainly room for discussion on how much they overlap. For instance, let's consider this relationship: all McDojos are belt factories, but not all belt factories are McDojos. Could this be true? I don't know of any McDojo in my area that doesn't more or less give away rank (pay money, show up, get next rank regardless of skill progression), and I know of a handful of small dojos that are fairly serious about the art, but give away rank in the same manner (could be considered belt factories, but do so because they have a small student pool and have to make ends meet). However, these are only anecdotal evidence and not necessarily representative of the whole.

To connect all this to the OP, I think it goes back to what many have already mentioned: there are certain elements of commercial dojos that folks see as "McDojo", but that doesn't necessarily make these dojos "bad". There are certain elements of commercial dojos and small/private dojos, alike, that may be seen as "belt factory", but that doesn't necessarily make these dojos "bad". I think where the line is drawn is whether a "McDojo" or "belt factory" passes off any flash, fluff, or sport/tournament stuff as real self-defense. Again, as many said, it's a quality issue. If a dojo that focuses on fun, fitness, and sport makes it clear that's what they focus on, then no qualms. The quality issue applies to those that focus on fun, fitness, sport, flash, fluff, etc and then say everything they do is practical and works on the street...

1. Speed - You are actually talking about two different things, here--physical speed, and mental speed. Physical speed can be increased in a number of ways. Plyometric and explosive weight training (Olympic lifts) will do that. Proper body mechanics will also do that, if you drill your basics with that in mind. Mental speed will develop naturally over the course of your training, I believe. The more you spar and drill, the faster your reaction time will be, and the less you will have to think about what to do.

2. Strength - This one is pretty straight-forward; start a strength training regimen of some kind. Check out Michael Clarke's book on Hojo Undo, and/or look into modern programs like Stronglifts, Wendler, or Starting Strength. Get the right nutrition, lift heavy things, and get some sleep, and you will get stronger.

3. Breakfalls - It seems like your main concern is with front falls, which isn't surprising, since they are the scariest breakfall to learn, and quite jarring. Have you tried practicing them from a kneeling position on the floor, so you don't have to fall as far?

Absolutely. This is great advice. As always, check with your instructor/Sensei to see what help or additional training s/he can provide you.

Hey Guys,

this will be my first post here. I'm fairly new as i've only trained shotokan karate for nearly a year now (just graduated 7'th kyu).

I am one of these "small Guys". 169 cm tall weighting roughly 60 kg. During the classes in our dojo i always get to spar with much heavier and taller Guys at my own age (i'm 28) or older. I tend to be much quicker in both tzuki's and geri's.

In my Humble opinion i think it is of course your physics, but the execution plays such a huge part.

I use my heavybag several times a week. I often train my tzuki's to improve the speed, accuracy and execution. I don't know if you Guys have experienced the same. But i've tried some times now, where i Struck with the proper execution and full focus (kime). All these Things brought so much power that i was shocked.. my heavybag flew off from 3 of the chains, dingling in just 1.

I've never been concidered strong or "buffed", far from. But with the proper technique and execution, it's simply amazing what you can do.

Welcome to KF! Glad you've decided to make us a part of your journey.

Yes, it is possible for smaller people to develop great power. There are many theories regarding power generation in MAs. In my MA, we use the Ti concept of gamanku.

My most recent explanation of gamanku can be found here: http://www.karateforums.com/sine-wave-vs-hip-twist-vt48391.html

Our power generation incorporates the dynamic body mechanics from the Ti concept of gamanku. It is more than just "putting the hips into it", and it is not sine wave theory. Gamanku is a way to transfer (naturally) stored kinetic energy from your body to (and through) your opponent's body.

Any technique executed using gamanku "starts" with the floor/earth and your feet. This requires a stable, flexible, and mobile foundation (stance) in which your center of gravity/balance (tanden) remains unbroken. Your stance and tanden will dictate how and where the technique is delivered (target and direction of travel). If your tanden is broken at any point, you will have no gamanku.

As your legs engage power generation for the technique, the flow of kinetic energy begins going through the gamanku "core/zone" of your body: basically everything from your knees up to your shoulders, which includes gluts (buttocks), hips, torso, chest, shoulders, etc. The gluts/hips work together to turn your body into the technique. All of the torso muscles, e.g. lats, abs, etc, tighten/contract into the technique, followed by the shoulder/arm (including delivery of technique, "finish").

The speed of a technique, from the "start" of a technique to the delivery of the technique ("finish"), is however fast you can execute it correctly with gamanku. Like anything in MA, the more you practice, the faster you will get (and still be accurate and powerful).

Gamanku can be directed (body turning with hips pushing/pulling): (a) in a rotation action parallel to floor (like yaw), (b) in an up/down rotation action (like pitch), or © in a rotational action perpendicular to the floor (like roll). Keep in mind that, with gamanku, all body turning/hip pushing/pulling are executed as small movements, nothing big.

The yaw-like motion from item (a) is usually the one and only power motion studied/trained with in most karate dojos. And, moreover, most dojos only practice it with "hips" and do not incorporate anything else - "koshi koshi koshi!" you will mostly hear. Again, gamanku is more than just hips... it's full, dynamic body mechanics.

For my journey with my current CI (not my Ti instructor):

10th kyu to Shodan = 3 years

Shodan to Nidan = 2 years

Nidan to Sandan = 8 years (life happens)