Bryan Sensei

I see the logic of where you guys are coming from,but my logic is this ,in the streets their are no pads available or rules.So in the dojo KarateKa should train as realistic as possible,but I agree kids and anyone lower than green belt should not spar or spar with some protective gear because of the lack of control.

Traditional wooden Kobudo weapons always should be checked before beinging a training session.And should be retired after 2 years of hard training anyway to ensure no accidents or injurys happens.Safety is the best policy in enjoying many good years of training,and maintaining a school up and running due to the sue crazy world we have now days.

Most traditional Kobudo schools start teaching students with the Bo as their first weapon.And it so happens to be my favorite weapon.

If your interested in getting a "battle ready"Katana you should either go with a Paul Chan blade or Thaitsuki blade which is looks as good as a traditional blade and is made using very traditional techniques .Both of these sword companys are top notch and are very affordable.But like others have said no body should try mat cutting without proper training by a well qualified instructor.BTW:Real carbon steel katana need to be kept oiled ,most "battle ready"katana comes with a standard cleaning kit and basic instructions.

Although I've trained with almost of all the Kobudo weapons and own most of them I'd say the tonfa is one of my 3rd favorite .My 2 favorite traditional weapons would have to be the Bo and the Sai.The Bo because it's the most realistic in terms of it being legal to carry on the streets,because you can pickup a broom or a stick of any sort and excute the same techniques.I like the Sai because it's quick and very effective when applied correctly .The Tonfa I would say is my 3rd favorite ,because it's techniques are useful when applied using the police or security baton.I buy mostly Shureido brand Kobudo weapons ,because of their high quality and crafesmanship.

In my opinion any school that makes you sign a yearly or "so called lifetime member "contracks is particularly foolish .Especially when it comes to kids,because kids lose interests very fast and once you or your kids lose interests your still on the hook for the contract.And as others have stated anymore than about $60 to $75 per month for martial arts is also plain foolishness.Teachers who change large amounts of money for lessons are more interested in money than promoting the art or love for the art.

Hello there,let me start off by saying there are a lot traditional martial arts to choose from,but just because a dojo has traditional hardwood or stone floors doesn't insure your going to get good quality training .I've been training in traditional Shorin ryu for most of my life and have been exposed to many different dojos and some with more traditional equipment such as,Makawara ,Iron Geta ,etc ,but the point I'm trying to make is there are a lot of dojos that does not have any of the more traditional training hojo equipment but get good quality training .Tradition does not insure quality training.

[list=]w I can still remember the days when martial artists trained in the dojo without pads.To this very day I still don't own any protective equipment ,partly because my sensei didn't train me with any and second because pads give one a false sense of security .I'm a film believer that martial arts is not a sport ,but is designed for self defense and protecting one's life on the streets.If a student of the martial arts trains with pads or other protective equipment they won't know how to take blows or direct hits in the streets .When I first starting training in Karate ,Karate was real not a sport.If you did not block or parry you got hit ,pure and simple.

I used to train 6 days a week ,but with all the recent studies suggesting that training everyday or just about everyday is not all that good for the body I cut back to about 3 days a week.And about 2 days for weight training,I also devote several mornings to Makiwara training .