Nidan Melbourne

Unfortunately there is still a clear line between the two. You might just have a Physiotherapist that is actually really good. Because they may have gone to do extra studies on top of their degree. For you in the UK an Exercise Physiologist and Exercise Scientist would be required to be a member of BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences). Which is your National Federation for the field. And for Physiotherapists it is the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or there is also the National Physiotherapy Organisation. Just to make things clear every country has different requirements for the training of Physiotherapists and Exercise Scientists/Physiologists. So if you want to know which your Physiotherapist is a part of just ask. Because if he/she is being called a physiotherapist, then they are that and not the other.

I think we have a difference in terminology here. In the UK a doctor or surgeon will defer to a physiotherapist for such matters. I think our physiotherapists are what you seem to be calling Physical or Exercise Therapists, they are people who specifically work in rehabilitation after injury by means of physical therapy - exercise, massage, stretching etc. What does a physiotherapist do in your neck of the woods if they don't specialize in exercise and rehabilitation? We have Physiotherapists which do the general rehab of injuries where they prescribe some exercises, massage and stretching but only really focus on the short to medium term of treatment then sends you on your way. But they don't provide proper rehabilitation regimes for each client, as such they will more often than not won't treat the cause of the injury whilst an exercise scientist/physiologist will. But Exercise Scientists & Physiologists (Exercise Scientists just have a undergraduate degree of the same/similar name. WHILST Exercise Physiologists have postgraduate degrees; Masters or Honours or even some have a PHD in the field) focus on rehabilitation and training of people in a wide variety of conditions (Acute + Chronic) over a long term period. We work with clients who are low risk (<2 Risk Factors) to high risk (Asthamatics, Diabetics, Cardiovascular, muskuloskeletal, neurological, psychological etc clients). We have more training in rehabilitation and exercise prescription in relation to each of the different areas of a persons health to provide a better program in the long term. So in other terms we train and educate clients to become healthier and to manage their own health in which will improve their quality of life and when they return to their normal activities (once clearance has been given) they should be healther, fitter + stronger than before they got injured or sidelined for any other reason. These two roles do: - Rehabilitation - Strength Training - Flexibility Training - Mobility Training - Cardiovascular Training - Provide individualized programs according to interests of the client - Run Group & Individual Programs - Provide Stretches - Provide Full Physical Examinations (Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, BMI, Physical Measurements etc) - Oversee Graded Exercise Tests - And a number of other roles. Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology are relatively new fields (Approx 10-15 Years old) in comparison to Physiotherapy. That is why Medical Professionals (General Practitioners, Hospital Staff, Psychologists etc) refer a bulk of their clients to physiotherapists and not us (Exercise Science/Physiology). So Physiotherapists and Exercise Scientists/Physiologists are two very distinct and different roles. We still work in the same area, but the quality of what the person gets out of the session will differ greatly when given the correct treatment plan.

Core strengthening will help a lot, so long as it's done correctly. Correct exercises, form, resistance level, number of exercises, progression, number of exercises, and on and on. Inactivity worsens the condition. Doing the wrong regimen can make it worse. See an expert. The pain can be from an imbalance that you may unbalance even more. The pain could be caused by deficiencies elsewhere such as hamstring weakness or tightness, mid back weakness, hips, pelvic tilt, pelvic floor, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy, and on and on. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's very complex. An Expert is the most important thing considering they know (well that is expected). And they should provide you with an exercise program that is the best for the client. A Physical Therapist or an Exercise Physiologist will know what to prescribe and have the client do it safely. When i am training at the gym, I see people doing incorrect form and injuring themselves. It is a sad sight to see especially when they could have prevented an injury to begin with. The most common I see are either incorrect form or excessive loading of weight. letal weakness to such impact. Have you gone to see a health care professional to help with your back and to help strengthen it? Pilates can help yes, but more often that not it requires some specific equipment to help you train. I am not knocking it back considering we sometimes use it in exercise physiology. Stretching can help loosen the muscles but you have to do the correct ones and not to push it too far. Also over the long term doesn't increase flexibility, so you have to do it everyday. Although it does aid in keeping muscle more loose so you can have extra movement before injury. In relation to running it can be bad for your back, but depends on the surface that your running, how far your going and the shoes that your wearing. If you have a back injury or are overweight/obese then very bad idea to run where you are placing excessive strain through your spine. To save your back it can be better to use an elliptical Machine or treadmill because the force going through your spine is lessend. For me personally since I am overweight, I use an elliptical because it saves my back and lessens the risk of injury.

Doing weight training can actually be beneficial towards dealing with your lower back and hip issues. But in terms of a program it is best go see a Physical Therapist, an Exercise Physiologist (They are similar to a Physiotherapist, but with more in depth knowledge and deal a lot with exercise prescription), a Physiotherapist (Just a heads up many will give you a "basic" program which may not fully address and deal with your back and hips). Going to an Exercise Physiologist, many do specialize in Musculskeletal Injuries which is what you have. They will do an initial assessment of you as a whole, and since you have a specific problem they will do specific testing on that area. Following that they will create program based on the needs of your injury AND your interests. If you concerned about $$$ get a referral from a doctor to get your insurance to cover the bulk of the cost. Otherwise all should accept Private Health Insurance (Note that each EP won't accept all insurance companies) and also if you live in Australia they should accept your Medicare Card and some do Bulk Bill. His specific issue is lower back and hips which are considered Lower Body + Trunk. Upper Body is your Ribcage and arms. And In regards to Physiotherapists they generally don't have the necessary training to prescribe proper exercises for rehabilitation. As many universities only run 1 semester of Exercise Prescription throughout their entire degree. Whereas an Exercise Physiologist (Including the relevent Undergraduate Degree of Exercise Science) they are required to complete 3+ Years on learning how to prescribe exercise.

Well anyone who studies anatomy because of work (MD, Paramedic, Exercise Physiologist, Physiotherapist, Osteopath etc) will have an understanding on anatomy on a scale that they could potentially use it. But then there those people that study anatomy in depth not because they are a Medical Practitioner but because of pure interest and want to know what their body is doing. Obviously in a Self-Defense situation you have to do whatever you must to survive. If it means striking an area that gets a response is fine. and the main thing is not to kill them, considering there are various laws around this and all our lovely law enforcement officers/judges/lawyers might specify what would and would not be considered self defense. For me in my line of work I have to know the human anatomy extremely well and what could happen to a person when struck in different spots. But also have to be extremely careful because every single person on the planet is inherently different. Same Species = yes. Same response to certain Stimuli = no. So there could be the risk that you apply something that the majority of the population is able to get the same response, but the one person that you apply it to in such a situation could be affected in a way that you didn't predict. Example: I know of a case where a man defended himself against a female assailant and he applied an armbar whilst standing and broke her arm (Elbow & Humerus), and she unfortunately passed away because a shard of bone got into the Brachial Artery and got into her heart. And the shard tore the hell out of the arteries and heart. He was found not guilty because he was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was unintentional, and the witnesses to the situation all said the same thing. They also had video footage of the whole encounter from first contact to her passing away and his attempts to resuscitate. He had no idea that it would have done more damage doing CPR. But the Coroner had informed the court that she was already deceased by the time she hit the ground.

there are a couple of students that wear them irregardless of where they are and what they do. The rest of us wear a cup for kumite only. But if you choose not to wear it then your own fault for not protecting your "junk". In tournaments in Australia it is strongly recommended that you do wear one.

For me years ago i chased to become a black belt and nothing else in karate. But after i had to stop due to my knee injury it made me realize that there was more to karate than just attaining a rank. Yes now I now hold a dan grade, but I use the next rank as extra motivation to keep going. The Black Belt Gradings at my dojo are tough, and I enjoy the experience more than anything + receiving a promotion is a side bonus. Those 5-6+ Hours I have on the mat for me is all about the experience, the pressure and wanting to get that work in. In relation to instructors at my dojo, 1 of them i very much am not a fan of although he doesn't teach all that often. That is due to him being an extremely unpleasant person. Otherwise all of the instructors are different with different personalities, methods of teaching etc. For me at the end of the day rank is not important anymore. There will be a time where I am happy with the rank and everything that i have and won't grade anymore.

at my dojo and old one as well we tell our students not to wash the belts because the brand that they have can't be washed because the quality of the belt will be degraded or will shrink. But we also have been told that it takes away that reminder of where you have been during your training and life.

At my dojo (including my old one) we only use it when we are bowing in/out & working with a partner. I have trained at other dojos for some extra training and they use it all the time. It annoys me, especially when they want the class/student to agree. So what is wrong with the word 'Hai' (Yes)?

Very few males at my dojo wear a top underneath the gi (Covers both Juniors and Adults). But in relation to females it is obviously more common. In the adults class the ladies wear either a top or a sports bra underneath their gi. More of the females that are competitors In the same classes there are like 5 guys that wear a top underneath because hygiene.

At my dojo our biggest turnover rate is at white + yellow belt ranks (9th Kyu + 8th Kyu) as the kids may not find it fun or the parents think it is too dangerous and their kid is going to get hurt. They only reasons our students leave is because of either: they are moving away, too busy of a workload or they aren't enjoying it anymore. But that doesn't happen often.

That is common from what I see. Because at my dojo my sensei sells the equipment but 3 different types which cost different amounts. My sensei doesn't go out and say "You must buy from me and nowhere else". Everyone from the dojo buys from him unless they happen to know of a different brand but is essentially the same thing. He tells people that you can buy them The Three types my sensei sells are: 1. Cotton; Hands and legs in same pack. It is the absolute cheapest option 2. AKF Approved Gear; Hands, Shins + Feet sold seperately. So you pay $30 for Hands (Red or Blue) and $35 for feet (White Shins, red + blue feet). But if you want to buy the extra set of hands you pay an extra $30. ($75 for 1 set of hands and legs; $105 both sets of hands + 1 set of feet/shins). 3. WKF Approved Gear Can be in excess of $70 for legs (all one colour) then similar for hands. So you have to buy Two Sets of legs + Two Sets of Feet for competition. If the student doesn't plan on competing, you can go for the cotton ones as they do the job. but most go for the AKF approved because of the better quality. I have spoken to my sensei about why some schools would sell specific gear over others. And he says that some insurance places ask that the school sell the better quality gear to help in relation to the safety.

I agree with that what style and is it part of a larger association like the JKA? My school isn't associated with a Goju association. As my sensei wanted to have the say over what is taught and how it is taught. He still teaches all the Goju curriculum as it should be but with his slight modification of timing etc. The closest we have to a larger association is Karate Victoria and the Australian Karate Federation.

I have noticed it with my students where the beginners and intermediate students go really quickly and the advanced students slow down. But I still see advanced students rush kata which frustrates me, because all i can think is that they don't care or want to get the best out of their training. But I tell students irregardless of rank to slow down, because if you go slow then you can focus the quality of the kata and not the speed of it. Yes sometimes go quickly but in the aspect of strength/hip movement etc. Also with the lower ranks i remind them to slow down because that will help them remember the kata and to make it better than if they go fast which may make them forget a step/do the wrong movement etc.

May I ask why you want to get out of the White Belt ASAP even if your not overly concerned about rank?

Honestly Spot On! I agree though, if your ever concerned about practicing too much with the instructor then you should speak to them. When training on your own you shouldn't feel like your developing bad habits. I find with kata training, i still focus on: stances (are they correct?), hand techniques (are they correct), am I doing the pattern overall correctly? You shouldn't feel like your developing bad habits when training outside of the class. The only way you develop bad habits is if you don't be strict enough on what the techniques are meant to be like. And definitely rushing it is a bad way to go about it.

We do this a 2-3 times per month and often each of those times it is for 2 hours per time. So each month we might spend 4-6 hours each month on it. With our 'Mixed' Adults class which is meant to be only for white - red belts (9th - 6th Kyu) but is normally all ranks. Sensei and the senpais will take different groups to do different kata (and test people if required).

9/6/15 190 kg leg press 2 x 10 100 kg back squat 2 x 10 100 kg deadlift 2 x 10 Palof Press 2 x 10 DB Bench Press 2 x 10 Lat Pulldown 2 x 10 various other upper body exercises

If this has occurred previously then you should go, and not let it persist for longer. because there could be a structural issue

Our sensei doesn't really mind at all because he wants us to teach for him as branch instructors or to run our own schools one day. If we decided to leave to run our own schools, he hopes that we come to train with him whenever we can. He dislikes the idea of non-compete clauses because it inhibits our ability to spread karate to the world. Considering he wants us to grow and often teaching and running our own schools will help with that

Just want to get a quick history if possible (pm me if private). Have you previously experienced this pain in any other form of physical activity/martial art? Are you also currently physically active outside of karate? When did you notice that you had a limited range of motion + pain? during class, at home etc I ask these because the pain you are experiencing are commonly associated with impingement or bursitis in the joint. Ironically the pain you are describing was something from one of my recent examinations for injury prevention. Best way forward is to get to a doctor to diagnose the injury, but do know that many medical doctors aren't experienced or knowledgable in injuries like this. So physiotherapists, exercise physiologists usually have a better idea of what the problem is. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), application of RICER (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate, Referral), Physical therapy (Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists are recommended) But I don't personally recommend a Home Remedy is the best way to go about this because it can lead to issues later down the path. Also just note I have seen many doctors internationally (I am often prone to injuries when I travel overseas) that try and give a rehabilitation regime to you when it is obviously outside of their scope of practice. So make sure if you go to a doctor you request a referral to a medical practitioner that does do rehabilitation as a primary source of care. Unless your doctor is qualified to practice in rehabilitation + diagnosis.

To be honest with you it is going to be tough for your body to rebound at your age. As the older you get the longer it will take for you to get back to 100%. Especially in regards to injury where it can take twice as long as when you were younger. Don't just focus on hand conditioning, instead focus on whole body conditioning.

Basically any dodgy practices, high number of belts, high fees for little return (ie classes), high fees for gradings and a tonne of other reasons.

30/5/15 2 hours karate teach 30 minutes 'Light' Kumite (really kumite at 85% full contact) 30 minute run 31/5/15 Back Squats (60 kg weight) 2 x 10 Overhead Squats 2 x 15 Box Jumps 2 x 10 Sprints with resistance band 2 x 10 1/5/15 This afternoon: Squat Jumps 2 x 5 Roundhouse Kicks (Mawashi Geri Chudan/Yoko Geri) with resistance band 2 x 10 (each side)

No two people learn the exact same way. So in a way those who learn through touch and movement usually have an advantage in that way. Because they learn what it should feel like. But their advantage can also be their greatest weakness because if they get taught the technique incorrectly, then it will be harder to correct such a technique. Also those who are visual learners, will often imitate their instructor when learning those techniques. But the instructor may not say to students that there are some slight differences to what they have to do than what it is technically correct. But there are some people that learn best from being verbally told what to do. So watching and feeling won't do as much for them as it does for others. For me, I am a visual and physical learner. So for me being verbally told how to execute something then i struggle. But if they explain as they do the movement then i do it fine.