Nidan Melbourne

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.

Goju-Ryu because mum and dad signed me up when I was 9. Other Martial Arts I do/did was Brazillian Jujitsu (BJJ) and Balintawak Arnis.

See a doctor is the best choice, even if it is just a muscular issue then that is better news than you blowing something out if you didn't go

I usually recommend prior to competing that you train for a good 6 months prior to competing, because that will usually mean that you have graded at least once and have gained that necessary experience. Because Kumite in karate is very different to other martial arts.

At my dojo we have gradings held at semi-regular times. Which is usually held every 2-3 months. And only those who are eligible (those who have attained 5 tags and have the minimum number of lessons). So sensei will normally just tell everyone when the grading is on (normally 2 weeks in advance) and all those eligible are welcome to attend. Otherwise anyone that isn't eligible don't normally attend. Our only exception are for the adults because we have our gradings during class time so those that aren't eligible to grade can still train.

27/5/15 Class 7 - 9 1st hour: Practical Bunkai from Saifa Kata 2nd hour: Sanchin, Tensho, Shisochin, Jion Practical Self Defense (Random attacks) 28/5/15 Deadlifts 3 x 10 Increasing weight each set Back Squats 2 x 10 Both Sets @ 85% 1RM Leg Press 2 x 5 Box Squats 2 x 10 2nd set with 20 kg dumbbells in each hand Dynamic Lunges 2 x 10 29/5/15 warm up: 10 minutes Cross Trainer, Foam Roller, Superman, Hollow Hold, Hollow Rocker. Barbell Bench Press 2 x 10 Lat Pulldown 2 x 8 Bicep Curl 2 x 8; 2nd set 20% higher than 1st set Assisted Dips 2 x 5 Cable Row 2 x 10 Palof Press 2 x 10 x 10 secs (2 sets, 10 reps, each rep to be held 10 secs) Romanian Deadlift 2 x 10

Same as Wastelander, even though I live in Australia. I know of the WKF (America ranks 16th), USKA, ISSKA, USANKF. Many organisations i believe in America run in a similar fashion, so definitely check prior to signing up; often it is obvious when signing up as it will give you a clue by what equipment you require. - The WKF Require competitors to have a Red Belt + a Blue Belt, since your doing kumite you will need to have the same coloured feet and hands. - NOTE: the WKF Approved Gear are slightly more expensive than others, but better quality so worth it. Generally all tournaments are both kata and kumite, but you can choose what to enter into. Very few tournaments will only run 1 or the other. For you what is the maximum distance that you are willing to drive? Where I live in Australia, the furthest I have to drive is from Richmond (the Suburb where I live) to Dandenong (31.5 km/19.57 miles). Those who live in Melbourne that are on this site know what site I mean is for the Alan Murdoch Cup.

The Deadlift is a knee dominant exercise because the knees are the major joint moving (moving the greatest). But it does activate the gluteals, hamstrings and a certain amount the quadriceps. If you are bending with your back and then straightening it then there can be a risk that you can injure yourself. That is why you have to squat down and then straighten. Deadlifts yes you straighten your back but the musculature in the back (Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Erector Spinae etc) you don't use as much. Because this exercise is basically a squat with resistance. Well, then it sounds like its being redefined, then. The deadlift, as a barbell exercise, is one of the greatest exercises you can do with the lower back, and its an exercise that lacks a stretch reflex, which is why its such hard lift to do. If the deadlift, as a barbell exercise, is performed properly, its done with the back quite horizontal to the ground, and the knees do very little work in the exercise. In fact, I'd say that the "knees do the work" is incorrect, because the knees are merely one of the joints that moves through its range of motion the act of lifting the weight. The muscles do the work, not the knees. Here's a video on how to do the deadlift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8jgCFXYTU The deadlift is not a squat with the bar in the hands, its a pull from the floor. The knees really don't get too involved, not anywhere near like they do in a properly performed squat. Ahhh as much as the muscles are having to work to perform the movement, we look at in the physiology world are which joint is moving hence why i said it is a knee dominant. Even if it is using muscles in lower back, it is still classified as such. I am coming from an Exercise Science/Physiologist perspective on this, as we regularly have clients perform such an exercise. The other closest way you can classify it is a vertical pull exercise as you are pulling it up towards you from the ground. The best way to describe Exercise Science/Physiologist is a Physiotherapist, Personal Trainer and a Researcher all in one. To the bold If your knees don't get involved then the movement is not completed even if you only complete a 1/4 squat for the movement which for some people is enough to complete a lift. in this video he has a 1/4 squat when grabbing the bar and when going into the "up" phase of the exercise hips drive forwards into the exercise. Because any exercise you perform where the bar starts on the ground you have to perform a squat (even if not a 'complete' squat). Because squatting down gets your body into that state where it is going to be stable and stronger than just bending at the hips. Also to be a nitpicky about that video that you kindly shared was partly incorrect because the coach incorrectly taught it and also the lady that was demonstrating the exercise had a few errors in technique that the coach did not correct. Especially in regards to the rounding of her shoulders (no/little rounding should be present) and the arch in her back as well appeared to be 'flat'. What the coach should have been doing was demonstrating it himself to show correct and safe technique. But it is often ignored by those who do crossfit because they go for high intensity and fast all whilst not looking at technique.