Nidan Melbourne

If you buy a gi that is way to big he can adjust it by getting it altered. But as sensei8 said maybe get a custom made gi. Will take a bit longer to get delivered but will be worth it. Maybe call up the local suppliers in the UK to see if they can do it?

Happy Birthday Alex! Great to know I have my birthday within' the same week as someone who is absolutely amazing!

Hey all, Next Sunday I'm Competing at the Shotokan Cup which is a state league tournament. I am wondering what Order or Should remove from my kata list for it. Here is my Kata List Anan (Shito-Ryu) Seipai Jion (IF NEEDED) Kururunfa Suparempei (Goju-Ryu Version)

I agree the Hops are very strange but whatever reason they were added must have been kept a secret of the person that created it.

I found this a very interesting explanation of the "Hop" in the Shotokan Version of Chinte. what do all of you think of Ian Abernathy's explanation of the "Hop" in this video?

My Rattans that I use for Balintawak Arnis

I only added the "Olympic" part because that's what they're calling them, since they started their whole "The K is on the Way" thing to try to get karate into the Olympics. I only pointed out the belt color thing because I've gotten a surprising amount of people asking why he is wearing blue or red belts in photos and videos . We are new to the WKF ruleset, having only started competing in this circuit last year when the regional "Open Karate" competition circuit shutdown. It has never had much of a presence in our area until that happened. I haven't seen the WKF use "Olympic" in any advertising before with the exception of them wanting to get karate in the Olympics. Otherwise they don't use it from what i've seen. Were you guys completely aware of the rules etc and taught it alongside with the dominant tournament circuit? Because I have many friends who are instructors over in the US and teach in their competition classes both versions in case of both. I know many competitions in America normally have all competitors wear their current rank and have a very different format of announcing the kata. When you say you have had a lot of people ask is it just parents and students at your dojo that have been asking?

The WKF have had those rules for years and years. So you don't need to put down the "Olympic" in it. Also it is to prevent any favouritism due to rank. The real reason is to make things easier for the Referee + Judges to vote on who performed the better kata. I know the US often doesn't use the WKF way of assigning AKA or AO for the competitors to use for each round. The only tournament I HAVEN'T used the WKF Rules is when it is a small club hosted the tournament and we just used a small red piece of rope at the back of one competitors belt.

At my dojo we don't grade straight from Ikkyu to Shodan instead we do Ikkyu to Shodan-Ho. As to ensure we have students study further prior to grading to Shodan and means that you need at least an extra 18 months of training. We have had many students that reached Shodan-Ho just after the 3 year mark. BUT the only way they can do that is if they have trained 4 times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday) and have not failed a single test (5 tests per belt then a grading). For our Dan Grades we require our students to train for x amount of time + 6 months for the grade that you want. So for Sandan we require our students to train for 3 years (= 3rd Dan) + 6 months on top of that. The only exception to the rule is when a student is double graded (or even the rarer Triple Graded) but we will not do those [Double/Triple Grade] those from a Kyu Grade to Dan Grade. It can only be Kyu Grade to Kyu Grade or Dan Grade to Dan Grade. I know of only 2 cases where a Dan Graded person got double graded; me from Shodan-Ho to Nidan and my friend Leon who got graded from Nidan to Yondan. Both of us got graded to those ranks from people that are well respected and knowledgeable in Goju-Ryu Karate.

Spot on!

Get it checked out. Discoloration of a joint or in any part of the body can be a sign of trauma to that particular spot. Even if you are unaware of how it started. For many people it is normal and have no issues. But majority of the time there is a problem

Ummm I think it would be best if you train with varying lengths for a Bo irregardless of style. But probably a 6 foot bo is acceptable for someone your height

I have a size 4 tokaido but if you are worried about sizing then go for a bigger size. Like our new member of the month said contacf the company. Tell them height weight and maybe whether you are big (as in overweifght or über muscles) or small. I am 5"7'ish but have a belly so I bought up and adjusted the gi first now perfect

That is fantastic patrick. Looking forward to reading each part

I'd recommend during training focus on training your left hand side. I've trained for 14 years and still train my left side because I admittedly haven't been so strict on my training of it which i highly regret.

I believe this is one of those difficult things to be able to answer because every civilization 2000 odd years ago there would have been different needs in terms of martial arts

Personally for me calling someone "Master" or "Grandmaster" should only be done is if the style uses it specifically as a title. In Karate for instance we wouldn't use those title because usually people will use the titles: Sempai/Senpai, Sensei or Hanshi. I've met 8th and 9th Dan Black Belts that prefer either being called Sensei or just their name. I have personally gone to schools to watch and they have used grandmaster or master instead of proper honorifics. Although there are some Martial Arts that I know of that do use those terms because they may not use other terminology or because of native languages so it makes it hard to use such a term. I do Balintawak Arnis and they use the term Grandmaster and Master (Reference: http://www.internationalbalintawak.com) But all people that do martial arts are still students of the art. BUT then again such terms are more titles bestowed upon people yet still doesn't stop them from learning.

Have you taught previously in your respective arts? I haven't started my own system or developed it. I would recommend you figure out your curriculum etc before you open your school. Are you going to teach a combination of Muay Thai and Shotokan or just one of them with hints of the other? What do you feel like that your going to bring to the table? Once you open your school are you going to affiliate yourself with an association (i.e. here in Melbourne, Australia if i opened a karate school i would affiliate myself with Karate Victoria and the Australian Karate Federation)?

Yes it does sound expensive. Are the classes all of those Martial Arts combined in the classes or separate? For me my dojo it is only a karate school with a little bit of Arnis thrown in when it suits my sensei (and only to the advanced adults class). And I only pay $85AUD ($66.36 US) which includes tax and that is a monthly fee (includes unlimited training, gradings, insurance, belts upon promotion). then the only things we pay extra for are for mits + pads (most will normally buy the AKF or WKF Approved gear) which is usually rather expensive (can cost at a minimum $90 combined), groin guard (for males required), mouth guard (Not much $6 minimum). Then belts that we need to get replaced if it doesn't fit anymore or lost. Finally Gi's; we get one standard when we pay and sign up to do the introductory lessons. Otherwise free to buy our own but they cost varying amounts from $30 (low range) to $200-300 for the better quality gi (ie Seishin, Tokaido etc)

Well I didn't get a chance to choose my martial art (Goju-Ryu Karate) because of my parents chose it for me (I was 9 at the time). And i had absolutely no idea of the styles within' karate at the time. But glad they chose Goju-Ryu for me because it suits me so well (Including my personality). I chose BJJ through my later years of high school because i wanted to learn grappling, throws, locks etc. and it helped my knowledge of karate expand even further. And my ability to use my groundwork and throws during my karate training. Balintawak Arnis i chose by chance because my sensei from karate is a practitioner of it (Bobby Taboada's school) and is preparing for his Instructor Level Promotion at some point (just have to wait for GM Taboada to come to Melbourne, Australia). But it is a fun thing to train in (until you get hit in the hands when you don't block properly)

Love seeing your background Sensei8.

Very Cool indeed!

heck yeah! great ps1

I'm not training till Monday as i am moving house over the weekend. I'm giving him time to sort things out anyway. But one of the other factors that is pushing me to leave is that my dojo is starting to become a mcdojo which is concerning me and i'm not only one who believes this.

So on Wednesday during the adults class that i was training in. Peter (who was the honorary BB that I told you all about previously) decided to be the bad guy and bullied me. - Clarification: He only got his BB because he told everyone that he had to stop Karate because he doctors told him that he can't continue because of his eye sight and hearing, of which if he got hit in the head he would go blind + deaf. This was during the warm up and he decided to go "you have to lose 20 kg because i can't work with ANYONE over 90 kg, and your too fat to work with me!" Now on the inside I wanted to tear him a new one and rip his head off his body for that comment. But I didn't and all i could say was "Dude that is so not cool and should NEVER say anything like that to anyone no matter what" Now being the bad person that he is (instead of the certain 'C' word) didn't care what he said and didn't apologize. Sensei had heard what Peter had said and tore him an absolute new one. Sensei didn't a chance to speak to me because he was the only instructor teaching and he had to leave prior to the last class of the day. But We have spoken via email since the incident. As I have told him that if he (sensei) doesn't sort out Peter, I will leave the dojo and not recommend any more people to the dojo. My only conditions were that Peter has to apologize to me and/or leave the dojo because that behavior is not appropriate or i leave. I am one of the few experienced instructors he has and that he knows that I am very honest when it comes to this. I tried to brush it off but this behavior and type of comments can't keep going, and not for the rest of the students sake or mine. It made me angry yes because he doesn't realize that i have been busting my guts out to lose weight (lost 10 kg in the last month) and is extremely difficult due to me having a thyroid problem. Considering I go to the gym 4 times a week, karate 3 times per week, then also run and do own training every day that i don't have karate. But then again he should know that people shouldn't be saying stuff like that especially with the effect that it has on people. The dojo has always been a safe spot for me (a sanctuary if you will) and everyone treats everyone with respect. They never make any negative comments about anyone. Even the smallest of partners ive worked with has never complained about my weight or who i am. Because they at least respect who i am and not judge me for it. And that if we are required to do something that involves putting the other person on their back or whatever they know that i will do something different for their own safety. Now I have suffered from Depression for the last 5 years and have been very much suicidal for the last 3 years. And currently at a real low point. So this did affect me to the core and have spoken to my psychologist already about it because i didn't want to get worse or do anything stupid. What are your opinions on this?