mazzybear

I think your mistake in this was that you changed it during competition. You didn't have any experience (that I know of) with this guard before relying on it. Unless the competition is low, stick to what you know. Give the altered guard a through try in practice/class, not when it's going to potentially punish you most, so to speak. Minor adjustments such as moving your hands out, up, etc. a few inches are a different matter, but going from holding your hands by your chin to holding them at your stomach is pretty drastic IMO. The dojo is where I'd try drastic (relatively speaking) changes. Unless it's your sensei or another person you train with regularly that knows you pretty well giving you that advice (or the judge telling you you have to), don't make major changes to technique during competition. Yeah it's something I won't do again, at least not change as drastically during competition, there's one more sparring competition before the end of the year so hopefully I can make the necessary adjustments and get some good practice in before then. Thanks. Mo.

Yes, I would say it's similar to a boxers guard, not unlike to the one Luther_unleashed has in the picture he just posted. Depending on my opponent I do sometimes let my arms drop completely and rely on slips and laybacks to avoid attacks and try and find openings. For the most part though, I do have my hands up. Mo.

1. What is your favorite word? Roaster (Scottish slang for somebody who is a making a fool of themselves) 2. What is your least favorite word? Bae (youngsters use it to mean their significant other. It drives me insane) 3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Learning about new people/places/cultures. 4. What turns you off? Bigots. 5. What is your favorite Martial Art word? Kime. 6. What sound or noise do you love? Running/crashing water (mother nature at her finest) 7. What sound or noise do you hate? People banging their head, it turns my stomach. 8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Wildlife photographer/film maker. 9. What profession would you not like to do? Sewer worker. 10. If your Sensei/Instructor has requested that you're to report to the Hombu/Headquarters immediately, what would you like to hear your Sensei/Instructor say when you arrive at the Hombu/Headquarters? You're ready.

That was my thinking too, but the guy told me it took longer to throw a punch from high (which I found very strange, surely it would be faster?) and it has more chance of falling short. I felt the guy took time out to advise me, so it's only right to try it but it's definitely not for me. Mo.

I saw a lot of this on Sunday, seems to be standard within the federation, with the exception of a Japanese kid who held his lead hand above his head almost like a lure. It worked for him, this kid was unbelievable to watch, very fluid and natural, although he was sneaky and threw in a couple illegal techniques (a couple 360 round kicks) but the refs almost seemed not to notice Mo.

Thanks for the replies guys, so looks like guards are definetly a personal choice as to where to hold it. I think I'll probably stick with it, maybe lower it slightly to allow for faster attacking, but the low one is certainly not for me, I don't like the feeling of exposure it brings. My instructor is going to pair me up with two black belts over 6' to try and get me better used to taller fighters, I'm looking forward to it but also dreading it, one of them is a 14 year old guy who is around 6'3" so his chudan will be in perfect range of my head!! Mo.

I attented a kumite competition at the weekend. My first fight was with a woman who is famous for her hook kick, so my plan was to nulify that and try get her on the counter. The first part of my plan worked, I managed to completely eliminate her hook kick, but she caught me a few times on my blind side with her round kick, which reached right round my back. She was a good 6-7 inches taller than me, so my counter was falling quite short. I'm 5'7" so not exactly tiny, but compared to her 6' odds I was. Anyway she won pretty convincingly. One of the Instructors from another club pulled me aside and told me my guard was too high, which I do have a high guard, our whole club does beacause we tend not to go in for the tippy-tappy point stuff, we spar pretty full on, so protecting our face is second nature, hands up but elbows down to protect our ribs. He told me to keep my hands down low and slightly extended, so I tried this in my second fight with a woman more my own size. I felt SO exposed and she caught me twice on the face and I felt my attacks were slow due to to the low level of my hands. So I guess my question is this....... Where is your guard when sparring? Do you go in for the trademark karate low guard or do you prefer a high guard like boxers or MMA fighters? And what are the pros and cons in your opinion of each? Mo.

Elevation masks do not give the same benefits as training at altitude, essentially all they do is make it harder to breathe, which may in turn help with lung capacity and cardiovascular well being. They do nothing else. Training at altitude helps by increasing the red blood cell count, which in turn builds stronger, faster muscles. The masks, while making it harder for you to breathe, you are still getting the same percentage of oxygen in each breath as you would training without it and the red blood cell level does not increase. They can make a light workout into a hard workout because of the restriction of airflow, but that's about it. If you want the benefits of altitude training, the beat thing is to......... Train at altitude. Mo.

This is true BUT the calorie deficit should not be extreme. You still still consume the recommended daily intake of 2500Kcal for men, or 2000Kcal for women as just normal every day activity you can burn around 1000Kcal and I've seen myself burn 900Kcal in a single class, so straight away thats 1900Kcal, so going by that you would actually have to UP your calorie intake so you have enough to fuel your body. It's about eating the right foods too and getting the protein/carb/fats ratio right for you. For me it's 40% protein 30% carbs and 20% fats but everybody does it different. The biggest thing to cut down on is sugar, most folk think fat is bad but it is in fact sugar that's the worst thing. See a nutritionist, or better yet, a sports nutritionist. They would be able to personally tailor a lifestyle plan to suit your needs. But as you stated you've only been at it a short time, results will come soon. Mo.

I think your heart must be in it somewhat, why else the guilty feelings? Is it purely just about leaving your instructor? While he might be sorry to see you go, I doubt he would lose much sleep over it, he will have seen it a million times and each time the school carries on regardless. Ask your son if he is indeed bored, if he's only 5 priorities in his head may not involve the MA at this point. I started my 6 year old nephew at karate last year and it didn't take him long to change his priorities from karate to minecraft Is it feasible to perhaps do both for a while and get a better idea of where you want to be? Don't rush your decision though, take your time and mull it over for a while. Mo.

Funky gums do a great custom fit mouthguard. They're expensive starting around £70 but after buying one I'll never go back to a boil and bite. The fit is exceptional and doesn't feel bulky in my mouth, I always gagged with the boil and bites. They can print any design you like on them too, I have the Joker and "why so serious?" on mine Mo.

I use the Odachi gi from Blitz. I don't have much bother with it falling open, there is some, but I think at some point, male or female, your gi is gonna have to be adjusted during class time. It's something that is never going to be completely eliminated, unless like other have suggested, you sew some velcro on, even then, any kind of grappling/throwing etc, it's still gonna come undone. Mo.

At our club the adults class on a Tuesday is shorts and T-shirt. It's a conditioning and strength class, so it's pretty hard going. We wear a club T-shirt for this. The kids don't have a conditioning class but some of them just wear a club T-shirt with a belt and gi pants. I have to say I don't like it, I like to see them in their whites but it's not always affordable for the parents to keep them in gis. One kid has a black gi too, which I'm not keen on either, the plain ol' white always looks best in my opinion. Nothing looks better than the kids lined out at the end of a class in full white gi. Mo.

Thanks for the kind words and advice guys, I'm sure I'll be asking for more in the near future. Another class on Sunday, so hopefully that goes well too. Mo.

So update time! I loved it!! had a class last night (thursday) and tonight. Tonight was better because all 3 going for 3rd Kyu were there. I helped one guy who can't get a handle on Shuto Uke and another with cat stances with his foot pointing in the way (both during Kushanku) and also partnered with a girl to help her practice Kihon Ipponme. It felt good to see these guys listening to what I'm trying to explain and actually taking it on board. Two of them actually came up after class and thanked me, which was nice. I know it's not always going to be such plain sailing but I think it couldn't have got off to a better start. Mo.

Thank you for the kind replies, guys. They have helped calm me down a bit. Having had some time to digest it, I'm feeling a little excited by the prospect, still scared but a good scared. Tonight will be the first class with these new responsibililties, so we'll see how it goes. I'll be sure and let you know how I get on. Again thank you for the kind words. Mo.

Having sat and passed 1st Kyu some months ago, training for Shodan has began in ernest for me. I've been enjoying it thus far. Last night after class had finished and we were lining out, my instructor informed me that the folk training for 3rd Kyu and onwards were to come to me with any questions or concerns regarding techniques and/or gradings. I have to say it was a bolt out of the blue for me and while honoured to be given such responsibility, for the first time I found myself to be a little bit scared. Does my instructor see something in me that I cannot see myself? Up until now any questions were to be directed either to himself or other Dan grades. Of course they will be keeping a watchful eye over me in this role and be ready to step in if required but I am to be their first port of call. I find all sorts of questions running through my head now, "am I ready for this?" "what if I fail these people?" "am I good enough?". I must mention that the people are all young teens.... for now, (some adults will be nearing 3rd Kyu soon) Of course my training for Shodan remains on course through this and questions I have, will be directed to the senior Dan grades. Is this all in preperation for my Dan grade? My confidence has grown immesurably over the last year, again, has this shown my instructor something in me which I cannot see in myself yet? Any thoughts/perspectives on this would be gratefully recieved. Mo.

Congratulations!! Mo.

Congratulations, Sensei8!!! What a contribution indeed. Your posts are always informative, helpful and I always seek out your responses to my (and other peoples) posts. There is an air about your posts that I think can only come from someone who has so many years experience in the MA. Although I value everyones opinion on here, I always look forward to reading yours. A fountain of knowledge and a true gentleman. Here's to another 10,000 posts. Mo.

A massive congratulations to you!!! I have to say I choked up a bit reading about all you've had to endure this year. But you over came it and walked out the other side with your Shodan, for that, massive respect to you Mo.

"Suzuki" by Tatsuo Suzuki, is a good read. It's a short book about the great man in his own words. Not quite a biography but definitely a good insight into the man and what made him tick. Well worth a read, won't take long but very interesting. Mo.

Best thing to do is get it checked out. Could just be a bruise but, could possibly be broken. Go get an X-Ray to be on the safe side, if it is broken you don't want to aggrivate it in any way and risk further damage. Medical advice is the way to go, especially with the swelling moving down into your finger. Mo.

For a small club we have a pretty well stocked dojo. In our HQ the hall is fairly small with a sprung wooden floor and mirrors at one end. Equipment-wise we have just about everything you could need: A pile of heavy duty non slip wrestling/judo mats, several punch bags ranging in size weight and shape, a bully bob dummy, coach spar gloves, focus mitts, spare boxing gloves (for new guys that don't have them, but they're pretty smelly, so folk buy their own pretty quickly ) Thai pads, striking pads of various sizes also, yoga mats, weights for barbell/dumbbell, small hand weight for building punching power, a set of TRX style suspension straps and a small wooden Gym bench for step ups. At a hall our hall in the next town there is nothing except crash mats that the owner permits us to use, and we just bring any equipment needed from HQ. For the size of our club we have more equipment than clubs 4 or 5 times our size within the federation. Our instructor puts every penny that he receives (minus hall rental) back into the club, so we are very lucky in that sense. Students also from time to time donate unwanted equipment or even buy stuff to give to the club. We are a pretty tight knit unit so if we discover something new, we tend to share it with everyone.

When I first started karate as a child, it was because I watched the karate kid and wanted to do what he did I only lasted a few years though (got to 5th Kyu.) After going off and doing what kids do, I returned after some 26 years and I've fallen in love with it this time. Now I do it for: -Self dicipline -Fitness -The fun we have each class -Self defence (although I hope I'm never in a sitution that requires it) -The confidence it gives me in other aspects of life I know a lot of you say rank doesn't matter but, a big reason for me is I WANT to earn the right to wear Shodan and hopefully next year I can do that. Mo.

I watch the videos of Otsuka Sensei and Suzuki Sensei to reinforce the finer points, but only when I know the kata fairly well. The Wado Kai videos with Arakawa Sensei on youtube are also quite good. I've found the one's with Suzuki Sensei, they have some small differences, the katas have been updated ever so slightly since he filmed them. His version of Niseishi is very different in the beginning to how we do it, which I find odd because Otsuka's Sensei version filmed many years before, his Niseishi is as we do it now. I think Suzuki must have changed it on his own accord before changing it back. Mo.