wildbourgman

Why did I start karate? That's an easy question to answer, just like most of the other karate students out there. Total world domination! It hasn't worked out as of yet but I'll keep training.

Yes Patrick, he's still around but he no longer trains or teaches. He was a very good instructor to learn from but he was not so much on caring. He was very competitive for himself and his students but the big thing was that he focused on detail and that's what I remember about him most of all. Because oh him and my current Shorin Ryu instructors new direction I've been using the phrase "start with perfection" and that's something that I think can help many instructors and students find their way in every walk of live including martial arts. In my view you should only allow students to move on when perfection of current techniques has been achieved. I think we throw too much at students and then wonder why they are sloppy later in their training. The instructor that I wrote this about taught us how to crawl perfectly prior to allowing us to attempt to walk. The story wasn't funny at the time, but when I tell it to people who knew my Sensei they laughingly say that sounds exactly like something he would do. Also there may have been a brief discussion about my well being, but due to my altered state of consciousness I was not privy to or included in any such parlance that may or may not have took place.

Chrissyp, what country is this tournament going to be? If it's in the United States I'm thinking that what I consider "full contact" could be problematic without some form of sanctioning approval in some states. Now if it's controlled full contact point kumite, then that may not be an issue, but I would check for the legality in your area. You certainly don't want anyone to get hurt, but you don't want to end up in court either.

As a teenager training Shotokan karate I had a fellow student that had just restarted training after a few months or so off with a broken arm. He was pretty rusty to say the least. My instructor was a hard, competitive sensei and also very committed to proper technique, especially strong deep Shotokan stances. While performing some sparring drills with this student he was supposed to throw a mid level round house kick and I was supposed to down block and reverse punch. My rusty partner threw a upper mid level round house kick that travelled up my arm and smacked me in the head with full power. Instantly I blacked out, and then when I could see again it was green and yellow with stars and a ringing in my ears. I felt nauseous and thought I might throw up right there on the dojo floor. The entire class had come to a halt when they heard the smack of his foot on the side of my face and head. My Sensei rather than checking to see if I was alright he explained to the students that I had been knocked unconscious, but still stood strong due to a proper stance and good leg training. He spent a few minutes explaining quality deep stances, while I stood there getting ready to blow chunks and probably had a concussion.

Shorin Ryu and Shotokan Okinawan and Japanese respectively. I'm having a much harder time picking up the intricacies of Shorin Ryu. If I can learn a quarter of what my Sensei knows I would be happy. I just have to keep on plugging away at it and he's a great teacher, Rome wasn't built in a day so I have to allow the system to function as designed. ,

Jitte or Jitte No bo can go either way. I want to learn that next with a bo.

Well that's too bad Montana. It's funny because I got started on this site because I was trying to assist a Shorin Ryu 1st kyu that was moving to a place with no Shorin Ryu and he really wanted to get to his 1st dan in that style.

http://counselorsassociated.com/kdkmt/ Kenny do you know anything about these places ? KODENKAN of Montana Martial Arts Dojo 1550 Ashley Lake Road, Kalispell, Montana 59901 Danzan Ryu Jujitsu; Shorin Ryu Karate; and Kobudo (weapon related arts) Jbj Dojo Karate & Tai Chi Jbj Dojo Karate & Tai Chi is a Martial Arts School offering Aikido, Isshin Ryu Karate, Kempo/Kenpo, Kendo & Shito Ryu Karate classes in Kalispell, MT for kids, men and women. Jbj Dojo Karate & Tai Chi is Located at 2449 US Highway 2 W.

Montana, go back and read what I wrote. I did not say that the style of Shorin Ryu (which I'm a proud practitioner of) was sloppy and weak I'm saying is that some of the students at our dojo was subpar at that time. I also said that my instructor and other federation officials in our system recognized and rectified this. My Shorin Ryu instructor is very good and I'm very thankful he's doing what he does and specifically for what he's done for my overall martial arts training. One of the ways this was rectified was increased tanren training, which to me resembled basic Shotokan techniques. That's all I'm saying. It was a minor problem and now it's better. To me this is about whether or not Kenny can get something out of a Shotokan class, especially if that is the closest style available. I think that Kenny can pick up some very useful training from Shotokan just as I am learning some very useful things from Shorin Ryu. There is no controversy here.

Kearickson, I understand how you feel although I was first a Shotokan practitioner that moved to an area that only had Shorin Ryu. To me this has been a blessing it's opened up my view of martial arts and helped me with my understanding of Shotokan. Now here's my pitch for Shotokan's differences. When I first walked into my Shorin Ryu dojo I thought some students were sloppy, weak, and ineffective with strikes. I also thought that the curriculum was far too extensive for anyone to become effective at any one thing. In my view they didn't "start with perfection" as my Shotokan instructors insisted from white belt on up. What Shotokan will help you with whether you need it or not is lower stances and increase leg strength, focused strong strikes that are designed to use the entire body in order to end a fight with one strike. You will also learn different fighting distance that can have it's place when you need it. Now before I start trouble with my friends that practice Okinawan martial arts (as do I). The negatives I saw in the Shorin ryu dojo were also recognized by the Sensei and the Senior officials in the federation and they have been corrected in our area. Here's the funny thing, one way they corrected the sloppiness and weakness in our Shorin Ryu club was "Tanren training". The tanren training was basically performing Shotokan styled techniques and stances until the conditioning and focus was increased. I recently went to a Shotokan camp and had many Shotokan folks that are really interested in learning the history, traditions and the original bunkai that Okinawan styles offer. If Shotokan is all you can get use it to your long-term advantage. There are distinct differences in Shotokan that can add to your Okinawan training, just as Okinawan training is adding to my Japanese training.

Practice, practice, practice! There are things you can do if you want to get used to using your left side. Boxers have used techniques for years in order to train left handed fighters to fight comfortably in an orthodox boxing stance (right handed). With boxers lefties had trouble getting good fights against quality orthodox fighters because it can make a good fight look ugly due to clenching, head clashes and distance issues. I'm trying to find some exercises on the web for you but my searches come up empty. I'm actually a lefty that fights more right handed and kicks better with my right leg. In the last five years or so I've hurt my left side a few times and I've now my left hand is not quite as dominate. Trust me that's not a good thing. Watch the movie "Rocky 2"

I'm sure I would like Shindokan. In the few years since my introduction to Shorin Ryu it certainly opened my eyes to a whole new world. It's actually kind of embarrassing because I feel like I should pick up things faster than I do, but my Shotokan background and habits actually hamper me to some extent. When learning tuite sometimes I have to break away from my partner and practice the move like a kata and then try again. In a real few dust ups during my younger years I always felt comfortable once I got my hands on an opponent and that was with little training. I could hardly imagine my comfort level had I trained in tuite.

I think we call this a "flow drill" in my Shorin class. It's mainly for higher ranking students in my class using tuite.

Ian is doing some great work. My sensei in Shorin is doing a lot of work along these lines also. Steve Ubl is another guy that's getting some attention from Shotokan folks I know that were getting a little bored.

It depends how you interpret the Kata and at what level, for beginners it's fine to drill a low block to the left, step punch, turn into lower block etc. At the other end of the scale the first 90 degree turn and lower block could be pulling an attackers left hand down to your left then attacking them against their left side. It can also be a grappling move as you turn you are pushing them down to the left. The 180 degree turn can be seen as a throw, the hammer fist strike starts off with pulling back your wrist after a grab, can also be clearing a chest grab on the way around, then finally striking down on the head, face etc. Also think of the turn as just a way of showing that the moves can happen to both sides, left then right. I'm now learning that any one kata can have multiple bunkai ranging from simple to advanced. I have also learned that the 180 degree turns in many katas are indeed throws. We are taking an approach of teaching the basic bunkai to say Heian Shodan to beginners and then going back as you become more advanced and giving a new bunkai that the karate-ka is now able to digest. So in Heian Shodan the first block is possibly just that, then the next punch could be a punch, punch/grab, or just a grab and then the next block with the 180 turn could be a hip toss off of the grab. Wow judo in karate, yes! I think many of us especially with a Shotokan background like myself often don't realize that Okinawan karate has throws, grappling and locks. Okinawan karate was practical, because it had to be. Yes some things are hidden in kata but it was absolutely practical. In the years since Karate left Okinawa it has taken many turns and yes some folks might say that it became impractical, but it was designed that way. So if we modern karate-ka are concerned about the practicality of karate we must find what we lost. Enjoy the journey!

My main struggle is being so damn sexy. I know it sounds strange but it hurts my training. The women in the dojo can't concentrate, it affects the entire dojo's performance and slows training. Even the straight male instructors feel inferior due to my outstanding sex appeal and that affects how they instruct me. It's been a real challenge ever since a was a young boy. Ok now that we got the laughs out the way I can tell the truth. You guys were starting the depress me, but here's my struggles below. I have a work schedule that puts me on an offshore oil rig half of my life. I finally decided to quit using that as an excuse and just do what I can. I then found out that I actually attend more training then people who don't work like I do. I also have a herniated disc in my neck, I'm over 40 years old and I'm still overweight in spite of all my training as of late. Certainly not too sexy! Oh and I'm also trying to grow a cattle operation.

shinaido, I would bet your right when talking about sparring, but that's the problem. The only way to know is to go all out, you can't go against a wrestler or grappler and not be allowed to use your strengths as a karate-ka. What I'm saying is that two karate practioners or two wrestlers can spar with rules set for that art and get an idea who is better in that setting, but with two very different martial arts it's not easy to spar per se. I'm thinking that's why MMA folks are diversifying so much. In some of the studying that I have done it seems Okinawan karate way before it was known as karate was much more diversified. Even Gichin Funakoshi is pictured using throws, hand and arms locks and take downs. From what I've understand the existance of styles that specialized and pigeon holed themselves came before (kung fu) and after (karate) they arrived in Okinawa. I think this entire discussion is predicated on the assumption that the rules are at least hybrid(striking and grappling), if not no holds barred. The overall opinion is that a pure striker is easy prey for a grappler and especially a balanced fighter. I have to say I agree. When a pure striker and pure grappler spar, victory is determined by takedowns, defending them on the part of the striker and executing them on the part of the grappler. Grappling arts almost invariably spend more time on takedowns, and so have a distinct edge. We haven't even discussed high amplitude throws yet, which add another element when it comes to the process of getting to the ground. It's like you said, it's best to be a balanced fighter. I agree, I think the question is what happens when the grappler trys to get his hands on you or the instant he does get his hand on you? A solid tuite practioner with joint locks or someone that has a really good judo hip toss in thier arsenal my want to contest the attackers takedown little more than people think. Just in case members can't tell yet I'm a big believer in tuite and other parts of Okinawan derived martial, arts. I feel like I went 25 years with only knowing one portion of karate and now I'm seeing what I felt like I missed. I've also talked to many karate-ka that felt the same, many of them in the States went to Brazilian ju-jistu to account for this.

shinaido, I would bet your right when talking about sparring, but that's the problem. The only way to know is to go all out, you can't go against a wrestler or grappler and not be allowed to use your strengths as a karate-ka. What I'm saying is that two karate practioners or two wrestlers can spar with rules set for that art and get an idea who is better in that setting, but with two very different martial arts it's not easy to spar per se. I'm thinking that's why MMA folks are diversifying so much. In some of the studying that I have done it seems Okinawan karate way before it was known as karate was much more diversified. Even Gichin Funakoshi is pictured using throws, hand and arms locks and take downs. From what I've understand the existance of styles that specialized and pigeon holed themselves came before (kung fu) and after (karate) they arrived in Okinawa.

I've watched this girl's videos for a while now ever since her first probably. I have no problem with giving a child a belt that they earn, period. If they perform within the curriculum or the testing syllabus then I'm good to go. I also don't have a problem with having a junior blackbelt status that converts into a regular blackbert when the child reaches a certain arbitrairy age limit set by the association or dojo. I'm not into giving a child any special treatment in the curriculum to recieve a rank whether it's harder or easier.

Iskrax, one thing that I've started learning since I've been taking Shorin Ryu is "tuite" or hand control, is that you can have a little more comfort when dealing with a grappler. In the big picture unless your sparring or competing in an MMA style competition you probably won't come across a true trained "grappler" on the street. This street situation is where a basic understanding of tuite comes in handy, because let's face it if you let a Gracie Ju Jitsu blackbelt get there hands on you your going to have trouble anyway. As someone with a Shotokan background the tuite training is still new to me, but already I feel that in some basic situations I can deal with an attacker who gets his hands on me much better than before.

In my opinion I would have the guy test at the next available testing if all other things are equal. If he has respect for the art, understands it's more than a sport and there aren't any other tangible reasons for not letting him test, then once he's a signed up member treat him solely according to his ability. I wouldn't hold him to any higher or lower standard than anyone else that's testing.

I don't know if I would include any MMA people or even boxers as disrespectful simply based on the public persona they put out. How much is show? How much is based on ticket sales? Rousey has softened in the last couple of fights it seems. It's kind of like WWF in many ways. You have to be seen as disrespectful or harsh in order to gin up interest. Maybe it says more about the viewing publics need to have our attention constantly captured, lost and re-captured due to a mass ADD/ADHD in todays society. I'll give performers a pass because it may be part of the performance. Butt's in seats!

I went to a Shotokan camp last weekend and people were "ossing" everywhere to everyone for everything. Even the Japanese hierarchy. I don't remember this being customary in the late 1980's in United States dojos, but then again I don't know where I put my wallet just now or where I parked my car five munites after going into Walmart.

From what I know it's mostly front kicks and roundhouse kicks to specific body points.

huh? when? he has a famous flying front kick knockout, but I've never seen or heard of him doing a toe-kick knockout.