Spartacus Maximus

Perhaps they key factor in differentiating a serious practicioner from a hobbyist is, as seems to suggest this discussion, dedication and consistency in training. Whether it is everyday for hours or a few hours per week, the serious practicioner is one who is dedicated, consistant and has decided and managed to make martial arts a constant part of his/her life.

It is indeed wise to be weary of anyone teaching sword techniques and claming them to be from Okinawan Kobudo. There are only two systems of kobudo widely practised and these are Matayoshi lineage and Ryukyu Kobudo. Neither of these includes any type of sword. In fact, besides the kama there are no sharp/bladed weapons. The only thing resembling a sword is a short, machete-like weapon called a rochin used with a small round shield. It is rarely seen or taught even in Okinawa. Okinawan masters of old were actually very familiar with the katana. The originator of Shuri-te(predecessor of shorin ryu), Matsumura Sokon was a master of Jigen Ryu swordsmanship which he learned from the Satsuma samurai clan. Azato, who was Funakoshi's main teacher, was also a master swordsman.

The issue is most common in people who are unaccustomed to the intensity of the activity they are attempting. This is the majority of cases, but it also affects those who are in poor physical health as well as those past their physical prime. From experience, it is as if the muscles and the entire body is choking and the result is a kind of panic followed by loss of control. Conscious efforts to breathe effectively is the solution, but it is much more difficult than it sounds. Without concentration, the body will always revert to its usual breathing pattern which is insufficient for intense activity.

Looking to define ideas and categorize them is human nature and it is something everyone does. What causes most misunderstandings is that sometimes these defenitions and categories are very ambiguous and open to personal interpretation. "Martial art hobbyist" is a concept or label that can be found in many discussions, but it always seems to mean something different to different people. In reality, as with all attempts to categorize, there are always exceptions that absolutely do not fit any label and must be considered apart in order to make sense.

Repeating anything often enough and for long enough will enventually make it happen.

Although it is not included in the original kobudo systems commonly taught alongside karate, the sword is sometimes used to practise defensive techniques with the other weapons. Many sword techniques and concepts also apply to the other weapons. This also makes sense from a historical point of view, as those who developed and elaborated the use of the other kobudo weapons belonged to the caste that would have been trained in using swords.

Everything is done naturally without any predetermined training or program specific to becoming an instructor. The dojo atmosphere is very casual and friendly and everyone is expected to help one another, especially those who have shodan or higher. Being able to explain as well as demonstrate is part of regular training and included in evaluations. As of yet, none of those who have a high enough rank have asked for or received permission to teach their own students. The blackbelts get experience and practise teaching in the dojo by helping others.

Martial arts neither have to be a career or professional activity for somebody to be considered more than a hobbyist. By definition, a hobby is a casual activity that is mosty limited to a person's leisure time, regularly but not part of the usual day. The simplest explanation, and it is a broad one; is that a hobbyist trains a couple of hours per week. The serious martial artist trains a couple of hours per day. It is a very simplistic defenition, but it appropriately describes the types of people involved in martial arts.

It would make it much easier to help if the question was slightly more specific. What is meant by the question is not very clear as to the kind of answer. The only possible answer is this: it depends on the school/instructor, not TSD itself. TSD does have system of forms, but these will be taught differently with different approaches and emphasis from one school to another. Therefore it is impossible to give a single defenitive answer such as: TSD is X percent kata.

It must be a good idea since it was used before in the past. If one cares to look into the biography of martial arts masters, many of them speak of these masters having been weak, sickly and even fragile in their childhood or youth and of improving and getting very strong after training for a while in martial arts. Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan is a well known example.

Very interesting opinions indeed🙂. Although it was to be expected, the opposite of a hobbyist is not necessarily the professional who is paid to teach or train. There are plenty of fanatical practicionners who are not earning a living from martial arts. The biweekly-dojo only type is but one example of what could be called a hobbyist. On the other end of the scale is someone who trains/practises for hours every day in addition to being at the dojo teaching or training. Those types are rare, it is true, but whatever a hobbyist my be they are not. What is truly worthy of admiration is those who have continued at that pace from youth well into "old age". Before these examples, it is almost embarrassing to admit to training a measly 8-12 hours a week.

It is a well known and easily verifiable fact that the overwhelming majority of people in martial arts are just doing them as a casual activity or hobby. In general, most do not train or practise between sessions. How much and how often must one train and practise to be considered more than a hobbyist? There are many different ideas on this but there is an obvious difference between the bi-weekly-dojo only type and the fanatical one.

There is a serious problem when karate is no longer about karate. Actual practise and training should make up most of the time in the dojo. Warming up, stretching and the like are important, but they can and should be done on personal time.

Shotokan is most certainly the main influence on TKD and similar systems. The founders of these were Korean karateka. This is not to deny that there are influenced from elsewhere, but the Japanese Shotokan connection is the strongest and most obvious. What the Koreans did was essentially adapt karate for their own purposes, just as the Japanese had done a generation or two after Okinawans introduced Karate there.

The stick in all its varieties is probably the best choice overall. It has many advantages over any other weapon. Some of the best are these: A) Stick or stick-like objects are easily found or picked up in nearly every kind of setting both indoors and outdoors. B) Unlike every other weapon, stick does not obviously appear as a weapon and can readily be discarded C) A stick is has longer range than most other non-projectile weapons and can be used to defend against other weapons while keeping a safer distance away. D) There are no laws/regulations restricting or forbidding sticks. All other weapons are either illegal or heavily restricted.

Everyone who has been involved in martial arts long enough has heard a few weird or rediculous assumptions and stereotypes about martial arts and those who practise them. This game thread is to list them and deny or debunk them like so: My name is Spartacus Maximus and I am a martial artist. 1.I do not break boards or ice with my head, (2) I do not utter high pitched shouts and perform backflips and (3) I most certainly do not attempt to catch, gnats or fruit flies with chopsticks.

It is nothing new, nor is it a unique reaction limited to a single person. It can be described as similar to a short-circuit. When it happens to someone, the first thing immediately noticeable is that the person has trouble moving as they did earlier in the beginning of the session. Some seem to "forget" techniques, panic or even freeze. The condition improves somewhat when conscious efforts are made to breathe deeply.

At a certain point during intense activity, there is a near complete loss of control of movement and muscle action. It becomes difficult to move, breathing is strenuous and vision seem to get clouded. Why does this happen and how can it be overcome?

Stopping one thing to do another is not a very effective way of making any progress in either of the two. Stretching and flexibility should be done every day as a habit. There is really no need to do it exclusively and take time off from other training.

It can be very difficult to realize and accept that one is not grasping a concept or technique. As difficult to do as that may be, it is the most important step towards further improvement.

Perhaps it is an unoriginal choice, but with the resources and time permitting, it would be quite fulfilling to retire to a life of research and study as well as training.

The key for students is to remember that there is no reason to be embarrassed about asking questions. Unfortunately it is much easier said than done and when a student is still unsure about something that has been explained before, there may be some reluctance to admit it or ask for further instructions.

Bowing and other such traditional martial protocol is never an issue, except on the very rare occasion that some uninformed, ignorant individual decides to see some kind of spiritual meaning in it that is not, nor has ever been there. If it is not a bow, then it is other similar gestures. Every single known martial arts system has these, no matter what their culture of origin. In this case the problem observed is ethical. It was immediately obvious that the instructors were misinterpreting and misrepresenting what they were doing either willfully to profit from it; or unknowingly because they themselves were taught that way.

It certainly takes a very good instructor to be able to explain and re-explain and demonstrate and re-demonstrate without losing patience or hope that one day, that diffcult learner will finally understand. The student who cannot seem to get it usually is not that way intentionally. It is likely one who is at shodan or a level or two below that. This student is at a point where one begins to understand techniques, yet struggles to do them correctly as well as consistently. At this point a student cannot see progress and doubts about everything learned before. Often this doubt takes over the mind in such a way that the student feels progress is beyond reach. Do you have such a student? Have you ever been such a student? At what point in your training was it and what helped you through? What made you finally have your "ah ha!" moment?

Learning and teaching can both be very frustrating. Sometimes no matter how many times an instructor teaches a certain point or technique, a student just never seems to get it despite genuine effort. How should an instructor help such a person finally achieve what has been explained? What can an instructor do when a student seems to understand but just cannot do it?