Spartacus Maximus

If it is only for a few days, missing a dojo training session or two does not matter much. Taking this opportunity to set aside a few minutes of self-directed practise each day would be a good idea to be ready when the time comes to return to the dojo. Besides this, shotokan is a very widespread style found nearly everywhere. Perhaps looking it up in the destination area's business and services directory might yield results. Best of luck.

The wooden dummy is a training tool specific to Chinese martial arts and probably exclusive to Wing Chun. Karate has the makiwara but the wooden dummy could also be effective because of its structure. Perhaps with certain modifications in design it may be interesting. Has anyone tried using it to train karate techniques? It looks like it might be especially good for training block/strike combinations or kata sections.

From a certain point of view, it is true that people in today's modern society may be less willing to put themselves through physical practise that is time consuming and painful. This is the case with the majority of those who train as a hobby two or three times weekly in th average dojo. Other than professionals, very few people make time to train daily while having all sorts of other life priorities such as work or family living. Even in a dojo where conditioning is trained it is not done by everyone and is a personal choice. An instructor who teaches it is also aware that insisting on it might discourage students from training at all.

Each person is different and there are many things that can determine how well a certain child responds to physical training. Personality plays a very important part. Perhaps the child in question is not ready at 5 years old. No two five year olds will have exactly the same attention span or concentration level. Development rates are all different. The best way to deal with this is to find the attention threshold and shorten the time to meet it. If the child can only pay attention for 10 minutes of serious training, teach and practise as much as possible within that time. The rest of the time can be used for anything fun and martial arts related to occupy him.

The conditioning or hardening of various areas of the body to withstand impacts is a practice found in many martial arts. Especially external type systems native to Asia. Every system has a history of methods for achieving this and each has methods. However it seems that these are no longer as widely trained as they once were. Besides the fact that these are physically difficult, painful and time consuming, what other reasons could there be for these to fall out of practise among practitioners? How many of you out there practise or teach a type of body hardening or conditioning? Are the training methods used specific to your system or school? It seems like an old fashioned thing to do as all the martial artist seen doing it are older people who began training decades ago. Outside Asia it is even rarer and nearly unheard of with very few notable exceptions

The shoulder issue is a recurring problem and usually happens some time after the end of training but not every time. It is like continuous tension combined with a feeling of having a weight bearing down. Sort of like having a child sitting on there.

Always ask the dojo head for these questions. However, experience confirms that in the majority of cases, the left side is correct. Left upper chest for the organization's patch and upper left arm for the dojo's patch. Sometimes embroidery is used instead, but again it is usually on the left side.

Some dojo and sensei are very strict about the appearance of a gi. In any case it is best to go with common sense. It is not necessary to have a gi that is starched stiff without the slightest wrinkle. As long as it is clean and does not look as if it was just thrown in a pile in a corner, it should be fine. If wrinkles are still too visible after smoothing them out and hanging to dry, light ironing will get rid of any stubborn wrinkles and folds.

It would indeed make sense for the governing body to have a source for obtaining equipment it deems necessary. Inquiring there is probably the most logical reference. It is virtually unheard of for a dojo or governing body to expect students to find their own equipment without so much as a suggestion on what or where to obtain it. Especially something as basic as a dobok

This has been already done many times over. The crux of the matter is that nearly all the documentaries, dramas etc were produced in the native countries of such martial arts figures. They are often not widely known even there, never mind outside, the main reason being that none have ever been translated into other languages. Mas Oyama, for example, was the subject of many publications including an entire series of comics in paperback. Countless dramas and films were also produced.

Perhaps it is not the best example but for those old enough to remember, learning to use the opposite side was a main plot element in one of the Rocky films with Silvester Stallone. In the movie, switching sides when the opponent did not expect is what ensures victory. This translates well to real life as much for a sporting match as for personal defense. A situation might arise where injury or other circumstances prevent the dominant side from being used effectively or at all. Outside of training, simple dexterity or fine tasks can be done for activating the weaker side. Writing or drawing shapes for instance.

Concentration is very important in martial arts. Without it nothing else is possible. Just as every other aspect of martial arts it must be trained and practised to have any success. It does not come instantly or quickly but develops with time, little by little. Each person is different and some can concentrate better than others but anyone can improve with training.

Mantras can take many different forms, but the form or syllables are simply sounds and are much less relevant than the purpose. The function of a mantra is to focus concentration to achieve a goal or an ideal. It works in a way similar to self-suggestion or hypnosis. It is not a prerequisite to be of a particular spiritual, philosophical or religious persuasion to use this practice. Suggestion can be either positive or negative. Repeating positive things brings positive thoughts and results in positive action leading to success in achieving goals.

Naturally ambidextrous individuals are indeed rare, but fortunately with dedicated training it is possible and not that difficult to change that. With enough practise, anyone can become as good with one side as the other and this is a great advantage for martial arts and daily life. The natural preference for one side may remain but training to be equally competent with both sides eliminates a major weakness. A good benchmark is to train at a ratio of at least 30:10. Practise everything three times as much as the dominant side with the weaker side. If right-handed, start with the left and become left-handed. Another more indirect way to train the weaker side is to try to use it more often in daily life. That will stimulate, activate and reinforce it.

The idea of testing for a level is flawed in many ways. Skill level as well as technical understanding is apparent in the way one trains and practises. This is obvious to the trained eye of a skilled instructor. Evaluation is a constant process of observation and one either has a skill level or does not. How and when an instructor chooses to formally recognize this is a matter of personal choice. Formal gradings and so-called testing are meant for an entirely different purpose than deciding whether or not students have a certain level. The instructor knows the students are ready, the importance of the test is in its symbolic meaning which is to give students a tangible representation of their progress and reward them for it. In one word "ego".

This man has indeed made several good points, however, as others have pointed out the way he conveys his message is somewhat harsh and difficult to accept. Reading the article carefully clearly shows that the author knows this and accepts the fact that it will likely displease many among the target audience. The point which resonates most in this article is the fact that "martial" karate is different and that dojos where karate is taught in that way are the minority. This is true in Okinawa, Japan and everywhere else. Another important fact often overlooked is that karate was never meant to be taught to large groups. In order to teach it to masses, changes had to be made in the methods. The average person today is simply unable and unwilling to endure the type of training refered to in the article. The fact of the matter is that martial arts are considered by most as hobby or weekly activity. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between. Anyone may practise martial arts, but the martial aspect is definitely not for everyone, nor is it everyone's aspiration. If karate was taught with the methods used a mere 30 years ago in Okinawa and Japan, it is very doubtful there would be as many people doing it. Just 15 years ago, bruises and bloody noses were common. When it happens nowadays everyone panicks and immediately finds fault instead of trying to learn.

In agreement with the point put forward about the teaching style and method. It is indeed shallow judgement to dismiss an entire system simply because one finds the instruction style incompatible with one's learning style. Most instructors of East Asian systems have inherited their methods from their teachers and thus reproduce it in their own dojo. This trend is especially common for those who were trained in East Asia or by East Asian exponents. These methods, although tried and tested are not necessarily suited to modern culture or the Western mind. They are not set in stone either and it is the mark of a wise teacher to adapt training methods.

It is not necessary to do anything specifically for cardio. There are many other ways to train cardio that are not the usual jogging or skipping rope. To work cardio, all that is necessary is increasing the rhythm and intensity. This is easily applicable to any simple solo drill. For example, one could try a punch and kick combination as many times as possible nonstop for 3minutes at maximum speed and intensity while moving around the perimeter of the dojo. It is much harder than it sounds and guaranteed to work cardio. Creativity is the key and imagination the only limit.

Perhaps it is some sort of knot resulting from muscle cramps which happen quite often. The area that feels stuck is the upper shoulders, the trapezius muscles maybe. Massage seems to work, but it seems like the effect is only temporary. Other than regular acupuncture treatments nothing else seems to be as effective. Thankfully it is not tight enough to be painful, it is just a feeling of being tense as if the muscles were constantly contracted and heavy

In the end, a system is only as effective as the methods employed to train. What is important is that no matter the method or purpose of practise, repetition is a major component of all martial arts. It requires focus, concentration and most of all dedication, diligence and patience to keep on doing it. Consider boxing for example. It is relatively simple and when observing the typical training, boxers can be seen doing the same 4 or 5 punches. Jab, hook, cross, uppercut, day in day out. Surely an athlete with only 6 month of this at only a few days a week(the average training time) cannot expect to have the level of one who has been at it everyday for 5 years. Too often there is a tendency to underestimate the time it takes to actually get good at physical skills such as in martial arts. It is not fair to oneself to expect to be able to do after 6 months what took the expert years to master. Patience and hard work make the impossible possible. It is just a question of how hard one is willing to work at it.

If one is bored with training and gives up after a mere 6 months, perhaps such a person is not suited for the martial arts. Martial arts by nature are boring and repetitive. No matter what the school or system, if one lacks the patience and determination to persevere through repeated training how can one expect to gain any sort of skill? Too many people expect instant results and forget that those who are skilled got that way precisely because they trained the same things day in and day out. Over and over again. For many years.

Pure cotton canvas should not ever be machine dried! It will weaken the fibers and ruin the gi(ruined 2 of them, learned the hard way). High quality ones such as shureido should be smoothed out by stretching the wrinkled areas gently by pressing with the hands. Dry by hanging it indoors or outdoors in natural light.

Dropping and relaxing the shoulders to solicit the back and core muscles is a fundamental of powerful techniques. It is much easier said than done and a common problem is shoulders becoming locked or stiff. This stiffness and tension remains even after training is finished, sometimes for days. Any ideas or innovations on how to avoid becoming shoulder-locked or getting rid of the stiffness?

After building up a consistent regular student base, there is more time to concentrate on publicizing. An opening anniversary event where students are encouraged to invite friends or family members to join training for a limited time discount might be effective.

The general idea that ought to be used as a guideline for every decision is to avoid unnecessary expenses and minimize any other spending. The first step to that is of course, starting the dojo out of a public space such as what has been suggested before. Community gyms, recreation centres etc...As for equipment, get only the barest mimimum but borrow it, get it on sale or buy used.