Spartacus Maximus

A training space large enough for two persons to comfortably practise should ideally be around 6sq meters. In other words 3sq meters per person. In addition, a dojo space should be free of obstacles such as large heavy furniture items that might be injury risks. If the space is shared for other purposes, it should be possible to set up quickly and put away quickly.

With everything that happens in an average life, it is a wonder that an expert in his seventies has managed train daily for three or four decades, let alone teach in addition to holding a full time job. If they can do it, there must be a way to make it work.

3 years passes quickly but there can be more to learn in that short time than in 10 or 15. It depends on many things such as the instructor's skill, how and what one trains and how often. That is why I count only the last 3 years or so, but if I count the entire time spent on karate, it amounts to 15. Realizing one has been missing essential parts and key points in training after 12 years is tough to overcome. Many things now make sense when I see them done by my instructor who is also very skilled at explaining how and why. Despite my best efforts, applying this knowledge to my practise remains a great difficulty. Without my instructor's evaluation and observation, realizing my own progress or quality of technique is very confusing. I cannot tell when or if I am doing anything right.

The belt would most likely rot before it turned any colour even close to black. It is cringe-worthy to imagine such a filthy piece of cloth in an enclosed space and in a semi-tropical climate such as Okinawa. As for washing a belt, I only use very hot water and nothing else. Afterwards I hang it to dry outside if there is enough sun or inside near a window and direct, natural light. It never smells after that.

Call it "opportunities to experiment and learn" the rest is up to the individual to take advantage of it. Merely theorizing about something serves little purpose. For theory to be of any use, it requires support, trials and experiments. Those who are not able or willing to do this cannot grow or improve and usually end up stagnating in skills and knowledge.

The most sensible reason not to wash a belt, or at least not too often was that washing machine cycles can take a rough toll on intricate embroidery work. Especially the kind done by hand or with special quality threads. This of course only concerns some black belts such as one might receive from one's sensei at a milestone grading. Plain, quality cotton canvas belts can be washed and should be washed. Colours always fade a little over time, but that is better than staining a good gi.

"You move like a pregnant yak!" Not sure but it might be from Reno Williams. Chiun is the character who said it..

Defined styles tend to a set curriculum of kata. However, not all dojo practise all the kata. Shito-ryu is a good example. The high number of kata in that system makes it difficult to include practise them all and every dojo will have a few that are not taught. Instructors teach what they know as well as what they like. If one teaches something from another style it is a question of experience and personal taste. It can also be part of the curriculum established by the founder. Kyokushin, for example, has kata from shotokan and Goju ryu because the founder trained both of these. They may differ slightly, but are still very close. Sanchin is one such kata. Gekisai/fukyu kata are practised by the majority of dojo across all styles represented in Okinawa from what I have seen so far. My first instructor taught shorin ryu, but retained a Chinese form learned from a Kung fu expert. Unfortunately it is long forgotten and I cannot recall the name or origin. Only that it was very difficult because of the different movements that were completely foreign to karate.

In some instances speed alone might work, in others power alone might work. However, the aim is not to break with one or the other but to have just enough speed AND power to go through the object one is breaking. That is what requires skill.

It is a common for instructors to be challenged or have issues when trying to motivate students. To motivate others is only possible if the instructor is motivated, but that is not always easy. How does one stay motivated after years of practising, training and teaching? What is effective for pushing oneself to continue each day?

1. Good 2. Never 3. Well-earned success 4. People who assume impossibility without even trying 5. Patient determination (nintai in jpn) 6. A breeze blowing through some trees 7. Busy traffic of heavy vehicles 8. Park ranger or game warden 9. Postal worker 10. "Let's get started"

The less bracing something has, the more difficult it becomes to break it without perfect synthesis of speed, power and body mechanics such as correct alignment and muscle tension. When a board (tile or coconut etc) is held in place by hands or anything supporting it, it is braced on two sides and relatively easy to break. Even with poor form, it will break if enough force is used. When suspended by a string there is only a very slight support. To break it requires much more emphasis on correct technique otherwise the power will not go through and bounce back into the striker. Harder still is breaking something without any suspension. Such as when the object is thrown or dropped and broken in mid-air before falling to the ground. One who can do this has truly mastered their own body and has reached the level of spontanous form in their strikes. Clearly if one has to psych themselves before breaking, there is much training before being able to do such a thing.

That is exactly the point. Asking what kick is effective in self-defense is like asking what colour shoes to put on to go for a run. There can be no specific answer and it all depends on what is available. The best answer is a general guideline, not recommending a specific technique. If the kick is used effectively with the correct strategy it does not matter if it is a front kick or a side kick or whatever.

A look at the original idea of the Olympics and the history of the institution tells exactly the same story. It is no surprise at all if every single Sports federation and international sports organizations have gone the same way. Money is what makes and breaks international sports. Without the support and approval of these governing bodies, it is nearly impossible to be recognized in the world of sports. Karate or martial arts in general, should not be any different.

The question is not so much what techniques one should or should not use. It is more about the When and the How, not the What. The instructor's role is much much more than merely teaching how to punch and kick a certain way. Strategy is essential to martial arts and each style or system has a strategy. Without this, all techniques will fail when most needed. A front kick has its application , a side kick also. The situation dictates which one is applicable and learning to judge what, where and when is an important part of training.

To answer the question about Uechi-ryu: no, this style is one of the main schools of Okinawan karate but compared to Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu it is not as old. It is closely related to Goju-ryu as it shares some of the core kata such as Sanchin. Both styles seem to have the same Chinese origin and historical accounts strongly suggest a common source. Uechi-ryu has retained much of its Chinese characteristics and is almost more like a Chinese system taught by Okinawans than an Okinawan system with Chinese influence. Ryuei-ryu is another such style and most of the kata are not found anywhere else. This style was nameless for years and unknown outside Okinawa less than 15 years ago

Competing and sport matches are great, but what is wrong with it and what many traditionalists and purists dislike is the confusions and willful distortion of training purpose. If the purpose of training is to win a sporting match, then it ought to be clear. Training for the ring requires a completely different method and focus from training for self-defense. Training one way for one purpose(sport or SD) absolutely does not prepare someone to deal with the other. Some aspects of training can and do transfer, but generally it is impossible to train for both at the same time and it is a great disservice to claim one is training SD when one is practising sport or vice versa.

This is an interesting question and quite a challenging one. Considering that every single style of karate existing today are derived from either Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, it is really difficult to say. In the best and most detailed resources on the subject, kata are always classified into Okinawan or Chinese origin, and then into Naha, Shuri or Tomari Te. Styles of a more direct Chinese origin or styles more recent might have a few kata not taught elsewhere. Lastly, there are undoubtedly a great number of new "modern" kata created in the last few decades by founders of newer karate ryu ha. Coming up with something completely unique is a rarity and every style can easily be linked to its origin by examining the core kata. Unfortunately, the style I train has nothing specially unique. Every single one of the kata are found in one form or another in many styles: naihanchi 1-3, pinan 1-5, passai dai/sho, kusanku dai/sho, chinto and gojushiho.

Breaking boards, tiles or bricks is meant as a training exercise and nothing more. There is a correct way and a wrong way to do it just as for every single technique in martial arts. Injuries happen when there is the slightest mistake in technique, mechanics or other vital points. It is possible to break with power alone, but to strike efficiently without injuring oneself requires more than brute force. Breaking is much less about destroying the boards or tile. It is about learning how to use one's body to its full potential efficiently without injuries. For what use is striking if one cannot do so without disabling oneself?

A little each day goes a long way. Stretching and practising to the maximum every day is the only way to improve and this is regardless of age. Seeing is believing and I have seen it.

The gentleman who teaches explained that this was how he had been trained in his native Okinawa by the master who taught him. He mentioned something to the effect that this was how karate must be done to really develop useable techinque. Ranks or belts were of little concern, as most did not have any. Students trained every day, sometimes twice and the master would often teach only two or three things for months. Only after basics were understood and performed satisfactorily was any kata taught. Then he said if he tried to teach exactly as he was taught, he might have maybe three regular students instead of a dozen, which is still a small dojo. Maybe that is a sign of our times and the general attitude.

Today in the dojo the only thing practised was front kicks....mostly with the left leg. For the entire two hours. Every step, all the details at different speeds. This is just the third consecutive session spent on a single technique or set of techniques. This is probably only possible with semi-private sessions or small numbers of students. Obviously children could not be expected to keep up, but adults might also respond to this with frustration if this was done for longer than a couple days. Doing it for longer seems even more difficult.

People who have ADHD can learn to concentrate. They just need to train for it longer than others. As each case is different there is a huge variety of activities that are beneficial and the key is for the ADHD to chose one he or she can enjoy. Martial arts is only one of these activities and has the advantage of also spending physical energy. There are quite a few ADHD people who have overcome or controlled their condition and achieved great succes in academics and sports. If they like doing martial arts, take it slowly just like with children who naturally have shorter attention spans. As long as there is a challenge, they will continue.

Being out of shape is not what most people would imagine, nor is it always obvious by one's physical appearance. In fact, most people living a modern urban or suburban lifestyle are out-of-shape because of sedentary life. The average person just does not get nearly enough physical activity. These habits combined with over-eating and consuming too much energy that is left unused makes everything a whole lot worse. The best recommendation is to change slowly. Diet can be changed easily, nothing complicated. Balance, variety and quality over quantity are the best guidelines. As for activity, breathing rythm is something to practise. It can be learned from a good teacher or coach. Finally, Drink! Never underestimate the role of water.

This confirms the idea that there are much more intelligent and effective ways of training than just getting hit. Contact is an important part of complete training but it ought to be done with the aim of learning. If contact is the sole purpose or if it is done to dominate others, it loses its effectiveness as a training and teaching method.