Spartacus Maximus

If an instructor had young students(maybe many adults too) do nothing but punching, kicking and blocks for the entire training session how many would still be there after a month? It is doubtful any would remain long enough to be taught anything else. Teaching this way used to be normal but , from a business point of view it would certainly be difficult. Perhaps it is not suitable for teaching larger groups.

Knowledge must be applied to have meaning and shared to have value. If one knows something it serves no purpose until that person makes use of it. It becomes valuable when that person shares it, and the more it is shared the more desirable it becomes. Knowledge must also be applied, tried and experimented with so that it can grow and lead to improvements and more knowledge. Imagine if the first human to learn how to make fire just kept it to himself and never taught anyone. Without application there can be no progress and without sharing there can be no improvement. There are many ways to apply knowledge, one is experimenting and trying it and the obvious next step is passing on to another person. If one does neither one will never know the limits, flaws and potential of said knowledge. First learn, then understand, next try it and finally, teach someone.

This is difficult to answer with any certainty. Some techniques have never been allowed for kumite and some have fallen out of use. One of the possible reasons is that there are very few people who spend the time training their hands to make certain strikes usable. Especially ones like spear hand or one knuckle strikes. Another reason is that, barring some exceptions, most kumite is done with gloves or other equipment that prohibit or make it difficult to properly shape the hand correctly and securely. Finally, the set of rules is probably the biggest factor in determining what will be favoured in competition. What is allowed and trained in one dojo will probably be forbidden in another and illegal depending on the venue. Even the hardcore full contact kumite such as kyokushin has limiting rules and favours some techniques over others.

Children and youths are probably more likely to actually ask the question in the topic. Adults, not so much but the attitude and mentality of instant results is still widespread. In general, the time spent on learning and practising a given skill or a single kata is much shorter than it used to be. Very few dojo or instructors focus on a single thing in detail. This leads to wonder if an average student would be willing or able to train in that way. Just blocks, punches and kicks for a year, for example. A year is not so long, but would they stay or give up? I tend to believe few would stay if any at all. Personally I am no fan of instant. I don't even like instant noodles....experience has also proved to me that attempting to learn too much too quickly yields poor results. It would be interesting to experiment with this, but I am not in any position to do so.

The phrase in the topic title and variations of it are probably the single most often heard question from students of all ages. Everyone seems to expect instant results or progress at a rate that is not realistic for a minimum of effort. Worse, they give up when they fail the first few times and give up before making any progress. Martial arts were not meant to be learned quickly. One cannot expect to make significant progress by practising two or three nights per week. How many would have the patience to continue if students were taught in the old way? Nothing but basics and for six months, a year? longer? Maybe this kind of teaching is not feasible in this discussion ay and age, or is it? No doubt many students would quit if they were not shown something new every so often. Surely there must be a way to find a balance and show the value of patience and practise.

There never was, nor will there ever be a unique standard in martial arts. There are as many standards as there are schools, styles or governing bodies. Again, those who flaunt their titles or present themselves as "master" usually do so for publicity's sake and marketing. It is a gimmick to attract and impress potential students/customers.

Excellent! I was hoping it would come back for a few more episodes.

Yes indeed. There is no point going to a dojo if the instructor one wishes to learn from is not teaching on a regular basis, especially if said instructor is supposed to be the MAIN instructor. This kind of situation is very disappointing to prospective students and for someone teaching publically it should at least be explained from the beginning if circumstances prevent the main instructor from being there regularly.

According to the bits of information available online there seems to be an organization overseeing it called Koshiki Karate World. The apparently also have their own version of the kata Naihanchi and Kusanku. They use full face mask type head protection and body shields like in Olympic TKD but no footpads or gloves in their kumite. Does that sound familiar, Wastelander? Their logo/patch says world, so on could assume a presence in USA, but it does seem to be a newer style, perhaps an offshoot of another better known school?

A martial arts instructor, as any teacher should not be held to any higher moral standard than anyone else trusted with passing on knowledge or skills. No matter what level of skill or depth of knowledge they may have gained, they are still people with qualities and flaws. Expecting them to be different is just not realistic. Only a fool refuses a diamond because the vessel containing it is stained. If an instructor is skilled and can teach well, the rest should be of no concern.

Has anyone heard of koshiki karate? It seems to be a contact sporting style focussed on free sparring using protectors. How does it compare to other sporting styles or organization such as JKA, WKO?

If it is of any reassurance, Higaonna sensei of Goju-ryu who is listed is probably an exception. Every one of the Okinawan experts I have met or heard of are not concerned with being on such a list. None of them speak nor read English and are not familiar at all with the internet. A quick search also showed that many well-known and referenced experts who can be found elsewhere in various sources(books, etc) are not mentioned either.

Training in ordinary, comfortable clothing can be good in some circumstances. The white cotton dogi has only been around for the last hundred years and in general use for much less time. Karateka today take it for granted and many might be surprised to know that until the sixties, karate training was done in with nothing more than one's shorts. Even now, in Okinawa it isn't unheard of for some of the old-timers to train with something on other than a gi. Some of these never owned one until later. A good one can be expensive, but will last for years if it is well maintained. Recycling them is a great idea for young students and those of modest means. Cotton/polyester blends are also cheaper and more suitable for youths.

Maybe it is a similar phenomenon to how in the early days of martial arts, every and any exotic Asian system was called "judo" and later on "karate". That combined with marketing. To popularize something for which most people have little to no reference, it is always best to try to make that new thing fit into a definition likely to be the understood by most. It matters little to the public if that assigned definition is not exactly true. Back in the day before Taekwondo was widely known, many advertised it as "Korean Karate". When judo and jujitsu were first taught outside Japan it was called Japanese Wrestling and so on.

A title is something other people use to address someone or acknowledge that person's accomplishment. It is not intended for self-referral and those who use it in that way will generally give an impression of self-importance, inflated ego or peculiarity at the very least. In China and many other asian cultures it is unthinkably rude to call oneself by one's title. Even in the Western world, it would be a safe wager to assume very few people refer to themselves by their title when they have one, nor do they expect or demand to be called so by everyone they meet. One who is truly worthy of being called a Master need not be concerned with titles. A master is one who has reached an almost intuitive level of skill and understanding, yet continues to seek betterment.

The idea of compiling a database of instructors is probably a good one and it can certainly be of some use. However, it should not be construed as something that guarantees or verifies anything except claimed lineage. Not being registered means nothing. To be registered an individual must know that said database exist, and by the looks of it, be computer-literate. There are many many martial artist of varying skill who neither know or care about being on such a list.

Everyone has a way of dealing with personal issues, difficulties or challenges. The best way, is one that is not compromising of health or general well-being. Whenever and wherever possible it is best to push on through until one can think clearly and rationally.

When given such a heavy responsibility, it is a sign of trust and one will do well to honour it to the best of one's abilities. That is the best and only way to be worthy of it. An assistant should assist, but should also not be afraid to ask for assistance from others above nor should there be any hesitation to seek confirmation or reference from the instructor.

The makiwara is a tool made for learning and practising correct structural alignment to strike without injuring oneself. Striking it hard with all one's might is dangerous and counterproductive. It is advisable for beginners to focus on correct structure before attempting to put any power into the strikes. Only once the correct structure is consistently done should power be increased. Increased slowly and gradually up to no more than about one third of full power. Full power strikes are better practised on other tools, not the makiwara.

Martial arts magazines can be an unexpectedly valuable resource for instructors. Even if there may not be anything useful or truthful in them they can give a great insight on what kind of expectations potential students might have. It can help an instructor challenge the popular conceptions and understand their origin and why they persist.

One of the best aspects of training alone out of the dojo is that it is entirely free. Having to choose something to practise can be confusing, especially if the dojo has a predetermined schedule. I find it is most effective to have at the very least a general plan of what to focus on for the day. In my case, solo practise is just like the dojo except nobody is there to help. Every time is something different. Only once in a while the whole curriculum is practised. Generally it is easier to split everything up such as having a day for "basic techniques" another for "kata" etc. this works very well if the curriculum has "serial kata" such as Naihanchi(series of 3) or Pinan(5).

Everyone I have ever met with an authentic, verifiable seventh Dan or above was at least sixty years old and had begun to training in their teens.

I personally always somehow felt that it was somewhat odd to "register" one's grade with a governing body. Skill and progress are individual and the only approval or recognition that are really meaningful are from one's instructor.

Knowing the origin and history of what one does is important, but obsessing over it is futile. It is admirable and respectable to continue practising as one was taught. It is an even greater thing to continue passing on what one was taught faithfully and precisely. However, there is no better way to honour one's teacher than making one's own discoveries and growing on the same path instead of just following it and stubbornly refusing to look for oneself merely for the sake of being " the succesor of Master So-and-So".

Regular Life and family takes up a lot of time but I still somehow manage to train/practise a minimum of four days. On a good week I train every day for an hour at least. This is in addition to dojo time which unfortunately for me is only feasible once a week.