Spartacus Maximus

It depends where and with whom one associates with. In my case, the alcohol is much more likely to be affecting the attacker's system. Then again, I make it a point to avoid being in places where there might be people who are drinking and or likely to become aggressive. For me it just isn't a likely scenario. There is nothing quite like a cold, frosty one AFTER training. Mmmm, dojo beer!

Sometimes it can be difficult to decide what or how long to spend on each item chosen for a day's training. Ideally, I try to do everything on my schedule but if I'm not satisfied with one part I will end up doing that one thing almost the entire time. Punching, kicking and blocking techniques are probably the bulk of what I practise outside the dojo. It is always those plus whatever else I decided to focus on for that day. The biggest challenge is trying to balance everything because there is so much to work with.

"Used-to-be" is something in the past, and what matters is whatever is happening now. My former rank of sandan is more of an obstacle than it is an advantage. So much so that I dread being asked to help lest I pass on some old habit that stubbornly reappears despite my honest efforts to follow my teacher's instructions.

Any serious martial arts practicioner will eventually reach a point where training alone becomes more difficult. The hardest part about training solo is knowing what to do, how to track progress and above all how to avoid boredom or exhaustion from overtraining. I believe being organized is the first step. Knowing where and when in the day one has time to train is essential. Next is deciding how much time one can reasonably use without compromising vital activities such as meals or sleep. Once all that is clear, the next step is deciding how to make use of that time. This can be the most important yet difficult thing to do. Here are questions to think about: What is effective and productive practise? How much time should be spent on a single technique (a punch or a kick, for example)? How many times should it be repeated? Is simply repeating each technique or kata until exhaustion really effective or efficient? What is efficient solo training, to you?

Just one alcoholic drink before training or any sustained physical effort is enough to disrupt the system. I did it once as an experiment and the results really put me off of drinking anything except water. With just one drink an hour or two before training, I had to push myself twice as hard to do less than an hour. Usually I train almost two hours, but because of that one drink I was about ready to collapse on the floor and go to sleep. In fact I felt sleepy and heavy when I started. If you really, really want a drink save it for after training and then the later the better.

Back then I lifted weights every other day in addition to going to the dojo. I also bicycled everywhere I had to go. I only consumed the supplements on tge days I weight trained but it was enough to mess me up. Besides the bladder issue, I was also left with swelling and scarring on my limbs. These faded after I stopped but are still visible. In retrospect, I am convinced that muscle strength and size can only be gained slowly through natural training. Functional strength for lifelong health is more important than just getting bigger for the sake of it.

The most cautious attitude to have is probably to only offer help when asked specifically and explicitly. Differences between peers are cleared by consulting the instructor at an appropriate time.

I used to subscribe to most of them including BB Mag. To that I preferred Inside Karate. I also liked Dragon Times, which I believe is available online. There are also a couple magazines from outside the English-speaking world that I read often. Classical Fighting Arts is also an excellent publication I highly recommend because of the serious, quality content. This one is also found online as well as in magazine format

Did both whey protein and creatine for just a couple of years in University. The results were just barely noticeable but there was a nasty surprise. A bladder irregularity that took nearly two years to reverse. It could have been permanent if I had failed to stop when I did.

A very simple rule applied without question or exceptions or second chances: train or GO HOME! The second someone is disruptive, refuses to listen or otherwise disrespectful, send the offender home without warnings.Call parents if applicable or necessary. They will either get the message or quit. Either way everyone else benefits.

The only kind of restriction about dogi I have ever come across was on the colour. No specific brand or design. It just had to be white and fitting as to not hamper or restrict movement. Shodan level and above were expected to wear 100% cotton canvas. Not surprisingly, most dojo practising an Okinawan style seem to favour Shureido brand as it is made locally on Okinawa. I personally swear by it as does every sensei I ever met who trained in Okinawa or was from there.

Blackbelt Magazine is a far cry from what it used to be. Most of what it publishes seems to have taken on a cheap entertainment slant. It has become more and more difficult to gain or expect any quality information because of the overwhelming quantity of less-than-serious or poorly supported articles. It seems entirely more concerned with the latest trends rather than serious discussion about martial arts topics.

No matter what the current trends are, there is no way ANY kind of supplement is beneficial or necessary. All those powders and shakes are unnecessary and will disrupt your system and cause all sorts of unpleasant problems. Some even have addictive properties. It is best to forget the creatine powder, whey protein or other such poisons. They are as bad for the system over time as any other kind of doping. Problems may not appear instantly, but they will happen eventually and then it might be too late. All the nutrients and benefits supplements supposedly have can be found in a regular healthy balanced diet.

There are several very good brands available form all the martial arts supplies stores on and offline. The choice should match the risk level and type of impact intensity expected during training. The best mouthguards are designed to protect the both top and bottom teeth AND the jaw in a way that will dissipate an impact and prevent or reduce a potentially dangerous concussion. The professional grade ones can cost almost a hundred US Dollars.

The basic principle with these techniques is that they start in front of the body and move across it. They begin front the same area a punch would. Without visuals it is difficult to see exactly what you mean. Variations are common between styles and individuals, but the fundamental principles that make the techniques effective are the same. It is also worthy of note that there will be differences between how they look in action and application and the "textbook correct" form as it is taught and practised in the dojo.

Simple translation from Japanese: chudan=mid level. This height is the level of one's own solar plexus. Soto=outer or outside. This means your arm starts from your centre and finishes to the outside. Contact is made with the side your thumb is on. Uchi=inside or inner. This means your arm makes contact with the little finger side. The arm travelling towards the inside, slightly angled with the fist stopping at the height of the opposite shoulder. Source of information is my Okinawan teacher who was taught by Chibana's senior student and successor.

That is quite an entertaining story. If a perfect stranger showed up at my newly opened business or dojo claiming I needed permission from his boss or sensei to be at that location, I would probably laugh him out the door. This sounds an awful lot like a scene from a gangster movie where the Mob boss sends goons to the new business in town to get a cut or extort profit. Unless there is some kind of city by-law there's nothing stopping anyone from opening a dojo right next door teaching the same style. Same goes for regular businesses and it happens all the time. If there is some sort of by-law in effect, it is safe to assume a letter or visit from city hall instead of some random bloke off the street showing up. The sheer number of weirdos in martial arts never ceases to amaze me.

The fact that the individual seems mainly concerned with earning rank to "pad his resume" or add to his "game" would not make him an ideal student. Karate is not a game! Learning karate is a serious endeavour that requires dedicated practise and sustained efforts over years of training. Unless this MMA type is ready to set aside and forget his "background" , it is highly unlikely that he has the patience or mental fortitude needed to progress beyond just picking up a few techniques and leaving to move on to whatever his next "stripe" might be.

What JR has said is one of the single most defining part of modern culture. People in general crave instant gratification and quick results with little effort other than just "showing up". Everything must be quick, easy and cheap. This attitude is so common that it makes people forget the value of dedicated hard work and patience. When people don't get instant results, they give up and move to the next hot item. They see experts doing something and foolishly believe that they can do the same because it looks easy. They forget that it looks easy because the person is an expert who has trained often decades through pain, frustration and countless failures before being able to do what they do. Karate is NOT easy and it cannot be mastered in just a few short years twice a week. It is hard, it is boring and repetitive and painful. Progress is sometimes so subtle as to be practically unnoticeable to the one training.

Motivational tools? I met several sensei in Okinawa who used a shinai for a motivational tool. Motivation should first come from within one's mind. If it is not there in the first place or strong enough, no manner of tool or outside force will be effective in bringing it forth.

Martial arts schools having parties or events are often an idea associated with the larger modern day dojo. However, it is far from a new concept. In the smaller traditional schools with fewer students it is commonplace for students to have certain celebrations or social events. The dojo where I train has had parties for the Year End, New Year and birthdays. There are only two or three children/youths the rest are all adults. What makes these events enjoyable and worthwhile is that they are always done after everyone is done the day's training, which always seems harder than usual on that particular day.

Everyone who has been practising karate for a few years will probably come to a point where there is a gap between what they know and what they can do. After training and practising for 3 years I find that I am less and less sure of any progress I may have made. My techniques feel weak as if devoid of any power and seem clumsier and more awkward than when I started. Although I understand the instructions, descriptions and explanations of my instructor, I just cannot do anything in the way he says. Assuming I am not the first or the last to be frustrated in this way, what would be the most sensible solution. How does one know when one is doing something correctly when the instructor is not there to comment? From an instructor's point of view, what advice would help a student in this stage of training?

My instructor also cares more about making the most of any time one has to practise. Nobody is ever asked any reason for being late, but everyone is expected to follow the protocol and get started as soon as that is done.

Back when I started karate two kinds of gloves were used. One was a dipped foam type that covered the whole fist with a sleeve for the thumb and a strap for the fingers. This is the basic type available almost everywhere. The other type we used was a thinner glove that resembles a mountain bike glove or weight lifting glove with extra padding on the fingers and knuckles. Now I use only bare hands. Everyone is expected to condition their hands to at least withstand the impact of hitting something and to learn to make a proper tight fist to avoid injuries.

Explaining how to do a technique, how to use it and how it works always sounds easier than actually doing it. When my instructor explains things to me I understand what he is telling me but when it comes to doing what he says, I find that I get less and less certain of whether or not I am doing it correctly. I do seem to get some techniques right some of the time because he will comment on them, but I cannot do it consistently or consciously. Being unsure of my technical skill level is the biggest problem I have with the idea of teaching anybody anything. I am not exceptionally good at explaining or teaching but I like to help however possible.