Spartacus Maximus

The truth is that the majority of people who practise martial arts are doing it for reasons other than self-defense. As long as they enjoy going to a dojo, most people will continue without ever questioning anything they are being taught. If all martial arts schools trained and taught for self-defense only, there would be a lot less of them and even less students. Martial arts as originally intended is not easy. It is not a hobby or a game. It is repetitive, demanding and exhausting. This type of training is definitely not for everyone and few people have the perseverance and dedication to put themselves through it.

In Shorin ryu as well as other Okinawan schools the age uke is always done with the blocking arm passing in front of the retracting arm. This is the same for all uke techniques. With every type block the arms cross in front of the body to leave no gaps by keeping the movement short and tight to the body. Keep in mind that blocks are only called that because of what they look like and the way they are performed is meant to teach the correct application which is simultaneous offense and defense. As such there are no blocks in karate and blocks are not meant to be used the way they are done in basics. Age uke for example, could be used as either a counter punch knocking the attacking arm and fist as it strikes the attacker's upper area. Another possibility commonly taught is as an arm bar aimed under the jaw. All this is always with the lead hand or whichever is closer to the target. That is one reason why the "blocking" arm trajectory is in front of the retracting arm.

The story I am referring to is one that I remember reading in a book about Okinawan karate by Mark Bishop. I will try to find it again as the names and style of the master involved escapes me. I know for fact that a well trained and correctly aimed kick can cause all sorts of nasty internal damage. Especially from an expert with years of toe conditioning. However, I cannot imagine how the foot could possibly cut or tear the skin of the area struck. Uncut toenails maybe? Or perhaps some sort of weapon akin to the hand-claws used by the ninja?

The history of martial arts, especially those of China and Okinawa are full of stories about masters and experts who were known for having extraordinary skills. Knowing that in Chinese and Okinawan culture it is common to expand and exaggerate the qualities of those who were reknowned or notorious after their passing; a reader must look for more plausible explanations for the amazing almost superhuman feats of past masters. A particular case would be a story about an okinawan master who supposedly was able to literally scalp(cut or tear off skin and hair from the head) an attacker by kicking. Other than the result of the kick, the actua kick is not described so there is no clue as to what kind of kick it might have been. How this could possibly be done is difficult to imagine but my guess is that it may have involved some type of footwear or a foot weapon attached to the foot. Does anyone else have any idea how to realistically explain this kick or any other ledgendary technique mentioned in a story about a master in the past?

I still have my hand pads that I made many years ago. They are filled with pea-sized ball bearings and wrapped in denim canvas. In my yard I have a post makiwara, which is basically just a post stuck into the ground and stabilized with rocks and plank sections. The top end is sawn along the length in three cuts, then wrapped with strong natural fiber rope for all the striking surface.

There are many stories and accounts of karateka who can punch or kick much harder than what a person of their size could be expected to be capable of doing. What is the process that allows a small person to strike with such power? Training and applying proper body mechanics is certainly the key, but what are the limitations? For example, how hard can a man weighing 150lbs/70kg for 5ft7 or 1meter68cm become able to hit? My sensei strikes like a freight train but is shorter than that, Bruce Lee also could hit quite hard for his size. How does it work? The theories are somewhat familiar but understanding it and actually beginning to apply it still escapes me.

It is unfair to for one man to deny another his right to earn a living or even profit from providing knowledge or skills that are deemed valuable. The idea that a martial arts teacher should not seek payment or even profit is based in fiction or a distorted false sense of humility. A brief review of recorded accounts of martial arts history proves that some kind of payment was expected. The martial arts masters of the past were far from being wandering beggars teaching for nothing. Even centuries ago in China, Okinawa and Japan martial arts masters were paid in some form to teach. Some of them whose names are still remembered today earned quite a confortable living.

Perhaps the best definition depends on whom is concerned. Judging by the very discussion going on this forum, there really is no clear-cut definition. There may actually be several different types of what could be called Mcdojo. The only element common to all mcdojo seems to be summed up in two words: deception and exploitation.

That's really too bad, I wonder why they thought changing it. If I am not mistaken, many of the videos on their website can be found on YouTube. Nearly all the masters featured on that site are deceased or not longer teaching because of their advanced age.

Nowadays it is much more common to buy training equipment rather than building it. Almost any kind of equipment can be found available in sporting goods or martial arts supplies stores as well as online retailers. Sometimes there is some piece of equipment or training tool that is unavailable anywhere. In such a case the only solution is to get creative. Designing and building equipment can be an interesting project. Have you ever built something to use in your training? What is your inspiration for making it?

How old was he when he started BJJ? I wonder what else he has studied and ranked in besides his original system (tang soo do?)

Well as some readers may or may not know, the term Chuan Fa is generic and does not refer to a single system but to all Chinese martial arts systems. If I had to investigate the origin of this technique, I would probably start looking at Chinese systems taught and practised in the regions bordering Korea or in Korea which the founders might have learned or observed. This may be a long shot but it could be the only clue available.

Is that show still going or have they stopped making new ones?

my guess as to the reason for the chambering position in the picture is that it comes from an adaptation or change made for a purpose other than practical application of the technique. None of the old Okinawan ryuha teach the shuto block that way with those angles and chambering position. Shotokan is certainly a good comparison and probably the most plausible source. The karate that influenced Taekwondo and other Korean systems is the type that was popularized by Funakoshi, and was already radically different from what was practised in Okinawa by Funakoshi's peers.

Everyone at one time or another finds it difficult to balance work and other important daily activities with training or practising. Out of interest and for anyone who may think themselves too busy, I propose this thread. The key to daily training in the martial arts is using time efficiently. Thirty minutes or even less is enough if used in a focussed manner. So here is the question: In a limited time of 30min or less, what would you concentrate on practising? For myself: a brisk 2minutes of fast non-stop punches and kick combos for warming up. Next basic punches and kicks first slow and step by step, then full power. Basic kata and my latest kata or bunkai set for the rest of the time.

Here is an answer from a former 3rd Dan(a long story, too long for this thread and stated in other posts). One year between shodan and Nidan. Was shodan for 4 years and trained alone because of personal business related travelling. Two years later I earned sandan after being recommended to the hombu dojo by my sensei. Except shodan, all the grades were evaluated by my own sensei, the hombu dojo chief who is 10 Dan as well as at least 15 other Association members holding 7th to 9th Dan in Okinawa. Each time required a majority approval.

Handing out Dan ranks and certificates without any sort of evaluation is part of martial arts politics. It exists everywhere martial arts governing bodies are present. Even the cradle of martial arts are not spared by this ego-inflating practice. It is not unheard of for the head of a governing body to offer such promotion for others to join them. A friend who had earned a 3rd dan was offered a 5th Dan if he agreed to join an organization other than the one he had earned the 3rd Dan. He refused without a second thought and was right to do so. A dan grade represents the formal recognition of training effort by one's teacher. This is far more important than the material symbols of belts and certificates or the artificial prestige these might give. Respect and honour towards oneself, one's teacher and the efforts of both must prevail over these sorts of trivial pursuits. After alll at the end, what matters is the skills one knows one has and these are within the man, not a piece of fancy cloth or paper.

There may be a so-called 'classic' mcdojo definition, but it is rare that a single school will have every single aspect of it. There are always variations and a school which is honest about what is taught not be included in this category. Usually with so-called mcdojos, there is a certain element of contradiction if not outright deception. A school teaching Olympic taekwondo would not be a mcdojo because it clearly states that it is sport/competition focussed. If the same school, for example presented itself as a place to train for anything other than that, and had excessive fees compared to other similar schools, it might be called a mcdojo. It is the combination of these points that defines a mcdojo rather than just one.

The shortest and simplest definition of a mcdojo is a school mainly and mostly existing as a business, where developing practical defense skills is not emphasized or absent. There are however varying degrees of this and in actuality it is not always so clearly defined.

Sometimes my legs feel very heavy or sore but that is probably because I train a minimum of five days a week and everyday if I can manage it. Besides normal soreness that comes and goes, I have no history of injuries or chronic pain in any part of my legs or back.

Guess what. The OP's posting profile says Ann Arbor MI and there are literally over a hundred things to choose from in that area. Being completely unacquainted with USA, I did a 1 minute search on yellowpages.com and at least a hundred listings turned up for MA training gyms/dojos. Everything from MMA to taekwondo, and that is just the ones that are listed. If the OP still is not satisfied after looking through those, there is always the next town over.

I rather like the idea of not knowing when the test or formal grading is because it takes away some pressure and allows more attention to focus on training for improving skills without being distracted. Anticipation of a test or grading can give much unnecessary stress and be very distracting. Evaluation should be considered an ongoing continuous process, not just a set period where one has to prepare and then test.

On okinawa I never saw anything akin to the Chinese wooden dummy. A few karateka were creative enough and had the building skills to make their own contraptions but most used a machiwara, which is used only for strikes. The three most common type are a flat board, a round post or a square post. As mentioned by another poster there is also a hanging version. By far the most interesting thing I found was a cylindrical "body" with a clever rope and pully mechanism to power "limbs". It was used to train simultaneous block/strike techniques.

The more two systems are different, the easier it can be to blend them however it is advisable to have a solid grasp of one before attempting to mix it with another. Everyone who ever sucessfully combined different systems was already competent in a base system.

The belligerent and arrogant attitude among the MMA crowd in discussion groups mentionned by others here is quite common. It is nothing new and over a decade ago the same kind of people were found on 'newsgroups' (anybody remember those?) and the earliest discussion forums. Unsurprisingly, the number of these types seemed to increase with the advent of UFC and other such events. For them if it was not BJJ or Thai boxing it was not martial arts. eventually the serious posters would lose interest and the forum/newsgroup would stagnate or become a troll/bashing other styles party. Boring and utterly pointless.