Spartacus Maximus

From my experience, there are only a few kinds of people or personalities who are truly and absolutely unredeemable. Even punks can change if they are not past a certain point. As a youth and a teenager, petty crime and violence were part of my daily routine. It is entirely due to training and the dojo environment as well as harsh lessons from my sensei that I eventually left that path. Perhaps it is because the good was still to be found somewhere.

I train to fight. Against aging, sickness, depression and many other enemies from within. Practical defense is the general focus of my training thanks to my instructor, but the cultural and historical background are also important to me because of close personal ties.

When learning and practising kata, it is a very common for beginners and intermediate level practitioners to give to much attention to speed. Kata is not a performance or a dance. If kata is too fast, it becomes a blur where techniques blend into one another. Every move must be clear and the emphasis must be on correct body mechanics rather than speed. To get the maximum benefit out of kata, one must practise with the aim of understanding every part independently instead of a sequence or choreography. Slowing down and focussing on each step or technique is too often overlooked.

I enjoy watching all the trilogy, and also the fourth one to a lesser extent. The character of Miyagi is one of the best movie martial artist overall. I must say that the remake was not very interesting, having Jackie Chan in a lead role is what made it passably interesting.

Exactly my point, Spodo. In the case of a car, the machine itself may not be a weapon by design but it will be considered as one if it is driven by a person willfully using it to harm other people. No matter who is concerned, bare-handed violence is always considered differently by the laws. Training does enhance the potential damage a person can inflict, but as a rule the use of an object increases this to much higher levels which are not possible without a weapon. Anyway, the time and dedication to training required to become skilled in using one's body as a weapon is such that highly skilled individuals are less likely to become dangerous or engage in risky behaviour. There are exceptions, but these are much much less common than average untrained delinquents having a fistcuff or messing one another up with blades, guns or what have you.

The logical answer is a resounding "NO". A weapon is nothing more than an object. It is an implement intended by use or by design, for the purpose of killing. Anything handled and used with intent can kill and thus be lethal. A simple stick, a sharp or heavy rock or a gun are all equal if the handler wants to kill whomever or whatever is the target. However no object has the capacity to act, think and reflect by itself. This also applies to trained animals such as attack dogs. Human beings can think and it takes a human to make a weapon kill. Therefore it is unfathomable to attempt to categorize people as weapons themselves. Even a well placed punch by an untrained person can kill under some circumstances. For that very reason, each person and situation must be considered individually.

The middle weight cotton canvas gi I wear is heavy enough. Anything else underneath has proved very uncomfortable. I tried everything from thin quick-drying mesh Ts to under armor and similar garments.

It is better to question the purpose of a test or grading than discuss whether or not it is challenging enough. Does the test recognize a level of skill? Is it meant to reward improvement to a certain standard? Or is it merely a reward for time or financial commitment to the school, organization or instructor?

The simplest things like punches, kicks and blocks are often the most overlooked. With limited time to train, they are also one of the most productive things to practise. I also like to try to work on a point from the last lesson that I was corrected on.

The one kata lesson is probably closer to the training method used by the Okinawans before karate gained popularity. Testimony and records of several Okinawan karateka attest to this. Hohan Soken of orthodox Shorin ryu comes to mind. Training in that way is the first step towards developing applicable skills and intimate in depth knowledge of karate techniques. Unfortunately, most students come with a consumer mentality requiring instant or short-term results. If two hours spent on a single kata seems long and boring, such students would likely quit if asked to continue at the same pace every single day for just one year, let alone ten. That is surely the most challenging aspect of the one-kata lesson: keeping it interesting for the average student.

Usually training time in the dojo is divided into several parts. When looking at kata it is obvious that a single one, even the shortest contains enough material for an entire lesson. Some of the longer kata might have enough for two or three. The last time I was in the dojo, the whole two hours was spent on Naihanchi shodan. The entire lesson on a single kata. Has anyone else ever done this before and what is the longest time ever spent on practising material from a single kata?

The key is to keep the explanations brief and the sequences of techniques short. Small scale is good for everyone, not just for those with short attention spans. It makes the material easier to take in and practise. After a brief explanation of the purpose of each move students can immediately start drilling the sequence. The sooner students can start drilling a two to three move sequence, the less they will doze off. Keep the details and discussion for afterwards. Age certainly is a factor to consider and everything should be adjusted to fit. Ideally, it would be advisable to reserve the teaching of anything but the most elementary applications to students 16 or older. Young children simply do not have the ability to concentrate for long enough or comprehend anything more than simple physical movements.

I have a preference for the way I am being taught. The method consists of breaking down a kata into two or three move segments. Every segment is drilled individually first and then practised as a partner exercise gradually faster and eventually as a short kumite. The next step is practising all the segments in order with partners attacking from all sides. Once this can be done, variations of the techniques are slowly introduced. At an advanced level students are expected to do kumite using the content of a predetermined kata.

Training in karate has always been a very private and personal matter. The less people know the better it is. Any evaluation of progress or recognition of skill level is between the sensei and the student concerned. In my dojo, only the kyu rank promotions are immediately obvious because one day somebody shows up with a different colour belt(only 3 before black). For the Dan levels it is less obvious and most will not announce it.

Sometimes loyalty to an organization can be taken too far. After years of involvement and dedication people become very attached to the idea of contributing to a collective endeavour. This is human nature: the feeling of doing something for others of seeking to be in a group and having their approval. In the martial arts world, associations and organization are formed by students for the purpose of perpetuating a certain teacher's system and methods. Beyond a certain number of students it becomes more difficult to maintain and differences begin to emerge. A student's first duty should always be to his teacher. Even if at some point the student decides to leave, it should be done in a way that is respectful. The teacher and what he teaches or how he does it is more important than the organization to which he belongs.

I really hope they do have the creativity to keep it going. I wouldn't mind if they made a movie with the characters, it definitely has enough of an audience for it. It is even more amusing to me because there are people out there who, at least for a time took master ken seriously when he is so obviously joking. The man is also a real-life martial artist. I don't think he could be so good at parodying martial arts if he were just an ordinary comedian.

Everyone has different priorities but what is impossible to control or predict is weather or not these are compatible with those of others around. Having martial arts as a priority is the reason for a good portion of difficult life choices for many a lifetime devotee

Having a supportive and understanding spouse is certainly lucky, but there can still be very difficult compromises. There was a time when I was convinced that one had to be alone and living almost monk-like to practise martial arts.

The idea of karate(and martial arts in general) is to make the whole body stronger and each limb into powerful defensive weapons. An attack may come from any side and having a weaker side means being open on that side. This is a serious handicap but it can be changed by training. The usual recommendation is 10/20. Anything done with the right should be practised 10 times more with the left. Everyone has a dominant side, but one must be able to switch at anytime and use whatever side available. Left dominant individuals might have a slight natural advantage because most people are right-handed and will attack naturally with that side first. This means an attack is much more likely to come to one's left side. Also quite telling is the fact that many kata begin with the left side.

The techniques and defining fundamental principles were always part of karate, however it is highly probable that the terminology in use today appeared at the time karate was beginning to be taught to large groups. This first occurred in Okinawan schools under teachers such as Itosu Anko around 1900. Prior to that instruction was much more personal and done in secret. Perhaps teaching groups required all the techniques to be codified and categorized. What is important is not so much learning individual techniques, but the principles of how they work. Focus on what is common to all the "blocks" and whatever is done with that principle applied will be effective.

Part of the problem with the idea of a "block" comes from the attempt to translate an Eastern concept into Western terms. The actual concept is less about stopping the attack than it is about exploiting it while counter-attacking. This idea is a fundamental principle in Okinawan karate and Chinese martial arts. Uke actually means "receive" if translated literally. The block-and-then-attack is easier to explain and understand for beginners, but when applied the "block" is both defense and counter at the same time. If the techniques are practised and taught with this in mind, the specifics are less important.

If one is ready and has the ability to teach as well as whatever else is necessary, there is no reason that this person should not be allowed to do so in whatever location is available. The type of control Sensei8 mentioned sounds rediculous. How would an established dojo possibly enforce the non-compete idea? What happened when someone ignored it?

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?