Spartacus Maximus

The best part of starting over was to take a closer look at everything I thought I had learned and understanding why I was doing it wrong and how to do it right. That way of looking at a technique that I am now being taught will help me refine my skills and help me when I become the one who has to explain them. The more difficult and discouraging part is realizing that I may have gone through the ranks too quickly before. It's hard to think like a complete novice when you are already familiar with all the kata in the system. Even if you want to with all your heart and mind you are still stuck with a past baggage of flawed techniques and bad habits that you do unconsciously.

He stopped because he stopped seeing it as something meaningful. The conclusion of his many decades of training was that it was wiser to master empty hand skills and principles. He believes that the principles of empty hand techniques are transferable to almost any weapon or object held in the hand. Weapons will move as extensions of empty hand techniques instead of accessories. The only way he can come up with that is by having practised and used weapons I am not certain he would be able to say that if he had never touched weapons before. It is hard for me to explain because I don't have his experience or knowledge. Another reason he briefly mentioned is that there are too many kobudo kata without logical bunkai or oyo kumite and kobudo has become too much like a weapons dance where the meaning is either lost or never properly explained. Even on Okinawa many dojos just have it as an extra gimmick because demand for it is so high.

It is so true that boards hit back. That is the very principle in the design of a makiwara. It is possible to break a board with raw power but the value is in using correct body mechanics and focus. With a mechanically correct technique it is relatively easier to break boards than doing it with just muscle. A trained eye can tell the difference and that is why I had to re do a my break twice for my 3 kyu test Even though I broke the boards each time. I noticed a difference my self when I did it correctly. When I failed I felt a sting and mild pain in my fist when I struck the board. When I did the strike correctly I went through the board easily and felt almost nothing.

Each person in my semi private training session got to experience a light poke from sensei's toes or at least what sensei considered light for at least a week after each of us had a small but deep nasty little bruise exactly the size and shape of a big toe. Nasty...I definately don't want to get hit with a kick from a dude who can litteraly stab you with his feet.

The only weapon that is studied in my dojo is the knife. We train to defend against common types of knife attacks but it have not done anything like that myself as I am new and it is reserved for shodan and above. My sensei has stopped practising kobudo and does not teach it.

The point about shoes is valid and I can appreciate that it has played a role in the decline of the toe kick. I'm not sure that the average student of karate today would be willing to go through the training it takes to become effective in kicking something with their toes. Bumping a toe by accident is painful enough. I like the idea of being able to kick effectively barefooted AND with shoes on. That is one of the reasons why I like the toe kick. I remember practicing outdid with shoes on and trying to kick with the ball of the foot. With regular running shoes I could curl up my toes to hit with the ball but it was hard to do because the rigidity if the shoe. Kicking with the toes was possible but it still hurt my toes inside my shoe. I reckon that if my toes were conditioned for barefoot toe kicks then I would also have a powerful kick with shoes on using the point of a shoe.

The very idea that styles can be effective or ineffective is nonsense. Techniques are just movements and nothing more. Effectiveness depends one hundred percent on the individual's ability to apply them. This ability comes from knowledge of proper form, repeated practice and experience. If there really was an ultimate style, then it would work for absolutely everyone using it 100percent of the time regardless of the adversary. If taught and practised effectively any system will work. If taught or trained inefectively any system can become nothing more than gymnastics or dance. That is why there is a McDojo for every single martial art you can imagine(and yes it includes BJJ). You name it, they've bastardized it somewhere to make a profit.

I like your idea of building the board into part of the room. Unfortunately the space I want to set up and use my equipment is also used by other members of my family including my 2 year old son. I have to be able to store it away to have the space for other uses. I have some idea for the material but it's the base holding it that is most difficult. I want a round, post type makiwara

Thanks for your reply. Do you practise Okinawan karate or Japanese karate? I looked at nearly all ryuha originating on mainland japan and none of them have the toe tip kick. As for me I only recently started to learn it and it is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Especially since I have always been taught to use the ball of my foot! Before joining my current dojo I had seen it done and there was no doubt it as to how fearsome it was. it just looked like one of those amazing feats that I could only dream of doing. At least now I have an idea of the training and time it takes to be able to kick like that. Does your school teach it from the start or only at a certain level? I'm expected to kick through an inch thick pine board with a front toe kick for my shodan test. Does your school have you perform it as part of a test?

The answer to this question is not as clearly defined as the question. In a defense situation, reaction time is more important than how fast you can do a technique. If you are trained to read an imminent attack you only need to be quick enough to meet it or avoid it. Once you have done either of those the only limit is your imagination. Power is also relative to the specific situation. Personally, my idea of defense is to hit with all the power I can muster and keep hitting until I have an opening to run or until my attacker can no longer threaten me. Whatever happens first.

Well I have a little bit more space than just enough to shrug my shoulders. My biggest challenge is building something that can be easily set up and moved so that I can stash it somewhere where it will be protected from wear when I'm not using it. It should be usable indoors and outdoors.

I am looking to build a makiwara but I have only a very limited space to set it up and use it. Space being my main challenge it should meet the following criteria: 1: it should be relatively compact 2: it should be easily movable for storage when not used This will be my first time to actually build one so I would like to hear ideas from anyone who has built one.

I am not familiar with Machida's training, only that he has very strong roots in shotokan. It is entirely possible that he may have trained in techniques from other styles. His fights are MIXed martial arts after all. If his toes connected and he did not appear hurt, then that is a good chance he has don some conditioning. Hitting anything hard with force with the big toe is very painful even more if the toes are not held properly and are not conditioned. Toe kicks are also very dangerous and much more damaging than using the ball of the foot. A strong kick from a trained person can easily cause internal damage. Knowing this I am not sure the rules of UFC, K1 etc would allow it.

This is certainly the first time I heard of the term being used in another martial art besides karate. Now that is pretty strange! Even the karate people in japan who OSS would find that a bit weird! Maybe there is a fine line but I am not quite sure where it should be drawn. I just follow what my teacher does because where I train it has certain cultural connotations. Outside japan I thought it seemed a little to rank-and-file but didn't mind it too much. Now when I have my own students I will probably not be using it wether I am in japan or not

Your understanding is correct and as someone who is fairly proficient in Japanese I know that senior people can get upset if their juniors address them without the correct forms. My understanding is that he was more upset because being a respected community figure, he did not want to be associated with anything related to the underworld and the negative impressions they give to his beloved native art. I'm glad he explained clearly and now I know but my fellow student would not have gotten off easy. They would be expected to know because they are native. I wonder if there are any non-Okinawan/Japanese sensei out there who are anti-OSs. What about yours?

In the days before many Americans started to learn karate on Okinawa, kobudo was seperate from karate. Even weapons were separated and one could not learn more that one type from a single teacher. Nowadays most people who study an okinawan karate style will have the standard kobudo weapons taught as part of the curriculum. Kata will be either from Matayoshi's kobudo or Ryukyu kobudo. Most common are: Bo, sai, tonfa,nunchaku and eku(boat oar) Less common are: three section bo(Chinese weapon more common in Kung fu), tinbe and rochin(a type of round shield and short saber or spear), tecchu(a knuckle duster type of weapon) Kobudo was part of my ex-organization in Shorin ryu. I have limited experience with the Bo. My present shorin ryu sensei learned many kobudo weapons but has abandoned them altogether. That is why I do not do kobudo. His reasoning is that if you become skilled in karate, then you will be able to use almost anything in your hands as an extension of your techniques. Another point is that most kobudo weapons are impractical to carry and unlikely to be readily available.

I know this topic is something that has been discussed but I would like to share my experience with it in karate's native land. I believe the use of OSS is something that originated in Oyama's kyokushinkai. The usage then spread to the other Japanese styles and then with the popularity of Kyokushinkai outside Japan by western karateka. I used it once in a while too but I completely stopped after being told not to. Once I used it with an Okinawan sensei and he was not pleased at all. Quite annoyed and even upset. He said it is not a proper thing for a karateka to say as it is for thugs and yakuza. I thought about what I was told and I realized why he was so upset one night when I was out at a local bar. A short, stocky middle age man walked in closely followed by two taller fellows. As they made their way toward the counter, three younger men immediately stood up and greeted him with OSS. They also used it a few more times when the older man addressed them. Needless to say I kept an extra low profile for the rest of the evening. I later found out that these men were from the underworld and members of the Kokuryukai(Black Dragon Society), a yakuza group who control many entertainment businesses in Okinawa. Also found out that my sensei at the time was a very well respected member of the local community. A man who would generously help anyone. That is why he did not want to be OSsed In fact many okinawan sensei do not like to be OSsed. The popular impression of karate seems different from mainland Japan where the public often associates it with the underworld and violent thugs. The impression in much more positive and masters are always pillars of their community viewed with respect because of their contributions as much as their dedication to preserving and teaching their native art.

Perhaps it depends on when and whom a karateka learned. When I trained in Okinawa a few years ago only the ball of the foot was taught and that was also true for the other shorin ryu dojos. I restarted shorin ryu and I am now with a sensei that swears by the toe kick. He specifically explained that ball of the foot kicks were an change made to adapt karate for competition and teaching younger children. In his youth, teachers like Chibana, Nagamine would teach only the toe version. I was also told that the toes are the correct and most effective weapons. I believe there is a karate saying referring to the toes becoming like spears. Now I know what they meant. It really does feel like being stabbed

Thank you for your input. I'm curious to know about your shorin ryu teacher because toe kicks are not as commonly taught/practised in shorin ryu as they once were. Is your shorin ryu teacher okinawan or did he have a teacher who was? It seems it is only the old timers who still do it. Uechi-ryu is now the only style in Okinawa that still actively use toe kicks. Again the targets are exactly as you said: soft and preferably lower body

My advice is to keep as humble an attitude as possible and do anything you can to avoid being perceived as cocky. Focus on your sensei's teachings and try hard to practise and apply them. You may not be new to karate but you are learning a new way. Remember what it was like when you were an absolute novice in martial arts an approach everything with that attitude. You will progress faster by putting aside previous experience. Take advice and accept help from your seniors in that style even if you were a higher grade in your other style. Nobody will resent you for it. Also remind yourself that training and progress are a personal journey. It is futile to look at where others are. All that matters is the struggle against yourself. I can tell you this because I have had to restart karate after gaining my third dan. Lastly discuss your concerns about your situation with your sensei in private and ask him what he thinks. That should get you the best solution.

It seems to me that it is always the non mainstream Christians that see any conflict between the religious teachings they follow and martial arts. The opposition usually comes from those who know next to nothing about them I come from a culture that for most of its history was fiercely Christian. The Catholic Church controlled society with an iron fist. Even now the overwhelming majority identifies to that religion. Despite this martial arts are still very popular. The USA is mostly Christian as well and martial arts a probably more popular there than where many originated.

Teaching ability only becomes important when a person is interested in doing it. There are always very excellent martial artist who for various reasons do not teach. My opinion is based on the example of my sensei and others like him who are still able to demonstrate their skills well into their sixties, seventies and onwards. Most admirable is the fact that through sustained training efforts they have found ways to compensate for the natural physical decreases. That to me is the mark of mastery. Some of these martial artists even managed to become able to do things they were unable to accomplish in their younger days.

Kicking with the toes as seen in the book you have is something that is impossible to do without injuring yourself unles your hold your toes correctly and only if you have conditioned them. If you have ever bumped your big toe on something accidentally that is a sample of the pain you will feel. I have just started training my toes and it is easy to get carried away and overdo it . It does take quite a while before being able to put any kind of power into. Kanken Toyama must have had experience with this type of kick so I believe that you may have another clue that it may have been originally part of early TKD. Very interesting indeed.

I have a fellow student with whom I discussed teaching young children. His idea for teaching his 4 year old son is to do it this way: kids age (4) times 2 min. So that means 8 minutes of 2 or 3 very basic techniques until the movements are remembered. Keep going at this pace as often as possible until the kid is about 10. Then start him on basic kata but devise them in two of he parts until the entire kata is remembered. At this point a half hour to forty minutes is plenty and minimum three times a week. Make practise into a challenging game with rewards for each improvement you notice even very small ones. It seems to work because that kid has some of the best punches and kicks I have ever seen a 4 year old do.

Never heard of anyone in pro fighting using toe kicks. I would appreciate a link to the Lyoto Machida fights you are referring to. As far as I have seen shotokan does not teach or train the toe kicks. The founder of shotokan trained and taught at a time when this technique was a staple of karate in his native Okinawa. Now wether or not he taught it or left it out when he started training his first generation students in Tokyo, that is a mystery to me. I briefly trained and studied shotokan in Japan and never saw anyone do it. As far as I know only okinawans do it, uechi ryu and the old timers of shorin ryu like my sensei. Even there the younger generation of karateka barely heard of its existence