Shojiko

What a fantastic idea! The videos you showed of it being drilled in a typical class session further piqued my interest. When I used to train shorin Ryu, I wish we had done that more frequently. At the belt level I was at, I was taught the bunkai for my katas, but we didn't consistently drill them in flow sessions as you did in those videos you provided. We went on to the next activity after performing the standard compliance drill with a partner. I can imagine the concepts in those videos being done by the best fighters on world stages like KC, WKF, Kyokushin, etc.

That is a wise observation It's unfortunate that on some YouTube videos of KC, people may comment that it resembles MMA or kickboxing with belts on. I can also think of anything that would demonstrate swift use of precise bunkai skills. Given that there are already sports that involve full-contact grappling and striking, the sky should be the limit. What I'm trying to imply is that watching Heian or Pinan Bunkai performed on a world stage such as WKF with different rules would prompt people to exclaim, "That right there is KARATE."

Mugens are fantastic. I actually favor gis with a shorter top skirt. In either case, mugens are incredibly strong and endure a very long time. KI international is a solid company

Can anyone think of a new way of Karate competition that does away with the point "tag" system? There are full-contact sports, I know, but are there any other developments that people have fantasized about and share? maybe something the incorporates all aspects of Karate as whole (kihon,kata,kumite)

is Soo bhak do and Tang so doo one and the same?

What has always struck me about JCVD is how he begins his Karate demonstrations in interviews or videos. He is constantly displaying his high kick (not that there is anything wrong about it). He has the most beautiful mawashi I've ever seen. I don't see him ever demonstrating punches common to Shotokan or speak about concepts like distance or timing, let alone punches. He has more of a TKD aura about him than a Karate aura.

great resource from sensei8 I also wanted to share this additional article I found that offers further details. It seems that Tsutomu Oshima sensei taught his instructor Shotokan. "“When I was a teenager my karate teacher Claude Goetz (the European karate pioneer who studied with Tsutomu Oshima, a disciple of Gichin Funakoshi) would teach us that martial artists always live in the now, not in the past or in the future. He would say that there is nothing I can do about the past, and the future is just that -- the future. Therefore, I must live in the now, as this is the only thing I can control. I think that these early lessons come to the surface for me all the time,” http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=320

Anyone familiar with or knowledgeable about this style? I found a California location and watched some of the videos they had on their website. I like how they practice padwork and spar. Hawaii appears to be the style's place of origin. Is this style comparable to Wonder Thompson's or Gene Hackleman's (chuck Liddell's sensei) Kempo? I apologize, but I find the Katas a little awkward because I'm used to Japanese Katas. here is a link https://www.universalkempokarate.com/

Before Dan, I'm considering an 8 kyu system hypothetically. white unranked, then 8th kyu on first test (I would still keep them at white for 8th kyu), yellow 7th kyu, green, 6th kyu, purple 5th kyu, blue 4th kyu, solid brown 3rd kyu, brown with one bar 2nd kyu, brown with two bars 1st kyu. Im putting more emphasis on the white nad brown as I consider them pivotel points in training. The true beginning versus the period of solid understanding of foundations. referring to a previous thread I posted, I was also considering having stricter time proficiency requirements similar to BJJ. I was previously considering shortening the belts similar to BJJ and spending more time at each belt. I also thought of White (8-7) blue (6-5) green(4-3) brown (2-1) There are Shoto orgs that actually still just use White, brown, black with the kyus in between which I highly admire. To emphasize, this is all brainstorming; still daydreaming. However, I'm leaning more towards the belt system I proposed initially.

How would you proceed with Kata? is a second question. I hold a 1st degree in okinawan and japanese systems in which the katas are similar but with slight variations. But I am more familiar with the official bunkai of the Okinawan system. I would simply refer to the entire system as "Karate." my ranking system would be white, yellow, green, purple, blue, and brown belts.

When I consider organization dues and the fact that testing must go through the organization's official panel, which is comprised of higher dan ranks, teaching them separately appears to be difficult. I am a 1st degree in the systems that I am trained in, but I can say with absolute certainty that I am a very experienced 1st degree. Therefore, I believe it would be best to combine and form my own association. The only disadvantage is that I cannot promote beyond brown belt unless I achieve a higher rank in the future. I have my own occupation outside of martial arts, so I'm not looking to make a living from it, but I figured, why not teach what I know as a hobby and possibly to earn some extra cash? The enjoyable part is actually constructing a system from the stockpile I possess, and of course I would test it in live sparring. If I have a student who wants to challenge or test me as a teacher for legitimacy, I must be able to hold my own or demonstrate that it works. What do you think of this proposal?

How would you instruct and explain your karate to students if you held numerous karate degrees? What if a student under your tutelage inquires about the exact style they are practicing? Would it have the most influence on prospective students if you combined the best characteristics of each style you know? Imagine that the student is seeking legitimacy and wants to know which organizations you are affiliated with. However, you do not teach this method directly under the organization with which it is linked. instead you only incorporated its parts into your own Karate

Here's a video of Gunnar Nelson performing Goju KAta. and here's a video of him discussing how he uses karate in MMA.

He almost got finished early in the fight, so it's a good comeback for him.

I spoke too quickly lol yes 300 lbs would be very taxing

Not bad considering you completed 5 rounds with various elements included. Grappling takes a lot out of you. I saw a comment of high endurance swimmer who took up grappling, he said he has never felt that kind of exhaustion. It's a completely different experience when you're actively engaged in sparring; the excitement of actively engaging and moving at the same time, combined with the brain acuity of millisecond changes of exchanging with your opponent, The excitement can completely exhaust you. Due to the excitement factor, I always found sparring multiple 5 minute rounds to be more exhausting than doing a typical 1 1/2 to 2 hour karate class. I believe that staying relaxed and breathing is essential. The next important factor is DIET; eat well and healthily for the sport you're participating in, and you'll see fantastic results.

Be careful with the pre-workout supplements you give yourself because some can make your heart race. This is based on my personal experience. I have a buddy who is a registered dietitian, and they recently gave me advice to consume some healthy carbs, such as whole grain pasta, etc. I felt fantastic after doing it with a decent cup of coffee. A healthy supper is essential before engaging in strenuous activity. I've occasionally overexerted myself and felt tired after eating poorly before exercising

Yes, I enjoy the energy between them. Kevin's vertical punch is one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, Shotokan's traditional curriculum doesn't really use many grappling techniques. Some Shotokan lineages do teach throws but at higher dan levels. In contrast to strikes, the bunkai breakdown of my Shorin Ryu training featured more stand-up grappling and throwns. I actually came across those videos you posted here is the one with Meitetsu Yagi sensei at Goju-ryu Yagi dojo in Okinawa. 10 man kumite with the bigger gentlemen going nonstop for 14 minutes. They were hurling everything they could think of at him. His third opponent had excellent technique.

I'm a little behind in answering, but if you get the chance, look up "old man's bubishi" on Amazon. Another fun Bunkai source! https://www.amazon.com/Oldmans-Bubishi-Introduction-Bunkai-Karates/dp/0985375418/ref=sr_1_11?crid=3D9HGEX7GJ7CU&keywords=bubishi&qid=1657579889&sprefix=bubishi%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-11

By all means! In my opinion, any attention to Okinawan or (any Karate styles for that matter) that showcases in MMA or full contact resistance is priceless. It will be interesting to hear more about fighters with Wado Ryu and Uechi Ryu background utilizing their techniques in MMA competitions. While I am not aware of any well-known fighters practicing them, despite the fact that I am aware of their effectiveness! a Good example for instance would be seiji nishimura of Wado Ryu, guy is incredible at kumite now back to the Goju Links you posted It's intriguing because one of the remarks beneath the YouTube links you provided criticizes the Goju Ryu sparring as resembling MMA. Owner of the video's response was as follows: "Irikumi, a traditional type of Karate sparring that included grappling and striking, was kept by schools like Goju-ryu and subsequently evolved into competition in the 1980s. MMA is younger than Irikumi." That's a fascinating piece of information about Goju that I didn't know.

it is comforting to know that brown belts are regarded in that way. When they train, I do observe brown belts being treated somewhat like leaders of the lower kyus. It follows that their viewpoint should be respected. A brown belt is regarded as a "expert" in Jiu-Jitsu, therefore it stands to reason that the same would be true in karate. A brown belt is essentially a non-official version of a black belt. Like in JJ, I've observed some really skilled brown belts in karate who excelled in kata, kumite, and general technique, some of whom significantly outperformed the shodans in our regular classes. perhaps that's oftentimes when you can see them at their best because they're giving it their all because getting that black belt is within reach. I'll admit that as a brown belt, I was Zealous. I had a "get out of the way or be run over because I'm getting it!" mentality

That is a significant plus. I've only ever engaged in standard Shotokan-style sparring. With Shorin Ryu, we didn't do much else outside one-step drills, so I had to branch out and learn grappling techniques outside of the Karate schools I studied.

hey Sensei8, that's interesting because I haven't really run into that while practicing Shotokan or Shorin Ryu. In class, they occasionally used seasoned brown belts as an example for the lower kyus. However, I have never seen them approached for their input as part of promotions as they themselves were still part of the Kyu gradings. Dans and above where always graded by higher ranking BBs (yodans and above) I have seen them assist with kids classes under a black belt but not lead a class solo unless the BB was unable to make it to the dojo on that certain day and would tell them to cover

Ill repost the link again here (hope its working) if not, type "giga chikadze in UKRAINE 2008" on search and it should come up I appreciate you sharing those links. And may your Shihan RIP I like what I see; I especially appreciate how it emphasizes all facets of combat, including headshots (done while wearing protective gear), the body, the ground, throws, and the fact that they are all employed in sparring. The Goju Kai organization, which is affiliated with the JKF, seems to have a little distinction. Compared to the Goju Kai/JFK, your and Chikadze's styles are more comparable, gritty, but slightly different. The JFK guys look like the pull their punches back more(sport) as opposed to your style with punching through all the way It's amazing to note that Chikadze is throwing hands in those matches just as he does in the UFC, lol, in the link I posted; he doesn't even hold back and is going for the knock out.