mushybees

I've only been training 2 years so there are still constant short term goals to hit. That said I don't think I need shiny new belts for motivation. Karate has quickly become a passion and a habit has formed. I'm out of action at the moment and I'm hating it and eager to return. Ask me again when I'm dan grade and pats on the back are few and far between!

Patience, my achilles heel. I'm feeling like my old self today but I'm going to err on the side of caution and wait another week before dipping my toe back in. Cheers.

I'm currently recovering from a vasectomy 6 days ago and i'm climbing the walls with boredom. I even hobbled to the dojo yesterday in my civies just to hold pads for the under 6s class Has anyone else had it done and gone back to training soonish? Any tips or advice? I was thinking jock strap and compression shorts might get me back sooner. I have a grading the beginning of April I asked the doc at the consultation how long until I could train again and he just shrugged and said he knew nothing about karate so couldn't make an educated guess. I'm recovering ok. A swift improvement in the first couple of days but not much over the last 4.There's bit of swelling, bruising and tenderness which doesn't seem in a hurry to leave. Any advice which will get me back on the floor sooner would be gratefully received. Cheers.

What kind of cut? I find a Japanese/ kata cut far more roomy in the thighd than a kumite cut gi

Heavier gi. I sweat a lot when training and the 8oz beginners gi I had was horrid. I now wear a 14oz Japanese cut gi, loads of room in it which keeps me cooler than I was wearing the lighter gi.

I've been training for about a year and a half and I've developed something of a karate habit. My wife and I used to bicker over who makes the coffee in the evenings, but no longer! In the time it takes to boil the kettle I can perform naihanchi a couple of times and do some kihon. I've also woken in the early hours with the urge to perform some kata or kihon which I fully embraced. Went back to bed feeling very relaxed 😴

It helps that they are both fairly non-partisan. A person open to accepting practises from any and all styles in the interest of improving their karate demonstrates humility. There's so much political nonsense in the karate world. It might be difficult for some to get behind an instructor who is staunchly this or that style/organisation.

I speaks to me of the effectiveness of "simple", low kicks in self defence. There's a thread over on a wado forum called allwado where they are discussing the difference between the ubiquitous modern mawashi geri as found in competition and that done by earlier karateka. Quite interesting.

Stick new kyu belts in vinegar and water and soak over night. Chuck it in the washing machine on low temp. Should dry out colourfast.

In our club we look at bunkai from day 1 but bunkai isn't part of the syllabus or gradings. We're shown applications and how the body mechanics we've learned in the kata makes the techniques effective. We're also encouraged to use those body mechanics and kata forms and apply them in ways that aren't predetermined. I've surprised myself a few times by finding a way out of a grab or thinking of a takedown on the fly off the back of kata muscle memory. Very satisfying.

I've heard of a dojo in my area that insists on students washing their feet when they enter to cleanse themselves of inappropriate thoughts before training. Made me chuckle. We don't go in for any spiritual/mystical nonsense in our club. We observe etiquette in our club, emphasise respect and consideration for each other and that's about it. We bow to each other, seiza at the end of class etc but no one is going to get chewed out for tying their belt wrong for instance.

I occasionally use video to help me learn kata but I look to the videos of our technical advisor and still I ask my sensei to check what I have learned. I've found it a good way of learning the core principles of the kata/technique from the source of our MA and then polishing it up with sensei.

I find in the summer I had to have a word with myself to get myself off to the dojo. Once there I was as focused as usual. In the winter I'm itching to train, I find it perks me up when the weather has me feeling glum.

Great thread. My 5yr old daughter is still enjoying her classes but is getting a little rowdy in class. I'm guilty of bringing it home a bit, think I'll start leaving it in the dojo and see how she does. Can't hurt. Good advice!

I like that analogy and I'm going to shamelessly steal it Yes I did think of that and it may help my daughter it would mean some of the teaching overall would suffer. Ordinarily the under 6 class is just meant to develop their concentration and prepare them for the mainstream class but a group of 5-6 kids including my daughter have really surprised my sensei by showing some real aptitude for the art. As such they've moved on a little from the games and started doing some real training. The post summer influx of new starters meant the class went back to drip feed discipline and karate games which is perfectly understandable, the class doesn't make enough money to justify two instructors and its not fair to drip the new kids in the deep end. Which is where I came in. Even if I just help hold pads and help demonstrate techniques it frees up sensei to give the kids a bit more individual attention and goals. My daughter only has a few more months of little class then shes being thrown into a bigger pond and my role in her training will diminish. I'm trying to stay hands off outside of the dojo in the hope that when she needs my help she'll be comfortable asking. Enough about me though! Its nice to hear your daughter is enjoying, I genuinely believe the MA is one of the best gifts we can give kids next to teaching them to read and do maths. Its definitely very rewarding to see them apply themselves in earnest to something you know will positively set them apart from their peers!

That's awesome. Its great getting your little ones training. My daughter trains in my club in the under 6s class in which I assist my sensei. She's pretty good but going through a phase of stubbornness which is making her harder to teach. Once she moves in to the mainstream class I think she'll turn the corner. I watch her train and I see some of my traits in her, epecially in her focus and attention to detail in her kihon. Like yourself it makes me very proud. Great stuff. Important as well to remember she's just started her own journey, I'm terrified of taking the shine off of training by being critical so I look at these early years as a slow introduction and laying a strong foundation. Let it be purely fun for now.

That sounds awful, I'd give that one a wide berth. It was sounding very iffy to begin with but pay more to learn more advanced techniques is just wrong. The level and complexity of training has to be on merit.

Says video is private

I don't personally like the idea of training in t-shirts but that's because we do a lot of takedowns and grabs. It's kind of important we know the clothing is up to the abuse its going to get and that, if needs be, it can take our weight without tearing.

Our local gym had a load in, within 2 months they were covered in duct tape and replaced with BBE bags. They took a frequent hiding throughout the day, 7 days a week though.

If anyone else is searching in the uk, MAR International and Kwon both do separates. http://www.qualitymartialarts.com/category/177-karate.aspx http://www.kwon.co.uk/kwon/karate/jacket-pants-individual

I use online videos to familiarise myself with the techniques, directions and timing of kata. I actually learn it in the dojo with my sensei. It works best for me because I share the same concerns as yourself about introducing bad habits.

I haven't yet but I'm going to soon build a heavy punchbag and pull-up frame using scaffolding tube. I'm building a 4.5 x 3.5m log cabin at the bottom of the garden to train in and I need to build a frame that allows me to maximize the floor space. When I build it I'll post it up with instructions and a list of materials. I'd love to see other people's projects. When I'm done with the cabin ill make a makiwara which seems simple enough.

I always wanted to learn a martial art is a kid but my parents didn't have the money to send me to classes. By the time I'd left school I'd become a super serious teenager, scared of ridicule so joining a class full of kids and wearing funny clothes was a roadblock. Later on, work, marriage and 3 kids took care of all my free time and disposable income Until we enroled my eldest daughter on a karate tots class. She was timid and meek even compared to other four year olds, I was determined she'd grow up a confident kid. I sat in her classes for 6 months and watched her grow in confidence and also saw all the adults of various grades arrive for the following class. I decided to take the plunge last November and I'm really enjoying it. The club has an unusually high number of adult students. The kids love the club so stay on and the adults follow so its like a big family. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

Ha! Sound in theory!