LastKing

Try these: Pinan Nidan, though not like you will ever have seen it. It's our version of Pinan Nidan, taught that way to my old sensai, in a rural club in the late 70s. He's kept it going like this in our organisation, and, after I took the club over, had to keep teaching it that way as it's what the members knew. I like it, I have to say. It's a nice kata, though it's not Pinan Nidan, nor any other kata I've ever seen. I'm doing the videos for the kids in the club so they can learn it during the lockdown.

Thanks for the replies, guys. I am training still, knee injury aside, in a different style, though - gojo ryu, which is more for my own interest in diversity of karate. It's a small group, and though they offered to let me keep my 1st kyu, I elected to start again from white, as it's so different in style from mine that it seemed appropriate. I've also trained at some other local clubs which are closer in style to us, but I have extremely limited free time, having a family and a wife who works away a lot, so they've been more on a drop in basis when and if. To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my group. I took it on because there are lots of kids from the school where I work involved, and they've put a lot of work in. I'm confident in my ability, and feel I could successfully grade to black in our organisation. It galls me a little (well, more than a little), that I'm putting in a hell of a lot of work, but am constantly hamstrung by the outward perception of prospective newcomers that I am not really qualified to run the club. Commitment to the students aside, I probably would have closed the club due to the fact that my knee injury makes it almost impossible to get to black in the near future, and perhaps in the long term as well (awaiting MRI/doctor wonders about arthritis as well as meniscus tear). Rank actually means little to me personally. I know my ability and whether I have a black belt holding my gi closed or a brown isn't a major interest, but it's my vulnerability, and the vulnerability of the students, with regards insurance, and also the perceived validity of the grades the students are given by me, and for which they are paying, which makes it all such a ball ache. I have to say, I'm not really getting any support either from our organisation. On the one hand I feel cut adrift and on the other, stuck between the politics of the organisation and the governing body. But anyway, I'm just going over the same ground. Thanks again

Alan, thanks for that, much appreciated.

I took over our small, rural karate club in the UK a while back after our Chief instructor moved abroad. He was happy with me taking over the club, and in fact was the one who suggested I do it. I also run a sports fighting club off the back of it, which is more technique and fitness based. In the karate club at present there is no sparring, and in the sport's fighting club, what sparring there is, is very light contact, and all the members wear helmets. All is going well with the clubs. Well, it was until recently. After contacting our governing body for the first time regarding insurance for a new venue, I've been told by them that I am not allowed to teach, being that I am on !st Kyu rather than 1st Dan, thus, invalidating the club's insurance. After raising my concerns with my instructor, he has told me that it is okay, though, and that in our organisation a 1st kyu can run a club as an associate instructor. I work in a primary school, have a teaching qualification/extended CRB check first aid certificate, and, luckily, separate personal liability insurance from a boxfit class I run separately which I have checked covers me for instructing karate at my rank. This cover does not extend to the members of the club, however. What I want to know is, is there anyone else out there running a club on a 1st kyu, and what is the general feeling on how legit this set up is? I've very risk averse and am not happy at being left in the lurch, so to speak, by my instuctor as everything I've read from various karate governing bodies indicates that a minimum requirement from to teach is 1st dan. I understand this is not a legal requirement, and I also understand that the UK law limits liability to a certain extent regarding members of martial arts clubs, as is, it is an activity which is voluntarily entered into and a certain amount of risk is therefore accepted. I don't want to leave myself, or my students vulnerable, though, and am very much prepared to close the club if I feel it's too high. I am looking to grade to 1st dan independently, but this has been complicated by a knee injury which for the foreseeable future, makes that impossible. What do you guys think. Any input is welcome.

Thanks for that, chaps. JR, it was a GP, but a sports orientated one. As it stands, I'm waiting for an MRI but have been warned off anything which puts stress on the knee. I had a similar injury four months ago, which was worse, though didn't fit with a meniscut tear, but rather an MCL tear. That settled eventually, but due to differing motion while injured and past activity, the muscles in my leg, hip flexor esp, were very tight. Saw a sports physio who helped, and did plenty of strengthening/foam rollering/stretching, which got it back almost to full mobility. It was only when I re-started training for 1st dan that the knee started being painful again, but again, would seem to settle by next morning. No swelling, pretty much full mobility. Then, doing a roundhouse, I felt, though didn't hear, it pop. I say felt, it was mor sudden pain from inside knee. Cue swelling, pain when squatting and pain when in final range of straightening knee. It's been two weeks now and the swelling has gone and I can walk on it and straighten it almost fully, though have dull pain when doing so under kneecap at front. Walking for distance (I have a dog that needs a lot of exercise) brings on faint, dull ache, though that resolves pretty soon after activity is stopped. for all intents, it feels okay, but I try a bit of kata, gentle, with no stress, no deep stances, no kicks, it brings the dull ache on. Not looking for an internest diagnosis, as waiting MRI and physio, just got time to ramble. As said, it feels okay in everyday life, little stiff, little painful from time to time, but just know, I try a roundhouse, however gentle, or Zen stance with a bit of force, and I'll be back to square one or worse. Have looked at modifyling the kata we do, and it could work. it's a long process though. Then again, when isn't it, knees bad or good? Thanks all for input.

So I've injured my knee -. Twice in four months. Meniscus tear, not debilitating but aggravated by Zenkutsudatchi, Kiba datchi and any of the standard kicks. According to doc I need to lay off anything which stresses it for at least 6 months, and even then, may just be at an age where my knee will not take the kind of hammer I'm used to it taking now. At first I thought it was curtains for karate, but am wondering if I can modify my style (currently shotokan based freesyle) by at least finding kata which is free of kicks and long stance. It's a frustration as I've been doing karate for six years now, and was training for 1st dan when I tore my knee. Any one been in the same boat? Anyone got a list of knee friendly kata?

Thanks for that.

Thanks for that. I appreciate the input and the advice on kata. And thanks for the input on the club. It's one I've taken over and we have a girl who has real potential, but not sure how she would go about competition if the kata are not recognised.

Thanks for that. Am I right in thinking that if anyone wanted to compete in outside kata competition, it would have to be with a recognized kata?

As you may or may not remember, I've been trying to track down these kata for a long time now, but can't seem to find them anywhere. They are known in the club as: Kenkasho https://facebook.com/kernowkarateexeter/videos/1466254470119881/ Kenkasho here is at about 4.36. Kintano at 5.08, and Pinan Sandan at 6.10: I've seen plenty of youtube videos on Pinan sandan, but it bears no resemblance to these. Any comments gratefully received.

Thanks for those replies guys. I'll look at the videos tonight when I've finished working, and get back to you. Again, thanks.

We do a lot of odd kata in my club, which tend towards us moving, block and punch rather than a lot of the formal kata I've seen which seem to be more move, block, move punch (which is an over simplification, but for a purpous). In such a case, with move, block punch, what's your opinion, is it better to include the pull hikite in the block, then punch, or do away with the pull hikite part of the block and just go with block punch? I'm working on getting my kata really sharp, and to me, the examples I see on you tube seem to only really include the pull hikite when the block is used singularly. Or maybe that's just the way I see it. Our sensei has now left, but also, had no real interest in the technicalities of kata, and I want to go down the "correct" route. I bet you're all going to say thete is no correct route, aren't you? Oh, our kata is routed in Shotokan.

Cheers for that. I've been working on my kata of late, really trying to sharpen it up, and that use of the partying hand (for want of a better word) is how I've been going. It's developed Tom be quite similar to the way the woman does it in the video, except mine is straighter. I find it's given more character and definition to my kata. I'm no world champion, far from it, but I feel like I'm getting to where I want to go. I was originally taught just just move, block strike, but now, that third element seems to sharpen up the block strike phase. Whether It's correct or not is another matter, but it works for me. Cheers again.

Not so much the hand on the waist, but rather, the opposite hand held up.and drawn back when blocking (which I understand is supposed to be a stylised parry), has that got a name in Japanese.

Thanks for that. The best I can.put it is she has grace and poise, and she can move through her kata with ease. She hasn't quite got the speed, when required, or the atemi, though, but that will come. She quite suits our version of Pinan Nidan (Which is nothing like the actual version of P.N.), and is what I would call a feminine kata. Give me a day or so and I'll video myself doing it, just so you can see what I mean.

First off, thanks guys for the suggestions, and, like the best bar-keeps, thanks for remembering me and what I was rambling on about last time I was in. Sensei8, my club is freestyle, but based on Shotokan. We do five kata which, as far as I can tell, were taught to my sensai in the 70s, though probably messed around with before his time, though share names with actual kata. We have two kata which, we were told by our original sensai, were feminine kata, as is, the moves were slow, graceful, and on the whole the kata were considered "soft" rather than "hard". It's hard to say what level the girl is as the belts in our kids clubs, best I can tell, have been given for time served rather than actual ability. She's a purple belt as is, but her kata, to my mind is certainly brown belt - and probably adult brown belt to boot. She's less confident in other aspects - techniques, some kihon, but kata-wise, she is head and shoulders over anyone in the club. But then again, our styles are totally different. She has real grace, like a dancer. She lacks traditional kata snap, but has precision of movement. I think she could really excel and want to give her a kata which is recognised so can be compared outside the club. Also I'd like one which will play to her strengths, not be too daunting, and give her something new which she can get her teeth into. Hope that clears it up.

In our club, under our old sensai, kata was used simply as a tool for burning calories, though, he insisted on good form. Personally, I enjoy bunkai, but that's probably because I've got that kind of mind which is entertained by conceptual debate and the big reveal. But more than that, I like to think of them as a tool for mental engagement and relaxation. I see them as faster, more aggressive versions of tai chi (tai chi, of course, being kata taken to its logical extreme), and just the process of learning kata is an end in itself. It uses that part of the brain which is dormant so much in every day life, and is a nice counterpoint to the flurry and aggression of sparring and the repetition of kihon.

Which is suitable to teach a 10 year old. She's really good, the best probably I've seen in our club. But our katas are all non-standard and pretty much invented. I want her (and the rest of our club) to learn some real kata, but more specifically, I want to teach her one which is more feminine, and includes a jump. Not too long, not too complex, but pretty. Any ideas?

I like your way of thinking about mind, body and soul. Also concur about stances.

Yes, I've been watching some Youtube videos with bunkai which shows gedan barai and the hikite as more a grab than simply a styalistic device or counterweight to the punch, and it makes a lot of sense. Our previous sensai was very dismissive of Japanese technique, but the more I see of it, the more I like it. Still, ours was much more of a sports karate club. We never used Japanese, either, which means I'm on catch up. Cheers again

Cheers.

Personally, I'd say a good strong punch to the solar plexus, but a punch, none the less.

Can someone give me the name of the reverse hand moved and held to hip in Shotokan karate in Japanese? Cheers.

I've only just taken on our club, but have found that teaching bunkai after a short sequence of moves really entertains the kids and helps them learn the moves. I always found when learning kata that if I knew why I would be doing a particular technique, I'd learn the kata much quicker. I think relavance is key to understanding. Abstract tends too much towards the etherial.

Thanks for that, guys. Much appreciated.