JR 137

My teacher can help with stretching. But he'll admit he's no expert. I have a degree in athletic training (sports medicine, not personal training), so I know quite a bit about the subject. Working in college sports medicine and along side strength & conditioning coaches, I also know some people specialize in certain things. I've seen several S&C coaches refer athletes to yoga. A good yoga instructor (not some hack) will take my flexibility further than most other people. I'll get into a yoga class one of these days

I disagree. Nothing is all encompassing (let's not get into religion and philosophy). No teacher can teach every aspect of anything to an individual, let alone to all of his/her students. Moving my your body in different ways can only help, with very few exceptions. Inceasing your flexibility, range of motion, and improving your balance will benefit any physical activity. There's a reason why most professional athletes cross train in different things in the off season. Many do yoga. I don't practice yoga. I don't have the time nor the sense of urgency. I'm quite sure I should, as a lot of things I do in karate suffer due to a lack of flexibility. No matter how many roundhouse kicks I throw (between a heavy bag 3-4 times a week, and in the dojo 2-3 nights a week), the progress I'm making with them is minuscule. I need more flexibility to increase kicking height, but more importantly I need to be flexible enough to able to throw roundhouse kicks without compensating by leaning too much or turning too far. The further I lean or turn too far, the longer it takes to recover and follow up with other stuff. I don't care to be able to roundhouse kick someone in the head (although it would be nice); I want to seemlessly throw one at thigh height between punches. My lack of flexibility slows this down long enough to easily be countered. My technique is limited by my lack of flexibility. I know my body and biomechanics well enough to easily make this assessment. My teacher knows my abilities well enough to agree. I guess I just talked myself into going to yoga one or two nights a week with my wife. Now to convince myself it's not painful, and convince my daughters to stay at the childcare area of the YMCA while we're taking class.

Not to offend anyone here, but I'm with you on this. The gis with all different colors and patches drive me crazy. What's the point in patches that say "Sensei" "Black Belt Club" or anything else? I thought wearing a black belt meant you're a black belt. I thought running your dojo meant you were a Sensei, etc. Kids are a different matter. Sure, give them patches for accomplishments. I've seen dojos that have patches like "great kicks" "great punches" "honor roll" etc. If it keeps kids motivated and excited, then I'm all for it. If wearing different color gis for different levels keeps them going, no complaints from me. Whenever I see adults getting carried away with uniforms, it screams McDojo to me. I know people here have different policies in their dojo as to what they wear, and I have nothing against it. What you're wearing isn't what's important. I'm old school and prefer a traditional gi with the school's kanji on the front, and a school logo (if applicable) on the sleeve. My old organization required everyone to wear the same sparring gear, with the organization's logo on it. It wasn't a money grab (it was a little cheaper than catalog price), it was for uniformity. The head of that organization is a Vietnam veteran, hence his insistence on uniformity across the board.

Go forward instead of backward. Go in at an angle, getting to their "blind spot" or the "defenseless pocket" (different names for the same thing). Use combinations that vary the levels of attack - low middle and high, in a range where you can use elbows and knees. Basically, try to move like Mike Tyson used to before he stood up straight and tried to knock everyone out with one punch, becoming a punching bag in the process. Far easier said than done. Accept that you're most likely going to get hit hard and often.

Thats a who's who of martial arts.

I like your post. I'd have liked to see more of him as a person, outside of what I already knew, mainly the Hollywood stuff. His skill and technique are impeccable, to say the least. I'd just liked to see him talk about what drives him, how he's stayed passionate about karate for all these decades, etc. I don't look at it as 90 minutes I'll never get back either. I'd just like to see more about the karateka, not the Hollywood consultant and stunt man.

I just finished watching The Real Miyagi. Honestly, I was disappointed. I thought it would be more biographical. The Karate Kid and Pat Morita stuff was all fine and good, but it took up too much of it. I know, it's called The Real Miyagi for a reason. I didn't get a sense of why he's such a legend beyond the demos he did and working in Hollywood. His students all seem extremely loyal, and said he was a father figure. How? No specifics really given. I didn't get a sense of what it's truly like to be his student. They didn't even mention the name of his organization nor style of karate that I remember. Very little footage of him actually teaching. He overcame post WWII racism, injected some humor into his demos, wrote some books, worked with Morita in bringing the Miyagi character to life, did some other Hollywood stuff, and nearly died. That's all good, but what about the essence of Demura? Why did his students hold him in such high regard beyond 'he's dedicated' or 'he's a father figure?' He's obviously loved by his students, but not one story like "...one time I was training and Demura Sensei came over to me..." or "I was in this impossible situation and Demura Sensei helped me by..." I think it could have been so much better. Have his students tell stories of what he did to help them. Have martial artists talk about how he changed the face of karate. Give specifics. I don't know who the target audience of it was. I don't feel like it was karate enough. I think die hard Karate Kids fans will watch it once and be done. I don't get a sense of what really makes Demura a legend beyond Hollywood. He's truly a master's master; one of the last of a generation of legends. Maybe I have him built up too much in my head and there's really not as much to tell as I think there is. Probably not though. If you have Netflix and an hour and a half to kill, then by all means. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it though.

Tadashi Nakamura and Charles Martin. Do they count? Being a Seido student and all? Mike Tyson - growing up in Albany, NY, Tyson used to fight locally when he was starting out. He fought a few fights here after his first Sports Illustrated cover. Met him a few times, and he was always a nice guy. I was in 3rd-4th grade. It was hilarious the first time I met him... There was an area backstage where people could go and meet the fighters and get autographs. We were all waiting for Tyson. He came out of the dressing area with a smile on his face and said "Hi everyone." Everyone's jaw dropped, as no one heard him talk before, and no one expected his voice to sound like that. He was a good guy; he spoke to everyone, shook every hand, allowed all the pics you wanted, etc. People I know who've met him since then all said the same thing. "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler - Met him in Boston. Very nice guy. The people I was with thought he was Louis Gossett Jr. I've met a bunch of pro athletes too. Edit: It sounds like I was saying Tyson grew up in Albany, NY. I grew up here, not him. He lived and trained in Catskill, NY, about 45 minutes south of here. The gym he trained at consistently sent fighters to Albany to fight.

Personally I'm not a fan of Saifa/Saiha, maybe because I've done it god knows how many times and also the sheer number of variations that I've been shown makes it kinda boring tbh! But there are many techniques in it that I see as being useful in a Self-Defence Situation. What Club/Association are you with? I ask because I personally find it interesting that an association will not allow you to perform any kata outside of your current rank. It might just be me where I am so used to the WKF Format where you can (Now they have removed the Shitei Kata) perform any kata you wish I'm in Seido Juku. The tournament I'm going to compete in is a Seido tournament. The rules of the tournament state "the kata performed must be commensurate with the student's rank." Kata also has to be from the syllabus, and be performed according to it. They're good rules IMO, as they keep people on an equal level within their division. If it was an open tournament, I'd disagree. The only reason why I'm competing is it's Seido's 40th anniversary, and there will be people from dojos all over the world. The tournament is at the end of a week-long event. A lot of the money goes to charity. My 5 year old talked me into it, and I'm near 40, so I guess it'll be a last hurrah. I highly doubt I'm going to have any desire to compete at the next big tournament in 10 years.

Some variations on terms... English - Japanese hook kick - kake geri Inside out crescent kick - uchi mawashi geri Outside in crescent kick - soto mawashi geri Jab (lunge punch) - oi tsuki Cross (reverse punch) - gyaku tsuki

This may give you a different opinion of Kanku... The late, great William Oliver. According to everyone I know who knew him, he did every kata like that - full of power and fighting spirit. I doubt he'd turn any WKF heads with it, but tell me it doesn't look like he just unleashed a can of whoop-butt on anything that crossed his path. I have to wait until sandan to learn it. One that I always wanted to learn is Unsu. My old organization did it at sandan, and Seido doesn't do it...

OSU!!! I have no experience with Saiha but I have to check it out. Pinan/Heian yondan can be a challenge but it will bare wonderful fruits. work on the side kick back fist section break it down. it seems so silly at first but the combo can be of great use. OSU!! good luck in the tournament!YouTube Kyokushin Saiha kata. It's subtly different than Okinawan versions, mainly the angles used in the opening sequence. Most Okinawan versions go straight forward into the elbow strikes; Kyokushin influenced styles typically go 45 degrees, which I like better.

I used to really focus on Seiunchin and Shushi No Kon (version taught by Nishiuchi) before I took my 15 year hiatus. I haven't done either in several years, mainly because of gaps in memory of subtle stuff in them. I've always been a huge Saiha fan. Every time an instructor says perform your favorite kata, I chose Saiha. My focus has changed to Pinan 4 recently. I signed up for a tournament in June, and I'll do Pinan 4. I can't perform Saiha because I'm not allowed to do a kata outside of my current rank. It's a good reason to do a kata that I haven't done in competition and get better at it. My primary focus on performance is the side kick/backfist sin the middle, as that's my main weakness. I haven't spent as much time breaking down that kata as I have with others, so even better reason to do it. Saiha never gets old for me. Short, to the point, and brutal elbows, hammer fists and joint locks. That ones got a bit of everything, and they're for me they're not too hard to see. A lot of bunkai out there is a bit too complex IMO, but I've pulled some pretty simple and brutally effective bunkai out of it beyond block/punch/kick. And I can make it more complex if I want to. The same can be said for any kata, but Saiha just makes so much more sense to me than any other kata. I'm a big fan of 2-3 movement at most bunkai. No need to "re-stomp the groin" with Saiha.

I agree. Using any technique alone isn't smart. Everything, obviously including crescent kicks, must be used in combination with other things. You never want to be in a situation where you hit an opponent with something, you hit him, nothing happens, and you say "now what?" I commonly follow and inside out crescent kick with a front kick, and an outside in crescent kick with a side kick. Both crescent kicks are a bit harder for me to follow up with another attack quickly, hence I've been working on them in combinations on a punching bag a lot. Nothing should be solely considered a finishing technique IMO. I haven't found any techniques that are guaranteed to stop an opponent every single time. Until I do, I'll keep practicing setups and follow ups on everything.

It's a different flexibility. I can easily front kick and crescent kick head height. I can barely get roundhouse or side kick above belt level. And I can't keep my leg from internally rotating during roundhouse kicks (upon us impact, my foot turns downward about 45 degrees rather than being parallel to the floor). Funny thing is I have no problem landing hook kicks to the back of people's head; hook kick is essentially the same as a side kick, only you bend your knee and hit with the heel afterward.

It seems as though you were a guest in that karate dojo, not the CI's student. There's a difference. Guest instructors from different organizations and styles of MA should wear their belt (and uniform) IMO. In my former dojo we had a Japanese jujitsu 5th dan come in and teach us basics of his art 1 or 2 days a week. He'd also take karate classes alongside us once or twice a week. He was around for several months (he grew up in our area, moved to Japan, and was taking care of family matters here for a few months). We addressed him as Sensei and showed him respect as such. He outranked our CI, but wasn't put above him in etiquette (order of bowing in, lining up, etc.). He and my CI were exchanging ideas in MA and teaching in general. It wasn't a student/teacher relationship. Had he signed up for classes and agreed to be a formal student, he'd have been required to wear our uniform and a white belt. He'd have surely advanced through the ranks quicker, but he wouldn't have been granted any rank without demonstrating all requirements for it.

Visit the dojos and pick the better dojo and teacher. Who you're learning from and who you're training along side of is far more important than the inherent differences between Goju Ryu vs Shorin Ryu or pretty much any other style. Let's suspend reality for a minute and say Goju is a better style. Would you rather learn it from a teacher who isn't a very good teacher and train with a bunch of kids who think they're Power Rangers, or learn the slightly inferior Shorin Ryu under a teacher who can teach it very well and train with students who are dedicated adults? Coming back to reality, choose a dojo, not a style.

My former Sensei was in a similar predicament. It was a small Kyokushin offshoot, consisting of about 8 or so local (independently owned) dojos. The level of contact allowed in the organization dwindled, and the amount of bunkai being practiced and tested on became pretty much non-existent. My Sensei started doing "bare knuckle Friday night" for anyone interested. It wasn't required. Our Kaicho was opposed to it. He taught bunkai, ground fighting and some throws (having a wrestling and wrestling coaching background, I helped him incorporate some stuff). Kaicho was opposed to it. My Sensei said he felt like he had to close the blinds on the windows to his own house so his father wouldn't find out. We were all tested for every rank by our Kaicho, and we all did extremely well. We knew the syllabus inside out. You could easily pick his top students out when the dojos got together for a workout. But that wasn't enough. In 15 years of owning his own dojo in the organization, the Kaicho never accepted any of his ideas. He said it got to the point that he started shaking his head no before my Sensei finished his first sentence. Most of his ideas were to go back to things they used to do, not trying to change their identity. My Sensei was the first to leave. He said it was the easiest decision to make of his career, yet the hardest one to follow through on. It wasn't personal, it was professional differences. That organization now seemingly focuses on point fighting, no contact to light contact at higher ranks, and performance of kata rather than application; basically sport karate. It's not McDojo, but it's not what it was. There's only 2 dojos left, the Kaicho's dojo and his right hand man's. The rest of them are all independent. A lot of the former Senseis get together regularly and train, bringing students who are interested along. Sound familiar?

Before completely leaving, are there other instructors in your organization that are doing things differently than what you were taught? It could be a case of your teacher has a different interpretation on the style than others. Spartacus Maximus (who posted above) studied under two different teachers who emphasized different aspects of the same art. Both instructors trained under the same teacher. Just some food for thought.

There's lots of reasons people would stop teaching. Besides age, injuries/illness, financial, people's interests change. Some people get into it thinking that teaching is the next logical step in their journey. Makes sense on paper. But when they realize not everyone has the same passion for it as they do, they get tired of teaching people who are there as a way to kill time. They get tired of the people who are just going through the motions. Then there's the business end of it (not finances). People thinking they or their kids should promote when they're not ready. Putting out fires due to assistants or other students. People thinking they could do a better job that you. People telling you how to run the dojo. People trying to change the schedule to fit their needs better. People who are behind on their dues. At the end of the day, for every die-hard student, there's 30 casual students. Those moments that make you love being a teacher are pretty few and far between at times. Then there's the schedule. Would you rather eat dinner with your family every night, help your kids with their homework, basically be a family person, or be at the dojo from 4-9 pm? Running a dojo, even part time isn't all happiness and great times as it seems.

I'm really not a fan of MA movies. Too many chiches, bad acting, and unrealistic fighting. I have a few I really enjoy however... Karate Kid 1 & 2 Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story The Last Dragon My favorite MA movie by far is The Last Samurai. Great story line, acting and great MA sequences. Going to stream The Real Mr. Miyagi on Netflix tonight.

Chiba was a student of Mas Oyama. He portrayed Oyama in several films.

I'd imagine you'd have to order a lot of them. I think KI does this for one or two groups, and Isami does this for Kyokushin. I've seen on Shuriedo's Japanese site that you can choose from several labels, just like Tokaido. I think it's probably going to be more work and expense than it's worth in the end, unless you've got hundreds or thousands of students wanting them.

A scientific study I read said that people always over or underestimate their skills. Can't remember where I saw it, but I agree with it. We overestimate some things and short change other things. We're our own worst critics, and we also have a rosey view of ourselves. I guess it depends on what we're evaluating. Many experts evaluated the subjects and scored them. The reported self scores didn't match up, some areas being higher, some being lower, and not within a few points either.

Is Miyagi available for streaming, or just by DVD? I'm away from the tv right now to check. Been looking forward to the Miyagi documentary.