JackD

You learn a lot when your in front of a class, and more when there are higher grades present. I guess as learning karate is a real two way street between instructor and student it benefits both anyway.

This made me remember a video I once watched that seemed to make a lot of sense. "Think of a stance as a transition not a position"

Nidan we do a kata Seishan, the beginning has similarities to the classic Goju-Ryu tension kata Sanchin. It's one of our advanced katas but I suspect most would have seen it done. Personally I think it would be a good thing for a wado practitioner to explore seeing as the tension/breathing thing is quite a fundamental to Goju-Ryu.

I started at a shotokan club last year and they spend as much time kicking as punching. We do spinning back kicks and hook kicks but I've never seen them teach anything more acrobatic! Our instructor said just the other week that mawashigeri was a relatively new addition to shotokan! On the other hand I trained with a guy one who said he once trained at a shotokan club where they didn't teach any kicks until after a year of training. I'd say it depends on the club syllabus and the instructor, so if you want something that concentrates on elaborate kicking it might be worth looking around at clubs or perhaps different styles as shotokan is know for it's strong linear movements.

I've just built mine and I'm feeling very smug about it. It is a vastly different experience between striking that and the wall mounted version I've just replaced.

Wastelander the video is really helpful, I can appreciate what you're saying. I think it's time for me to re-evaluate and get myself a proper makiwara Thanks

I didn't have room for a proper one so I got a wall mounted version like this (http://www.karategirl.co.uk/images/karate-training-equipment/makiwara-strike-board.jpg) I doubt it's as good as a proper one, but I attached the top of it to the wall with a bracket and put some foam padding behind it so it has a couple of cm's give. I've never done much with it other than hit it with reverse punches, I use it a couple of times a week and concentrate on breathing. It's quite soothing in a way

I didn't know there was a karate day! Thanks for sharing the video Iskrax, wouldn't it have been great to be there?

In our wado association, and the shotokan club I train with there is three grades of brown belt so you're in that zone for a lot longer than you are with previous belts. It might just be me but I've got a lot more philosophical about my karate, and you start seeing some of the tiny little things that make a big difference! Iskrax If you haven't seen this post by Lupin1 this is a great read for brown belts, I've really taken this to heart http://www.karateforums.com/5-ill-advised-things-every-brown-belt-should-do-vt47668.html

Perhaps it's your Sensei and not you that needs to question their etiquette! They are an instructor not a master, if he's "telling you off" or making you feel awkward perhaps you ought to talk to him about it, otherwise find a club where you feel comfortable!

Ha ha perhaps you will! The one thing I'm keeping in the back of my mind is that what I'm doing will be of benefit to my karate. But if you can fit it in, then go for it my friend, you'll not be disappointed!

That's much appreciated LLLEARNER, it's working out very well, and, as an added bonus I actually have some visible muscle!! Probably a bit daft at my age but I'm really excited and fired up at this point on my karate path

Nidan Melbourne, just wanted to say thanks, I took your advice and it's been really, really helpful. Cheers

>>For Karate, what do you think is the healthiest and most beneficial form of exercise Kata

No I don't, and hadn't really thought about that, but perhaps it's a sensible way forward. I'll have a look around locally see if there is anyone. Thanks

Thanks JR 137, the plan is to build my strength and stamina. It's a 7-8 hour grading. From what I understand its (in no particular order) a lot of bag work, a session of line work (kihon), our 10 katas and the first three wado kihon kumite. Then there's a long sparring session. Probably my weakest area are jumping kicks getting off the ground high enough and pushing out that leg correctly which is why I'm working on flexibility and squatting to build strength in my legs.

I've got a date for my black belt grading which is just over 4 months from now so I'm upping my training plan (below) which I've been doing for a few weeks now. I'd really appreciate any thoughts. I train Wado karate twice a week, for the new year I joined the local Shotokan club so I train once a week with them (It's been real good fun going back to white belt ) Outside that I'm Running Monday and Thursday: doing a 4 mile run, it has a railway bridge on route so I'm running up and down the steps 20 times as quick as I can, then there's a park close to home where I'm running through half my katas one day and the other half the next. Weights Tuesday and Friday: I found a Kyokushin weight training video ( ). I never done weights seriously and this totally killed me the first three sessions I could hardly walk the day after. But I've stuck with it and the last couple of times I've been much better after (although the guy recommends 5 sets and I'm just doing three!)It consists of 2 different press ups, various squats with and without weights, arm and then core exercises. Stretching Wednesday and Saturday: I've been following this video ( ) for about six months I'm quite a stiff person, and old but this has really helped. It's kind of static stretching but he keeps the joints moving all the time, and I throw in some other stretches tat help me so it works out to about a 40 minute session.Life gets in the way sometimes but hoping to stick with this at least 90% of the time until I greade. I've kind of fumbled around and bodged this plan together, but I'm no expert! So if anyone has any opinions I'd love to hear them. Thanks a lot.

ps TURN THAT SUPPORTING FOOT!!

I found this article a while back which is useful for me http://wantagekarateclub.co.uk/wordpress/?p=125 Perhaps do the drill as Nidan Melbourne suggests, but try at first holding onto the back of a chair or leaning against a wall that way you take out the balance issue and can concentrate on the technique. Good luck with it, it's a basic kick but it isn't easy!

I would have thought there is a wider amount of circular punches and strikes available, like the knife hands shuto/haito uchi, and hammer fist tettsui and the good old backfist uraken. Our club trains against circular strikes, but I'm just wondering if perhaps a block or deflection isn't often similar against both straight or circular strike?

Perhaps it was stipulated in his insurance plan?

One striking difference in the kata between the Otsuka videos and the later instructors is the height of kicks. Do you think that was deliberate?

Well with kata you will never get the correct way of doing a particular kata. Look at Bassai Dai and the number of variations there are across all the styles. The people that created those styles and incorporated that one kata adjusted accordingly by what they were taught and the practicality of what the techniques they wanted in it. From your post IMHO you make contradictory comments by saying that there is an absolute correct way of doing kata. But then you go on to say that you do it the way that feels right and good for you at home. So by your original logic you would be doing it wrong. Flexibility as a karateka for kata it often boils down to knowing the variations but adjusting to the needs and requirements for you and everyone you teach and train with. With instructors within clubs and organisations will always want particular things that may be slightly different to what the CI wants. For instance my sensei for the kata Seisan you do predominatly sanchin dachi and shikodachi, whilst his 2IC teaches the same kata with more tsuri ashi dachi (drag foot stance) over sanchin dachi I was being a little flippant really, I meant that as I'm studying Wado the right way to do it would be the way Hironori Otsuka intended it to be done! Although in his book in places he suggests to play around with parts of kata.

I'd go with Chinto as well. Pinan Yodan is wonderful. Naihanchi i love/hate it must be the most technically difficult kata!

I think I understand where you're coming from, I've had this internal debate for a long time also. I've found this highlighted a lot studying katas. You look at different sources, books and videos, and there are always little (sometimes big) variations, and even within my own organisation different instructors will be wanting things done slightly differently. And they seem to become more pronounced as you reach the higher katas! It can be frustrating for me that there isn't one exactly correct way of doing things, but then again perhaps karate as a human activity can never be "one box fits all". I've come to the conclusion that if you're studying Wado (as I am) then the absolute correct way to perform kata is the way that Hironori Otsuka did it ( ).If I want to grade then I need to adjust them to how my grading instructor tells me it's supposed to be performed. When I'm in the dojo I do it the way my sensi tells me. When i'm in my own space then I do kata the way that feels right and good for me. Could that even make me a more flexible karateka? Very best of luck with your sandan training.