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I don’t teach martial arts, although I do teach what can sometimes be a very intense vinyasa yoga class. I’ll usually start class with fluid mobility type movements and maybe a brief (and gentle) stretch or two, depending on what I’ll be working on in class. I’m a firm believer in dynamic stretching before exercise and static stretching after, although I’ve had a lot of positive feedback when including gentle, brief stretches towards the beginning of dynamic stretching. If you’re interested, I do similar things to warm up before Olympic lifting, which requires similar explosive power output to martial arts. - Treadmill (5-10 minutes, optional) - cat pose and cow pose, fluid transitions between spinal flexion and extension, 10x - spinal rotations on all fours, think “thread the arm” between your opposite arm and leg, then “dethread” the arm and twist to reach up towards the ceiling. 10x each side - spinal flexion/extension with core engagement. One leg extends (cow spine) then bring that knee in towards your nose (cat spine) 10x each side. - repeating above, but with one arm reaching forward. As the knee comes toward the nose, being the extended arms elbow in to meet it (cat spine) - internal and external rotations for the hips. Still on all fours, one leg extends back and bends at the knee. Big circles as the knee is pulled out to the side, towards the ribs, then the chest, and back up. Then repeat in the opposite direction. - downward facing dog pose. Bending and re-straightening one leg at a time to lightly stretch calves and hamstrings, then hold still. 5 breaths - lizard lunge. From down dog, step right foot outside of the right hand. Playing around with circling the knee around the angle, the straightening the front leg and rebending 10x both sides - deep squat, holding and pulsing the legs. Maybe lifting the arms up and trying to lift my chest while keeping heels down. I’ll add in some shoulder swings and arm circle circle stuff and then I usually feel pretty good to go! I like to think of this as some standard mobility stuff, but if you focus one the contractions and slow transitions, you’d be surprised at the heat that can build!

Thank you! I’m working on more awareness with punching. Hopefully to progress on my problem discussed in the other thread!

So I’ll be spending the summer in Hawaii at a meditation resort. My focus here will be on yoga and meditation, but I’d like to throw in some karate when I can so I can be the next Kung fu panda. I planned on keeping things simple, but feel free to add some ideas as I’d greatly appreciate it! What I have so far: Yoga warm up - breathing exercises (kapalabhati) - sun salutations, arm balances, etc. Kihon - front kicks/round kicks - knee strikes/elbow strikes - punching/combinations with all Kata - either focusing on a few each day or going through them all Kumite - might punch a tree or two Yoga/cool Down - well rounded, but focusing on either splits, back bends or twists - breathing exercises (Nadi shodhana/bandhas) - meditation

I’d like to offer an input here. I think weights can greatly benefit your martial arts, but they have to be used for that purpose! Georges St. Pierre was often seen using Olympic lifts such as the snatch and Clean, as well as weighted Chinups and squats. The snatch and clean are both whole body, explosive movements that can progress to some pretty heavy weights over time. When I saw him performing squats, either with a barbell or dumbbells, he would squat low and then explode up and jump off the floor. Same for Chinups, where he’d come down slow and explode back up. He kept his reps low so that he could keep his intensity high, what I would assume to be a goal of maintaining the intensity he’d be using during a fight. GSP did many other things as well like sprinting, gymnastics and swimming (with “pool weights” and jumping in the water), all of which are great for building explosive power. Probably why his takedowns and Superman punch are so legendary.

Thank you everyone for your input! I hate to admit it, but I believe it’s a solid fear that’s holding me back. I often hear people talk about “blacking out” during a fight and how they just went crazy on someone, but nothing like that has ever happened. I believe that my “gentle nature” is what’s holding me back. Adrenaline definitely kicks in, so much so that I tend to shake a lot before (if I know we’re gonna fight) and definitely after. However, I believe that I remain fairly alert and in control during such scenarios. After everything I’ve learned, I’m well aware that’s a really good thing! But I’m not a violent person, I don’t enjoy the suffering of others and I don’t wish to hurt anyone. I hate to pat myself on the back like this, but I believe I’m fairly talented when it comes to martial arts. Ive performed very well during competitions and sparring matches, and I try to learn from my mistakes (and bruises) when I don’t perform so well. I believe my kata looks plenty sharp with confidence as my Sensei has often used me to demonstrate movements for the class. At the same time that I believe my gentle nature makes it harder for me to throw a punch during a real scenario, I understand that a street fight can be dangerous. Is there a way that I can find this separation between how I am and what I SHOULD be doing in order to keep myself safe during these rare situations? Of course, I could be wrong. I’ve never heard of this kind of problem before! In response to actually speaking with my Sensei about this, I have not. Unfortunately, due to personal issues with my job and family, I haven’t been to class or seen my Sensei for 5 months now. It never occurred to me to ask this question until recently when I had a strange encounter with someone in a parking lot - made me think I was going to get mugged but he may have just been on something. If this ends up being a dead end, I still appreciate all of your insights!

I’m honestly confused! I began martial arts around 13 years old. Due to moving around a lot with my parents, I was able to dabble in multiple disciplines. Because it might be relevant, here they are in somewhat order: wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai, boxing, Shorin Ryu karate, chito Ryu karate, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, judo, kick boxing, wing chun, hung gar, Krav Maga and taekwondo. I only truly pursued Shorin Ryu karate, which took me 8 years to get my black belt since I trained at a dojo for 2 years before moving away for multiple years and continuing on my own before moving back. I’ve been in 2 fist fights that I was able to end with an elbow strike in both and one altercation where my grappling really came in handy and I just flipped the guy and knocked the wind out of him. What’s emberassing is that in both of these fist fights, every punch I threw resulted in my fist just going limp before impact. As if I didn’t know how to throw a punch and yet I’ve broken boards, sparred with training partners (boxing gloves every time) and hit plenty of heavy bags and makiwara boards. I feel very lucky to have a solid understanding of elbow strikes from Muay Thai and karate! I’m 23, 10 years into martial arts and my “game plan” is to stick with elbows, knees, clinch and grappling if I get into another fight (which I definitely don’t go looking for). I’m confident in my ability to defend myself, but I’d really like to know why I can’t throw a punch in a real scenario! Thanks for reading, any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I like this topic! I’ve always relied on the elbow strike. Thankfully, I’ve only ever had to use it twice and it was exactly what ended both altercations. I trained in Muay Thai for a year back in high school where I picked it up, but I gained a better understanding of its applications in my years of karate. Thank you Pinan’s and Naihanchi’s!

Because it says “styles,” not “martial arts styles” and I like to think my yoga practice helps my karate practice, just as much as my karate practice helps my yoga practice. In the dojo, out of the dojo, on my mat, off my mat.

OneKickWonder, Wow! Thank you for your response! Originally, I liked to hit the makiwara with my knuckles until I could feel that I’ve done work, but not enough to where I’d be in too much pain to hit it next time I’m at the dojo. I tried thinking about it the same way that I would when I used to lift weights, expecting soreness to be a normal thing. What you said makes total sense, I can’t approach bones and cartilage the same way. Something I never knew! I will absolutely be keeping this is mind next time.

Hey friends! So I spent a lot of time at the dojo this weekend and I’ve always LOVED playing around on the makiwara. However, I’m wondering if I may have done some serious damage to my forearm. After I felt my knuckles were approaching the point where I’d have to take weeks off instead of days, I switched to 3 point arm training on the sides of the makiwara, while still facing it (it’s the first exercise shown in the video below) Now, I have some pain in my arm around the top of my forearm, close to the inner part of my elbow whenever I extend my arm. Areas around my forearm are swollen, but I wouldn’t say it’s too bad. To be honest, I had that inner pride about it going on until my aunt said that my cousin had a similar looking injury that turned out to be much worse than it looked and felt. Looking for wisdom and advice! Thank you in advance.

Your concerns used to be my concerns too and I changed lots of styles and schools till i found the teacher i wanted inside Hokama sensei organization. the point you missing is that Matsubayashi-ryu is A Karate-DO , this was the vision Nagamine sensei had for his style . you never see somebody say Matsubayashi-ryu karate-jutsu. I guess I was missing that point! Thank you for helping me see the answer to my question. Again, I apologize if I came across as disrespectful. Although I still love matsubayashi, this does not change my concerns. LOL. Seriously though, thank you for your patience!

they teach you the fundamentals , going to the next level is yours. knowing a particular technique is not that important (Oyo bunkai) , body mechanics and Koshi is more important. if you look at people like Ikehara and Shinzato from your organization, these people are at the highest level of understanding body mechanics. see how he moves in his 60s. Hokama (Goju) sensei sent my sensei to meet Ikehara for his understanding of Koshi. look at his Rohai http:// everybody does Naihanchi but look at Shinzato way of doing it. http:// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZOgFABxEEw so when these people do the same technique (Bunkai) , it is not really the same. that's what we trying to reach. Ikehara told my sensei that Nagamineh told them that their actual learning of karate starts when they retired and have enough time to practice and refine their movements. that's why in your style they say it takes 10 years to learn Kusanku. I see what you’re saying! I’m glad to have your input, however, I have to respectfully disagree with: “knowing a particular technique is not that important (Oyo bunkai) , body mechanics and Koshi is more important.” What you’re saying might be the case for some karateka, or even a majority of practitioners within my own style or organization, but it’s not what I’m seeking on my own path. We all have our own reasons for training, don’t we? I believe that practical application is just as important as kihon, kata, body mechanics, whatever you want to add to the list. For my own training, at least. I choose to train Matsubayashi because the body mechanics, stances, hikite, Everything about the style makes sense to me. I love it, especially the instructor of my dojo, but Knowing the applications give my kata practice more of a purpose, another aspect that makes my appreciate the teachers I have. I feel far more inspired to study ALL aspects of karate if I can see WHY I’m practicing what I’m practicing. For my own path, all of my karate is just as important. As for your response regarding what Nagamine said, I believe that was a great answer to my question! With that in mind, it sounds like I’m training at the right dojo. LOL. Something I haven’t doubted for a second. I enjoy looking for my own applications, but I’m always fascinated in seeing how others view the breakdown of our kata. I truly hope I didn’t seem too aggressive or disrespectful in my response!

Then I ask all of you, Why is it that I see Americans, Europeans, and all other cultures EXCEPT for the Okinawans looking for these “practical applications?” I study the Matsubayashi side of Shorin Ryu and the only applications I can find *anywhere* from Okinawans are the straight forward blocks are blocks, chest punches are punches at the chest, etc. Trying to make sense as to why it seems to me like the Okinawans are the only ones that aren’t interested in discovering, sharing OR practicing the effectiveness of their arts. My dojo takes yearly trips down to the Nagamine dojo (and others on the island) and they never go over practical applications.

I’m curious! I love my kihon, I love my Kata and I love my Kumite. But does anyone else feel as though they lack motivation for a certain Kata if they can’t find the applications within them? For me, knowing/learning the application seems to give Kata more of a purpose, which motivates me. I’m lucky to have a Sensei that values the applications within the Kata! But are there any specific styles out there with a focus on bunkai, particularly breaking down the kata? Or does that entirely depend on the instructor? What’s YOUR style/dojo’s (and individual) view on this?[/url]

I’m in the middle of reading it. Considering Musashi’s reputation, it feels like a privilege being able read something that’s almost directly from him. It’s creating questions! Why is it, that one of the greatest swordsman of all time preferred fighting with a sword in each hand, yet I’ve never seen or heard of any schools that teach that?

Have you read this book? What value, if any, did it bring to your martial arts/life? Did you enjoy it? Any thoughts you’d like to share? Thank you for any and all input

I like this idea as well! What I also think is interesting is the never ending use of pushups in class. Without performing the opposite motion, such as pull-ups or some kind of rowing exercise, you’re far more likely to create a muscular imbalance. I think kata can build just as much strength and endurance but without that risk! Also more time for your art-specific training.

This is why I LOVE this website! Always get the best, REAL advice from you guys, martial arts related or not. I appreciate everyone giving time to contribute 🙏

Oh and I just turned 23, not opposed to college if anyone wants to know!

Luckily, I’m pretty simple! - passion for yoga (teaching and practicing) - passion for traditional martial arts (teaching and practicing) - passion for fitness and nutrition. - NEED to help people. Unfortunately, I’d only like to help people with my passions as a hobby. I find it more stressful than enjoyable when I’m trying to teach/train others while keeping in mind that I have to take enough of their money so I can support myself. With that being said, I don’t have any desire to become a personal trainer, physical therapist, gym teacher or nutritionist. So I want to help people! Those are my skills, along with my stubbornness and lack of knowing what to do. I’ve considered entering the mental health field as well as non profit organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), just to give you an idea of what I have in mind. However, I just feel too limited and need more options before I make any decisions. Any recommendations, suggestions or even spit balled ideas would SO appreciated. Thank you for your time!

I want to thank you all for sharing your experience with me! I have MASS amounts of respect for my Sensei, but only in the way that he used to teach his art. Maybe he’s lost his motivation? I’m not sure. But it’s very refreshing to hear these responses. I’m a relatively new yoga teacher, and as that’s my source of income, I’m trying to build that to make sure I can keep it that way - not leaving as much time or energy to practice martial arts as I’d like, but I get my fix when I need it. However, my passion for the martial arts will never die and I truly hope to teach my own views someday. Namaste!

I completely understand where you’re coming from! However, what I see all the time is new students coming into the dojo and simply not having the patience to learn a kata they don’t understand. My personal opinion is that a better approach would be to teach these new students part of the kata, and after they have a sequence memorized, explaining what the application can be just in that part. I would see that to be more engaging to these students, otherwise they naturally get bored and don’t come back.

Just some stuff to add: If I know why I’m practicing this technique over and over again, I’m way more likely to TRY and improve at it! A few month before I left, there was a new student who I noticed was NOT having fun during his first class. Maybe 14 or 15 years old. Completely uninterested. My Sensei has me take him to the back and teach him the first kata. My Sensei told me which point to take him up to, and I know not to go any further than that. After a good bit of drilling the same few techniques, I got angry and decided to show the kid (who looked MISERABLE) why he was doing what he was doing (the applications of the techniques I was supposed to be teaching). In a few short minutes, this kids eyes opened up, he was engaged, he was having fun. He came back to 4 more classes, I didn’t get to help him at any of them and I kept looking to see how bored he was and sure enough, the kid wasn’t having any fun trying to learn kata. I never saw him again!

(Actual problem in 3rd paragraph) Now my dojo (over the past 2 years or so) has become a kata school where we focus 90% of our time practicing and drilling kata. The other 10% MIGHT be used on bunkai, maybe weapons (more kata), and possibly some more exercise (usually kata based). I totally get that in most karate schools, it’s mostly kata. I understand it’s important to preserve the martial art and its tradition, and I fully understand traditional martial arts aren’t for people that are expecting to get into cage fighting (although you could). However, I’ve seen too many students come to the dojo expecting to learn self defense. The instructor proceeds to include the new students in the warmups and kihon. Either having the new student try to keep up with the group kata practice or having a senior student go over the most basic kata in the back. IF the new student is even shown WHY they’re doing kata or told WHAT the actual kata is, it’s very brief and then right back to the kata. The student comes back maybe one or two more times and then I never see them again. I fell in love with karate because I always asked questions about kata and I always received good answers! I wanted to know WHY I’m doing what I’m doing in the kata. I don’t think instructors teach this enough and new students certainly don’t know to ask about it. It’s horrible that my dojo fell away from teaching more than just kata, because new students will get bored and older students will eventually move on. Unfortunately I’ve left that dojo due to a lack of progression, I have no interest in becoming better at kata for the sake of becoming better at kata. So my question to you is, how do you teach kata/bunkai to new students? And does it continue with the older students?[/b]

I’m proud to have earned my blackbelt because it took my 7 years! I walked into my first class in 2011. I moved away before I could get my green belt but kept in touch with my Sensei. I came to visit about a year later and since I kept training on my own, I tested and passed before going back to my new home. I joined the military, kept training on my own and linked up with a branch of our organization once I got out. Didn’t test there but kept training which was all I cared about. Eventually I moved back to my original dojo and after some more time, finally earned my blackbelt in January of 2018! I’m now happily continuing on my martial arts journey at my home dojo, exactly where I want to be.