MatsuShinshii

You beat me to the punch. Very well put.

Well said!

If your over training, be it at home or at the Dojo, you could be burning yourself out. Anything is possible. Maybe cut down the hours or take a week off to recharge yourself. Try changing things up and see if that improves anything. As a youth I could literally train for every waking moment. However the older I get the less my body will allow me to train. My mind wants to go all day but if I don't listen to my body I have burned out on occasion. Maybe your over doing it. Maybe other factors and your training in combination are burning you out. Or as others have said maybe it has nothing to do with training. Maybe work stress, family, time constraints, diet, lack of sleep/ rest, etc, etc. Try changing things up or taking a little down time and see if things improve. Good luck.

2019???? Wow that is backed up.

Heroes are the people that lay down their lives for their fellow man/woman. I have known a few. Those that claim that they would do this or that after the fact are talking out of the left side of their face. It's either in you or it's not. You will never know until it happens. I have seen the toughest guys cower while those that you would never suspect charge into the face of danger. Bottom line that it's very seldom that those that put themselves in harms way and run towards danger actually put any thought into it before doing so, it just happens. Those that brag about what they would do after the fact while in no danger themselves are... well I can't say that on the forums so we'll just say their ego's out rule their character. I think it's less bravery and more how you were brought up. It's less about being big and bad and more about your own morals and belief system. It falls down to responsibility. If you have the means to do something you should. It comes down to being a good human being in my mind. If you see a weaker person being abused and you could stop it wouldn't you? It's the same thing to me. It's either in you to do something or it's not. Those that make the conscious choice to place themselves in harms way to save others are heroes. May however react rather than think it through. I think it has a lot of how you were brought up and what has been instilled in you. It's different from being in the situation and not having the choice. If you're the one staring down a gun barrel it's easy to react. It's instinct. Having that same instinct to place yourself in danger is something completely different. It's a choice without actually thinking and making the choice. Kinda hard to describe actually but that's the best I can do. Hopefully it conveys the point. Exactly! You will never know until you're in that position. However the mere fact that you hope you would do something is better than those that boast that they would. That is a very sad statement but I can not argue your point. It's actually a very sad statement and very telling of our society and where it is going. Times unfortunately change and each generation is brought up differently. I will say that there is hope because there are still those that join the armed forces even in these days of danger. God bless them all!

Wow! That's so easy even an old dog like me can do it. That's awesome! Thanks for explaining that Struggling_Mudansha. Ok lets start seeing those pic's of the build!

Solid post!! And I wrote it without a long novel. Who knew I had it in me?

Could not agree more.

To the bold. The Kata does not convey the art. What it contains conveys the art. The Kata is a teacher of balance, body shifting, body mechanics and to teach the proper stance to generate optimum power but it does not convey the art itself unless your speaking in more modern terms post Japanization of the art. The Kata is a collection of postures that, each and together, represent the applications of the art. The founders (Chinese or Okinawan) put the postures into the Kata in the most logical and efficient way so that a student could practice the postures and to also have a way to remember them as the Okinawan's did not (at least to our historical knowledge) keep written records. The Kata is the record of the art and contain the applications and techniques of the art but does not represent the art in and of itself.

I wish you luck. Ps. there are instructors and schools that emphasis the art over modern ways. Don't give up all hope. Sorry if I missed this but what part of the world do you live? I know many organizations/schools/instructors that teach the art for self defense vs. tournament. I or others here may be able to at least point you in the right direction if you also want to continue your study of Karate.

I'm sure there is a way to post pictures. Patrick???? We want to see the build!

Good points.

Don't feel bad you're not the only one.

Breaking is conditioning in a way. Looking at x-rays of people who routinely break’s hands (as an example), you’ll see far thicker areas of compact bone (the outer, non-marrow area) than most other people. Similar to people who hit makiwara, Thai boxers who condition their shins, etc. What happens is the person is micro fracturing their bones. When those heal, the body lays down extra bone to prevent further damage. No different than micro tears in muscle during strength training. How desirable or functional that is can be debated; the physiological response can’t. I agree with what you are saying. But there is a problem. Any repetitive stress to the bone will increase bone density. That's well and truly backed by scientific study. No problem there. But that same mechanism that increases bone density can also stimulate unwanted bone growth, in the form of joint deformity leading potentially to arthritis. This might be in a minority of cases but it is a risk. Of course that same risk exists with any form of conditioning. But the problem with breaking is about control. When you hit a bag or a pad, you can build up gradually, ensuring that you have the control and precision there before gradually increasing the power. With breaking, you get one shot. It has to be right first time. You have to comit 100% to the strike right from the off. Makawari is somewhat different. That's just a primitive DIY alternative to the heavy bag. You can gradually build up with it. There is nothing magical or ceremonial about old training tools. It's just what they had. As I said before, I'm not against breaking for those that want to do it. But I see it as pointless. I'd rather prove my martial arts personal development by demonstrating the techniques in a controlled way against a resisting but consenting opponent. Not a fight. But a demonstration of ability. If I can force a man my own size to the ground when he is trying to remain standing, I think that proves more than kicking a stationary inanimate object. As far as conditioning goes and risk of arthritis - It depends how you are conditioning your weapon. If you start out striking as hard as you can and break bones then you are at a higher risk than those that gradually build up to full force. I have been faithfully using a Makiwara for 30+ years and have experienced no arthritic issues in my hands, fingers, toes, feet or elbows. I really feel it has everything to do with a good teacher that understands the process teaching their students the correct way. Having knuckles 3 times their normal size does not come from an "over time or gradual" process. It's from not conditioning properly. As far as old tools goes... I am a proponent of using anything that helps me improve. Some newer "tools" are obviously better at achieving the results a student is looking for in a faster time period. However some of the "old tools" as you say can not be replaced as they serve a very specific purpose. As far as Tameshiwari is concerned... I could care less either way. Take it or leave it. To me it's a test (personal) of ones power and conditioning. To others it's an ego boost and a "look at what I can do" type of thing. Your right that it proves nothing as opposed to actually testing your skills against a non-cooperative opponent. However it has it's purpose. If your are testing yourself by means of breaking boards and you are using non-kiln dried hardwoods, this is a test that will give the practitioner good useful feed back. Unfortunately all too often those that put on demonstrations for the purposes of impressing others use very dry wood that would break under a fingers pressure much less an actual strike. Does this prove anything other than to test your focus, perseverance, proper body mechanics, power and maybe a boost to your own confidence? No. But it does serve a purpose for the one executing the break and as you said it is a "tool" that teaches us. It gives immediate feed back that we can learn from. Old tools, new tools, it's all the pursuit of improving oneself in their chosen art. Do it, don't do it, it's up to you as this is a personal journey. As they say "to each their own".

Uechi ryu, huh, you mustn't like your big toes anymore!! We use the exact same kick although executed slightly differently. We call the technique Tsumasaki and Uechi practitioners call it Sokusen. With all things conditioning and practice are key.

I think it depends on your audience and how much or little they know of the subject. Some things come down to common sense and others need to be explained with more detail. It also depends on the reactions and expressions of those that you are speaking to. Deer in the head lights looks probably means you need to go a bit deeper. If they are yawning and looking everywhere except at you, you're probably beating a dead horse and need to cut it short.

Well not all Kata start to the left. Seisan and Passai start to the front and Naihanchi and Rohai start to the right. As far as a reason for the direction each Kata starts, I can not say for sure as I have never really gave it much thought or bothered to ask the question. I guess you have to start in one direction or another so I guess left is just as good of a direction as any.

Kata and the study of Kata. A life long pursuit of understanding. I can't think of anything that could restore faith more than when you actually start to understand the applications and start to grasp the founders original intent.

Train as long and as hard as you can. As they say "you'll get all the rest you need when they put you in the ground". Until then... Train.

Your organization is somewhat of an exception. The organizations that I have belonged to stop actual testing between Rokudan and Nanadan. The last tested grading in my organization is Godan. All subsequent gradings are "given". That is not to say that there are not requirements but there is no formal testing. To be honest the word "Political", IMHO, is a fair word to use. Often times instructors are promoted based on who's in favor with the board rather than purely based on merit. When my Shinshii was in charge these grades were given based on his assessment alone and had to be earned, at least in the sense that Shinshii felt they had been earned. Now the board awards based on different requirements and guidelines and often it's based IMHO on who is in their favor versus who is deserving of the grade based on tangible documented requirements or rules. Personally I like your system of everyone tests to Hachidan. That cuts to politics out and bases it on merit, knowledge and ability.

I can't help you because I haven't figured out how to do this as of yet. Maybe Patrick or one of the moderators could tell you how this works. I'm what you call technologically illiterate. I can do enough to barely scrap by.

Depends on the meaning of the question and the technique/application they are referring to. If we are talking about striking and kicking, these are proven during normal practice. If you are referring to throw and submissive holds, again it is easily proven. Where things get sketchy is when you are talking about techniques that can do major damage or even cause death to the opponent. Do you take the instructors word? Well yes you can. You can also do a little research and find out the effects in medical journals and by using a little common sense. What do I mean by common sense? Well if we are talking about say a particular vital point on the body, you can research this point in conjunction with anatomical features of the body. Example: if the point falls over a major artery, common sense tells us that if struck (bruised, hemorrhaged, or torn) the effects will be major if not deadly. I am not a proponent of knocking people out or testing deadly techniques for the sake of ego and proving that it will do this or that. To me this is an unnecessary risk and irresponsible. Most techniques and applications can be tested during normal practice without the risk involved.

I have to agree. I was studying one art and started taking another art which I knew was Okinawan but thought it would differ and found many similarities. To me if you're learning the exact same thing under a different name, why not stay with your original art. Having said that if OneKickWonder is looking for historical significance for personal research, it makes sense to take this art. Understanding the history of the art leads to an understanding of the techniques and where they come from. If you know where they come from you can research and understand the meaning behind them. This will lead to a deeper understanding of the art you are learning. Pretty much like Okinawan practitioners studying the Chinese arts that influenced their art. You find that there is a reason why you do this or that and it also gives you insight into the mind of the founder and what they were possibly thinking and how they constructed the art. I say, if you want to try it, try it. Who knows you might learn something that makes the experience well worth the time. If your studying the arts, any art, it's not wasted time IMHO.

I do not accept students until they are 16. Too old???? Your not too old. You are at an age and maturity level (hopefully) that I personally think is optimum. There are friends I know that didn't start until they were in their 30's. You have the rest of your life to train. And you're much younger than them so your getting a head start. You're not too old! Never to late to start! Go for it and fill us in on how your journey is going.

Solid post and very good points.