karate_woman

wanna know how to recognize a McDojo?

 

Well, if you ask your instructor something and every time he says: We'll talk about it next time.

 

Then you can be sure, his Dojo is a McDojo!

 

Really, trust me, I have experiences.

ewwww! i hate it when that happens, i mean what the big hurry! they just do it one match at a time. IWKA is like that at first, i wish it wasnt though, that is a good match to watch however, if you like isshinryu style.

Absolutely amazing

I looked for my name the other day in your list of users and it is pages back now - seems like it was only yesterday I joined.

Well, these seem to be attached to a few martial arts schools: kids sleepovers, childcare, weight lifting gym, cardio kickboxing, yoga, fancy location, showers, sauna, whirlpool, birthday parties, snacks, drinks, etc.

Some useful for martial arts training, some not, but all frills.

I think a Hair Stylist would win, because no one wants bad hair when they're fighting.

You may think this is a bad thing, but by NOT training for competition, you are getting more of what karate was really like, rather than sport karate. Oh yes, please no one take offense, but i must comment that in my opinion tournaments are BS.

Update on last night: Sensei wasn't there. Sempai was, and 2 students other than myself. The four of us practiced kata, kumite, grappling and weapons. It was an all around good workout that left me in an excellent mood all evening The brown belt lady I spar when we're both there on Fridays was there. She won't be there much through the summer because she goes to the cottage on Friday nights. She only trains weekdays at lunch so Fridays are normally my only chance to see her - at least until I return to work the end of July - she comes a lot during the winter, though. Guess what? She IS competing Sunday!

With 4 of us having a great old time sparring and grappling Friday, plus at least 2 more people in the adult class that I KNOW enjoy sparring, that is HALF the adult class; maybe Sensei will do something if I bring it up after all.

Another thing I can do is talk to that other black belt that didn't want to make an ass of himself and see if we can spar a bit after class sometimes; between classes we've done a bit of impromptu practice that helps sparring (he put on full pads and I had to try to get past his defenses with hard hand strikes - I did so rather easily, but then again he wasn't hitting back and another time we just did light quick sparring with no equipment while we were waiting).

Ultimately I guess I just need a sparring coach, with the practice that goes with it; I do enjoy what we do in class, though feel the class could be working harder and pushed a bit more - I'd much rather drag myself out of class than hardly break a sweat.

karate_woman,

 

You missed my point.

 

I was saying that Wing Chun can't fight against Karate or any other style for that matter.A Wing Chun stylist can fight against a Karate stylist.My whole post was actually a joke because there is noway to know which stylist would win.

 

Like i said.

 

 

There are so many factors that goes into this than just what styles were used.

 

jeff

er, but guys, jackie trains like a man possessed.

 

you can't base his fighting abilities on the films he makes and you can't say that he is a worse fighter just because he doesn't go around saying how good he is.

 

in my honest opinion, i think that between the two it would be very, very close.

 

as for jet li, the man himself admits that he can't really fight.

It sounds like they are being humble - who wants to go around with a chip on your shoulder and end up being constantly challenged? Better to be excellent at film and stunts and then try to live like a normal guy the rest of the time; constantly proving oneself has got to be tedious at times.

Another note on Jackie Chan/Bruce Lee: apparently Jackie Chan was being groomed as the next Bruce Lee (after Bruce's death), but it became quickly apparent that Jackie's style is totally different than Bruce's, and trying to be like Bruce just didn't suit him; his way of doing things is entertaining on its own, and has its own merits, so why try to be like someone you're not? Bruce sure wouldn't have tried to be like Jackie

This is a funny thread i love everyones answer.

 

First you can't match styles!

 

Styles don't fight each other!

 

Second you said karate there are so many different styles of karate.Not all karate use the same tneories.

 

There are so many factors that goes into this than just what styles were used.

 

With all that being said i'd take Wing Chun

 

lol

 

jeff

it depends, i mostly crave the response you can get rather than actually experinced it before. but i have BEEN to many tournaments when i couldnt afford karate training. back then i saw all that i could and i went to the 1999 ISKA tournament in florida and there was definitly some crowd response. and the bigger ones? like K-1 oh yea, theres a response.

I meant the big ones where there are so many rings going at the same time it is hard to keep track as a spectator - especially if the one you want to see is at the far end from where your seats are.

of course theres point to point sparing! then again, i say this because i am a competetion artist (plays the rocky theme song) despite the fact that my sensai isnt crazy about competetion training. i like learning to fight for defense of myself and others of course, but i just like the ring. and my sensai is always saying stuff about how those big gold pices of plastic wont get you anywere and stuff but honestly i dont care if i win or loose, im serious! i just like the thrill. i love hanging out and sparring with other karate kas and artist, and if it comes to me wanting to win, if its a good solid tournament than i like the crowds response much more than the trophy. for people like me, i think point sparrings great. droping your guard demonstrates a lack of skill, i have the same problem in sparring and my dojo NEVER point spars. i dont think this gives evidence to weather point sparring is bad or good, it just shows were the karate ka needs to work.

Have you been to many competitions? The ones I have been to there wasn't much in the way of crowd response (especially in the rather large tournaments) until the Grand Championship rounds, anyway. My parents used to go and say karate tournaments were the most boring things to watch - other than my division of course!

When practicing for point sparring competitions I find it more useful to just keep sparring (continuous style) instead of stopping for every point. It prevents you from immediately stopping when you know you have point, and getting nailed yourself.

 

Good point.

 

Point sparring is an excellent training method, when combined with other methods, such as contact sparring, mits, bags, you know - the whole package. But if point sparring is usually the only kind of sparring you do, your training is lacking.

We have done some mit and bag work lately, and I have a wavemaster at home, but many of the other students don't even like the light to moderate contact sparring we do

When practicing for point sparring competitions I find it more useful to just keep sparring (continuous style) instead of stopping for every point. It prevents you from immediately stopping when you know you have point, and getting nailed yourself.

I think the usefulness of any sort of sparring (point or otherwise) is a chance to apply some actual moves (albeit controlled) against an opponent that is trying not to get hit themselves. A big part of defense is avoiding getting hit in the first place, or minimizing its effects if you are hit, and the speed, stamina and agility you develop in point sparring can be useful to that end.

p.s.

 

Is there any other schools around that your martial art?

Yeah, tough decisions indeed.

My worry about talking to him about it is that he is well aware of my desire to compete again, and the bottom line is no matter how kindly I put it, I'd basically be threatening to leave if I don't get what I want. I think he is walking a tightrope trying to give us a bit of sparring now and then (Fridays only, mind) while keeping the majority of students that hate sparring happy. You are right that some students don't show up on Fridays for other reasons, and there is more than one adult that expressed the same concern I had - that they show for Friday classes but nobody else does. I think it would be more appropriate for him to just throw sparring in unannounced on a regular night, PLUS make sparring required in gradings again (we used to spar multiple opponents in gradings for crying out loud) but then there are the students who don't bring the appropriate equipment if they aren't expecting to spar.

My husband suggested the same thing you did - offer to teach the sparring class. While that would possibly give me more sparring opportunities, it won't give me someone with a practiced eye that can give me pointers to improve my technique, fix telegraphing that is starting to develop, etc. Of course, at least I'd get some sparring in, which is KEY. I also considered visiting a local Kickboxing place but they fight differently than we do, so I'd likely mess up my karate fighting unless I no longer fought light to moderate contact. I've considered that (fighting full contact), too, which concerns my husband, though at 30 if I'm going to do that I'd better do it soon.

I haven't talked to either Sensei yet. As I mentioned in my first post, we are hosting a shiai this weekend. The other Sensei will be attending our shiai but it isn't really an appropriate place or time to discuss jumping ship. I will mention to my Sensei the next time I see him (probably tonight if he's there), why there are so few adult competitors from our club - those that don't want to compete won't anyway, but those that do are so unpracticed at it they are afraid of embarrassment. If he has any interest in reviving interest in competition amongst the adults then things have to change, and fast. He has several trophies proudly displayed there (mine and another student's), but there won't be more at this rate.

Why is everyone getting so heated anyway?

Yes, Royce Gracie is certainly an excellent fighter. As for him fighting on the street - I think it would be reasonable to assume he'd have a better chance then most people out there if they were attacked, but beyond that is mere speculation. Assuming that he was able to fight when he was attacked, he wouldn't go down without a fight, but we have no idea who this mysterious attacker is, what they would do, or what condition Royce would be in. For example, if he was hit on the head from behind with a crowbar or something he's not exactly going to be in his best form - if he's even still conscious!

Bottom line: no matter who you are - and Royce Gracie is no exception - you shouldn't underestimate your opponent.

In my old school, you are required to make up your own kata for 2nd degree and your own weapons kata for 3rd degree. They are both musical forms and must incorporate both traditional and modern techniques. Flow was the key in both.

 

 

 

 

Um, don't mean to be insulting, but MUSICAL FORMS??? WHY??? What kind of TMA or any MARTIAL art......i dunno that just sounds weird and stupid. no offense!

Traditional martial arts don't generally teach musical forms(from what I've seen), but from what ninjanurse wrote she was mentioned both traditional and contemporary.

While I haven't done so myself at this point, I don't know why anyone would discourage creating your own form. I think that the benefits to creating your own kata (to music or otherwise) would be similar to creating anything else: satisfaction, a chance to apply what you've learned, a chance to think about your moves and how they would fit together effectively, while thinking about the bunkai and how it flows/whether your form makes sense. The music - well, besides being entertaining, in many competitions that involve creative musical forms the form has to match the music, so you'd be working on very specific timing aspects as well as all of the other stuff.

Some pics of Miyagi Chojun Sensei, including one when he was training as a young man that gives you some idea of his body type. http://www.xs4all.nl/~frits007/isshinryu/miyagi.htm

Also, from an essay of Richard Kim's, from a piece he credited to journalist Tokuda Anshu; a description of a demonstration:

"Miyagi performed without pretension. Okinawa never saw anything like it. It was the performance of a karate meijin. Miyagi thrust his hand into a hunch of bamboos and pulled out one from the center. He stuck his hand into a slab of meat and tore off chunks. He put white chalk on the bottom of his feet, jumped up, and kicked the ceiling-leaving his foot-prints on the ceiling for all to see. Spectators hit him with long bos (staffs) with no effect. With his fingers he tore off the bark off a tree. And with his big toe he punctured a hole in a kerosene can. And he did many more feats which had to be seen to be believed. "He performed all afternoon, way past the two-hour mark. After the performance, Miyagi said, 'Any karate expert who trains properly can do all this, It is simply a matter of paying the price. Karate is a total commitment. I have not done anything that someone else cannot do, or, for that matter, you. There is no half-way measure. Either you do it or you don't. Nothing is impossible.'"

http://www.martialartsca.com/kim.html

Money. If you are certified, people who don’t know any better will pile the money on to lose weight, or gain muscle. A lot of the guys who have those are amateur Body Builders and weightlifters as it is, they already know how to train, but no one will get near you if you don’t that a title behind your name.

 

If you really want to get a Certification, and learn, then you would get a American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)Certification, but hardly anyone ever passes the test he first time, and the text book to pass is MASSIVE! If you are already well versed in weight training and cardio, why waste your time with ACSM when you can get a ACE and start making money on no time! The true measure of a trainor should be his body, not his title.

Just his body? What if he sucks at teaching, and has bad habits that could injure a person? I'm not saying having a certification - even one you have to work for proves anything, but a meaningless certification is just that - meaningless, so why have it at all - just to fool people? That's like buying a black belt off the internet or through the mail and opening a dojo just because the average person doesn't know any better.