karate_woman

I'm not clear on a few questions. Do you think it would matter if they saw your belt? Is the white belt part of your dojo and did this happen there? If they are part of your dojo, what relevance does having your belt on or not (other than it suggests you are perhaps changing) have, as they'd know your rank? Assuming this is happening in your dojo, you could defend against the pushing with a simple wrist lock, or similar technique and/OR, depending on the rules of your dojo, state there is no sparring without the consent of Sensei or black belt present, and most certainly not outside of class. If they are not part of your dojo and saw you on the street in your gi with no belt, but were wearing theirs, you could point out your dojo doesn't approve of fighting or showing off, while deflecting their pushes. If they don't stop, then do whatever is necessary.

Well, I think ki, as energy, is part of all things, so yes, ki has to do with love/lust, etc. I believe there are books on Zen and Love.

I think there was a lesson there, but you chose to draw the opposite lesson I would; if he had no respect for the rules, would it not have been better to decline? If he wanted eye gouges, etc to be legal, would it not have been more ethical for him to have informed his opponent of his "anything goes" intention, so they could act similarly? This wasn't a street fight, just a "fun" bout from the sounds of things - so what does it prove? What you've described is not someone to be admired and revered, I'm afraid

Well, of those three, we learned bo, sai, then tonfa, though it isn't strictly that way (ie. there are other bo kata after the sai and tonfa kata, and there are more advanced sai and tonfa kata we learn later (after black belt) too.

Having never worn hakama pants I can't comment on whether they interfere with kicks or not. I suspect it would take some getting used to, though. As for the other....my guess would be the bo, but it would say in your manual if it lists requirements for each belt level.

Some clubs have a certain belt level (often yudansha/black belt holder) before you are allowed to wear the hakama, so check with your Sensei.

I never had Hakama pants when I took judo, nor do any of our jujitsu students wear Hakama, but I know a number of karateka that have them for when they do weapons in tournaments. They do look rather sharp. Anyway, to answer your question about jujitsu/judo and Isshinryu. I think you will find it complimentary. With Goju, I've noticed both the jujitsu and judo help to open my eyes, especially when reviewing for higher level meaning.

The blind leading the blind....though I suppose another set of eyes (even untrained) is certainly better than going it alone though I still wouldn't say it is equal, but then again it might actually be BETTER than what some dojos put out there. As for dojo discrimination at tournaments...I wasn't aware that people without a dojo aren't allowed to compete, so I can't really comment on that. I always had a dojo so it never came up, though.

Van Damme = Bruce Lee... Not in this lifetime. Not sure there is a current equivalent, as he was more than just a movie star.

I haven't decided yet. I was promoted at work last year, and I find every time I devote time to improving my career (courses, etc), it takes away from martial arts and I end up not training for a few years. If I ever teach martial arts it will be in addition to my full time job, so I don't have to depend on the income and can set high standards and stick to them. It won't be for about 10 years or so anyway..I can't/won't open a dojo in my city while my Sensei is teaching .

I never mentioned injuries, though you could get injured by doing some things incorrectly, that wasn't even my primary concern. I know that the more you train the more your techniques become second nature, and so if you spend hours practicing in a certain way, you'll need to spend even more hours undoing what you've done if it is wrong. In a good dojo, your techniques would be corrected earlier before they become second nature. Now if you're training at home and have access to the instructor in some manner (videotape or something), it would be an improvement over learning from a book solely, but there is still a time delay, and the limitations of the angles the instructor can view you at on the tape. I don't look down at people trying to learn that way when they have no other choice, and I think you can certainly get information from home training methods, but am hesitant to endorse such a method as "just as good" as in a dojo. For one, what about partner work?

Are you wanting inspirational sayings? If so, there is a whole thread on that in internal arts.

Maybe the revenge will come when you confidently walk in there in good shape, and many of them are out of shape and look like crap because they haven't kept themselves in good condition? I don't think psyching yourself up for a fight or confrontation is a good thing...you don't know what they've done in the intervening time period for one thing! They could be cops now for all you know... or members of a gang. I suspect they've grown up and won't attempt to bully you, even though I think you really want them to try. Even if they were immature enough to consider trying to bully you, with your present level of confidence you won't likely carry yourself as a victim anymore. Also, in a reunion setting there are too many witnesses around for an assault to be likely anyway. Just go and have fun!!

It depends on the person's existing knowledge of martial arts, and whether there is any interaction with -and corrections from - someone knowledgable in the art. They could theoretically spend hours and hours practicing techniques "wrong" and have to relearn everything properly when they go to a dojo, leading to frustration. It is really hard to correct your own techniques, even with the use of a mirror, because what you think you are doing and what you are really doing is sometimes different, especially when you don't know how it feels to do a move or stance correctly.

Everyone says = proof According to this site: http://www.its-taekwondo.co.uk/kidderminster/points.html , A strike there "may" cause death, or it could cause broken bones, unconsciousness, or paralysis. I don't think there is a "sure thing" instant death blow, though there are certainly a lot of dangerous moves that "may" cause death.

http://www.martialinfo.com/search/nonusa/result.asp?sitecity=Guelph&sitecountry=Canada http://www.uoguelph.ca/athletics/Interest/sports/martial.shtml#aikido http://www.robertskarate.ca/index.html http://www.martialinfo.com/search/nonusa/result.asp?sitecity=Guelph,%20Ontario&sitecountry=Canada http://listingsca.com/Ontario/South-West/Wellington-County/Sports_and_Recreation/Martial/

OK, I was careful not to generalize, and in fact used the quotes (one from BoxerScott's recommended site) without comment for that very reason. I also found a number of quotes on other sites that advised that most women that have 6 packs are at 7% bodyfat, several that advised that women had to be in the single digits for a washboard tummy, and several others that were quite clear it is dangerous for women to go below 12% bodyfat. I didn't use them because of the site BoxerScott chose, which talked about women "starting" to see the abs at 14%; I just wanted to address that % range, and point out that even 15% is dangerous for yes, "some" women, as BoxerScott seemed to feel that it is just as easy for (it seemed he was indicating "all") women as it is for men, but seemed unaware of the inherent dangers this has for some women. I chose the particular quote I did because unfortunately not all women are built the same, and (as previously noted) "starting to see the abs" isn't the same as a 6 pack. There was another interesting point I saw on a site that advised most women cease ovulating around 12%, but some don't cease menstruating until below 10% or so, which gives these women a false sense that they are OK (ceasing to ovulate has the same increased risks of osteoporosis). I have the "line" even now, with a flat tummy and am not sure what bodyfat percentage I'm at, having not measured it in years, and won't for a while (if ever) as I just had a baby 4 months ago and am still regaining my fitness levels. If I get the 6 pack and/or lose my period, I'll go for a bodyfat test at a local gym. If you need me to grab all those other quotes re: bodyfat % I referred to I can find them - it will just take a bit.

It is hard to critique your technique without looking at it, but I will say this: a big factor in roundhouses to the head is flexibility.

BoxerScott: Quote from your recommended site: A quote from the q&a section of gymamerica's site: http://myprimetime.genesant.com/gti/magazine/magazine_qa/0,3291,1_cid_598,00.html

I threw a bigger opponent in a real situation. He was moving towards me, and I believe both surprise and the fact I was naturally below his centre of gravity were factors.

Well, they didn't used to have ranks at all. And it is interesting to note that Miyagi Chojun, founder of Goju wouldn't have reached 10th Dan by Butokukai's current standards until 70, and he unfortunately passed away before then. Now he was given both a Kyoshi and a Renshi rank by the Butokukai, and much recognition, including having his style formally recognized, so I'm being facetious, but hopefully you get my point. Goju didn't even have a ranking system until after his death. I'm torn...I don't like the 7 year old BB idea but also think something has been lost in our efforts to legitimize our ranks. I'm at a loss for a solution other than don't put as much weight on the rank itself and pay more attention to what its wearer does.

Yes, but only if the situation training you do is flexible...you don't want to freeze in the middle of your self defense because your attacker didn't do what they were "supposed to". :lol

Get well soon...perhaps the couch isn't the best place for wrestling encounters in the future?

Congrats Jmy77.