karate_woman

I agree the gap is too large. It also depends on the quality of training the traditional martial artist received, how much they trained, etc.

This reminds me a bit of a Seinfeld episode. Ever see that Seinfeld episode where Kramer took karate and kept bragging about being the best in his class, until the kids in his class (it was a kids class) all ganged up on him after class one day?

I'm assuming your club offers both of these martial arts for a reason. Is the same instructor teaching both? You may wish to discuss this with the instructor(s), since they may be experienced in both of the arts you're talking about (since they are offered at the same place). I'm with scottshelly - learn everything you can; knowlege is power. Realize, however, that the boxing will be different, and you may have to make room for this new knowledge (don't get messed up over which of the martial arts you take is "better", or "right", just learn and go with the flow).

Things you may wish to consider: 1. How long have you trained at this dojo? 2. Are you in an advanced or beginner class? 3.The initial self defense techniques could be as simple as punching correctly, blocking correctly, having a stable stance, learning to breakfall; more advanced techniques come later. 4. The same kata you learn as a white belt has techniques in it you may not appreciate until later; you may revisit those kata from a self defense standpoint later. 5. Do you do any partner work? 6.Have you asked your Sensei about whether you will learn self defense? Bear in mind that your definition of self defense training may be different from theirs. 7. Not all styles use board breaking.

Hmm. It sounds like your father-in-law's method of training will be thorough, well thought out, and will eventually enable you to make quick, instinctive movements, while anticipating your opponents moves. It may take a while to learn (it is slower when we actively think about our moves), but patience will pay off. If you realize you are "way behind", then cut yourself some slack and compete when you're told you are ready; you said your father-in-law wants you to compete, so he'll let you know.

I also agree with the advice offered. A referral is great. You should also check out some classes at the clubs in your new area. As you have significant experience with your martial art, you should be able to judge better than most if the methods they are teaching are right for you, if they match your goals, if you get along with the instructor(s), if it is a McDojo, etc.

Ouch! Wonder if he'll be volunteering to hold a board for you anytime soon ! Congrats.

Congratulations.

As is apparent by its appearance, a boken, or bokken, is shaped like a sword, and is used to train people to handle a sword properly without handling a live blade; it is a training tool more than a weapon. It clearly isn't a sword, nor would I consider it a weapon in the classic sense, either. It can certainly be used like a weapon, but so can anything if given a little imagination. It is used in kendo, or kenjutsu, and iado. Check out this site: http://users.adelphia.net/~kyoshi/Kenjutsu.htm I used one when I was training in kobudo, as part of my "sword" training. I didn't end up using an actual sword, so that is why I used the quotes. I think there are a number of styles that incorporate the bokken into their part of their weapons training, even if their entire focus isn't on the sword; at my club, you learned kobudo(weapons) with your karate and jujitsu; another club taught it with aikido. You might get more knowledgeable answers to this question in the weapons section.

I agree with the other comments. I have experience with breaks in my training. For the karate techniques themselves, I found if I worked on the things I was sure I knew well, and didn't stress too much about things I barely remembered, I had less chance of remembering wrong, or drawing a complete blank. Of course, 5 months isn't all that long; it should come back pretty easily. Don't worry if any of the other students have passed you in their training, or worry about the time you've missed. Even if 5 months were a long time to be away (I was gone for 5 years, and a fellow student was gone for 20 years), it is what you're doing now that counts; look forward to your goals and to your training.

With no disrespect intended to you, I question the 30 minutes too. There can't be a lot of substance to the material (or at least in the depth in which it is expected to be learned) if anyone can learn it in 1/2 an hour. Do you have to pay for both gradings?

Welcome

I think some of us are more inclined to persevere than others. I also think that some of us will persevere at some tasks and give up easily at others. I think there is a combination of factors that affects this: life experience, successes, failures, self esteem, family support, risk, and motivation.

I agree that is a long time to still have extreme discomfort. Maybe next time she whines, you could ask her if she took it easy after it happened (I know you know the answer), when she says no, you could suggest perhaps she should start; it may be a reinjury at this point. If you happen to work with her in class you could also remind her to "take it easy" so she can heal, or have the instructor do it....if she's playing the sympathy card without a real injury she'll probably be so annoyed she'll want to prove she's all better.

Do you have something like our "Yellow Pages" directory over there? I'm assuming you're in London, England? Here in Canada, I'd just flip open the book and check out the section on Martial Arts for a listing of all of the clubs. Do any of your friends train? Sometimes word of mouth is great!

Welcome. I look forward to reading more about Sanchin Ryu in the other threads.

Welcome!

Good luck on your test. Welcome

Welcome to KF. It is nice to have an interest you can share with your kids.

Welcome

I wonder what it would be like to be a father who is a serious martial arts fighter? To me it is the same - other than the fact some men don't like to see women (especially pretty women) get beat up. To me, the issues of being a parent and a serious martial arts fighter would be the fact the fighter would have to train almost every day - they'd live, eat, and breathe martial arts, do a lot of travelling to and from competitions, which may - or may not - include their spouse and child(ren). It may also involve endorsement deals, and lots of self promotion. If the spouse is not supportive of this, then (male or female), then they'd have a lot to talk about. As for the issues of social stigma with a figthing woman - there is social stigma for all sorts of women - we face critcisms if we choose to work full time, have hobbies of our own, or even if we decide to stay at home and raise our families, have plastic surgery, or whatever we want, we face criticism. As a woman, if I spent all my time trying to make sure everyone was pleased with my decisions, I'd never make a decision without being so wracked with guilt that someone might be offended! By the way, I'm also aware that men face social stigma as well - stay at home fathers, men in non-traditional professions or hobbies, too wimpy, too aggressive, make less money than their spouses - I think you get the point. I think an approach to these social stigma issues is we all have to find our own answers, by following our own consciences and experiences and making well planned decisions that consider the implications of the paths we are contemplating; there isn't much more we can do.

I partially agree. I wouldn't go so far as to say the mind and body without technique is useless, as people who are being attacked are sometimes fortunate enough to have excellent reactions to their situation, to the point where the attacker is surprised and injured themselves. I'm not saying we can count on that to happen, but to say an untrained person is useless is a bit of a stretch (never underestimate your opponent!). If we don't have the will, or mental prepartion involved to react appropriately to a situation, the training won't be nearly as effective. The body can be in absolutely wonderful shape, but if you aren't able to move it because you're overcome with fear, or uncertainty, it won't do you a lot of good. Anytime I've observed people training in a sport/activity that they wish to be good at, there has always been some sort of mental preparation that the athlete/competitor uses to enhance their ability to focus. I've heard it referred to as "the zone". When I've experienced it myself it has most often been when I have practiced to the point where I no longer have to think about what I'm doing - I can just react and go with the flow. For me, that state is generally when my body is also in good physical condition. I'd suggest trying to achieve a balance instead of worrying about what is better, but that's just my philosophy, and may not be yours.

I have NO experience in any of the 3 styles you mentioned, but my advice would be the same, regardless: 1. Determine what your goals for training are. Examples: a)Fitness b)Self Defense c)Competition (what kind?)Not all martial arts are Olympic Sports, not all martial arts are full contact, not all involve grappling, etc. d)Do you prefer Grappling? Striking? A combination of both? 2. Visit each of the schools and see if they are compatible with your goals. a)Preferably, take a class and/or observe a class (or classes) to help make this determination. Are the students there to train or socialize? Is the type of training they are doing similar to what you'd hoped for? b) Note the philosophy of the school/instructor(s). Are they compatible with your philosophy? c) Get clarification on who does the teaching, and who teaches your potential instructor. d)Find out how many belts, cost of grading, grading requirements and estimated timeframes for gradings. Are these belts certified by any national or world organizations? Is it the standard belt structure for the style or are there extra belts? How expensive are the uniform and gradings? e) Find out the cost and how long your obligation is for (length of membership). 3. Consider the locations of the clubs, the hours of potential classes and whether they are close to home, work, school, etc, and consider when you would fit the training in. Good luck!

The short answer is no; I was never one to pick fights. I always want to do my absolute best, and while I don't give myself any negative self talk, I don't underestimate my opponent, either. I'd rather be wary than cocky. The comments you make make me think about things I've observed , though (at least in karate, jujitsu and judo): shortly after people start - when they've been training for about 6 months to a year - and are at or approaching the "intermediate" belt levels of their training (in traditional MA), I've noticed students have a lot more confidence in their abilities, sometimes to the point of cockiness - where they'll playfully kick/punch at other students, or even non students. I actually noticed the same thing in a T'ai Chi setting as well, though the competitiveness there was more focused on who had more of a heightened sense of awareness. (after a handfull of classes or so!) Usually, after another period of training, when they become aware of how many different things there are to learn, both spirtually and physically, they humble somewhat, and start observing their opponents more, and becoming aware that even though they've trained for x months at their art, there are some people out there better than them at certain things, there is still lots to learn, and improvements to make.

I think that having a blackbelt class where they use tools like focus pads, and/or heavy bags is fine. It might be an idea to add a class a week, or every other week that just focuses on sparring techniques. In periods where you're gearing up for tournaments, adding a special focus would be great. I wouldn't recommend eliminating basics altogether, however, as the movements in sparring are different than in basics/kata. Generally, as I'm sure you're aware, the movements in basics are more exagerrated than their sparring counterparts. In addition, the movements in sparring are subject to the rule limitations for sparring in your sport (light contact, no contact, no head contact, nothing below the waist, etc), whereas your basics should focus on all potential targets. Focusing solely on what works best for point sparring will make you fast, and good at that particular activity, but can allow for very sloppy techniques that may be ineffective in actuality. I really think a balanced approach is best. The measure of the effectiveness of the training methods of a (traditional) martial art is not necessarily how well it does in point sparring competitions.