karate_woman

I train where I live - in Barrie, Ontario, Canaada. I go to a dojo in the city and also train at home.

I don't generally wear my gi out of the dojo unless I'm doing a karate demonstration. The only other time I left the dojo in my gi I was just dropping my daughter off and coming straight back so I didn't take it off. I felt kind of goofy in it, but I was supposed to help Sensei with a class and didn't want to waste any more time changing since I was going to end up coming back partway through class as it was. I don't have any feelings about my belt or any part of the gi touching the floor (I roll around in it, come on!), but I wouldn't just leave it in a heap either.

pair escrima sticks yawara 1 bo 1 jo pair of sai pair of tonfa foam nunchuku 1 - bokken

Good luck

I don't know how similar those two are, but from my experience with Japanese vs Okinawan Goju if you are doing the SAME kata, only two different versions, it can mess with your mind for a bit. I STILL have some Japanese Goju stuff that pops up out of nowhere every now and then, and I haven't done the Japanese stuff in over 10 years! As for combining a grappling art and a striking art, judo/jujitsu nicely compliment goju's soft side

A sword could certainly cut through a bo, but a person using a bo against a person with a sword would not try use it in that way. They would have to use the natural advantages of the weapon (mainly its range, and the speed you can use it at) to attack other areas (arm, etc). Also, if a bo is cut in two, it can still be used as a weapon - two in fact (think escrima) A highly skilled bo master vs a highly skilled swordsman....I don't think the winner is necessarily a foregone conclusion, in fact we've been taught (in Okinawan Goju Ryu and Kobudo) swordsmen have been defeated by people with a bo/staff.

I voted bo as I love working with it and the sound it makes when I really whip it around.

I don't hang out with people from the dojo. When I first started in Midland it was probably because I was the only person from my high school there, and we really didn't associate much with kids from other high schools ( rivalries). There also weren't a lot of teenagers at that dojo anyway, and adults don't generally hang out with teenagers. When I started in Barrie, there weren't very many students because Sensei had just started and was developing his student base. When he got more students they were just getting out of high school and I was married anyway and really didn't hang out with anyone but my family when I wasn't at the dojo. Now I'm returning again but all the people I used to train with hardly ever come anymore, because now it is their turn for "life to take over", and I'm married (again), and a lot of them are really young teenagers so I probably wouldn't hang out with any of them (nor they me)anyway. My first Sensei (also my present Sensei's Sensei)used to say all the time that she had lots of acquaintances and people she was friendly with, but no-one she was actually friends with outside the dojo. I think she also purposely kept her distance from the students as she felt it wasn't good to be too familiar with the students; friendly, yes, but not familiar.

I come across it still...by viewing the forum based on when the posts were made. I stand by my original post, just wanted to let ya know some non boxing types (not to be confused with anti boxing) can still follow along. I actually considered joining a kickboxing club instead of returning to karate this time, but decided for the time being to regain the skills I had in karate; there is still so much to learn after black belt I was also ticked that amateur kickboxing isn't allowed in Ontario so I'd have to go out of province/country to compete until I go pro, and I want to return to competition. As for boxing...I just did a search and discovered there "is" a boxing club in Barrie. Hmm. I DO need to improve my hand work; I've been working on it. I think for now, I don't have the additional time to dedicate to boxing, but it reminds me that Sensei was a former boxer - I'll have to hit him up for some extra hand drills, especially after I get my heavy bag! Do you think a boxing club would do seminars? I love seminars

It isn't really the bunkai that they are changing, just stuff like how much your wrist should move in this particular kata....generally they are efforts to either hide the bunkai or emphasize it. We still practice the bunkai the same way.

How important do you think it is to find a traditional school? The reason I ask is because when I first started I thought it was really important to do things the "right" way. I still do, but after the big switch in our dojo from Japanese to Okinawan, I've had to come to grips with a few realities: there are several highly ranked individuals (with lineage to back them) out there that do things slightly differently, all with reasons as to why their way is the "correct", traditional way! The differences I speak of are usually rather subtle (especially within the same style), not important to the spirit behind the move, but are distressing to someone like me who takes seriously each correction her teacher gives her only to find another "authority" does it differently so we have to change yet again. Obviously the greatest differences were between the Japanese and the Okinawan Goju, but in my Sensei's journey to find a good Okinawan Sensei to be affiliated with we've been through numerous changes, all based on the authority of people who actually trained under Chojun Miyagi Sensei and his senior students. I've come across a site ( http://www.portaskarate.org/shobuhist.html ) that advises Miyagi Sensei actually had his students each specialize in one kata in addition to Sanchin. That explains a lot; while his senior students of course all knew the required kata, their additional focus on certain kata would lead to one student coming away with a slightly different take on the more subtle moves in the kata. It was a great relief to read that, and now I'm more at peace.

tomo-nage because it is fun

Well, for their sakes, they'd better train like crazy both at home and at the dojo so that doesn't happen, or (assuming the standards increase as they increase in rank), they will be on a fast track right out the door when they stop progressing so quickly.

Interesting. I don't take Muay Thai but would have guessed it would take a lot longer than 6 months to learn, but maybe I'm defining "learn" differently....as in becoming a good Muay Thai fighter; the poster did mention self defense, which is probably different than actually being a good Muay Thai fighter. In the vein of self defense, what is your goal? The best defense is avoidance (yes, even if you've trained in martial arts); if you can't avoid/diffuse the situation and have to fight, don't underestimate your opponent. Just because you can give and take a few hits doesn't mean you should go looking for trouble. Anyway. Now I've said my piece, I'll defer to the Muay Thai experts now, who will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong in assuming it takes longer than 6 months to be a good Muay Thai fighter

It might be for you guys but at our dojo it goes White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Brown, Black, and Green is 3rd Kyu for us. It was always represented as our halfway point.

I'm not even sure we met as I just started Friday, but best wishes. Three since I started Was it something I said? I've tried to be respectful

I think starting judo at 30 and training when you are 73 is different than starting in your 60's or 70's with poor health. Judo is great, and I enjoyed it when I trained in it, but I personally wouldn't recommend someone in poor health start training in such a physical art; as I'm sure you're aware, judo's "gentle way" doesn't seem so gentle when you've just been thrown

Thanks, though I didn't feel a need to be rescused per se, just felt (and still do) that the situation could have easily ended in a non violent way if someone (other than me, who he found amusing) had just spoken to him. I was NOT going to just sit there and continue to let him try to touch me, either. It was strange because I always knew I'd do my best to defend myself, but I'd never really thought about milder situations to use martial arts until that point...I guess I'd drawn the imaginary line in my head a bit further down the line, like actually being attacked or something. I think preventing people from touching me when I don't wish to be touched by them is valid, though. The mental process I went through both at that moment and afterwards was enlightening though. I'd even done the mental work on being attacked by someone I knew, as we'd been taught that would most often be the case. I guess I always thought I'd feel I was in real danger if I were ever to use any aspect of my training, since it was emphasized that we weren't to use it unless it was necessary; we could be kicked out of our dojo for fighting. I decided it was necessary, and my compromise was only using the amount of force I deemed necessary to stop him instead of breaking his nose! It proved one thing....I didn't freeze, I responded, just like I believed I would. I never expected to be able to think so clearly though - I thought it would be more instinctive - I guess it would have been if it had been real danger? It also could have been the fact that we've trained and trained for "unknown" attacks, where we don't know what type of attack (or even how many attackers) is coming, and we just respond with whatever we want. Since we can't "really" break our attacker's arm or leg in the dojo we also have to have a corner of our minds thinking and in the present. Anyway...it isn't really an exciting story, but really made me think, and it is all I have .

I must say I don't remember as it was well over 10 years ago. They each got progressively harder, though, and I remember green's significance for two reasons 1. half way to black, which was emphasized, 2. multiple opponents in the sparring. I think it strange they would ask you to grade if you didn't know all the required moves yet, though.

I would suggest T'ai Chi as well. I've tried Yang Style T'ai Chi and was taught by karate instructors who were also able to demonstrate the self defense aspect of T'ai Chi. I also met some Taoist T'ai Chi people who insisted T'ai Chi was not a martial art....that was an interesting argument (sigh). I mentioned it to the last T'ai Chi instructor I had and she advised that no, the Taoists don't consider it a martial art, even though the moves are obviously martial arts moves (they don't explain them). So I guess we were both right, sort of

Started 18 years ago. a. Karate - Okinawan Goju Ryu d. Jiu-Jitsu - WJJF, Kitsune g. Judo (formerly) i. Tai Chi, Qi Gong - took classes from my Sensei and also a college course Okinawan Kobudo Shodan - Okinawan Goju Ryu, Kobudo 3rd Kyu - Japanese Goju Ryu Orange (not sure of the kyu as he didn't give me a certificate, just a belt) in Judo Never been graded in Jujitsu; it is just for fun While I've stuck with karate all this time, I must confess I am interested in all of the martial arts, and go to any seminars I can ***edited by Karate_woman so it wouldn't look like one big quote***

Two in one day! Best wishes

Good luck

Another reason there is likely no answer is that people are continually creating new martial arts, which combine techniques of several other martial arts.

I wouldn't say I got in a real scrap, but I did use some of my techniques at one point. I was at a party at my ex husband's boss's place a month before my shodan grading. One of his coworkers was making out in the pool with some chick, and she went home. This left him both drunk and horny. All my ex's coworkers knew both me and my ex were regularly taking a martial art (me karate, him jujitsu). For some reason this guy wanted to touch me and thought it would be funny to try it. I told him not to, but he persisted in trying. I was fending him off with soft techniques, basically redirecting his hands away. Of course, that was great fun for him and just encouraged him. I got tired of the situation, and nobody said anything, so I distinctly remember making the decision to strike him to get him to stop. II had a clear shot at the face, but opted instead for a simple palm heel strike to the side. I picked that target because as much as I wanted him to stop, I wanted to emphasize my point but not seriously hurt him because the situation didn't warrant it at that moment; if he persisted after the single warning strike, and I felt I was in danger, that was different. Fortunately, the warning strike was sufficiently hard to make him stop. He left me alone and was seen rubbing his side later that evening My feelings afterwards were of anger and frustration. I didn't want to have to be put in a situation where I had to hit my husband's coworker. I felt that even though I could handle it (and did), the whole thing would have been avoided if my ex (6'2, 210 lbs) had simply came up to the guy and told him to cut it out. I mentioned it to my Sensei and he said he felt for my ex because knowing me, and what I was capable of (my ex and I often worked together on his jujitsu moves, and practiced sparring and grappling together too), he wouldn't be sure what was the right thing to do, and thought my ex would be worried about getting heck from me for intervening.