singularity6

Heh, I've screwed up forms in class. I just say "I am making a new one!"

I've tried sparring with tight fists. I find I don't move as well. I certainly can't block as fast and I can't flow so well. That said, that could be simply because self perpetuating thing, in that I practice open hand more because I move better that way, and I move better that way because I practice more that way. I can see pros and cons to both. Closed fists are stronger and less prone to injury of course. But open hand, even if it's not actually faster and more fluid in general, does give the advantage of being ready to turn a block into a grab, in theory, although in our sparring rules we're not allowed to grab in free sparring. We're trained to spar with our hands closed, as loose hands = jammed fingers. At least, this is what happens at lower belts.

Quality > quantity. More classes will be better, if they're productive. I feel that students must also practice on their own, if they would like to improve faster.

Congrats!

Welcome to the forum, Keith!

The Uechi Ryu folks seem to have a good idea for strengthening their hands (easy internet search for details.) Instead of clay jars, you can probably buy some dumbbells (15 and 20 lb would probably be appropriate in size and weight) to train with, and get some desired results. I haven't jammed my fingers or thumbs in class, yet... but I did jam my big toe back in February, and it still hurts. My shoulders also partially dislocate fairly easily. While my injuries are a little different, I can definitely relate!

People obsess about the "traditional way" simply because it's the only way they know. If it was how they had to learn, and they took something from it, then it must be good. I have a lot of memories about "how I was taught." Those, however, are subject to my perspective. Simply trying to teach "what you remember" isn't the way to go. Teaching needs to evolve; to develop. There is a bit of experimentation that should take place. One needs to learn from their students and those around them, as well. When feedback is good, it's easy to pat oneself on the back and proceed on that course. When it's bad, it's easy to dismiss it as whining. It never hurts to take a moment and ask yourself "why?" when the whining starts.

I've read and re-read this but still don't understand the significance of the name Christopher. Is there an inside joke here or what am I missing? Perhaps some people find folks with that name more trustworthy, as it's derived from Christ? As opposed to a more Islamic sounding name, like Muhammed you mean? I hope it's nothing like that. Apart from being blatantly racist it would also be plain silly. I'd be willing to bet that exactly zero people ever have ever looked at their newborn child with awe, and declared, I will name him Christopher, so that he can be a more successful mugger as his victims won't defend themselves from him if he wears a name badge with Christopher written on it. Sadly names do play a big part in how people are treated. Here's a relatively famous example: Also, interesting choice about Muhammad/Mohammed. I live in a rural town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The population is over 90% white, and over 80% Christian. I'm not religious at all, and my wife is Muslim. We've had several issues with individuals up here (mostly my wife, as she has an accent and a Muslim name... but I've had some run-ins too when.) We are concerned about the name we give our first kid, when we have one. My wife would love to keep the Middle Eastern culture alive in the family, and I think that would be neat, too. But what would that do to our kid if he/she were to grow up here where we live?

We could use reading as an analogy here to help students understand... You don't teach someone an alphabet, then hand them a novel with the expectation they'll be able to read it. In order to be able to pick up a book and read it, one needs to spend a lot of time with the basics: Spelling, sentence structure, grammar and punctuation, writing paragraphs/essays, as well as reading passages of varying lengths with comprehension. Once someone has become proficient in all that, then reading becomes second nature. Using martial arts for self defense is very much the same thing. If someone wants to learn "basic self defense," there are classes out there. Cops and military personnel learn a few basic techniques, and drill them to the ground. This would be more efficient if all you're interested in is self defense. Not too interesting to us martial artists!

Always show up to class with an empty cup. Assume you know nothing (which is brutally hard to do!) The muscle memory might be a challenge, however. Students who come to our schools from elsewhere have a hard time with our blocks. Our knife-hand blocks are way different than any place else I've seen. Everyone from other schools revert to their old ways.

Here ya go - I had a friend that raised fighting birds. I didn't realize the differences between dogs and birds. For example - a champion fighting dog is studded out whereas a champion bird is not. The reason is they want to horde that bloodline. Contrary to popular belief, dog fights normally end in submission not death. Cock fights, on the other hand, almost always end in death. So they don't want to put their champion bird up against a bird from the same super effective bloodline. I do not support animal bloodsports, so knew very little about this. He asked if I wanted to see the difference between a $200 and $800 bird. The larger one being the cheaper of the two. He put "boxing gloves" (shields their talons) on both and turned them loose. The cheaper (bigger) bird came in really aggressive, attacking str8 on with both feet. The high dollar bird swooped down (chest almost brushing the ground, wings pointing behind it) and went under the legs of the other. It then immediately threw a back kick (never turned around, both birds still back to back) and struck the cheaper bird in the back of the head. He separated em right there and explained - had they been wearing weapons, he would have just killed the other ones. So yea, I have seen animals exhibit impressive technique. Your friend is a sick individual.

Hey, congrats! In my experience, anyone who's taking something very serious and making a long-term commitment tends to have doubts. I know I have!!

I've read and re-read this but still don't understand the significance of the name Christopher. Is there an inside joke here or what am I missing? Perhaps some people find folks with that name more trustworthy, as it's derived from Christ?

We've achieved dominance despite our physical stature. We've used our intelligence and ability to create tools (weapons) to make up for our lack of natural weapons.

The overall vibe I've gotten from all these "is this okay?" posts is that you've been told you're not doing techniques correctly, yet you want external justification to keep doing what you're doing. and are contradicting each other, and they're in the same post. Ultimately, if you don't like the school you're at, find a new one. If you don't like being taught, open your own school.

As stated by others in your previous posts, you're leaving us with little information (short, poor quality videos, pictures with only one angle, etc.) If I'm getting feedback in the classroom, my instructor(s) make me kick multiple times, and they watch from multiple angles. Also noted by others: Our styles are different. We do the best we can to give advice based on our experiences in our styles. Poking around online to refute what we're saying is rather offensive. You really should be asking and LISTENING to your instructors.

I'd have to see the foot that's planted on the ground. Are your toes pointed 180 degrees (aka side kick) from the kicking leg? Or 90 degrees (aka round kick)? In our style, we kick with the heel. Others use the knife-edge of the foot.

This is when I block with my face.

I practice spear-hand on my wife. "Spear-hand-butt." It usually gets me yelled at.

I'm not one who likes to get a daily workout... So I prefer my MA classes to go a bit harder. I might train/workout a day or 2 outside of class.

Yeah, I never put mine in the dryer anymore. Wash a new gi a few times on cold (hang dry, of course!) If it's still too long, take it to a tailor and have the sleeves/legs hemmed. Hopefully the tailor knows to put several rows of stitching in the hem for support!

I'm 5'10" tall and weigh about 190lb now. I wear a men's large shirt (American sizes) and my pants are typically 32x32 or 34x32, depending on the cut. That being said, my gi size from both Century and from Meijin is a size 5, and they fit me perfectly in the shoulders and waist. I suspect I'd be wearing the 5/180 you currently have. If a men's large shirt is tight in the shoulders, or your waist size is larger than a 34, you may want to consider going a size up. Wash it a couple times in cold water, hang dry it, then get it tailored. My Century gi shrank over time (it went in the dryer only once!) and I had to replace it. I strongly advise against drying your uniforms.

Hi, welcome to the forum! And I agree with Shorty... Something sounds off.

I have loose joints, yet I also lack flexibility. People frequently associate loose joints with flexibility, but really, they are two separate things. The hyper-mobility in my shoulders makes me look flexible (grabbing elbows behind my back in weird ways) but in reality, it's the shoulder dislocating slightly instead of my muscles stretching. I'm rather prone to injury these days, and I have to be very careful when training.

A good school should accommodate. After all, students are paying customers! I started MA a few years ago at age 36. My shoulders are prone to dislocation, my hips were weak, and I seem to have bad luck with injuries in general. The style I study is actually quite demanding, yet my instructors are cognoscente of what I can and cannot do, and are careful of their demands with me.