DarthPenguin

Thanks! Now need to get my head down and work for the next couple - the 1st kyu grading syllabus is identical to the 2nd kyu (just everything needs done better) and then will try for the shodan one by the end of next year i think. Should be able to get back to lifting shortly too - taking everything gradually to be careful!

Another update - finally feeling better and back at work though still no idea from the medical people as to what was the issue. Not been able to exercise too much but still made it along to karate. On the positive side though my instructor pushed me to grade a week ago (i was extremely reluctant to) but i decided that he would know best and i managed to get my 2nd Kyu!

Doesn't sound good - one other avenue that comes to mind is maybe approaching the governing body? I assume you are affiliated to one of the UK Taekwondo associations. If you contact them and explain the situation then they may step in - having a club potentially non accredited / unable to perform gradings etc will likely stop it in it's infancy. Sometimes venues can be funny though - eg the karate club i attend on a Wednesday night has another Shotokan club taking place in the same large sports hall on the other side of a net at the same time as us! Never had any issues with them though (they are always polite and respectful) so i doubt the venue will do much as to them it is just revenue. Another thought is that your student might have misrepresented himself to them venue though as his class being linked to yours?

We don't practice it but reading your post has made me think how useful it would be. It immediately reminds me of how you feel your opponent when grappling and how that is so important. Often, you execute techniques based on feel rather than what you see and this strikes me as the same thing. I think i need to look into it some more!

Am curious about this - from the description it sounds very like a 'question mark kick'. Is it the same kick in execution of if not i am curious how it differs - always good to learn some new techniques

Oh that's a classic! Definitely, i also find it hilarious that the answer to the "which celebrity is best at BJJ" is actually Ed O'Neill - he is a legit 3rd or 4th degree BB (can't remember which) and trained in the "gracie dojo storm" era. He is apparently really good!

I think it can vary a lot depending on area and style plus what is expected. As an example i pay a lot more for my bjj club than any other style but that is expected - usually it costs more than other styles but there is usually a lot more class availability and more often than not it is a full time instructor and people can train 7 days per week. I contrast that with my karate club which is a second activity for the instructor who does an excellent job of teaching 5 sessions a week and you pay as you go, with it being a lower headline number, though the actual per session prices are not that different to BJJ classes and BJJ can work out less if you train loads per week. Judo was the cheapest i found. Where i am you typically would expect karate/judo/taekwondo to be taught in a sports hall or church hall for per class fees of £5-£8 with BJJ being in a BJJ gym and it being monthly fees of £50-£70 depending on planned attendance, with pay as you go for something like £10. Most non-bjj or mma instructors here are teaching from passion and the costs are usually just to cover the hall rental and if any left over then they make something, but bjj and mma are more of a job/business for the coach.

Welcome, nice to (virtually) meet you

congrats - enjoy the shiny belt!

If i want to easily increase the water intake but not feeling like plain water i find that massively diluted sugar free diluting juice works well - just enough flavour to have a different taste to pure water but not a huge amount.

Myself i find that salmon is a good quick meal - can lightly spice it to preference and stick it in the over or the air fryer if really pushed for time. That plus some rice takes about 2-3min prep time max and usually tastes good too!

How you finding the necro? I had heard that they are pretty overpowered! Not had a huge amount of time to play so not finished the campaign yet with either my sorc or barb so not tried season (you need to finish campaign first)

This right here is the reason why the first thing i say to any new prospective parents is "hope you are blessed with a good sleeper" usually gets met with a slightly odd look as they wonder what possible relevance that could have...

An interesting list! I would have also added in Married with Children and Red Dwarf to the list - though i do love Frasier!

Quick update - less training sessions than usual as have not been feeling well still. Got blood tests booked in for next week which will hopefully get to the bottom of it!

Monday 24 July BJJ Session Session was working on cross facing from side control. Important details were to keep cross facing arm bent and at a 90degree angle with vertical part of forearm pushing into temple to turn head. Do this if using either collar grip or hamd slid under head. Also drilled transition from side into mount via knee on belly, using likely responses to the cross face to set up an arm triangle with the framing arm by pushing it across and trapping Did a couple of rounds of situational sparring then had to sit out as started to feel ill

Tuesday 22 July Lifting Session Trap Bar Deadlift 70kg x 5 80kg x 5 90kg x 5 102.5kg x 5 117.5kg x 8 70kg x 10 70kg x 10 70kg x 10 Close Slanted Grip bench 45kg x 10 45kg x 10 45kg x 10 Fat DB Lateral Raise 5kg x 10 5kg x 10 5kg x 10 Leg Raises 10 reps 10 reps 10 reps

Tuesday 18 July Lifting Session Bench Press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 47.5kg x 5 55kg x 5 62.5kg x 10 37.5kg x 10 37.5kg x 10 37.5kg x 10 37.5kg x 10 37.5kg x 10 KB Offset squat (this was one KB in rack position - alternated half reps on left, half on right) 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 KB Clean 24kg x 10 24kg x 10 24kg x 10 Have been feeling not great last few weeks again so have managed less sessions. Found out why as it turns out i have hade a case of the Strep virus as have the kids (one had it manifest as Scarlet Fever which is how we found out!). All seem fine now though

Wednesday 12 July Karate Session Warm ups usual warm ups Kihon Worked through grading required kihon Kata Worked through every heian kata, Tekki Shodan and Bassai Dai at least once Kumite Did a drill where myself and one of the black belts stood at opposite ends of the hall and the rest of the class formed up in lines and all took turns attacking one of us then running to the other with a single unannounced attack. We had to stand up against the wall so there was no retreat and defend then counter. Was an interesting drill and i quite enjoyed it!

Welcome, nice to (virtually) meet you. Look forward to hearing from you on here - am sure you will have a lot to add

Yeah to echo what Wastelander said i think any bunkai would really start from Heian Shodan / Pinan Nidan. That is where things start to crop up that might be relevant. Taikyoku Shodan (we call it Kihon kata) i was told is mainly to get you used to punching with square shoulders and hips and transitioning to/from that into angled shoulders and hips with a gedan barai. I think if you learn the Heian Shodan bunkai you will cover any that could arise from Kihon kata since it will all be encapsulated within it.

Sounds like an interesting course and being informed by properly informed individuals too! Only issue i would have is that a large part of using such training in reality is mindset : couple of simple examples i have for that - a bjj bb i know openly says he wouldn't be confident in a bar fight if it broke out as his mentality is not suited to that type of confrontation; multiple instances of where an active shooter situation has broken out in the US and people (either working or bystanders) who are armed have not rushed in to engage the shooter. Please note i'm not being judgemental either way here as self preservation is entirely rational as is the instinct to save others. No-one will know if they have the correct mindset until they are in the situation that calls for it and that is unfortunately too late (obvious exceptions being those who train for it in the military or law enforcement).

Wednesday 5 July Karate Session Another quiet session tonight, just myself, another brown belt, my 6yr old and the two instructors. Means i got a semi private really so it was an excellent session for improvement of my technique Warm ups Just did our usual warm up Kihon Quick run through the grading required kihon plus a few other combinations from freestyle stance Kata Majority of the class was spent going through Bassai Dai. Really useful. Instructor broke it down and was really focusing on details. Having two of us that both needed to do it was useful. It is feeling a lot better already from a class going over details.

Tuesday 4 July Lifting Session Bench Press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 55kg x 5 62.5kg x 5 70kg x 5 KB Swings 24kg x 20 24kg x 20 24kg x 20 24kg x 20 24kg x 20 Have had a tonne on in the last week so cut it short there. Wanted to make sure i got the main lift (bench press) in and i have been noticing a good benefit from the kb swings - both conditioning wise and leaning out a little with the greater volume.

I would be surprised if anyone's style covered that - off the top of my head the only style i can think of that might do so is 'proper' krav maga - i was once told by someone that real krav maga is not taught outside the israeli military as a lot of the techniques require you to use a rifle/gun to perform them. bushido_man is in law enforcement i believe so he might learn some tactics for defence from guns as part of his work, but you would need to ask him. For everyone else i think the best style of defence is , as an old instructor of mine used to teach, to utilise this technique : 1) lift both hands into the air 2) ask politely, what would you like? Please take it 3) hopefully not be shot Never considered 'gun defences' as worth learning. Gun crime is pretty much non existent over here (no one has guns) so it wouldn't be a good usage of time really for me