Shorin Ryuu

Well, back in my freshmen year in high school, I could only do about 2-3. Then I did pullups everyday after school for a month (after all my other sports and whatnot) and by the end of the month, I was able to do 16 (I maxed out at 27 a few years later, now I'm more at 21). I did them everyday (forearms recover quicker, in my opinion), but you don't necessarily have to. Every other day should work well.

Gee. Maybe I'm in a minority here, but I've always thought Fist of the North Star was perhaps one of the worst anime and movies ever made.

Just one thing to add. The only way to get better at pullups is to do pullups...so have fun.

俺はIMEと言うプログラムを使っている。

I prefer to do them with palms facing away (well, I didn't really have a choice as that is the military pullup anyway) because it works more of the forearm.

Remembering the Kanji by James Heisig. I've only done the first book and some of the second, but this is the best method to learn the kanji that I've ever seen or heard of. Definately worth a try if you're stuck in a rut learning Japanese because you can't read...

Yes, that's pretty accurate. I wouldn't say Japanese karate developed entirely independently fom Okinawan karate, but it took a drastic deviation in my opinion.

Yes. I speak it somewhat. I took 6 semesters of it in college. Strangely enough, I can read it much better than I can speak it thanks to a most excellent kanji learning book I found.

Without going too much into the details (I could fill a post just on the last sentence alone), that's pretty much accurate, pineapple.

But in some cases, there is that adage that applies: A little learning is a dangerous thing. And that danger is usually to yourself. I would say no training at all whatsoever might end up being better than some book training and nothing else.

My best message would be something like this: Being in a biomechanically sound position and moving only to the extent needed to get off-line of an opponent's attack with the utmost efficiency is far superior than bouncing, which requires muscle tension to shift direction, thus taking extra time as well as projecting more intent to the opponent.

Whereabouts San Francisco? I live in Monterey but train in San Francisco.

No. You can use books to greatly enhance your learning. But I've only seen a few books that would really fundamentally shape anything I would do anyway. However, in addition to the lack of books with real instructional quality in the first place, there's just too much to be learned with your body. I am a strong advocate of academic learning about martial arts. However, without live training, it is pretty much useless.

I am unbelievably happy. The man I train with has a wealth of experience and is very generous with his time and knowledge. He truly is an instructor that is continuing to learn, even after his 38+ years of experience. His formalities are really limited to bowing out of the dojo and wearing the gi (and the normal common courtesies you'd expect from anyone). That makes it easier for small group work in the middle of class and very open discussion. The advanced students are top-notch (unlike many dojo I've seen) and it makes it easier to discuss martial arts with real depth. My only regret is that it's two hours away, but that doesn't stop me from going 2-3 times a week.

My biggest regret? For the 4 years we lived in Colorado, me and my most excellent friend and training partner Skeptic2004 (who even though I owe much of my development to his continual training partnership, he keeps talking me up in his posts...stop that ) didn't realize that about 80 miles away, there lived this 7th Dan in our system who was simply amazing. We trained with him on multiple occasions during that last half-year and thanks to him we were able to travel and meet one of the best martial artists I've heard of and met, but it just kills me to know that he was there that whole time and we didn't know it.

Quite literally, ditto on just about everything except for the last two paragraphs. My teacher charges a paltry 20 dollars a month, but I'd gladly pay him more (if I didn't have to spend about 20 dollars roundtrip in gas to get there for one practice which I do 2-3 times a week). While he does charge that small bit, it actually is just to cover the rent for the dance studio we use as our dojo and to purchase dojo equipment. The generosity of all the teachers I have trained with always moves me to this day, even just thinking about it.

That sounds like a great idea. I'll send you my info.

Is it that much harder to move? Is it easier to predict? Is it harder to feint? Is there more muscle tension? I'm not being confrontational, I'm just asking you to critically answer those questions. As I mentioned in my other posts, I don't push off the ground to move, meaning there is no muscular tension there. When you bounce and wish to change direction, it requires a shift and muscle tension in order to do so as you already have a muscular movement in the very act of bouncing. I just found it ironic that you mentioned non-bouncing positions as telegraphing your intent when you move as my position is you telegraph more when you bounce. But this boils down to efficiency. The least amount of movement leads to the least amount of possible prediction time. The only way bouncing can mask intent is through displaying too much movement for the opponent to keep track of (and it isn't effective against a skilled/aware/berserk opponent). There are right ways and wrong ways of "not bouncing", but the right way gives the opponent so little indication of movement and intent that it doesn't matter. It also boils down to the basis of everyone's movement. I've said it before, but the way I try to move is to use as little muscle tension as possible and as much biomechanical structure and position as much as possible. That is how I negate your argument both about muscle tension and momentum. As we get older, none of us actually get "faster" beyond a certain point. We just get more efficient. As far as having more momentum by bouncing, that's only if you continue the movement you initiated in your bounce (meaning the fully telegraphed push of the ground). To change direction, you have to push off the ground again and have a perceptible weight shift to transfer yourself. All of which can easily be read.

Oh. I see you meant "It may not have much to do with martial arts, but..." Sorry for misunderstanding. In your defense (and partially mine), there have been Okinawan merchants and Chinese merchants that have exchanged martial arts knowledge such as Gokenki, a Chinese tea merchant who was influential in transmitting a lot of White Crane techniques to many Okinawans. Not the only one, but a prominent example.

Sorry, still trying to get a scanner for the yakusoku kata. As I mentioned earlier, the kyozai kata are ones I do not know and I'm very confident the Wansu I know is different from the one you are learning. That being said, the best way to learn the yakusoku are with a partner. Skeptic2004 can back me up in this, but it wasn't until relatively recently that I gained a huge appreciation for the Yakusoku kumite. We visited a Kyoshi 7th dan in our system (who much to our chargrin was located about 80 miles away from us and we didn't know it for 3 1/2 of the 4 years we were in Colorado) on a few occasions and he really showed us the depth of timing, application and distance that make it in my mind actually superior to free sparring if you train in it properly.

I've not much more to add. However, I keep seeing people writing about "bouncy vs. flat-footed". Perhaps its a difference in terminology. However, I'll reiterate once more, there's nothing immobile about "not bouncing." If anything, it has the potential to move quickly without the extraneous motion, if you do it correctly. Just because you aren't bouncing doesn't mean you've suddenly turned to stone. Heck, I'll even relate this to my brief stint in boxing during college. We'd always get these new beginners who would show up and start bouncing in the ring like one of those 50 cent balls you get out of those machines outside of a Pizza Hut. They would just keep bouncing and bouncing. Then they'd simply get hammered. And I don't mean stone-drunk, although the end result often appeared the same. Those of us with more sense still stayed loose without having to look like a a cat on a hot tin roof. For the reasons posted by Skeptic2004 above, bouncing isn't healthy in many ways. To answer the questions of me. I move in and to the side or sometimes don't step at all. Using rotation of foot, hips and/or stance, you can move off-line without having to step and in a manner that doesn't compromise your balance and chuusen. When I do step, I do so with my heel down. I alluded to this earlier, but you can do this quickly and easily by not pushing off the ground as you move. Some of this is what Skeptic2004 is refering to as well. I actually sort of stumbled on this way of walking after I had knee surgery and found it to be faster, more efficient and less demanding and actually used it (and still do) when walking around all the time. Later I made more of a conscious application of it to my martial arts training, with the aid of the aforementioned Arakaki book. But once again, the only reason why me and Skeptic2004 keep homing in on this issue is that we're trying to convey the idea that "not bouncing" is not the same as being "flat-footed". Yes, my feet are flat on the ground (sometimes, at least) and no, I'm not bouncing. However, that doesn't mean I'm vulnerable to what was written here: At any rate, I started off by saying I wouldn't say much, but such is the nature of my posts. Suffice it to say, balance in imbalance and imbalance in balance are important concepts here (which have been brought up in other posts as well).

Monterey, California. And thank goodness for Bush.

Wait. Forgive me if I misunderstand, but are you saying karate was only influenced by the meeting of Japanese and Chinese traders or other such random encounters? If so, (I don't mean this to insult you, but I'm just being blunt) you are really uninformed about the history of karate. I don't mean just common myths or legends, but historical fact. Certainly random encounters like this did occur (replace the word "Japanese" with "Okinawan" though) and there were some influences this way, but it was much, much more than that. See my posts above and others for more detalied references. I hate to sound arrogant or narrow minded in this, but I wasn't really posting my opinion on this, but fact. Don't get me wrong. I'm not angry at you for presenting a countering view or anything like that. I'm just being very blunt.

It was mentioned that being bouncy allows you to move faster in the 8 directions than if you weren't. I believe this may be true in some cases, but really only if your method of moving involves pushing off the ground with your feet. And even then only sometimes, as it takes time for the muscle tension, even if only for a split second, to switch directions using this method. But again, even assuming that you are faster this way (I disagree), the issue is pure speed (i.e., a sprinter) vs. relative fighting speed (i.e. two people). If your relative fighting speed to the other person is quicker, it doesn't matter how fast the other person actually is.

This isn't an article, but it's the rest of the quote in my signature. "In the old days we trained at karate as a martial art, but now they train at karate as a gymnastic sport. I think we must avoid treating karate as a sport - it must be a martial art at all times! Your fingers and the tips of your toes must be like arrows, your arms must be like iron. You have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy dead. If you punch, you must thrust to kill. If you strike, then you strike to kill the enemy. This is the spirit you need in order to progress in your training". - Chibana Chosin (1886-1969)-