Shorin Ryuu

I'm learning Japanese and nowadays online, its pretty easy to find websites that teach you Chinese characters. It is simply a matter of going into a search engine and typing "learning Chinese characters" or "learn kanji". I'm not sure how useful online sources would be for calligraphy because you need someone qualified to critique your writing. Something that is really important is stroke order (i.e. the order in which you write each stroke of the character). While writing in other languages like English, probably only experts can identify which strokes were done first or whether it was technically written "properly", but with Chinese characters, the average person off the street who understands them (at least in Japan anyway) will identify if it was written properly or not. All that being said, are you interested in learning the language or just writing the characters? I think just writing the characters would be somewhat difficult if you did not learn the language. It is difficult enough knowing what it means and writing it...but I'm not a calligraphologer...calligraphist...scribtologist...I haven't the foggiest what you would call it... I'll ask my Japanese teacher and see what she says about it...

I'm like most of the people here. I don't go walking around in my gi nor do I go tell random people that I do martial arts. But if they ask me what my hobby is or if anyone is simply around me for an extended period of time, they know I do it because invariably it might come out in conversation somehow. I'm proud of what I do. Then again, I also agree with most of the people here when they say they would not say "Hey, I do martial arts" during a streetfight. Such a statement would only serve as a confrontation. Some of my friends tease me good-naturedly, but they think it is pretty cool that I do martial arts. Of course, some are pretty skeptical, but some of those I've taken out into the dojo and shown them some things and they've changed their minds. Then again, there are those that still think that "yeah, that stuff doesn't work in a real fight" and there's always a few that when they walk by the dojo at my school that think it is really cool to make kiai noises or poke fun, and that is perhaps very frustrating because you put so much effort into training and ignorant people just do not understand. I just like to think of it as an exercise in self-control and humility...

I'm not too sure that they were made for real combat though. For anyone who knows how a katana is made, the design would make it very weak.

Very Respectfully <=== I love it, standard military closing to a letter or email (That just jumped out at me, we use it a lot at the Air Force Academy)

Just to keep things in mind, pressure points are only about the size of a ballpoint pen. However, there is about a 1 1/2 inch area of sensitivity around it. Furthermore the bigger the person is, the bigger their pressure points are. This means that the more pressure you apply to a point, the less "accurate" you have to be. Lastly, some pressure points you have to strike, others you have to rub.

I see you live in Yokosuka. Have you ever been to the budokan in Tokyo? I was curious if it was something neat to see. I've been to Japan twice but haven't been able to go. Next year I plan to spend a month in Okinawa to train (hopefully connections will all work out), but if I'm ever in the Tokyo area again, it might be neat to check out.

I have the same thing. I partially tore my acl and mcl in my right knee a liitle over a year ago. Its a lot better now, but my ligaments will always be slightly longer than my knee requires. The doctors told me as long as I keep my leg strong it won't be a problem. I can now do seiza a little bit, but not for too long...

I use a Pro-Force 14 0z. gi. I think its 100% brushed cotton canvas. Its been pretty decent to me so far. I just had to take off those annoying labels on the hem and the pants. Maybe its just me, I think its kinda cheesy to have gi with labels on them. Since we have a wholesale account at Asian World of Martial Arts (this isn't a plug, btw), I was able to get it very cheap. Otherwise it would probably take me a lot more to buy a really expensive gi.

Just something to keep in mind when discussing any "uke". The kanji for "uke" doesn't mean to block, it simply means to receive. Therefore, it is more of a question of layers of complexity. Sure, in a kata, it looks like a simple block, but the odds are, its probably something else... Anyway, to answer your question directly, one use for a vertical shuto (not bending the wrist), but can also be used while bending the wrist, is in response to a punch. When the person punches, shuto to the inside of the person's upper arm to jam the punch. Done properly, this will aim for a muscle separation (I think its the biceps, I really need to brush up on my terminology...) that is pretty painful and easy to do. Most people do not think of "protecting" the bicep while punching, as it is not a standard target and if done forcefully, can even disable use of the arm and at the least set you up for an attack on him. You can do this with either hand, depending on how you want to follow through. This attack usually requires you to close in or at least prevents you from maintaining your original distance, so if you aren't comfortable doing that, this may not be the technique for you. Hope this helps.

To-te was the original, general, and collective name for all Okinawan martial arts. On October 25th, 1936, there was a famous meeting of the Okinawan Masters. At this meeting, "karate do" was officially adopted over "Tote Jutsu", although the name was in use in some places prior to this. For example, Hanashiro Chomo, in his August 1905 publication "Karate Shoshu Hen", this was the first known use of the modern kanji, where "To-te" (meaning China Hand) was changed to "Kara-Te" or empty hand. The stylistic differences stem from the teachers, not the name, as Karate applies to both Okinawan karate and Japanese karate. In his book "Karate-Do: The Way of my Life", Gichin Funakoshi, who was the main person responsible for the introduction of Okinawan karate to Japan, said that most of the differences between Okinawan karate and the style he taught in Japan was that his style was very simplified. In teaching it to school children, he simplified all the kata as much as possible. He said that times changed and so must karate. In this he meant that he preferred to focus on the spiritual and mental aspects of karate over its physical aspects, as most people did not have to worry about life and death situtations anymore. At any rate, he says that the karate he taught was far different from the karate he learned as a youth in Okinawa. These differences are in the "jutsu" and "do" aspects of karate. Karate-jutsu means that it focuses on combat for the warrior's skill in battle, while karate-do is more for self-perfection of the individual instead of a warrior's use in combat. Long, historical answer, but if sheds some light on the debate a little.

hehe...most of my friends were scared when they say It for the first time when they were little kids. Of course, when we were all in like the third and fourth grade, i had already read the book so it wasn't that big of a scare for me...

Hello everyone...I wanted to post a poll on Chi/Ki. This poll asks whether you believe it to be non-existent, a scientific phenomenon that deals with mind-body attunement, a deeply spiritual or mystical force, or undecided about the issue. The answer that it has some spiritual benefits but is limited by the physical world is for all purposes the second answer. The answer that the spiritual force can drive changes in the physical world is for all purposes the third answer. I wanted a poll so I could also get some quantitative idea of what people here think as well as a qualitative idea, so please feel free to post something along with your poll response. Thanks everyone, and try to keep this respectful please.

Not really. I'm assuming you're talking about those ones to the sides. I saw some other style do Gojushiho somewhere on the internet and I saw them take those big drunken steps out to the side. I also saw a video of the head of our style do it and its really downplayed, but you can see it if you know what to look for. Plus his rhythm is a lot different than when you look at him do the other kata. I asked my instructor about it and he says we really don't emphasize it that much in Shorin Ryu. But you can tell there's a definite Naha influence there. I think it was simply borrowed from Goju Ryu (or at least from somewhere in Naha)early on in the development of Shorin Ryu , so throughout the years it has been changed a little.

I just had a question because this is a trend at my dojo. Since we do a lot of Makiwara conditioning training, most girls lose interest and drop out because they don't want to scar their knuckles and other parts of their bodies and build up calluses, etc. Does anyone else have this problem? Of course, we don't insist that they do it if they don't want to, but it does create an awkward moment briefly when all the guys are doing makiwara and the girls just do kata or something else. As for me personally, I have no problems with female martial artists...I convinced my future wife will be one, whoever she is...

Aah, I forgot about Inuyasha. Its so strangely addicting...Although truthfully (and this goes for Rurouni Kenshin as well) I like the manga better. Not the Viz english manga, but the original Japanese comics. Plus the Inuyasha-Kagome thing is somewhat less annoying than Rumiko Takahashi's other infamous pair Ranma-Akane. As far as robotech goes, you should see macross (the japanese anime they based the first 36 episodes off of). Also, this brings up another question...DUB or SUB? I'm a hardcore SUB or DIE guy myself...(but then I'm learning Japanese too). I just hate how usually the American Dub totally changes the personality of the characters (not to mention usually not done by professionally trained people). I've heard one or two decent dubs out there...but usually they are so horrible. *Thinks back to evangelion dub, crawls into a corner and twitches uncontrollably for a few minutes* Okay, I'm better... Well, everyone take care! Haha...I'm such a geek...

I beg to differ...most recent fighting games have always had a Bruce Lee clone of some sorts... I haven't really played fighting games that much recently (most of mine were the old school days of street fighter two) but I would say a toss-up between Dead or Alive 2 (or 3 I guess, I haven't played it) and Virtua Fighter 4. Virtua Fighter 4 let you have a wider range of stuff, but Dead or Alive 2 was easier to get into controller-wise. I've kinda stopped playing fighting games though (I prefer to just train in real life).

Most of everything I've trained with has been in the Yamane Ryu of kobudo. The funny thing about Okinawan Kobudo is that for the longest time, they didn't divide everything into schools, everyone just sorta' trained together. Most of my stuff is Yamane Ryu because starting in the 90's, Kobayashi Shorin Ryu formalized their Kobudo stuff and made everything Yamane only (as far as I am aware of).

Haha, I'm stupid and didn't realize that you started the Shorin Ryu post in the karate forums in the first place...oh well...

I'm a bit biased...but go ahead and try for the Shorin Ryu... There's a bunch of stuff other people have written about Shorin-Ryu in the karate forum. You might wanna check that out. Good luck either way...

Hi Rick! Welcome. I'm still kinda new myself. And think you'll find this a great place to exchange ideas about martial arts in general as well as specific topics. Enjoy!

Update on this one...I learned gojushiho today... I noticed we do it a little different than other styles in a couple of parts of the kata though

Thanks! I'll check it out!

I'm not sure how much I buy into the Chinese 12 hour theory that states that blood flow is greatest in certain parts of the body during certain times. I'm just saying that pressure points DO work rather effectively, and what is important is Where you hit, How, and in What Combination.

If he's into drunken boxing, then you'd better run away quickly!!! The last thing you want to tell your friends is that you got beat up by Eagle Plays the Flute followed by Down The Hatch! Haha, Jackie Chan rules!

Poor, poor Raphael...The sai are actually pretty fun (in my opinion at any rate). I do of course like the bo and nunchaku as well. I'm going to try to get into tonfa and kama, but haven't had any training in them yet. As far as self-defense goes, weapon training is probably good because if you know how to use it, its easier to defend against and while weapons you use or are being used against you probably aren't exactly sai or nunchaku or bo, they might be similar to them, like a giant salad fork (just kidding) or rope or a bat or something.