GrrrArg

A few people have picked up on the point about hitting through the pad. Following through your punches is a must. If you've ever done or seen any breaking (boards etc:) they aim to hit below the board. ---hand ----------------------board ----target This means that instead of just hitting the board you strike through it and it should break. Hitting a persons the same. If you're going for a stomach shot visualise hitting them in the spine - via the stomach A great exercise I was once taught was to get a training partner and some balloons, blow up the balloons so they are taute get your partner to hold it against his/her stomach, now try to pop the ballon with a punch. Hitting the ballon won't work, you have to hit through the ballon and make contack with your partners stomach. I suppose you could also try taping the ballons to a heavy bag for the same purpose. Hope it helps and feel free to argue with me cos I have a harder punch.. J/K

Tut Tut Valithor, do you guys do the self defense seminars over in Australia or just in-corporate it into normal lessons? because we are starting to do this more often now.

Taigyoku Shodan, which is apparently also similar to Heian Shodan as well as the others Sai mentioned.

I agree with the others, a bit of humbling did me the world of good. Its something all MA's should have happen to them I think.

dont joke, i actually did watch a copied version at my mates house

Soory I should also add that this is the only time I know of segregation in the club and I think that segregating is probably a bad idea, there is a big difference between being attacked by a man than a women (mostly phycological) that they couldn't prepare themselves for. It could be a good idea however for women who have unfortunately been victim to the above metioned crimes and want to learn to defend themselves but are perhaps not yet ready to deal with men in an aggressive environment. Incidentaly can you imagine the upproar that would be caused if someone were to start a men only MA club..

My club occasionally runs specialised self defence seminars in the area, often somewhere in the middle of this the women are asked if they want to step aside for some more specialised insruction-dealing with rape attacks and the like, they show things like airhorns you see at footy games that can be used against an attackers ear to diasable them etc:...

Oh don't get me wrong I have no problem with him helping as a sempai but as a full instructor-no, not a good idea. How can you demonstrate techniques properly with poor balance and distance judging, he could end up accidentaly hiting someone if he was using them for a demo..

Growth spurts do have a lot to do with training and therefore teaching. When I was younger I could come back to train after a week and find my balance all off and my distance judging all to pot because I had grown just a bit..everyone is like that its a basic human fact that when you grow your mind has to play catch up and learn how your body has adapted itself. What telsun says about the impression given by a 14yr old taking the class is also true, I know Ryu is taking the kids class but any adult bringing there kid would probably turn and leave when they saw the young age of the instructor, that has no bearing on Ryu's skillas a student or teacher, it is simply the first impression that the public would get. Can you honestly say that if you went to another style/class to train that you would stay if the instructor was only 14? I know I wouldn't.

nice on I've merged katas together before, usually when I forget which one im meant to be doing...

Taking my brown belt grading. In particular having three instructors come and stand about three feet away from me whilst I was performing the kata I needed to grade...arrgghh Oh and tibby keeping hold of food seems to be a crash phenomenom (SP?) my friends were hit a brick wall at 70mph, they were all OK apart from being a bit shaken but Will had managed to protect the ice-cream he was eating..

The feminist thoeryies bear a striking resemblance to the difference in the opinions of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. X said there should be a seperate black nation ruled by blacks where whites are a minority without equal rights. King wanted a united nation with both races having equal rights. Same ideas really. Interestingly many black civil rights leaders thought that the feminists movement was stealing the limelight of the black civil rights movement. I personally believe that King had the best basic idea it just needs to be applied to everyone instead of only black and white men. The topic of Roe vs Wade is a very tough one that is always going to have split opinions. The child is at first part of the mother and she does indeed have the right to any kind of medical aid on her body that she wants, however the child is also half of the father..so surely he should have some say in the matter..but I guess at the end of the day the women is going to be the pregnant one, you don't see many doors being held open for expectant fathers..!

But your not actually taking the class by yourself without any supervisation are you? This does seem a little soon and certainly you are a little young, I don't mean to cause offence but you're not fully grown yet so you may have problems after a growth spurt when you suddenly find your arms longer than they were. I know that after a growth spurt I would always find I had to work more on my control and judging of distances.

I don't think it should be low. As lond as the knees are directly above the ankles the stance is correct. Sumo stance is meant to be low..

Perhaps they were cats or dogs in past lives? Or maybe they can talk to animals? Personally I don't really think it matters what dog food tastes like because my dog used to eat paper, and he seemed to enjoy it too.

Good for you Ryu although you seem to be the exception to the rule, have any other people your age managed to do what you have done? And by instructor for the kids I hope you mean assistant instructor and not full instructor because no 14 can be ready to teach on their own, im 18 and i'm not ready after five and a half years training..

^^^Good point^^^ Doesn't matter what Gi you have on really, in general just use what everyone else at the club does - you'll look stupid if you have on a black Gi and everyone else uses white..and blue or red Gi's ... ?? I would never where one, I think they look silly but thats just my opinion..

Beverly Hills Ninja - the great white ninja really puts Bruce Lee to shame...

Martial Artist just said what I was trying to say...again...grrr..*cries softly into pillow*

Dreamweaver is the best but don't forget it comes with a £350 price tag in the UK. If you're just starting out Telsun try NetObjects Fusion, my site was created with fusion 4 and the html is OK and the page loads fast enough..then save those pennies for Dreamweaver althouth im finding it quite hard to learn..

Hmm you know why train crossing beep as well as flash lights?? For the blind drivers of course..

Stealing mini-eggs from the church hall you train in would be a very bad thing as well. Especially when they happened to be about three years out of date. We had to eat the after-eights just to get rid of the taste:)

Give a man a fire and he will be warm for the night. Set fire to a man and he will be warm for the rest of his life. :)

Perhaps you look like a thug who needs to be taught a lesson..?

Try this one fast.. Pass the fork and knife..