GrrrArg

Spar more...avoiding pain will improve your reflexes. And the ruler thing that monkeygirl mentioned is actually a semi scientific way of measuring reflexes, we did it in biology a couple of years ago. You get a friend to drop the ruler randomly then you catch it, take note of the distance on the ruler then there was some sums to do taking into account of the time taken for signals to reach your brain (from your eyes) and come back down to your hands again, the time in the middle is your reaction time. Cannot remember the sums, but if anyone is doing GCSE biology in the UL blow the dust off your your books and have a look for the relevant pages.

Only ever trained on wood unless doing throws etc:, it gives a realistic feeling without being too dangerous to headbutt(!!) comparred to concrete.

Hmmm, actually they don't damage the image of karate with the public, because by and large the public don't know what to look for in a good instructor. This is unfortunate, but when people who join dojo's with these instructors train with proper instructors at either a seminar/special event or just when increasing amount of time spent training they realise that their "instructor" isn't really as good as he or she should be and then they move classes. I did this, same company different (better) instructor. As I said before with 40,000 plus members the company isn't going out of business any time soon.

"The Unfettered Mind" is indeed good and as such I have read it a few times, however "Hagakure" does seem to bleak to be relevant today-talking it as law I probably would have had to slice you up with a sword for not agreeing entirely and then commit Sepuku... But seriously compared to most the other books here that I have read Hagakure is just a bit too depressing.

https://www.karateplanet.com click on the link at the bottom of the page about 15 seconds to 4th dan.... My checks already in the post...

0.11, but pc spec does matter you also get a faster time if you hold the mouse button down the whole time and release when it changes.

Thats why i only train with the real black belts or any other senseis earned my respect.

??????? i speak english and bad english thats it... Don't know if you can get it in the US but try a tube of Deep Heat, it makes you're skin kind of hot for a bit but after that it stpos pretty much anything being painful-alternatively cut off your thumb and you'll find you're no longer thinking about the other ache's and pains anymore .

I think theres a topic in health about recovering from blows too the head if your interested kirves...

I wasn't intentionally talking about Shotokan only but thats probably where I heard it from because I know a few ex-shotokan practitioners.

Sorry I didn't mean loud kiai all the time, I meant just when practicing at home-or in the dojo, if he's already spoken to his instructor about it there shouldn't be any real problem, I wouldn't do it at a competition though. Although technically there shouldn't be any real problem doing that either (on the strikes at least) a kiai just shows you're putting everything into a technique for the best effect so it should be taken as a good thing to do-thats a different question altogether though .......

Sounds like my kind of film....which doesn't say much about me

Kinda what I was trying to say about helping naturals realise their potention. I have a bit of natural talent which would have gone unrealised if my instructors hadn't pushed me more than others.

So you can beat them and when you do? Who's Tim then Kirves? Most of kids beat the living hell out of me actually, they look nice enough then their suddenly flying through the air teeth first-and if they did manage to bite me it would probably go septic because most kids have questionable hygeine at best

I came into this thread a well adjusted person and now leave slightly shaken and worried about a few individuals mental health. And also with a strange desire to watch the film in question. Where can you get it from, I can't say I've ever heard of it before.

True but my style has three brown belts (added stripes) and people know this, perhaps I earned their respect without realising it? hmmm It helps that most of them are rather nice people and many of the adults joined because their kids did and im quite good with kids (or I scare them, one of the two).

I sweat very little, except my face. I find that my Gi soaks up most of the sweat and hairy ankles soak up leg sweat-don't suppose thats any consolation for the women here though Also I must remember that ladies do not sweat-they shimmer...

Blade's pretty cool but I'd prefer Buffy any day of the week...no doubt that comment will start off something akin to WW3:)

I think its a sad state of affairs when things like this happen and it goes to show that some people just shouldn't be allowed to do MA's. Hope the legal battle goes your way.

I hear that generally 4th dan is the highest you can get through pure training, after that you have to prove dedication through helping further the cause of your chosen art (in karate anyway) by writting books etc: or making video's to help teach kata-ofcourse you still have to train though. I guess it is because true forth dans tend to be quite old unless they started early. Funakoshi was only 5th dan I believe. This just goes to show that McDojo grand masters who are 12th dan at 28 really are a waste of good oxygen.

Why bother with silent kiai's, do them properly, this will probably have the same effect as motoko's idea but it will also make the kata look and sound a bit better (opinion), plus making the noise should make it easier to remember. I have noticed before that when im relaxed or concentrating on something heavily I stop breathing so your not the only one, its never happened in training. But I do remember lying in bed watching T.V and suddenly sitting up and taking a very deep breath before I passed out - very weird. As it happens I nearly choked because I was watching a Billy Connoly video and started to laugh just after the big breath...

Did anyone else think that Hagakure was overly death orientated and a bit depressing, I don't think it is as good as its made out to be, but I probably haven't really given it enough time (its not really light reading!) is it worth persevering (SP?) with?

A drunk and a pizza guy vs a drugie, sounds a good plot for a movie...! I think getting a bit of a beating can do people the world of good-not that I advocate attacking people on the street "for their own good" but for MA's and especially young people (more men I should think) getting hurt a bit in a fight shows you that you're not invincible and acts as a catalyst to motivate you to train more.

I'll let you know when I get there...but I suspect that its just the begining of the start of the begining of the begining of the begining, you get the picture.

I'm the opposite I leave stealtily with out saying goodbye, my friends say they turn around to talk to me and find that I've gone, I do it on purpose now just to tease them .