Sho-ju

Harry Cook wrote a book titled Shotokan Karate - A Precise History. Anyone read it? Here are a list of question that the book gives answers for and I would like to know the answers but can not afford the $75. (I'm Canadian it would cost me exchange as well.) http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Shotokan/Pages/Shobooks.htm Here's a couple of questions for Shotokan karateka. • Did the JKA really practice Shotokan karate? • Which instructors actually trained with Gichin Funakoshi? • How were the Shotokan bunkai lost? • Why are there so many errors in Shotokan Kata? • Does modern Shotokan come from Gichin Funakoshi? • Why does Shotokan no longer teach traditional weight training, xxbody conditioning and weapons as they once did? • Why has so much been done to suppress the true history of xxShotokan • Why are there so many forms of Shotokan • Who is praticising the karate of Gichin Funakoshi • How big is Shotokan's debt to Shorin Ryu

We used to do randori with and without gi tops.

I have been told and read that Shimabuku regretted the state of Isshin ryu in the U.S. His American students were given high dan grades before they left Okinawa and were expected to continue training to achive that rank before teaching and they didn't. The result was a weak style of Isshin ryu that is common in N. A., how true this is, I can say for sure.

Let’s be real. Shotokan’s training does not equip a person to fight a contest fight and I think that is the difference between the two arts. Shotokan=self defence and "DO" Kyokushin=contest fighting and self-defence and a lot less "DO"

Just kidding. Don't eat the Spaghetti it will end up on everyone and everything. lol

Spaghetti! Eat the biggest bowl of Spaghetti you can find about one half hour before the grading. Trust me on this one.

anyone heard of it?

I agree. Full contact Shotokan often looks like point fighting with harder hitting. That is not real fighting. Kyokushin is more up right and the goju ryu adds to the body conditioning aspect. I teach shotokan but it's not very traditional when it comes to sparring. I also agree that full contact is a plus, it's not for everyone and I always make that known but adding full contact training, pad work/heavy bag work does improve your karate training. Sho-ju _______________________________________________

http://www.satori-gi.com/ It's Canadian and you can have one custom made.

It still is judo just a more traditional form. Most people think of judo as being only the throwing art of the Olympic games but it is a valid form of jiu jitsu.

I wouldn't either, but people do kick that way as Sho-ju said he does. Just a different way of doing things and that's what I like to hear about So Sho-ju, what did you do leading up to that ill fated toe kick on the makiwara? How far had you progressed in your training? What type of conditioning did you do for your toes aside from the makiwara? We started by rolling the tips of big toe on the floor and adding more pressure. Then we would stand in front of the makiwara with our knee up in mae geri and just lightly kick the board with the toe (the second toe wrapps over the top of the big toe). The problem is my toe went numb from all the reps and so I started to kick harder and busted my toe. I'm not sure when they start doing this in shogen ryu/shorin ryu, I already had a shodan in shotokan when I trained with him and so I was taught from day one. I kick with my toes only when I have shoes on. I want to have feeling in my toes when I'm older... In shogen ryu all front kicks are done with the toe in kata except for one kick with the ball of the foot. Taba Sensei is the head of that org. and he was a student of Nagamine Sensei. Pilon Sensei on the link above likes to give a demo of a toe kick by kicking you with the ball of the foot and then with the toe. The toe feels like a knife.

In Shogen ryu we kicked with our toes. The first time on the makiwara I busted my big toe nail, blood everywhere. http://www.geocities.com/koshinrin/ Here's the link to the dojo where I trained in shogen ryu, I can say the toe kick hurts a lot. Sho-ju P.S. Look at the sensei Pilons funky toes...it takes a while to develop the toe kick.

In Shotokan I was taught instep to the head for reach and ball of the foot to the ribs. (mawashi geri)

Thx, Shotokan Fighter. Anyone else have the Iron Man?

A sweep works best in the street. Followed up with a solid ground and pound. I'm happy to hear you are thinking about the self defence apps a lot of karateka only see the sport side of karate. When it comes down to it ALL I WANT IS TO GET THE GUY IN THE SKY THEN ON HIS BACK. At my shodan grading I bombed everyone...all the black belts. I was bombed once but rolled to an ankle lock as soon as I hit the floor. Sweeps work all the time, even when your tired. How many here are taught to sweep on a consistent basis?

Thanks, I start with Sifu Redmound on July 12. I'm looking forward to it.

I have ankle problems so instep kicking is a big no, no.

Ball of the foot or shin.

I use most often double leg sweep, outer reaping sweep and uchi mata. (not sure of the english)

My Ryu Kyu has lasted me 8 years and still going. I'm not sure if you can still get them, I have the sabaki style cut.

We are talking about this in the another thread...

I use white viniger to keep it white.

Anyone have an Iron Man from Century? What's it like?

What brand name do you wear? I have a Ryu Kyu Ent. and a Bose. My belt is a Tokido.

Anyone use the MartialArm and how does it compare to the muk jong?