Hohan-1

My Orthodox kata is everything. That diluted stuff is almost worthless for passing on real techs and fighting principles. So, uhh, Beer Monster (btw beer/liquor sucks and is killing those precious neurons that help you to understand life and karate) what some know is more useful than what others think they know. Yeah alcohol and the western warrior culture go hand-in-hand. That's why the world isn't F'ed up....

You guys are not grading for karate. You are kickboxers and runners. Fighting lasts less than 3 minutes (that is long in fact). You should be able to handle things in seconds. You know that is the true meaning of "Ikken Hisatsu" or "Uchichiesu" to the Okinawans. That one strike that allows you to dictate the tempo. Quick fast and in a hurry! Why does the JKA have these idiotic guidelines? Are marathoners better fighters than drunken, fat street brawlers? Don't get me wrong, many Okinawan styles put there people through the same *. When they attend our seminars they are no better or worse from that kind of training. In fact many of them rely on their physicality at the detriment of efficacy, efficency and technical knowledge. They have adopted a LOT of bad habits. Ring habits. Big no-nos. The aim is not muscular (anaerobic) or cardio (aerobic) fitness but fighting ability and understanding of the forms and lineage. But only if you do the forms or learn the forms correctly in the first place. Suppleness will always overcome rigidity. Blah, blah, blah I'm talking to many walls! Hahahahaha!!!!

How can you decipher the bunkai of a form (oyo or kihon) when you are doing the form incorrectly? In karate the most important thing is form, or structural ki. If you do those long, wide, unnatural stances (supposedly for tendon and muscle training) then you can never really know the intent of the originator of the form. Short guys don't need to get no lower. They are not necessarily big muscle dudes so structure and positioning is the key/ki. They also need quick transition and balance so know that all you Shotokan types practice the Funakoshi method- the schoolboy method for fun and physical fitness, not for real fighting. Now that you know this then you can try and figure out how the original Shorin or Shorei kata use to look. Pick up Funakoshi's seminal (first) publication, "KarateJutsu". Look at the stances before he "adapted" them for the Japanese school system. Forget "Karate-Do Kyohan". That is rubbish karate. Funakoshi admitted as much, although other Shotokan practitioners insist that it is an "evolution". There is "devolution" too, you know. Ask any Shotokan practitoner who has experienced real Okinawan karate what the difference is. You still won't be able to "feel" them, but maybe you'll accept reality coming from one of your Japanese Karate brethren. No sweat. How many folks live in the real reality anyway? From religion to politics everything is based on emotion and brain washing. You will never use that "Karate-Do" to save your * so what does it matter? What some folks know could literally kill you, I mean your concept of what you think you know. Figuratively. So what does kata mean? Kata is the Ryuha. That is it. I can tell a Shotokan or other Japanese Karate-ka in one sec.. It's like mid-level sport karate forever and ever. More tense than you're feeling as you read these truths;)! Goodbye and understand that this all opinion. No need for tears of sadness or anger. Research stuff on your own. I am trying to help you. Really !

The IDF does not use Krav Maga. Even if they do so what. They gots uzis and things that go boom-boom. The threat of deadly force would make Pimp Slap Foo' an effective MA. What works for real? Neither a ring sport nor an amalgamation of mediocrity. There are no shortcuts in empty hand training. Even traditional styles should teach one to handle themselves in 4-6 months. C'mon now. Money, money money is the name of the style you guys like so much. Muay Thai would be a better bet for SD, although it too is lacking in techs and intent. Don't Krap no Maggots!!!

For Shodan you must know these kata performing them flawlessly and understanding the bunkai: Pinan Shodan Pinan Nidan Pinan Sandan Naihanchi Shodan Naihanchi Nidan Seisan For Nidan: Paisai Sho Paisai Dai Naihanchi Sandan Chinto For Sandan: Kusanku Gojushiho Shorinji Sanchin So Hakutsuru Tan Hakutsuru Ni Ju Ken Beyond 3rd degree these Crane Katas are also studied: Shu Kakutsuru Rokishu Ryushoken Matsumura Hakutsuru Sho and Chu Shorinji Chinto Matsumura Hakutsuru Dai Mei Hakutsuru The Matsumura Seito katas are emphasized and the White Crane is supplemental. In reality we only have 12-14 kata (including Matsumura Hakutsuru). You can tell the McDojos vs. the real karate by what is required for BB. Too many kata means $$$! 50 kata is toooo much. It is best to master 3-5. The Okinawans have a saying, ' it takes 9 years to master one kata". So 3 kata is 27 years. Think about it. Bye.

Do you mean "Shihan" as in "Master Instructor"?

Depending on which side I am closest to- Tai Sabaki to the lead hand side, trapping the forward arm while simultaneously throwing a straight punch to the chin or nose. Next, getting the opponents back (rear corner) and applying a rear naked choke with a leg destruction, sweep or trip. That's just for one opponent, but can be adapted for many. The thing is that Okinawan karate is a spontaneous animal for the most part. Just like real life confrontations!

First off being able to defend yourself when you are 65 or, is what you should be training for. Young strapping chaps usually can rely on adrenaline, contrariness, resilience and strength to get through an altercation. Now if you're learning to fight because you wanna fill some voild or want glory (See "Machimura's Bucho Ikko"- Nominal Styles circa 1880) then that's another thing entirely. That's megalomania and S-n-M. Different intent. You'll need not be crippled from bad budo in order to fend off a mugger's attack or a rape attempt when it counts; in your old age. That vulnerability stuff probably won't happen until then. I laugh when NHB types say they did karate or this certain system, like for example Shorin Ryu. When you pimp them and ask what Ryu or Ryuha they look at you funny. If you don't know then you never respected the spirit of the thing and it never revealed its true self to you. You were therefore never a karateka. Karate unlike MMAs is specific in its scope and intents. All are different and none quite alike. It is too deep for generalizations whereas brawiling or MMAs is very general and superficial. Still even NHB styles like BJJ are all really GJJ, if done correctly. Karate and other Asian arts are not so dim-witted. Technology makes us lazy and dumb in some ways and more advanced in others. Modern fighting is more of the former than the latter. Don't blow a knee out or break your training partners neck. Little did you guys know that your greatest adversaries were your ego and shortsightedness. In the immortal words of Slim Pickens: "I like surgery, tooooo...."

The symbolism in "Fist of Legend" was so straightforward. You have to remember that Li's character goes to japan to study and while there learns many karate principles which he shows to his students when he returns home. In case none of ya' noticed the name of the cat he fought in the field, the one that waxed him, was Funakoshi (speaking of Sonny Chiba). Not a coincidence. The principle of adapting to change is from Matsumura himself (founder of Shuri Te), Asato and Itosu's teacher, Gichin Funakoshi's two instructors. Oh and street fighter sucked and that Japanese Goju stuff is ridiculous, especially the Sanchin "HOOOOOOCCCKKKKTOOOOOOOKKKKKCOFFFF__STROKE" guff! Now you understand. I wonder if this is why kata and forms are so hard for people to learn. You know, originally proper karate was only for the societal and intellectual elite of Okinawa. At least the tried and true Shuri Te style. If you can't pick up on clues, cues, hints and symbolism in a straightforward movie how will you ever undertsand MAs using your keen powers of observation and intuition. MAs is training in those things above all else.... Comprehending reality is Ki-----ah! Is anyone on this forum over 21 years of age? Do you all do MMAs or Mc Dojo stuff? Where are the real martial artists? I am so happy to be unique.

You only need and challenge your ego to remain imperturbable. WC and Kyokushin both have their strong and weak suits. If the Kyokushinkai guy asked for traditional bare-knucle karate rules, then no strikes were allowed to the face or head. As you can see from the video WC does rely on the use of speed and attacks to vital areas such as the eyes and throat. It's kicks are nonexistent and its throws and locks are rudimentary. It is a very minor form of Southern Chuan Fa, that is used for street defense, not ring fighting against accomplished athletes or karateka. Plus he sucked. From the looks of it, the adrenal galnd took over and it seemed like he didn't know how to control his aggression. Like he ain't never fought for real at all before. He was a lively little bugger! I think the diaphragmatic spasm caused by the uppercut gut shot did him in. He was probably soft as a marshmellow. In contrast kyokushinkai is a hard sparring, body conditioning style. On the street maybe WC guy would've faired better. In the ring he is fresh meat for practically every stylist I've known, from countless arts. He was wack!!!! I would've been ashamed to admit that WC boy was the opponent I defeated if I was Kyokushinguy. KnowhatI'mSayin'? I hope that those aren't what the WC forms look like. I had some fool trying to compare it to Matsmura Seito a few months ago. Yeah Matsumura Seito Extra-Light, with a lot of dilution and soft, feminine intent. It's like broke Naihanchi kata or something. I now agree with Bruce Lee's assessment of it. EWWWW!!!

Remember INTENT IS EVERYTHING. YOU WILL FIGHT LIKE YOU TRAIN. IF YOU DON'T TRAIN FOR SELF-PRESERVATION THEN WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING YOUR MIND-BODY TO DO? Learn a style that concentrates on finishing things quickly and unfairly. Krav Maga isn't necessarily effective because of their advanced fighting principles, but because they teach you the reality of the street--- "Don't Stop"! Many of their principles are quite iffy. For example their use of an Americana or Key Lock while mounted on your assailant (won't work on a strong, flexible cat, plus cement hurts and scrapes) or their method of getting up off the ground (it's like a broke breakdance move ---NO BAL-ANCE). Kirves is right about GJJ. Helio Gracie always wanted the core principles to be their self-defense techs. A lot of it is standup. Check out the video "Gracie Self-Defense" and you'll see what I mean. Many GJJ practitioners and especially non-GJJ BJJers fail to train in these core techs. That is not how GJJ was formulated. First and foremost it was meant to be for self-defense. That being said, it is no better than many other styles at teaching this. In fact many of their techs and principles share a common theme with Karate and Japanese Grappling styles. I don't like Krav Maga. It is a very easy art to learn, and the learning curve rapidly decreases the longer you are in. You will be mediocre forever IMHO. I've talked to people who trained in Okinawan styles then Filipino styles, Freestyle JJ and so on, then claimed that they are what they are from their 3 months of Krav Maga training. Like it wasn't the previous 20 years of MAs study, hahahaha! Oh well that's how Implicit and Explicit memory works. Assimilation is often far after a skill has been learned. I've watched a few classes and it makes me cringe. They don't even know their own history. The same MMAs cat that gave it praises above all his other knowledge of MAs said it came from a Nazi soldier who defected to Israel, hahahaha! No * that is for the reals!!! Even I know it was from a Czech jewish ghetto kid that learned boxing, wrestling and GYMNASTICS. Those are hardcore credentials to start your own art on. Especially the GYMNASTICS. Where's Bart Conner's Gymkata when you need it (or was it Kurt Thomas')? He structured it (loosely) like karate and judo, belts and all. Where is his Asian Art experience from? Why the same BB rank structure? Does the Israeli Army really learn that junk? They can't fight H2H then. Oh yeah they are fighting against poor, starving arabs, I forgot. Try that stuff on your average 200+ pound 6 ft. American or European bar brawler. Uh-uh. no good... Hahahaha so silly are we humans. G-U-L-L-I-B-L-E... So any art that teaches you standing controls, quick traps and locks, lots of dodging and limb destructions, eye gouges, neck strikes, with striking and balance upsets, strangulations, vital point strikes, fast joint "snaps" (forget the locking unless 1 on 1, takes too long), low kicks and leg destructions, overwhelming force, use of every possible weapon available to you whether a part of your anatomy or objects in your vicinity, slams, dynamic throws, sweeps and trips, etc. would be good for real fighting. The teacher is a big reason for a systems street efficacy as is the student. Matsumura Sokon said "adapt to change". Don't look past the traditional. What killed a man back then will kill a man now. OK folks good luck and bye...

In many Okinawan styles white gis are for everyone and black ones for the yudansha. You can mix black pants with a white top or vice-versa. It's just clothes and to "put you in the mood", 'nawmean? Traditionally the Okinawans wore just their "drawers", which looked like a big diaper. Some wore everyday clothes and with the advent of the Budo structure of Judo, eventually gis. I guess there really is no official standard and it varies from dojo to dojo and style to style. I like them both!!! Yin and Yang you know...

Kyokushinkai is better than any American Kenpo system IMHO. I was just stating that I've seen successful Kenpo guys in the UFC and no Kyokushin or Shotokan guys. Shotokan would be effective for real fighting if it was done "Karate Jutsu" style. You know before "Karate-Do Kyohan" or "Kid's Karate 101". I would pick Shotokan over Kenpo American style anyday. I think Oyama understood this so he integarted what he thought were necessary principles from other styles. Kyokushin is my choice for the best all-around of the 3 mentioned. For Japanese Karate forget Wado, Shito, Goju or Shotokan and go with Kyokushin or an off-shoot like Ashihara.

Sorry for the oddness. I was saying that without forms you cannot know formlessness, which is obviously what modern styles like San Soo and JKD are trying to do. I guess all styles are. For example the "Ku" or "Void" sign at the beginning of Kusanku. Ah-ha a new meaning for the movement, heh. Kata is key/ki. That whole be formless spiel by Bruce Lee was a straight up bite of Musashi's "Book of the Five Rings". Anyway, I hate kata haters because they are usually dolts who know-nothing. So you are a Kobayashi guy? Are you Shidokan or Shorinkan? I did Shorinkan before switching to Matsumura Orthodox. Both are very good systems. All-encompassing in scope and practice . Hope I cleared up my rant. Yeah Kobayashi is what Shotokan is trying to be!

Wow people use the term "art" liberally nowadays. No NHB style is an "Art", except maybe GJJ if you consider a grappling exclusive style a MMA. For standup I would say that real Okinawan Shorin (Matsumura Seito or Shorinkan, especially) or Uech Ryu are second to none. Kyokushin and Higaonna Goju Ryu or Ashihara and Shidokan are good too. Muay Thai is a sport. So is kickboxing. They are not arts. There ARE kickboxing styles that are arts like Bando, Kravi Kabong and Savate. Thai Boxing is not an art. It's about money making, gladiatorial spirit and gambling. True Bujutsu or even Budo harms neither the body nor spirit. It is also not used just for the heck of it. Boxing is a good stand up sport to learn speed and hand movement in. I would put my money on a boxer before I would a typical karate-ka. Is reality really this subjective? It seems very cut and dry once you know things based on empiricism and research not bandwagoneering and emotion.

San Soo is not real Chuan Fa. It is a form of garbage disposal fighting made up by some Chinese cat. They have no forms because it is not a real Kung Fu style. Even Wing Chun has forms! Bruce Lee's quoting of Miyamoto Musashi is awe-inspiring to the unknowing. He was a mid-level martician at best, that killed himself with over indulgence in self. Being formless entails knowing what form is first. Nothing except Ku or the void is formless. You get to that point through Poomse, Kata or Hyungs. Don't listen to Kathy Long. She is a chick and never fought for real in her life, especially against a good strong man! You will never know kata because you will waste your time getting your arm snapped by John Marsh. That Americana Lock is a beyotch, especially agaist Fake Fu.

I once met a karate-ka who could flap his lips at 50 words per second. His mouth boxing was superior, hahaha! Anyway the style from which Shotokan derives the majority of its principles, Shorin Ryu, is definitely the fastest of the karates. Wado is the Japanese attempt to mirror that original relaxed speed. That is why Ohtsuka injected some Juho (Soft) principles from JJJ. Ti does that for the Okinawan styles. The mix of hard and soft is very prevalent in the NahaTe and ShuriTe arts of Okinawa. When you try and mix Goju and Shorin principles without sticking to one style, stuff gets twisted. So now Shotokan looks like very single-minded hard Shorin or non-circular tense Goju. Weird combos for fighting, especially when you are older and beyond schoolboy karate.

The truth is that the Japanese styles put too much emphasis on using your hips to generate power. For hook punches a little hip torque helps to transfer your energy from the ground up. The old school karate styles taught rising and sinking power. This was borrowed from Shaolin and White Crane. Using gravity and rootedness as a means to maximize striking power is little understood nowadays. Especially amongst the "school boy karate styles" that are prevalent out there. All this "straighten your leg" or push forward stuff is silly. Bend your knees when you fight and when delivering low punches, and flex them slightly without straightening them when striking high. Get it right. Shotokan is a bad example to use. Too much Goho no Juho at all. That is why guys like Kanazawa Sensei went to China and Okinawa to train themselves beyond that mediocre karate level. The way Shotokan does things hampers your growth beyond 3rd Kyu. Don't overcommit on the hip twisting. This ain't golf and balance is key. Lifting your back foot is a prime no-no. Real karete teaches a strong base. This means not to over-hip it or lift your foot when punching. This ain't boxing where grappling is not allowed.

This 50 kata style is too much. Overkill for sure. Mabuni Kenwa was a veritable encyclopedia of kata. The problem is transferring all of the bunkai and techs appropriately and adequately with up to 50 Shuri Te and Naha Te kata involved. Their stances are too deep, and they have gone the way of competition slap-tag karate, especially the Japanese variety.

It's funny to read that you guys think that American Kenpo would fair none to good in a NHB match compared to Shotokan (never been even one participant in Pride or UFC) or Kyokushin (Rutten is strctly Muay Thai now). The fact is that an American Kenpo guy, I forget his name, was successful in knocking out that huge American Sumo Emmanuel Yarborough, with multiple open hand strikes to the face and cabeza. He broke his hands to heck but he did win at least one match and showed the efficacy of "slap fu". Now if they closed their fists, then those slap happy karate-ka will at least have the hands portion down of original Shuri Te. Kyokushin is a sport as is Shotokan. I would pick Kyokushinkai over Shotokan 90% of the time. It's like Shotokna on 'rhoids.

Don't jet ski with your gi on! Rei!!! Osu, hahaha!

Machimura Suidi... 'Nuff said!

Most modern Budo never had much to offer in the first place. How you gonna make up for lack of efficacy in technique? Add the mumbo jumbo of religion and claim that it will make you a better karate-ka. Ridiculous... Kirves is on point. You can tell he is a real karate-ka. I knew that real kyokushinkai was the best Japanese karate.

It means you ain't ripe yet. You haven't even begun serious learning. That is, of course, unless your Brown is in BJJ. Those cats are equal to most Nidans and Sandans in karate.

It's funny to see so few people that know toe kicking is the way that most Shuri Te styles have always done it. Shotokan is ShuriTe as is about 75 % of all modern karate (at least a derivative of it), and in Funakoshi's first publication "Karate Jutsu" he talks about toe kicking. The stupidist thing you could ever learn for self-defense is the ball of the foot kick. How the hell you gonna contact your target with the ball of the foot with shoes on? Toe kicking makes perfect sense even in a modern context. I would say that it is dangerous for your opponent if they catch a toe in the throat or eye while doing kumite, but kumite is slap tag not fighting. The Orthodox version of Shorin Ryu teaches to always kick with the toes. We use big toe makiwara for conditioning. No need for anything harder than some carpet against a rubber pad that is anchored to a concrete wall. I won't get into the technique. That is up to your instructors to teach you. The Savate guys have been toe kicking forever, because savate was a street fighting art originally used by French sailors who wore shoes as do most modern people. Traditional techs, real ones, are like this- devious and smart. Most karate and wu shu is 100% for physical fitness and fun, not for real fighting. The best areas to use for kicking on the street are the shins, heel, top of the foot and toe tips. Forget what your sensei's tell you, because ball of the foot contact is for barefoot sparring only, unless you wear flexible assed shoes. I prefer Florsheim's, tennys and timbos. Peace....