Sasori_Te

You probably made the cop feel fairly inadequate. A lot of the cops that I know have a bit of a "Rambo/Robocop" attitude. You took the glory away from him and did it easily where as he may have had to work harder for it. Good job, even if it was a bit ill thought out.

Just because someones has 25 years of experience doesn't mean that they are good. You can be crappy for 25 years too. I know many "Top names" that would fall into this category. The only thing that they really have going for them is name recognition. Just because they wear a high rank doesn't mean that they are all knowing. On the other hand. You seem to spen d a lot of time comparing yourself to your peers. Karate is not about that. No two people will ever perform exactly the same in karate. This is what makes karate unique to the individual. However, there are certain basics that have to be learned. However, your teacher is sending up a major red "McDojo" flag. If he graded the individuals higher that attended a costly camp, then he may be trying to send a message to the other folks that didn't go. Beware! If he refuses to discuss your test with you then you need to find another school. Are you locked into an expensive contract?

Sensei Oyata also was instructed by a Chinese gentleman, I can't recall his name right off hand but I will look it up for this topic. He was introduced to this teacher because of his family's name on Okinawa. They wer some sort of minor officials or some such. Sensei Oyate learned the Chinese 5 element methods of Chi and the philosophy behind it from him. You can go to some of the pages on Ryu te and find the whole story. You might want to also look up Oyata Shin Shu Ho which is Taika Oyata's karate that he teaches to his most faithful students.

Sauzin. I was under the impression that the original character for kara in kara-te was the Chinese character. This was changed during the the early 1900's due partly to political reasons, as China wasn't exactly Japan's best buddy at the time. I believe that this is what Monkeymagic is reffering to. I would also have to disagree with what you said regarding karate being totally separate from philosophy and religion. Karate Do's sole purpose is to improve life in general through the study of karate by applying the tenets of karate to everyday living. That sounds a lot like a philosophy to me. I would say that not all martial arts (especially the ones that focus on jutsu rather than do) are trying to present this face. I was also under the impression that Chinese Tode, Tote, Toudi, however you want to write it; was combined with the indigenous arts on Okinawa ( a kind of submission wrestling ) to form what was to be called Karate. It isn't totally a Chinese import. A look at the bunkai for the more advanced kata will illustrate this point.

Here's a simpler answer. You gave it to me yourself. You have only been in 2 tournaments. Don't pressure yourself. Give it some time. You need more experience in the tournament setting is all. In time, with a few more tournaments under your belt, you'll realize that a loss isn't going to kill you. Remember, for every winner in a match there is a loser. Even the best tournament fighters have some losses on their record somewhere. Relax and have fun. Everything else will sort itself out.

Okay CapitalKarate. I'll bite. Why is there no such thing as a neanderthal?

Good job! Good luck Budderfly

He also based his entire argument mainly on these 3 kata. I did wonder what he thinks the rest of the kata were. Or maybe he doesn't think about them since they might shake his present interpretation.

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to go with JerryLove on this one. If I have a gun and I have tried to get out of a situation and failed, then it is more than likely serious enough for me to pull a hand gun. I would NEVER pull a gun without the express intent to use it. Pulling any weapon without proper cause (circumstances warrant it) or intent to use it is the height of foolishness. If you've never had to do it before, firing a weapon at a human being is a very difficult thing, even with "justification". I say this about people with a normal sense of right and wrong. It also puts you in an awkward position legally if you do shoot someone without legal "justification". Then, you have to live with the consequences of your action. There are many things to consider in this arena. Finally, you risk having the weapon taken and used against you if you pull it out and suddenly find you "can't" use it.

I just finished this book. It was VERY interesting. Mr. Johnson has obviously put a lot of time and effort into his work. The book discusses the zen roots of the Shaolin arts and how they relate to chinese arts as well as karate. The main gist is that so-called martial arts all have their history rooted in the Shaolin style of "Crane Boxing". He puts forth the argument, with some pretty strong evidence, that the original Shaolin arts were purely Zen exercises and not in any way martial as this is totally against the Buddhist principles. He goes on to point out that many Okinawan katas are best explained as solo training exercises for push hands. His examples are Sanchin, Naihanchi and Rokoshu (sp?). His arguments are very convincing. It provides a unique insight into the roots of all of our "fighting" arts. I'm curious of anyone else's opinion. I highly suggest reading this book.

To answer your other question, yes, the heian katas are slightly modified versions of the pinan katas. The pinan katas were originated by Itosu, Ankho. The heian and pinan katas were devised to teach school children karate in Japan and Okinawa respectively. Heian shodan is actually pinan nidan and pinan shodan is heian nidan.

As the old masters used to say, you may get it in one minute or never. It varies with an individual and what they expect to get out of their art. Learn in this scenario is a very vague term.

ducky don't get caught up by rank and fanciful stories. Look at the instructors and the way they perform the techniques. Also look at the level at which they perform the techniques. Ask the higher ranks to perform at reality speed because you are curious to see how it works. Can they do it effectively and most importantly realistically? Are the techniques so set up during training that you would have trouble making them work in any situation other than your class? I know it's hard to see some of these things when you have little experience. Slow down and try to look at the art objectively (although you may have little to compare it to). If it looks genuine then stick with it. If not, look somewhere else. Did you have to sign a big contract?

It's still a sport. No thanks.

It might even cause them a fair bit of being dead if you happen to crush the pharnyx.

Is this a real post?

kle1n To be more exact Force = Mass x Acceleration. We tend to use force interchangeably with power which is really incorrect. Speed = distance/ time very simply. Just thought that I'd throw a little science in the mix.

Welcome to the forum.

I agree. If I take it away, it's mine to use.

It's a shinai. It doesn't get fun until they use 2 x 2's on you

smr .... that's not how I learned to do breakfalls.

I do this in warm up as well.

Master Jules. The guy giving problems is a lower rank than Sibylla.

What granmasterchen said....

Agreed. Talk to your instructor about the guy. Personally I would have already mentioned the foul language. There is no place for that type of behavior in class (or anywhere for that matter).