Jussi Häkkinen

I recommend http://www.24fightingchickens.com/ -website for you. Read it carefully. When you feel that you disagree with it, think about it and ask yourself _why_ do you disagree. Karate for life? Nice. Shouldn't be impossible - but shouldn't be anything incredibly special either. I haven't personally thought about for how long I shall be training karate. One and a half decade soonish, but I don't set myself any goals in it. I train as long as training feels good. Somehow I smiled at that "over 5 years" and at that bold statement of "planning to continue forever". Well, let the time tell. Don't stress over it.

SoulCalibur 2. Hands down - beats all the rest.

Somewhat. It doesn't, however, make the distance, footwork and body shifting differences a slight bit less significant. I feel that these issues are important in unarmed fighting, but even more crucial in armed techniques. The ashi sabaki (footwork), tai sabaki (body movement) and kamae (positioning) of unarmed kata are designed for unarmed use. If you wish to train same kata with weapons (might be done, with heavy changes, if one really understands the tichiki (application), you must take these issues very seriously. At least if you wish to create a kata that actually might have some fighting application. By all means, train with weapons. However, consider the issues I said about it. Weapons are all about playing with distance and positioning. That is why I actually think that kobudo-kata are more beneficial for learning the actual use of the weapons - they're pre-made to that format. Of course, later one should experiment with different ideas - maybe fixing an unarmed kata for weapon use (I would probably go for sai or tonfa - their distance is still somewhat comparable to empty handed kata. And that was a freely put statement). By the way, if you wish to read more about Shorin-Ryu Seibukan (Kyan Chotoku lineage): http://www.seibukan.org

When doing empty handed kata with weapons, think about whether the ashi sabaki and tai sabaki are suitable for weapon use. Usually not. There are plenty of kobudo-kata already, you know...no need to convert unarmed kata to an armed one.

It was Tatsuo Shimabukuro's own invention, designed to eliminate the turning of the fist and originally to make the punches faster and more relaxed. The "thumb on the top" -way was supposed to make the fist stronger without adding tenseness. It also exposes the thumb joint that can be used to strike the neck, temple and other similar targets. One doesn't really have to be convinced about these things. They are style issues - so, styles do their own way. Usually some sensei can back them up with explanations. If it works for the people training the style...well, that's good. Do things as you're taught to do in your style. If you don't like the way (and search for better), switch to the style you think is better. Simple.

Yes, I guess you could rate Finland as a small country. The size actually is pretty close to Britain and Japan, so Finland is not all that small geographically. And no, you don't have to go to army in Finland. However, if you're a Finnish male, you'll have to go to either military service or civilian service (unarmed service, performed in governmental services such as offices, taking care of old people or in hospitals etc...). Exceptions to this rule are certain religious groups that have had a liberation from service. They are a very small fraction of everyone. Also, some people plainly do not want to serve the country - they'll do their time in jail. System works and is rather civilized. However, there are slight room for correction. Civilian service is more than 2 times longer than most common service time in military (6 months in military, 13 months in civilian service) and those who do their time in jail (6 months) can be seen as to be imprisoned for expressing their opinion. Amnesty International has been informed for both of these cases. However, this is the only possible human rights violation situation that can be connected to Finland, so I think that we have a pretty good, pretty balanced country here. Most countries have at least one of those skeletons in their closet.

I tend to use axe, hammer, saw or other useful tool. However, I seldom feel a need to break boards. Logs, perhaps, but not boards - boards are excellent as construction material.

Use a hammer. More effective method. Human is a tool using animal by nature.

Cymry: Heh...well, I guess that such books are useful, if your own teachers do not teach (or know) about the grappling applications of kata. However, I think that the coin has also an other side. Occasionally people go over when they try to see throws everywhere in kata. Yes, there are throwing, locking and other unpercussive techniques in kata. Still, they aren't a majority - and usually are very obvious (and usually have pretty obvious setups). Some people claim - for example - that whole Naihanchi (Tekki) kata is a continuous joint locking and throwing drill. Although he can show this supposed drill with a partner, it isn't very probable or rational one - nor it has any support among the traditional styles and bunkai of karate. It isn't very useful either, if you think kata as a supposed phrasebook of fighting. So, while learning throwing, joint locking and grappling is definitely worthwile and useful, you shouldn't be explaining every movement via them. Now, I still must to ask: "What forgotten throws? Why have you forgotten them?"

I have never heard about a Shotokan dojo that would incorporate breaking as any kind of worthy training method or as a grading requirement.

Chinto and Chinte in same? They are two completely different kata (Chinto and Gangaku, then, are same). As are Gojushiho and Nijushiho... Interestingly divided. Found my favourite still.

Conditioning excercises - while applied correctly and not done in excessive amounts - are a good way to adjust into that slight level of pain. Those excercises (kote kitai) generally also tend to teach about correct methods of blocking and punching. That really is a good idea. However, karate is a martial art - I think that paired practice (some forms of formal kumite) are very important to include into training from the day one. It is quite essential to teach the applicative side of the movement you've just taught alongside the crude kihon form.

How many jabs in a second? I don't know. I usually use only one. However, what does it matter?

No, not really. But there's some pain that you have to get used to, then the other type of pain that you don't need to get used to - coming from the technique performed in a wrong way - and a pain that implies injury. The pain #2 indicates that pain #3 could be on its way - so it shouldn't be "soaked up". Slight amount of pain and uncomfortable feeling is a part of training, sure. However, continuous pain and damage done by wrong training methods is not a part of healthy training. Oh, sure, it's nice to be a macho when you're young, but when you grow up, all the pain and sore spots lose their glamour rather fast. Quicker you realize that, better you will be. So, allow small amount of pain and discomfort that are unavoidable in martial arts training. Don't allow yourself to feel pain all the time - especially if it is concentrated to same spots all the time. That isn't really healthy.

Not really...we both have "our thing". Besides, I have done my fair bit of her art in my past (aside the karate training). So, I don't really need stuff from her art - and she doesn't need stuff from my art. We both have our own personal thing. Positive thing is that we both understand when other needs to train or goes to a seminar - no nagging about "do you really have to train today" or "weekend in WHERE?"

Yes. It's called "hangetsu dachi". Weight centered, not forwards like zenkutsu dachi. http://www.24fightingchickens.com/kata/hangetsu.html should tell you more. If you want a juicy bit, I could share that we do our version of that kata - Matsumura no Seisan - using shikodachi as a main stance.

Kill Bill is also rumored to have Sonny Chiba to appear in it. Heh, even if there weren't any other reasons, I'd go to see the movie for Chiba nostalgy. However, it's an MA-parody action flick and I simply need to see it. Made by whomever. I also wait to see The Last Samurai.

You don't? Hmm...my gf is also a martial artist. We just can't help it - we wrestle and tackle each other every now and then. Goes easily into a some kin dof joint locking game. Just pure fun. And can progress to...well, less martial things.

12 year old brown belt? What? ...heck, I'm about to found a club and I'm thinking whether I put the age limit to 16 or 18... OK, so some do it differently. Carry on...

"Kenpo" does not mean "fist law" in anywhere else but in Ed Parker's homecooked system. If you're talking about the old system, you might actually want to write it as "kempo". Try reading about Shigeru Nakamura's Okinawa Kempo. It is a traditional school of a martial art often called as karate nowadays. It is self-defence based, no flash and very basic. Nothing even close to Ed Parker's flashfest. If you're located in USA and want to check out a traditional system instead of homecooked one, try surfing http://www.argedon.de/akka/history/okinawakempo.htm Might actually be worth it.

Common misunderstanding. Although Choi Hong Hi was an important figure in spreading taekwondo(and later founding his own organization, ITF, due to rather interesting political reasons), he was by no means a "founder" of taekwondo or a leading figure of karate in Korea. The name "taekwondo" may be a creation of Choi Hong Hi (so, he may be called as an originator for the name), but art itself was practiced by many others - many of these people were superior to Choi Hong Hi in their grade in karate. Of course, General Choi's military status (achieved later) gave him a change to spread taekwondo in Korea. Gen. Choi studied karate in Japan for 1 or 2 years (depending on a source), achieving a 1. dan black belt in Shotokan style. Most records support the story that Choi Hong Hi was a member of an university karate club - not the actual Shotokan dojo - and studied under the students of Gichin Funakoshi. After returning to Korea (and teaching karate in Korea), he became an important figure of Oh Do Kwan -taekwondo school. Oh Do Kwan taught same karate as the major school, Chung Do Kwan. Chung Do Kwan was founded by Lee Won Kuk, who was a student of Gichin Funakoshi in Shotokan dojo and had achieved a rank of 4. dan in Shotokan karate - during his time it was a highest rank awarded in Shotokan. Lee Won Kuk achieved that rank after 10 years of studying. During the time, taekwondo drifted further from karate, became more or less unified, divided into a Kukkiwon-taekwondo (which has a competition federation called WTF) and ITF-taekwondo and into some minor schools. Taekwondo tried (and somewhat succeeded) to differentiate itself from karate roots (nationalism rose its head) and new forms were created. First set of forms were called "Palgwe" and second set - in use now - is called as "Taegeuk". Also, several other forms - such as Koryo and Taebaek - are done in dan-grades. There was also a fabricated history of taekwondo spread in some state - nowe even Kukkiwon admits that taekwondo comes more from karate than from suspected ancient Korean martial arts. Of course, I'm cutting the corners here and leaving important parts off. I'm not a taekwondo practicioner, but as a practicioner of Okinawan karate (and as a historyphilic) I've collected some bits and pieces from karate-related arts. If you wish to read a great text about the history of taekwondo, I recommend this PDF-file: http://www.stanford.edu/group/Taekwondo/documents/tkd_history.pdf The karate sensei who had the largest influence in teaching the founders of the art now called as taekwondo were, in order of importance in that matter: Gichin Funakoshi (with his students)(Founder of Shotokan), Kanken Toyama (Founder of Shudokan) and Kenwa Mabuni (Founder of Shito-Ryu). And to the original question: I don't have a faintest clue why all unarmed martial arts are called "karate" in USA.

Hmm. Maybe my personal approach to karate is a bit different - and it may show out as a kind of strictness. I think this way: I go to a dojo, dress into my clean white uniform, train in class or teach a class. Usually I never hear any praise - just corrections, year after year. Nothing feels finished, ever. Occasionally I, personally, feel that I have achieved something. Usually it's not a grade or anything - just a sense of improving, I guess - but that feeling keeps me going. I'm proud of it, inside. I have no certificates on my wall. No belts hanging, actually just a style name calligraphy even showing that I train karate. Even that lacks the "kara te do" -part from the calligraphy. So, even if you can read japanese, the "young forest stream holy art school" doesn't make much sense. I feel that I personally don't need anything to remind me of the progression and years I've put in training karate. It is inside me. My pride of my training - and yes, I am proud of my achievements - is inside me. I don't show it - it practically has no value to anyone but martial artists, and they are a crowd I don't need to show anything. They already know how I feel. However, if you wish to show your progress somehow - or, well, as I prefer it (I underline it - my opinion is my opinion and I don't wish to offend anyone's belief. I just thought about clarifying my stand a bit - I'm pretty open to different approaches, however having my own taste about "tackiness" too), remind it to your own self as some kind of nostalgic trophy, I'd have an idea. Since you don't get certificates from your club, you might actually like it. It requires a slight amount of carpenter skills (and might even be cheaper to be made by a skilled carpenter), so you might want to check around for prices. Make a board that is a bit longer than the combined width of all of your belts. Make two longitudal, about 1/5 of an inch wide, 1/2 inch deep grooves about 4-5 inches away from each other to the board. I think that maybe some dark quality of wood might make it (I'm not very familiar with material names in English - however, oak or chestnut might do). Cut short sections (about 1 inch longer than the distance between the grooves) from your belts - either from the most unfrayed position or from the most frayed one. I'd go for the clean, unfrayed part. Then, glue the belt ends to the grooves and belt to the board between grooves (grooves help to make the belt section ends look more tidy). Repeat this with every belt you have, preferably in rank order. You may decide to put the belt parts a bit apart from each other or then put them together - your call, again. Decorate the showing part of the board. I'd recommend a single, simple design - maybe your club's emblem or a similar thing. Don't go for flags - that just doesn't look good. Put the board into a place that you see it as often as you want. Preferably it might be over your working table or something - serving as a personal reminder, a source for that "I've achieved that" -feeling. Your own thing. Of course, different approaches are just as valid. That's just my idea - I just thought about a sophisticated alternative for a bunch of semi-worn out belts hanging sloppily from a board (that I've seen in martial arts shops). I thought that maybe 4-5 inch parts of belt might make the thing as well. I'm sorry if my use of language isn't easy to understand. English is not my first language and I still make a whole bunch of mistakes every time I write something. I hope my explanation of the structure of that possible belt display still gives some ideas. I still state that I personally (and your own personal opinion should be a most important to you as well) don't use any belt displays or framed certificates. For me, the feeling before and after the karate class makes it all worth it and is well enough.

To be honest, the whole idea of the belt display is kind of a tacky one. Certificates on a wall are a bit tacky as well - I think that the latest certificate, nicely framed, would be a pretty acceptable (and least tacky) solution, if you want to show up your progress somehow. Belt displays...hmm, not a nice idea, really. Shops might use them, but for a person training a martial art...no, not nice. Somehow makes me thing a do-gi with 3-10 badges and a McDojo to study in. Gak!

I could also recommend books from such individuals as Jamal Measara (Okinawa Dento Karate-Do), Shoshin Nagamine and Morio Higaonna.

There are no maegeri in Tekki nor in original Naihanchi. If you're doing them in your style, your style has added them. Only kicklike movements that Tekki and Naihanchi contain are namigaeshi and fumigeri - sweeps and stomping movements. Not all styles do these, either. In Okinawan versions the fumigeri are generally either very soft stomps or inexistent.