Jussi Häkkinen

We skip it. Mokuso is a pretty much of a Japanese concept, imported to some other styles or dojo also. Doesn't really belong to our style => No mokuso. Of course, many may think that mokuso clears the mind. They may think so. I still believe that the overall training situation should act as "mokuso", without any special ceremonies.

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/mu/dojokun/index.html Covers pretty well the issue overall. Whether one is better translation than another, is hard to say. I'd suggest you to read the whole article - which you undoubtfully have done, since you posted the link at the first place.

Occasionally I am rather happy that Finnish and Japanese way of pronounciation is somewhat identical. I have heard people that are English speakers to pronounce Japanese terms and...well, let's just say that I had a hard time when trying to keep myself from bursting into laughter or tears.

Yoko = side. Keri (geri) = kick. (Ke)age = to rise, rising. Yoko geri keage = rising side kick, side snap kick. "Rising" comes from the pendulum-like upward motion. Yoko = side. Keri (geri) = kick. (Ke)komi = to stomp. Yoko geri kekomi = stomping (thrusting) side kick, side thrust kick. "Stomp" comes from the straightforward stomping fashion the kick is performed. "Yoko geri" with no specification may mean any kick performed to the side. Practically it usually means either yoko geri kekomi (more often) or yoko geri keage. Striking area is most often sokuto (soku = foot, to = edge, sword, "foot blade", side of the heel), and occasionally the kick is called as sokuto geri.

And remember when buying Shureido, Kamikaze's heavier equipment etc... They don't fit perfectly right away. Shureido begins to feel comfortable after some months of training - you have to break it in. However, heavyweight uniforms last well (my older Shureido is over 5 years old now, still like a new one) and look more beautiful than lightweight ones. My advice would be: Get Kamikaze's America. Cheap (for its quality), lasts well, looks good, comfortable. Costs a bit more than a rag-quality beginner's grade uniform, but will pay back after a while by being superior in performance.

I use Japanese usually. Although, in beginner's classes, I often use a Finnish explanation alongside the Japanese term. We have seminars with foreign instructors quite often, so Japanese terminology will become useful.

Shureido's 16 oz uniforms, tournament cut. Perfect kata uniform, nice bluish white (snow white) tint. But from cheaper prices, I recommend Kamikaze's uniforms often. Especially the "America" -model has a best price/quality -value I've ever seen.

Jigoro Kano incorporated the black belt to martial arts (he was a founder of Judo). In Okinawa, belt system wasn't adopted right away. Funakoshi (then in Japan) took that system from Kano. System wasn't adopted to Okinawa quickly - and when it did, it may already have consisted more than white and black belt. Belts are rather useful if the person goes to seminars around the country. Belt is more important to instructor (of same style and same federation) than it is to practicioner itself. Belt colour is a good guideline about what you can demand from a student and what not. And well, belts can actually make people to use them as mid-goals and encourage them to train. I don't see that as a bad thing. Luckily, there's practically no McDojoism in Finland, so I haven't really seen the effects of it (except in 'net and in BB-magazine. I'm laughing my butt off for them).

http://www.shorinryu.dk/html/download.htm One source.

Yes. From the first practice of the beginner's class. Bunkai is taught in virtually every training and always goes hand on hand with kata. Basically the kihon (basics) also come from kata, as well as all partner drills.