Cheradenine

Seen it and it is excellent.

Jin from Tekken 5, Ein from Dead or Alive, Ryu from SF2, and most recently Rock Lee from Naruto - Rise of a Ninja.

Looks excellent: Check some of the linked videos for behind the scenes clips. Reminds me of Fighter in the Wind (personal fav): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEYQjK4nEHI *edit.. didnt realise there was a Martial Arts Entertainment forum.. feel free to whisk it over there

The second set arrived and I can say it was worth the wait! Tonnes of full on footage and some really impressive technique, control, and yes big hits! I havn't yet had a chance to watch all of it yet - most of the first volume and bits of the other 3. Whats more is there are some trailers linked to some of the other Legend productions which are bound to be next on the list..

I have a similar problem on my left. ALthough it seems to heal fine, the middle left knuckle has a sensitive spot right on point of contact, making it hard not to pull my punches on the makiwara. Just rest it up for a while is all I can think of.

3 Weeks since ordering and it still hasn't shown up yet. But they have been very understanding and if it still hasn't arrived by next week they will send another set for free. I pretty much know the trailer by heart now!! Damn int'l postage...

How is your lowerback going to be 'healed' soon? Are you going to a doctor? Could well be the best thing you could do. Often the lower back psoas muscles are neglected through karate training - I found this right back when I started. Situps, pressups, and generally developing your hara or abdominal area can cause a negative effect on your lower back. I found after I went to the osteopath it was ironed out in no time, and with some simple yoga stretches every week I havn't felt the pain once since.

I am interested to know if anyone has seen or heard about this 4 dvd set. http://store.legendtv.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=45&osCsid=166b779ba944b95166035355a03357c9 It is on special at the moment and the trailer looks very good. It has a few decent reviews on the site but can't find much info elsewhere. Check out the preview vid attatched. I have ordered it, should be a couple of days away.

To me my first Dan grade was just simply another step. There was no 'ok, I'm here, now what?'. It just felt like natural progression. I was prepared for what was to come next. Going from a higher Kyu grade to lower Dan grade is like the old saying - being the big fish of a little pond, to a little fish in a big pond. There was certainly a pressure to some degree to attain the promotion, but now there is a new pressure to retain it, or justify it, to higher grades that want you to prove you deserve it (unlike alot of people who quit training thinking that the Black Belt is be all and end all to accomplishment within martial arts). You also have lower grades looking to you as a role model.

Let me rephrase - MIGHT tire easily before you. You cannot afford to count on anything. Resistance training is obviously more benificial to muscle building. I was giving one example as to why you would practice a low stance in free sparring - basics and kata both use low stances and in a formal dojo Jiyu situation it would also carry on through as a continuation of the martial art. As you say, dojo sparring is nothing like fighting on the street, and it doesn't pretend to be; this should be made obvious to the student.

The grass is always greener on the other side.. .. plus sparring in a low stance is good for building muscle. In a real situation you wouldn't necessarily want to drop into a deep low Zenkutz, but you will have more power and speed in your legs, and in a street situation your opponent should tire easily before you.

While travelling Japan I made my way to Kumamoto to pay homage to Miyamoto Musashi - I visited his grave and Reigan-Do, the cave in which he secluded himself to write the book of 5 rings. But I remember tying to find his Museum - it was filled with artifacts, his Bokken, Swords etc.. but the guide book I was reading was out of date and it had been shut down for a couple of years - I wandered around this small new developed area seeking help from the nicest old folk who went right out of their way to help me, even with a MASSIVE language barrier. In the end they took me to Zanzenishi, his medatation stone way up in the hills. Sorry, long story short.. I bought a few paintings and books from the Cave in the mountains - thats about all I have,

I think that a junior that has attained shodan ranking has demonstrated their knowledge of the basic syllabus, as with any black belt. They should come to realize that it is just a stepping stone in their training career, and that now is the time to get serious about it. If a child displays the discipline within the class of a senior dan-grade, it could well be time for them to step up and show that they are infact serious about the martial art, where other kids are concentrating on sports, making the team etc.. People say 'that kid may be a Black Belt but out in the street I could smash him' - the point is that child should have the confidence and awareness to act accordingly, avoid confrontations and realise that its not all point-sparring out in the real world - just as adults should. Whether or not egos get the better of the individual is the difference; "One, to guard against impetuous courage" But, a Shodan testing is also a step up from the previous gradings, in that the mental and physical requirements are alot more demanding, regardless of age.

Funny, I picked it before I even read the other thread you commented in.

I have mine checked with both the callipers and the electrical scales once a month, the last average being 21.5% (this was after a break from MA while recovering from surgery), and the lowest I have seen myself at was 19%. 5 or 6 years ago when I started MA I was a big boy, I've shed most of it but it's hard to tell with the excess skin now.