stl_karateka

You do the same!

In your opinion what sparring gear should be mandatory / optional / thrown away in tournaments? What are the factors (age, gender)? Head gear Face Shield Mouth piece Rib Protector Shin Guards Groin Protectors (I guess they make female ones too) Hand gear Foot Gear Just curious

I call it 360 for short cause I'm only speaking of the orientation...such that you do one full rotation. Its actually a double kick....crescent with the right leg and spin side kick with the left.....but I gotta crawl before I can walk

Don't play I'm crazy enough to do it!

I hit the 360!!!! The crescent kick is still weak and I am not getting as much air as I would like but 'muscle memory' is taking over so I can start refining now that I got the basic movement down....any tips?

Century gets my vote!

the 'best' teacher with the 'worst' style Why? Cause have the 'best' teacher expands potential and having the 'worst' teacher puts a cap on it.

I just checked it out -- its not totally free --- they'll set you up with a cookie cutter template. The catch is you have to pay to host on their server. Probably not bad if you dont want to design one yourself....there are enough templates to provide a lil bit of originality. You'll lose some flexibility with what you can and can't edit My critique: Good if you want a cheap, quick solution and a nice look. Good for beginners. Bad if you want something totally original, flexibility, and ability to edit ALL aspects of your site

Not off hand but I'll help you look

Kids love music! We would put on the cardio track and have the kids follow along....not the cardio routine...that'd be too hard....stuff like jumping, switch to jumping jacks, jump on one foot, switch, skis (this is when you swing your legs and arms front to back), criss cross, jump face the left, right etc....make it up as you go along cause the kids dont care....oh....and you cant talk....all you got is the music and the kids watching you....CLAP when you are ready to switch if you need a cue....sharpens their attention. Relay races depending on the size of your dojo. Run 1/2 way down....10 pushups....run the rest of the way down...20 jumping jacks.....bear walk back.....again....make it up! Suicide runs (note----find a new name! some parents and kids are sensitive!) --- we just called them running drills....what this is.... Run 1/3 way down, touch floor....run back....run 1/2 way down, touch floor, run back....run all the way down...touch floor....run back. Kill your buddy drill (again...new name8) ): your partner does pushups/situps while the other partner runs/duck walks/crab walks...to the end of the floor and back. The idea is the partner going the length of the floor will be encoraged to go fast cause while he is going his 'buddy' is doing pushups/situps until he gets back. I'll think of more later....let me know if these need more explaining. BTW -----WELCOME to KF!

I will be the first to admit Chat is no traditionalist! But come'on .... where does being in a street fight give you credibility to being a martial artist? I dont think the show set out to disrespect anyone...I think it tried to cover too much and ended up not focusing on anything enough...except that Matt Mullins guy.

Maybe its a good thing I didnt see any of the promos for the show....if I was expecting science I may have been disappointed too. The only way I knew about it is cause it was posted here (thanks sano) I saw XMA and knew what (or who --- Mike Chat) was behind it

Masters: Master Tatsuo Shimabuku - founder of IsshinRyu Angi Uezu - his number 1 student. Actually I met him as a yellow belt and had my belt signed by him, but I'd like to meet him again now that I can really appreciate the experience Anko Itosu - had a hand in the creation of the Pinan Katas. Had a LETHAL two toe kick! Current: Casey Marks - awesome with the bo. I'll meet her soon enough as she will be my competition Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Steve "Nasty" Anderson --- a lot to be learned from these "old school" competitors

Hey Laurie is TangSooDo Nahanchi is anything like I-Ryu and ShorinRyu then if you know half you know the whole thing cause it'll repeat in the opposite direction

Hey when'd you get your brown belt! Congrats!!!

Thats why they call it 'sport' martial arts and separate the divisions from the traditionalists I saw DX at the bluegrass -- I believe he did the same for...it was awesome! He also did a bo form --- most impressive!

SaifightsMS --- thanks for turning this convo around! Me thinks Seuinchin is all about hard movements, isometric breathing and just being rooted in general. But it also has movements that emphasize the 'softer' side of gojuryu. OK its generic but it gets the ball rolling....I'd like to hear from some more GojuRyu peoples. I-Ryus stances are slightly higher than Goju but not by much...personally we'd be a little lower than that guy was in the still pics....but not as low as Shotokan for example.

Goju1 - you're right...no point handing out the wrong kata....I will admit this....I don't know HOW much she changed it as it is all together different from the I-Ryu Seiunchin I've learned....but I recognized the pattern enough to know it is Seiunchin. As far as Xtra hand movements --- that's STRICTLY for the tournaments. Personally I don't do it...I choose to pick a traditional kata that has enough 'flare' to survive on its own (kusanku, gojushiho, and unsu) --- I will do a little tournament trick like hold the kick out for an extra second --- it shows judges balance and control...whereas in real life I'd snap that foot back in quicker than I snapped it out there! Neil: There is so much wrong with that picture! Granted I haven't watched the videos yet but you have been training for a year and you are ripping apart a ju-dan?!?! And the ahem....colorful language....I can't take you seriously. There were some good points made but I'm moving on....this is getting ka-razy.

Welcome and good luck deciding

OK, I'm here to glean more information from you all for this team we are trying to put together. In the future I'd think it would be a good idea for our team to have separate uniforms for sparring. I've seen a lot of these on the national circuit http://www.lakita.net/uniform.jpg Anyone know what they are called so I can shop for them? They look comfy...anyone use them....quality check?

NN -- I just noticed you are from Upstate NY --- I grew up in Buffalo and went to school in Rochester Also in some tournament circuits you can compete outside of your belt level in traditional divisions but they have limitations on the types of moves....ie I've seen something like: Beg: no double kicks Intermediate: no spinning moves or flying kicks etc So with those rules if a beginner knew Chinto kata they could not perform it cause of the double jump front kick....but they could perform Gojushiho which is a black belt kata (not that I am endorsing beginners doing Gojushiho!!!) You should thouroughly read the rules of the circuit you are going to comepete in and see what is and is not allowed

Open is anything goes --- unless you are prepared for this I would suggest you stay in traditional. Open forms will be doing flips, machine gun kicks, possibly coreographed to music. Yes, they are made up....usually very high energy, fast paced and because of such the entire form may last less than a minute. See some open forms at https://www.sportmartialarts.com go to the videos section.

Jussi - I'm going to address these one last time here cause it's otherwise it'll turn into a dialouge between the two of us and I doubt other people care. Feel free to PM me to carry on this discuss if you like. Nice idea. But when someone performs something, he or she opens it for critic. As do we when writing. Thank you for your critic. Good point. And yes I agree....anyone who puts something out in the open is subject to criticism. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. I mean otherwise what is the point? I look at it this way....if that girl was to read your comments as they stand would she benefit from them? Would they make her any better? Would they make her want to improve? BTW you are welcome for the criticism Again: When you publish something, you open it for critic. That's what those people did. Don't get sick from it, live with it. And drop the hypocrisy - you're slamming us now. No I'm not slamming you. Sorry you feel that way. I will apoligize for the last line --- I can not say with 100% certainty that you slam people to make yourself feel better because I don't know you....but I do know enough people in the karate world that do just that. There seems to be a huge ego attached to MA and that is what I am sick of. Yes. Possibly you can. However, straight talk usually gets the point. False politeness is for hypocrites. Its not false politeness, its tact. There is a difference. Above quote is what I call ripping to shreds. It is? OK...why does she even claim the kata to be Seienchin when she has altered it into a nearly unrecognizable state? And in which competition those "extra hand movements" are allowed? In most competitions she would get no points - due to performing a wrong kata. Kata competitions are for performing kata as well as possible. They are no free routines. They are pretty strictly defined. Do you comepete in strict traditional circuits? Like AAU --- that is the only one I can think of right now. If so then you are right....absolutely NO changes. However the predominate circuits: NASKA, WSKF, NBL allow moderations..even in traditional division. The rules for traditional say something along the lines of "the moves must be traditional and capture the essence of the style...blah z blah" IE no running, flipping, machine gun kicks etc. So "traditional" in the environment where she was competing, is Open with restrictions....does that make sense? What I don't like is that she has altered the kata into a state that it can barely be recognized and obviously has no friggin' idea about what she's doing in kata - i.e. she doesn't know Seienchin's traditional bunkai. Bunkai should be visible in kata. Her sloppy movement and wobbly stances are only an icing on the cake. I still don't see how you can say she doesn't know Seiunchin's bunkai. How about she doesn't DISPLAY the bunkai. And there are different levels of Bunkai (I think 4...and I forget the names) --- but they are NOT all visible in the kata. And that makes you better than us because...? I don't write people off. I could be totally off base here (but that's a risk you take in written communication) ---- I get the impression that if this girl walked in your dojo you would laugh her out. I hope I am wrong. Bottom line: this thread was supposed to be about someone requesting kata videos. A few of you felt the need to turn it into a critque. That's your business...you've made some good points and there are no hard feelings at my end. Like I said earlier it just rubs me the wrong way. If you do want to continue this discussion feel free to PM me. Elyayo82 - I hope you found what you were looking for

Seriously, I think you guys have nothing better to do than to slam other peoples stuff. Personally I dont know the girl or the guy from a hole in the wall so this isn't me taking it personally....but I am personally sick of people harshly slamming everything they see as if it builds you up or makes you better. Basically what I'm saying is you can state your opinion without ripping someone to shreds. For the record, Niel I agree with what you said about the still pics.... he does not seem 'grounded' but for me the pics served their purpose which was strictly to reference the moves. As for the girl --- she is performing the kata. There is a difference there. Things like extra hand movement etc is allowed. What I don't like is she has a loose stance and 'rollercoasters' as she transitions through the moves. Unlike some people - I wont put a cap on anyones potential.

I equate eXtreme MA to WWF (or WWE now) --- we know its not real, but its a crowd pleaser that pulls people in. Just like WWE isn't the 'real' wrestling....but people watch it. Unfortunately, people ( I mean non-MA people) don't want to see traditional katas....they want to see flips and hear music and see fast moves. Like I said before...I think there is a place for Sport MA....and rather you like it or not move over cause its coming! Long as they stay in their own division its all good with me. I just hope they don't get too carried away --- I've seen some whacked out divisions being created.