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How does punching paper train you to throw a real punch? Maybe I'm not understanding how this "drill" is supposed to work, but I don't see the application here. I'm not 'dissing' it, just need a better explanation of how it works. I think I'm also having trouble understanding your English, Spielwurfel, but I guess that's because you are from Brazil. No worries about that, I'm just not able to visualize what you are explaning and can't see how punching paper proves anything? Wap

Even karate has to give way to physics. In order to accelerate a human's mass sufficiently to displace them by 9 meters, you would require a great deal of force to be applied. In the form of a punch, where the force is already accelerated, the target would suffer bad injury. If the driving force were accelerating the target from zero inertia, the attacker would still require significant acceleration and force to make the target move 9 meters. And once the initial contact is made and the target starts to move backwards, you are really only relying on the friction of the target with the ground to allow them to travel any significant distance. I don't know about any of you, but when I get shoved hard, I stagger a bit and regain my balance, or I fall down. I don't slide 9 meters backwards on my heels. Wap

I heard somewhere that the "crane kick" used in the Karate Kid movie was actually created specifically for the movie and was not derived from any actual karate move or stance. I could be wrong, or my source could be wrong, but I was fairly certain that at the time, that move was not a legitmate karate move because it had no practical application. I also heard from the same source (I think it might have been a special feature on the DVD, but I'll have to double check) that the move was created specifically to look cool and make for a climactic ending. Wap

"Expendable" or extendable? Maybe it's obvious to some (I actually think it is obvious), but I just wondered what you really meant? Expendable? As in, disposable and easily replaced? Or simply extendable, as in able to be extended? Wap

Do you find yourself in many 'real fight situations'? The only reason I ask is that it is by far the most common "feature" people look for in a martial art, but I'm not convinced it should be the most important reason at all. Do people really get in that many fights these days? Honestly? Anyway, I would just say that you should think about the hundreds (if not thousands) of other reasons to take martial arts other than finding one that is the "best" in a real fight situation. Your chances of getting in a real fight are likely much, much lower than your chances of simply needing some self confidence, physical ability and strengthening, etc, etc. Find a martial art that will provide you the most benefit now and into the future; not the martial art that you think will make you the best street fighter. And quite frankly, if you practice discipline and focus through martial arts, you should improve your ability to avoid fights, not win them. Just my thoughts...I've written a post on the subject here: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=14240 Give it a read. Wap

I have to admit that there are few things on internet forums that bother me more than the people who post simple one-line or one-word replies, that typcially do nothing to add to the information being discussed in that particular topic. "I agree", "Good point", "Me too", "Yup", "Totally"......to be honest, no one cares if you agree or not unless you are willing to explain why you agree or don't agree. Don't flood the forums with useless drivel just so you can increase the number of posts you have. If you don't have some more information or ideas to share, don't post. I don't care about your one liners. I want to read stuff that is interesting. My thoughts.... Wap

The scary thing is that scams like these actually work. There are enough people out there buying into these scams that it is still worth the scammer's time to actually sit down and create these elaborate hoaxes. If no one were falling for it (or if even a few people were falling for it), the scams would stop. There are a lot of gullible people out there. Or maybe not gullible; just searching for something, but not sure what it is, and willing to throw their money at the first opportunity for happiness, success, fame, power, whatever... Wap

My small collection consists of: 1 red oak jo staff 1 red oak bokken (wooden katana) 2 pair "dummy" nunchaku (real ones illegal in Canada) I also have an air rifle, but that's not really related to martial arts, and a long-sword (ornamental only). Oh yeah, I also have an elastic-band rifle. Very handy when I'm attacked by empty pop cans. Wap

Correct me I'm wrong (and I'm sure you will), but I have heard it said that a bo-staff out-classes a katana. Granted, one strike from a katana is usually enough, but a martial-artist trained with a bo-staff could likely take on a katana expert and win. I heard that a bo-staff has greater range and mobility, enabling the bo-staff defender to effectively keep the katana out of range and can perform dual parry/attack due to the "double" effectiveness of a bo staff. I've even heard that a bo-staff user could effectively defend against 2 trained katana users. Of course, all of this depends on the skill of each opponent, but if we put a bo-staff against a katana and both are trained equally (if such a thing is possible), my money is on the bo-staff. Unless the katana slices the bo staff in half, of course... Any other thoughts on this? I'm not looking for a confrontational arguement here, just a discussion on the actual practical application of each weapon. Wap

I think he is maybe falling into the same 'trap' that many people in western society fall into; instant gratification. It's the "I want it all, right now" attitude. Granted, this individual seems to recognize that every aspect of a martial art cannot be learned over the internet. However, he still seems to think that he can attain something cool and useful that way. Many people look at martial arts and think "Cool, I would be so deadly if I could do that!" We've all thought it at one time or another, usually long before we ever start training and realize the truth of martial arts. This guy is making his request SEEM reasonable ("I just want to learn basics") but I think his motivation is the same. He wants to learn something cool and make himself into a better "fighter" (see my post The Street Fighter Excuse), but he doesn't want to take the time or discipline required to attain it. He wants it the quick and easy way. I can easily see this guy going to school or work or whatever, and claiming to be a pretty good fighter because of the tactics he has "trained" in, even though those tactics might have been a couple of hours in front of the computer monitor watching kata videos. I guess it's a kind of laziness. He wants it now, and he wants it without any effort. He knows he can't have it all, but he wants enough to be able to claim to be better than the average joe. There is a severe lack of discipline in our society. Wap

I am NOT saying that God is ki, or vice-versa. Just making a point. I don't want any religious nuts (or secular nuts for that matter) to get up in arms over my comparison. Wap

You know, I have to be honest. I was all set to start rambling on about how this kind of 'ki' can't exist and is just a bunch of malarky, but then PAL brought up the point of proof when he said "If we can't explain it, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist" and MM said "Like God..." (I'm paraphrasing). Anyway, I do believe in God, but this is not a religious discussion, so don't worry. My point was just this; I can't explain God adequately enough to have the rest of the world believe in Him. Some do, some don't, some go out of their way to "prove" it's all just a bunch of nonsense. But I still believe. Same with ki I suppose. Just because I have not seen proof of it, doesn't mean it's fake. Maybe it works the same way in terms of belief; Man says "Prove it and then I'll believe it". God (or ki) says "Believe it, and then I'll prove it." Yeah, just my thoughts... Wap

You guys!! This is for REAL!!! I tried it! I know it's hard to believe but it really is TRUE!!! I bought the system last week and only a few minutes after reading through the package I managed to kill myself 4 times, by ACCIDENT!! It's THAT deadly!!! I've heard that they are already sold out, so if you want to buy my copy, just send me your credit card information, bank account information, social security number, maiden name, date of birth, driver's license, passport, check book and 9 pieces of I.D. (originals please)! Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity! (snicker) Wap

Actually, maybe the problem here is the term "basic". I think most people hear the word "basic" and infer that it means "simple" or "easy". That's the problem. A "basic" punch in karate involves an incredible amount of technique (assuming technique can be quantified). In order to throw a "basic" punch, here's what you need to know (and I'm sure others will correct and add to this): -how to make a proper fist, tight so the fingers won't break, wrist straight in line with the forearm so the wrist won't break, striking with the first two knuckles -fist should start on hip with elbow pulled back to center of back -inhale before starting the punch and focus on target -strike out straight from the hip, moving slightly to the front of your body as you strike the CENTER of your target, wrist straight, fist tight, exhaling as you punch -focus 6 inches behind your target and squeeze your muscles as you push through the last 6 inches, keep head up, don't lean forward -rotate fist from palm up position to palm down through the punch Oh forget it, the list goes on and on and on. My point is, all that is for a "basic" punch. And if you want to do it properly, you have to have an instructor teach you, repeatedly, over many months, if not years. Let's not even get started on a basic kick. Wap

Actually, maybe the problem here is the term "basic". I think most people hear the word "basic" and infer that it means "simple" or "easy". That's the problem. A "basic" punch in karate involves an incredible amount of technique (assuming technique can be quantified). In order to throw a "basic" punch, here's what you need to know (and I'm sure others will correct and add to this): -how to make a proper fist, tight so the fingers won't break, wrist straight in line with the forearm so the wrist won't break, striking with the first two knuckles -fist should start on hip with elbow pulled back to center of back -inhale before starting the punch and focus on target -strike out straight from the hip, moving slightly to the front of your body as you strike the CENTER of your target, wrist straight, fist tight, exhaling as you punch -focus 6 inches behind your target and squeeze your muscles as you push through the last 6 inches, keep head up, don't lean forward -rotate fist from palm up position to palm down through the punch Oh forget it, the list goes on and on and on. My point is, all that is for a "basic" punch. And if you want to do it properly, you have to have an instructor teach you, repeatedly, over many months, if not years. Let's not even get started on a basic kick. Wap

You should also keep in mind that most of what we do in karate is basics. You say that you just want to learn the basics. Karate IS basics. Did you know that a black belt simply means that the student has mastered all the BASICS and is ready to start really learning karate? You can't earn a black belt by reading stuff from the internet. Sorry. There are dozens of mistakes you could be making in your form that only an experiences Sensei would be able to identify and correct. A website can't do that. I had to laugh when you said you just want to learn "some basic punches, blocks, kicks, etc." What else do you think there is to karate other than punches, kicks, blocks and etc? Anyway, I'm going with everyone else here. You can't learn karate from a website. If you just want to know how to punch (not a karate punch), then make a fist and put it straight out in front of you as fast as you can. To kick, simply raise your foot up to the target area as fast as you can. To block, use a part of your body to stop an opponent's punch or kick. As for the "etc", I'm not sure what you are looking for. Wap

It sometimes amazes me how obsessed our culture is with needing to have a visual representation of our ability. It's like we're not confident in our ability enough to be satisfied with a simple belt. A gi used to be a person's smallclothes, but now there are different kinds of "authentic" uniforms for all martial arts. The belt used to be white for someone who wasn't a black belt, and that was it. Now there are a multitude of colored belts, stripes, half levels, etc, etc. It's all a little ridiculous, but then, I'm not innocent either. It's just very interesting that our society (typically western society) is so obsessed with being able to "prove" our ability by saying "I have a 2nd degree black belt!" or "I'm a purple belt!" or whatever. I don't think the founding fathers of karate ever went around telling people how good they were. They just knew it. And that was enough. Wap

I think ki or chi is so highly debated because of the very concept of ki or chi. It really comes down to your definition of it. While I don't believe it's possible for someone to simply stand in the middle of a room and "project" their ki in such a way that no one could touch them, I do believe that we all have a spirit that works in concert with our bodies. We are not just physical beings. We have attitudes, opinions, ideas, motivations, feelings, desires, etc, etc. These work in concert with our bodies. Just as the body cannot function without the mind (to quote a cheesy matrix line), the mind cannot function without the body. To say that someone could stand in the middle of a room and protect themselves just by projecting "ki" is like saying that someone could have their brain removed but still be able to run a marathon. Doesn't work that way. My sensei has always said that if you put two martial artists together and they are both equals as far as skill and physical ability, the victor will be decided by the one who has the greater "spirit" or will to win. I believe this is true and I think that most people would agree that being highly motivated can greatly assist in matters of physical ability. The person who wants it more will probably get it. That's the way I look at chi or ki. I don't really believe in a mystical power inside each of us, but I do believe that there is much more to us than simply a physical body. Just my thoughts... Wap

Coco, if a friend of yours were to start thinking about taking martial arts and they read all about McDojos on internet forums, and then he came to you and said "Is your dojo a McDojo?", what would you say? If you say no, then you are duping your friend. You would have to qualify that "no" by explaining that while your dojo may LOOK like a McDojo, and the teacher may charges fees like a McDojo, etc, etc, it isn't a McDojo. You would have to brainwash your friend the same way your instructor brainwashed you. Dojos that are NOT McDojos don't have to defend themselves. Only a real McDojo would need to have it's students proclaim that it is not. You are in a McDojo. Wap

After having read everyone's responses, I realized a few things I had taken for granted before. It's always a good thing when you can actually learn something from someone else, isn't it? I always thought that the colored belts only served two purposes: 1) To generate revenue for the instructing organization and 2) to relieve the western world's constant need to compare themselves with everyone else and be able to say "I'm better than you!", not by knowledge, but by way of some token trophy. A pretty cynical look at the belts, anyway. And while I still agree that those reasons remain valid, I realized that there are some other useful aspects to the ranking system. A colored belt does provide an instructor with a good indication of the level of each of his or her students. This can be helpful when parring up students for kumite practice and what-not. However, one could argue that a good instructor would know the ability levels of all their students just from having taught them and wouldn't need a colored belt to indicate it. Then again, since martial arts have become so popular in the last 50 years, perhaps there are too many students to keep track of. I have to admit that I often think about my brown belt and think back to when I was a "lowly" white or yellow belt and I feel pride. Is this a good thing? Maybe it isn't. I guess it depends what I do with that pride. If I flaunt it and use it as an excuse to say I am better than someone else, then I am in the wrong. However, if I look at the progress I have made in the last two years and use that as motivation to continue training hard, then it becomes my advantage. As with anything, it's what you do with it that counts. And like most things, a true test of your character is what you do with the "negative" things that come your way. Someone who can turn any "negative" into their own advantage is a wise person. Maybe I got a little philisophical there. Just letting my fingers type as the thoughts come to mind. Sorry for the rant. Is the colored belt ranking system good or bad? Does it matter whether it's good or bad? Depends how you feel about it, and what you do with those feelings. Ultimately we're all trying to get back to white belt anyway, aren't we? I can do another rant about that some other time... Wap

I've always liked the look of Neo's gi from The Matrix when he is sparring against Morpheus. I'm not saying anything about Keanu Reeves or his ability as a martial artist. Just saying the gi looked cool. Kind of a cream color with black trim/underside. If I wanted to be unique, however, I might have my gi painted with some kind of optical illusion so my opponents can't quite focus on my properly. Make it so their eyes keep wanting to slide off me. Wap

Automatic log in, then just check out the forums I'm interested in, which are General MA, Karate, Getting Started, and this one! Sometimes I check out weapons or equipment, but very rarely. Wap

It's funny, but before I started karate, I used to come home, sit down in front of the computer and not get up for hours. I could play all day. Now that I've been taking martial arts and getting more active (for the past couple years), I find that I can't sit at the computer for more than 20 or 30 minutes before I get bored and have to get up. Well....it's either karate or I'm just getting older. Wap

To quote 'The Karate Kid': (while looking at a picture of a martial arts guy breaking a log with his bare hands) Daniel: Hey, can you do that? Mr. Miyagi: Don't know. Never been attacked by a tree. Wap

I really like the idea of kata competitions as well. So many of the olympic sports are judged based on form (diving, gymnastics, synchro swimming, etc) that it would be cool to see some martial art forms displayed, as well as the combative aspects. I guess it's like any other sport that isn't an olympic sport; somewhere there is a big group of people saying "Hey, why isn't OUR sport an Olympic sport?!" Obviously you wouldn't be able to have every single martial art, but I could understand having the most popular ones. So that begs another question; are TKD and Judo considered the most popular (world-wide) martial arts? I would have thought that Kung-fu or karate would make that list. One does have to wonder how ballroom dancing, air-rifle shooting and ping-pong are olympic sports and karate is not. Wap