WapCaplet

I started in September of 2002. I was 27 years old. Really enjoying it, hoping to achieve black belt before I turn 31, but no big rush. I'm just having a great time. Really, really, REALLY wish I'd started eariler though. But don't we all... Wap

I'd suggest Shotokan karate, but I'd have to agree with Italian_guy in that you won't be able to effectively defend yourself after only a few months. I know there are self-defense courses out there that specialize in that sort of thing, but the key to Shotokan, and perhaps most martial arts, is practice, practice, practice and more practice. Knowledge of the techniques is not what will protect you; muscle memory and reflexes will. Once you have trained your body to perform a certain move, you have to practice that move over and over and over so that your body is able to execute it without your brain having to think about it. It should also be noted that I am particularily biased when it comes to Shotokan since that is the style I train it. I think most honest people would admit that they are biased when providing their opinion of "which martial art is best". You have already done the right first step, and that is to ask yourself what you want to achieve from taking martial arts. Shotokan has great katas and good emphasis on striking and efficient moves without all the flash. But I'm sure there are tons of other MAs that fit the bill aswell. Best to see what is available in your area, what the prices are like, what the instructors are like, etc etc. There are so many factors to consider, sometimes the best bet is to just take a free class and see if you enjoy it or not. Good luck! Wap

I've been taking Shotokan karate for almost 2 years and it's the only style I have ever studied. I'm pretty sure I will stick with just the one MA at least until I have my black belt, perhaps longer. I don't think I want to confuse my mind or body while I'm still learning what being a martial artist is. However, I would eventually be interested in taking another style, just so I can broaden my understanding and knowledge of different martial arts. I know that no single MA is the end-all-be-all, so I know I can find a martial art with strengths in those areas that Shotokan might be weak. I originally considered TKD when I first set out to take a martial art, but ended up in Shotokan purely by chance. There just happened to be a karate class taking place in the hall of the church I attend, so I thought I'd check it out. Haven't looked back. I'm sure it's not the best karate school in the world, but I'm enjoying it, the instructor is very knowledgeable, the price is right, and I'm in better shape than I have ever been. I just love taking karate. What martial art would best compliment Shotokan? Wap

Way too hard to pick only one or two favorites....I love movies, as I think most of the people here do. Lord of the Rings is defeinitely up there. I don't know if that is becoming cliche or not, but it's still the truth. Fantastic movies. The original Star Wars trilogy will always be a favorite. Don't even get me started about the new so-called Star Wars movies. Thanks alot George "Sell-out" Lucas... Favorite epic battle movies: Gladiator, Braveheart Favorite dramas: The Usual Suspects, Dances with Wolves Favorite comedies: Groundhog Day, A Fish Called Wanda Favorite "mess-with-your-mind" movie: Fight Club Ah, who am I kidding? Movies are my favorite thing (besides karate). So I guess they are ALL my favorite. Wap

If it were a one-on-one fist fight type duel, then my money would be on the Hulk. But I don't think Spiderman would fight that way. He would instead try to find a weakness and exploit that. Probably run from the fight, spend some time researching this Hulk character, find out what makes him tick, how to reverse the metamorphasis and then take along a chemical spray that would turn Hulk back into his human form. That's how Spidey fights. I think Spiderman would be smart enough to realize that the Hulk's strength is unbeatable, and would find another way. Perhaps just talk to the Hulk and calm him down. Wap

People see my wedding ring and do a double take sometimes. I'm 29 this year and have been married for 5 years. My wife actually got asked once if we had to have our parent's consent in order to get married. Yikes! And she's 2 years OLDER than me!! I turn 29 in 19 days. Hopefully it's the first of MANY 29th birthdays. Wap

Ok, I'm not trying to come down on anyone or anything, so just take this post with a grain of salt. I'm just want to find out if people have ever had to use their martial art training in a real life situation, and if so, how often? I have only been training in Shotokan karate for about 2 years (not long in my opinion) and am only a 1st brown belt, but I didn't get into the martial art as a means of self defense. I got into it because I wanted the exercise, I really enjoy learning it, the people are great, it's a fun exercise to do, I am strengthening my body and keeping fit, and I gain a degree of self confidence from it. BUT, I have never had to actually use it. And to be honest, I don't think I ever really want to. Maybe it is my lifestyle choices, but I have never really been in any serious fights. Sure, numerous scuffles and what-not in junior high school, but no fights in the last 10 or 12 years, that's for sure. I am 28 years old, male, and don't often frequent the bars or clubs, so maybe that has something to do with it. But I'm curious if other martial arts students (and instructors) out there have ever had to really use their martial art. And more importantly, how often you find you have to use it, and how effective it is. The point I am getting at is that I see and hear from a lot of people who are interested in getting into martial arts because they want to be awesome fighters. And the first thought that pops into my head is "How often do you get in fights, anyway? If you find yourself in fights all the time, maybe martial arts isn't the answer, but rather a conflict-avoidance seminar or something." Anyway, again, perhaps it is my own lifestyle choices that puts me in the minority, but I can't help but think that MOST people in martial arts don't really use it for "street fights", but rather are involved for the reasons I indicated above. We just LOVE training in martial arts; all the physical, mental, psychological and emotional benefits it provides. Self-defense I can appreciate, especially for people living in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood or something, or for someone who has been attacked/mugged in the past and needs the confidence. That I totally understand and think martial arts are a GREAT way to overcome some of those fears. But on the whole....Do you ever REALLY need your martial arts training for street fights? Wap

We don't have SATs in Canada either. The Universities here just look at your high school marks and use that to determine whether you get in or not. Some majors require a specialized test, but that's rare. Up here, if you did well in high school, you get to go to university. Wap

The String Sketch by Monty Python. "Ah, come in, come in Mr....Simpson! Aah, welcome to Mousebat, Follicle, Goosecreature, Ampersand, Spong, Wapcaplet, Looseliver, Vendetta and Prang! Do sit down. My name's Wapcaplet, Adrian Wapcaplet..." Wap

Half-way through The Shadow Rising (4th book in The Wheel of Time series). Though I've read the series twice before, but haven't made it as far as the 9th and 10th books yet. It's too hard to keep track of everything when there's a 2 year wait between books. I just hope Robert Jordon doesn't die before he finally finishes the series. Other favorites include The Deathgate Cycle, Sword of Truth, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and pretty much anything by Michael Crighton. Wap

There are no quick, easy ways to get into good shape. All those pills and crazy exercise devices you see on the shopping network are gimmicks and will never work as well as a good diet and regular exercise. I understand that you are saying your situation doesn't lend itself well to good eating and regular exercise, but I hear you asking what your alternatives are, and there really are none. If you want to get into shape, you have to eat right, and you have to exercise regularly. Plain and simple. There ARE some things you can be doing in your situation though, and I think the two people who posted before me have some great suggestions. Drink water instead of the coke. Pass on the chips and get your hands on something that's not deep fried. You WILL be tired and sore and get discouraged. But you have to push through that and be persistent. Any martial arts training has a huge aspect of DISCIPLINE. Discipline is doing things you know you should do WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING THEM. Discipline isn't doing the things you like to do. A true measure of your patience and determination will show when you force yourself to do the exercise you need even when you would rather be doing just about anything else. I don't mean to sound harsh, and I appologize if I do. But it's important that you understand that your physical health will only improve if you take the time, persistence and perseverance to do those things your body needs; good food, regular exercise. There are no quick fixes, and really no alternatives. As for improving your martial arts, practice, practice, practice. Everyday. If you are serious about becoming a strong karateka (or whatever MA you're studying), you have to put in the time, all the time. Don't be focused on results. A watched pot never boils. Instead, focus on doing those healthy things everyday. Make it a goal to do at least 20 minutes of exercise everyday. When your hand reaches for a pototoe chip, show some restraint and do 5 pushups instead. Chug a glass of water when you are thirsty. Ask your mom to buy bread and sandwich meat instead of chips, or maybe some apples and oranges instead. Ok, I've rambled on long enough. Deep down, I think you already know what you need to do. It's just hard to start and keep at it sometimes. Good luck! Wap

If that's what they charged here, I'd stop going. Seems like an incredibly high amount to me. I pay $50 CDN per month for UNLIMITED training at ANY of the 25+ dojos in the city. I could go to 2 different dojos every night of the week if I wanted to (though that would make for some fairly inconsistent training). Grading fees are about $30 CDN plus the cost of the belt ($10-$12 CDN). Maybe the price is so cheap because the association I train with is so big... At any rate, the amount you are talking about seems way too high. Maybe it's a Canadian thing... Wap

The most common bokken drill we do is a simple over-head downward strike. We concentrate on maintaining control of the bokken and gradually increasing speed and power. As with any martial art technique, weapon or no, you need to be able to perform the action accurately before you can do it with speed and power. Speed and power don't mean much if you're not accurate. Our association has a cool bokken kata that we also use. Which brings up a good point. Do other clubs/associations have weapon katas specific to your club? Is there a common bokken kata out there that most dojos use? Wap

Hmmm....if you were to time a flowing-hand block perfectly....maybe.... Nah....I'd try the old "Hey, is that Britney Spears naked over there?" trick, and then run when the gunman is distracted. Wap

I'll throw in a vote for Shotokan karate as well. If for no other reason than the fact that it's the only martial art I have studied so far. So I'm completely and utterly biased. Wap

I'll be starting an introductory "instructors" course on the 30th where we will cover all the katas and their applications. A very "high level" course, meaning it's just a basic overview, meant more to prepare students for assistant instruction. I'm only 1st Brown so it's not like I'll be teaching a dojo anytime soon, that's for sure. My sensei does want me to start helping out as an assistant eventually, so he suggested I start the course now. Anyway, Bassai Dai is on my current to-do list. Wap

The Association I train with also has an annual fee in addition to monthly fees. However, our association has over 25 dojos in the city and the monthly fees go directly to each dojo's instructor. The annual fees go to the head of the association. Also, our monthly fees are only $50 CDN (which is like 50 cents US, haha) and the annual fee is $45. The "dojos" are actually rented space in school gyms, church halls, community centers, etc and the dojo instructor has to pay the rental costs with his/her student's monthly fees. I guess the point I'm making is that I understand where all my money is going and why they need it. My instructor needs my monthly fees to pay for rental costs and for his own time. The head of the association needs everyone's annual fees because his full-time job is to run the association and without him we wouldn't have our clubs. Find out where all your money is going and then determine if it is a fair cost. I should also point out that our $50 monthly fee allows us to train unlimited at ANY of the 25 dojos in the city. I could go twice a night, seven days a week to a different dojo everytime and all I have to pay is $50/month to my main instructor and the $45 annual fee. I think that's pretty good. Wap

Obviously I'm going to plug Shotokan Karate because that's what I train in. I suppose if I were training in TKD I would plug that instead. It's such a personal thing. Perhaps find someone who has trained in both to provide a qualified explanation of the differences, strengths, weaknesses, etc. My karate club has a really good balance of kata, kihon and kumite. The forms and "style" of the MA is there, the basic principles and work-out is there, and the sparring and application of techniques is there. I'm happy with it, anyway. But then again, I've never trained in anything else, so I'm completely biased. Wap

Name: Tom Ginn Style: Shotokan (ACKU) Rank: 4th Kyu (1st Brown)

Our Association has over 2000+ registered members in over 25 dojos in the city. However, I'm pretty sure that a good portion of those members are not regular and many probably don't even train at all anymore. There's an average of about 30 students at each dojo, so that's probably something like 600 to 750 regular members. I train at 2 of these dojos, as do most of the students in my group. There's about 20-30 at each dojo on any given night. I train with the ACKU. Wap

Ah yes, the wonderful "Revenue Rainbow". I think I first heard that term on Rob Redmond's old 24 Fighting Chickens website (sadly, gone now). As far as I can tell, the color belt system exists for two reasons: 1) We like to know how we're doing. It takes YEARS to master a martial art (or DECADES!). And we've been taught from birth that it's important to know how we are doing, how we measure up (to everyone else) on a regular basis. Without the color belt system, most people would probably constantly pester their sensei with questions like "How am I doing?", "Am I better than so-and-so?", "Can you see an improvement?", "Do you think I could kick your butt yet?", and so on. Interestingly, this tends to be a more 'western' philosophy. I suspect that many 'eastern' martial arts students don't really care about belt ranking and just wear the white until their instructor gives them a black belt, which usually takes many years. 2) The second reason for the belt system, and we all know it, is money. Dojos get to charge you money for each grading you attempt, sometimes charging you more if you pass. Ooh, and they get to sell you a nice new belt too. Most of us don't mind this because of reason number 1 above; we like to know how we are doing and we like to know how we measure up with everyone else. Although it's a good excuse to say that many belt colors exist because there is so much to learn, the truth is the more color belts there are, the more money the dojo makes. But, that's not necissarily a bad thing either. Most dojos don't make tons of money and our grading fees help support the club and keep the training available. Anyway, there's my 2 cents. For what it's worth, the belts in my Shotokan club are: white - yellow - orange - green - 1st purple - 2nd purple - 1st brown - 2nd brown - 3rd brown - red - black (1st Dan through 10th Dan) Wap

$50 CDN per month for unlimited classes at any of the 20+ ACKU dojos in the city. Gradings require another $30CDN fee, workshops are about $80 CDN (6 hours training plus a free weapon and free ticket to the annual awards dinner). I think it's a fair price. I know my instructor isn't going to be able to retire in the Bahamas or anything, that's for sure. Wap

I train at a Shotokan Karate club and we learn the Jo staff there as well. Other weapons we have trained with include bo, bokken, nunchaku, sai, tonfa, kama and shinai. Wap

I'll have to check with my sensei tonight. It could very well be that the 2 points are just for knowing the pattern. I know that our grading is divided up into kata, kihon and kumite, but it's very possible that many aspects of kihon are reviewed while performing the kata (kicks, punches, blocks, etc). I'm hoping that's it, because it would be very unsettling to know I could NOT perform my kata at all and still get 34 points out of 36 (assuming everything else was perfect). Is it fair to request that a martial arts organization provide a detailed list of how students are to be graded and what each area is worth? If I requested this and was told I am not allowed to see it, should I be concerned? Wap

I discovered recently that during our gradings, the instructors use a points system to determine whether we passed or not. Different points are awarded for the various basics, combinations, kumite and kata. There are a total of 36 points I think. However, I learned that the kata for each grading is only worth 2 points. I sort of assumed that the kata would be worth a lot more since it seems like the most complicated part to learn. Basics are basics and once you know them you essentially spend the rest of your life improving them (they ALWAYS need improving). Out of 36 points, basics and combinations must take up the most while kata is still only 2 points. Are other dojos like this? It seems almost like a pass/fail system as far as the kata is concerned. Either you know it or you don't. With only 2 points to spare, it doesn't appear there is any room to grade the proficiency of the kata, like stance, timing, kime, etc. Thoughts? Wap