aefibird

I use IE 6

Good luck with your belt testing sAtelitte. Keep on working on the horse stance & I'm sure you'll get it! Practice a little every day - if you stand in it whilst doing something else at home then you'll concentrate more on the 'something else' rather than on how much it's hurting your legs! My karate instructor always tells newbies at my club to practice horse riding stance whilst they're brushing their teeth or eating their breakfast... hey, maybe you could give it a go! If you can hold horse riding stance for three minutes whilst brushing your teeth it will do your teeth good as well as your stance! lol Good luck with it.

Well, I'd always vote Shotokan, but that's because Shotokan is the main karate style I've trained in. I've done a little Goju, plus my instructor also throws in other karate styles into our training from time to time. I'd always pick Shotokan, though, because it's my first karate style and it's the best one for ME. Whichever style a person trains in they're gonna pick that. It doesn't necessarily make it the greatest style in the world (I can see some of the flaws in Shotokan, just as I can also see flaws in other karate styles and other martial arts) but it does mean that it's the greatest style for that person. We can spend all next year arguing about which style is the best and not come to a conclusive answer - simply because there isn't one.

In the most recent edition of Traditional Karate Magazine (in the UK) there's a very interesting and thought provoking article on 'traditional' karate. It discusses when and how and even if we should apply the term 'traditional' to any form of karate. Go buy the magazine if you live in Britain! It's worth it.

Mine's a bit like eeeaaaagh or auuuuagh. Quite short but with lots of voulume! (although I can't kiai louder than a whisper at the moment - just got out of hospital after having my tonsils removed. yeuch!)

Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully you'll get another chance to go some other time.

Either. What you feel to be your physical martial arts level oif skill and also how you rate your mental MA skill. I think most people have interpreted the question to mean their physical level of MA skill.

My instructor is 5th dan and has been training soildly for over 30 years. In the same town as my club there is a kickboxing & TKD club run by a 26 year old self-proclaimed 'master' who is also a 5th dan. He's been training for less than 9 years. I know who I'd rather train with... However, grades are arbitary, and have different meanings and different emphasis in many organisations. As long as the person has worked hard for their grade and not claimed to have got it in a ridiculous amount of time then it's all by the by anyway. I know of a 2nd dan who has been training almost the same length of time as my own instructor (indeed, even trained at the same club as him as a beginner), yet whom is stil 'only' a 2nd dan. It doesn't mean than my instructor is necessarily miles better than my friend, nor does it mean that my instructor has rushed his grades and should be still at 2nd dan, as my friend is. It just means that gradings need to sometimes be taken with a pinch of salt. It's training and hard work that count.

BritNoob, I'd keep going with karate if I were you. I believe it is possible for everyone to suceed in martial arts, as long as they put in the effort and time. Not everyone will get to be a world champion, but, hey, not everyone wants to be. Try not to compare yourself to other people, even to other beginners. Everyone learns stuff at different rates. As long as you are enjoying your training and feel that the karate training is making a difference in your life then that's the main thing. As for gradings, it'll probably take you between 3 and 6 months to get to your first belt. The best person to talk to, though, would be your instructor. Different clubs work at different grading rates. Also, your instructor will be able to answer any questions that you have about karate and your progress. As for training, try and step up to 2 classes a week as soon as you can. If you can only train in karate once a week at the moment then set aside some time each day just to run through what you learned in the last class. Even if it is only 10 or 15 mins a day it will help you to retain your karate knowledge and will mean you'll probably progress much faster than those in the class who don't practice at home. Good luck with your training!

Well, Im not from the red triangle, but I have heard of it, so Hi to you anyway! A 3rd Dan friend of mine used to train there in the 80's, when he was with the KUGB. He says the training there is excellent.

Great post, very thought provoking.

My point exactly. Yeah, the last scene is good, but IMO it doesn't make up for the rest of the movie.

Matt, the belt under your name to the left <---------- is just to show how many posts that you have made. Congratulations on overcoming difficulties to get your yellow belt! Ignore unkind comments made by people and concentrate on getting your next belt. Good luck with your training, I'm sure you'll suceed with it.

I personally would blame the girl in that situation. I've been watching BB a little bit and she seems the type to deliberately wind a person up until they'd snap and whack her one. Actually, I'd like to give her a good slapping and I'm only watching the show, not sharing a house with her!! He shouldn't have hit her, but she was responsible for winding him up in the first place - she bore the consequences of her own actions. Aside from that, I think that it's generally wrong for men to hit women, especially if they insinuate the attack and are not defending themselves. In a defence situatuion it would be different, especially if it was a life-threatening situation or if the woman was carrying a weapon. It's a tough one to call, really. Like DLopez said, it's a no-win situation.

Wooo hooo!!!!!!!! England 3 Switzerland 0!! *does celebratory dance*

Well that makes me a 1, then. hey, I'm with ya there in the 'kicking minus numbers' Angelica!! lol Overall, I'd give myself a 3. I know a teensy bit (enough to get to Shodan) but I also know that there's still mountains of stuff for me to learn and work on.

I hate that bit as well. I always struggle to get up off the floor looking dignified after the double kicks in Unsu too. My knees creak and protest every time I do that kata!

That's very good advice CloudDragon. Good luck with your transition from Tkd to Goju, Topic! I hope you really enjoy training in your new style.

Good article Martial_Artist - very interesting reading.

Aw, the Ford Puma was ace, I always wanted one of those.

lol, course we're gonna beat Croatia & Switzerland! (Thus speaks the Eternal England Optimist )

Good luck with your test kle1n! I hope you do well.

I agree. Even with the supposedly 'simple' things there is still a lot to learn and think about.

Yay! The Tekken games rock.

Jacky Chan is a great guy and an exceptional martial artist. I agree with battousai16 - he seems like a really really nice kind of person. I totally admire his film work, especially all the stunts he does in them.