aefibird

Which kata do you think would be the best for performing in a competition setting and why? Which kata do you think has the most realistic or reasonable self-defence bunkai in it and why? I go with Unsu for performing, as that kata always looks great, especially when done really well and I'd probably pick Kanku Dai for self defence application, as it has a bit of everything in there.

Got the moral of the story there in one... :-/

I have a bit of a problem with 4 kids that I teach in my childrens lower grade lesson on a Monday. They train with me once a week and in my sensei's lessons once a week. The children are nice enough and polite and pleasant, but the trouble is they are bored with karate. I try and make my childrens lessons as interesting as possible, as does my sensei, but these 4 children just don't seem to like it whatever we do. Their parents have forced them to take karate lessons until either they are 16 or until they reach blackbelt, whichever comes first. The 4 children (a brother aged 10 & sister aged 12 and their cousins, also a brother aged 10 & sister aged 12) have tried talking to their parents about the situation and the fact that they don't want to do karate (which is fair enough - it's not everyone's cup of tea) but their parents flatly refuse to stop sending them. The kids had a word with me & Sensei about it and asked us if we'd talk to their parents, so we arranged a meeting with them and tried to explain as tactfully as possible that their children hate coming to karate lessons and that, really, the parents were wasting their money. The parents didn't want to listen to us either and just insisted that they wanted them to get self defence training until they were either blackbelts or aged 16. I don't really know what to do next. As far as my class goes, I have other children that I teach so I can't just let these 4 run around for an hour and a half as this wouldn't be fair on the others who actually want to learn karate. Nor can I justify taking their parents money and just letting the 4 kids sit out most of the lesson (which is what the kids have asked me to do, but I've refused!). They come to my karate class, so I teach them karate, but is there anything I can do to help make it a bit more bearable for them until they are allowed by their parents to stop? I try to incorporate different activities into each lesson, such as games, basic sparring, fitness work, kata, group work, etc, but it is all karate based, not just there to fill time up or to just be for fun. Hope you can give some suggestions! Thanks.

I like them both. I was expecting Vol 2 to not be as good as the 1st one, because it's had rubbish reviews here in the UK, but I was pleasantly surprised by it and thought it was good. I think that Tarantio did the right thing by making the story into 2 movies, rather than trying to cram it together as one. Jiyn, go watch 'em!

*sigh* I know the feeling. Yorkshire doesn't really seem to be a haven for Japanese speakers - I've tried to find a place that teaches Japanes but so far I've drawn a big fat blank. It'll probably be another 'teach yourself from the book' job, like I mostly ended up doing with Twi and Swahili.

Iron Maiden ROOOOOOOCK!! They are so great live and are such a national British treasure that they should be under the care of the National Trust. Rig, I too liked it when Blaze was with them as Wolfsbane are great, but I have to say that Bruce Dickinson is The King. Stuff Elvis, Bruce is the real King! Did anyone catch them on their most recent tour? I went to Sheffield Arena to see them and I can honestly say it was the best gig I've ever been to, and I've been to some crackers over the years.

Hi Woodz! Welcome to KF.

I agree with the others about Elvis - seeing him in action would have been good. I'd also pick Jackie Chan because I like his style, Dan Inosanto because that man is pure genius and O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba because I'd have loved to have seen his aikido in action first hand. Ditto for Mas Oyama.

Aye, it's a bit of a bad one that - most of us train for self defence and to prevent getting injured but actually often end up becoming injured by the thing we're doing to try and stop injuries. I think that we just all have to accept that injuries come as part of the territory with Martial Arts and that a few injuries sustained in the dojo/dojang/gym/ring/whatever, are a bit of a small price to pay to be able to have a better chance of holding your own out on the streets.

That sounds really cool! I'd love to try it, although I'd probably be dead after a session or two like that...

Practicing regularly is essential, but to truly know 119 kata then a person would have to do nothing but practice kata. It would take over the rest of their life. As with everything, there needs to be a balance.

Karate bruises rock! It shows that us girls are tuff and not scared wimps.

Glad you're enjoying your new training in Goju Ryu. 2 months worth of free lessons - that's a good deal!

Bah, no one ever seems to be watching when I get an MA night like that. G Money Slick, my black eye was a genuine accident. These things happen in karate.

I have seen a copy of my sensei (looking rather younger and with a bad late-80's hair 'do') performing Unsu, Ji'in, Jitte, Gojushiho Dai and Meikyo as part of a demonstration - does that count?? I've got on my hard drive at the moment video footage of a Japanese black belt performing all SHotokan kata. I don't know who he is, he's not one of the 'big names' of Shotokan and the website I downloaded the vids from has now shut down. Even though the kata are performed excellently, there are still differences between how my organisation do the kata to how this person does them, even though it is still all Shotokan. Angelica, does your organisation teach its own kata to blackbelts only, or do you learn them at kuy grades too?

lol, good one Neo. He must have used The Force to be able to truly understand so many kata.

lol, any sensible man is scared of their fiancee! That's the best way to start married life, ladies, get 'em trained right from day one!! heh heh, j/k

Have you ever had one of those weeks in MA where you feel like everything you're doing is wrong and that you're a total klutz? Well, it was my turn for the 'incompetent week' this week. I goofed up in a demonstration with Sensei, so much so that my instructor ended up accidentally giving me a black eye (it was an accident by him and it was all my own fault). Also, we've been working on Heian kata a lot this week and when my instructor said to do Heian Yondan, I'd say "Heian Yondan", bow and then proceed to start of with Heian Godan... The worst part of it was I did that not just once but THREE times!! Plus, everything I've done this week has just felt wrong or wierd or awkward, even something as 'simple' as Oi-Tsuki drills. It's a wonder Sensei hasn't asked me to take off my blackbelt and go put on a white belt this week. And to round off my idiot week I ended up tripping over my trousers as I left the dojo tonight. Sheesh, and I've still got tomorrow nights training to go too. Knowing my luck I'll probably knock myself out bowing to my partner or something idiotic like that. Ah well, next week will be totally different. It will be someone else's turn to have 'klutz week' next week. (it could be you!! ) There wasn't a lot of point to that ramble, but I just thought I'd share my naff MA week with you all.

7th Dan? Blimey!! I don't think I'll even get there... Congratulations to them all!

Congratulations on getting married! I'm sure that your instructor will be happy to allow you to pass on the sparring until your wedding has been and gone. If not, just ask your partners for NO contact to the face. Martial artists are only human - I'm sure your sparring partners will understand you don't want to look busted up for your wedding day.

119 kata? That seems excessive to me. I don't know anything about Hayashi Ha Shito Ryu - how many kata are practiced in that style usually? I'd say that 119 kata is a lot to try and get to grips with, especially for in-depth study. A lot of the traditional Asian karateka studied one or two kata for many years to try and perfect them; 119 kata (even spread out over 17 years) is still a startling amount to try and learn. My instructor is a 5th dan with over 30 years experience and he practices kata every day and we 'only' do 26 kata at my dojo. Just because a kata looks good, doesn't necessarily mean it is good in a real life situation. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the less flashy a technique, chances are the better it will work in a street or even dojo-application situation. By the time you've finished your flashy, fancy technique your opponent has probably got you on the ground and is kicking you in the head with his size 11's. However, if people simply want kata to look good for competition winning purposes... well, that's up to them but it's not what I'd consider to be kata or karate.

Congratulations on getting your yellow belt! Congratulations also to gheinisch, who is now a 2nd kyu!

Congratulations on doing so well, aes! Glad you & your daughter had a great day. Good luck for your next tourney.

Red Triangle Student, does that competition in Barnsley still run? Can you let me have some info about it please? Thanks! As for strengthening punches - lots of heavy bag work and weights work!

Did anyone on here from the UK manage to go to Seni? I was hoping to go, but I couldn't make it.