aefibird

Thanks ESA. Bath is quite a trek for me to get to, but I'd like to go along as I've only ever heard good reports about Abe Sensei. https://www.matsubakai.com That's the web address to download an application form for a course that Kanazawa Sensei is holding on 17th & 18th April in London, in case anyone from the UK is interested in going.

Ted, hope your foot gets better soon! Good luck with your promotion test too.

Pancake day rocks! The celebration of pancake day (or Shrove Tuesday as it should actually be called) is the day where people would use up their stocks of fatty foods (that's why its also called Fat Tuesday), such as milk and eggs, before the start of Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the start of Lent and the rememberance of the 40-day and night fast of Christ. Lent last for 40 days until Easter Sunday. Traditionally, people give up something for Lent. Last year I gave up hard work, this year I'm giving up thinking... Actually, a couple of us were having a discussion the other day at work about how if someone gave up chocolate for Lent, whether that just means chocolate bars or whether that covers hot chocolate, chocolate biscuits and chocolate cakes too. I think she was just looking for a get-out clause to eat some choc over Lent!!

I HATE SPEED CAMERAS! They're just another way of taxing motorists, especially British motorists, who have to put up with the most speed traps in the whole of Europe. Even if you do obey speed restrictions (some of which are ridiculous) then there's always a jobsworth cop ready to jump out and do you for breaking another traffic law. Near where I live there's 2 roads, both with the same speed limit of 30 miles per hour. One road runs right past a school and so the speed limit is apropriate (actually, I think speed limits outside schools should be 20mph - children don't have the physical and mental development to be truly road-safe) but the other road is straight and out in the countryside, away from housing or anything else. yet, on this perfectly straight road with NO record of accidents drivers are forced by the law to go slowly when a faster speed limit would still be safe. Sometimes, living in Britain really sucks!! But then I think of the free NHS and of my local rugby team and it isn't so bad after all...

I'm just reminded of the quote "If your temper goes forth withold your hand. If your hand goes forth withold your temper." Here's a quote from a Martial Arts book by Jennifer Lawler that I was reading only yesterday. Often, people act out their negative emotions by yelling at others, punching the wall and otherwise letting go. Losing contol both emotionally and physically can be dangerous not just to you but also to others. Punching the wall when your wife disagrees with you is an implied threat to your wife. So don't do it. Instead, learn to control your emotions and express them calmly. Unfortunately, some martial artists use negative energy to focus their energy. Occasionally, when someone is having difficulty breaking a board or sparring an opponent, I'll hear a spectator (maybe a martial artist) yell, "Get mad at it!" or "Pretend the guy you're sparring is the boss you hate!" A good martial artist would never do this. You can be focused, determined, and even aggressive without getting mad. By forcing yourself to become angry in order to perform well, you're abusing yourself. You're also practicing your anger, which can lead to problems controlling your emotions. Never use negative emotions to generate energy and never encourage others to do so. I agree with what she said...

Well, my instructor does talk quite a bit in class, but if I'm listening to someone say something I also like to see it written down in front of me (which isn't very practical for a martial arts class. "Oh, wait Sensei, let me just go get my book so I can understand what you're on about"). It's just one of my many quirks. On a side note, I work with children with Special Educational Needs and a lot of the work I do is reinforcing things through either visual, auditory or kinesthetic learning, depending on how each child learns best.

Oh yes, I know that the rolls hurt A LOT if not done properly!! lol I'm loving the Aikido training that I'm doing and I can see the positive affedt that it has had on my karate already.

If you really want to learn martial arts (rather than just 'get fit') then its the instructor that is important, rather than the style. The style you pick might be brilliant, but if the instructor is useless (or just in it for the $$$, or both) then there's not much point in going to that club. Having said that, I'd recommend Judo, Karate or TKD for if you want a good aerobic workout. You don't need to be super-flexible to start martial arts (not even TKD! lol) because flexibility will come to you the more you practice. You just need dedication! Good luck in your search for a MA club. Matbe you could go visit a few clubs in your area and watch and try out a couple of lessons to see what you think.

To those of you who do more than one karate style, what did you find the easiest and hardest things about switching to another style? I have a Nidan friend who has offered to informally teach me a bit of his style (Goju-Ryu, although he's done a little Matsubatashi Shorin-Ryu) and I know it's gonna be different from the Shotokan I've already done. I was just wondering what you guys thought about switching between karate styles!

Hi ESA, is that course open to people from any karate organisation? Thanks!

How's your knee now? I hope it's alright for your grading!

As far as martial arts goes, I'm quite a slow learner. I'm very quick at academic subjects, but slower than a dead snail at learning most sports/physical activities. Because I'm much quicker at picking things up academically I find that I learn things in karate and aikido quicker if I do a lot of reading about them beforehand. Reading about a particular technique can sometimes help me to understand it even more than I would if I was just shown it by my sensei.

Karate dojo = about 2 miles away Aikido dojo = about 20 miles away supergroup7, I love your message signature!

I agree, Sibylla. If you're willing to train for ages to actually get a belt at all, then it proves that you're there for the art and not to belong to a 'belt factory'. Lots of people rush through the kyu grades as quickly as possible and place a lot of emphasis on getting the next belt, only to be disappointed when they get to 1st kyu and 1st dan and then find that there's a long wait until they can grade again. Walkman, I like what you said about your dojo. If people aren't wearing belts then there's less pressure and negative competition between students IMO. Lots of coloured belt ranks within a system can encourage people to think 'I've got a green belt, therefore I'm better than and superior to you with the yellow belt' or whatever, instead of concentrating on their training and trying to be the best they can be. Lets all[i/] start a revolution and do away with lots of coloured belts! I'd love it if we just had white/black or even white/brown/black at my karate dojo...

Good luck with your shodan test!

In the dojo it's "Sensei", outside the dojo it's "Graham". I do know of at least one shotokan club where the instructor refuses to answer to "Sensei" and prefers being called by his first name instead.

Ours is pretty similar to what most people have posted. Average time to 1st dan is about 4-5 years. You have to have a minimum of another 2 years regular training to be allowed to test for 2nd dan, and a minimum of 3 years on top of that to test for Sandan. To test for Yondan you have to be over 25 and registered judge or referee. To have Godan you have to be over 30 and have your own club (they prefer it if you're an instructor when you test for Yondan too). We have a junior black belt system. Under 16's can earn a junior 1st dan. No more dan grades are permitted for juniors. When a junior BB reaches 16, they have to re-test in order to be able to keep their BB status.

DM, yeah I even like the new Beetle (although the old type is WAAAAAAAAY better). It is a little bit suspect, though, I agree. My dad and I are about half way through restoring an old-style VW Beetle. Mmmm, it's gonna really rock when we've done with it! Well, I hope so. As long as it doesn't fall to pieces as soon as we've finished it...

Korean Tiger, if your Holy Ghost analogy is helpful in explaining to other people about Ki/Chi/Internal Energy/whatever people want to call it then I see no reason not to use it. One thing that shouldn't be used is all capitals when writing in the forums... It looks like you're shouting and that can offend some people. Thanks.

I've not got either DVD, but I've now ordered the Shotokan one (Play.com rocks)!

Good luck to you too Karatekid!

How far do you have to travel to get to your dojo/school/club? (I apologise that the poll is in miles - I can't 'do' kilometres!!)

My Aikido dojo is great with lots of lovely thick mats (a bonus when you end up on your butt/face/side every 30 seconds). It's very small though. There were 10 of us & Sensei there today and it was quite crowded. My Karate dojo is good, but a bit 'run-down'. That's not really our fault - we hire the room and its up to them to do all the improvements, really, although 4 of us spent a week-end repainting the dojo and changing rooms last summer. My Sensei spent a day doing some replastering work on the walls (it was either that or wait for the owners to do it... hmm, look at the flying pig!!). The room is clean enough (I know, 'cos I'm the one who cleans it) and we have loads of equipment, much of which Sensei has actually made himself. Sensei is actually looking at trying to hire somewhere else to train, but all the places he's looked at so far are either c**p or expensive or both.

Thanks again GrrArg!

I'm shodan in Shotokan (since December 2003!). lol, you can tell I've only been a blackbelt since December - my belt still looks new and shiney (even with 4x a week training) and still keeps coming undone on its own occasionally!