aefibird

I'd say go to the weapons class. Just because you want to finish what you started, doesn't mean that you should stick with something if it is bady run and poorly organised (which the art class sounds as though it is). There's such a thing as 'good' perseverence and 'bad' persevereance. Personally, I think that it would be 'bad' persevereance if you continued with the art class, because you could put your time to much better use at the martial arts school instead. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Same here. I've trained on the same day as having tattoos done.

I'd say go and have another chat with the guidance counsellor - without this person "C" being present. Explain your situation and say that you want to help "C", but say that you also want her to help herself. If she is suffering from depression then she neads real help from specialist people - such as the guidance counsellor or a doctor or psychiatrist. Tell the counsellor at your school about her and try and get her to do more. If this girl is genuinely suicidal then she should be taking it seriously, not just encouraging you and your friends to hang about with her to try and make her feel better. Why not get her to take up a new hobby? Encourage her to go along to karate or to try out a new sport or something. I know that you don't want to be friends with her any longer, but ditching her when she is in need isn't going to help her and won't make you feel good either. Even if you don't particularly relish her company then you could all still try to help her through her depression and encourage her to do more. If she has something to focus on then it may help her emotionally.

Does anyone have a list or links to a site that lists the various names for certain forms that are used in Korean and Japanese MA? eg (please correct me if I'm wrong!!) I think that Pyung Ahn Ee Dan is the same(similar!) to Heian Nidan/Pinan Shodan. If anyone has a list with the various names for forms then it would be very helpful. Thanks!

Congratulations ncole!!

1. yes, I shall be seeing it. It's out the day before my birthday, so thay's what I'm doing on my birthday. 2. I'd choose Jedi. 3. I'd have a sigle sabre, with a blue blade. 4. Yoda or Obi-Wan.

When I trained in Aikido we used to go and train on the grass field outside the dojo (weather permitting of course!). Some of the hard-nut yudansha also used to train in a corner of the gravel car park too, but they were just insane.

Keep drilling your basic techniques and try them out with a partner (pref. a higher grade than you). The more you practice the 'simple' 'basic' stuff the more it will come natural to you and you will be less tempted to go for the flash.

LOL! Great masterpiece Patrick! That's a really cool site. Here's one of my 'masterpieces'...

Top Ten, Macho, Pro Force for gear. Rek or Century for suits. Shock Doctor or Brain Pad for mouth protection.

Good luck with your tournament! Try to remember what your sensei has taught you, and stick to techniques that you really know and can do well. A simple technique done well is more effective than a complicated move done badly.

Excellent! If you hadn't done the exibition match would the organisers have given you your money back or not?

The youngest at my karate club is 7. Sensei won't take children under this age.

Good luck with the tournament.

Congratulations vertigo! My grades: Shodan in Karate. 5th Kyu in Aikido. Red sash, 2nd level, in Wing Chun. White sash in Tai Chi. Honorary red belt in ITF TKD. I've also trained but not graded in Kobudo (I'm about brown or black level). Possibly due to start training in Iaido too.

Beginner karate/kobudo classes are 1 hour (although they usually over-run slightly). Intermediate karate classes are 1&1/2 hours and advanced are 2 hours. My Wing Chun classes are 2 hours and my Tai Chi classes are 2&1/2 hours.

At my Shotokan school the stance of the fourth move in Heian Shodan is a zenkutsu dachi. Other Shotokan schools use a teiji dachi (T-stance) or a renoji dachi (L-stance) for this move. But from what I know it is definately not intended to be a neko ashi dachi in Shotokan. My school does however use a neko ashi dachi in the kata Heian Godan just before the jump. Again other Shotokan schools use either a teiji dachi or a renoji dachi. In Shotokan the neko ashi dachi has been completely banned out of low grade kata, mostly in favour of kokutsu dachi. The neko ashi dachi only appears in the higher black belt kata's. Although the neko ashi dachi is known in Shotokan I wouldn't call this stance a typical Shotokan stance. We don't even practice this stance in kihon training. The same thing also applies to sanchin dachi. It appears in the higher kata's of Shotokan but I wouldn't call it a typical Shotokan stance. It depends which Shotokan school/organisation you are with as to how much you use Neko Ashi Dachi. Although my karate school is a multi-style hybrid (but loosly based on shotokan) we are affiliated with a Shotokan-only organisation. Both Neko Ashi Datchi and Sanchi Datchi (along with Fudo Datchi/Sochin Datchi) get plenty of use within the organisation, even from whitebelt. Kokutsu Datchi and Zenkutsu Datchi have plenty of good uses but other stances are to be found in Shotokan and are widely used. We train in all stances at [/i]all[/i] grades, not just brown or blackbelts. As for Heian Shodan, my school also used Neko Ashi Dachi for the 4th movement position. Neko Ashi Dachi is also used within Heian Godan, just prior to the jump.

It sounds good in theory, just very expensive.

Hi Jennifer! Welcome to Karate Forums.

Yes, my custom made mouthguard is a zillion times better than the ones I've bought from the shops - better than a Shock Doctor one. It cost me about £40 for my dentist to make my mouthguard. It's custom design with the Union Jack flag (UK flag) on it!

I wouldn't recommend washing your black and white gi together. Even though you've had the black one for a while there may still be some colour seepage from it when it is washed - it's better to wash it separatly and 'be safe than sorry'. Just as an aside, as you've bought 2 gi (one black, one white) what have you done with the 'spare' bits (the black top and white bottoms)? Have you sold them on or kept them?

I don't agree with your instructors line of reasoning, but if he really truly wants you to wear a face mask then I'd respect his wishes, even though you don't agree with him. Personally, I think that he should show more control when sparring you - after all, he is the teacher and the one with the experience. Do others in your school wear headgear/facemasks? If so, then at least you won't look out of place and be the only one wearing one. Personally, I don't like wearing head gear and face masks - I think that it can teach bad habits, rather than help to cure a poor guard.

Well, learning yourself from a DVD would be OK if you had no other option, but I always dislike learning anything martial art-y from a DVD because it is no substitute for a real-life instructor. DVDs and the like are a good addition for practitioners who have an instructor and want to practice/learn more at home. If you're serious about wanting to learn Tai Chi (which you seem to be) then I suggest that you wait until you feel able to fit it into your schedule. it will still be there in a few years time when you have finished school. Plus, it is great for all ages, so don't feel that you have to learn Tai Chi 'now'. It's better to wait a while and get a competent instructor than to try and teach yourself from a DVD and possibly be teaching yourself wrongly. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for Karate and Kobudo. Tuesday and Thursday for Wing Chun and Tai Chi. Thursdays for "Fight Club" CQB/FSD techniques too. I may be starting Iaido on Saturdays too, as there is an Iaido teacher looking to share dojo space with my Karate instructor.

A friend of mine has had a lot of conflist between herself and her church. She is a Taekwondo practitioner and is the assistant instructor for her club. She is also actively involved with her church and works a lot in the Sunday School there. There has been a lot of bad feeling in her church about her doing TKD as they feel that is is not something from God. They also feel that she is leading the children in the Sunday School astray because of her involvement with MA. Recently, there has been a lot of argument between her and the Elders of her church, and they have now asked her to choose between TKD and the Church. This is a very difficult decision for her to make - she doesn't want to give up TKD but she doesn't want to have to leave that church either.