aefibird

I'd say that it would be wrong to wear a tattered gi if it could cause injury, accident or embarassment to yourself or another person. e.g. if it had holes in it that someone could get their finger caught in when performing a technique. If it's just faded then that should be OK. However, its up to your school and instructors what they will and won't let you wear. If your teacher(s) are OK with your old gi then other students should be, unless they find it really offensive.

I love coffee, although I prefer fresh ground to instant. Instant coffee= I usually drink CafeDirect's Kilimanjaro brand. That's because it's fair trade and therefore ethical and also I've been to Kilimanjaro and seen coffee grown there, so it seems apropriate for me to drink that brand!

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm glad that you were able to turn your life around. My mum quit smoking in the same way as you did. She was a heavy smoker for many years but one day decided to pack it in for good. She asked God to help her then threw her cigarettes in the bin. She's never smoked since. Davison, I hope that you manage to be able to quit. My dad is currently attending a government-run quit smoking class and one tip that they tell people is to get a stress ball or piece of blu-tack to play with when you feel like a cig. Also, try to avoide smoky places and smokers in your first few days of quitting. Try to pick a day and a time to quit and tell yourself that "this is it, no more after tomorrow". You could also get a jar and put some money in it every time you want a cigarette but resist. That way you'll see the 'reward' for your efforts. Good luck!

Yes, those things are absolutely scrummy. Somehow, I seem to visit McDonalds more when they sell Creme Egg McFlurrys. I can't think why...

Aw, thanks Kicks! At least I can make someone happy... Anyway, I feel a little better today - because I'm not at work! Hooray for Good Friday and publick holidays.

Better fit, for a start. I always found that off-the-shelf moughguards never fitted really well - not even the good quality, expensive ones. Also, my dentist has told me to take the guard back with me every 6 months (when I go for a check-up) so that he can check that it is still fitting correctly and isn't putting pressure on anything. Plus, I have mine customised with the Union Jack flag on the front of it which looks cool. Hey, martial arts is all about looking cool, right??

Very odd! Why don't you contact Shureido and see what they say? Maybe you got the wrong white gi.

Kwon are good if you're not going to give them much wear. I recently bought a Kwon gi from eBay and it is OK for general dojo wear, although I wouldn't wear it every day. The advantages of Kwon are that their sizes are generous, they do elastic and drawstring waist pants and that their products are cheap. If you're only wanting a Kwon gi to wear to occasional tournaments then you should be OK with it. If you're wanting something you can wear on a regular basis I'd suggest saving up and getting a better quality gi, such as a Tokaido, Shureido or Kamikaze.

Speaking of Hakutsuru, does anyone have any good links to vids of this kata? I'm also looking for good videos of Wansu and Wankan too. My new favourite "kata" is Chen Tai Chi Chu'an 11 form - I leaned the final part of it last night and I've been practicing it like mad today! As long as I don't mess up and start doing this form tonight in karate class then I should be OK... That's the trouble with doing more than one MA, especially MA's that have forms in them. Sometimes my brain goes on holiday for a while and I find myself doing karate at Wing Chun and Wing Chun in Tai Chi class. D'oh!

Carl, do you have any links to places that sell (or have instructions to make!) a Chiishi? Thanks.

Try: Karate Kid Paragon MA The Martial Arts Store UK I particularly recommend the first of the links - great service and decent prices.

I'm not a big fan of wearing padding and protection when fighting, but I do tend to wear a gum shield. What can I say, I like my teeth. Nah, I wear a gumshield as I have quite weak teeth and I prefer to protect them 'just in case'. After an incident when I was 17 which involved a friends pony, said ponys hooves and my face I've always been a little jumpy about being kicked (or punched) in the teeth. I had my mouthguard made for me by my dentist and it didn't cost much more than a Shock Doctor or a Brain Pad mouthguard.

Check with your instructor that you are wearing your wraps correctly. Also, ask him/her what gloves he/she recommends for bagwork -and if you can borrow a pair to try out! There are many differnt types of MA gloves out there and not all of the types suit all MAists or all situations. You should use handwraps with gloves, not just on their own.

I wear wrist and ankle weights to practice kata with - but I only practice slowly with them on. Otherwise, I use my weights for more aerobics-type moves.

I recently aquired a second-hand Kwon gi (eBay is a wonderful place! ) and it fits much better than my older Blitz gi that I've been wearing. I'd suggest that you stick with an 8oz or 10oz - no need to get anything heavier than that, especially if your dojo isn't air conditioned (neigher is mine and training in a heavyweight gi in the summer almost kills me). As for buying a gi to fit you, buy one according to your weight rather than the height. It's better to have to take up the bottoms than have to send it back just because it is too tight around the middle. Many martial artists have to adjust their gi sleeves and legs to be able to fit them comfortably. Personally, I always buy a bigger size than I need anyway, because I prefer a 'roomier' gi. BTW, congratulations to you and your son for passing your kyu grading!

It's be good if you could write-up your experiences for the KF Articles section.

I've edited the poll to include a couple of other styles.

I'm going to move this to the Getting Started in Martial Arts forum. martialman, you need to have a think about the type of martial art that you are looking for. Do you want it to be mainly self-defence based or with more competition aspects to it? Also, would you prefer a mainly striking martial art or a mainly grappling one - or would you like a combinaton of both? If you're looking for something with more of a spiritual/philosophical side to it then you could consider Aikido, epsecially Ki Aikido. If you want to know any more about Internal Martial Arts then please visit our Internal Arts forum.

Hi Juniper! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good to have you on board. Yes, KF is a great place. Although there are many people here from wildly different backgrounds we can all come together and share our experiences and learn together. Speaking for myself, I've learned many things from people on KF since I first joined. Congratulations on achieving your green sash!

Hi Mitch! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good to have you aboard.

Hi Taikyoku-forever! Welcome to Karate Forums.

Hi Karatekid101! Welcome to KF - hope that you enjoy it here and have fun.

Hi Monkeytastic! Welcome to Karate Forums. I'm not from Hereford, but I have an friend who lives there - does that count?

Hi wu_shu_girl! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good to have another horserider aboard.

Hi there! Welcome to Karate Forums. It sounds like you're having some great experiences there in Japan. Maybe you'd considering writing about them for the Articles section?