aefibird

My best tip - find another kata. Seriously, Unsu is a very difficult kata to learn and perform well. I had great trouble with it when I was first learning it and I would say that it is my weakest out of the kata that I know. Practice the jump on a thick mat if you're going to be doing a lot of repetitions. Keeping practicing the jump on a hard floor will hurt your hands and feet when you are first learning it. Try and keep your legs tucked in as much as possible when you are jumping and break the jumo down into it's various parts. Concentrate on getting the take-off correct, then work on the mid section with the turn and finally work on your landing. You don't even need to practice the turn when you are working on your take-off and landing. When you are confident with all three sections of the jump then try and put them all together. Remember to keep your head and your vision as still as possible. Too much head movememnt will throw your jump out of sync. Get your instructor or someone who knows Unsu to watch you as you do the jump turn. That way, they'll be able to give you specific advice about what you need to work on, so you can concentrate on improving in that area. Good luck and good practice!

Congratulations Matt! Hope you have a very happy bithday!

Well, to all those who have posted about their injuries, GET WELL SOON!

Yes, they are more expensive, but not usually too much more. However, I find that they can be sweaty to wear. They do give good protection, though and usually protect the shin bone better than cloth pads.

Personally, I [/i]hate[/i] wearing chest protectors. I find them uncomfortable and restrictive. I currently have the type that is like a bra with inserts, but I've tried out a couple of other styles before. However, I've never managed to find one to my liking.

Are you talking about National Association of Karate and MA Schools? I just want to make sure that this is the same organisation that you mean!

No, they just drown instead... That summer camp training in the sea sounds fun! I can imagine that it'd really help to improve a persons MA.

Try a local sportswear manufacturer. They will sometimes do embroidary for local teams. When we were looking for embroidered over-gi tops at my dojo we went to a local sportswear manufacturer (no not Nike ) and they were very cheap. They still have our design, so if we ever wanted to order any more gear from them then we wouldn't have the start-up costs. Also, if there is a place near you that does clothing repairs and alterations, they may be able to sew directly onto the back of your gi.

I agree... although I do believe there are people in the world who are that stupid and disrespectful. Maybe not in the same way as in this hoax article, but I'm sure you could all think of your own examples!

I also like Sochin. I find that it is a great kata to adapt to weapons too - the addition of a jo or bo staff provides some very interesting applications!

Hi Kurazaki, welcome to Karate Forums! Don't worry about your age - it isn't a factor. As long as you work hard and try and follow your dream then you'll get there! I'm 25 and I started karate when I was 20. I never thought that one day I'd end up being the assistant instructor of my club! Eventually, I'd like to have a karate school of my own, but that'll not be for a good few years yet. However, I'm not going to give up on my dream of having my own school as one day I will eventually get there... and it won't matter how old I am!

Good luck Cobosan! I hope that you pass. senna_trem, double grading is going for 2 grades (usually only kyu grades, not dan grades) at one time. For example, a person might be a 7th kyu, but if they do well on their testing they would be asked to test for 5th kyu straightaway or be automatically promoted to 5th kyu instead of 6th kyu.

Wow! Sounds like an awesome test. Congratulations to you for passing!!

Hi Rabbit! Welcome to Karate Forums. Don't worry about only being short... I'm only 5'2" myself but I've been told that I'm a very mean and dirty fighter!!

Hi Allen! Glad you decided to join us! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good luck to you for your first Shotokan session this week. I hope you enjoy it!

Hi there ACEkatana913! Welcome to Karate Forums (and welcome to the world of Martial Arts too!)

Hi Brad! Welcome to Karate Forums.

Use dit da jow, tigerbalm or arnica cream on the affected areas and make sure that you rest your shins as much as possible to allow them to heal. Keeping on training and hitting hard objects with them could cause you long-term injury problems.

Tell him to try them all and pick whichever he likes the best.

Hi and welcome to the forum decollet! I agree with solar_kid - the best way for you to find out about martial arts schools is to go along and watch their kids classes. Use gut feeling when you do this - would you be happy for your child to be taught there? If you have even small doubts about the place or the instructors, then look elsewhere. I'd suggest for you to visit a few different martial arts schools anyway, then you'll get a 'feel' for the selection on offer in your local area. Don't just go for the first place you visit. Most martial arts are suitable for children to learn - kids generally pick up things much faster than adults. Plus, they are much more flexible. Popular martial arts for children these days include Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Ju Jitsu. Also, many schools these days have programmes specifically geared towards children and have specific classes for them. Ask the other parents at your sons school - can they recommend a good martial arts place? Many children these days train in martial arts, so someone you know is bound to be able to recommend a martial arts school to you. Personal recommendation is a good thing to have. Good luck in your search for a martial arts school!

Try Aikido if you're interested in weapons training. Many Aikido schools train with the bokken, the jo (sometimes the bo) and the tanto. Some also offer classes in Iaido (the Japanese Art of drawing the sword) as well. As well as the weapons training, Aikido is primarily a defensive Art, using throws and joint locks to defend against an attacker or multiple attackers. Some striking is also used, but the amount done depends on the school. I trained for a while in Aikikai Aikido and found it to be an excellent Martial Art, although one that required a great deal of concentration and thinking. It is also an Art that tends to need a lot of study before a person is good at it. The average time to get to blackbelt in Aikido is 5+ years. If there's no Aikido or Ninjitsu training near you then try and find a Japanese Ju Jutsu school - many JJJ clubs offer weapons training. Good luck in your search!

My Sifu made two for our Wing Chun school - next time I train, I'll ask him if he'll give me the plans he used. One is free-standing and the other is fixed to the wall.

Great article - good to read and very helpful. Thanks!

Sorry Sutiivu, I've never heard of that style before. Can you give us some more info on it, please? Thanks!

Congratulations solar_kid!