aefibird

OWWW ZuluKing! Hope your bruises go away quickly.

Good post, Martial Girl!

Hi markfl, welcome to Karate Forums!

Welcome back Erin! Congratulations on your promotion to 9th Kyu. Well done!

This is a bit of a side note, but still.... Angelica, did you see that picture of Peter Kay recently that someone had altered to make it look like he'd lost about 5 or 6 stone in weight?? He actually looked quite handsome!! lol (for those that don't know Peter Kay falls into the status of "god-like genius" - an incredibly funny British comedian and all round nice guy) Anyway, guys, us girls are just picky. We want you (boyfriends/partners) to be the most gorgeous guy in the world, whilst at the same time being the funniest, the most considerate, the most gentlemanly...

Im still waiting. Hah, well, if you ever do get that considerable material wealth... then don't forget to share it with all your friends on Karate Forums! lol

Wow, he's 5 and they're letting him watch South Park and play Mortal Kombat?? No wonder the parents are having trouble with him... Anyway, I agree that martial arts could be a good thing for that boy. A GOOD school that emphasises respect, discipline, self-control, etc etc could really transform that child's life. A family counselor to help the parents take control of their child might also be in order.

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. My condolences to you and your friends and family.

Well, the decision of whether or not you want to learn Ninjitsu is up to you. People on these forums can only describe what Ninjitsu is like and advise you, we can't 'tell' you to go and learn a particular art - that decision has to come from you and your heart. Go and check out the nearest Ninjitsu club to you, have a few lessons and then see what you think of it. I hope that you make a wise decision.

Good luck Red (and to all the others in the path of Jeanne)! Stay safe.

True, unless you have the ££££ for liposuction....

Yan, the coloured belts next to a persons name is an indication of how many posts that person has made on the forum. Everyone starts out as a white belt and works their way up to black. The Sensei's are the moderators (the ones with the blackbelts with a red tag) and the Sempai's are the assistants to the moderatiors (we're the ones with a blackbelt and a yellow tag.) If you have any other questions then please ask or check in the Frequesntly Asked Questions section

Sorry to hear that, Ad. I hope that your surgery goes well for you!

Good advice, although there is no such thing as a Negative Calorie Food - all foods have more energy (calories) in them than they require for digestion. However, with very low calorie foods (such as those listed) the difference between enegry contained in them and energy required to digest them is very negligable - that's why they're good to eat when embarking on a weight loss program.

There's quite a bit of ground fighting in Shotokan, it just depends on the instructor as to how often (if at all) it gets taught. My instructor is into grappling and ground fighting, so we practice it more than a lot of other Shotokan clubs do. Shotokan would be an excellent art for you to take to boost your punching / hand technique skills. It's always difficult to try and explain the 'philosophy' or 'centre' of an art, as each club and each instructor is different. Try out a few lessons with each place (I'd suggest that you have at least 2 lessons at each club, rather than just 1 in order to be able to get a 'feel' for the art) and then you'll be able to make a decision based on what you've experienced.

Hi there! Welcome to Karate Forums. No, you're certainly not too old to start martial arts. I started when I was 20 - 5 years later I'm still loving it! Have a look round in your area to see what arts are on offer; there's no point in deciding you want to train in Aikido if your nearest club is 150 miles away... Also, I'd suggest that you do some research on all the martial arts available in your area. Then you'll have some idea of what each is like. After that, try out a few clubs and see which you like best. Remember, it's more important to find a good instructor, than to firmly decide initially what art you want to train in. You could firmly decide that you want to train in "X" but the instructor near you that teaches "X" may be a pile of pants (to quote a common English prase!). However, the instructor in art "Y" may be the best thing since sliced bread. It's better to go for the good quality instructor. Good luck in your search for a martial art!

lol

I have a fabric one with rubber handles that I use at home. It cost me about £2.50 and I've had it almost 5 years. It's still going strong and shows no sign of wearing out, even though I use it on a regular basis. As long as the rope is the correct length for you, that's more important than what it is made from IMO.

Good luck, hope you find a style that you enjoy!

Listen to your instructor - he's the person with the experience and the "man who knows". Good luck for when you take your belt test!

As long as the belt is tied around the waist and doesn't fall down, my instructor and our organisation don't mind how a student fastens their belt. How I tie mine usually depends on how much time I have before I'm rushing into training...

lol, Shorin Ryuu, we can all be special together!

I got an email from UMMA too. It went straight into the trash can.

Not seen it yet, only seen the trailer so far. It looks good, though. I'm planning on going to see it.

McDojo= a slang term used by many martial artists, especially on these forums, to describe a 'money-making' or 'sub-standard' martial arts club. Usually McDojo's are 'belt factory' type establishments - students receive grades based on their length of time training and how many sessions attended, not necessarily on how good or bad they are or whether they have the skills to hold that particular grade.