aefibird

Keep on going! The more you practice the better you will get at stretching. Keep on stretching every day and I'm sure that soon you will see an improvement. Remember, the warmer your muscles are, the better the stretch will be, so warm up well before doing any stretches. I'm naturally very stiff (like a broom handle!), but one excercise that helped me was to sit with my legs apart up against the couch and try and push myself towards the couch, which pushes the legs further apart. Finally, make sure that you are stretching correctly, as incorrect stretching could do more harm than good. Get an instructor to have a look at your stretching routine and see if they can suggest any improvements that you could make to it. Good luck!

My breakfast = some sort of cereal (Shredded Wheat or cornflakes or similar) with skimmed milk. Occasionally I have a couple of slices of dry toast too (yes, I'm a freak, I prefer toast with nothing on it...). If I'm on holiday (vacation) I might occasionally have the lardy option of a full-English. Bacon, sausuages, fried eggs, fried bread, toast, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding... Yum!

Try looking for full-contact karate, such as World Oyama or Kyokushin, if you're interested in striking. A good Ju-Jitsu school would probably suit you if you like a mix of both striking and grappling, or maybe Jeet Kune Do.

Well, give it a go for a few lessons and see how you like it. If you're worried about injuring your tibia again, then you might be better off studying a martial art that focuses more on ground/grappling work or hand/fist striking, rather than a martial art where there is a lot of kicking involved. Good luck, I hope you find an art that you enjoy training in!

EDIT: double post. Sorry!

I train every day, either at home or at my martial arts clubs. In terms of going to actual classes, I train 1x per week in Wing Chun (I can't go to any more than once a week until I get a bit more advanced) 5x week karate/kobudo and 1x per week at my karate instructors freestyle self defence session (which is similar to OCFM). In response to the other theme of this thread, the kickboxing club who train at the same location as my karate club have a ranking structure. The ranking is lifted exactly from the KB instructor's (limited) training in karate.

Congratualtions on your belt promotion!

Ah, ya shoulda taken up woodwind instead.... Naw, percussion is cool. My next instrument learning 'project' is the drums.

I prefer long hair but it has to be clean long hair. As Angela said "Long greasy hair hanging around the face is just so disgusting; and then when it rains it smells like wet dog!" ...eewwww... On the bald/combover debate, I hate combovers. I'd rather a guy admitted that he was going bald than trying to hide it with a combover. They look truly dreadful IMO.

I'll kick it off with a little about my training... I'm pretty much a karate 'newbie' compared to some of the folks on here. I've been training a little over 5 years and have been a Shodan since December 2003. I'm the assistant instructor for my club. My instructor is Shotokan 5th Dan Sensei Graham Smith, and my club is a member of the Federation of Shotokan Karate, headed by 6th Dan instructor Sensei Aidan Trimble. Both my own instructor and Sensei Trimble are former students of Asano Sensei and Kanazawa Sensei. Sensei Trimble is also a former student of Enoeda Sensei. My instructor incorporates cross-training into our own syllabus. He has trained extensively in several styles of karate and is a Dan grade in quite a few Okinanwan and Japanese styles. He has also trained in Judo, JuJutsu and Aikido, as well as being an experienced street fighter, as the result of a mis-spent youth! We learn the 'standard' 26 shotokan kata, plus Taikyoku Shodan. Sensei also teaches kata from other styles once a student is brown belt or above. He believes that it is interesting to look at the similarities and differences between styles and that this is shown with variations in common kata (such as Naihanchi/Tekki or Heian/Pinan). Shotokan kata that we train in are: Taikyoku Shodan (known as Kihon in my org.) Heian Shodan to Godan Tekki Shodan to Sandan Bassai Dai and Sho Kanku Dai and Sho Gojushiho Dai and Sho Jion Jitte Ji'in Meikyo Nijushiho Empi Wankan Sochin Unsu Hangetsu Chinte Gankaku

heh heh, that was one of the main reasons that I chose to learn to play the flute... At school, my initial choice was between the flute and the guitar, but I picked the flute as its far easier to carry a piece of metal round than a whopping great guitar. As I went to schools that didn't have lockers, what I did and didn't have to carry around was a mega concern for me at the time. Edited for a typo.

Naw, I wouldn't dare... your punching is probably about 20 times better than mine (apart from Wing Chun punching - we seem about equal on that score!). I agree a bit about the food - some brit food is just nasty. Faggots? Tripe? Jellied eels? Tell me someone who actually likes those and I'll tell you you've found a bit of a nutter IMO. Some, however is gorgeous. Mmmm.... fish, chips and mushy peas....mmmm..... EDIT: Ooops, one of the foods that I listed as being horrible appears to also be a word censored by KF. Sorry 'bout that!

Try phoning up all the local leisure centres, church halls, gyms, schools etc etc in your area to find out if they hold martial arts classes there. Also, try looking in the Yellow Pages or the Thompson Directory for more info! Ask around people you know, too, as they might know of a place in Grimsby that teaches Shotokan or Aikido or Lau Gar.

Glad you enjoyed your first class! I'd recommend stretching every day if possible. However, it is better to strech when the muscles are warmed up, so even if you can't do a full work-out, then warm up before you strech with some jumping jacks or a little jogging on the spot or similar. As for equipment, I'd suggest that you invest in a good-quality heavy bag and use it regularly.

Excellent advice.

I find that my 'favourite' kata depends on my mood (as Shotochem has already said). I like all the kata I do, it's difficult for me to choose just one favourite. However, current 'flavour of the month' for me are Meikyo (Rohai), Kanku Sho, Nijushiho and Sochin. Out of the Heian kata series my fave is Heian Yondan.

Yes, glad to hear that you are OK, Red J.

Congrats to ya! Hope everything works out for you both.

It'll be the British beer... miles better than that nasty stuff you serve up in America.... lol, just kiddin'

Piano - 18 years Flute - 15 years Piccolo - 15 years Clarinet - 12 years Bass guitar - 5 years Saxophone - 3 years They're all the instruments I still play (although, not at the same time - now that would be a good party trick!) Here's one I no longer play... Recorder - 5 years (I was a proud member of my Junior School Recorder Band! ) If I ever got the time to study it properly I'd love to learn to play the harp. I'd also like to learn to play the guitar. I can play bass guitar, but I've never tried a 6-stringer.

Heh heh, if I ever have a guy from Wisconsin come up to me and ask me about my tattoos then I'll know it's you!

Good luck to all in the area. I hope you stay safe!

Yes, I've been listening to KB too. I've got that The 5,6,7,8's song stuck in my head now... "Woo hoo, woo hoo hoo", it's driving me batty!!

Yup, but I wouldn't recommend starting them both at the same time if you've never had any previous martial arts experience. I'd say that you'd need to train in Shotokan (or Lau Gar) for a couple of years before adding Lau Gar (or Shotokan) to your training. That's because some of the techniques in Shotokan will be different from techniques in Lau Gar and vice versa, which could be confusing to you. You may be OK training in Shotokan or LG along with Aikido, as the techniques in Shotokan and LG are too different from those in Aikido to be easily confused. If you're unsure which art to take then try out a few sessions of each and see which you like the most.

If you're looking for Shotokan then there are 2 excellent Shotokan clubs in your area. Both are members of my organisation, the Federation of Shotokan Karate. One is based in Laceby and the other club is based in Grimbsy itself, at the leisure centre I think. Go to FSK for more details or send me a private message and I'll let you have more info about the 2 FSK clubs in your area! Good luck deciding on a martial art - I hope you find a club that you like!