tekki

You absolutely should start training! You sound like one of the people who would most benefit from time well spent in the dojo/dojang of your choice. Most martial arts have an injury rate that is substantially lower than many other popular sports. Also, I am sure with the types of injuries you have had, if you had been training in martial arts, you might not have been injured as badly or even injured at all. Not only do you learn techniques that help you defend yourself against an attacker, but you will likely learn how to fall and roll safely. Also, by increasing your flexibility, range of motion and the suppleness of your muscles, your body will become that much more resilient. And yes, even when it's frustrating, it's so so much fun!

There is a school near me that specifically teaches particular sounds to make for kiai at set points in their kata. In some parts, it's a short "tu." Then there's a "tiah" sound. Then there's the full out "asahhhh!!!" they make at the end. I wonder what the point of this is.

There's a group of good JKA clubs in the area. One is on Nun's Island. another is at Concordia University. Check out the Montreal JKA website here. http://www.montreal-jka.com/english/accueil-en.html

Shotokan in the house here! (albeit with some Goju Ryu influence too )

I used to be more secretive about my karate, but the weird reactions don't get to me so much anymore. Other people making fools out of themselves can't take away the enjoyment and benefits I derive from my participation I karate. It's a big part of who I am, so to lie about it would just be dishonest anyhow. I hope that more martial arts enthusiasts will be open about their passion. I want to see martial arts viewed as a legitimate way to workout, participate in sports, better oneself and to just have fun. If we hide from the outside world, we are less visible and all that much more prone to ridicule and mocking from a society that doesn't understand what we're all about.

I have one. I got an LG a few months ago on sale at Circuit City. I have to drive a lot for work, often to places I've never been. It's pretty much a necessity for me.

Japan and Okinawa. I've never been to Asia at all and I'd love to see the places where my favorite martial arts originated. I wouldn't mind going to Korea too. Other than that, most of the other places I want to go are places I've already been.

Wii N64 PS1 Genesis/Sega CD Game Boy Color NES

Two big karate goals this summer for me. 1. Medal in at least one event at Nationals in July. 2. Get my Sandan. (I just found out I'm grading in August)

My first instructor was Sensei King. While I have been blessed with many great instructors throughout my karate journey to date, he was the best one to start with. Sensei King was a public school teacher by day, and he had an extraordinary gift for teaching beginners. He knew exactly how to communicate the principles of basic karate techniques in just the way so that you could "get it." He taught twice a week at my university, not for money or fame, but just because he wanted to give back to his alma mater and to karate. Also, he viewed his students as "his" kids. I credit him to this day for my continuing passion for the art. I can't express in just a few words how much of a debt I owe to this man and I don't know where I'd be today without his guidance during those years.

I train in a mix of Shotokan and Goju ryu. Shotokan has been the constant in my martial arts life, I have also dabbled with kobudo, aikido, judo and TKD (roughly in that order in terms of how much) If I were to regularly train in a second martial art, I would go for either judo or jujutsu

-Jammed a couple of fingers -Pulled a hamstring Other than that, it hasn't been worse than a few bumps, bruises and lots of sore muscles. When and if the big one hits, I think it will be in my rec soccer league, not in karate.

I have a lot of shirts and jackets that depict karate on them. I have a euro-oval sticker with a guy doing a side thrust kick on my car. None of them give away my rank or are any attempt to brag about how good I am or think I am. However, in some sense, I LOVE to brag about my art itself. I see karate is a wonderful thing to do in your free time and I want to send a message that karate is a legitimate sport activity for civilized people in our society. If basketball or soccer players can have their respective clothing and bumper stickers, why can't karateka have the same and show the world that we have nothing to be ashamed of?

You're 51 kg, that's 113 Lb. At 5'4", that's not overweight at all. Of course, I don't know your BMI or your overall level of cardio fitness, strength or anything. The best thing for you to do, assuming that you are in good health (i.e. no medical issues that would be aggravated by exercise) is to go ahead and take the plunge and sign up for your first karate class today! Pay attention to your body and pay attention to what your new instructor has to say, and enjoy all that our beautiful art has to offer while getting into better shape than ever before!

I began karate more for its own sake, but one of the first things I noticed after doing karate for a year or two was that I was overall a much, much better athlete. I went back to playing soccer after not playing for 2 or 3 years, and my skills were worlds better. Another time, a friend of mine pleaded with me to join him in a pickup basketball game. I hesitated strongly before giving in, saying I was the worst player ever. But I relented. When I got warmed up, I discovered that I was actually halfway decent. I've tried all kinds of sports and physical activities. You just can't beat martial arts when it comes to actually being able to improve your overall athletic ability.

I feel your pain. I've been in a similar situation, only worse. Instead of wanting to start a new style that wasn't available nearby, I found myself having to move to a place where the style I had been training in was not available. My suggestion is to ask yourself what you like best about the style you are interested in. Then look at schools that teach types of martial art that have those qualities. For example, if it's the joint manipulation techniques you want to practice, see if you can find an aikido class nearby. If it's the kicking techniques, maybe there's a TKD dojang where you would be reasonably happy. At any rate, I would suggest shopping around and seeing what you like among what you can get to on a regular basis. As a beginner, it's hard to progress and to truly fall in love with whatever you do if you can't make class at least a few times per week.

I've gotten hit barefisted my fair share of times. My first dojo did not wear gloves while practicing kumite. Control was emphasized, but hey, accidents happen. Or should I say that I managed to step into someone's bare fist. My current instructor laments the use of gloves, citing that it has had a detrimental effect on control and technique. We wear them because the liability carrier expects them and because they are the norm in the competitions we take part in. I've been hit harder and hurt worse with the gloves than without

I was in college when I decided to take up a martial art. My choices basically amounted to Shotokan Karate or TKD, as I wanted to take a traditional striking art and these were what was offered on campus. I was a bit of a Japanophile, so I tried the Shotokan club first. I fell in love with the art and I really clicked with the people I trained with, so I never looked back.

Tang Soo Do is very similar to the Shotokan Karate that I practice. Most of the forms are the same. Thus, I can safely say from my own experience, that if it's taught right it's a a very good all around system of martial arts, giving you good techniques, a great workout and is extremely fun to train in.

Turning 30 in August. Looks like a lot of us are the same age.

It sounds like you've hit your first plateau. This is normal and is not unlike how you might have felt in your spiritual life when you had your first major trials and tribulations after the excitement of being a new Christian. Just as a baby Christian is often very excited about his or her new found faith in Jesus and all the positive life-changes that come along with that, a new martial arts student often is excited about all the mental and physical results that come from that initial short time of training. You will hit a time here where the going gets tough and you will want to just give up because you think you aren't any good and that you can't get any better. This too shall pass. I know exactly what you're going through. There is a breakthrough at the end of the tunnel you're in, I promise.

With a cold, practicing karate seems to provide me some relief from the symptoms. Maybe because sweating it out is good, maybe because it forces me to breath harder, maybe because the endorphin rush helps. However, unless I am getting over the cold, I try to avoid the classes at the dojo itself, mostly because I don't want to infect my classmates and also if my energy levels are down, I may need to tone down my training, something that is harder to do in a class setting than it is when you are practicing at home. It gives me an opportunity to focus on my technique, body alignment and some other aspects of training that might not be as easy to focus on when I am doing sparring drills or hard conditioning, as my instructor often likes to do in the advanced adult classes that I usually attend.

Good luck with the competition. My dojo competes in AAU Karate tournaments too. I live in New York State, so we'll be in the Northeast Regional (Region 1) in Albany in late April. My district qualifier is this weekend in Rochester, NY.

My strengths: I have a low center of gravity and am very flexible for a guy of my age. I also have a lot of strength in my lower body. This helps make my stances low and powerful, while giving me high and powerful kicks. Much of my training has been with strict instructors, so my technique is very precise which maximizes my power and speed, making my techniques aesthetically pleasing. As such, I excel at kata. My weaknesses: As I am only 5'6" and my limbs are pretty much proportional to my overall height, my natural reach is somewhat limited in comparison to many of my sparring opponents. I also seem to have a lower proportion of fast twitch muscles, which limits my speed and explosiveness, though the slower twitch muscles do help with natural endurance. This makes sparring a bit more of a challenge for me than kata, but I am still able to hold my own.

It's hard to say why I love practicing martial arts so much. It's not just one thing. I've tried a number of things that have been enjoyable for me for one or two reasons, but it's the fact that I find several of these qualities in karate that makes it so irresistible to me. I get a great workout. Overall, my athletic ability has improved significantly. I have had the opportunity to network with and meet all kinds of interesting people, from all walks of life through doing karate. I enjoy performing, which is something karate allows me to continue doing, both in tournaments and in demonstrations. There's lots of culture and history to explore that is related to the martial arts, and this is fascinating in and of itself too. I have a confidence that I can defend myself that I never thought possible, not that I think I'm a deadly weapon to all, but at least I know I wouldn't have to go quietly. Last but not least, is the factor I just can't put in words...when I am practicing my karate, I am at my best, and the feeling is euphoric to say the least. It's partially due to the endorphin rush, but there's got to be more to it than that.