cathal

Both Chuck Norris and Bill Wallace starred in "A Force of One"

It can be said any kata can be adapted for use with a weapon.

My first official sparring session was against my sensei. My sensei has a very calm, stone face. It was not angry or anything - instead it was very focused. Quite intimidating. For me the pain came after, and it was also the first day I really began to appreciate Tiger Balm.

Timing is a major factor in any sparring situation but I agree with ps1. The timing for the sweep can be critical but I tend not to bother using it against karateka who are heavier.

Your kata's timings are a little different than how we do it. Kanku Dai in particular. I would have preferred a closer view from the camera, myself.

Very useful link - thanks

Congrats

Welcome to KF

Welcome to the forum kstinson.

Sounds like a no-contact school, but they aren't well versed in no-contact sparring rules. Sensei Tom has it right, a no-contact school typically has this rule respecting the technique.

I can't think of a particular book to match this one. But the book sticky is a great resource.

A friend of my family taught this style for a few years. She said the most common advice she provided beginners was to be patient and to just enjoy.

We prepare for gradings by doing more than is required, to help build endurance. If you need to do 8 rounds (probably 2 min each) then you should practice ten rounds at 2 minutes & 30 seconds. If you need to work a bag for the test, work your practice session harder & longer as well.

That was great! If there's group hugging I'm going to stop watching this thread.

This attitude toward a school fight is a cause for regret. You should not go into it with even the slightest thought of you thinking to kill or cripple a schoolmate. This is one of the reasons why fighting can get very bad in schools today. Self control is going to mean the difference between you defending yourself properly & you getting arrested. You'll just have to decide if the short-lived feeling of victory is going to outweigh legal matters such as lawsuits and prison time.

I agree with this completely.

Yeah, because you can't kick the ankel weights off at your opponent!! LOL

We occasionally train with two pound ankle weights, which simulate footwear, but there is no substitute for an actual pair of shoes or boots.

I believe 18 seconds is much too fast for any kata. One of the major aspects of learning them is to learn, over time, the subtle techniques each has to offer. If you rush it you'll totally miss them.

Gatorade is indeed an energy drink because it contains an energy substrate--sugar, which is what your muscles and brain need to operate. Juice has sugar (calories), so does milk. They are all "energy" drinks. The other drinks you refer to are nothing more than glorified caffeine drinks with other irrelevant ingredients that are overpriced and overhyped. Manufacturers have taken over the name "energy drink" in order to market their products, so the term is much misunderstood. What makes an energy drink an energy drink is one that provides energy, which is in the form of calories. Caffeine provides no calories, thus a drink with just caffeine would not be considered an "energy" drink. Caffeine is a stimulant, a drug that stimulates the CNS and causes the release of sugar into the blood stream, sugar that was already stored as glycogen in muscle. The added sugar that your drinks provide is the only thing that can be considered "energy" providing. The worst part of these drinks is that they cause a brief surge in blood sugar along with a stimulated CNS, but they cause a blood sugar and energy crash later on. It's like robbing from Peter to pay Paul---the energy released from these drinks comes from somewhere, and the debt to be repaid is a monster. I wouldn't waste my money on them. Eat right, sleep well, train hard. If you need a little boost before a race or event, save your money and drink a diet coke, but don't depend on "energy" drinks for sustaining daily energy. With respect, Sohan Could not have said it better.

For Karate the fee is $30 per month or $75 for three months in advance. That gives us 4 classes per week, two of which are mandatory. For the Ryukyu Kobujutsu training it is $20 per month. The training is once per week.

If you don't feel up to sparring then don't compete in that area, I think. Better to wait, train, and come back when you feel better.

When performing the kata it is always good to keep the bunkai in mind because you can visualize the opponents. You then get a better performance. But if it seriously slows you down, then that is a factor as well. Because you'd be interpreting a slow fight and that could be deemed incorrect, by the sensei or any association officials. Generally speaking both kata are quick, about 40-65 seconds. Anything longer and you are in the area of incorrect interpretation. When you get to dan ranks you can branch out your bunkai and start getting more creative with the techniques being used, but that should once again not impact the speed of the kata too far. So in other words don't go to slow, e.g. longer than 65 seconds, and don't go too fast or you will appear rushed.

I agree with that completely. It's very very difficult to convince my sensei to do that, but I haven't considered that point before. I'll mention it and see where it goes.

Thanks for the info - welcome to the forum.