cathal

I'm impressed with that article, except the statement where the writer indicates that no other association recognizes black belts in other systems, period. It's something many associations do, yes, but not all of them.

To answer your question I'd go with kickboxing, but that is my own personal preference. However I do agree with the self defense course to better achieve your personal goal.

The katas are mostly from Goju-Ryu as I recall. I think you'll be fine.

Don't rush. Be patient. Let your technique speak for you.

Something else to consider would be to get a copy of the tournament rules & regulations before attending. You don't want to be disqualified for doing something small.

To follow up the thread on Bassai-Dai earlier I wanted to see what different kinds of bunkai you might have/know for this kata. I'm mainly interested in seeing if anyone is incorporating throws, take-downs etc rather than the basic application one might see with simple blocks/strikes. The reason I'm asking is to see what differences there are out there for this kata. I've seen some very creative bunkai.

I think there are one or two Seido practitioners on this forum, not sure about instructors though.

In our system if you return to the same dojo, or one still associated with the org you can return at the same rank for a probationary period. For kyu ranks it is 3-6 months and for dan grades it is at the discretion of the sensei but can be a year.

Yeah it looks like an intentional break to me.

In my opinion it is fine for you to train him the fundamentals of sparring. At this paticular age we aren't so much worried about bad habits forming through muscle memory or even in poor technique. His body is shortly going to go through huge changes so he'll deal with that as we go...right now your focus should be on technique control so that he doesn't hurt himself or others, no violence, etc. and if he is dropping his hands then all you need do is tap him on the head. A little tap and little tease can do much more than other teaching methods like push-ups etc.

That's a fairly complete list, thanks

I scored on my sensei (a feat in of itself) by doing a grab & backfist the other night...very intense blow to the face.

It is something my father made me do every time I got into a fight while growing up.

Definitely not trying to be argumentative. Curiosity is indeed my main driving force pretty much everywhere. But it's also good to play devil's advocate every now and again, just to see what churns up to the surface. I've learned a lot about myself doing just that.

Aside from what has been said so far, take a look at your own actions leading up to this. Did you make eye contact because you wanted to? Subconciously, you wanted to test yourself, perhaps to see how aware and how quick to react you can be? It's OK to feel pumped after something like this, it's natural. It's also OK to have a boost in self confidence because you felt prepared and ready to react. In the end of a situation like this where no violence occured the thing to do now is reflect not on what happened during the altercation but in just before it occurred.

We train this as well, we call ni fuseji - which I think means two circles. It isn't something we talk about every class but it is a concept we pass on.

Oh good idea, definitely keep us updated. I think you're the only one on the forum currently taking it. It's alwasy great to learn about a system from someone learning it

It can get creepy at times but the power of the mind is very influential in times like this.

I've heard of similar phrases, like "If your heart still beats so do you."

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum, enjoy.

Welcome to the forum.

It might be a mixture of techniques his father has learned during his lifetime, or professional training. However if your friend is very good at holding, grappling, locks & chokes it could be a style like Jiu-Jitsu. Any striking art is going to help you with speed of hitting, but it really depends on what you want to get from your training. If you want a striking art then go for one like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc. If you want more ground work go for Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, etc. but don't do it because you want to take your friend down a peg, do it for yourself.

If you're deciding to grade make sure you have your physician write up something re the leg/back. That way they will take that into consideration during the examination.

As I recall it's basically a four by four or two by four tapered down as gets to the striking surface. You should also setup a second board behind it, so when you strike the makiwara it moves backward to strike that board...then you know you've gone the proper distance. The distance in this case is about the thickness of a normal body from sternum to spine. This reinforces the concept that you aren't punching the target, you're punching through the target. Another thing to remember is skin. If you are striking the surface (beit wrapped in straw, rope, etc) and you break the skin, you should stop, wait for your hand to heal, and then start up again. When practicing with the makiwara it's a good idea to change stances. Don't simply do it all in front stance, etc. Change it up. Last but not least, this is an excellent exercise to practice no mind. You should punch 100 times with one arm, and another 100 times with the other arm.