Uechi Kid

I also agree. I've had my black belt since 1999 and it is just now getting some good white worn spots around the knot. Your sensei is right the proof is on the mat.

I don't think an attacker deserves much of a break. But with the fact that there are video cameras just about everywhere, and you might be video taped defending yourself, defending your self with only the amount of force to stop the attack is probably the wisest course of action. In court we will be held to a higher standard than people that don’t train in the martial arts.

Uechi Ryu

Yesterday I got my third SYNVISC injection in my knee. This one hurt, the other two didn’t. Today my knee still hurts pretty bad. Has anyone else had this experience?

Try starting your kata 90 or 180 degrees from the direction that you normally do. You might be surprised how much visual stimulus affects your memory.

Congrats. neko_shojo You must feel like you are ready, and I'm sure you are. Just do what you've been training to do and you'll be just fine.

When I first started training my Sensei would on occasion turn out the lights when we did kata. He said that it was to help us see how well we knew our katas. Not having the visual stimulus to help guide us. You might also try doing your katas starting at different angles. Start facing 90 degrees from where you normally start or 180 degrees. You might be surprised how the visual stimulus can affect you.

My Sensei is about six foot tall with extra long legs and arms. He is also very lean. It works to his advantage. When he does kata the long lean look makes him look very graceful. In sparing he has an advantage with his extra reach. You will do just find.

Black belt is where the real training begins.

I think if your sensei has you skip a belt it really means he/she hasn’t been paying attention the way they should. Shame on them.

Yes. I have a friend that use to think karate was a bunch of hooey. He’s about six foot tall and very strong. One day (when he’s giving me a hard time about training) he comes up to me and says “so karate man what would you do if I pushed you like this”? And he pushes me about five feet backwards. I told him that if that was all he had I didn’t need to do anything. He comes at me again to give me another shove and I offer up both of my wrists. He goes for it, grabs my wrists and says I’ve got you now. The next thing you know he’s on the ground winning like an eight year old that just fell off the swing. I did a joint lock on HIS wrist that really hurts and puts your opponent to the ground. After that he started to have more respect for what I do. I have used him for my Ginny pig so much that I made him a believer.

Well personaly I don't think he's the king of karate. Maybe he helped paved the way in rock and roll. But not karate. Enough money can buy you anything, even a black belt.

In our school, if you're very active and practice you'll test every three to four months untill you reach three kyu. Then the tests are six to nine months appart. But this also depends on how fast you learn. No rank is just given because you paid your money and showed up once in a while. You have to earn it.

At 36 I was in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately I hadn’t started my karate training yet. Now I'm still training and trying to keep up with you youngsters. Watch out for us old guy we still have a trick or two up our sleeves.

We have the opportunity but I want to learn karate (empty hand).

Our group is very into pressure point and joint lock fighting (thank god). This is good for us old folks; it helps us to equalize the age gap with those youngsters. My Sensei is my best friend and he understands, but I don’t want to slow down. My Dad is 84. Just five yeas ago he was running three miles a day. I wonder if I’m going to make it to 79. I know, poor me, wha, wha. I just needed to vent a bit. Sorry.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced similar physical deterioration. I’m forty-nine and have developed arthritis in both knees and feet. The Doctor says that the two things I love to do most (karate and wakeboarding) will are not long in my future. This really sucks. I don’t feel that old, but the Doc says if I don’t modify my activities I’ll soon not be able to do anything.

WAY TO GO. kEEP UP THE HARD WORK.

Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice. The more you practice the better they get. No secret, it just takes time.

My sensei surprised me the other day at a kyu test. He said that he wanted to do a Black Belt demo. Next thing I know I’m doing all of the requirement for nidan (It’s been six years since I tested for shodan) I’ve had some health problems. Any way, He rocked me like I way twenty years old (I’m 49). Well I passed with flying colors and I didn’t even know I was testing. When he presented the certificates, he called me up and gave me mine. I was sooo blown away.

I tested once with a toe that I broke just two days before. I was a yellow belt testing for blue. It really sucked.

Good to see other Uechi Ryu practitioners here.

I like to wear my gi even at home. I like the way the gi pops and I can hear my arms brushing against my ribs when strike. Our group is very small and informal. We use to not wear gi top just tee shirts and we felt like something was missing. So we went back to full GIs and some of the other formalities and our intensity level went way up. It just feels right.

It would have to be Sanchin Kata.

Yes, when ever I get the chance. We don't have one in our dojo. What I do have is a bowling pin that I hit my arms and legs with to keep then tough.