Uechi Kid

This is the way it is at the dojo I trained at. If you were a kyu rank and there was a break in your training for more than six months you went all the way back to white. Promotions happened much sooner than a new person though. If you were a black belt, you retained you rank but you were expected to get up to speed very quickly. A side note. Most of the people that I saw try to make a come back left again after a short time.

It took me three and a half years. I trained about seven hours a week for three years. For most people who stick with it at that dojo, four to five years is about right.

I haven't trained since October 13th. I broke three bones in foot. Round house kick to an elbow. I just got released to go back to work but the Doctor doesn’t want me to resume full training for another month. I’m tired of watching. I need to get back at it. WolverineGuy. Congratulation on having a baby.

Just remeber, the closer they get to black belt the, the more particular the the grading becomes. That was very gutsy asking your sensei a quetion like that at 7 kyu. What did he say??

Karate originates in Okinawa. Why not go there instead? There is a large military base there that you (even as a civilian) might be able to find work at. Joining the Marines and hoping to get stationed there seems a bit unlikely right now.

I haven't heard about Segal getting into a street fight either, but I'm sure he can take care of himself on the street. He was a well repected Aikido practitioner before he got in the movies. To bad he still can't act.

Ripper "Karate is just a sport, a hobby. Nothing more nothing less. " Wow. Ignorance really is bliss.

equaninimus That target can disable your opponent for as much as twenty minutes. Guess what?? Fights over!!

We strengthen our toes by kicking tires that are cut in half and mounted on the wall. We start by just pushing against the tire and work our way up to kicking it full-blown. We also condition our shins by kicking the tire with roundhouse kicks.

equaninimus. When we spar it's sport sparring. Light contact. We still practice pointing the toes though. How you practice in the dojo is how you will respond on the street.

I hate watching myself on tape. I never really look the way I feel. But video is a great tool to help you improve.

We kick with the big toe. Remember, hit soft targets with hard weapons, and hit hard targets with soft weapons.

I have my name on one end and my style on the other. Both in Japanese. Most Black belts in Uechi Ryu do this. Gold is the color they are done in.

HECK NO. I didn't start untill I was forty. You're actually at about the best age. Get started and have fun.

I just want to wish everyone at karateforms.com a happy holidays. Thanks to the Moderators for doing a great job. Uechi Kid

shotokanwarrior Is right. Karate takes a long time to learn. It's said that karate takes a life time to learn. Think about it. Ten kyu ranks and ten dan ranks. I've heard the shodan means the begining. Wow first dan and it's the begining. Stick with it. You'll find street applications.

Ok. I think that I have a different definition for what a fight is. I think of a fight as being toe to toe exchanging blows much like boxers do. This type of fight often ends up on the ground and a wrestling match occurs. Karate techneques were developed to stop an attacker before you have to get to the point that you're trying to out "fight" the attacker. I have no problem hurting an attacker if that's what needs to be done. Uechi Ryu is full of techneques that will dislocate an elbow or shoulder, or snap a wrist. They are to be used at the very first oppotunity so the "fight" is very, very short. Sorry if I didn't make my self clear before.

Wow. I sure hope so. Other wise what are we spending so much time training for? Yes boxers can have an advantage in a street fight, but that does not mean that as a karate practitioner you're helpless. Your katas are full of moves that deal with every kind of attack (except guns).

Do three Sanchin Kata. That will get you going

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DIM MAK The Main Meridians by Erle montaigue.

If you want to learn to fight, take up kick boxing.

I-Self What are you so angry about? This is all about helping each other gain knowledge. Karate is NOT about fighting!!! It's about NOT fighting!!! It's about thwarting off an attack without having to fight. The person attacking you might be a good fighter. Stopping him before it become a fight. That's what Karate is all about. I see traditional as: What the masters were doing before karate got to be so commercial. Yes original intent didn't take guns into account, but every other kind of attack has an answer in kata. Most street fights start the same way. You get pushed, or gragged, or they thought a sucker punch. That's reality, that's the truth. It’s all there in our katas. The truth is the truth even if you don’t see things the same way.

Toe kicks are mostly used for pressure points bellow the waste. If you want to kick someone in the head you need to bring them to thier knees frist.

I would caution you about changing schools. You might find it difficult to fine a Sensei in the same style to take you in. You have a lot of time invested in your training. At least get to shodan.

I understand completely about the bunkais not making sense. If you know a little history about karate and Okinawa you know that the Okinawans watered down karate when they started to teach it in schools and to Americans. Most of the moves are the same but what they teach as the application for those moves are not. The Okinawans have been true to their styles by teaching the techniques correctly. They just aren’t teaching the real applications. So be very careful about wanting to change anything in a kata. Hundreds of years of practice has go into making these moves work, and they do work on the street if you know what they are really for. So don’t try to change them because you don’t like them. If you are getting bored with the same old moves, you probably don't know the true meaning of the moves. A few years ago two friends and myself started to look deeper into our techniques. Our goal was to find "the original intent" of the moves in our kata. We discovered applications that will work on the street. In fact they should only be use against a real attacker. These applications are devastating to an opponent. My point is, now when we do those same old moves they take on a whole new meaning. Look deeper into your forms.