Locutus

Hmmm...Sport Oriented eh? I am not sure if that is the direction I want to take. Does anyone have a little more info on Shukokai? Is it like Shotokan, or is it a completely different style?

I was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of Shotokan Seiku-Kai in Toronto, Canada. The instructor is Shihan Takahashi. I was curious as to what type of Shotokan he teaches (JKA, CSKA, etc). It seems traditional from what I can see on the website (http://www.seiku-kai.com/). Thanks for any information you can give me. Cheers, Locutus

Thanks Killer Miller. I will give that a go and see what happens. I'll check back with you and see what else I can do. Thanks again. Cheers, Dieter BTW: I am not unhappy with my instructor I do sometimes wonder if I am in the right style ...But that is another story.

The Mae Geri is ok. I just seem to be stiff as a board which I think is the main problem. Can any perhaps recommend a website with some good excercises or perhaps a book or video?

Hi All, I recently (2-3 months ago) started Wado-ryu and have been having a lot of problems developing a decent mawashi geri. I was wondering if anyone had some tips. I suppose I should mention that I am not very flexable and have been struggling with that as well. Thanks for any help you can give me. Cheers, Locutus

I just started Wado a month ago. I am enjoying it a lot. Greetings from Canada!

Just an update. I tried the class and found it be very good. I decided to join. Wado is quite a bit different than the Goju I studied. I like the how wado moves and how they effortlessly deflect attacks. The instructor was very knowledgable and patient. We did a lot of basics and sparring tonight. I am hoping to learn a kata at the next class.

Dijita, I am definitely going to sit in or even try a class before I decide. I think there are bad dojos in every system. Kyokushin is a style that I was always interested in, but I cannot find dojo close to my home and work. Thanks again for your response. Cheers, Locutus

Hi, I have the opportunity to study Wado-Ryu at my local YMCA in Toronto, Canada. I would like to know some of your opinions on Wado and whether Wado may be similar to Goju. The Instructor at the YMCA is ALEX WAITH (6th Dan). Has anyone ever trained or heard of this Instructor? I am hoping that the YMCA lessons will not be like a McDojo. I am already working out at the YMCA, so I figured I should try Wado, as it is included in the membership. I have some previous experience (orange belt) in Goju-Ryu, but it has been about 9 years since I’ve been in a dojo. I am a little scared to get back into a dojo. I do not remember too many katas, and I just know basic kihon. I imagine that my kumite skills are pretty bad as well. I’ve gained about 30 pounds since then and I am not all that flexable these days. I am hoping that I will be able to improve in the next few months particularly with conditioning and flexabilty. I have read that there are some jui-jitsu elements in Wado which I find intriguing. Does wado use a lot of jui-jitsu, or is it hidden? I don’t want to start a giant flame war, but is it also true that Wado and Shotokan are somewhat related? I am looking forward to hearing from some of the “Wado people” and other Karateka in this forum. Thanks for your help. Locutus.

I went to the Higashi Dojo last night to take a trial class. I had an excellent time there. Sensei Higashi seems like a great guy. He was very friendly and patient. All the other Karateka's were very friendly as well. The class was tough, but also a lot of fun. I am feeling the pain :> The style doesn seem all that different from the Goju that I took. The kata's are a little different but a few are the same. I was able to remeber quite a few things from before, but I also saw some new stuff as well. My form was terrible, but I guess that's what happens when you don't train for 8 years. All in all it was great. I will join next month indeed. Thanks to everyone for their help. Happy New Year! /Locutus

Hi, I am going to try out at a new dojo today. I still have my old gi with my Goju-ryu (the fist) patch on it. The dojo I am try out is teaching Chito-Ryu. Would it be disrespectful to wear my old gi with a Goju patch on it for one or two classes? /Locutus

I have not visited Sensei Higashi's studio yet. It's a bit busy being Christmas and all. I am thinking of going after the hectic holidays are done. Do you know about this schoo? Have you ever met Sensei Higashi or heard of him? I am still not sure as to which style I want train in. I am still thinking about Goju-Ryu and Shotokan as well. But I like the fact that Sensei Higashi's dojo is closest to work and home. I definitely want to check it out.

Thank for all the help. I am going to do some dojo hunting next week. I have done some hunting on the web and I have found a dojo that are close to me http://www.ontario.chitoryu.ca/Higashi/index.html Now they teach Chito-Ryu, which I do not know much about. Has anyone had experience in this style. Is it very different from Goju-Ryu? Thanks again for the help.

Hello fellow Karateka, Sorry if this is a really long post. I am looking to get back into Karate again after 8 years of inactivity. I was a yellow belt at a dojo that taught Japanese Goju Ryu. I was there for a year. I left the dojo because it was too expensive for me to renew my membership. I had the impression that the dojo was more concerned about money than its students. I guess that kind of turned me off from Karate, which is unfortunate. Fast forward 8 years. I have moved to a bigger city. Have a new job. Have gainned some weight. I want to get fit again. Meet some people. And learn how to defend myself should I ever need to. I have a few questions that I hope aren’t too far out there. 1.) I have become very stiff and since I was last in Karate. I don’t think I can kick higher than the stomach. I am somewhat out of shape and have added an extra 30 pounds since I was . I am wondering if Goju Ryu is a good style for me or if perhaps I should look for something else? I am looking for a style that mixes it up a bit and doesn’t just focus on a lot of fancy kicks, but also focuses on strikes and other methods. 2.) I have some questions about styles. I see a lot of dojos around my area that teach Shotokan, Shorin-Ryu, and Isshin-Ryu etc. How do these styles differ from Goju Ryu? Could I take whatever I learned form Goju Ryu and apply some of it in these other styles? 3.) Can anyone recommend a good Dojo in North Toronto? Perhaps one that teaches Goju Ryu or perhaps Shotokan? I am located in North York/Richmond Hill area or Toronto. I hope to get started with Karate again in the new year. Thank you for any help or tips you can give me. Cheers, Locutus