ESA-Shotokan

Kamikazi red label - top gi and you don't get overly hot when really goiong gor it when wearing it

A really good kata web page can be found at http://www.shotojukukai.com/kata/kata.htm featuring Sensei Kanazawa. You need movie player but I think this site shows the kata done very clearly, especially when compared with the "blue screen" katas.

Hi there and welcome. Belt colour is assigned according to the number of posts you have placed. The FAQ link at the top of the forum explains the belt ranking system. Anything else, just ask.

Yup I do that! If you didn't wash your gi then surely that would feel really yuk when you pulled it on. Oh and think of the bad spots it would cause!! Nah! Just no reason why you should leave your gi to smell and surely, it will start to rot with all the warm, damp bacteria! I wash my gi normally once per week, two weeks at the very most!

Don't worry, I know what you mean. I sometimes wonder if Andy Sherry gets a bit sick of it - you will see what I mean. When he asks "Is anybody not doing Bassai Dai?" You can almost see a look of hope in his eyes! Jion is easy enough so get your Sensei to make you practice that instaed. You'll be happy you did. Yes, you will be doing it all alone but hey, at least you get to set the standard!! As for the other two people grading, don't let that hold you back. They can just as easily fail. I saw a young boy at the grading I attended fail with his Heian kata; he forgot it half way through!!

Okay. I telephoned Kamae, the belt makers, and they advised the same - just wear the belt and it will start to break in. They agreed that the sweat from training and tieing the belt, etc will cause the natural breakdown to occur. As far as having a smelly belt goes, I can't say I had such a problem with my brown belt which I have had since 1985!! Okay, I haven't worn it since 1985 but either way, it has seen many years of use and it does not smell. Well it does but that is because I use patchouli oil on it to give it a nice smell.

With KUGB it is Kihon Kata (taikyoko shodan) followed by the five Heians and then Tekki-Shodan. Then Bassai Dai. Jion tends to follow on once you get to 1st Kyu and then progress is slow, in terms of learning new katas. If you are going to nominate another brown belt kata in the Shodan grading, you can add Kanku Dai, Enpi and Hangetsu to your training. With the ESA, things are different. While you learn the Heian katas, you also learn the Ora and Go of these along the way. You also learn Taikyoko shodan, nidan and sandan. Likewise, you get to brown belt and learn Tekki Shodan, Nidan and Sandan! The primary brown belt katas are Jion and Kanku Dai. Bassai Dai has been moved up the Dan ranks along with Enpi, Jion and Hangetsu as application of these is a lot more technical than with the KUGB. All good stuff.

I would say at least 20 passed, so the pass rate was quite high Sensei Sherry like a lot of spirit. My best advice is especially during the freestyle - do not react to being hit. Even if you are knocked to the floor and it hurts, just kiai when hit and as you hit; it shows the fighting spirit which he loves. When people are hurt and complain, they fail. It might sound unfair but in reality, most of the hits are not that bad and some people just try to look for an excuse to get the freestyle over with. Make sure you finish all your moves in the kata. Don't worry so much about speed - he wants to see excellent technique and good form in the kata. Be the last to finish, not the first unless, of course, you are able to apply good form with speed! Oh and another thing - try to select another kata from Bassai Dai!! Every single applicant does Bassai Dai!!! I think he (Andy) will pass you just for originality if you select another one. Kanku Dai and Jion are better katas too, so go with one of them. He is very fussy about Enpi, so only select that if you are 100% sure. Hangetsu is too slow and you will start to rush it in a crowded grading hall! Best of luck with the grading! I'd say do it in Kendall as the Lancaster course will totally tire you out before the grading and then there is so much time for him to see your weaknesses.

Yes that's it. It really is good and when done to the count really works your balance and technique.

Sounds like good advice to me No way I would wash it!! Can't imagine the silk would like that!! My suit tends to be ready to wring out after a good couple of hours in the dojo so it will soften up soon enough I guess. All good fun and all part of the new experience.

Yeah the knee is 100% now. It was nice to return to training on Monday and Tuesday and do Nijushiho and the Unsu - yes, very advanced kata but a nice change from Bassai Dai!!!

Thank you all. I think I will hit lots of people with it - best idea

Wow! Yes now that is good! Incredible rare videos there. I have the JKA ones myself on tape but the Funakoshi ones are totrally new to me. Thanks for sharing that one.

I would move the front foot as a normal thing as one has the feet in line with eachother, i.e. kokutsu-dachi and shoulder width apart as in zenkutsu-dachi. Hope that helps.

Hi there. Having recently passed my shodan grading, I am the proud owner of a brand new Kamae silk over hessian black belt. Problem is, when I wear this it is as though the belt has taken viagara and so do you have any tips on how to "soften" belt rigidity and thus make it more wearable / knotable?

Grading went well in that I only had to do the kumite. I was happy that the man I partnered also passed his shodan, as I landed a hard yoko-geri to his ribs during the freestyle element. A good result after a long, long day. There were about 60 people grading in total, so you can imagine how long it went for when it was 6 to 8 people at a time! Just two years until Nidan...

I passed!! How cool is that? Onwards and upwards...

A yellow belt? Oh tell them to shut up. While it is nice for a person to be supportive, if they are beginners themselves then they cannot offer much in advice. Maybe matters relating to dojo etiquette or basic rules as such, but not in learning karate. Yup, ignore them

Hi there. An interesting (and sore) kicking exercise used a lot within the KUGB is based on the three way kicking requirement that is done for the shodan grading. That is, starting from Zenkutsu-dachi, kick mae-geri off the back foot to the front; snap back and maintaing balance. Kick yoko-geri kekomi to the side and back - again keeping your balance on one leg - and finally, ushiro-geri behind you, then leg back and step back into Zenkutsu-dachi. So in brief it's mae-geri, yoko-geri, ushiro geri : forward, side, behind. What is particularly useful is to break down each kick so that to the count (assuming we are starting with zenkuts with left foot forward and so kicking with the right side): 1. Right knee up 2. Kick mae-geri but keep foot held out 3. Snap back foot, keeping knee bent and up 3(b). Prepare for yoko-geri to the side 4. Kick yoko-geri kekomi and keep leg locked out 5. Foot back, knee bent, assuming knee pointed forward as though about to do another mae-geri 6. Kick ushiro-geri behind you, again keeping foot held out. 7. Foot back 8. Step back into zenkutsu-dachi. This whole exercise is especially useful when done very, very slowly. You really do work your supporting leg and you need to concentrate a lot on good technique. Ensure your knee is bent fully between and at the end of the kick, so completing the technique correctly. Do it is slow, 5 times each leg, then half speed and then fast. A useful tip is to tense your stomach so to centre your centre of gracity as you focus each kick. This will help you to balance. You can then build up the number of repeats and then add mawashi-geri after the ushiro-geri. All good stuff. Hope that all makes sense!

Very interesting article. I have to admit, from experience I have found that the punch used in Wing Chun Kung Fu (but using the same two knuckles as in Shotokan fits me a lot and not the knuckles of the little and ring finger) suit me a lot. I guess the 3/4 turn is a nice half way meet between the Wing Chun and Karate punch, hence you get that good balance and strength of technique. Yes, I can agree with that article but I bet you £100 you will still find me doing a basic karate punch (horizontal) most of the time, out of pure habit.

I have read in many forums and articles on how people fear their Sensei! I must admit I find that quite crazy if the person who is teaching you and hence requires to earn your trust, is not approachable? I say enough of all this non-approach "I'm too good for all" crap! Any Sensei who feels they are higher than though just needs a good kick up the *. Never ever put up with such an attitude. I have been taught by some of the best Sensei and all have been approachable in every way.

I suppose the best advice really is to be polite and listen. If the "Instructor" is happy for them to talk over him/her then they are upholding the wishes of the sensei. You may find that the Sensei has advised the Sempai to give ongoing advice to other members of the dojo. I'd say live with it for now and then, should you feel it is being a distraction, ask the Sensei about this?

Yes Andy is an incredible instructor. He was my senior instructor for several years when I lived in Liverpool and you would sweat blood to try and please him. He always brought out your utmost best.

One thing I have found which is so very much absent from my karate career are photographs of me getting older and pictures of myself with old sensei! First reason is because I am camera shy but I must admit, I regret it a bit. I am going to make it a point to get more pictures of whom I train with, especially with good instructors. Have people on here found it easy to approach a visiting sensei for a quick photo opportunity?

I was thinking, one thing I should make clear about my original post here is that I am referring to when I practice alone and in private! I don't think the poor folk at the dojo could bear seeing me half naked!! Or maybe they could..?