Eiichi

Generally they don't punch to the face, although Kyokushin teaches it. Obviously, scratching, biting, spiting etc. is not allowed. You can do take downs, but joint manipulations generally aren't used. Kyokushin is all about kock down competition.

I've never watched that particular DVD, but generally Tsunami productions are well done and worth the 39.95. I have all the Goju Ryu technical series plus a few others. A lot of the dvds have some good historical footage as well. I would go for it, especially if they're producing it on DVD. Tsunami has yet to release most of their titles to dvd.

You obviously know more about the history of karate-do than me. My original point was the karate gi has been used almost as long as Okinawan karate. I would put the birth of Okinawan or "traditional" karate at the late 1800's. My Great Uncles were wearing gi's in the early 20's in Japan. I would say the use of the gi was common in the early 1900's. Karate has been using the gi for quite some time now, and I still don't think it's a recent innovation. BTW, which dojo do you train at in San Francisco?

When doing kumite watch for gedan mawashi geri to the inside of your thighs. Getting hit there a few times is okay, but if you make the mistake of exposing your thighs too often when doing somekind of ashi waza, you can get severe bruises. All about good foot work.. keep yourself moving, don't stand stationary and become a sitting duck, use plenty of sabaki. Keep your feet moving. Don't worry about getting punched in the chest too much, cover up, but worry more about different types of kicks being thrown at your legs and head, and especially mae geri to the stomach. This being your first class and being a kohai, they should take it easy on you. You'll do fine, good luck! P.S. Since you're a beginner you control the tempo of the fight. The harder you go, the experienced karateka will match it.

Please explain to me how the gi "is a relatively new innovation in karate"? a version of the gi and obi used to be the traditional underwear for Okinawans and Japanese, and thats what they originally trained in. The gi has almost been around as long as the birth of traditional karate in Okinawa.

My dog doesn't have a martial arts related name but i've taught him martial arts techniques. First I taught him how to high five, or in his case (high paw) I knew if he could raise his arms for a high fives then he could block a gedan mawashi geri. I don't kick hard of course but he blocks every single low kick I throw at him. His name is Oki Keoki. Oki means "big" in japanese and "keoki" is George in Hawaiian- Translation-- Big George

God/Goddess type: God Of Death Worshippers: Monks (think Gregorian chant) They show devotion by: Not working on the sabbath

I own 3 gi's. Shureido, tokaido and toyo. All of those gi's are excellent I have to say if your on a budget i'd go for the toyo. If your looking for something in the middle Tokaido is it and if you want to go all out then, hands down, go with Shureido.

Please clarify this, what the heck is "american karate"? I just don't get it. Is it a watered down version of Okinawan and Japanese karate? I just don't understand how you can call karate American.

shureido and tokaido all the way.

I'm looking for these special shin/instep pads. I saw kiyama hitoshi in a video wearing them during his training for the 2002 kyokushin open tournament. They look like the cloth kind but thicker and they come up to the knees. Almost looks like something a hockey player would wear. If you know what i'm talking about and know where to get em, let me know. OSU

I think they should change the name of (tournament cut) to (Okinawan cut). The Okinawans invented the gi along with shorter sleeves and pants due to the heat and humidity in Okinawa. Let me rephrase that. The tournament cut should be called (traditional cut) and traditional cut should be called (japanese cut).

Interesting, considering that free-sparring has little relation to actual self defence. I think free sparring at an early stage can actually decrease one's ability in a self-defence encounter, due to an over-reliance on high kicks and tournament technique. I have to disagree. Free style sparring can have a great affect on your karate in a positive way. In sparring and in other training you begin to understand your bodies mechanics and what might work well in actual combat. You can't expect to fight someone like your sparring them. but sparring helps your timing, reactiom time and body conditioning. It's a must if you plan on competeing in knockdown competitions or just self defense. I think getting introduced to sparring when your a beginner is great, the sooner the better.

I'd like to hear peoples opinions on who they think is the best living Karate-ka in the world today. I'm talking about training with the person and being in total awe of thier karate. In my opinion i'd have to say Morio Higaonna.

Osu! I'm new to the forum and just want to introduce myself. My name is George, But you can call me Eiichi, or whatever you prefer. I did Goju Ryu karate for a little while in San Francisco. I stopped training there because I moved to San Jose (50 miles away). Between the last time I trained and now it's been about three years since I did anykind of martial art. I was trying to fall asleep the other night but couldn't, reason being was because I kept thinking about karate and how much I missed it. So I got up in the middle of the night and grabbed the yellow pages. I started writing down all the potential dojo's I might be interested in. The next morning I started calling and searching, after about an hour of doing that I found a place that advertised Mas Oyama style karate (kyokushinkai). I walked in and asked if I could participate in a trial class. The sensei there is very nice and didn't hesitate to say yes. I quickly put on my gi and endured the 2 hours of getting my butt kicked. It really took me back, They trained with the same intensity and vigor as my old Dojo. They were all very friendly and disciplined. Goju Ryu and Kyokushinkai is very different from one another but the Sensei and the students seem good natured and they take their training seriously. Thats all I need to enjoy my training. Intensity, seriousness, respect and a friendly atmosphere. I'm glad I found this forum so I can share my love of karate and the martial arts. Thanks for looking OSU!

Eiichi is my middle name