stoneheart

If you train outside occasionally, your obi will get dirty sooner or later. Also if you practice throws and rolls, inside or outside a dojo.

Todd, I wouldn't have a problem with that if the TKD 'masters' I am referring to say they teach character and life-lessons rather than self-defense. Unfortunately they don't. They claim to teach a martial art, yet they turn out scores of students totally unprepared for a violent encounter. To me, that's not a change for the better. I would call it irresponsible, instead.

Oh, and to answer the original question, I own five dogi. None of them are the super inexpensive student-weight uniforms, but I find a better uniform is worth it. Heavier uniforms actually keep me cooler since they don't cling to my skin when wet, and they are less likely to rip during the odd throwing session or two. If you want your uniform to last longer, don't dry it in the dryer. Line dry it instead. I've tried a number of dogi brands. I can cheerfully recommend the Kamikaze America if you're willing to spend about $95. The Wacoku 14 oz can be purchased for $60, and it too is a good value as is the Pro Force Ultra 14 oz at around the same price.

You guys are funny. Of course you should wash your obi if it gets dirty or smelly. All the Asian cultures I've been exposed to (Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean) value cleanliness. My current dojo specifically states dirty uniforms should be cleaned before you return for practice. The "Do Not Wash Your Belt" tradition is an American invention and should go the way of the leisure suit and the Ford Pinto.

If you practice Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu, Shoshin Nagamine's book is a no-brainer. There is also a great DVD of Sensei Ota out there where he performs all of the common Shuri kata. There are indeed nuances that you can not pick up from a book or video, but there's nothing wrong with using SECONDARY sources of information. If nothing else, Sensei Ota's video will let you see a fabulous kata performance so you can see what good karate looks like.

Kung fu is such a broad term. There are many styles of Chinese martial arts. Shorin-ryu karate-do resembles few of the popularly known kung fu systems such as tai chi chuan or hung gar or 7 star preying mantis. Some of the southern Chinese systems can resemble karate however, notably Five Ancestor Fist. Most of what we know as karate today claim heritage from the Fukien province of China, so this is no coincidence.

Work to return TKD to a self-defense oriented art by de-emphasizing the Olympics. Get rid of point sparring altogether. Reengineer the hyung to have more meaningful bunseoh. Make TKD a lifelong art by demphasizing the high kicks.

I used to practice TKD and we used the Chang Hon forms. I always thought the sine-wave was messy and rather dubious on scientific principle myself, although I was a poor physics student. Shotokan, Okinawan goju-ryu, & isshin-ryu are three karate styles I can think of off the top of my head that use technique which do not mesh with sine wave movement at all. It always struck me that the main goal ITF guys had with sine wave was just to differentiate themselves from others, as opposed to sine wave having any real merit on its own.

I took a trial class at an ATA school. The class only lasted 50 minutes. I don't possibly see how any meaningful training can take place in such a short interval. Heck, the warmups were too trivial to even merit calling them warmups. I do like the Songahm forms, and I know the ATA is very popular with a certain age set, but it's not my cup of tea. Not enough conditioning work, point sparring only, questionable self-defense techs, gaudy uniforms, and no lack of high ranking "masters"... I dunno.

Have you considered taking a private lesson or two on kicking? In group classes, you often won't get as much attention as you need, particularly in commerical dojos. Taking a private lesson is a good way for you to get the specific instruction you need, and to be frank, if your sensei is any good at all, private lessons are a treat. If you can't afford private lessons, you should still have a talk with your sensei. If you're struggling as you obviously are, an attentive sensei would notice and offer you a few more pointers to help you. As a general tip on mawashi-geri, be sure that your supporting foot rotates so that the heel is pointed at your target. Beginners frequently don't rotate their supporting foot, and this puts more pressure on their joints.

How about some weapon-based arts such as eskrima (sticks) and fencing (sabers)?

The best technical manuals I've seen are Secrets of Korean Karate by Sihak Henry Cho and Taekwondo by Richard Chun.

I actually disagree with this statement. Many kung fu styles have methods of power generation far different from a Shotokan-based art like Go Kan Ryu. Footwork can be a stumbling point also. You may find yourself having to change your very basics if you switch arts now. If you truly want to switch to something else, go for it, but I recommend "emptying your cup" first. Don't come in with the attitude that your past experience is directly relevant to your new art. You may find yourself disappointed... I'd suggest an external style with low stances if you want to try a Chinese martial art. Perhaps hung gar?

It's perhaps the most "generic" Chinese style. Longfist players fight from the outside, as opposed to medium or short ranges. Many kungfu schools teach Northern Longfist as a first style, as it contains the basics such as the stances and strikes. I've been told secondhand that Longfist has only a few sets, so many students learn another style after completing (not necessarily mastering) the Longfist training. Hundreds of kungfu styles are Longfist variants, so let's give it its due.

The hakutsuru kata practiced in some Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu schools are strongly related to white crane.

I believe a few of the lau gar forms have been asimiliated into hung gar, notably lau kuen.

Actually, they do. Nagamine's matsubayashi substyle is an obvious example, since he helped develop the first two gekisai kata. The gekisai kata are just called the Fukyugata kata, and matusbayashi practices the first two. Same basic pattern, however. Obviously the shorin-ryu people step differently and their punching technique has more of a step-through feel to it.

Oh yeah, that sounds right, I got confused. Actually Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju, developed the Gekisai kata with the assistance of Shoshin Nagamine from Shorin-Ryu. While Miyagi should get most of the credit for the kata, it's probably inaccurate to say them came from Goju exclusively.

I have no direct experience but I have been told the cut is somewhat slim like Tokkaido. From all accounts, it seems to be a quality yet affordable gi.

I have the Black Belt magazine DVD's of the system. It's OK. It's a heavily external style. There was little coverage of subject matter beyond the techniques... Seemed a little superficial to me, but perhaps that's the nature of the medium. I had the same complaint about the Fred Villari Shaolin Kempo DVDs I saw.

guess soNot all sanchin performers can do it, but apparently a skilled master of sanchin can withdraw his testicles up into his body if he has worked towards this goal. I've never seen it myself, so this might be one of those myths. Me personally, I'd rather use tai sabaki or even a crude block to avoid a kick to the nads.

I know of four that do. Goju-Ryu, Uechi-Ryu & Pangai Noon, Isshin-Ryu, and Go Kan Ryu. Goju seems to practice sanchin more for body conditioning and fitness, although I realize someone who come right along to argue this. The Uechi and Pangai Noon people actively work the kata to protect themselves from blows. It's said a true sanchin master cannot be choked, since his neck will form ropes of muscle as he tenses his body. I know little about how Isshin-Ryu people practice Sanchin. Go Kan Ryu is a recent creation of a Westerner who studied Goju and Shotokan. I assume they would do sanchin like the Goju people, but who knows.

Interestingly enough, the goju style you practice, goju boi, has elements of iron body training within sanchin kata.

I'd suggest looking into some Chinese styles like hsing-i or baqua.

You should look into a school that has an XMA (eXtreme Martial Arts) curriculum. Most of these schools will be taekwondo as people above have mentioned.