CapitalKarate

Running or getting away is first priority, but if we were able to run away from every fight, we wouldn't need the martial arts now would we? I believe everyone's said it here, if you think you would ever need to punch someone to defend yourself or someone else, better to learn how to so you can be your best. And as I like to say (which is my only excuse for carrying a large knife everywhere I go) better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Shorin-ryu sensei is right. It's folly to try to learn movements or drills/kata from the internet. Do you know what you would have learned in those lessons you missed?

Thanks... I think. Didn't really answer my question. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to take a modern art and a traditional art. I found the modern art I want to take (mma, muay thai, bjj, modern kempo) and I wanted to take a traditional MA also, but one that will help me be able to defend myself. Will Shaolin Kung fu help me?

What are the differences between northern and southern shaolin kung fu? Are either one of them effective for self defense? And if so, which one is more so?

I had a sensei out in Oregon recommend this dojo as possibly a dojo for me to go to cause it'll be closer to where I'll be living. I don't know squat about JKF so if someone could tell me how effective it is when it comes to real life self defense that'd be great. Also, does anyone know if they cover all the aspects of fighting? (stand up, take downs, joint locks, grappling/ground fighting, kubodu) Thanks! http://www.jkfnw.com/index.html BTW, the dojo I would be going to is the one in Salem.

yeah, but i just found out it costs $99 a month, i don't have that kind of money. so i can't go to this dojo... anyone know of any dojos teaching any kind of jujitsu or muay thai or traditional karate in or around salem?

i looked at the class schedual and figured i go 3 times a week, and each class lasts between 2 and 3 hours. the only reason i'm going with this dojo is because, from what i've read and seen, this dojo rocks, it teaches everything i want to learn, stand up, take downs, ground work/grappling, weapons. now if only i could have the teacher and class move from portland to salem...

As I'm sure a lot of you know, I'm going to be moving to Oregon very soon, and I've been looking for dojos and I found the one I want to go to. Northwest fight arts in Portland. My dilema is it looks like I'll be moving about an hour away in Salem/Dallas. Do you guys think it'd be worth it to travel an hour to a dojo 3-5 times a week? At this point I'm willing to do it, but I want to you yalls opinions.

Does anyone know of a free site I can get onto that has a list of kata for Shorin-ryu? I'm not sure which branch of shorin-ryu it is, all I know is the first sets of kata are, kihon katas, fukyu katas, some kata set that starts with what sounds like 'tykee'.

Thanks everyone for your input. I do have Stretching Scientifically, thought it's kind of confusing for me. I just want to be able to kick high, to the face level, just in case I ever need to. Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. Is anyone here able to possibly come up with a routine for me to be able to do the side and front splits? If someone has read the book I have (stretching scientifically) and has suceeded using it, all the better.

Is it required to be able to do the splits for traditional okinawan kicks? reason asking is when i stretch to do them, i can only get to able one foot or a lil more off of the ground. I'm able to kick above my waist in all the kicks I've been taught. Also, when I sit on the groun with my legs spread as far as pssible (not that far), I can never sit up correctly, I always end up have an arch in my lower back when I get into this position. Is it necessary to fix, and if so, how can I?

I've been looking around at different schools in the portland OR and vancouver WA areas because I'm moving out there within the next two months, and I happened upon this dojo. http://www.northwest-koryukan.com/home.htm I'd greatly appreciate it if someone would be able to check the authenticity of it. Thanks

o, nono, showing off isn't a goal or anything, its just a plus. it's like finding your spouse, you want someone you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, and its a plus if they're also very attractive. also having your friends and family amazed or impressed is sort of a motivator. how would you like it if everyone you cared about thought something you worked hard at to achieve was worth nothing and weren't impressed at all with?

two reasons really, one, most traditional karate dojos (from my limited experience and knowledge) require the student to be able to do 100 push ups by the time they get to 1st dan. also, personal goal. iw ant to be able to do 100 push ups, plus how cool is it when you tell your body building friends who can't do 40, that you can do over 100?

Pull ups use an overhand grip (palms away from you) chin ups use an underhand grip (palms towards you). Chin ups are easier because you use your biceps more to pull yourself up, whereas with pull ups, due to the position of your hands, you can't use your biceps, so you have to rely more upon your back and lats to do each rep.

I need to be able to do 100 or more push ups on my knuckles or finger tips. First knuckles. Whats the best way to achieve this the fastest? And for the sake of curiosity, how many push ups can everyone do? On knuckles or palms or fingertips, doesn't matter how.

Why not do the most basic compound weight exercises? Benchpress, squat, and deadlift. Done correctly (I'm still trying to find out which is that way though) you won't gain mass, but you will gain strength. Plus the 3 exercises that rely on body weight as resistance work really well too, push ups, pull ups (not chinups), and dips.

Thanks. It took me a while to understand it... I think I like the way that routine looks a lot more compared to the other one but with a few changes, such as add in pull ups and dips. BTW sevenstar, what are you stats? If I may inquire. I'd like to see how someone performs when they use this method.

seven star.. thanks, that helps a bit... i do want some mass as for like padding for when i fight, but moreso than that i want strength, so for strength as the main objective, do you think you could give me a routine that would work best? if you don't have the time, then thats fine

hm... ok, then i want to be as strong as possible, don't care if i'm huge or not, long as i look proportioned and good (not body builder style, don't want muscles bulging out everywhere). one thing tho. bout that mike tyson thing, will my punches get faster or harder the more i lift?

does it really matter what muscles you group together for each day? like having chest and bis one day and back and tris next day, and then decide to do chest and abck on day, and bis a tri next day. does it really matter how you group them? (btw, still waiting for a response on the routine i sent)

ok, i think i found something on a forums called wannabebigforums.com, theres a routine there that people there say works, here it is... http://wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=25&pageid=1

my goals are to just get sheer strength, i don't want to be huge though, i still want to be quick for ma. specific goals are, i want to be able to bench at least 250, squat around 400 or more, and i guess i need to make more specific goals, but i also want to look pretty good, no offense to traditional karatekas, but i won't accept it if i get a karate gut, i want flat abs. right now i weigh about 145-150 and i'm between 5'10 and 5'11, i want to add on between 20 and 40 pounds of muscle (i'm very very thin right now). goals outside of real weight lifting, i want to be able to pass a navy seals fitness test. at least 100 consecutive push ups in under 2 minutes, at least 100 crunches in under 2 minutes, at least 25 pulls ups (not chin ups) with no time frame.

i would never practice just once a week.... ok, can someone then tell me how to wisely figure out which body parts to workout on which days? and what exercises would be best for me to perform? i plan on joining a gym when i move granted theres one close enough to me. so i can do any exercise there is, i just need to know what which would be the best ones to perform, thanks

so if i spent between 2 and 4 hours one day a week to work out my entire body, would that be good enough (for the weight lifting part) for the entire week? also, how can i work my body hard enough to only have to work each body part once a week?