Kazuya

I have it. It has Taikyoku Shodan included and it's missing Gojushiho Dai/Sho. The official JKA kata are 26 btw as is stated in The Best Karate Series. I swear i have seen the same book but with a 27 instead of 25 in amazon.com but i can't seem to find it right now. It may be a new edition. Btw, this book doesn't have any actual picture, just drawings but believe me, it can help you a lot better than the best karate series.

There is a good problem you seem to miss. How can you train your reflexes to know how to exactly counter a right punch if nobody is throwing one at you when you train? What if is a feint and the real one is the left? Stay clam? Takes years. I have seen black belts more nervious for a tournament fight than for a surgery. The only way to properly defend is to have all the basics engraved in your reflexes and execute them in an unconcious way. But the basics also include timing and distance and that you won't learn by training alone and in a few months. Even black belts can't defend themselves in the street most of the times because they can't stay calm and think properly in such situation. But if you think you can beat someone using the right methods then is easy: if he throws a right punch lift your left hand and block it. If he throws a left one use your right. If he is charging at you just don't stay in his way. If he kicks you stay away from him. It may seem easy but without doing it for years you won't be able to do it. Just ask a friend to attack you randomly and you'll see.

I think we should perform in equal conditions with our without a custom made gi. Ok, let's think: i run into a fight when getting out of the dojo: i won't perform as good as i should because i don't have my custom made gi, just a normal one... I see the psychological effect that a gi which is more comfortable can bring but the technique lies in oneself not what you are wearing. Thats's my point. Same with makeup: technique lies in the girl not in the makeup she is using. If it's not causing a problem then why to take i out? And there is a tangible problem besides i don't like it? Trust me Luckyboxer, it's just a text based forum: who wants to trade it back and forth? it's just opinions, nothing else. Why didn't you notice the at the end of the sentence? You take a hit where there is none. Exactly, let's not start with semantics here. My original point you seem to miss is that we, as a part of the society try to look presentable, acceptable to the eyes of others. When working presentation it's not for showing off itself: tell me, if you go to buy the same product in 2 different stores and there is one girl selling it who looks good and the way she sells the product is good too and in the other store is the contrary: would you buy it from the girl and store that looks better? I'm almost sure. In these days of competition presentation of the sellers is a must, not for showing off but to make sure the possible buyers see the store as something that looks good, personal included, in other words, presentation. It's even studied in some administrative careers. She is working, presentation is part of the service a store/mall/anything offers. Would you use an old and yellow gi? Why do you always use a white ironed gi? Bacause we always want to look acceptable to others, not because of showing off. You know people would start to talk bad about you and your gi. So you try to please them in a incouncious way. It's the same with makeup, still there are men who think a girl with makeup want to show off instead of just trying to look good in the eyes of society. In societies where there is no makeup, girls try to look good in the way such society says it "should" be done, same with men. We live in a makeup society so we men should deal with it instead of trying to control even that aspect of the girls lives. Yes, but what would you prefer? 5 minutes removing make up of 5 more minutes of training before the class starts. Are you sure isn't just your preference about no makeup instead of some other valid reason? Are not you trying to take a step further in what a instructor controls in his students lifes? When there is a rule in a dojo is because of a reason: no jewerly: it can hurt. No shoes: they damage the tatami and kicks could harm the face severely. But what about makeup? They only valid reason is that it could leave a trace of it in a gi. Is there any other? Or just preference? (please, there is no harsh in this, just an opinion, don't take it personally, i'm not ) And btw: what is the reason for using a gi? I have to answers: one, Funakoshi wanted it after his reunion with Jigoro Kano. 2: it serves to bring to the class a feeling of being part of something private, special to the ones who take part in it only. There is not enough reason to think a gi need to be used to train karate. Hell even funakoshi didn't wear it before his travel to Japan. As i said, technique over makeup or gi. In fact i practice atheism What i'm originally asking is a valid reason for not using it, so far i can only found the trace one and preference of the instructor. Any other? The cigar and smoke makes harm to your students, makeup don't so your analogy is faulty. Cigar and smoke could cause cancer and the risk levels up when you are inhalating it in a passive way(not smoking it). Does make up cause this? Im pretty sure it doesn't so your analogy is faulty. In other words, if it's not causing any harm why is there a reason to not allow it? Just because we were taught this way? Because we prefer our students not to wear it and because we men say it? Exactly. A white gi is a white gi and nothing more. Your technqiue is what matters so why should i spend insane amounts of money in a super deluxe gi? It may not happen in the US but outside them there are not tokaido or shureido or anything like that. So buying one of them is really expensive, still there are people who buy gi or belts specially made in Japan just to have the priviledge of wearing it in a place where there is not such brand. In my experience these guys have been the same guys who are saying makeup is for showing off. It's not fair since they are doing the same but since they are men... they can have a valid opinion of girls while girls have to stick to their opinions. Does a female instructor says is bad or is only us men trying to control that aspect of girls lifes? Again, it's a generalization of my country so don't take any harm, i'm not intending it. Are you kidding me? I tell you what show me the makeup that makes yoru technique better and Ill start wearing it. Why do you seem to miss my point? I say there is no difference between a girl with makeup and one without it, what matters is technique but the opinions of the ones who have posted seem to dismiss a girl's technique just because she is using makeup: the girl is using make up? she must have bad technique, she won't take it too seriously, i mean c'mon, makeup don't convert automatically a girl in a stereotype as you are pretending it to be. That was my original post. Ok so now you are talking about wearing street clothes to class as well? Why not train Naked, nothing wrong with the human body and then noone has to feel bad about not being able to afford the best Gi money can buy? Are not you one of those traditionalist guys who think that only because you were taught to use gi in the dojo you should use it always without question? I use a gi in a regular basis but as i said a few paragraphs above there is no reason to use a gi other than the feeling of being a unit. Regular Schools use it not because it has an effect in what a student learn but because of some sense of unit, why should it be different in a dojo? Is there really a benefit in the learning other than the "feeling more comfortable" thing? Or is because since a dojo is some kind of school there should be uniforms too? Please don't argument a gi makes karate because as i said, there were no gi's in karate before Funakoshi followed Kano's advice. They used train in street clothes, why the then? Gee kind of sounds alot like wearing Makeup to karate classes doesnt it? Maybe your coming around.... I am really dumbfounded by this post as it doesnt seem to be founded in common sense or fact as much as in a pure desire to just argue /shrug It doesn't sound alot like wearing makeup: in your analogy one things makes you car better and the other one not. In my analogy the gi nor the makeup makje your karate better but since you seem to think a gi makes for better karate then you are not gonna get what i'm rying to say. I'm leaving this thread btw. When some people get out of their comfort zone because somebody else dares to question what they took for granted they can take some hits where there is none.

Sorry for the long post btw One thing i forgot to mention: Is there a place where it's oficially said girls can't wear makeup? Is in the organization statement? Is in the dojo kun? Or the nijukun? Is a requeriment in the tests along proper stance and gyaku zuki? (Humm, let's check, gyaku zuki=good, mae geri=fast. Makeup: she is wearing it. FAILED). I think the only official statement done is the one made by the instructor of the dojo but nothing more.

It's ok. Its your dojo and these are your rules. That's what you offer and it's your opinion and the way you choose to lead your dojo. No problem there. Still i don't see how can makeup hurt somebody. If you are talking about distracting other people, well, they should be focusing in their training anyway, if they wanted to look at girls or "get distracted" by them then they should either look at a moviestars magazine or get out more often. They are going there to do karate not to look at each other. Btw, if somebody happen to go to your dojo he needs to bring a soap with him to remove the cologne/parfume? Neither do i. It was just a generalization made based in the actual place of the money industry in the karate world. Yes, karate can be an ego thing sometimes But i was refering to the fact that some guys see bad when a girl with makeup comes to the dojo while they (guys) spend insane amounts of money in their gi's becaue they want to look good and even then they dare to say the girl just wants to look good when doing karate. You may be right but i have not seen such a reaction so far. Anyway, as instructors we should know the possible allergic and medic conditions of our students. If i were to have guy who i know is prone to have an allergic reaction when close to somebody using make up or cologne then i'd only refrain from pairing him up with somebody using it. They don't live in a bubble or a cave, they live in cities where every single girl is using makeup and every single man/women is using cologne. They take precautions to evade allergic reations. It could be the same in the dojo and problem solved. That's what i'm saying. Yes, and using makeup is not for show off, it's a bonus for the clients who visit you in your job. It's about presentation. Having little time to remove it is acceptable and if there is not time the last thing anybody should see is her makeup.. Instructors should be focusing on her technique, students should be focusing in how their kicks or punches are being executed, not how the girl in the left looks like. What i meant in my original post was that there are people who buy gis just for the sake of showing off and they dare to complain when a girl is using make up with the showing off argument. Not everybody is like that but there are men like this certainly. Nor the heavy weight gi's or the more comfortable ones. What matters is technique not the gi. I could train in normal street clothes and have better technique than a guy with a heavy duty gi. Why can't a girl train with makeup and have better technique than a girl without makeup? Should the instructor be distracted by my normal street clothes instead of my technique? Of course not. It's the same with makeup. Should the students be distracted by my normal street clothes? Again, of course not. It's the same with makeup. I think we all should say it's a matter of preference. I prefer my dojo without girls with makeup... I don't care if makeup is used as long as they actually train... and so on and on. There are not valid excuses so far, it's just what we prefer. Why can't we state it like that? In your analogy performance tires should give a better result in your overall experience while wearing a silk jacket is just well... clothes... which don't make your car better. Makeup doesn't make your karate better. Does your gi do? I don't think so. I think your karate is your karate with or without a heavy/normal/canvas/expensive/cheap gi. Makeup, as wearing a gi is just something different to the overall karate experience. We just have accepted a gi as a part of karate that can't be taken away but even in the origins of karate, people would train in normal clothes. Can't girls train with makeup if it's not adding anything more than a gi is? I can't see how buying a gi that will last longer will make you focus more in the curriculum as you said. Focus in curriculum can be done regardless of what you are wearing call it a gi, normal street clothes or even a very old and used gi. But we want to look good in our social circle name it work or karate club so we won't be wearing a very old or dirty gi. It's about presentation and looking acceptable to the eyes of the society. Can't girls try to look good in the same way with the "girls special added touch" as long as they train seriously?

C'mon guys, cool off, the only valid reason for not using it i have read so far is the fact that it may actually paint your gi. Trying to look good at doing karate? trying to look better than the other women and trying to get some attention? Isn't it the same as we men buying expensive custom made deluxe "insert brand" gi's with a silk super thick black belt? After all athe only thing that matters is the technique, not how you look like. Last time i remember we judge karatekas for the technique and not for gi's or makeup. No jewerly? Ok, it may hurt people. I ask: Can makeup hurt people? The most it can do is to leave some trace in your gi but... are not you going to wash it after training anyway? She finishes working and then goes to the dojo, is natural she has to wear some makeup. We men don't use it but we use cologne because we want to smell good in the work. Should we take it away too just because other men think you are trying to get some attention from the female instructor? Everybody is responsible for his own training, what the guy/girl on your left/right is doing is not of your concern. If you get distracted because of a girl then you are not paying enough attention to your own training and you should either take it seriously or come back when you are not puttin yourself at risk (read ahead). Is not fair to blame somebody for getting your attention when you "should" not be paying him/her attention in first place, i mean, a punch is coming at you: should you look at the floor/mirror/ceiling/fathers/somebody's makeup instead of the guy trying to punch you?

That's because those videos were filmed in 195x when the JKA was setup and the changes were already made. The original ones were changed as soon as Funakoshi started to to teach in Japan. Try to look at early pictures of Funakoshi doing kata in the net. Inner strength sounds interesting. Are not you confusing it with long movements and total usage of muscles? Take a look at aikido, their practitioners have inner strengh but they don't use muscles the way shotokan guys do. It's a different approach. You won't use your shotokan muscles in shorin ryu because of the approach. You will learn to disable a man with the minimum effort possible, contrary to shotokan where all you can rely on is your strenght and how you apply it. Of course shotokan will always feel stronger but that may not mean that this is the most effective art in the world. Hell i have seen more shotokan folks beaten than anything in this world... And i'm not biased, i'm shotokan too The difference between sparring and basic kumite you experimented in your shotokan dojo is due to the fact that they are 2 different beasts: what you are learning right now is kata with selfdefense included (bunkai) That's what you are going to get in shorin ryu and that's what kata are for. This is what karate was all about. The sport sparring you are learning in shotokan is in no way related to kata as you may have seen. Simply as that: sports kumite as taught in most dojos today are not related in any way to kata and the gap you are feeling is perfectly natural. Take a dive in shorin ryu. Explore it's bunkai and when you return to shotokan try to apply it to shotokan katas and enjoy. Then you will see that sport kumite is a completely different thing but with the name karate in it and will still feel difficult: sports kumite is not about technique and who hits more harder, it's just what punch lands before. You can punch as fast as you can without force, touch the opponent and get a point. Sports kumite is for fast strong people hence the shotokan kata approach to build more muscles and speed, while the selfdefense you will learn there don't need that. Remember that Funakoshi wanted to convert karate in a physical eduation class and that was his approach all his life, this beng the motive of the lack of bunkai in his classes. A few years before people started sparring with what they knew and designed 1-3 steps kumite and that developed in today's sport kumite. That's why there is a gap between basics and kata and shotokan kumite.

Of course it looks like crap but that's the way it was designed originally. You are used to watching shotokan black belts who spend their lives training how to look good in their katas. Shotokan may be the art with the most refined katas but it doesn't mean shorin ryu is bad. In fact shorin ryu was what Funakoshi practiced before he and his son made the changes to convert it to shotokan. You are studying the original art. Look at early books of Funakoshi and you will se his kiba dachi in tekki shodan is really high and looks like a shotokan's white belt kiba dachi but this is the way it was practiced. That's why you don't look impresed at the black belts. Don't judge them since a shotokan POV. Yes and every one of them has a reason. And you may see that it has something that shotokan lacks and that may be the new concepts your instructor is introducing and i guess you are refering to bunkai and kata aplication in general, where a a gedan barai is a punch or a lock. First, kime: It was not introduced to the shotokan world until nakayama endorsed this way as head of the JKA. There was people who disagreed with him as Sigeru Egami and decided to keep the old way (the shorin ryu way) and founded the shotokai. Lately i have been knowing a lot of shotokan folks who agree with me in the fact that there is no such thing as kime. There are articles floating in the net btw. Kime is only used to make you keep proper form when doing a punch and not follow trought it. If you do this to somebody the damage would be less than the one without kime (when you let your punch go through your opponent without stopping it. To do it properly you need to punch in a relaxed way as the guys in shorin ryu). Try it with a makiwara: punch it with kime and it will return the applied force to you without hurting. Now punch it in a relaxed way letting it go through and you will see that the amount of force that the makiwara returns is more than before and it hurts. About the kiai: nobody has really proven it actually makes your punch stronger. One thing that it surely does is to use more muscles thus your kime looks better but if you follow the reasoning above.... Katas: you change style and are hoping they have the same katas? And with the same style? That's why its a different style. In fact the original katas in shotokan were only 15 and the rest were added from othetr styles as goju and shito ryu and "shotokanized". Why is it unaceptable? Because it makes you think about your movements and the way your body works instead of making you sweat? If you want cardio workout and speed train for them. Katas are for fighting. You won't learn the typical shotokan way with them. You will learn locks, throws and similar things from the shorin ryu katas. It's not like shotokan where a gedan barai is a gedan barai and trust more in the strenght of the person. That's the original timing and it's the only way to develope correct form and understanding. You may have not experimented it in your shotokan classes but even shotokan folks have to slow movements in kata in order to correct them, to do them in a different way as the same you are talking about. Shotokan is a hard style but it has been modified to tournaments. Look at goju and shito ryu, they have katas with slow pace as you mention. Most shotokan folks use to rush through their katas. If that's what you are looking for that is not the original way. One more thing: you should not wear yourself out as they have told you: imagine you fight for 20 minutes. If you are tired, sweating and huffing and puffing after 3 katas in a row, that's only 3 minutes and there are 17 left. One thing shotokan lacks is the fact that there are effective, relazed ways to hurt and evade opponents and that's what you are learning. And when i said fighting i didn't mean sport's kumite where you bounce all tarpound the place but real fighting when timing and distance are completely different, saittuation in which you could never throw a single oi-zuki because your opponent is not at 3 metters away (typical shotokan kata application) Ki development? Me rolls his eyes....

Hi, first post. I dont see a problem with her being karateka. My girlfriend is too. I didn't knew her there though. We get along really good in class except for one time when we went to class being angry at each other. And yes, the class was about kumite exactly that day. Dont know if the instructor felt it or not but when we were practicing free sparringa got lined up with her.... I still feel her knuckles in my head and its been a year since then... There is another couple in the dojo too. Although the girl first disposed of a black belt and in the next 2 weeks formed the new couple with another black belt.... Yes sad story this time (but is happy when the disposed of its not present...) So my suggestion would be give it a try, you wont lose anything and you can even have something to share with her.