RaidenTB

Uhm, how about The Blair Witch Project.? I know some people really like it, but to me it must have been the worst thing I've ever seen. It just sucked. Boring... And of course those kung fu movies with matresses or camera tracks and cables laying around.

It is yes. If the concentration falls during the practice, our sensei usually stops us, tells us to stretch or just breathe and relax, but during that time he tries to explain what he'd like us to accomplish that certain day (or just try to accomplish)... We're also given some time in silence so everyone can think about it and get in the right mindset. He understands that sometimes it is necessary to 'meditate', if we want to continue with practice.

Wow I've only got a tortoise. Uhm, I'd love to have a cat.. but I'm allergic to them...

We don't meditate. When entering the gym - you bow, say "osu". Basically you're saying that you're mentally prepared, focused and ready to practice. While sitting in seiza we take a couple of seconds to focus or to reflect (at the end), but that's it. Meditation is a great "tool", our sensei recommended it to us, but the ones who are interested should do it on their own, on their time. The point is that we should come prepared, so that we don't loose time during the practice.

Ground school's old gym. Just the right size, but the building has hardly any isolation on the walls so it's really hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Plus, the windows are really small and not all of them can be opened so we're venting trough the mens changing room and the hallway...

Congratulations!! For trying again, for believing in yourself... Our sensei sometimes fails a brown belt just to see what he/she is made of... I get knocked down, but I get up again...

Chocolate muffins... With lots of chocolate chips... Loads of them. Gnocchi (njoki) with almost anything..

Got up early and tried to study... Unsuccesfully tough. My mind is still on holiday, somewhere by the sea and doesn't want to cooperate. And I have an exam in two hours... Aaaaaaaaa!!

I haven't read them all.. Some of them sort of "disappeared" from the library I go to (so they must be good ). If you like the style of writing in Shogun, you'll probably like the rest of the books.

Bottled sweat. LOL

I was told not to move your front knee in the left - right direction when twisting the hips. That could cause some serious damage to your knees.. Have to keep them straight, poiniting in the same direction as the toes. Hope that helps But you should really ask your instructor too.

Our belt system goes like this: white I white II white III yellow orange green blue brown black ...

Shogun is my favourite (I can have a favourite, right? )

:D Jeeeeezzzz It never crossed my mind. O well, now you know what it really means. I know what you tought it meant and what you think of when you see those two letters.. Huh... Where can I change my nickname?

I love thunderstorms . Raiden is Japanese god of thunder, TB are my initials 'cause just Raiden was already taken. Grrr

The 5th Element (of course) Leon The Big Blue Finding Nemo (I just looooooooooove this one) The Last Samurai (The only movie with Tom Cruise that I like) The Usual Suspects Equilibrium (the gun katas ) Monsoon Wedding The Matrix (except the last one), Cradle to the Grave Fist of Legend Kiss of the Dragon Hero Fong Sai Yuk Yojimbo Shichinin no Samurai Mononoke Hime Sen to chichiro no kamikakushi

Yep, and he'll be the first one to win 6 tours in a row if I'm not mistaken. Way to go!

25. Just yesterday someone freaked out when I told him my age. He tought I was 18 or 20...

I'm half way trough East of Eden. When I finish that, I'm gonna drool over Shogun. I've read it sooooo many times but can't get enough.

I can't stand the t-shirt underneath my gi, it wraps around the body like an octopus . I just wear a sports bra and when it gets hot - well - I discreetly do the venting thing. Ramymensa: Isn't gi supposed to get wet and sweaty in the first place? Plus, sweat is really easy to wash out, so you shouldn't worry about staining it. Otherwise, our sensei doesn't allow t-shirts instead of gi-tops, so we're sweating extensively during the summer. But I honestly don't mind. It makes you tougher. Altough the idea to train kata without the tops - to see the breathing sounds great.

50 times and fixing it yourself... I'm speechless... Thankfully I'm without any major scars and bruises at the moment. But had my share during the winter time

Your body is learning, just wait a couple more lessons and things will start to fall into place. It's called motorical learning. You have to repeat stuff a number of times, before your body memorizes it. It could be 10, a 100 or more times, it depends on a person. It always takes some time Once you get there, you will finally be able to start polishing what you know, it will be much easier to learn new kicks and tricks and besides - you'll find that it will take you a whole lot less to learn your next kata. I started to train a month and a half later than everybody else in my class. At the beginning I was mixing up everything. My arms and legs were never in the right place (at the right time...). I was uncoordinated, confused and tought I was the worst student my sensei had ever seen... But - where is will - there is a way. Every day I repeated everything I've learned. I turned our living room into temporary gym and it was sort of impossible to watch tv with me kicking around I rented books from the library, browsed the net, asked questions... And eventually it paid off. So don't worry. Just keep up the good work, keep trying and you will get there. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. I guess it's the same with karate. Talent is nothing without hard work.

I train karate for about 9 hours a week, but next two weeks it's gonna be 7 hours per day... Yeeeha! Can't wait! I also try and go running 4 times in a week. Otherwise, if I need to relax (or if I don't feel like studying or doing whatever I was supposed to be doing ) I practice kata in the back garden. And only one neighbour doesn't think I'm crazy, but he's an ex cop and he used to train judo or something.

Congrats!!! Yes, the hat is cool, and so are your posts

Huh... Yes it matters at what age you start training. But at 14 or 16, I don't think you have the physical and mental strength that is required for the black belt examination. Please don't get me wrong - I've seen a 14 year olds who train hard, have good technique (better than some of those attending the adult classes, if I may add) and are doing really well. They are on their way to become masters. Probably that's why some schools have junior black belts - so that kids can have proof of their progress and can stay motivated. But if you ask me - that's where they're wrong. If you have to give them the black belt to keep them motivated, well I don't think they deserve it. I'd rather have a bunch of perspective brown and blue belts in junior classes, wait a couple of years until they grow up a bit, go trough the puberty and all... And then - if they'd still be training - let them take their black belt exam. Yes, starting to train at an early age actually pays off. Such students progress faster compared to their collegues. So there's no time lost, if you make them wait a bit. And if they were willing to wait - that tells you something about their personality and attitude, doesn't it? 1st dan is the beginnig, very true... I might be a bit "old school" in my way of thinking, but a black belt of any degree should be a mature person whose performance has edge and patina. That in my opinion, comes only with time.