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I feel a little odd when it comes to buying presents for my instructors. I stick to a more personal gesture. A plate of homemade cookies or a pan of their favorite dish (home made of course) . They seem to really enjoy it. I'm an excellent cook and it still hasn't helped on any of my gradings. In fact on every one he just adds extra stuff just to see if I could do it.

Right now I've got my house locked up as tight as Fort Knox. Fact is..I'm pumped with adrenaline and sweating like a pig...because I would not be surprised at all if these was someone just outside my front door waiting to take a shot at my head. I think he may have taken too many shots to the head!!!!

My last real fight was back when I was 25. A former friend of mine was hanging out with members of his hockey team and got quite drunk. He somehow managed to get into a fight with 3 people and his "friends" did not assist him. I saw him getting into trouble being a 3 on 1 so I had to step in. I just started grabbing them and broke it apart. I threw one guy over a parked car and then a couple of more started to close in. Funny I never threw a single punch I just kept yelling at them to break it up. I then did the only thing I could think of...... I tackled my friend held him down and yelled to the others to get back. I said hes drunk I'm not and if you want a fair fight line up I take you one at a time. Fortuately they stopped and listened to reason as a crowd started to form. To this day I wonder if that was the right move. As for the friend he got away with a few cuts and bruised and one huge headache in the morning. I no longer associate with him I grew up.

There seems to be a serious case of denial here as well as justification for it. Bad students do not make a McDojo, Bad teachers do. I was terrible when I started. Overweight, out of shape, inflexible and uncoordinated. If good instruction can help a fixer upper like me, the only bad student analogy does not hold water. Of course effort plays a big part in all this. When you earn a rank, believe me you EARN it. There are no easy gradings or classes, as you improve they just keep raising the bar. My instructors are very demanding and quite the motivational force. If they weren't I would be treading down a different path today. And Yes I do have a life, I have a wife kids, a full-time job and many obligations. I find time to do what I enjoy. The LAZY American anaolgy is also incorrect. If you enjoy where you are, good for you we all have our own personal standards. Mine are quite high.

Hey Guys, Thanks for that link. I personally love the crystal light drinks. I cant handle too much carbonation without exploding!!! The local 7 Eleven is even selling crystal light slurpees now !!! I don't think a couple of glasses a day would be bad for you. I would keep up with drinking mostly water. (less chemicals than the CL)

I went in reverse. My son got me to start. So thats 2 generations. Then he just keeps quitting and starting back up again. Am I first or second generation.

IMO, this type of sparring drill is esential for all MA. We do our one step drills @ full speed and power. This lets you know if your blocking really works. We start out with the attack being announced then with the upper ranks we don't know what attack is coming. Another way to get a good feel is to keep rotating partners of all different ages and sizes. (be careful with your partner if its a mismatch ) Yet another variation "The circle of pain"..... Victim in middle surrounded by 4-6 people who take turns attacking randomly anounced then moving on to unnannounced. (I like this one !!! ) Then do all of these drills left handed as well......

Aside of the occasional groin shot....(always funny?) When I was a greenbelt, were lined up doing kicking drills for a jumping front kick. Sensei kept yelling to me more snap! more snap on the kick! Well I snapped the next one so hard the end of my belt shot up and whipped me in the eye. I had one heck of a shiner for a couple of weeks. Still hasn't let me live that one down yet......

Pizza is not Pizza unless you're in NY!!! It's just not the same. I tried Florida, California, St Louis, Ohio, Maine,Penn.,NH even Canada pizza (Vancouver). There's no place like home.

lol... i was doing it so often my sensei started grading me on how i well i join the katas togehter as a joke, and then gave me the name of my new super long and super stupid kata... can't remmebr it now, i might post it when i ask him about it I have the same talent!!!! My personal favorite is what I call "Bassaiempijiondai". When my mind starts to wander I get a touch of whats his names disease. I'l forget which kata I'm doing right in the middle of it and just keep blending into another. It only gets worse the more kata I learn or when we do mirror image. I guess I'm getting old and my brain is full.

It takes time to be good at sparring. At greenbelt level you are still just getting your feet wet. IMO, you really don't start to look or feel comfortable until about brownbelt level (2-3 yrs of training). It takes time, don't be discouraged. My advice is to work heavily on your basics. You can never get too much. It will only make you better. Work on your distance and timing it is crucial to free sparring and fighting. You can have the best technique in the world but without the proper distance and timing you can not hit your target or avoid being hit. Whichever style you choose give it your all. I would not go back and forth between styles at your level as it could lead to more confusion. Good Luck.

Short nails Good. Long Rapter claws Bad. There is a nail strenghtening anti-fungal on the market. I just can't remember what the name of the stuff is.... I would put a band aid over it then cover it with tape before training. Just remember to remove it and give it a good washing afterwards to avoid an infection or nail fungus.

Congrats!!! Savor every little ache and pain. It's a reminder of a job well done.

Hey, I liked dances with wolves. I would say the Star wars episode I and II are pretty bad. But its like a car accident you just have to stop and watch.

Erin, Were you not told the secret to Karate expertise is a blood sacrafice to the Karate Gods!!! When I hear that children's song.. Head and shoulders Knees and toes knees and toes head and shoulders knees and toes it has an entirely new meaning to me....

Yep, I must be taking too many shots to the head. This has been one rough week at the office. I have put together a string of classes where I feel like I'm a white belt again. Going blank in the muddle of katas, my control has been off, timing is off, accidently clocked partner in head, walked into punch I did not even see coming and just compleatly missed block on another resulting in nasty facial bruise. I have really been pushing myself lately, been on a tear, learning amd improving alot. Then this week happened!!!! I've been tired and burnt out before but this feels different. I'm just losing all focus and mental capacity. Physically I feel great. For the first time in ages I'm completely healed. Any ideas???????

Hi Wap, I made it to the end!!!! I can definately see where you're coming from. I agree in todays modern society there is much less of a need to fight than back in the old days. The reasons most of us crazy people train today(aside of enjoying pain ) are many. For myself learning how to fight was the last thing I thought of when I first joined Shotokan. I started when my son wanted me to take class with him. He quit awhile ago but I just caught the bug and probably will never quit. I did not even think of it as self defense or fighting at first. Then one class when my first sensei started to demonstrate bunkai for all those pretty athletic movements I was making across the floor......the thought just struck me .....wow thats gotta hurt!!! My eyes were then opened to what I was really doing. From that point on I truely respected what I was learning. The things I find to be of the most value to me from my training are in no particular order of importance: Fitness learning balance & coordination Stress relief Self defense (yes it's in there though not my reason for training) mental discipline the challenge the friends the comraderie the fun Without the last 3 why bother? The rest wouldn't be important. And of course the main reason for training is......... The ability to make kindling with our bare hands!!!!!

I wish I had a dollar for everytime a person went into that damned karate kid crane stance or gave me the bruce lee war cry...... In danger of flagellating a deceased equine..........., Be smart be discrete. Do not make an obvious spectacle of yourself. I find it to be advantageous that a would be attacker would not know that I practice MA. Why give up the element of surprise if attacked. Advertisement is asking for trouble and poor street tactics. If they have a knife, bat or worse at a greenbelt or even if you were a BB with 20yrs experience. The odds are not in your favor. Overconfidence and reckless behavior will get you killed.

I'll bet you ordered the extra large hero!!!!!

True Ramy, however I was thinking it would benifit those who do not study a Japanese art to at least add the english translation occasionally. I know I don't understand a singlr Korean or Chinese term. Just a thought.........

Sometimes we should all just use English instead of Japanese. It will avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

I wonder what does all that running accomplish? Is it going to make your techniques any better. IMO testing should be about your art and the techniques within it. If I wanted to run all day I would join a track team. I know there are some who would say that its all about a certain degree of physical fitness being a requirement. If you train regularly and have tested through the ranks and are able to do your forms and techniques. Why run a couple of miles? There are quite a few guys that are not in as good a shape as me that could probably throw me a beating if they tried. I've dropped 50lbs. since starting to train regularly and I doubt I could do all that running. I never get gassed out in the toughest of classes 2hrs+and outlast people 1/2 my age. I train and fight hard. If running were on my gradings would I not be worthy of my rank or make me any less the karateka??? If I'm attacked I don't need to be able to run 2 miles I need to defend myself. My old knees just hate running. As well as any excercise that I find may be damaging to my personal health. Fortuately we do not require running. We just have to be able to know and do every technique and form up to the level of testing in whatever amount and combonation the instructor chooses. The instructors have a testing guideline but can ask you to perform anything they choose. Sparring is either free and or pre arranged which consists of every defense technique up to and often next rank right and left sides. There are no breaks and the higher the rank the longer the grading and the more creative they get.

Spiderman, he beats the Hulk 2-1 (movies that is ). Both characters have issues. Spidey has that poor me victum syndrome and the chick problem and Hulkie has all that repressed anger. A good Psychaitrist could easily take the both of them.

Do not even think about fighting 4-5 people you will get hurt. Do not overestimate your personal abilities. Wearing a full uniform in a tough area is not a good idea, it is asking for trouble. If you live only a block away why not have a parent or adult walk you home. Most punks would not have the .... to start something with an adult present. The best weapon you have to use against those kind of people is your brain and a little common sense.

Are you shifting your foot wide enough when shifting to Gyaku? You have to open up so you can turn and square your hips foward. When you are too narrow it puts extra stress on the upper thigh hip flexor area.