shotochem

We do!!!! We line up in in 2 lines and rotate partners go for 2-3 min rest 1 min then switch to the next. Its great to have such a variety of partners.

Hi NN, Sorry to hear about your injury. I tore my ACL back when I was 18 yrs old. It was befrore most medical insurance companies reconized arthroscopic(sp?) surgery. I had to choose open surgery or try to rehab it. I had a few friends that had the operation and were still not anywhere near what they were or worse after surgery. I slowly rehabed it over the course of a year and a half. It was a long and very painful experience. It took me months before I could do a single leg lift and about 6-8 months where I could lightly jog on it. After a year I was able to run and longer before I could make a side to side movement without my knee buckling under me. The good news is that today Im able to do things my doctors never thought possible. I started MA at age 30 and Im running around jumping and kicking with poeple half my age (and I can keep up and even run them into the ground ) As for the arthoscopic I know a few people that have had it and they are doing great. One friend had it done 5yrs ago and just had another one done .........ON THE OTHER KNEE!!! He likes to ski Dont fret, they have gotten pretty good with that type of surgery these days. You'll be back to normal soon. If I had to do it all over again I would definately have the scope. A year and a half of pain is just too much. Good luck and keep us posted, dont be a stranger......

yeah, after a while you just get used to getting hit. Then it takes a harder and harder hit to faze you. The only down side is the next morning you wake up and find bruises all over your body and wonder......Why?????

I really try to stretch every day. Unfortunately, I dont always have the time so I stretch as often as I can which is about 5 days a week for 5-15min. It really makes a big difference for the 35 and older crowd.

What I find striking about those old photos is that his stances are much higher than the stances being taught at our dojo. I wonder if it is due to his age or just that someone just decided to change what was being taught? From what I understand the Okinowan styles tend to have a higher stance that the Shoto guys.

Broken fingers and toes!!!!!! There is nothing worse than punching or kicking an elbow. Well, almost......

Anger is a necessary part of all of us.......

Lets all just face it. It just takes a certain mentality to do MA. Not everyone is as crazy as we are! I simplified things just a little. Karate or.........sit on sofa & eat chips? Karate or.........sit on sofa & play video games? Karate or ........sit and watch bad television? Karate or ........join gym then quit in 2 weeks due to lack of motivation? I just would not be able to motivate myself on my own to work out. When youre with a bunch of people trying to hit you........ Thats motivation. And most of all the challenge. Without that there is no point.

Roundhoused my training partner holding a target shield repeatedly. What a happy feeling Until it was his turn

You just have to trust your own blocking. We all started out like that to some extent. Once you trust yourself you will have that fearless attitude that no matter what is thrown at me I will block it or counter it but I will not be hit. Keep your hands up, practice one step drills with a reliable partner at half speed then work up the tempo. Gradually wait on the attack as it gets closer to your face, then block. Time it later and later until you are at the point where if you dont move you will get hit. This is what built up my confidence. Only focus on the attack do not worry about being hit. I hope you undestand my rambling.... No, I have not been hit in the head too many times....

Girls are not objects or prizes to be gotten........ With a view like that you most undoubtedly will be single for a very long,long......time.

[ When he starts, kick like yor kicking a football right up his middle. You might want to lever back rather than lean into it though (just in case your timing is really poor and he gets a foot up). You'll likely catch either his supporting leg or his groin (unless he's not closed in enought for his own kick to reach. Same response works... it's really hard for him to continue to deliver anything with your body-weight going into his one-legged support structure. LOL!!! Thats a great street technique. I'm not allowed to to a groin shot or attack the support leg in that manner. However, you got me thinking.... I am allowed to sweep that back leg......

Good advice. I also found that moving in and jamming in tight to be quite effective. Its all about timing. Another variation is this guy that drives me crazy with a skipping step into a front leg hook kick which if you commit too quickly on he will convert into a nasty side thrust kick to the ribs. OR the other way around with the side kick being pulleed back and him sweeping back with a hook kick to the head. I only had to get hit with that one once to watch out for it. Im still working on the hook to side version. Im up to stopping it to 75% of the time up from 0% 1 month ago. Oh well, at least he not whacking me in the head anymore.........

Hi Swoosh, I've been there myself. Its tough. It is much easier to look for a job while you already have one. It just takes time with the economy most employers are still a little slow when it comes to hiring righ now. My advice to you is don't make any rash decisions, dont just settle for the next job that pays a little more, take your time and choose wisely. It will be tough but you will come out better for it. Good Luck in your search,

I wish I started 20yrs( ) sooner!!! Have any of you other persons "old enough to run for president" who started late like myself, ever wondered how good you would be with a 20yr younger body??? I wonder how different my life would have been if I had started MA in my teens. I guess the next best way to find out is to act and feel young as long as I can.

The goal while sparring in the dojo is to improve yourself and your partner. We work with each other. If your partner has an opening point it out, give a little shot. If your partner has a weakness, tell him, work with him (or her ). You will do them no good when they do not know their weakness and you will do yourself no good believing it is just that easy to hit someone. That is until someone bigger and better comes along....... Winning in the dojo is irrelevant. Just think of that Sienfeld episode with Kramer as the "dojo champion".

Yep, its just a slump. There is nothing wrong with doing a lot of basics, it will just make you that much better. MA are really not that exciting and we all get bored at times. When I start to feel a class starting to drag and the others around me dragging. I just turn it up a notch. I just keep pushing harder its contagious. When everyone gets going 100% even the most boring of classes can quite intense. Think of every class, punch, and kick as one step closer to achieving your BB.

My wife tells me the same thing!!!! Im just a lot more pleasant to be around when I get my regular training in. She used to complain alot about me attending class too much, then she realized I was just too annoying when I was home every night.

LOL!!! I see you guys have trained with a few of the same guys I do. One guy was a little.....dense??? he would just keep comming at you like a mack truck with no control and full power all the time. He also had incredible targeting skills....but only below the belt!!! He was also slightly cross eyed and would look at me funny and he moved, very unortodox. Whenever you would tell him to take it easy it just didn't register. After you would nail him hard enough a few times it would finally star to sink in. What a nightmare!!!!

Come on we've all had them, the partners from hell!!! You know, the stinky guy, the whiner, the banger, the I can't kick above the belt guy......ect. Tell us about your worst, after all misery loves company..

Its great to find a partner that you just "click" with. I had a couple of guys I trained with that just pushed me harder and made me better and it was the same for them. My 2 friends have left us over the last couple of years for famoly and work obligations. I still miss the good natured competitiveness we used to have. I just try to provide that same attitude and effort to whomever Im training with. There is nothing worse than training with a partner that constantly gives no effort what so ever........ If Im paired up with one of the lazy ones I make a point of attacking them hard enough to keep them awake......

Stay home!!! Eat soup, Lay down, Watch TV, Relax, You will heal faster, you will feel better, and most of all..... you won't get everyone else as sick as you. Its not worth it.

cinnimon rolls........Yum Yum!!!!

Not all of those first moves are defensive. A block is a strike, break and or throw when applied properly. Im with Delta on this one..... Strike Hard, Strike Fast, Strike First and Strike True!!!! If the danger is imminent dont wait to be hit. Be a little pro-active its alot safer.

We usually go until someone breaks stance. It uasally takes awhile . First one to break gets 50 Knuckle pushups!!! Another variation is while in stance Sensei goes around with the shinai and whacks you in the thighs(only with the seniors) or throws in a kick or punch to see if he can break your stance. Sometimes I would just rather get the 50......