shotochem

Thanks for the info Pacific.

Broken finger 2x ( 1 bad block 1 Kicked in hand ) broken toes 2x (kicked opponents elbow 2x) Pulled hammy Pulled groin Strained Hip Flexor Along with assorted bruises of varying shapes sizes and colors.....

My general beef is with those who demand and expect you to pay hommage to their greatness. I have seen a few of those but granted they were Mc Dojo. I have also met instructoers with 30-40 yrs of teaching experience that would get angry is you made a fuss over them. It really depends on the person. I just do not believe in blind faith in anyone. My respect is freely given when it is earned.

Hello All, Its been pretty hot around here lately after weeks of heavy rain we are roasting in NY. With the hot weather there are so mant things that have to be done. More hours at work, the lawn needs mowing, the fence needs painting ect... When you get out of work then go to train for 1 1/2 -2 hrs it really saps you out this time of year. Ive decided to cut my traing from 4 days a week down to 3. I have added pool kata and swimming pool training to make up for it. (Boy, I wish I had this weather all year round) Does anyone have any good pick me ups or ideas on how to keep their energy level up in hot weather? Any good water training excercises to keep me going? Maybe I should just make myself a frozen margarita every now and then and take it easy for a few weeks..... Nah!!! I just can't do it!!!! Its time to sweat... there's nothing like getting battered and bruised, jumping around in my fancy white pa jamas!!!! Help..... my..mind........is....go....ing............................ ............................. Gone!!!!!

Honor: Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms IMO, the context above is still relevant. However I never considered it as honor per se but as a personal code of ethics and standards. Its like I said .....the definition is a matter of interpretation . Different people take words to mean different things and not everything translates well into print. shotochem wrote: ( Let the flames begin..... ) Uhh, no don't. We can have an intelligent discussion without getting personal. Yes, we can all get along and thanks for the civil discussion KSN

In todays day and age, is there truly honor among thieves???? IMO in this modern age, honor is an outdated concept and it went the way of the samaurai. There may be respect and loyalty but is there really honor? Who really knows if the old masters were really honorable? Its a matter of historical interpretation. History is written and rewritten all the time by the victors. I give my teachers respect and and friendship. Should we forget that we are paying customers? It would be an honor for me to pay you master.....? The only obligation we have is to pay our dues and train hard in the concepts and principles of our respective arts. Honor, subserviance........ I don't think so ( Let the flames begin..... )

I personally love file sharing. I still purchase CDs regularly. Sharing allows you the opportunity to preview before you buy. The quality of a store bought CD tends to be of much higher quality than a made one. Its not like the way it was in "Record" days where an entire album contained good enjoyable music. Artists tend to have one or two big hits then they are overmerchandised and the general public has enough of them till the next one comes out. Another benifit is you are able to get unusual, hard to find rare groupings of artists that you can not get anywhere else. I have many such compilations. So, the jury is out am I an immoral pirate or just a rabid fan and careful consumer? It's all a matter of perspective.

I can think of no better way to protect ones' personal assets...

I generally attack and defend depending on the opponent. If there is an opening I take it. If not I try to create one then attack. I tend to be more of a counter fighter than a blitzer but I will if the opportunity arrives. As for a set strategy IME for me it just doesn't work.

IMO it all comes down to portion control. We Americans Super Size everything. If people would eat until they are not hungry instead of till they are full and bloated, have smaller amounts of meats and cheeses, and more fruits and veggies the increasing trend of being overweight and obesity would decline.

Hi Laurie, I do have to admit that it (MA) taught me more than self defense. I got more confidence, self esteem ..... those I never had before MA. The mental side is a big part for me One thing always leads to another....... IMO MA helped me get in better physical shape. Once I got onto better shape I became more confident which brings about higher self esteem. Once you have these things your mental disipline is surly to improve. Could you not gain this benifit from other physical activties as well? Dont sell yourself short you helped yourself you had it in you and made a decision to train in the first place I personally have benifited greatly from my training but if I did not put in the effort and hard work it wouldnt have mattered. You worked hard you are the one that improved yourself. ( Ive been getting philosophical lately )

I drink only on occassions and every now and then on a weekend and its only 1 or 2 drinks. I would never want to be the cause of injuring an innocent bystander while driving back from wherever I am drinking.

You can never have enough basics!!!! They are the most important, without them your technique will be lacking and will not work properly. Well said G95.

Welcome, Taking a MA is in no way a gaurante that you will win in a fight. The best way to avoid losing a fight IMHO, is to avoid the situation completly. Fighting should be used as a last resort when all other options fail. Taking MA classes will not in most cases, turn a 90lb weakling into Bruce Lee. Sure, it will get you into better shape and teach you somewhat how to defend yourself but MA will not stop a bullet or the knife from cutting you if you miss. You should become faster and punch and kick harder. It will help but it is best to avoid the situation entirely.

I train for the challenge, fitness and mental discipline. MA have become part of me and the person I have become. I take my training seriously because I enjoy it and have grown to appreciate the arts. My most important rule is to have fun and enjoy my training without taking myself too seriously. When the enjoyment is gone there is no reason to continue. MA are part of my life and it is important to find a balance in everything we do.

IMO, it comes down to common sense. We all know what to expect when we train and spar. If you do not want to get pounded by your training partners establish the amount of contact beforehand. If you dont desire to get a beating do not enter full contact tournaments. I personally would not even consider fighting for prize money. Many of us do not train to become ring fighters we train for the physical, mental, and recreational benifits. Not all MA want to be kings of the ring. Life is not feudal Japan. We are not warriors or Samaurai. WE are just regular people , husbands wives and students wanting to learn not hurt poeple. In that poor womans case she had kids to take care of her and she and her husband should have shown better judgement. The promoter of the fight event should also be held liable as the fight should clearly been stopped early on due to a gross mismatch in size and weight. If one fighter is clearly dominating the otherand the other is getting mercilessly beaten, it should be stopped. It really is a crime and a shame things like this happen.

Why would you possibly need to do a backflip in Shotokan Karate?

It sounds to me like your Sensei is pushing you hard before grading. In our dojo when it gets close to testing time our classes turn into boot camp. We are pushed harder to prepare us for the test. If you can handle the pushing when the day of the test comes it will be easier. I find that my instructors generally have a better idea of what Im capable of than I do. I just keep rasing the bar on my personal goals as I keep attaining them. You are a 2nd KYU you are an advanced student you would not have your rank if you are not capable. Dont get to stresses you will do fine. Good Luck.

I wonder if the child is potty trained ???

In time you will learn that every block is truly an attack trap grab ect..... It just takes time and practice. shotokan is effective in dojo and street It could be it however size tends to be the greater factor in a physical altercation. Generally the more size and strength the person the greater chance of success. There are exceptions yes, but when you are 6 inches shorter and outweighed by 50 or more lbs. avoidance is the best art to practice.

I tend to train after work so when I get home from training I just eat my normal dinner . ( Thats whatever the wife cooks. )

Its funny, its been years and I still am not totally pleased with my first Kata (Heian Shodan). The more you train the more you look to improve yourself.

Aside from regular point and free sparring we occasionally do 2 on 1 1 person in the middle and 1 on either side. You start out fighting with 1 person then when the sensei calls switch the person from behind attacks and you break off and fight that person. The final round you fight both people at once. It really helps with your positioning and awarness of what is around you. You learn real quick where not to be in relation to that second person .

I agree Delta. The tennis ball method is quite good and easy on the hands. I still do it only I let the balls swing back and forth to work on my timing as well.