shotochem

When I went to grade for my 3rd kyu, I had a fever and was still recovering from the flu. I also had tendonitis in my shoulder. I truely felt pathetic. I had to fight and defend with my weak side ( I could hardly move the other shoulder). I also had to rely on technique as I was feeling weak at the time. To this day the others I graded with said I was more relaxed and focused than they had ever remembered. Their description of my fighting that night was ....Brutal!!! Go Figure????

Thanks Makiman. There is some good stuff in those links.

It depends on where your opponent is. If he is close enough where you don't have to over extend I'm flat footed. If I have to reach or make distance the heal is lifted to cover the distance and generate power without leaning over and sacraficing my balance.

shotochem what I meant about reaching to stike is striking with only the last inch or so of the strike impacting. I used to train on the makiwara with this method until a very experianced karateka explained to me that training to strike like that is pointless the person in the street would only have to move their target area two-three inches and you would miss. So I adobted the impact at midway point and noticed that with this method the makiwara now sank a couple of inches more. regards makiwaraman I tried the slight bend in the elbow last night and it did help a bit. I still did feel a bit of shock through my shoulders though not as much. I was wondering, how hard do you strike the makiwara? I tend to blast away at it. Am I supposed to really blast away at it? When I started I could not hit it as hard as I can now that my knuckles are more conditioned. The more I could tolerate, the harder I would hit it. I just may be hitting it too hard???? I don't have any difficulties on a heavy bag.

Hmmmmm...... I'll give that some thought. I never really thought about the elbow being slightly bent. I have to take a look at what I am doing. That may be it I tend to hit solid and dead on target and I do feel like I'm locked in on impact. I don't reach to strike and the makiwara does have a reasonable amount of give to it. Thanks, I can't wait till tonight to give it a try.

I used to hit one regularly. The usual was 20 of each technique on left then right. Then repeat. I did this 4 days a week for a couple of years until it became too painful to hit the thing. It wasn't the sore knuckles and occassional bleeding, as after a while you become conditioned. My shoulders started to hurt from impacting the makiwara too hard. I just felt the shock of the impact directly in my shoulders. These days I have moved over to a heavy bag and a partner usung a pad instead. I can't figure it out I hit everything else and it dosen't hurt. After a few days of the Makiwara it hurts. Have any of you had any similar effects?

Don't let it get you down!!!! Just modify your training. If a drill or excerscise is to painful or damaging, do another in its place. If the left leg or arm is injured do 2x with your right. Go easy and work on your form and tecnique you do not need 100% power but 100% technique. The older I get the more I realize this.

Ours is usually something like this: All katas up to your level Heian(pinan) 1-5 Tekki 1, Bassai & Kanku Dai, Empi, Jitte, Jion. Tester will pick 2 or 3 you pick 1. Bunkai will also be asked at whim of tester. Kihon: whatever the tester wants in whatever combination. All 5 step, 3 step, 1 step and Juippon Kumite Right and left handed. (There are a lot of these ) Free fighting for as many and for as long as the tester finds amusing. Control test with moving target with assorted techniques. The test will vary according to the whim of the tester. The stuff listed is usually what is done on the official test day. There is also a series of 2 or 3 pretests leading up to the formal test (no charge).

I believe it was one of the Gracies (Royce?) the summed it up nicely, " A belt only covers 2" of your @ss, the rest is up to you!!! ":lol:

After reading all your posts I don't feel like such an anomality. I really haven't seen a decline in ability. In fact I continue to get better the longer I train. I am just not as fast as the young'uns. I am not as physically strong in the raw power dept., as I have given up on the weights and went to body weight excercise. I have also lost 50lbs and don't have as much mass behind me. I am however much faster than I used to be and I do not feel my age by any means. It looks to me like I still have quite a few good years of training in this ol' body.

Mentally I am still just a kid. My question to the chronologically challenged is what has changed physically and mentally is regards to your martial arts training. I started late at 31 and now I'm closer to 40 than I really care to admit to myself. I did not have the benifit of training with an 18 yr old body as a comparrison. My only point of reference is the younger ones I train with. I have gotten (is that a real word?) much faster and more flexible since I've started. Now I have noticed that I am not as fast as your typical 20- 25yr old. The ability to read and pick up your opponents movements quicker has somewhat helped counter this along with not trying to do the crazy things I used to get away with while sparring. What are your personal experiences?

That is true to a point. The longer you train the more of those things that were waek become strong. The flipside is that a lot of those things that were easier when you were a lot younger tend to a liabiltiy. It is an ongoing cycle of your body and mind learning and changing together. Those first simple blocks take on so much more meaning after a few more years of training. A block is no longer just a block.

My mind is always telling my body to throw that kick 2ft higher....... the body just won't listen I'm almost as old as Italian Guy and I can relate. You just have to work with what you've got. I recently sparred with someone 15 yrs younger who was bigger, faster and much stronger than myself. I could not keep up and whatever I would throw would be getting there late. I was baffled? I had fought much bigger people before and stronger ones. I was just outclassed by a much better opponent. My Sensei had us pause and told me that I'm not a kid anymore so don't try to fight like one. Don't throw any crazy fancy stuff that works on people my own age. Keep it simple and use your brain. We continued. I scored 6 straight points and combos after not getting a single shot in and actually won. Believe me my opponent did not let up he just kept going harder. All counter attacks, tae Sabaki movement, sweeps and takedowns. The most important lesson I learned that night is that you have to fight your kind of fight and do what you are good at. You can still teach an old dog new tricks!!!!

Here's a good one. http://www.kataapps.com/

A little quirk I picked up from my boxing friend, try a little bit of head movement and fake moving in with your head leading. (a head fake) If really confused the other guys I train with.

I tend to look at the center of the upper chest where the neck meets the collar bone. You get a good overall view of your opponent. I also watch for tensing in the neck muscles as it is almost impossible not to show tension in the neck while attacking.

While washing and waxing the car....... My Wife, " no honey your doing it wrong, it's WAX ON WAX OFF!!!!" I won't even mention about the neighbors when I was actually painting the fence......

That is usually the best way. I've done that little side step and block many times followed by that surprised look on my opponents face while they stare up at me dumbfounded on their back. Young and overly aggressive individuals rarely have the patience or poise not to attack recklessly. Us more experienced elder statesmen tend to read and react with better timing.

I have regularly practiced kata with the 2 1/2 and 5 lb ring weights that go on the lifting bars. I only do them slow motion with the weights and it is one heck of a workout. Just keep the weights light and don't move to quickly or you can throw out an elbow or shoulder. When you go unweighted afterwards it feels almost effortless.

My philosophy is simple. It has nothing to do with my MA training. If I have to strike first to make it home to my wife and kids....... So Be It! There is no over intellectualization or philosophical thought process. It's just plain old survival. Whatever Ginchen Funokoshi said is irrelevent to me and my family.

Application, Application, Application. When an experienced practicioner blocks is it not also a parry? Does the body just stand there while the arm blocks or does it shift slightly out of harms way as the offending attack is blocked past? If you block with only power bone on bone unless you have the more conditioned arm you will break it. Once the block parrys the attack, the opening is there for the counter attack, lock, grab and or throw. First rule don't get hit then worry about countering. But, don't sit there and wait to block, if the opportunity is there to prempt the attack move in and attack.

Maybe a simpler explanation: Those embroidered belts are quite pricey. I still have trouble parting with my old ghi's. I'm just a cheapskate.

Great question oh unknown one. I've thought about the same thing myself. Would this really work?, How fast am I?, How good am I? Well, maybe I really suck? I can tell I have progressed but how far? In answer to your question I'll tell you how I figured it out. When you train in the same place with the same people all the time it's hard to measure yourself. I had a real positive enlightening while I recently attended a seminar. There were many people there who were quicker and stronger than me. The intensity is always up a notch or 2. If my techniques were not good I would surely get hit. I paired up for drills and sparring with people who I know were considerably better than me a year or 2 ago and I was able to keep up with little difficulty and not only hold my own but take it to them a bit. It just seemed easier than it did before. Every year I have my anual benchmark. There is no real way to know how you have progressed without the help of others. When you get that look of surprise from your peers who you haven't trained with for a while and a few encouraging comments it makes a big difference.

My favorite person to spar is my Kyoshukin (sp?) buddy. He's bigger and stronger than me and a hell of a fighter. We do standard sparring along with locks, throws and takedowns. We are an equal match so it's alot of good fun!!!