isshinryu5toforever

I've never seen that done before. I know a few schools that require camps, but those are done every year, and for those who can't afford it, the cost is subsidized. That seems a bit strange to me.

I was more thinking that level pavement in general can be difficult to come by. Most parking lots I've seen are a bit gravelly unless they're in front of a Wal-Mart or other big box store. Then there's the highway...

Just a quick question, you mean the founder of your association? or the founder of Goju-Ryu Karate?

Clean pavement can be really hard to come by. A grass field, that's not as difficult, as long as you comb over it first to get rid of rocks and twigs. Most of the outdoor dojo I've seen are actually hard packed dirt. It's been leveled off, and packed down, so it's almost like pavement, but it's been done for the very purpose of having martial arts classes. There are very few of these around anywhere, but it is a very interesting surface to train on.

I think it depends on whether we're talking about really long circular blocking, or much faster double coverage blocks, in which the first block is in essence a parry, followed by the "blocking" hand, which can be a strike. I do think that shortened versions of blocks can be used in sparring situations. One of my favorite combinations on a straight punch is a side-step, inner-middle block followed by a round kick or reverse punch. I think effective blocking is something we tend to ignore a lot after we learn it.

Nice list. One could dream and want to own property that could facilitate both...

And the funny thing is that it appears more and more that people want to blame the Americans for these kinds of things, when it appears to have started with the very Easterners that brought it to us! As far as the grade inflation in the old days, it's partially because back then, they didn't really care about rank nor did they put much weight on it. These days, at least in Korea, until you hit around 3rd or 4th dan, no one cares about you unless you're a major competitor. Chodan here is like, ok, you took Taekwondo for 2 years when you were a kid, learned the basics, learned the poomse through Koryo, good for you. You don't know anything yet. OR, they give chodan to a foreigner after one year, because they think it'll make them happy, and they'll pay money for it. When we talk about higher dans, which I don't every plan on becoming (8th, 9th, 10th), it's all political. Who did you study under? Did they like you? Did they have demanding sons? Do you want to run an organization? Do you want to create your own organization? All that jazz. Too much for me.

Quick, lead-hand blocks are definitely the easiest in sport karate, but if you can learn how to effectively use the basics and one-steps in sparring, you'll be a much better off in the long run. It will make you a better technical fighter, which can make up for lack of speed or power. Besides, proper technique is where speed and power come from.

I don't think all time in grade is just for money. Now, when you have 12 rankings between white belt and black belt, ok, that's getting carried away. If you're looking at the standard: white, yellow, green, brown, black or even white, yellow, orange, green, purple, brown, black, that's not so bad. And in traditional martial arts, it's often as much about reconciling the theory and philosophy behind the martial arts as it is learning the physical curriculum. They've taught monkeys how to kick and punch, but that doesn't mean they understand why they do it.

That's a bit difficult to get until you give the Chinese character for the word. Until then, simply reading the romanization ryu, it can mean any number of things in Korean. Also, the Korean language doesn't divide things as starkly anymore using Chinese characters. Do, or way, can be read as road or path as well. It depends. Ro is still used as road, but it's also used as street, which can also be the word kil. Things in Korea, are a bit more interchangeable these days. Thus the word ryu, can still be used as a type depending on what you're talking about.

It depends on how dedicated you want to be. I wake up earlier so I can practice all the upper body exercises, lower body exercises, empty hand kata, and if I have time weapons katas and one steps. Takes 45 minutes-1 hour depending on how many times I do each. At your level, you can do the upper body exercises and lower body exercises, the kata you know, and any one steps you know sans partner very easily. I don't know your style very well, but I'm sure these are things you practice. Even partner exercises can be done individually. You just need to use your imagination.

I wasn't sure before about how much experience the person in question had. If they're inexperienced, then I wouldn't use a book or video, because it wouldn't help. If they're very experienced, that's when media sources can do some good. It's more an enhancement of ideas than finding new ones. As far as references go, I like books the most. There are numerous viewpoints, and you can get a lot of older books by some of the older masters as well. It's a bit difficult to get some of those viewpoints on video.

If you want to work on your striking, and you absolutely can't find an instructor, buy a heavy bag and start punching it. Feeling the weight of hitting something, how to move it, how to use your body, you'll get a lot more out of that than trying to just learn from a tape. I would be willing to say that someone that knows a couple punches, and hits the bag for an hour or so a day, will be better at striking than the average person. If you want to get some serious hitting power, and learn to strike correctly, no tape or book can teach you how.

So, Fedor has decided to sign with Strikeforce for a few fights, and White comes out swinging with class. Here's the link to the story: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/fedor-signs-with-strikeforce-18883 I know the UFC is a legit MMA powerhouse mixed with some WWF showmanship, but seriously, Dana needs to wake up a little bit. Yes, the UFC offers (arguably) great competition, but who can really hang with Fedor in the heavyweight division? Everyone is salivating over a Lesnar/Fedor match-up, but what else, who else, is there? If Fedor comes in and destroys Lesnar, there's no way Frank Mir is going to match up well. And if Fedor is such a huge joke (see the article), why was Dana White trying so hard to get him to sign a deal with the UFC? Everyone knows that the UFC pays, but it also wants you to sign contract that may as well be retirement notices. This was more of a rant than anything, but Fedor only has 3 fights with Strikeforce. What do you think the chances of him finally giving into Dana White are after he's finished with the current deal?

Punching is completely situational. It also depends on what you desire to do with the punch. By WTF rules, you're more likely to throw a punch that's more of a "push," because you want to set up a kick. You can use punches with no snap to stop people, and set up distance. Snapping vs. non-snapping is a very interesting comparison, but what the power comparisons don't show is the effect on the body. I'm not a biologist, so I can't make a big comment, but I think that would be a very interesting comparison. What do the punches do to the body internally? Is there any difference?

I agree with everyone else. I don't use supplements, and I think they're pretty worthless. From what I've seen, the only people that really need protein shakes are the ones that have serious problems holding onto muscle, or the ones that are trying to lose weight. They drink protein shakes in place of at least one meal, but they're usually monitored by a doctor. If you're a relatively healthy human being, exercise and a good diet will go a very long way.

I would say that Sun Tzu's idea of "death ground" comes into play here. If the less skilled person thinks their life is in immediate danger, they can defeat the person with more skill. Their will to live allows them to show bravery that they wouldn't otherwise. "Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve. Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength. "

Ah drills. I should have read that more closely. Drills are meant for actually drilling specific techniques and defenses. In my opinion, you shouldn't be getting hurt during these sessions. The defender may know where the technique is coming, but it's their job to block it using the correct technique. They shouldn't be trying to block just to avoid getting hit. I know that's human nature, but you don't get better at really fighting if you take short cuts. Unfortunately, you can't control whether your partner does that, and your ankles pay the price.

It's not so much toughening the areas up, it's more of a learning how to avoid getting them hit. A big thing that can help you is proper kicking form. If you're using a round kick, this is currently being discussed here: http://www.karateforums.com/the-bane-of-learning-the-side-kick-is-the-round-kick-vt36826.html you might be bringing the foot up at an angle. If you do this, you're much more likely to connect with the point of an elbow and hurt your foot or ankle. If you can bring the kick straight across the target, as it's intended, you will avoid these clashes. The angled round kick has it's place, but you have to pick your moments wisely. It just takes a lot of fighting experience. The more experienced you get, the less you'll see those nagging injuries.

Mooto shoes have gotten a lot better quality-wise. It would help a lot if you told us what exactly you're looking for MA shoes for. If you're looking for TKD shoes, then you can go with the bigger names, Mooto and Adidas are the best. Lecaf is a Korean company that's popular in Korea, but not abroad. They can be had for a good price in the US. If you're looking for shoes for a different martial art, then it would be good for you to talk to your instructor to see what he suggests.

In my experience, the response system for Karate and Aikido is similar. Aikido, of course deals with small joint manipulations, movement, and throws. Karate deals with striking, but movement is still a huge part of it. The principals of Tai Sabaki (movements that put you at the advantage) are present in Judo, Aikido, and Karate. Karate also encompasses some locks and throws. They aren't as pretty or refined as in Aikido and Judo, but they do exist. I'll echo the above sentiment and say the Aikido guy is a great salesman.

I wouldn't put them in the didn't make it group either, but not all people keep up with their martial arts training when they move, and if they move often enough, might not find the same system again, and have to start over a few times. It happens.

Are these done with the back leg each time? And when sliding backwards, do you switch feet and round kick, or slide back and do a front leg round kick? Back leg every time. It makes you work on your offensive and defensive footwork.

When you first teach the kicks, I think it's important to show the students specific chambers, so they don't go through what you're describing. I like to show the students that the side kick is more of a thrusting kick, while the round kick is more of a snapping kick. That's just when they first learn it though. As you progress, your chambers may modify a little or a lot depending on who you are. Kenji Yamaki, who founded the Kyokushin offshoot Yamaki-Ryu was difficult to face, not only because of his size, but because of the way he disguised his kicks. Every one of his kicks came from the same chambered position. They changed mid-flight. Some people may see that as laziness when they see it on the floor, but when you see it live in a fight, and the way it beautifully works in the hands of someone that's highly trained, it's a tough thing to argue.

One that requires both the pad holder and the kicker to think fast, and make sure they're on the same page: Start in closed stance: single round kick pada-chagi (a round kick while simultaneously sliding backwards) double round kick double pada-chagi triple triple pada-chagi continue until you're doing 10 continuous round kicks forward and 10 continuous pada-chagis backwards This is a good way to get people to recognize high vs. low target strikes from inside. Higher target strikes require greater flexibility, especially inside, but can be valuable in tournaments. With a larger shield: two to three punches to the center from a neutral stance, the shield holder moves the shield either horizontally left or right for a mid-level round kick, or up and to the left or right for a high level kick. This requires the shield holder to think a little bit, and keeps the striker from getting too comfortable in a rhythm. Another one I like to make people do, especially WTF players, is the create space drill. The person with the shield will crowd them, like they're in the clinch. Sometimes you allow people to use their punches to get out of the clinch, and throw a kick to get back into clinch range. Other times, you tell people that they must rely on their flexibility and strength to get either a close quarters side kick or front kick between them and the other person, and perform a push kick followed by a round kick.