June1

Welcome to the forums!

Mine is self-explanatory: just a few examples of some "krazy kiais" (heh) I've heard or read about, a quote I generally like, and the last bit is what someone I knew wrote as his yearbook quote when he graduated.

LOL, P.A.L! Oh, man... I cannot wait until June 9th!!! Poland vs. Ecuador. That's going to be such a good game. In general, though, I'm rooting for Argentina! Too bad Canada isn't up to par to make it to that level. When was the last time we were at the Cup, anyway? :s

That's really beautiful, Sohan. AND true!

All I really know is that when you're in a choke hold, you have between 5-8 seconds before you pass out. So, yeah, I'd imagine you have to move fast. The thing is, most people would just panic and thrash, so you have to condition yourself to get used to the feeling of being choked. My sensei told me that the guys in the UFC dampen cloths, put them on their faces, and breathe through them, in order to know what it feels like to suffocate and work through the panicky feeling. Kind of creepy...

The best advice I can give is to pay attention to, and observe, the way an instructor you like teaches the class. Ask yourself what he/she does that is helpful or that helps you and other students understand what is being taught, and then when it's time for you to teach, try to employ what you have seen done. As long as you have the spirit of the martial arts in you, as well as a sincere love for what you're doing, you'll be fine. Don't worry. Good luck.

LOL! That's so great! Really unique! I'm impressed.

I was thinking that "Sleep Now in the Fire," by Rage Against the Machine would be a pretty good song to kickbox or box to. Must do that this summer. For katas, I don't know if there really is a good song to do them to. I think I have to agree with Sohan that silence is best in this case.

Hey, all! Here's a question for all you grapplers out there: is there any possible way of getting out of a choke hold, or is it just too late once you're in it? I keep hearing no, you can't get out, and that the best cure is really just prevention: avoid getting into one in the first place. What about elbowing, though? Or grabbing at the crotch, or something? Would that help at all? Thanks.

I heard that if you practice everyday for a few minutes, you'll have it within a week or two. I don't know if that's true, though, since so many people I know still can't do the splits at brown belt or higher. I think it also just depends on your natural flexibility. A friend of mine is two belts behind me, and can almost do the splits, while I still can't. Guess she's just genetically predisposed, or something.

Yep, Heian Nidan was originally the first kata taught, but they switched it to Heian Shodan because Nidan was a tad too advanced for beginners. Personally, I am thankful for that, since every beginner I've ever known (myself included) has had a heck of a time trying to figure out right from left in katas.

He he. That reminds me of a girl I know who used to teach karate, and on her breaks, she'd run outside and hide to have her smoke. Amazingly, she was quite good with respect to technique, and her stamina didn't appear to be very affected. Go figure.

Oh, dear. That's quite a bit different, though. My condolences.

I hate running too! But do keep us posted on your progress as you climb that last mountain towards your black belt!

You know what? It's hard enough for me to keep the resolutions, though I usually do, but I tend to make too many. For next year, I'm not going to at all. This year was a really difficult one, so I'm just going to take things as they come now-- no big expectations.

Yeah, it's strange how every organism lives for a certain period of time. Fruit flies, for instance, live for a day. A day! Could you imagine??

Oh, jeez. Sorry to hear that. I had a hamster several years ago. His name was Baby and he lived to be about 2 and a half years old, longer than the average lifespan for a hamster. Though I was happy he lived that long, he sure suffered a lot the last two weeks of his life. Hope you feel better soon.

Have you heard of Bloody Mary? Same idea.

I've heard that the most dangerous people to spar are the ones that just started, as they have no control yet. Ah... I remember my first sparring session... that was hellish. I had absolutely no control and kicked my opponent in the kidneys. Rough stuff. :S

He he. I had a friend who was like that... STICK-THIN and would scarf the fattiest food! I think it has to do with how s-l-o-w he used to eat.

Apparently, that is INSANELY common! And I had no idea!

Hey!!! Fellow Torontonian here! Welcome!

Muah ha ha! No matter how hard my friends try, they can never come up with a good nickname for me; it's just impossible! I have lists for each person, but everything they come up with for me fades faster than a drop of water in a lake. People used to call me, "Spam," just because it rhymes cheaply with my name. That was years ago, though. I still haven't gotten over it... *sniffle* I can't look at a can of Spam without remembering...

Oh... my... gosh. Those are crazy stories. That's something to worry about, isn't it? People really should think about the application of moves, their meanings, and not just barrel through everything mechanically. Whenever we do bunkai, I'll try to remember what I've read today.

Wow! Thanks for all the great responses, guys! I'm thinking that maybe I should throw in a kickboxing class every now and then, since I think my karate classes aren't keeping my heart rate up that much. Thanks again!