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The main problem with it is that most of what we know of it's techniques come from paintings and such. Not much is known beyond that. The rest is just modern martialists filling in the blanks with what they feel makes the most sence. No one truly knows the techniques or where they came from. The fact is they probably developed their own, rather than importing them from another area.

You know what would really mess everyone up!!! If we just changed the whole ranking system! Everyone who walks through the door starts at Black Belt. Then we could make the highest color something totally uncool. Like Yellow, or pink or tan. Or Yellow with pink polka dots and tan bunnies:)

Hrmmm...The real question becomes...how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of the Tootsie Pop?

But hey, if it works, why not? I agree 100% here! The stragegy was working. Why step in and possibly get hit? IMO...the KB was terrible. A good boxer should be almost always throwing jabs to feel out his opponent. This guy just kept trying to throw kicks from a ridiculous distance. I think he was very outclassed in terms of skill. This isn't a good example of style vs. style; Rather a guy who is trained vs. a guy who thinks he's trained.

Excellent article

Good luck. The advice above is excellent. Make sure to tell us how it goes.

That's what it says on the UFAF website. However, it says it was awarded in 1997. I think he was the first in his particular orginization.

Mmmm I'm not sure about it... How about Shaolin Monks or japanese farmers trying to survive... anyway it's true that many militaries have adptem them becouse they are effective but that's not a reason to let traditions out of them. When's the last time you learned how to employ your long range weapons, assault an objective, move and attack and coordinate that attack with members of a squad, flanking maneuvers, the appropriate use of mounted troops, espionage, move rank and file, Attack rank and file and so on. Be careful not to confuse them with the hand to hand or small arms fighting used by many civilians. The Shaolin Monks and Japanese farmers did nothing new. People have learned to utilize common instruments (including their hands and feet)as weapons well before the Shaolin ever existed. I'm sure you can agree that fighting has existed for a very long time. Civilians have adapted military techniques to civilian life...not the other way around. Mmmm but you can't guarantee that there won't be another school, or that maybe they move to other place and must go to other school... In that case they will find a disadvantage ... and that's what happens when you leave the standards and that's why they're important, as the example for musicians... I understand what you're saying here. But it is not my responsibility to make sure my students live up to the standards of other schools. It's quite possible they may be at a disadvantage when it comes to knowledge of terminology. But they may (or may not) have an advantage when it comes to technique...I can accept that. Sensei is more of a guide through life and pointer of the way. Isn't that the spirit of karate?? In the American society I would have to say no. It is very rare that we instructors will have the honor to be a true mentor to one or maybe two individuals in our lifetime. To the rest, we are just a respectable figure that students see at "Karate Class." Like it or not...that's how many parents and Americans feel about it. They do not have the same mindset as Japanese do. Unfortunate...but true. I do like your translation also.

I agree with Killer here. Afterall, if we were in Spain...Spanish may be the most appropriate language. If in Germany, German and so on.

Does anyone else really dislike the fact that the martial arts have to be so political? Arrrggg...

I agree this is a fundamental problem.

I agree here. I have trained in 5 Martial arts (Shotokan, Poekoelan (kung-fu), Aiki-Jujitsu, Kobudo, and BJJ). The only one that ever put any emphasis on training beyond black belt was Poekoelan! From day one our sifu pointed out that black belt should not be the goal. Most of the students who did earn black belt (sash actually) went on at least to earn 2nd degree. On the contrary, in the Japanese/Okinawan systems, focus was always working toward that black belt. Besides myself and 4 others out of 50 or so promoted to black none went on to second degree. I wrote this above but was interrupted and didn't get a chance to finish. I tried several times to get a black belt class started but found little interest. It's almost like people just wanted to earn a black belt. I'm sure if our Sensei had recognized that was their only goal...they never would have reached it. Amazingly, everytime someone earned their shodan, Sensei was sure to say, "now you can begin to learn karate." But no BB classes ever existed. You just had to keep coming to regular classes and every once in a while Sensei would take you aside and teach you something new. Eventually he put me onto one of his instructors. That's where I learned most of my stuff after shodan. I guess it was a loyalty thing for him. Kinda like he was just weeding people out. [/b]

I agree here. I have trained in 5 Martial arts (Shotokan, Poekoelan (kung-fu), Aiki-Jujitsu, Kobudo, and BJJ). The only one that ever put any emphasis on training beyond black belt was Poekoelan! From day one our sifu pointed out that black belt should not be the goal. Most of the students who did earn black belt (sash actually) went on at least to earn 2nd degree. On the contrary, in the Japanese/Okinawan systems, focus was always working toward that black belt. Besides myself and 4 others out of 50 or so promoted to black none went on to second degree.

Oh yeah...focus on one technique at a time. Then small combinations, then larger ones. Crawl...Walk...Jog...then Run. Know what I mean?

As a general rule...it's never a good thing to base your level of skill upon what you see being done in movies. If you have excellent technique, then begin to add speed. Technique + Speed = power! However, you must be honest with yourself. If you start moving more quickly and can feel your technique slipping...slow back down. You must keep this balance. Foresaking technique just to move fast is creates poopoo techniques that will be of no use to you. I realize I have basically reitterated what the others said. It can't be said enough.

Mind over matter. Where there's a will there's a way...and all that jazz! Good luck and keep training hard.

Hrmmmm....I did a little more research! The UFAF BJJ program is headed up by John Will (Rigan Machado) and David Meyer (John Will). I also found this at : http://theultima.com/Jiujitsu.html "Chuck Norris brought the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar to the U.S. in 1988. Mr. Norris had just returned from a trip to Brazil where he trained with Rickson Gracie and Rickson’s father Helio Gracie, the Grand Master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mr. Norris was so impressed with their style and technique that he invited them to conduct a seminar in Las Vegas for his Karate Black Belts. This seminar brought about an enormous amount of publicity and thanks to Mr. Norris, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu found its place in the United States. Charles Allen was one of the Black Belts present who attended these seminars." That's about all I found. I'm not sure now. Maybe he isn't. Clearly he has been trained by some greats though. Royler even worked with him a little. I can't find anything about specific rank or who it's under.

Yoga and Pilates are both great ways to gain flexibility.

I agree that this makes sence. As a matter of fact...I really like this version of the bunkai. It really fits in with the Aiki Jujitsu stuff I already do. Thanks GOM I would be likely to agree with this theory also.

Thanks for adding a positive thread on this!

Really focus your efforts on the basics. If I had to choose I'd say your three best guard submissions are going to be armbar, triangle and kimura. Three best guard sweeps will be scissor, push sweep and elevator. The best submissions from the mount would be armbar and kimura. With the gi on you should also practice the cross chokes. Learn the upa escape and elbow escape from the mount and at least one way to open the guard and get back to your feet. That may sound like alot but it's really not. Some other things may be very difficult to learn without the instruction of someone who knows what they're doing well. Oh yeah!!! OF COURSE THE REAR NAKED CHOKE is extremely valuable. Don't know how I forgot to put that in there.

Of course they would! Just don't depend on them as your sole source of instruction!

It does work out nicely, because of the way the basics are taught. Once the orientation is complete, and the students are doing basics in the class, they start learning their form. What is nice about the basics is that the techniques are perfromed in the same stance that they usually are done in the form with. For example, we do double knifehand blocks in basics in a back stance. Most of the time in the forms, the double knife hand block is done in a back stance. So, in this way, it re-enforces the learning. Instead of thinking of technique and stance seperatly, they come together. This does sound like a great way to help beginners fit in well. Thanks for sharing

Yeah. I don't think there's much on it either. Too much rotation and not enough linear motion for an effective back kick. Honestly, I think it was added or altered sometime a while back. The movement doesn't really make alot of sense and doesn't fit with the rest of the kata well. If anyone else can shed some light on this I would really appreciate it. Does anyone here know alot about the history of Unsu and the jump therein?

I often find it strange also. The first thing I did when I began learning Shotokan was buy the master text (Karate Do Kyohan). There are clearly described grappling techniques near the end of it.