Kurazaki

Great Article! I believe strength of a punch (or kick) doesnt' just depend on form itself, but also physical power. I've been trying to put on mass like crazy, but it's really difficult (and expensive) because i happen to be vegetarian, so I have a naturally smaller build. To that end, I can attest that when I kick the bag with the correct form, and then my sempai kicks the bag, the difference in power is sometimes overwhelming. My sempai, is, of course, at least 15 kgs heavier than I am. However, I have learnt that muscles too big and bulky restrict movement. I had a scenario where I was trying to get one of the juniors to do a normal punch. (The guy was huge) Scenario : Me : "When you punch, rub your knuckles against your ribs. This generates more direct power." Huge Junior : "Okay." Me : "....." Huge Junior : "Hey, why can't I do it?" Me : "I think your wing muscles are in the way." He walked with his arms stuck out of him at a constant 30 degree due to his wing muscles, so obviously it was impossible to 'rub against his ribs'. He did, however, have a hook (which is illegal in Karate) which stung like a mule's kick.

I would agree with the original post though. I learnt Chinese Boxing before I joined Karate, and sometimes it gets rather frustrating when you realise that you can actually defend yourself well enough with chinese boxing alone, but Karate is a totally different art and discipline, with dynamic movements hidden in rigid forms. I just attended a tournament in Karate, and the results were quite apparent - even if you CAN win a Karate tournament by points, there is still a high possibility you'd get killed on the streets by a madly flailing thug, even worse if the thug happens to be armed. It all boils down to the purpose of being in martial arts. For some people, being able to defend not only themselves, but the people they love, gives them the motivation and strength to carry on training for years. Even now, can anyone say with 100% certainty that in a street fight situation when 5 thugs threaten your loved one you'd be able to defend both yourself and your loved one without getting injuries of some kind? I'd quote my first instructor in that "There is No Perfect Fight", but our training everyday will ensure, at least, that we can keep our loved ones safe - not just ourselves. Also, training helps keep me more agile, more alert - the physical benefits alone give me reason to carry on!

My dojo, thankfully, focuses on ability to grant belts. My sensei would happily fail a student if he/she didn't prove him/herself worthy of the belt. In his words, "Any Karateka who walks out of my dojo with a rank given by me - will be able to fight like the rank he's been given." He failed 5 15-16 year old red belts recently, but that was obvious, because their kata was so bad it paled in comparison to an indian kid who was like, 10 years old. He's also well-known to fail the brown belt senpais repeatedly for not performing up to par. It's really strict, but all I can say is that it's a good thing, because I detest having some kind of false security like a black belt; and then getting beaten to a pulp by street thugs while being unable to defend myself at all. And, in my own words, I'm there to learn to fight; not to collect belts. =)

You guys are-the-greatest. I've always though my Sensei had reservations about my age, but as long as I know that I can make it, I'll do it!

Ma'am, you've just made my day. Thanks!

Hi All, this is my first post, and I'd like to apologise in advance if I accidentally say anything wrong. Firstly, I'm a 25 year old civil servant taking up karate classes in Seitokukan Goju-Ryu Karate in Singapore. My dream is to someday be able to teach Karate, but there are a few things bugging me lately : one, I'm 25! Most Sensei and Shihans I know of start Karate from 12-19, and none of them have ever started Karate later than 20 - is this a factor? I'm not particularly talented, but I do put in effort (More so than others because I try to catch up with the youngsters) and commitment. So far I'm a 6th Kyu, and I'm still in training, so far for the past 9 months or so. Second, I am really really stiff. (I used to take up boxing and didn't use my legs much to kick) I'm training now to re-stretch my legs, but could it be possible I'm just chasing a pipedream when I think of teaching Karate? Please advise!