neko_shojo

Does anyone know of any Shotokhan Karate Clubs in the St. Catharines(Ontario) area? I'm training in two styles right now, but I would like to further my studies of Shotokhan during the fall and I'm moving to the area. The internet has been less then helpful thusfar in my search for this style of club. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

I'm a black stripe testing for my first dan in 10 days.

for control, practice slow randuri, it's a slow, light contact form of sparring, it will force you to slow down and examine your techniques as well as control your force (not usually done with pads)

I use about an 80/20 in my kata, and 60/40 for sparring, but I find it raher impractical for sparring as it is a rather unbalenced stance if you aren't properly focused. I tend to prefer a shortened front stance for sparring.

Wow, the time seems to have flown by ever so quickly, I test for my first degree black belt on the 10th of June, that's only ten days away from now. I'm surprisingly less nervous then I thought I'd be. Anyone else getting close to that testing day and is anyone else testing in Kingston? I'll make sure I update this after the 11th, that'll be the all telling day.

At the club where I study we have copies of Master Funakoshi's book on Shotokhan karate. I was wondering if there was a similar book out on Chito-ryu and if so, the name and author as my school practices both styles I would like to have this book as a reference. Thanks

Bunkai wrote: 2. Head snap to first look in the direction you are going to move next. You must know your surroundings before you can fight, looking is the first step in winning a fight. If you cannot see you opponent you cannot fight them very well. Also essential if you don't want to run into other students during a class... Bunkai wrote: 5. open hand with fingers straight and together. this would be useful for specific pressure point ocntrol tactics, anything aimed at the brachial plexus origin is done with this movement, often used much like a ridge hand strike. 7. full turn of fist to horizontal when punching. this is boimechanically correct and lines up the bones in your wrist and forearm so as to prevent injury to these bones. If you practice it fully horizontal then it makes it much more practical in a fight, although in practice it can seem useless 10. knifehand strikes starting at the head or from behind the head. This is more of a training movement I would argue, allowing the student to learn teh correct angle and ammount of force requires for a strike like this. Bunkai wrote: 11. long and low zenkutsu dachi. Good for training, strengthens the thigh muscles, much like kiba-dashi. Also looks great in competition if you can keep a nice low stance, shows self dicipline.

Must know all 12 kata, pressure points and applications for said pressure points, basic Japanese (counting, kata name translations, stances, punches, blocks, kicks), bunkai for kata we're also reqired to do a meditation for the 60 days before our testing and write an essay on the meaning and significance of the blackbelt. that's all i can think of right now....there's probably more, I'll let you know after I test, or before if anymore come to mind

also for males it can cause testicular tortion.....bad stuff..... it can cause the testicals to rupture internally and can actually kill as well....i'm not saying it's better for females....i've taken a good couple of shots to that area...but it seems more common for the guys to get kicked in the genitals....as the myth survives that it doesn't hurt girls as much...

personally I rarely leave the house without a knife of some sort, either a pocket knife or on e of my matte black throwing knives...As for firearms, it's illegal to carry them here...but I'm still well trained in their use and if I felt it necessary I would carry one....luckily I'm pretty smart and avoid places/situations that might require a firearm....lol....random thought...i'm a girl, yet I don't carry pepperspray...I wonder if that is a confindence thing or just a dislike of "cheating"

I don't know where I saw this...but it's very true.... A blackbelt is simply a whitebelt who never quit.... congrats and all the best on future tests

I feel katas are an intergral part of Martial Arts. They teach us self dicipline because kata's aren't always fun to repeat constantly, but we do it so that we learn the movements and techniques properly. I also think that when done with focus and power they are a valuable part of kumite because with the addition of bunkai every move of a kata becomes a fight of its own.

I hope you drop a line and let us know how it goes!! Good Luck!! I definately will....sorry if I seem overly worried and pest like abou tthe entire thing....I'm just a little nervous because most of the other black stripes have had 1- 1.5 years training at their current level...my sensai feels that I'm ready after barely 6 months.....

I think the most imprtant lesson I've learned from my dojo...and martial arts in general is that everything is possible with diligence, courage and practice.

I took a class that did focus on self defence against a pistol, again it is close range, because if you can't reach the gun then your best chance is to get very very far away from the gun....moving parts on a pistol jam....if jammed the piston wont fire....to jam these moving parts grab them... i e semi-auto piston, grab the slide, let it jam part ofyour hand it'll hurt but less then a bullet wound....a revolver...well grab the revolving part....the best defence is not getting into a situation where you have no choice but to do something like this

the best way to find a new bunkai is to create one. Maybe go early to class and go over Heian Godan with another student, rip it apart and once you have several bunkai for a particular movement take it a step further and figure out follow ups for that movement. Ask your Sensai if you are unsure about anything

Thanks for your input everyone. I know for sure that it is a two day testing, The first day being closed to anyone except blackbelts from our group of clubs. I know I will be graded by a board. Is this good or bad? I've never done tesing in front of a borad before, it is usually just the Sensai from my club. Also I know that I am studying two distinctly different styles of karate, Shotokhan and Chito-ryu....with the exception of a limited number most of the senior blackbelts who will be on the boards are Shotokhan and do not know thechito-ryu katas. I was wondering if this would be an advantage, or if using mainly chito-ryu katas would seem like cheating in a way. I can't totally avoid using some, as they are beautiful katas and they are part of what I have learned...but knowing that the moajority of the board will most likely not know these katas makes it feel...dishonorable...in a way. I am also required to write at least one essay as well as some other assignemtns from my home dojo. I may post the essay here at a later date. I am also curious as to what is looked for in a grading from kyu to dan....technique obviously, but in your experiance did they look for increased power or anything like that? thanks in advance: Neko

In my club the most promising students instruct. I have been teaching various classes(adults and children from white to brown belts) since I received my brown belt last year. I knowa blue belt who is maybe 11 who instructs white-orange belt adult and child classes becuase she has excellent technique and is a natural teacher.

my club is jsut starting this, but alot of the womens self defence classes we hold are done in street clothes....

I'm testing for my blackbelt in June and I was just wondering if anyone had any insight as to what I can expect, I've never seen a blackbelt gradinggrading done, and as much as my sensai's have prepared me I am just looking for ideas from other people in different clubs and what they went through for their gradings? I am studying Chito-ryu and Shotokhan...incase anyone was wondering....

My school has stripes for adults only between brown and black so it goes; white, yellow, orange, gree, blue, brown, black stripe, black. For the children they do white, yellowstripe, yellow, orange stripe...etc...unless they graduate into the adult class....This just helps the kids learn becuase it gives them time between gradings to get better at their kata as we learn 2 kata for each full belt level.

Shi Ho Hi is a Chito-ryu kata....after the horse stance in 4 directions(ending up facing original direction) you come up into crane stance, low block then side kick then you go down into a short horse stance and do a double empi to the back about waist height and the go up into an opposite crane stance and repeat the same sequence....i won't continue, but is this the same kata?

My sesai does the same thing, but assigns a testing night for the junior student. The seniors are always seing graded and we all know it. Only Black Belts have turely formalized, individual gradings. This is slightly off topic but.... I recently got my black stripe and will be testing for my Black Belt in June....only 6 months away. The others who will test with me will have had their belts for at least a year if not longer. I know I have a good grasp on the material, but any ideas on if this is advantagious to the others who have had their belts longer then I have?

personal opinion only, but I think everyone should know what a strike to each pressure point feels like? I know at my club most of us are exposed to several dfferent presure poitns to help us understand the more practical application of such strikes? does this happen in other clubs?

In my club we use lightweight gis until we get our blackbelts.