Kaminari

Kaminari is Japanese for "thunder", or "lightning"

I've been able to do it two or three times. One time I flew, and did a bunch of superhero-like stunts, and in the other I went to see my friends, and I told them I was a dream and that they were a part of it. Woke up after one told me that the fact I was dreaming couldn't be possible, as he himself wasn't asleep, or something like that....I don't understand.

That sounds like a really cool assignment. I agree with Skeptic 2004: practicing in the dojo or at home is nothing like practicing in nature.

Yeah, those were good movies, and I thought it funny how they were making fun of martial arts, yet doing things I often see people try to do when they learn that I'm in Karate (i.e. the infamous "karate chop" we love to see so much).

I love Kata. The reprtition allows me to refine and hone my technique, without having to pull punches/kicks, etc. I like sparring for it's real-time benefits. You can do a Kata at any speed you like, but your actions in sparring depend on your opponent, as well. The thing I don't like about sparring is that there are set rules, where you can't do this or that, you can't hit this area, etc, whereas in a real fight the things that aren't allowed might be the thing that neutralizes an opponent. Example: In sparring, kicks below the waist (at least in the styles I've practiced) are not allowed, yet I would most likely try to kick my opponent's knee, or hit him in the face, but sparring rules say otherwise.

Some say our dreams are a reflection of things going on in our subconscious, like if you had seen something on the news in the morning that happened in your dream later that night, or that our dreams show our desires/fears. It could be that this is the case. Maybe you've seen something or heard something you disregarded but dreamt about later, or maybe you have had fears of people you know and love dying. These could be it, could not, but hopefully your disturbing dreams stop.

WA, USA.

Evanescence, Linkin Park, and System of a Down are all good (in my opinion), and I like Celtic music, too, but don't know the name of the group that I listen to.

Hmmm.... Had anything in the dreams been on your mind at all during the day? Before that day? What is your relationship to these people (are they family, old friends, etc.)?

Thank you JEM, you've helped a lot. Now, to find the disk!

Good description Killer.

Welcome! What kind of advice are you looking for (specifically)?

Glad to hear that your training methods are working well for you. Hard work does (in most cases) pay off!

I agree with pmeckiff, as hollywood isn't going to try to be authentic (in most cases with larger/more known and shown films), but flashy and appealing, so I wouldn't watch those to learn, but I have watched CTHD, and The Last Samurai. I thought Last Samurai was great, and loved it. CTHD, however, I didn't like a lot. I've seen countless other smaller MA/fighting films, too.

Awesome movie ninjanurse!

Because most (if not all) of your weight is put on the back foot, you can throw kicks faster.

Here's something I compare McBlack Belts to: a sword with a dull blade. Sure, you can whack someone really well with it, but the bladed sword is more dangerous to an opponent, more precise. Two swords may look alike, but the one with the sharp edge is the superior weapon.

Like others said, joint locks can be very effective, as long as you know how to do them right. I've used them very effectively before, on much larger people, but when I first learned them I couldn't do it properly without pausing to fix my technique.

Being a Christian has not effected my MA training at all. In fact, my instructor is also Chrsitian.

I totally agree. Too many, especially the really young or inexperienced, see Kata as a series of moves you have to do to get your next belt. However, it couldn't be that way. Why would the founder of an art create something that did not serve a purpose? Why would such a useless thing be passed down? The answer: They wouldn't, and it shouldn't. Kata was made and is practiced for a purpose. Some see it as a series of moves to learn before the next grading, while others know kata for what it was intended to be. Awesome post!

Yes, in Shito-Ryu Karate the stance is used in kata often.

JEM618, for some odd reason my computer does not have Japanese on the "Add" list. I'll continue to look for the disk, but do you have any other suggestions in the event that I can't find it?

Luckily I've been able to talk myself out of fights before they happened. Plus, I never had a real problem with bullies; I actually became friends with several (who stopped bullying kids after seeing me handle situations more calmly).

I think there's maybe one friend who would jump in if things got out of hand, the rest probably wouldn't do anything. I hope I never am in a situation to find out if that's true or not.

JEM618, where did you get that font/program/whatever it is that allows you to write in Hiragana/Kanji, etc?