Dragn

Kata is a great method to train by yourself or to practise bunkai with a partner. As stated by others Kata contains the core principles and techniques of your art. But if you dont practise contact free sparring you're never going to be preparred for the adrenalin and unpredictability of a real fight. I preffer sparring myself. Thats where it all comes together.You can find out what works for you and what doesn't. Sure there are some techs you cant use in sparring because of the danger of serious injury, but there are alot that you can use too! For me its the ultimate opportunity to put the skills I've learned into practise. Both are great. Finding ballance is the key. But I have little faith in styles which over emphasise kata and dont spar. 9 times outa ten they just cant fight.

I used to dis kata after I left TMA to practise MMA. Then I met some Ryukyu Kempo guys who had completely different enterpretations for the kata moves. Things that were taught as blocks and strikes in Japanese Karate and TKD turned out to be grappling moves/locks/pressure point strikes/take downs, even chokes. It opened up a whole new world to me. They practise these moves against realistic attacks from a partner until they can get it bang on. They also did full contact kumite.Anything goes. The training is hard and very painfull, and very practical for street SD. It made my Previous training in kyokushin and MMA seem pretty tame. It changed my veiws on traditional styles. I think alot of MMAtists have never seen these kinds of hard core old school traditionalists. I think both ways are very effective, it just depends on personal tastes. And there is alot that both sides could learn from each other if they would just lose their egos and open their minds.

Be carefull with Japanese characters. I've seen a number of westerners with Japanese characters written backwards on their tats.Its funny as hell but I feel sorry for them. Sometimes the meanings which they were told for the character are wrong too. I got a japanese dragon tattoed over my entire back by hand.The traditional way.It hurt like hell! Just make sure you know what you want and dont get addicted to it.

Hai ,watashi mo nihongo hanasemasu. Nihon ni 12nen gurai sunde imasu. Okusan ga nihonjin desu. Kanji wa amari kakenain desu kedo, motto benkyoo shitai to omotte imasu. shikashi, toreiningu to shigoto de sugoi isogashii kara benkyoo suru hima ga nai!

Having trained in both kyokushin and Muay Thai I have to agree with Vinnie. Kyokushin fighters dont rotate their hips fully. Thai kicks are alot more powerfull. I think their(KK) idea is that if you miss with a fully rotated hip, that you're in a vulnerable position for a counter.Thai fighters do a pretty good job of getting around that problem though. Modern Kyokushin tournies dont do much for me.The lack of head punches and grabbing is just too unrealistic. Its strange, considering Mas Oyama was renowned for his awesome 1 strike kill, that modern KK is so laking in the power dept. I'm not saying it dosen't hurt.It does.But these days its more about pummeling your opponent into submision with fast continuos combinations than taking him out with a powerfull strike. Oyama had a dan rank in Judo too. But modern KK dojos dont train in any thowing or grappling. I guess like so many MA its been watered down to suit competition. Stiil KK fighters are tough as hell and usually can take out challengers from other Karate styles. And Its great for building fighting spirit and stamina. Lately alot of kyokushin schools are breaking off from the main Org and incorporating boxing into their curriccullum and using K1 rules. Its often refered to as shin karate(new karate) Its more kickboxing than Karate though.

I did capoeira for a few months in Australia under a Brazilian teacher, and for a year in Japan under a Japanese teacher. I also used to practise sometimes with some half brazilian/ Japanese factory workers. I was never taught practical applications for the techniques. The focus was on playing the game. Sometimes it could get pretty rough. But it wasn't taught as a SD art as such. I think this is pretty much the norm these days. Some of the guys who I trained with didn't realise this and thought it would be effective against other MAtists. One of them entered a full contact Karate tournament and got his leg broken! No doubt if you practised hard enough and long enough with a good teacher who could teach you the more practical side of it, you could use some of it for SD. But there are alot of other MA which are focused on SD which would be alot more practical. Still if you really want do it I would recommend cross training in a Striking/grappling art.

I dont know where you got your KK training Profacci but it sounds somewhat different to what I've done here in Japan. For a start, shin pads are worn for sparring.Even with conditioned shins constant contact 3-5 days a week is gonna cause injuries and prevent you from training.Unless your just going light contact. We trained hard but we weren't stupid about it. The sparring was always kyokushin rules.No hand strikes to the the head. We never practised defences or counters for head punches. We never did throws as grabbing isn't allowed under kyokushin rules. In fact I found the training to be very much competition oriented and lacking in street self defence. We practised kata but Bunkai wasn't taught. Although footwork is used the mentality is very much one of using force against force. Not so good if your opponent is more powerfull than you. I understand your passion for KK.I was once the same. But if there are differences in the training methods between 2 KK schools then no doubt there are differences between 2 Guju schools or 2 shotokan schools.There are alot of bad dojos out there.Dont let a few poor dojos decide your view of other styles. Then there is Kempo too.I sometimes train with some Ryuku Kempo guys who make Kyokushin training seem like an easy day. I have much respect for Kyokushin fighters.They are as tough as nails. But I've faced some really tough fighters from other arts too. Keep an open mind.

I have a Japanese Dragon covering my back.Still not finished yet.I'm getting it done by hand in traditional Japanese style. Its a long painfull and expensive process. But I love it! I had always wanted a tat, but didn't know what. Then 1 day it just hit me. I mulled over it for about a year then made the decision to go ahead. Dispite my wifes protests.! I chose the dragon because of its connection with the MA and oriental culture, which have had a major impact in my life. Theres also the association of dragons with fire. I perform fire knife shows, so it really fitted me. I also chose to get it done by traditional method in support of traditonal art and preservation of culture. Getting this tat has been something of a "rite of passage" for me. In some cultures receiving a tatoo is a symbol of certain warrior status. Enduring the pain is part of a test of courage and perserverance. For me its a symbol of my dedication to the path of Budo. It gives me inspiration to stay true to the path and live as a warrior should, conquering my weaknesses. If you are going to have something permanently engraved on your body, dont rush into it. Make sure its something that will stiil have meaning for you 20 or 30 years down the track. Simply "because it looks cool" is just not enough. But it sure adds to the pleasure of carrying it.

I think it was the Kung fu TV series with David Carridine that first caught my interest when I was very young. I started to practise moves from Mas Oyamas "this is Karate" when I was around 9. Then started TKD at 11. I liked the flashy kicks and the challenging exercises. Stayed at that club for 7 years. Looking back now though it was a bit of a Mc Dojo. No contact sparring at all. Still I thought I was a dangerous MF, till I got my * Kicked by my friends uncle, who was a Thai boxer. Haha! Did Muay Thai for about a year then went to Japan.Tried a few arts before deciding to do Kyokushin.Everybody said it was the strongest Karate style.I liked the fact that they used low kicks like MT, and did lots of sparring.Plus the training was real hard! I like getting pushed beyond my perceived limits. Unfortunately I got into partying and drinking too much and" lost my way". Got back into training when I was about 26? spent 5-6 years experimenting with different styles(Kenshin karate,capoeira,Wushu, Shaolin long fst KF ,Muay Thai) looking for 1 with everything I wanted. Never found it. Realised I was getting old, and while I had acheived a degree of skill in a variety of styles I was a master of none. I had to make a decision to stop trying to do everything and focus on one. I decided to give up all the flashy and focus on the combat effective. Thats when I found Daidojuku. I liked the combination of Japanese budo and kyokushin spirit with a MMA mentality. It allowed for the use of various techniques( head punching, grabbing, throws, grappling,elbows, knees....) This would enable me to use many of the techniques I had learned in other styles and fuse them into 1 solid all range system. I like the open mindedness and realistic sparring, and the fact that cumbersome gloves aren't used. But I feel its a little too competition oriented. It lacks kata and street specific SD techs. So I have started supplementing my training with Ryukyu kempo to learn kata and its bunkai. I also cross train in Muay Thai and BJJ. Both these arts are incorporated into Daidojuku, but I like to take classes in each separately to get more in depth knowledge on certain techs and work on my weak points.

Daidojuku Started in 1981 by Kyokushin 8th dan Azuma Takashi. Combines Kyokushin Karate with Judo, Jujitsu,Muay Thai....... A very competitive style with an emphasis on realism and freedom from style related boundaries. Basically Karate influenced MMA. Tournaments are full contact MMA type rules. No gloves, but bubble face head gear is worn. 30 second time limit for ground fighting. Various dojos focus on different specialities. My dojo is heavily Muay Thai influenced, and we also compete in kick boxing events. Check out some fight clips on the home page: https://www.daidojuku.com

Hey cheradenine! Why wouldn't you do some training while here in Japan? If I were you I wouldn't miss the chance.I'm sure it would be a valuable experience.Does your style have a head dojo here? I'm not familiar with it myself, so I'm no help really. Your welcome to come and watch at my dojo.I do Daidojuku which is a Kyokushin influenced MMA style.Probably very different to what you do but might be interesting. PM me if you're interested......

My sadistic sensei sometimes has us do an ab conditioning exercise I don't know the name of. Basically one person lies on his back with head and legs raised a couple of inches off the ground. Then his partner places one foot on the lying persons stomach and hops on and off. Paying special attention to drive his big toe deep into his partners solar plexus as he puts all his weight into it! Usualy 2 sets of 20 or 30 reps. First time I did this I got a partner 15 kgs heavier than me.javascript:emoticon(':bawling:')[/img]

I wouldn't reccommend using machines.They isolate the muscle ignoring the importance of connective tissue and stabilisers, which support the muscle, leading to injury in stressfull sport. Its really important to understand the difference between bodybuilding and strength training for sport. If you want to train for explosive power you have to train explosively (with or without weights) But dont jump into explosive weight movements or you'll just get hurt. You have to strengthen connective tissues first, gradually advancing toward low rep heavy weight sets to build your strength.Then move into more explosive sport specific exercises and plyometrics to train the neuromuscular system to use that power in the movements of your sport. Strength training for sport really is a science and there are so many varied and contrasting opinions out there that it can be really exasperating for athletes. I reccomend you do some looking around on the net for martial art specific strength programs. I personally like Dr Colgans power program. check him out at https://www.colganinstitute.com Also rossboxing.com has some interesting stuff.

Kyokushin does have its weaknesses.Lack of head punches/defences, no grabbing/throwing/clinching/ground etc. But then most arts have weak areas.Muay Thai also. Which is why cross training is a good idea if you want to be able to deal with a variety of opponents. BUT, I reccommend getting a strong foundation in one style first (preferably a dan rank) before you start trying to combine arts. Otherwise it just gets too confusing for your body.You have to repeat techniques over and over to comit them to muscle memory.If you try to learn contradictory techniques you will impare the learning process and learn slower. Personally I prefer MT. But I did kyokushin for 2 years before I did MT, and I'm glad I did. Actually if I had to do it over again I would stick at Kyokushin longer.Kyokushin is great for developing fighting spirit, physical and mental toughness, stamina and power.Its a good base from which you can extend later. Dont make the mistake of trying to learn too much too quickly. I learnt this the hard way.