A. Orstrom

I couple of times, with and without a cup. Never gets any easier, though...

Never heard of that before. I personally have never had issues going to sleep after watching TV/getting on a com. In fact, I know some people (actually a lot of people) who can't get to bed without the TV on. I actually find it a lot harder to get to sleep while I'm in the middle of reprofiling a knife than I do between rounds while playing, say, Soul Calibur.I can't remember where the original research is found (I believe a German scientist made some breakthroughs last year) but Mark Sisson has an interesting article on it on his blog that is worth a read. I have included its link here http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-light-affects-our-sleep/ It is not hard to find other sources, though, if you are interested.

I would recommend against spending any time in front of a monitor when you have to sleep. I have suffered from irregular sleep in the past, and the light a monitor emits will trick your body's circadian rhytm and make it harder for you to feel sleepy. Try avoiding caffeine and computers/TVs late at night and avoid using your bed for anything other than sleeping or sex. If you cannot fall asleep - get up and read a book or do some menial task until you feel like you might be able to try again. The stress of knowing that you have an early day and cant fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed does not help you relax.

Perhaps you should take a break. I realise that it sounds overly simplistic, but sometimes I find that I need to focus my energy where it is most needed and family and everyday life are the most important things. Try to speak to your sensei about it and get his advive. Perhaps it will help to set a date where you will return to your class to prevent you from 'slipping through the cracks', so to speak, and quit entirely. I obviously do not know what your troubles are and neither is it any of my business but I know that I have had success with simplifying my life and the number of activities I have done in the past. I hope it helps a little.

Hello all and thanks for the input. I turned up at the new dojo in my old kyokushin gi and and a white belt, and the instructor was fine with that. He told me that I was entitled to wear my old belt as well as long as I was wearing that gi, but that he liked my attitude of wearing a white belt. It turns out that quite a few of the senior members of the dojo started out in kyokushin, so we had a long chat afterwards. We did an entire class on self-defence combinations with sweeps, chokes and locks, which we rarely did in my kyokushin class, and I had a great time. I will be returning to train with them tomorrow and I am seriously considering joining them. Thanks again - it feels great to be back

Dear all After four years without karate I have decided to begin anew. I used to train aikido for three years and moved to kyokushin for four and a half years, but my schedule got the better of me, so I started training with weights in the evening instead. This time I would like to try goju-ryu, partly because it was the first style I wanted to try and partly because the dojo is closer to my new home than my old kyokushin dojo is. It means that I will have to change styles and begin all over, but I am really looking forward to learning new things and dusting of old techniques. The thing is; all my dogi are with the Kyokushin calligraphy and/or the Kanku. Would you view it as disrespectful to visit a new dojo in a different style with another style's calligraphy? It would be a temporary measure, and I would obviously wear a white belt, but I do not want to start off on the wrong foot. Alternatively I would wear the training trousers and a white T-shirt. What is your take on this? __ Alexander

I'm really glad you plugged this thread again (edit: Oh, and Karate Kid had a part of me starting in the martial arts. Turtles too, how about a review? ) Keep 'em coming, I really really appreciate it.

I'm all for realism. It is so easy to find a MA movie with flips, jumps, wires and whatnot, the other thing is much harder. I actually thought Fighter in the Wind has the best fight scenes so far (if you leave out the amount of damage he takes from knives an swords )

Perhaps, at the beginning of a day, you should find one thing you would like to do differently. Focus on that one thing, and see how it works. It will probably start to come naturally and then you can go on to the next thing. I have used this method when I wanted to avoid using certain expressions. Hope this helps!

I bicycle to my dojo, but my bag is still pretty big. Gi & Obi Shinguards Gumshield Protective cup Towel Water bottles Protein shaker and powder Chocolate milk for the protein (don't laugh, the Danish cocoa milk has a great fat/protein ratio. 0.4% fat, 3.5% protein ) Shampoo & conditioner Grading curriculum, Karate passport etc. Sometimes I take the bag with me for classes, so I occasionally have books, the Nintendo DS (for looking up kanji), and my laptop with me

I think that has more to do with superstition than tradition. There are some Major League Baseball players out there that have some weird superstitions that they adhere to as well. Not to be confused with tradition. Yes, that's true. What I meant to focus on was that the superstition can turn into a tradition - footballers not washing their socks because the others don't. Following the "customs" of the others even though they don't believe it or feels that it is silly. I suspect that quite a few traditions are created this way, and I think it adds a certain charm to the whole thing. We practice the various arts as well, shouldn't we get to make a few traditions? I still don't wash my belt, and I don't think I ever will. I like the symbolism in the whole "washing your ability and experience out with the dirty water". Oh, and I don't think you can make a direct comparison between the gi and the obi - the gi is not a visible indicator of your rank. If I were to give it a bit more (too much?) thought, I think, to me, the obi represents my advancements and experience whereas my gi represents the hard work and is a symbol of equality in the dojo. Enough ramblings for now. __ Alexander

Words fail me... That is... I mean... But... Ouch indeed.

That really gets me thinking. I am usually good at being grateful for what I have, but you are absolutely right. Life is good, and we should never forget that. My best wishes to you and your friends and family.

I'm not so sure healthy foods are cheaper. I usually find it easier to stay on my diet when I have a "good" month financially. The cost of a pre-cooked meal can often be cheaper, more accessible and very tempting, but it is never the way to go. If you have a refrigerator, a freezer and a microwave you are on your way. Buy lean meat in large quantities, freeze it in portion-sized bags and defrost them in the microwave. Chicken and turkey works for me. Supplement with greens such as broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers etc. This way you can have a healthy nutritious meal quite fast at a low cost. Remember to eat smaller meals more often, that way you will keep burning calories throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels stable, avoiding peaks and dips that can cause crankyness and hunger pangs. I highly recommend http://www.fitday.com where you can get a free account that you can use to track your eating habits, the calories you burn and your weight changes. When i started using it it took the guesswork out of the equation and helped me take control over my eating. Consequently I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. Give it a try, and let us know how you do!

Although I don't compete in kata tournaments, I find the "modern" kata ridiculous. They are impressive enough as physical feats go, but flash and jumps a la wushu presentations do not qualify as martial arts in my book. This is not intended to put anybody down, it can look impressive, I just think it is so far removed from the original purpose as to be a completely different thing. I am still baffled that the modern gymnastic katas can be in the same category... I haven't seen it here in Denmark yet, but I'm sure it's on its way...