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Let me back up Aodhan here. Until you are done growing you can also damage the growth plates at the end of the bones. The hardening of this area is called ossification and doesn't occur until after you quit growing. No teenagers should be engaging in bone conditioning or hitting the makiwara. You might get away with it as some have, but then you might pay for it the rest of your life like others. High price to pay.

I agree with you in part. Anyone punching walls, rocks, etc, needs to have their heads examined. I've seen the results of people training their hands in stupid ways and just shake my head at the damage they've done. However, this post is on shin, forearm and areas with larger bone structure. On to the bone callous. This is a normal part of ANY fracture healing. It's just more noticeable in the hands beacuse the bones are so much closer to the skin. This is also why a bone rarely breaks in the same place as the healed fracture becomes much stronger than the rest of the bone. God's way of putting a permanent "splint" at the fracture site. As for the part on emphasizing "maintain" for bone density.The area shown to have little increase in bone density from exercise is the lower lumbar spine. Is this because exercise doesn't work or because they haven't found the correct exercises yet- lot's of discussion on that going on. As for the rest of the bodyh ow many studies do you want me to post showing weight bearing and impact exercises actually INCREASE bone density? Many were done with people that had various levels of osteoporosis. Do a search, or if you have access, go to Medline and do some research there. If you are already in great skeletal condition, the increases will not be as sigificant, but they still come. Funny thing is, these doctors need to talk to a structural engineer. An increase in density of only 3 percent can result in a MUCH higher resistance to stress. The correlation is not linear, it's "algebraic" - for lack of a better term at this point. One other point, some studies have shown no significant increase in BMD, but look closer at them. You'll find they were usually done over a period of weeks or a few months. In my opinion, these are flawed studies. Atheletes with higher BMD have been engaged in an activity for YEARS. Bone tissue responds much slower than muscle or connective tissue to stress- just look at the relative healing time for an injury to each type of tissue. http://websites.afar.org/site/PageServer?pagename=IA_l_exer_9_r_train From the Curtin Scool of Physiotherapy Intervention studies may be a better indicator in showing the relationship between exercise and change of bone mineral density. Cohen et al. (1995) did a study in 17 young male rowers. They trained for seven months using rowing, weight training and running each week, compared with eight age-matched control subjects. Results showed that there was significant increase in BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) in the lumbar spine, but not, however, in the greater trochanter, Ward�s angle and femoral neck. This indicates exercise can have some effect in increasing BMD over a period of physical training. From an interview PAULA RACKOFF, MD: The more you use an individual bone and joint, the greater the bone density. The perfect examples are tennis players. If you measure a tennis player's bone density in his or her right arm and they use their right arm to play tennis, that arm will have a greater bone density than the left arm, which is really just used for the toss. DAVID R. MARKS, MD: Now, does this only work for people who are a little bit older and maybe they're losing their bone mass at a higher rate, or does this actually help when people are younger? PAULA RACKOFF, MD: Actually, it's a really important question, because the greater your bone density when you're younger, the greater the bone density you'll have when you're getting older, so it's really important that children and teenagers exercise regularly, and they're really the ones who should be playing field hockey, soccer and jogging and really maximizing their bone density. From Brown University What else can I do to keep my bones healthy? Get regular physical activity. Physical activity, particularly weight-bearing exercise, applies tension to muscle and bone which encourages the body to compensate for the added stress by increasing bone density. Activities that involve the repeated action of your feet hitting the ground such as brisk walking, jogging, racket sports or aerobic dancing are the best options. Weight training on resistance machines or with free weights also strengthens bones. Swimming and bicycling promote fitness but they aren't bone builders. Enough for now.

What came first....the bunkai or the kata Yes

P.A.L. The pain your experienceing is typically not a break in a bone. There is also tissue around the bone which can be traumatized and you can have swelling in the tisue (edema) that causes the pain and makes it sore to the touch. The treatment for such an injury is ice the first 24 hours and heat after that. I'd also recommend the liniment mentioned in the earlier post. As for the statement that impact weakens the bones- only if you are suffering from osteoporosis and not taking proper supplements to increase bone density. If such a statement were true; heavy bag training, makiwara training etc would simply create cripples. From Healing Moves According to Healing Moves, a variety of exercises will yield bone-building benefits: "Physical impact and weight-bearing exercise stimulates bone formation. Just as a muscle gets stronger and bigger the more you use it, a bone becomes stronger and denser when you regularly place demands upon it. In general, the greater the impact involved, the more it strengthens the bones. The following link is a long article for vets on bone density in horses. It's a good read because the physiological responses are the same for humans. It goes into detail about the phyisology for those interested. http://www.vetpro.co.nz:888/Vet%20Talk_Equine/improving_bone_density.htm

Funny- I just answered this on a mailing list. THis response was regarding shin conditioning, but it also applies to conditioning other areas (forearms for example). This will also answer your question on bruising. ----------------------------------------------- Okee doke, Can the shins be trained w/o damage- yes Does it actually help- yes Before going into methods, I'll explain the physiology behind this. This comes from a series of discussions with an M.D. that specialized in neuro muscular disorders. This person taught the physiology / anatomy class I took at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. So I'm just passing on what I was told. Lets look at the reason conditioning reduces bruising first. The blood vessels are made out of material similar to connective tissue and will respond to stress in a similar manner. According to her, the capillary and vessel walls will gain density and maybe even some outer wall thickness, making it much harder for them to rupture on impact.. This adaptation occurs without sacrificing any capability of oxygen /nutrient/waste exchange in the circulatory system. However, the conditioning must be done correctly or you can create problems. Correct conditioning is gradual conditioning without causing any bruising. Bruising signifies ruptured walls which means the vessels have to be REPAIRED rather than adapted. So microscopic scar tissue is formed. Lesson here- accidental bruising during training is not an issue as the overall effect is very small. However, continuously conditioning by causing bruising is counterproductive and basically . . . . stupid. This is why the conditioning should be gradual. Second the "sheath" around the muscle tissue becomes stronger too. You must maintain your stretching of the areas you condition. Denser tissue takes more work to improve or recover flexibility than it does to maintain. Third, the nerve receptors that send the pain signal recede from the surface of the skin causing you to be less sensitive to pain on impact. She said there are specific receptors for pain and you can be desensitized to pain w/o other tactile sensory loss (Heat, cold, pleasure, texture, etc). Personal experience seems to agree with her statement. Fourth, bone density increases due to impact stress. Many studies have proven this to be true including such activities as running a jackhammer, punching a heavy bag, chopping wood- you get the idea. On to conditioning, just keep in mind it's best when done GRADUALLY. Another precaution- conditioning must be done with the knee flexed!!!!!! This cannot be emphasized enough. It doesn't have to be bent much, just never do this with a straight leg. Stage one- use a padded object. A very basic way is to make a fist and use the bottom of the fist (end with the little finger). Pound up and down your shins on both the outside and inside.You can use a dowel like Brian, but wrap something around it at the beginning level. Stage two- use something with less padding Progressively increase the hardness of the object. One intermediate object is a piece of smaller PVC pipe that will flex. If bruising occurs, stop conditioning the area and put a good jow on it. A good commercial one is Zheng Gu Shui. Restart a couple of days AFTER the bruising is completely gone, and back off from where you were. Remember- don't rush it! I've seen 60 and 70 year old Goju practitioners that have done this all their lives with no adverse results, but they were patient and gradually built up their conditioning. None of them did the Tak Kubota things of hitting their shins with a hammer or punching the head of sledge hammers hanging from a pivot. They stuck with less extreme methods- and buddeeeee you NEVER wanted to cross shins with these old farts (said in a respectful manner, associated with painful memories) Your instructor is right on one aspect, the conditioning only stays with you as long as you keep doing it. This is just a natural physiological response, and no different than what happens to your physical conditioning when you quit lifting weights or running. Basically- use it or lose it. ----------------------------- Hope this helps

AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH! Not that runor again. This is often quoted because Miyagi died in his 60's. Let's go a little farther: Meitoku Yagi died at 91 years of age Toguchi died when he was 81 Miyazato died at 77 Three are many goju practitioners that trained into to their 70's and 80's, and many of them were HEAVY smokers! (Toguchi is a good example) Seiko Higa died at 68, but he was also a heavy smoker. Try comparing these individual's lifespans to the average lfespan of their country at that given time. You'll see that they were leading an average lifespan and some exceeded the average. Also keep in mind- they lived as long as they did with having been through some times (or having bad health habits) that should have drastically affected their lifespan . People making these short lifespan claims ignore what life was like in Okinawa at the end of and several years after WWII. Miyagi Sensei's health problems started at this time. But people ignore the fact he'd also lost many family members and friends to the war. Food was ppor, sanitation was horrible, and diseaese was a major problem. Read Goju Ryu II by Toguchi and you'll gain a better insight to Miyagi's health problems. Also- on the high blood pressure. Tests have been taken, and the increase in blood pressure is the same as experienced with MODERATE weight lifting. This is because the dynamic tension in Sanchin works the muscles and the cardio system in the same manner that lifting weights does. Funny how no one says they need to stop lifting weights because of this effect.

Brandon, I would suggest going to this webpage and reasing it. Seeif some of it applies to the soke of your system and the culture he creates. http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/MAculture.html

Forgot about these. Now that I've seen them again, I do remember them. Thanks. I trained in shotokan for 3.5 years and always had a nagging lower back problem during that time. It went away when I switched to Goju which has no kokutsu dachi. I'd lay odds that if I'd been doing the stance like Funakoshi, my back never would have bothered me.

Nope, Sanchin is actually a Chinese form. Uechi Ryu does it closer to the original Chinese version than Goju or Shuri versions. Miyagi modified it to close the hands, slowed it down and added more dynamic tension. He then developed Tensho so there would be two sides to the coin. One hard (Sanchin) and the other soft (Tensho)

The stories about Funakoshi's stances being high because of age and/or injury fall into the category of "karate urban legends". He did become old, and he may have had an injury, but this had nothing to do with the height of his stances. His stances were high compared to modern day shotokan because that's how he was taught. Look at Okinwan Shorin-ryu and some pictures of Funakoshi in the 1920's and you'll see lot's of similarities. This is because he had some of the same teachers as the Shorin-ryu founders. One reason Shotokan stances became deeper and longer was because of the influence of kendo in Japanese culture. It's also said the Funakoshi never taught a back stance prior to WWII. I've never seen a picture of him doing one. However, the back stance is very prevalent in kendo. Shotokan was not the only one affected in this way. Japanes Goju stances are longer and lower than their Okinwan versions too. Kyokushinkai stances are lower than the version done by the Okinawan roots of that style too.

Seminars are another way to work with other people. Just pop in some of the other schools in your area and ask if they'll be hosting any seminars aor know of any coming up. Since schools hosting seminars usually get a cut of the attendance (all, if they're giving the seminar), they are usually more than happy to tell a visitor about it.

go to https://www.goju-ryu.info Register, then go to the resources page.

The best made and balanced commercial sai are the TRADITIONAL sai from Shureido. The price is high, but these are real sai that will last a lifetime. Althought they aren't light, you'd swear you could flip them as easy as breathing because of their balance. On to your weapon choice, you might want to consider a weapon your instructors are well versed in. If you insist on sai, then at least start with the material by Fumio Demura.

Cat stance is meant to be a transitional stance, not a permanent fighting stance.The idea is to "coil the spring" on the supporting leg, and moving in with power and speed. So this also means that body position is extremely important when utilizing this stance. Using the principles in Tai sabaki, and staying in just outside the line of force of your opponent can result in a "flowing counter" that can easily destroy your opponents balance. But this slao requires the 90/10 weight distribution. I'll add another comment here. Some older texts differentiate between the 90/10 and 60/40 split and do not consider them the same stance. It would be worth investigating both distributions and the best way to use them. In fact the 60/40 split is the direct ancestor of the longer backstance found in some styles. Last, the back posture is extrememly important. Over balancing backwards with your upper body makes you vulnerable. leaning forward, does not transfer the weight correctly, and heaven forbid you should have a straight lower back. The physiological problems with this are numerous and it steals power from the supporting leg.

To me, the answer about which one is more correct is "yes" Just like nin Tai said, it can be more than areactions hand, espcially in a block punch combo where you block, grab and then pull the reaction hand on the punch. As he said, this is just one of many examples. For quick, fast, punching combos, leaving the reaction hand in that guard position is preferred. Lot's of room to discuss all the possibilities of both methods.

The deeper stances are also because of the influence of kendo on Japanese society. The same thing happened when Yamaguchi took Goju to Japan. Funakoshi was an Okinawan and learned Shuri-te, the predecessor to Shorin-Ryu. His stances are higher because that's the way he was taught in Okinawa. THis had nothing to do with age. As far as lower stances being more "scientific", if you can find some research proving this, I'd be interested in reading it. For a good insight into the principles behind kata (in any style), why moving correctly when performing kata is important and understanding the principles behind interpereting kata, get Toguchi's book "Okinawan Goju Ryu II" . THe chapters on kata and kaisai are short but very revealing

You may not have been taught in incorectly, but differently. There are so many variations on weapons kata that telling someone there's is wrong is often out of place. There are so many variations of the Tokimine no Kun kata it'd make your head spin, but the variations mostly aren't wrong, just different. Do it the way you were taught. If you've introduced your own mistakes into the kata, that is the time you need to be corrected.

Buy some one inch diameter oak dowels and the rest of the stuff needed to make some chi shi weights. The easy way is to put some nails into one end of the stick, pour the concrete into a coffe can, and let it dry. Once the concrete dries, you can paint the coffe cans. The oak will be the most expensive part and they'll cost about $5 a piece to make.

Forgot to add, this site was reviewd by some self defense and use of force experts (including a couple of lawyers) and received very good remarks. If you want to know what the limits of force you can employ in a SD situation is, read the info on this site.

Go here: http://www.useofforce.us/ Great info

Reminds me of something my Sensei once said. When he was stationed in Okinawa, he said he became a karate "junkie". Evryone went "huh?" Turns out he was training 6+ hours a day, 6 days a week and kata on his own on the 7th day. He said he couldn't skip a workout because he's wake up so stiff he could barely move. Then he'd go to a morning workout and get limbered up. By the end of his workday, he'd start to feel stiff again, but it was back to the dojo to work out. By the time he left, he felt great. Then he'd wake up the next morning and need to start the whole cycle again or he'd be in for a world of hurt. Hence- a Karate "junkie". He had to work out in order to function normally and not walk around like a stiff robot. Just like a junkie needing his fix for the day

Bingo! Started in my late 20's, now 45. Like AnOne I'm faster, stronger and more flexible. I can bench, squat, and curl nuch more weight now than I could then and I was lifting back then too. Many people think they're slower because their perception of speed has changed with experience. As perceived speed changes, the assumption is "I'm getting old and slower". If you've trained properly, you have less tension, your movements are much more efficient, so you get from point A to B in less time- speed increases. You've learned you don't have to force it so youe more relaxed in your movements. All that wasted tension of youth is no longer slowing you down. I disagree with only one thing AnOne said- newer studies are putting max strength in the 30's and with continued exercise, protein intake and DHEA supplementation, the power curve stays fairly flat through your 40's. As AnOne said, there are plenty of studies to prove this out. But if you believe you'll get slower . . . well . . ."as a man thinks, so he becomes"

For a collection of stories, try Richard Kim's "Weaponless Warriors"

Oh boy, I want to learn how to turn my back to my opponent twice in a row!

Also, depending on the Goju style,they may test as little as once every 6 months. You'll prgress faster if you make perfecting your technique yur goal and concentrate on that rather than getting a higher rank.