makiwaraman

OK I not so sure to put this after the fat boy remark above but, I am 6 feet tall and weigh 17.5 stone, I can usually get away with a mawashi geri to the head at least the first time I spar a new person as they look at me and pre judge, they dont know about my daily stretching so usually look totally shocked regards maki

Predictably I have 2-3 makiwaras (I change them like socks). Heavy bag & mitts Impact pads Dumbells Grip strengtheners Skiping rope (leather) I think thats it. regards maki

I have always been told we train to kick high, so when it counts and your tired its still above the knee. But experianced poeple can do high kicks and as has been said its all about timing. regards maki

Yes I have follow this link for it on mpeg: http://www.shotokankarateassociation.com/flash_content/kata.htm Hope it helps regards maki

Unless your weapons are already conditioned you are likely to get arthritis later in life, IMO a makiwara must have more flex, and more than an ol tree can offer. regards maki

Try skiping it been working for me to lose fat and improve co- ordination. regards maki

I advise that all injurys from makiwara training should be fully healed before continueing. In your case if you still wish to condition your seiken get a proper makiwara with proper target and give in the post. regards maki

My main focus is trying to lose the ego and let your opponent get through and look for openings weakness. Then my main attack would be punch then mawashi geri my two strongest techniques. Regards maki

I started karate to encourage my son to go as he felt more comfortable with me there. I also did it for fitness and to learn control, and once I started I realised that I enjoyed the training and that is my main reason now. Regards maki

Must try and write paragraphs of infomation. I have been told by my sensei that once a belt touches skin(be it through a gi) That the belt should not touch the floor or be washed. This is part of the traditions and etiquette that we should continue. I have never read up on belt etiquette and can't substantiate my opinions. But allowing for the differences in etiquette between dojo's the best advice has been offered IMHO, that is ask your sensei what he wants you to do. Regards maki

Hello y2_sub To be honest it was a little too high tempo for me at the moment, I am happy were I train now and Hanshi Steve Arneil did not want me to cross train in shotokan and kyokushinkai. I fully intend to go back later and train in kyokushinkai. Regards maki

OK you can't put any MA in the same box as CQC (close quarter combat) but IMO MA training can help, you should have the speed and timing to block a haymaker and counter. Once you relise there are no rules and train in a different way for such instances e.g drill yourself to eye gauge and kick in groin as a automatic defence, accept you may have to take something in order to get an entrance, if grabbed remember your kata bunkai and if all else fails be prepared to bite off ears,fingers etc. But we are talking about only 2-3% of the population that should be difficult to deal with, and if when confronted you step back form a perfect forward stance and kiah your going too get hurt 2 times out of 3. The difference is that no ones going to attack you with a reverse punch it would be haymaker ,hammerfist with bottle,headbutt, or grab. The defence and counters to these attacks are in our katas, but in sparring these attacks are not generally included so thats why karate sparring may be considered by some as not effective on the street. regards maki

I hope you include your self in that regards maki

Try this linkhttp://www.kyokushintoday.nl/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownloaddetails&lid=63&title=Kyokushin%20vs%20Shotokan Its down at the moment but should be availible later. regards maki

If you train in shotokan why would you like to host a knockdown tournament under kyokushin rules. Those kyokushin karate-ka's train hard and condition their bodies to enable them to take hard blows. IMO the kyokushin karate-ka would wipe the floor with the other styles simply as most dont train and condition for that much punishment, those mawashi geri's to the thighs are punishing until you are conditioned to it.Will try and find clip to demonstrate my point. regards maki

Any one in the UK interested in getting hojo undo equipment as I am looking into getting it made. regards maki

Dont wash your belt get a new one and keep it as a souvenir. regards maki

SBSD the best thing for you to do is not contact them, the position offered is as a SDC (self defence consultant) lol this is self employed and long hours and you pay them, you make your money by selling karate door to door, With a deceptive door script you get appointments and go back and sale karate memberships for £22.00 each of which you keep £17.00 and pay GKR the rest. Bear in mind that these people aren't interested in karate if they were they would go find a club and you have to pressure them into joining, Once you prove that you have mastered this by getting five members a night for two years, you may get the managers position they originally told you about and thats even harder the money always goes to the top few and they fly around in private helicopters and sail on their yachts. My point is that it takes a special type of person to make it in GKR and that type of person could make it in any business and need not sell out on karate. regards maki

Well jimmy if your sensei says you are ready you must be, well done and hope all goes well for you. regards maki

Do you train on makiwara I am sure you can guess that I would say yes. I also agree with the mushin, kime, conditioning, etc. As to the debate on whether a heavy bag and/or focus mitt does work better, I think that in the early days its essential to your training to hit something with full focus be it makiwara, heavy bag, impact pad, focus pad, I have lost count of the times I have seen karate-ka hit something with full focus for the first time and find out they have bad form usually resulting in a sprained wrist. Including two BB from a mcdojo. I think the choice is a very individual thing and has more to do with tradition than whats the best. Karate-ka are a traditional bunch just consider that we wear gi's when shorts and t-shirt would do the job.Or why use ishi-sashi when dumbells will work. Its down to tradition and how far you wish to travel down that route. So use what you feel suits you best but practise full focus strikes on something. Regards maki

There is one thing you can do to cure this and that is cut them off lol. regards maki

I agree, The people who suffer with arthritis from makiwara training have not been using the correct type, its all about give and those block types don't have enough. I have a friend who used a standard 2" x 4" with no taper and now has a rare form of arthritis usally assoiated with tradesmen who suffer excessive vibrations at work, and this guy does a sit down office job. yamesu I am sure that after 12 years of training you are aware whats good for your body and whats not, it would soon tell you if you were damaging your weapons. But you can only do this because of the 12 years of prior conditioning. regards maki

yamesu, your post sounds as if it has little give and more like a forging post than my understanding of a makiwara. regards maki

My school belts go like this and its shotokan White Orange Red Yellow Green Purple Purple & White Brown Brown & 1 White Brown & 2 White Black dan grades I do not like the Western belt system and have been told its done this way as we need constant recognition and back slapping. In my system each kyu/belt repressents 3 Months training with over 50% attendance and the pattern of a new kata Oh and £22.00 grading fee. I do not like this but as IMO its the best school in my area and I obide by their rules. I wished to train in white belt until Shodan but still grade at each kyu, but after complaints was forced to wear courlored belt. If it were upto me you would have white ,brown and black/ dans. Rant over Regards maki

Is that not what I said that jumps are throws, when being taught, you get now you jump like this later you find out its a throw and yes the proceeding move is to put your opponent off balance and or make them light. Regards maki