NinTai

ps1, bushido_man your welcome. Please becareful with the final kicking part. It becomes a relatively short movement.

They way that I've been taught to use the side kick can be used ina clinch but it does too much damage to be used in sport fighting. Try this: Stand facing your oponent and get into a classic clinch. Now execute your side kick. ( Lets say right side kick) From the clinch drive your right knee into your opponents right inner thigh (the load) if done with enough force the stance apart. (as well as causing damage.) Now execute the kick (Straight out to your right side) aimed at the inside of his left knee.

I have a pdf copy of the kumite in Welch's manual. It contains text and pictures. I just sent them to you via your website. Joe

TheNerfingNanja10, If you want to learn how to use the nunchaku the way it was meant to be used then go here: This is a great place to start. I trained with Nishiuchi Shihan and his group for a while. Good info from a Matayoshi Kobudo liniage. As far as chain vs rope, I would always go with rope hands down. With rope if the distance between the ends of the nunchaku is too big you can always adjust it. When looking at a nunchaku that has rope make sure it has 3 passes like these from Murasaki Kobudo: http://murasakikobudo.com/catalog/images/nun.gif This means that there are no knots to slip as the rope is held in place by friction so the more pressure you apply the tighter it becomes. Also remember to hold the nunchaku from the end not up buy the rope. Good luck.

I have to agree, it should feel natural. We must be careful though, the "feels better" argument could also be made because a person is out of shape. A low shiko-dachi (relative to your body size that is) in kata will strengthen the legs and hips (as well as teching you how to bring your weight into a technique) although a higher one may "feel better". On the same note too low could be counter productive. I guess that's where a good instructor comes in, to draw that fine line.

Good point, my only distinction is that if you need to change something you need to know why, and I don't mean because it feels better or because I don't know why it's done the other way or even the dreaded "because it looks better". My instructor does change certain aspects of what he does because of certain factors: age, previous injury, etc. BUT when he teaches he does not teach you these things because they don't apply to you. You are taught the core concepts and techniques, you can make slight changes due to your personal circumstances but the core of the art/kata stays the same.

As my instructor puts it: "Mo-ichi-do, the great Okinawan lie." mo-ichi-do = one more time Shimi shimi ko ko pa - you've run out of room on the floor, shuffle back a few steps.

If this is what kata is about, then can I go out, get into a bunch of fights, and have someone record what happens as I do so, and then transfer the moves into a kata, using the order that I used them in the fights? If kata are supposed to be ideas and concepts, then they are open to anyone's interpretations, and anyone can form their own ideas and concepts, based off of their own experiences. So, we could realistically end up with an endless series of katas. I think you misinterpeted my point. As an example: Some of the cat stances from the Shorin Ryu kata where made into back stances in the Shotokan version. In doing so the mechanics of the techique where changed and you lose what the origional meaning was. If I take a Uechi Ryu kata and change sanchin dachi to a foward stance then the mechanics and power generation of the moves change so whats the point? As far as being open to anyone's interpetation, that's a pet peeve of mine. Not every interpetation is correct, I've had this demonstrated to me time and time again. It's like saying that an uneducated opinion is worth just as much as an educated opinion. But thats just my opinion.

Question: Why take a kata from another style and change it to shotokan? Kata are meant to convey ideas and fighting principles. If you take a kata and "shotokanize" it then you loose all its value. It would be like buying a sports car and converting it into a sedan. (or vice versa) If your going to learn kata from another system then learn what it has to teach you don't turn it into a dance.

Question: How much time does a boxer spend in the gym "not fighting" compaired to the time he spends in the ring "fighting" (sparring or otherwise). I could ask "What's the point of a speed bag?" You don't hit it the same way you punch in the ring. Not a realistic way to spend your time. And what about shadow boxing? You have no feed back don't hit anything and can easily fall into a predictable routine. I won't even get into the preset routines with the punching mitts, or how does jumping rope and all those fancy rope routines help. Before I get "flamed" that was tounge and cheek, but just like kata, if you don't use it right or know how to use it in your training then don't blame the kata.

Well said.

Well I guess its just a matter of how you see your training. I don't see it as a comodity that is bought and sold. When I found my instructor I decided to train with him beacuse I agreed with his views and methodology. I explained to him my goals and then placed my trust in him to train me. If I decide to attend a seminar from another style I ask him what he thinks and what I should be looking out for. If he disagrees, thinks it will not benifit my training or that I am not ready for the subject matter I wont go. After all why have an instructor if you ignore his guidance. Well, if you ask for your instructors blessing and ignore him if he dosen't give it then why bother asking? We have been looking at it from the student point of view but what about the instructor side. It may sound harsh but my point is if you can't put 100% into your training beacause of schedule conflicts (with another class), overtraining, injury then why sould i give you 100% of my attention. There are sport coaches that dont want their players paticipating in other sports beacuse of various reasons (injury, overtraining, schedule confilcts) and if they do their out. Many times people point to the "old days" when an instructor would send his student to go train with another instructor for something that he did not know. The part that is over looked is that it is the instructorthat sent the student to the other teacher when in training was needed and appropriate. It was not the student saying "well Mabuni sensei if you wont teach me this I go and take classes with Chibana sensei". Cheers

If your only goal is "point karate" then hop away. Just understand that thats a habit that your going to have to break if you decide to move beyond playing "tag".

I believe thats where the difference lies. You have a goal, you know what aspects of the other art you feel you need to compliment what you are doing. I think that is different from the person who feels that they should go and study additional arts because they feel like they have the right to and if their instructor thinks otherwise then they'll "take their money elsewere".

A hakama will not hold the scabard in place. You need a proper obi to support the sword. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTMtZB2VOGs Not the best vid but you can see the difference in how the obi is worn and tied. Most people tie their karate obi around their waist where the taditional obi is worn around the hips.

Sohan, If they passed they would now represent your dojo as yudansha. All those newly opened doors that they would pass through they would be representing the type of people your school accepts as yudansha. I think it turned out for the best.

Please stop bouncing. A large amount of energy is spent bouncing, and on the tape you can see a definite rythm: move back bounce 2-3 times stutter step technique "you fight like you train" I believe was the quote.

I have heard of this happening to some people who take "self defense" classes. When they realise the damage that the are about to inflict (i.e. eye gouge) There tends to be a response of "but that will hurt the person". The seriousness of the threat just dosen't seem to sink in. If you can steal someones will to fight, then you win.

To go along with Shorin's second point I'll add this little bit from my instructors site: "Karate is a fighting art. You must train with deep seriousness from the first day. Each punch, block, or kick must be delivered with the power of the entire body in unison. No matter how much time you devote to training - months or years - if your training consists of no more than moving your arms and legs... you may as well be dancing, and you will never understand the true meaning of karate."

I've been well. I think that we agree in spririt if not paper. It's all about semantics. For me words like "martial" (of or having to do with the military) represent a military mindset. The military of any nation or time would always prefer to use arms of some type as opposed to bare hands, the idea being the total destruction (read killing) of the enemy usualy en mass. Karate is absolutely violent, but when i say "life protection" I mean in a sense that I am useing karate to protect my life, it will be violent, but my goal is to survive and get away not to take and hold ground. It may all be semantics when I teach useing that term seem to get the point across better. Later, Give my reguards to Terry.

Hey Shorin, Its been awile. I've enjoyed your posts. Reminds me of the saying: "Jack of all trades, master of none."

Karate is not a martial art. Karate is a "life protection art" it has nothing to do with warfare. If you want to study a "warlike art" join the military or seek out a koryu group. Most of the old masters were involved in some sort of security work. Not the military but as body guards for the king, police and some (Matsumura I think) worked on the tribute ships that went to China.

I can't speak for every instructor, but for me its about learning to walk before you run. Concepts that are involved in grappling and joint manipulation are present in striking but on a more basic level. Learn the basics and then you will have an easier time applying them to the other levels. Now when you say "when he teaches class" I have to ask which one? The yusansha class has all the techniques, the mudansha classes are taugh what is appropriate for their level. When my instructor was asked the requrements for earning a BB he said: "I have to trust you." Not something you can do with someone who just walked in off the street. There is a differnt mindset between the two (grappling and striking) the overall goals are different as well as the methodologies. You can still use the language analogy: English: Atlantic Ocean Portugese: Oceano Atlantico (Ocean Atlantic) Different way of thinking. I have to ask what is your "goal". I met a judo instructor one that only had one "real" technique, the arm bar. The thing is he could get to it from any situation: holding, striking, guard, mount etc. Do you (not you personaly) know what your goal is and how this additional training will help you acieve it? BTW What does "well rounded" really mean anyway.

Good article. There seems to be one argument missing from the posts. I don't see my instructor providing a "service" that I pay for. My dues support the school and instructor do that he can keep teaching. That being said, I know that when I teach I'm trying to train the student to use certain principles and concepts. These require that the student move or stand in a particular way, as well as training their bodies to generate power in a specific manner. If I have to correct the student every time they come into class because they are also trying to lean another style at the same time it takes away from his/her progress in class. (Note I don't see this as a "bad habbit" just something that I am not teaching or contrary to what I need them to do) Imagine trying to lear two different languages at the same time, let's say Spanish and Portuguese (something that I did) both are similar but different enough that when you speak you end up with a mish mash that doesn’t make sense to either native speaker. Once a student reached shodan things change. They have the basics ingrained in them and they have some idea of where their going and what they are lacking. More important, they will know how to integrate what they are learning into their present system so that it fills in the gaps and does not create extra baggage that they don’t need. (One style that I studied had 7 different ways to “block” a mid level attack because they were a combination of 7 different “styles”) Over all talk to you instructor maybe your striking art has grappling and joint manipulation built in and you instructor will teach you when you are at the point that it will benefit you most. Sorry for the long post.

Use an obi meant for Iaido: https://bujindesign.com/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=251&osCsid=068002b5425a5c4632228f961e425896 Note: This does not tie like a karate obi.