Jiffy

Not bad Bushido. The only addition I would make is kata-based sparring should lead to free sparing.

Definately. One of the hardest things, which I was not used to is heavy contact sparring with people of various styles. That was new.

If you have a video camera, that's also a very good training tool for this scenario.

In combat, the only certainty is nothing is certain.

That's exactly right! A point so often skipped over, but so important. It may also just be a lack of strength/flexibility in that area. With proper training as above and with more practise, it should get better.

Germaphobe!! Hahaha, that's gold. That, I certainly am not. Avoiding obvious large concentrations of germs is fair enough, but nothing bugs me more than someone who disinfects everything every five minutes. For those who agree, see if you can find a copy of George Carlin's thoughts on the subject of immune system.

That's correct. The ones filled with rags don't have this problem. As to how you will solve your problem, I have no idea... sorry.

I have used this technique many times with great success. It's one of my favourites. In some instances, I've managed to get them to fall over completely (during full speed kumite), thus putting them at my will.As some have said, once you know the technique, it's all about timing. The technique needs to be executed JUST before they place their foot on the ground. This way, they have already placed their weight over this leg, but don't yet have any traction with the ground.

Bearich, a fantastic post! You summed up Kata completely! If anyone doubts Kata after reading your post, I seriously doubt they will ever understand, and should probably stop trying.

To a large degree, forget blocks too. They have limited effectiveness. Remember, action beats reaction. Strike First Strike Fast Strike Hard Strike Continuously

Not too bad. I made it to the top 11, but I didn't make it to the top 3 (they didn't tell us where we ranked between 3 and 11)

Looks pretty good!

The first two videos were, the third one wasnt. They were for the K-Star competition http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=k-star+competition

I hate the titles Professor and Doctor. As far as I'm concerned, these should be reserved for people with a PhD etc. Titles as a whole are way over-rated.

Yeah, me too. I was rather disapointed with the filming..... especially considering this was a professional television company that took it... although it was a chinese television company.

Okay, I notice a few other people have put some YouTube stuff on, and I've been meaning to, so here's some stuff I already had. Let me know what you think. Be gentle... http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shawn+donaldson

I'll second that one. Been reading one article each day for the last week.

hehehe, yes, keep that elbow in. Good to hear you had a good time. Do it more often, that's it. As mentioned, this will get better over time.

Ashi-Berai is "Leg Sweep", so no, it doesn't really count as a kick, that would be "Ashi Geri" As for the application, think of the name. The idea is to sweep. To sweep, ensure you are not wacking the leg, but guiding it. Turn your foot so the outer edge is on the floor and you are contacting with the sole of the foot. When sweeping, glide the foot along the floor, not 3 inches off the ground where you will damage their ankle. When sweeping, it's more effective if you sweep the back of their foot towards you, rather than the side of their foot, across. This works by sliding the foot in the direction of which it has least friction (long story). Also, there is less chance of damage to the other person.

That's a really interesting way of looking at it. Keep the traditional, but then for yourself, make it yours.

The important thing to remember here is that there is no right or wrong... only what works and what doesn't. There is nothing wrong with trial and error. If it works, it's right, if it doesn't, it's wrong. The advantage to having an instructor is they will provide you with a more efficient way of finding the answers, but that doesn't mean it's not possible to find them yourself, it will just take longer.

As mentioned, if you study Kobudo, it's more for interest in the techniques and traditiion than practical use. As for the kit, it's quite good. I have the "Mastering the Kama" video and it's not too bad.

**memories of "Last Action Hero"**

Looked like boxing to me.

Sorry, I buggered up. In a world of my own I guess. I too adress those before me this way (without the bow), but I do not EXPECT my students to address me as such. Sensei is an honorary title. It is not one on any certificate or one achieved at a certain rank. One cannot impose something that is honorary.