SenseiMike

I've always looked at having your nose smashed in as a rite of passage. My philosophy is you can't really learn how to dish it out, untill you've taken it quite a few times.

there are pro point fighters? wow

I have short legs, for me the axe kick is horrible.

Read some of funakoshi's books, he very clearly states that there is more to Karate than meets the eyes. He is quite upfront about the grappling aspects of the art, the joint locks, the pressure points etc... If you feel that you are stuck in children's karate then it is 100% your fault. Look into your kata and find their secrets. That is the job of the true karateka, to find the secrets for your self.

absolutly very cool. thanks a billion

Let me explain to you the philosophy of my school: Higher quality, lower prices. I refuse to charge the average rate for karate in my area ($150 a month) I only charge $65, unlimited classes, my testing fee is only $10. I did this because I was disgusted by the fact that many people who want to train can not because the price of lessons is so high. I know that some schools are running as non proffits but still charge monthley fees and pay the instructor(s) a salary. How is this done, I feel that I may qualify for such, but have know Idea how to approach it. Also, how would one go about seeking sponsorships for a tournament team? I need the funds to provide my guys with travel expenses, and tournament fees. Thanks for your help

Absolutly 100% of every technique in karate has combat value. I know this sounds harsh, I wish there was a way for it not too, but it's a topic that distresses me. Karate is art that must be examined, the teacher must lead the student to discovering the many secrets the art holds. Anyone who advocates discarding anything over examining the potential is wrong. You should examine everything, the wrist locks present in the "chambers" the sweeps that can preformed via "low blocks" the shoulder throw potential of "high blocks" etc... You will only weaken yourself by discarding technique, but you can only benifit from exploring the posiblities. I teach Shotokan Karate, I teach soley from the kata, & my students are 100% effective @ distance, clinch, and ground fighting. Kata is karate, karate is combat, you just have to understand the complexity of the art and know where to look.

Hmmm hadn't really thought about the sex abuse potential when I wrote that. It's one of the reasons why I don't teach kids much, way too many headaches.

Yup, Funakoshi's biograghy is very good read.

Is there any kind of online KD tourney data base? In particular any in Japan?

You should spend a free second you have sparring him. That's how a real fight is going to be, you may not realize it, but he's giving you very valuable training. are throws allowed in your dojo? if you can get away with it, just step forward at an angle, shifting your body so that you're facing him at a 45 degree angle (a good place to be for fighting anyone) and put your lead leg behind his lead leg, then grab his obi with your back hand while you reach your lead arm around the front of his body, use your hips to roll him over your leg.

Well, for option one there isn't much you can do. I don't really teach kids, the youngest I have is 13, and his Mom is pretty much absent from his life. I'd just suggest keeping the dojo closed during class. Did she sign a contract? if she did then she's stuck paying you anyway and chances are she'll leave the girl in. For option 2.....I run a fighting school, so my take on this is different. I would explain the theory to the student, show him the bunkai, let him work the bunka, and if he still talked bad, let him spar a bit against someone much better who is also a much better student. Soime times people need to get their butt kicked inorder to understand.

Hmmmm..........Let me take this one.... First, let me say this, there is honor, then there is survival. I started my school 100% out of pocket. I wait tables for a living.... I pass out flyers every where, on peoples windsheilds at walmart's parking lot, I liiter the campus of the local university with them, I tape sighns up on telephone poles, I put flyers on mail boxes. I made signs out of cheap lumber that I got at hme depot and put them up along side of bust roads. And if I can think of anything else that'll get me free publicity I'll do that too. the main concept there is one word FREE.

good point Meguro

No a heavy punching bag would not be as effective, still a lot better than nothing, but not the same. The makiwara has survived for 500 + years for one reason, it works. try it, after a few weeks you'll see that it works.

There should be a Shotokan, Kyokushin, and a Wado dojo both in Kobe. But contact info may be hard to find.

I know what you mean about Shotokan bashing believe me. You have to understand tho, As far as Mcdojo's go, Shotokan and Wado suffer from them the most in the karate world. TKD has by far the most of all, but some would go as far as to argue that TKD is mcstyle itself. I was once at a seminar in which a younger Isshinryu instructor kept making rude remarks about Shotokan, I chalenged him to a quick match, and just piled on the throws. Two minutes passed with out him ever being able to stand on his feet

I've always kinda looked at basic boxing skills as a vital part of karate. If you look at Mas Oyama fight, you can see he uses quite a lot of close in hand techniques, my favorite is a KD to a much younger student from a ridge hand to the chest, delivered by ducking behind the student when they were in clinch range and wrapping his arm around the guys torso. I find this as the answer to the students who wish to stay true to karate as well as train to fight: Gichin Funakoshi precept # 18. Practicing a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another. Kata contains the technique, but binkai and kumite is what will teach you how to use them.

P.A.L. - Anyone can perfect using an elbow to the head, I don't know how you run Tekki, but I run Tekki shodan full of elbow's to the head. In addition Empi has a really nice flying knee in it. As I said, most Shotokan Dojo's are pretty tame, most but not all. I'd advise you to look a little deeper into it, sort out the mcdojo's and see how real shotokan schools fight.

it is, but they have an affiliate fighter program where fighters from other styles (like shotokan or goju) can compete with them in their tournaments.

ahh, no one know any thing about them well poop.

Chris- where is your university anyway? I might know some people in the area.

as for the post about muy thai, the elbo and knee techniques should already be in your karate. I would say that you'd feel more at home in Shotokan, but be warned, most shotokan dojo's are pretty tame compred to shorin-ryu. A good one will be almost the same as what you're used to. Aikido could be good choice as well. It's a world a part from karate yet very similar. I enjoyed the Aikido I practiced very much, I learned a lot, but I prefer the hard-nose punching kicking and throwing of Karate. Aikido is very soft and evasive. PS, if the TKD guys really like to spar, I hope that's what you meant when you said they were looking for fights, try your shorin-ryu techniques on them. It'll be an experience for you both.

Anyone know much about this organization? I'm thinking of joining them so my guys will have an easier time finding tournaments to attend. They seem like good people, but their email address doesn't work, so I haven't been able to contact them yet.

In my system we have no free choices. every grading you must perform every kata that you know up to that point with the bunkai included. we also practice all 25 of the shotokan kata by the time you reach 5th dan. PS dan grades are awarded by merit, not simply by time.