G95champ

I agree with both post above the distance you make on you cross leged stance and other moves can throw you off.

I teach my students to fix themselves on the last 2 knife hands. By steping short or long dependong on where they are. Its not correct but if you worried about it for tournys this could be a way to make it look right.

Was Ray Dalke the first American to make a black belt under Gichin Funakoshi? I think he was just checking my info here.

I tore a hamstrign in 1997 and was basically on the shelf for 6 monts. Oct to March. In that time I worked on walking through kata, standing self-defense, hand speed, and anything else. I spent a lot of time watching my sensei's teach and i picked up some way to instruct that normally I would not have gotten becasue I would have been focused on the combo we were working.

What I can not figure is why don't some of these sumo guys get into pro football. Being a former player and coach. Ill tell you the most impotat thing for the OL is quick hands and good balance. Lord knows these guys got it. next big thing would be strong legs to run block with. Im pretty sure they are ok there as well. I may be rong but I think some sumo wrestlers would make great o-lineman. [ This Message was edited by: G95champ on 2002-04-11 07:50 ]

Yeah peopel liek to make excuses of why they can't train. Im to fat, im to ol, my knees hut. etc. All are vaid reasons not to do certin parts of karate. Like no one expects a 300lbs guy to do jump spinning kicks, Nor do they expect a 60 year old person to spar with contact or a person with bad knees to work on jumping and squating moves a lot. I have bad eyes (300/20 vision) and im 315lbs but I played HS and college football and have been in karate over 10 years. They are a lot of reason why you can't do things but they are no excuses.

"I THINK KATA IS USELESS BECAUSE THE STEPPING MOVEMENTS THAT ARE ENTAILED WITH THE PUNCHING AND KICKING ARE NOT PRACTICAL TO WHAT HAPPENS IN A REAL STREET FIGHT " Next time before you spar stat stepping arrudn like your doing a kata it freaks people out. LOL. Espically lower ranks. LOL. Nice distraction. Kata teaching timming and works on focus of the punch and kick which makes a big deal when fighting.

Karate is not about fighting. You need to watch Karate Kid. There are many good lessons in those movies. Karate is a way of life. Karate is about not having to fight. Sure we do punches and kicks but a person who understands karate knows that fighting is only a small part of karate.

Also watch who is teaching th classes. If the main instructor is there or if he has turned it over to his students to teach. Most schools will let Sr. studetns teach or help teach intro classes becasue that helps them get ready and it gives new kids a one on one feeling. However you don't want to take a class that you never see the main instructor. Your lucky to have 3 choices I only had 1 and I was lucky I had a good instructor in a quality class.

Any form of karate should give you a nice base of balance between punching, kicking, blocking etc. However ifyour just wanting to learn how to fight find a Thai school. With that said Shotokan is maybe the most popular of the karate systems with lots of littature out on it to help you learn on your own. I would ask arround and see who had the most classes for the lesser price. LOL. Most schools will let you watch a few classes before starting. Take into account with numbe of students each have. Also watch the higher ranking students if they look pretty good the teach is most likely prrety good if they are sloppy and don't seem to be serious durring class I would sugest going to another school.

My American TAO sensei, Geary Kanode and myself traind a woman in a wheelchair for about 6 months. She done very well. Goes to show anyone can do karate and physical ability is not an issue.

Hello and have fun. There is a Kemp ? going on nowin the karae fourm. You may like to get in on.

Pressure points are very useful. However on well built people with lots of muscle mass they are hard to get. However if you stick to the basics like the groin they will work. LOL...

Free sparing as done in class won't necesarly get you ready to fight. Because most street fights don't start with 2 guys face to face and hands up. Most start with a sucker punch or something. However I think one would be stupid not to do free sparring. However if you practice kata and your 1 step and semi free sparring you should be ok if attacked. I am a firm believer that one needs contact to learn to fight. Because the best way to know something don't work is when the other person hits you. However that is jsut me.

Hello and welcome. I have only been here 2 weeks and I can't wait to get back on. Hope you have half the fun I have had on here. Thanks Patrick for this site.

My eyes are not very good so I have better hearing than most. Thus I think I use it a lot espically when walking own the street. I hope no one is practicing taste. LOL..... We do a lot of reaction drills as well. Like several fo you said above.

Both LOL My Sensei was under the JKA when I first started. He later switched over to the AJKA. However in 1999 he switched again this time to the SKA. So I got ties to all I guess but none really strong. I contacted all a few years back about certification and stuff but I have yet to make a move on it. I was in college at the time and could not afford a trip to Calf. Also I only teach private lessons so Im in no rush to join up. However if one were to come to WV I would be there to check it out.

My point is that no 2 people study the same. All the differant groups of Shotokan do differant things. However we all look to Gichin Funakoshi as our founder. My post was made with this in mind. Funakoshi was one of the first to take the tradition family styles and form a public style. It is said their are as many styles of karate as those who practice it. The JKA may have Funakoshi's blessing but that does not make the other styles more or less Shotokan. IMO. Granted they may be a bit more along the lines of Funakoshi's last wishes. However it is well known Funakoshi practiced many more than the 16? kata the JKA does. If that is the argument you make Kennith Funakoshi who has the video series did not even do true shotokan and he is in the same family. Is Kennith his grand nephew? I know he is not Gichin's grandson but its something like nephew not sure. Someone please correct me.

I have never had any dealing with Kempo. I know it is a popular style but I have never met anyone who teaches or trains in it. Ill be intrested to read this thread.

No one today studies true (any style). Each teachers who teaches is diferant. They focus on differant things. JKA, SKA, ASKA AKA, and man many smaller groups. Its the idea Fuanakoshi set forth more so than the exact placement of techinque that makes us Shotokan.

To sound like a real wise old man LOL. Can you not get to one without the other lol. If the students wants to break away I am sure they may get other aspects quicker than if you were go the course in your style. Each styles focus on what there founder felt was the most important. So you need to see what you think is the most important.

I would love to be a NIJA.....

Yeah I agree about Boxing. I use it to make the point that all it was about was fighting. It is a poor Martial Art IMO. Leads to broken finger and hands as you pointed out. Even with Thai there is some focus on history and art. Boxing is just based on fighting. No real focus for inner or personal development. No karate is about fighting but it is not its main goal. If you are in a karate class to learn to fight you are there for the wrong reasons. You shoudl be in a karate class to learn how not to fight. Meaning avoiding situations and controling emotions.

This may sound far out but anyhow. For balance we do this. Try doing kata and kicking techinques with your eyes closed. I know that sounds like something from a bad B movie but go on. YOu will be shocked how much your eyes fool you at first.

The Tekki when done right are very nice. So quick and so strong. I think they look better than any kata we have.