G95champ

Yes Shotokan

Control and Safety

Same reason in 2nd grade you learn to make your letters perfect even though you dont use perfect handwritting now. You train low, you train techinque so when the time comes to use it you react. By working things perfect you are less likely to mess up in real life because you set the bar higher in training. It also has a lot to do with self discipline and respect for you style and teachers.

Im calm anyhow but it did give me greater confidence. Not to stand up for myself cause I think I always done that but just confidence in anyhting like speaking or being infront of a group, in class or in sports. BTW I dont consider myself good at MA yet. Ive seen better and I have work to do.

Knowledge of all basics and ability to prefrom them with speed and power. Punching, Kicking, Blocking and other strikes in basic combinations. Stance shifting, focus, balnace, hips, and general footwork. Know all kata not only the testing kata. Be able to explaing application for each if called upon. Know general history and information about your style and teacher. Control test where the tester shows their ability to throw a punch but not hit the target. Sparring (freestyle) Usually vs others testing or other black belts on hand.

When Harvad and Yale will reconize my Doctrate degree I did at home Ill reconize you black belt at home.

what is that?

I do Wankan

Never seen it happen. Seen a few people in class from other schools that I would like to take ranks from. However I don't think rank can ever be taken away. If they were good enough to get it in the first place then I don't think anyone can take it away. ? is was they good enough lol... But no I wont take rank from anyone espically if I gave it to them. With that said when people come into our school from other school sometimes they may have a belt or kuy that is differant than our system and we judge their ability and place them in our club where the belong. (same style) If its a differant style you start from scratch but we still respect the rank you held in reguards to ability not order or kata.

Read my old article on this. Kata is the base! Sparring and fighting are differant.... Kata builds set reflexes that will alway help when in troulble. When you forget the past you are doomed to repeat it we need to keep the traditional ties.

If you back to the first few like the guys said. Some names to look at (sp) Kieth Hackney Pat Smith Japanses dude lost to R. Gracie in UFC I Kickboxer who lost to Shamrock in UFC I

Im a guy lol but here is a tip I guess lol When I was in college I trained in a school were all guys had white Gi's and girls all had black. I asked my sensei one day why he did that. Thinking there was some super secret reason behind it. But the answer he gave me was what your talking about. Made sense to me but a lot of young kids (boys) wanted black gi's and we were like no you can only have one if your a girl lol

Big fan of kicking but not fancy or flashy kicking. Leg kicks and body kicks both can be used very effectively. Head hicks IMO get you into troulbe you don't want. Target is too small and they can get you off balence to quickly. In other words head kicks are to costly for not much gain IMO. Leg Kicks and Body Kicks however are safe and do lots of damage. Im a big fan of kicking/sweeping moves. BTW I train Shotokan so we only use a few kicks but we use them.

well if you have been going to class with you son you prob. know enough to get started. just jump in everyone started at one time.

Both Bonner and Griffith will be good UFC guys. Great fight. I also like Deigo. Way back in the first shows when it came on I told my cuz he was the best in it. I think we will see a few more of those guys in the UFC before long. The guy Bonner beat to go to the final will be in 185 weight and will be solid. Also look for the red headed nut to show back up Chris something. Then Josh K. has plenty of ground skill but needs a year to work on his hands. Great show I hope the UFC lands on regular tv spot

Yes and No Being a black belt I hate showing up for class and having all white belts and we do 2 hrs of rising blocks. Althught from time to time I do enjoy that again. However, there is the been there done that attitude we get. When I teach I try not to spend so much time on the same thing just because I understand we do get tired of it. If I want to work rising blocks I will do several drills that focus on it. Instead of just standing in place doing it over and over. When we do the same thing we become tired of it so change is good. However you can not just say you know a move and go on. It takes reps I just like to change up how I get my reps.

Does not know how many you know. What matters is how many your good at. lol With that said no one should try to defend a knife unless its life or death. If you have an out take it. Few things to keep in mind when working knife defense. 1. how is the attacker holding or using the knife 2. how are you dressed 3. what does the attacker want the way you approach those 3 questions will answer how you defend the knife. Best advise give him your money and run. lol

Leg kicks are the way to go. This comming from a shotokan guy. Hard to block, safe, and lots of power.

This is part of their training. You will be asked to teach at some point. The problem happens when like you said they don't know. One is right one is wrong. I would approach the head teacher about the move in question. My guess is the students teaching are not bad they just don't know and prob. in fear of saying I don't know they just make it up. Other opt. is they may train in other styles and have a differant take on the move.

Depends on the person. I like to go at least 2 or 3 but dependoing on how long you have been in it and how much time you have one really cant say. Everyone is differant.

Being a Master IMO is about understanding and would have nothing to do with running a school or the number of students. Think of Yoda is star wars lol

Ted I will be happy to go into the teaching of it here. lol all you have to do is ask. Much like you said Hangetsu starts very slow and explodes durring the second half. Very nice kata. Name Hangetsu means Half moon. This can stand for the stance or for the circular moves found in the kata. (moves such as the slow outside blocks, double knife and ridge hand blocks and the cressant kick at the end) Ok few things to keep in mind. Anytime a move is done slow it is to show power. Yes their is the breathing you must look at as well but the focus is power. Hangetsu is a very strong kata. 1st Opeing series - outside blocks and reverse punch x 3. Basic teaching blocking a punch and counter the attacker. Expanded teaching focus on the stance. A Hangetsu stance allows you to protect your knee from a low kick (because the knee is bent) Thus your blocking or taking a leg kick and or blocking a punch as well before you counter. Nature outlook. You are symbolic of the sun and moon as it goes across the sky. The moves are slow and silent without much change but both contain much power. The sun with its heat AKA YOUR FIST the moon with graviety the TIDES your stance. Grapple outlook. Its hard to write this but simple to show before you do the block you are grabbing the persons arm and the block is a break and the punch allows you to triangle the perosn arm. 2nd set of moves - one knuckle punch, x block, doulbe outside, double low. Basic teaching - you punch the guy in the chest with one knuckly he then strike back at you with an overhead strick prob a weapon you do an X blcok, he then swings from the side you outside block he then swings low wich you block as well. Expanded teaching - this is not 3 blocks but on move which goes onto the turn and becomes a throw. If you look at any akkido you will see the redirection of a persons energy. Hangetsu gives us a little of that. The one knuckly punch is a push as much as it is a strike. We do block the hand but then proceed to push and pull the attacker when we shift hand postions. (again hard to explain in type) Nature - the moon and sun rise and set up and down. Grapple see expanded 3rd series turn knife and ridge hand blocks and wrist turn x 3 Basic teaching - you turn and face a new attacker he attacks with a kick punch comb and you block. After the block you grab the hand he punched at you with. Expanded teaching - again this is very akkidoish or hapikiodish. After the frist block and grab you step in and do another imagine you hold onto the arm and as you step in going to the next move you will find this is a break or takedown depending on the arm you have. Nature - the sun and moon pass each other and this is the eclipse Grapple - instead of blocking thing of grabbing the innder thigh and udner the arm. The wrist turing is symbolic the entire arms moving like the they do in Kanku Dai. This is a thow (lifting the leg and pushing down on the torso) usually works better by pushing down on the head but no big deal. 4th series of moves - shift outside block and punches in three directions Basic teaching - block the punch and counter punch Expanded teaching - you are only working on one guy as opposed to three. Again akkido ideas the outside block is not a block as much as it is you are moveing the guy so you can hit him. THINK back to the last move your grabbed his gi and now your stepping to the side and pushing him you punch him twice but on the third punch you grab him again and push him another direction. and so on. Again a akkido effect. Nature - the sun and moon can strike quick. Its been a cool cloudy day and then the sun comes out or its the darkest of nights and then the moon shines so you can see. Think of the kata before this how slow and now it explodes. Grapple - the outside blocks is really an arm scoopy and the punches are not to the chest but the persons back as you spin him after the scoope. (hard to expain) 5th series -spinng leg turn block, crossover front snap, down block, punch rising block. basic - you turn to find another attack you step in and kick him he then counter kicks which you block and then you punch and he punches back wich you block. expanded - the last rising block is a strike under the chin not a block at all. the down block is a groin strike not a block at all, the front kick was a fake to open up the groin on the down block. Other applications for traditional moves. Nature - same idea sort of the sun and moon are dancing behind clounds slow and fast power and speed. Grapple - the down block goes to the leg, the rishing block goes to the side of the head and as you turn you pick them up and slam them. (yes i know the arms come back after each move but the lifting and turning in this kata are profound so I think this is a very good idea to practice) 6th and final series the pessing block with the cressant kick, punch and cat stance block. basic - one guy is left he punches or thrust at you with a knife you deflect it and kick him which knocks him down then you pucn him on the ground. As you hit him he tries to kick you and you catch his foot with your hands in the cat stance. Expanded - the pressing block is a backhand strike, the cressant kick is a sweep, the final move is you striking the downed attacked with a doulbe palm strike. Nature - After a long hard days work both the sun and moon go down to rest. Grapple - the pressing block circles arround the guys head, the cressant kick is a foot sweep. As you go down you land on the attacker. YOu punch your way off him and control him with the doulbe palm at the end. SORRY about the typos I did not proof read. This is just my interpurtation after 12 years of study in shotokan karate. I have read all of Gichin Funakoshi's books, and others. I have also trained is some other arts. Am I right? who knows but its an art so thats what works for me. Any questions I will be happy to try and explain. Again I know its choppy. Pic is worth a 1000 words right..... lol

KK75 geez you have really gone thought it. I knew when I fight came to KF one of the first people I met was you when we talked about how to get over a hamstring injury. Little did I know you had so many other issues to overcome. Great motovational story. Good luck and Please let us know when you make your Black Belt.

I would never say do two traditional arts at the same time like Shotokan and Goju Ruy. They are to much a like. However when you deal with something like MT that has no kata or real formal training I can't see I see the problem. MT teaches you how to fight bottom line. Shotokan and other traditional arts does that but at a slower rate. Learing to fight and learning a MA are 2 differant things its like Self Defense Classes vs Karate Classes.

I have the Kenneth Funakoshi series with it in it. What moves are giveing you trouble. I would be happy to walk though the kata with you and look at differant applications.