Drgnslyer

I completely agree with pineapple...personal differences are just that...I understand sometimes they can make a situation incredibly tense..however it is more than possible to either work out the problem, or at least come to a mutual understanding that you will both agree to disagree, and move on, not letting yourselves be dragged down with bickering.

I can relate...well...second handedly. Myself I've got my green belt, and after a few years off training thanks to a car accident i'm back...but my girlfriend has her black belt now, and has for a few years. When she was told that she would be testing for her belt, she was more than nervous, anxious, and felt she wasn't ready for it. She did however, trust our sensei, and others in the class, who all supported her. She ensured to work twice as hard as usual *which to start with was a pretty solid pace anyways*, and even the day before her test, she was still unsure. It wasn't until she stepped out of her house on the day of the test that she realized that she was as ready as she woudl ever be, and as a result of that, she began to understand how well she'd prepared for the test. Her confidence was boosted, and she spent a very good portion of the day in the test itself...and got her belt. Sometimes other people see in us what we cannot see...with people like your sensei, have trust in their judgement....part of what they are there for is to show you what you are truly capable of...even if you don't initially believe it yourself.

I'd say marvin the martian...but..well..he's a martian... in argument...he does come down to earth now and then to kick some...*ahem*

*afterthought that shouldn't be an afterthought* As with anything in life, keep it simple! Complicating things will...well...only make things more complicated. Keep honest with yourself, and with her...usually a good policy to live by

*resurects the thread from the bowels of the beast* air traffic controller takes the cake for stress *in high volume airports, not dinky little airstrips* I read *i'm sure it was Time Mag.* that high volume line cook was #2 on the list for stressful jobs, behind air traffic controller....which I can see, I spent a few years in the industry...left it for that reason..discovered I can sell...and decided to make more money, in a controlled environment, and not burn myself on a daily basis while getting yelled at by the chef for minimum wage

two words.... BUDO THEROY well...tough to find a copy..not in print anymore...*to my knowledge*, however, a great book none the less. realistically, i'm asking for a housecoat for christmas...would come in handy

Don't let yourself get worried too much...if she's with a guy now, remembering how highschool was...she probably won't be with him forever. I had a similar situation...which has fortunately worked out in my favor was best friends with a girl through highschool, the two of us actually trained together as well...we met on our yellowbelt test *we're one year apart in age, she spent her white belt days in the "children's class" and I started up in the "adults class" (I know that sounds bizarre...but I was 13/14 and she was 12/13 when we met) during the summer after i graduated, I asked her who she was taking to her prom...I was out of town, and didn't know she had a boyfriend..untill she told me that "nigel" was going to go with her...after reading the email all I could ask was "what the h*** kind of name is nigel" (sorry if there are any nigel's in the crowd here...nothing literally against the name...i really don't mind it...honestly... mostly i was choked that this guy was dating her, and not me) I stayed close friends with emily as time went on, and got to know nigel...sure I was a little more extroverted towards him than I normally was with other people...but only by a little bit...I didn't want to make it absolutely obvious I was jealous. One day, Emily told me that her and Nigel broke up..i said "gee..that's too bad" and gave her a shoulder to lean on. The true kicker...which I generally dont' reccomend planning for...but a major event that made Emily and I realize how much we liked eachother was me nearly being killed in a car accident(another story in itself)...after I got home out of the hospital, the two of us were inseperable, spent hours of each day hanging out *lots of time considering we both worked full time*, and eventually we decided to give it a shot, just to be sure...and so we wouldn't have to think down the road, when we're trying to keep a rocky relationship going..."what if..." With friends, i reccomend to TAKE YOUR TIME in the relationship...don't try to rush stuff...just let the relationship take it's natural course. If you two are great for eachother..you'll find that out soon enough. Communicate with your girl, and be sure you both have a solid knowledge of eachother's expectations, needs, and desires...helps to keep these all within reason as well Emily and I just had our fourth anniversary as a couple...are moving in togeather this august, and will be getting married in...well..dont' know exactly when...but probably sometime near 2010 or so(but we like to avoid 'pinning' an actual date, or at this point, year to the event)...like everything else...we're not in a big rush. Confidence is key as well....but for god's sake, don't be arrogant *hope the rant helps*

I double that. IMHO, being able to actively understand, and respond to the emotions of the people around you is when you make that leap. Now..this doesn't mean you have to turn into a blubbering something-or-other when someone you know is upset about something...but being able to understand why they are upset, and actively help them to overcome whatever it is that's bothering them.

Sounds like your muscles aren't quite up to snuff yet to hold it for periods of time. Really, that's not a big deal...we all start somewhere. Work on developing your leg muscles, watch tv while in a training stance rather than sitting...just an idea. *That's worked for me at least, when in doubt, of course, ask your sensei*

*grins* I have to agree with everyone here. *just to reinforce what they've already said* One of the biggest breakthroughs for myself while training for kimute, was when one of the Blackbelts in my class and I had a 'casual' (if you can ever call kimute casual) match. At the time, I had my orange belt, and was just starting to get my legs in kimute in general. Mid way through the match, he came at me with a front jump kick, my initial reaction was to duck and cover *he is also, 6 foot 3 to my 5 foot 9*, but I managed to hold on to my composure, taisabaki to my right, and scored a point with a punch into his midsection as he landed. Don't be afraid to take a copule licks in competition..we've all had them...but work on digging deep in yourself to find that courage to not let yourself be intimidated.

Another thing with team kata...in my own opinion, avoid 'messy' or 'complicated' formations when moving up to your starting points on the mat... The one time I've competed in team kata, I was an orange belt, with a green, and a blue belt in our group...our kata was *spelling?* ni sei shi (renshikan karate/chito-ryu) we spent days infront of large mirrors as a group going through the motions, and during initial training did each technique to a count, just to feel the rythim of us doing everything in sync. We ended up doing the same kata as a group with two black belts, and a brown...they had a very complicated setup to their start positioning on the mats, and one of them was half a step out during that initial process, and it threw their group off at the beginning. When I went up in our group, we were already in position, and simply walked up to our spots, announced our kata, and let our training take over from there. We didn't get the gold, but in my opinion, we stole the bronze from the two black belts and the brown. Simplicity is wonderful, not the only reason why we placed...but it certenly helped.

Ultimately, in preparing for a tourney, you'll find your own method for overcoming your jitters... and I understand that..well, saying that probably doesn't help a whole lot, and really isn't what you were asking for...so having said that, here is what has always worked well for me. The two weeks before the tourney, I focus all of my training between heavy cardio workouts, and the specific kata/kimute technique I plan on using on the big day. Two days before the tourney, on top of my regular training if it falls on that day, I take a moment to slowly go over my kata, and fundamental kimute technique. Personally, what's worked for me has been to go through the motions at an agonizing pace, as slow as my body will allow me to go. This was recomended to me by one of my coaches once, and, well, like I said, it's worked well for me, with marked tournament success. This ends up reinforcing the muscle memory for each technique...by the time I'm done doing everything at that painfully slow pace, I grab the nearest coach/blackbelt and do it once at regular speed and full power, just to have felt my body work at the correct pace for me individually. The day before the tournament, I don't think I've ever done much actual physical training, however I spend about half of the day visualizing, lying down, sitting down..whatever is most comfortable at the time, and "watch" myself perform a perfect kata, and so on. Ultimately this is aimed to be a completely 'stress free' day. As well, my own personal habit...fettucini alfredo with seafood *crab, prawns, salmon...whatever* and a piece of fresh bread for dinner, and have enough for a good helping that I'd eat the next day two hours before I compete. Load up on those carbs...they come in handy come go time. I like to get someone to drive me there...this was easier to do when I still lived with my parents, but on the way I like to begin, i guess you could say, a basic meditation...clearing my thoughts, and making sure that school, work, friends, and so on are not using up my brainpower, and start gearing my focus on the task at hand. Depending on the event, I usually get dressed before I leave home, or wherever I'm staying...less distraction moments before I enter the gym/tournament hall, and I'll have the ability to further mentally prepare myself. It sounds dorky, but when I put my tourney gi on, in my mind I'm strapping on my armor, and preparing for the battlefield. When I arrive at the venue, I like to simply keep myself mentally and physically loose, do a very throrough set of stretches, and talk to my coaches...most importantly in keeping loose, I make sure to joke around a little bit about something...never anything major, but so long as I can get a little laugh in once i'm there, i'm usually good to go. When it comes time to step up to the mats, my mind becomes mostly completely closed off to the world around me...especially in kimute. When I'm waiting, I'll usually kneel, close my eyes, and simply focus on the air going in and out of my lungs...this calms any final jittery nerves, and I can let my thoughts go with the understanding that I've prepared for this moment as best as I can, and if for whatever reason it's not good enough, worrying would only make it worse. I put faith in my coaches, and trust in myself that I will be able to get out there, and be a step above anyone else present. When it comes to the actual event...in kata, normally I don't think much at all...I let the training and repetition over the past few months kick in, and utilize that muscle memory I've developed under the guidance of my coaches and sensei. I begin each kata with the knowledge that it will be the best kata that I can do, period. Confidence is key. In kimute, natually there is more thinking involved...I find kimute to be more of a battle of the mind than the body. You want to be a step ahead of your oponent in your mind...see what they are about to do, and already have a counter in place before they throw the technique Don't get overly technical with it though...things change at a rapid pace...I've had my oponent actually catch a kick I threw out in an attempt to try to push him away from me *I was getting close to the edge of the mat*, and my natural insticts kicked in, instead of thinking too much and physically panicking *believe me though, what few thoughts i had I can't repeat here* I leaned in towards my oponent, and even surprising myself, I growled from deep in my belly. He dropped my leg, and took three quick steps back, being caught off guard like I was, and then I understood that the tide in the match had just been turned. The remaining half of the fight was the most confident Iv'e ever been in a kimute match, because from that point on, I managed to keep my focus, and keep one step ahead of him. I was able to dictate where we went, and what we did, and as a result was able to get a solid win. Probably...to sum up, the moral of my book here is Prepare, prepare, prepare...once tournament day comes, you've gotta trust in yourself, and have faith that your training has been the best that it can be. The more focused you are mentally, the better off you are. What I do might not work well for you..ultimately you have to discover that yourself...but a clear mind, and belief in yourself and your abilities will help you lift yourself above the average competitor, and win you a few medals along the way. hope this helps a bit

well..not as prestigious, but a very simple story that always motivates me when i train now... When i was a yellow belt, I finally started to begin to build my endurance, and my sparring coach and I were working on full speed and power techniques for waht seemed like teernity, and as i began to lag he looked me in the eye and simply said "tyler, just think about how good that water is going to taste in five minutes, keep going." when it happened, and every time i think of it now while training, i get another wind to work with, and am able to push myself over that mental barrier.

*nods* just take it to a tailorshop and tell them to not cut the material so you can grow into it.

Most likely because it's a new experience, and/or you're just not comfortable with it. as with anything you need to find out exactly what it is that bugs you about it and throws you off your game, and adress the issue. Has your routine changed at all before one of your pushing hands matches as opposed to a regular sparring match? Get yourself grounded mentally, keep yourself relaxed, and remember to just keep things simple..the more complicated you make it in your own mine, the harder it will be for you.

*grins* i'll try this again if you don't have one, try to find one in your dojo, which is a sparring coach. When in doubt, ask your sensei. there are ways that you can speed up the full exagerated block done during training, and they can give you some great hands on experience and recomendations that woudl suit your build and fighting style. also, like everyone else has been saying, practice and experience will only make you better...nothing like letting a few punches get a little too close to your cranium to teach you to stop blocking with your face

i havn't had any dealings with either personally, however a governing organization isn't nescessarily the best way to pick an individual dojo. IMHO the best thing to do is go and check each dojo out, watch a couple classes and see how the interaction is between the sensei and the students, what sort of warm-up they use, and what sort of techniques they train, and the entire process involved. Another good thing to keep in mind is the interaction between the students...do they get along, or do they bicker at eachother.

hrmm....guess that happens to you when youv'e been out of training for a while Renshikan...i have a correction, blend chito ryu and shito ryu...i've had quite a bit of training in different techniques related to me as origionating from shotokan, or similar to...in my own defence

you know, for msyelf pilates was something that i've looked into a bit, but never really considered. It seems to be half decent from what i've seen, so I just might have to take a closer look at it. Thanks for the idea.

I was told after the crash and diagnosis that surgery would not have done much, that they couldn't 'sew' the tear back togeather, and that it had to heal on it's own...so i spent quite a bit of time in bed, and the first week on heavy meds like morphine and demorol *or however you spell it*

for myself my biggest focus going into competition is taisabaki...if i can be sure to not be there when the punch or kick arrives, i'm in great shape.

Hey all, Just thought i"d tossa question out there in hopes someone undrestands enough about this to give me a good reply about four years ago I ruptured my abdominal wall, the tear starting by my right hip, and going across to my left side, leaving a 'lump' of scar tissue an inch thick*away from my body*, two inches tall, and about 3.5-4 inches wide (roughly) It's healed quite well everything considered, and only after doing a long workout does the origional scar get sore, but the soreness goes away after a day or so. anyone have any ideas of particular excerises, or anything I can do to help build up my abdominal strength so eventually i can get back into competition and not be afraid about taking a punch or kick to the stomach? thanks!

*grins* thanks guys, the operation already happened earlier in the spring. Nice to be here

Hey guys and gals I'm from BC Canada, and randomly found this forum while looking for a picture of a juka emerald gi, which i wanted to give to a friend of mine. I've been studying martial arts for about seven years now, howeer have only trained for about three and a half or so of those years, late 2001 i was in a brutal car crash and tore my entire abdominal wall...early this spring i had hopefully my last operation and medical stuff happen regarding the crash to repair a hernia. I've got my Green belt in Renshikan Karate, a traditional okanawan style *think chito-ryu meets shotokan* My girlfriend and future wife *it's been agreed upon, but no date is set, and we're not worried about setting one* has her shodan. We both train togeather when we can, and the dojo we train in*or sometimes rather, with, as we have to change our venue from time to time, as we don't have our own building* is a great group of people, and has a very capable sensei. I enjoy competition, and have a relatively successful track record for what i've been in. My big goal currently is to overcome my injuries of years past and return to tournament form. In the western Canadian invitational held by my club in years past *unfortunately not anymore, as we couldn't afford to host it anymore* in two showings and five events, I have one bronze *my first medal, in kata, another bronze in team kata, a silver for kata, and a gold for kimute. I also have two medals from the karate BC tournament in fall/98 i think, bronze for kata, and silver for kimute. The last tournament I was in was a qualifier for the bc winter games, where i was eliminated and barely missed the cut for the games. Personally I get a rush from competition, and love the opportunity to compare my progress with other students from other clubs. As much as I enjoy competition, the true motivation behind my training lies within the path. I'm an avid reader of 'budo theroy', and always learn something new when i read that book, and I'm a very firm believer in the purpose, and beyond that, need for kata, and the bunkai that goes with each. *looks up* I should stop rambling now...but that's a tidbit about myself

for myself, my 'main' kata i've used for a long time, and had success with in tournament is ni sei shi *forgive me if my spelling is off, i just started training again after three years off after tearing my abdominal wall in a car wreck, so i'm just getting the terminology back...so i spelt it out phonetically* I don't mind the heian katas so much, tho they took some time to get used to with different stances than i was used to *at the time we introduced them into a chito ryu class, when we changed our style to Renshikan....and also it's tough to get used to the heian names when i went by pinan for years* I'm also working on learning chinto *again, i -think- the spelling is right*...but being a green belt with three years of downtime due to injury, it's a slow process getting my form back to where it was...