Zaine

Congrats to your daughter!

It's hard to say without seeing exactly where you're freezing up at. My suggestion would be to just relax and do it. The reason most people who are physically capable of doing backflips can't is mental. You just have to take a deep breath and go for it. The way you describe your roll is odd to me. When I do a roll, my momentum forces my feet over. I have no choice but to finish if my body is already in motion. From your description, I would definitely suggest relaxing and letting the motion carry through.

It really depends on when you're ready and when the organization you're a part of feels your ready. I started at 8th kyu with bo and didn't learn another weapon until 4th kyu. Regardless of whether or not you think your ready, your sensei will know when you're ready. Talk to your sensei about it, and don't worry so much about ruptured testicles. Depending on your style, the nunchaku shouldn't be near those. I will say that most styles have you train with a myriad of weapons, and not just one of your choice. Though you can certainly focus on one in your personal time, and after Shodan.

I can't believe that I missed this thread! I love weapons! Right now my favorite is split between kama and eku. I have always really love kama, and I think that their use requires subtlety and grace. I just like the eku in general though. Something about using an oar to fight is just something that gets to me on a deep level.

I disagree with this. Sure, they can be fairly straight forward and easy to grasp, but I think that they go deeper. Take the Pinans for example. At face value they low level kata (depending on your style, I didn't learn Pinan Sandan until 2nd Kyu) that seem to follow a set pattern. However, look at the movements, especially as you get into Pinan Sandan. When you come to the bit where you move your foot circularly, and strike first with your elbow and then fist: that's crane. As the Pinans progress, you can more easily see the influence of crane style in them, and that is something that definitely needs to be explained. Overall, when it comes to teaching, it is important to not assume that a student doesn't need explanation. What we find easy does not necessarily translate well to others. Some people need to be told that this-or-that block is for a kick. It is our impetus, as teachers, to explain everything, even those things that seem obvious.

Hakatsuru and Chinto. There was a thread not too long ago that asked about the connection of White Crane and Okinawan/Japanese karate so I've been exploring the history of those kata and MA in general lately. It's been incredibly fascinating.

That's a really interesting thing to say. Can you go a little deeper? I'd really like to unpack that saying.

Welcome to KF. It's great to have you!

This is an awesome video. I like how first you show the real time applications of it before you show us the breakdown. The presentation is fantastic.

The earliest mention of White Crane within Shuri-Te that I have been able to find comes from Matsumura Soken (or Bushi/Shuri). It seems that around 1830 he traveled to China and trained in the Shoalin style for some number of years, and brought White Crane into Shuri-Te in that manner. My source says that he brought back Hakutsuru with him and incorporated it into Shuri-Te, and also added Chinto. Source: Okinawan: Island of Karate by George W. Alexander, PH.D

First off, welcome to KF! It's great to have you. It would help to know what rank you are now, so that we can have a better understanding of where you are in your MA journey. That being said, talk to your sensei about it. I know that seems like a cookie cutter answer, but they know you (especially if you're their 4 days a week). They will know what you're ready for, and what you would need to practice to get to where you want to be. That being said, I don't think 1-2 weeks is enough to really immerse yourself, and I would recommend spending at least a month there. Furthermore, I would get in contact with an organization there that is willing to take you in and train you for that time period. Nothing would be worse than getting there and finding no one to train with. Finally, as to rank, I'm not sure. I don't know your skill level, nor your attitude towards training. There are some 5th kyus that I would absolutely suggest go to Okinawa to train, while there are many more I would not. It depends on the person, not the rank.

As far as I know Okinawan Kobudo does not use swords. This was, and I know that there is some debate to this still, due to the fact that in the 15th Okinawa was disarmed, and so Okinawan weaponry is improvised. The only bladed weapons within Okinawan Kobudo are kama, kuwa, and the tinbe-rochin (though the tinbe is the shield, they are often used in conjuction with one another). Someone one else will have to speak towards the style of rochin used, but if I had to give it a guess, I would say that different styles were due to regional differences. A spear-like weapon would have been better suited for areas where the enemies fought were more heavily armored, as the point of a spear more easily gets in between vulnerable areas in armor, whereas a machete like rochin would have been more common where the enemies were less armored, as slashing weapons would have been more effective. It's important to note that weapons evolve based on their usefulness, so I'm basing this speculation on a similar evolution of western weapons. It stands to reason that as an area becomes more armored, that the weapons become more suited to pierce that armor. The longsword is a good example of this, as it became more and more capable of thrusting as armor became more effective.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Congrats! Well deserved!

As I understand it, this isn't correct. "Conditioning" in this respect does 'NOT' mean the toughening of the skin but rather developing correct form. The same could be said for judo-ka who practice ukemi - it toughens you but by developing correct form / technique. K. You're both correct here. There is conditioning that refers to the act of "making one's body tougher" and conditioning that refers to developing technique. A makiwara does both of these things in that it does toughen the skin on your knuckles, make a strike less painful to the practitioner while at the same time ensuring that the striker has good technique. If you have ever hit a makiwara with improper form, then you know exactly how painful that can feel. That being said, a makiwara, as Kusotare has pointed out, is mainly for developing good technique and has the added benefit of conditioning your knuckles in other ways.

So just to mirror the other comments here: those things focus on different areas. For technique, I would definitely suggest the makiwara. For speed I would recommend the bag. Though for strength I would recommend resistance training, and not necessarily any of the previous two by themselves. The point is, however, that neither one is better than the other because they do different things. I would definitely suggest getting both. You can easily make your own makiwara with a post, some twine, and something to anchor it (like a hole in the ground).

Still a Shodan. Not in a huge rush to get to Nidan either. My current rank is under an instructor who I have little relation with anymore. Honestly, I would be willing to start from 10th kyu under a new Shorin Ryu instructor if I find one I like.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Congrats! Well deserved!

Welcome to KF acott001! It's cool that you're doing a research project on karate. 1: I was bullied as a kid and wanted a way to defend myself. 2: I decided to practice Matsumura Seito Shorin-Ryu 3: I chose this because it was available. A family friend was an instructor and was having free classes at the time. 4: I am a Shodan in Shorin Ryu. However, I also have a Shodan in American Street Karate, and I am experienced in various other styles as well. 5: I read comic books, play video games, play various tabletop games, and read. 6: Century, Tapout, and Macho 7: I do research. I like my equipment to be of the best quality, and so I do research until I find that product. It doesn't really matter what the brand is for me, as long as it is good. 8: It depends on need. I generally end up buying only a few things throughout the year. That being said, I've been a martial artist for roughly 14 years, and have a lot of the stuff I need already. New purchases are usually replacements, new weapons I want to study, or impulse buys. 9: I have a local martial arts store. It's convenient, the owner will order things she doesn't have, and it's a great store. I've been going for as long as I've been practicing martial arts. She has quality items and I feel loyal to her. I hope this helps your research. You mention that you wish to identify the motivations of practitioners, but only ask what our initial motivation was. My motivation has changed many times, and has settled somewhere in the realm of me just loving martial arts. I no longer need to defend myself from bullies, and I have never had to defend myself since beginning martial arts. I just love what I do. It helps balance me mentally and physically. It also might be poignant to ask how martial arts has changed the behavior of those who have stuck with it. The person I was when I began and who I am now is radically different, and I think part of that is due to my involvement in martial arts. This is true for most of us. Martial arts has a way of changing the person who practices it. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

This is going to sound a bit corny, but it was my own struggles that kept me motivated. Whether it was a fellow student who told me I couldn't do it, or something my teenage mind decided was tragedy that re-focused my will, it was always pushing through my own short comings that let to my greatest accomplishments. Karate taught me how to do that, and it has translated fantastically into other aspects of my life.

Congrats! Well deserved!

I play Magic the Gathering and read an inordinate amount of comic books. I also really like to cook. In fact, one of my resolutions was to cook every part of a cow throughout the year.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!