Zaine

Good point Zaine and totally agree with you, I am balancing my training in the Gym but my question was which muscle group is important for my karate practice and as I got from your reply was SHOULDERS ! My answer remains the same. I don't think there is a single most important muscle group. I believe that each of them are necessary for good technique. Your back creates balance. Your legs help generate power. You upper body helps to create speed.

Here's a quick video of a sword and buckler sparring match. Watch how the shield moves every time that they move the sword. Drew nails it pretty well. Bucklers are small and used (at least by us) as additional defense.

This may seem like a cop out answer but you should work out all of your muscles (not all in the same day though). The best thing is to have a good balance through your entire body, not just focus on one area. Focusing on one are can create imbalance in your MA techniques.

This is the best advice. Like all others have said, it's best to contact the authorities and walk away from the situation.

This is correct. In what I've learned of sword and buckler so far, every time you move the sword, you also move the buckler for additional cover.

Before entering the world of WMA I also stereotyped it as such, but learned quickly that I was wonderfully wrong. Being that I have studied WMA I am also not surprised by the wound distribution. However, I very much enjoyed reading the article and it's always interesting to think about the differences, thanks for sharing!

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

First off, welcome to KF! It's great to have you here! There are a lot of ways to increase your flexibility. First, I would ask your Sensei how they do it. You've just started out so your flexibility will progress as you do. After that, I suggest checking out Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, he has a great stretching regime that my school picked up (however, I think he incorporates ballistic stretching and you should ignore those stretches as they can tear at your muscles, I can't remember for sure)/ Also, try out some dynamic stretching techniques on days that you're not in class, they really help as well. As for the frequency, the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that you stretch every major muscle group at least twice a week. You can do more, but don't overdo it. Finally, if you want, try out some yoga classes, those will be very beneficial not only to your flexibility but also to your MA training.

Welcome to KF! Looking forward to your future contributions!

Congrats! Well earned!

I remember thinking the same thing about Shorin Ryu. It was clear (to me) that it was the best system and that I could beat anybody (except for those who also did Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu). Now I know better. There is no ultimate system. Even with a good sensei and practitioner sometimes you have to find a system that works for you. That's why I'm such a huge proponent of cross training.

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

Interesting article, definitely something to think about. Thanks for sharing!

I agree with Wastelander. You should talk to the Sensei and I would even go as far as to bring it up to the senior students when you feel more comfortable to them. You're there to learn just as much as they are.

Welcome to KF Spartacus Maximus! It's good to have you!

You mean aren't given the time to take off your shoes before a confrontation?!

Congrats Joppe!

Congrats on the promotion!

Congrats mazzybear!

I agree that it is a good idea. At the end of the day UFC is a brand that has to make money and as such, they wish to avoid any controversy surrounding a fighter that appears within their organization (such as they have already faced). Like the article said, the UFC wants to expand and grow their empire and the way to do that is to be responsible about who they bring into their fold. As far as the health check goes, for me this is a given and they should have done this already in my mind. Wastelander is right in saying that it is already handled, but as a company that literally throws people into situations where the end goal is to physically best their opponent it doesn't hurt to double check.

Congrats on ranking up!

If you are happy with the training and the stuff they do then stick with it. It is fine to practice at home, in fact, I hold (as my signature states) that MA should be more home practice than classroom practice. However, if you are unhappy with your experience, then consider looking for another dojo that trains more.

I enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing! I liked the 42 points. I thought that they were solid and beneficial. For me, however, I am less worried if my technique is snappy (or at least what I am assuming he means by snappy) and instead I am more concerned as to whether or not it is powerful.

This is unfortunate and I wish him and his loved ones the best. I think that this is one of those things that happens sometimes. The athletes know the risks and take every precaution but things happen. Luckily, he seems to be stable and will hopefully wake up soon.

Great stuff Bob, I really enjoyed reading it! I bet! I imagine that there is an inordinate amount of information. Good luck to you!