Zaine

I think the error is that it doesn't anymore. Well, I don't know how strict the gradings used to be, but things definitely have gone downhill in terms of quality control, for sure. Definitely. Fortunately there are schools who still hold on to a (for lack of a better word) "stricter" model for their students and the ranks actually do correspond to the expertise of the student.

Welcome to KF! It's really awesome that you're wanting to do Karate and putting in the research to find the right one for you. While I don't know much about Shukokai, I know that Shito Ryu is a good system and I've seen good things from it. As to your to your weight I had an instructor with the same dimensions that you describe yourself as. You should be fine all around.

I think the error is that it doesn't anymore.

Usually WTF will look into it if you want to go to them. It's worth a try to talk to the owner and just move up the chain of command. If they find anything they have an obligation to call the authorities. If you want to call the cops though that is also an option.

I agree whole heartedly, better to report just in case.

Dojo challenges are a good way to get hurt, especially if you win. That's very true. Also, it's really rude in our Western world and not many dojos I know will even accept that challenge.

No links come to mind, but you might want to look into a book call The Shaolin Grandmaster' Text. Not only does it give a good and interesting history of the Shaolin Order, but it gives you information of how many of the animal styles utilize blocks and strikes.

I believe that said student should continue to learn, and a good relationship with your Sensei will probably get you that knowledge that other higher ranks have. I suppose it is and it isn't. We use belts often times as symbol of what level we have achieved and, at least I would hope, how good we are as a Martial Artist. That being said, being a good Martial Artist depends little on what color your belt is. It depends on the drive to learn, practice and the will to get up once knocked down. That being said, the belt does matter, in my mind, because it means that, with your progression in the system, you get to learn new things that were previously barred from you.

My mother actually did this. A belt is a belt. Usually, for me, a belt represents knowledge gained. If someone wants to stay at 1st Kyu that's fine. What they sacrifice is forms and other knowledge reserved for a Black Belt. In the end though, a 10 year 1st Kyu will be more experienced than a 6 year Shodan and both the Shodan and other students who have less time spent in Martial Arts will be able to learn from this person.

Welcome to KF!

For my money I'd go with physical therapy. I just trust it more and adjustments can have bad long term effects such as stroke. I've hade radiculopathy in my L5 and a pinched nerve in my neck that I just got over and PT helped very much. Plus, if you're a Martial Artist and someone who works out, PT will be right up your alley I think.

Different time. When this was a common practice no, there was no qualms about this at all. Our Western conceptions of Morality and honor make understanding this a very hard thing. It's cultural relativism at its best.

Welcome back!

Agreed!

From what I hear he did reward himself that rank. It was a controversial move and got a lot of criticism but he stuck with it because he made his own system and felt that it was his right.

Welcome to KF!

I cannot agree more.

I think that all teachers should strive to be friends with their students. I believe that it not only strengthens the bond between student and teacher but creates loyalty within them as well.

Welcome to KF!

I think that I might choose a straight punch. While being primarly a strike, one could use it redirect an attack as well.

Yes, "destruction" is reserved for left hand/foot techniques. And "grammargasm" is the name of one of our shodan techniques. I trained under Sr. Prof. Scott Halsey, who is a direct student of Sr. Master Huk Planas. Master Planas is big on the connection between kata and the techniques, so I'd say it's about even. A typical week of training was about 37.5% kata, 37.5% self-defense techniques, and 25% sparring. And yes, it was precise to the tenth of a percent. Generally speaking, though, I think most Kenpo schools don't focus much on kata (to the detriment of their techniques, imho). "Grammargasm" is on of the strongest techniques I'd imagine. Thanks for the insight, it's much appreciated. I'd agree with your instructor on the split. I'm a big proponent of doing kata right and thoroughly.

I dont know if I should be ashamed for saying this but, I heard about this style in an anime/manga. Although to be fair in the anime there is, judo,sambo,karate,jujitsu,boxing,muay thai,tae kwando and more irl styles... No shame there. At least not for me.Its nice to check out references like this to see what turns up. Someone out there probably does a Klingon Martial Art. That'd be pretty freakin' cool actually.

That sums up a whole lot of what being a Martial Artist is in a very nice way.

But their so much tastier when caught by hand!It seems likely that we did develop a closed fist because of the tools that we developed such as weapons. However, I think that it is universal to have fists as a last resort. How we got to that would be interesting to find. Maybe we were trying to imitate a rock? Who knows?

Those are the attacks against which you would defend. Sword of Destruction is for a left ("destruction") roundhouse punch: you step back left and extended outward block, slide back to a cat stance with right, front rising snap kick to groin, land with inward-downward swordhand to C7 ("sword"). The name describes the attack and your response. Intellectual Departure is a weird name for a technique against a front snap kick. Couldn't tell you why it's called that, honestly, except that you open as if you're going to run away on an angle ("departure") and that you cleverly (I'm stretching that) turn back into them for some extra striking. I think the fundamental misunderstanding here is that Kenpo is semi-unique in the way that it's structured. We have basic "moves" like a front snap kick or a left roundhouse, and we have kata ( ) (me practicing our nidan kata), but we also have what we call "techniques." Techniques are a prearranged sequence of moves--whether it's three, like Sword of Destruction (which is a 9th kyu technique) or much, much longer in the later belts--in response to an attack. So, moves make up techniques make up kata. Our moves tend to have (overly?) precise names like inward-downward snapping hammerfist; our techniques have descriptive names like I've been trying to explain; and our kata have boring names: Short Form X, Long Form X.Two things. First is a nerd/grammar question. Is the use of "destruction" saved for left hand/foot techniques? If yes, it's interesting to me because in Latin the left want was called the "sinistra" and I was have a grammargasm if there's some connection. Second, would you say, then, that Kenpo, at least in the Kenpo that you have been practicing, focuses more on self defense sequences than other things such as kata?