Zaine

A lot of that can come from improper warm up before training. If you decide to do this I would suggest looking into how to properly warm-up (just doing static stretching isn't enough!) so that you can avoid permanent injury the best you can. However, injury can and will happen in any physical sport, so the risk will always be there. As far as those particular problem areas with these styles I can see how that could happen. It makes sense because of the way that you have to use your body and the way that you would be contorted by your opponent so that they can win.

I believe that depends on the location and organizers. Some use it and some don't. I'm not sure as to when it started however.

That is a brilliant metaphor!

I gained confidence. I never had to use it after I started taking it. I doubt they knew.

I read a brilliant book not to long ago called "Leadership and Self-Deception." It was all about how sometimes we let out bad attitude get in the way of progress, and when we do that we tend to blame others for our shortcomings, and fail to acknowledge, or even consider that it is us who is the problem. I could be wrong, but if this girl is a black belt I don't believe that it would be fair to classify her as such. Fantastic questions.

Spoken like a true sage JusticeZero.

It doesn't matter who does it, or how well they do it. If it works it works, why does there have to be any more than that?

It really sounds like you just have a bad attitude. Whatever you're doing wasn't how you pictured it, and that really bothers you so you've written it off. I don't think it's their height that bothers you. I think it is the fact that they're girls that bothers you.

The go somewhere else where they have that, or find a place where there is sparring and go to the one you're at as well. However, any school is going to drill all of those things more than they will sparring. If you're going to take a traditional martial arts, you're going to be doing a lot of drills and kata.

Because it's really easy to pick on the skinny nerd with no self confidence.

Of course they're gonna hold things back. You don't learn all the secrets in your first couple of months. You're also too worried about how other people are doing. Be worried about how you're doing.

Cayuga I think that we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I've seen it work, having a larger sensei than myself who trained me on how I would need to do it to make it work, but clearly you're very adamant about your position and I'm the same about mine. I would like to point out that this is a forum, where rhetoric is kinda the idea.

Cayuga I think that we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I've seen it work, having a larger sensei than myself who trained me on how I would need to do it to make it work, but clearly you're very adamant about your position and I'm the same about mine. I would like to point out that this is a forum, where rhetoric is kinda the idea.

Pretty good if he's trained it. It does seem like you're having this mix up. From what I've read of your posts you're fairly young, and also pretty new to martial arts, so let me give this advice to you. Everyone joins karate for different reasons, whether good or bad. For me, I was bullied a lot and I needed to have a way to defend myself. Despite the reasons, most of us have the goal to gain skill, and that comes through training. After awhile though, it ceases to become about skill and becomes about understanding. The people who allow martial arts to influence their lives understand that it isn't about how much skill you get, but that you understand not only the techniques that you, but how to live your life outside of martial arts. So don't let being the very best be your goal. Don't be worried about how many techniques you know or your belt color. Focus on being a good practitioner, and the rest will fall in line.

I agree with sojobo here. If you're gonna point out the stupid people in karate, you should also go to the length of pointing out the stupid people in every other style. On a side note, it's bunkai, bukkake is something ENTIRELY different.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say here, but from what I get there is not difference in what you're saying from what I am.

Trust me when I say that there are little to no move that are strictly aesthetic, my teacher rammed that in my head ad nauseam. If you feel that there isn't enough bunkai being taugtht to you, talk to your teacher about it. Most teachers are more than happy to give you some pointers on bunkai, and if you suggest a class strictly focused on bunkai they might agree and do it, but you'll never know until you talk to them.

What's your rank?

Any martial artist gains confidence as they train. The confidence isn't in their skill as a martial artist, it's confidence in themselves. One of the most amazing things that any martial art does is bestow confidence in oneself for those who are willing to stick with it.

Haha yeah those guys aren't joking around!

That is an incredibly interesting way to do it. I like that a lot.

I used to watch this show religiously. I miss it! It was for the most part fairly unbiased and it shed a good light on the systems it covered.

That's about the best advice that I think that anyone can give here.

Shorin Ryu certainly will give you the tools to do that, especially if you look at some of the katas, but a lot of it tends to err on the side of taking them down with somewhere from one to three strikes. Kenpo on the other hand does have more of the aspect of martial arts that you're looking for. However, if that's what you really want, try out longfist or some other kung fu style. Their katas are geared as if you were in a longer fight with someone, with every move being the next step in the fight (at least this is what my long fist instructor told me).

Kenpo is a great system. My suggestion would be to try a couple classes out and decide for yourself.