garyznra251

i would love to go for empi in the first round, i much prefer it to kanku-dai and we all do a far better empi than kanku-dai as individuals and a team. However, the WKF rules require the first two rounds (generally two, sometimes one depending on size of competition) to contain only shitei(compulsory) kata. For shotokan these are Jion and Kanku-Dai. we don't really want to perform other styles kata as this is risky so unfortunately kanku dai it must be The kata we wish to perform are 1) Jion (Shitei 1) 2) Kanku-Dai (Shitei 2) 3) Empi 4) Sochin 5) Nijushiho - for the final with full bunkai thanks again for all the advice

thanks for the advice, would appreciate any more. We are probably going to do Kanku-Dai, given that it is a compulsor kata for shotokan under WKF rules, so one jump has to be done. we are also probably performing empi , the alternative being kanku-sho ( 1 jump empi is probably a bit easier than two jump kanku-sho) thanks again for the advice and keep it coming gary

Advice please!!!! three of us are planning to enter as a team in competition at a series of national events this year. individually we're pretty good, medals at national level competitions, good knowledge of the katas etc. But we have never trained as a team before and are struggling to devise ways of training effetively as a unit, getting timing together and techniques similar. any adive would be greatly appreciated if you have any experience in team kata (training or competing) thanks

I was dissapointed to find out that my association KUGB have recently decided make Bassai Dai the mandatory kata for 1st Dan, removing the choice of Kanku-Dai, Bassai-Dai, Empi, Jion and Hangetsu. I will not be affected by this as i'm taking my dan grading the month before it comes into affect. However, i think it will be to the detriment of Dan grades not to specialise in one of these various kata for the first Dan grading as well as performing any of their previous katas requested (Heians, Tekki Shodan and Bassai Dai) How do other associations feel about this? Do most styles have a choice of kata for the first Dan? gary https://www.karateonline.org

once, some time ago whilst still training as a kickboxer i had a female sparing partner, slightly shorter and lighter than myself, prob 140lbs while i was about 150lbs at the time. training with her was amazing because whilst she was smaller, quicker and lighter she was also a very strong puncher and relied on good technique over size. Thats the most important thing i think women can get out of training with men, that their will always be someone bigger, stronger than yourself, so you have to have other options. My sparing partner relied on movement to make me look rather foolish on a number of occasions. The most important thing i learned was that a quick punch with good technique from a stable base will pretty much drop anyone, and is very likely to hit. A strong hard punch if it hits is going to do damage, but its making it hit thats hard. I learned the importance of technique and moevement when she broke my nose (evil girl) with a jab which looked like it couldn't hurt a fly. flew straight in, make a little impact and there went my nose. Maybe its better not to think of sparing in terms of gender, i never did after some of the shots i recieved sparing with women! If your a woman ask yourself would a big 200lbs woman be any differednt to a man? probably not. Then it breaks down to fight tactics as opposed to gender tactics. You wouldn't trade punches with a huge woman, why try with a man etc. women definately should spar with men, after all most violent crime is commited by men! All that is required is that the men and the women respect the level of contact their partner expects. women as sparing oponents are not to be treated diferently to men, simply as fighters assessed on their own merits. gary https://www.karateonline.org