patusai

Kiai should be used sparingly. One feature I was taught about it was that it was to surprise and startle momentarily. Too much use reduces the possbility of doing that. When I first started a lot of younger students used it alot because in their minds they thought that it was the essense of karate or something like that. I totally agree with Shui Tora who said use it when appropriate.

I started watching years ago when they were on Public TV. In Chicago it was on Wttw on Sunday nights. My favorites were Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. Of them I suppose my favoriate was Tom Baker with Patrick Troughton second. SiFi has a new series on now and ti is pretty good but I still like the older versions a little better. I also enjoyed the specials when all of the doctors up to the point of the special were all in the special. As for Doctor Who in general...both new and old...Good stuff !!!!!

The principle at our school told me that when he found out I do karate. Well, actually, he said, "I know Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Karate, and seven other Japanese words," to which I responded, "Tae Kwon Do is Korean, and Kung Fu is Chinese.":

What is a night kata? A kata which can be used in low light situations. Yes, that is what I meant. Sorry I did not explain it better

We only had Green brown and black belts. Board breaking as part of the test was done at brown and black.

I agree with you and Itsosu. FWIW

Happy birthday!

I agree the comment about original kata for the most part. Maybe I'm confused again but the drop in Kanku (since the kata is a night fight kata) was to drop to use the little light of the horizon to find your opponent. As for the spinning technique in Unsu ( learned a version similart to one in Shito ryu and the one that I learned was not a 360 it was more of a ground attach kick. Perhaps these 360s were additions for sport application or by an instructors preference that got passed on so I don't know.

Being at about your size when I started MA years ago Aodhan's reply is excellent. I like the swimming option. Depending on your health level running may not be right for you immediately and if it is not brisk walking and working up from there would be good but once you work up running would be great. I remember that running at my size caused some problems with my feet so I was told to walk briskly. Good Luck

I'd trade you some of those 26 extra years in exchange for some of your youth bud! I just noticed your location. Kalispel, Montana. I was out there a number of years ago on vacation while doing the Highway of the Sun drive and otehr such things. Drove through downtown Kalispel. Beautiful! My wife wants to retire (or go before that) out there even if that means selling hucklebetrry jam by the roadside (I think I it is huckleberry that is out there). Anyhow, my point is beautiful. beautiful area.

I am afraid that I have not lived my life the way that I should have when I meet God. I try but that does not mean that I have succeeded or, frankly, even know what is expected. Although religions tell you what is expected a lot could have been lost in tranlations. I am not afraid to to die but of what I may have waiting for me afterwards

Thank for sharing this

Hi Julie, Welcome to KarateForums

I saw my teacher using a sai and I was hooked. It was also part of Isshin ryu later in my development

Sorry I misunderstood the question. Did we practice before hand (like during classes before the actual test) and the answer is, for the most part no. Back then even pine boards cost a lot of money and my instructor/s did not charge a whole lot for classes and what they did charge covered basically the rental of the VFW and other such locations. What was left probably covered the gas (and it was cheap back then) to get to and from class. My point is we did board breaking when he would find wood that was thrown out (usually old boards and painted) or boards being tossed or not useful at a construction site that he begged for. We brought in boards too. That's where we learned about board size and abilities. While some of the other schools were breaking 12 x 12 one inch boards that were pine and nicely sanded we were breaking 8 or 6 inch boards (side with the grain) and anywhere from 8 - 12 inches long (sometimes as long as 3 feet long because we did not have the saw or nobody felt like cutting the board. It was not a formal type matter...just done to amuse outselves and it was done at the tail end of the class. If the dojo can afford it, I think that board breaking on a regular basis (perhaps not every week) would be a good idea. Because, as I said, I like it.

So right!. Each community also has their own little rules about such stuff. Even training weapons might cause you problems. Although I do not know why you would want to carry such things on the street I would ask that you contact your local authorities to be on the safe side.

I am not sure I understand the half ranks. Your progress time does not seem to be out of the ordinary (although at what level brown are you). The thing that makes me wonder is the lack of communication or input about your performance. I would just set a meeting with my instructor and ask about your progress, what he/she sees as areas you need improvement in and then any other questions that are important to you. You should also see if you can set up a followup meeting every so often (or even have a standing meeting every so many weeks) to review this stuff. Input is always nice and it is an important part of the training I think. Good luck

Maxma let me be the...let's see...the 4th person to welcome you. Glad that you joined us.

We started off with basics and they were the same ones. Perhaps not in the same order every time but we went through a list of them all. Perfecting basics was suppose to be our first goal

I like the idea of board breaking. It is not so much the breaking but the fact that the student has to strike something hard. In competition or on the street they may punch to soft parts of the body but at times they hit bone and it can be a hard hit. Although the act of breaking a board does not allow for the total feel of striking something hard on those times that they miss and the board does not break they get the feeling of hitting something solid. Board breaking also helps with technique to some degree. For example: the old breaking trick in Enter the dragon where the board is lofted in the area and broken with a punch...form, focus and the ability to land the punch in the right area of the board are all required for the break. It is also a mind thing that is overcome. My first attempt at this was overwhelming. "I'm gonna do what??!?" Also square or smaller retangular boards are not the only things that should be practiced. We use to "rip" 1 inch thick 10" by 4 foot boards. Hitting on the end and having the whole board split down the middle is really not that difficult. Punching at the center of the board and having it split down the middle is also kinda nice. Just my thoughts .. I like it! I do tell people that anyone can break a 12" x 12" board one inch think so students should move on from there.

Congratulations Red J!!!!

I would not use the gloves. There is a metal bar in the grips which would give you an unrealistic assessment of your power. You don't need gloves to break a board. My 12 year old daughter can break a board. As for power 12x12 inc boards 1 inch think -- three of them, no spacers held for you by two people so that they move less when you strike and have a better chance to go through them. Once you do this have only one person hold the three boards (one small step up from that). Again, board breaking is not that big of a deal. It is impressive to those watching but less than impressive if the gloves that you mentioned are used. Personally I would train so that my punches hit a heavy bag with such force that they knock the guy holding the bag for you back or, better yet, on his can!

Chivelry was not all it was cracked up to be although the idea and the concept of it all was a good idea. But...I am afraid that there is no honor even among thieves anymore. People will rob you at gunpoint one immediately give them the money and the robber kills the victim without caring. People walk on the sidewalk, take up pretty much the whole sidewalk and refuse to move the slightest to allow someone in the other direction to pass without going into the street. People drive with the notion that they have the right-of-way and they always have it regardless. When the elevator opens people charge in the elevator before letting those inside out. There is so much more. At least that is what I see. Of course I am in Chicago area and the city was recently voted the rudest.

I too have seen instructors go from lower dan ranking to 7th dan by his own black belts. Of course they did that (he was a 4th dan at the time) so that they could increase in rank as well. This man is quite proficient at kata and is one heck of fighter. I dare say that he was able to defeat pretty much anyone in the area. He grew up a street fighter (and a darn good one at that) and as he because ore proficient at karate his skill increased. At first I thought it to be outragous. As I thought about it rank, all rank, requires acceptance. I know guys who were awarded 5 dan and based on their body structure and such people cannot believe that they are at that level and I am not sure the acceptance is there. He is a 9th dan now (how he reached that level (by student acceptance or some other way -- I would think at this point he would have done it through other means). He is not into the title thing. He insists that his students call him Sensei

I believe that's what licenses are for. I'm not sure if all states allow consealed weapons and there are only a few who allow wearing one in the open unless you are police or security. Security carrying the weapon can only do so in the line of duty. I think a license allows carrying with limitations