Enshin Karate

If you goto Enshin.com, then click Quarterly, then click techniqe. There are a few sweeps in there.

The one way that I saw is in my daughters high school softball team that started coaching. They were always getting kicked around by the score of 22-1 and 21-2. They compete in a division with some high dollar schools that can afford to bring in professional coaches to drill them every weekend. I taught them the spirit that full contact karate has taught me. You must have the mind set of you can handle anything that a fighter can throw at you. The spirit caught on faster than I thought as we started to have fighting practice after softball practice. Last spring was the second year together and it was the first time that our softball team had a winning record in 18 years. I think the mental thinking had alot to do with it.

But if people train to fight, they should rely on the fact that you can not block or parry every attack. Sometimes you have to take punishment. I for one will always guard my head. I think for my body that I would rather take any punishment to the body. We learn to control our kicks and punches, but for the reason that if you miss, you do not want to expose your back to your opponent. When it comes to fighting or even training with arm guards, it is all out. I think that one thing that is missing in karate now is the mental prepareness that I can take or block anything that you throw at me. As for the guy who had surgery on his nose, he will be the first one that will say it happened because he did not train enough for the tournament. When you lose a match you should be looking for the reason why, not a law suite. Just my thoughts, but I could be wrong.

In our last tournament, one fighter had to have plastic surgery on his nose when he took a mowashi and the shin connected. He is back to fighting in this years tournament. I do not understand why there is compitition to where no or light contact is allowed. I understand that people get in MA for different reasons, but why not stick to kata tournaments if you do not like contact. That is also why we request a video or discussion with their sensei before they are even considered for our Sabaki tournament. And alot of paper with a waiver and proof of health insurance.

Excellent style. One of the hardest stlyes to "Americanize" You will find it great to put your experience to work against the closest real fighting possible.

We use them so we can go full speed and power. If not you would be training injured all the time. We take them off when we train for punishment.

Just to let you know that Sensei Yuji in NC Enchin dojo is a great teacher. He is coming to our tournament in Jan. You should contact him to see about hitching a ride. We are going to have a 3 hour semniar on the next day with Kancho Joko Ninomiya. That is always the best way to train- under the creator

Also learning how you can defend or attack after a move or block does not work. Too many people give up when they do not execute their move properly.

To me, that is what martial arts does for people. I took over the softball team that my daughters played at and the first thing that I had to teach is honor and spirit. Last year was the first winning season in 18 years. People do not believe what honor and spirit can do until they see it in action.

I am the same way. I love Sabaki and styles like it. It is great to watch people compete for honor and spirit and not for money.

We use rhe pads all the time. Excellent for fast moving combos. By americanized I mean that MA is not taught like it should. People here think that because they are moving around that it is martial arts. In other schools around here people get belts for time served. Put them in a fight and they would not know what to do. We have TKD students come in and last 2 days. But the ones that stay tend to great competitors. I just came back from Friedburg, Germany for the European Sabaki and the Dojo in England, under Sensei Gary, did very well. Took home heavy and middle weight titles. Our tournament is coming up in Jan so if I ever figure out how to get clips from our DVD,I will post some from our tournaments. Excellent spirit. Eric

Just registered for here and wanted to see what the feeling of full cotact fighting is. Everyone seems to think that it is thuggish. Even though I would never think that training with katas and no contact is a waste of time, people want to down grade our style because we want to go a little farther and test ourselves and our style. Around this area (Washington DC) it is alot of americanized TKD. It would be nice to hear from someone who enjoys taking the next step.