Jake90

There are much more important things in martial arts then progressing through the syllabus. If you only manage to teach your students the 'bare-bones' of what they should know (i.e. the syllabus) then they are missing out on a wealth of knowledge and tecnique that may have bettered them, rather then simply feeling good about having another grade under there belts. On the subject at hand, our head teachers have a set list of kata and kumite, but then the basics are just made up of what it is likely the students know. For example, the Sensei may say "Three. . . Oizuki - age uki", but then the next day he might say " Five. . . Age uki, Uraken, mawashageri, usherageri - empi". Now that you mention it it might have been nice to know what was coming, but it does make it kind of easier. Two cents. . .

No, i disagree that fighting is necissarily a failure. In some situations it is what you have to do to protect yourself, or your family and you are correct to prepare for it. I just think you are going about it in the wrong way. Whilst steel toed shoes might hurt your opponent a bit more in a fight, you have much better options. My advice is that in the time you would spend going shoe shoppin you work on your kicking tecnique(sp?). Add a tiny bit more power, speed or both. Work on your endurance. These are all things that will help you more in a fight then any shoe wear, with the added bonus of not being impractical. Just my two cents.

Cheers both of you, at present i'm downloading them off the site you showed me. I've saved the money so apart from the two listed, has anyone got any good ideas for a book, primarily listing kata's heian shodan, through to Enpi - kanku dai level?

Thanks for the advice from both of you. I guess your right, it wouldn't work well with my shotokan. Ovine king, i'm sure your right that probably is the best way forward, i was just thinking of ways to increase my overall M.A knowledge, perhaps in areas my style doesn't cover. Kajukenbopr-This is much along my line of thought. It is damn cool to look at, but having the unfortunate disadvantage of not really being what im loooking for. Thanks for all the replies, you helped a lot.

Having practiced Shotokan Karate for some time now, i've been considering the benefits of moving into a new MA. I've looked about a bit and i like the look of drunken kung fu (I should stress that this is just from sparring videos i've watched) simply on the basis that i think the non-linear movement would compliment my powerful (yet decidedly conformist) shotokan. I'd like some opinions from anyone who has any experiance with the art on it's combat effectiveness, and if rather then complimenting my Karate it would hinder it. Any advice would be very welcome.

I've been looking to buy my Dad a christmas present and as he's into Shotokan almost as much as me, i felt i could get him Kanazawas DvD. I think i want to get him the 26 complete Shotokan kata, but thus far i can only find it on video. I was wondering if anybody knows if it even exists on DVD and if so, where to find it. Any help would be much appreciated.

Do most of you train in a permanent Dojo? I've been training for two years in quite a large club with over ten schools throughout the country. I don't think one of them is run as a permanent Dojo. We as a club tend to rent out halls for two hours twice a week, with the fees going to pay these costs. I guess i was just wondering if most of the Dojos you all train at are used and run more as 'businesses' or as non profit organisations?

No, it's not like im ashamed or lying, i'm happy to answer questions. Ok, first, he punched with his right arm, right foot forward. I blocked with a kinda scrambled age uke, more just throwing my left arm up and stepping back. I then stepped through with my back leg and kicked him Jodan Kekomi. I really fail to see how it is that difficult, not only I (and im happy to admite im not a fantastic Karate ka) but most other 5th kyu - upwards can kick a head hight Kekomi. I have also been told that kicks to the head are far less effective in most situations then a good strong chudan strike, but what can i say? I did what i did on instinct, i didn't plan it, it happened, if i could have thought ahead i would have gotten a different bus. Gyte, you claim to practice TKD and yet you are 'amazed' at the use of a high kick? Interesting.

I didn't quite understand this part. You blocked his punch and counter attacked with a yoko geri kekomi to his head??? If you blocked his punch, than I expect that you were standing very close to your opponent. Kicking a taller opponent to the head is very difficult then. I disagree. Being about a meter from the guy it really wasn't that hard. Obviously my leg wasn't fully straigtened, but i honestly did have any difficulty. Maybe you should try some hip exercises to loosen them off it your having trouble with your side kicks. What would be the point of any karate move if it was ineffectual as a counter? It's just simply not true that it is difficult, infact in our style of shotokan we use a Kekomi as a counter to another kekomi in Kion Ippon, if it didn't work then we wouldnt do it!

I feel like giving my two cents on the matter, so here they are. Today was the first (and i hope last) time i am going to be in a real combat situation. My answer: Shotokan performed admirably. As i got off the bus a guy i've had a few run ins with before started to shove me about. He's quite big, about 6,2 against my 6,0 and pretty intimidating. Usually i try and keep my head down, but today he had a mate with him and was clearly looking for a fight. So, he shoved me a few times and i told him in no uncertain terms to back the hell off. He didn't like this and took a swing at my head. Panicking slightly (yep, i was pretty darn scared) i threw up a block before counter attacking with a kekomi to his head. It was no where near perfect, i should have dropped my hip in more and been more upright but even so his head snapped back (im pretty sure his noe's was broken) before collapsing on the floor. At this stage i came to my senses and tried to make a break for it. Unfortunatly his mate was too quick and tripped me as i tried to run, sending me sprawling to the floor. I rolled to my feet and kicked him mae geri so he doubled over, before grabbing his ears and slammed my knee into his face, heian yondan style. Finally i was able to get away. Whilst i may be seeing these events through adrenaline hazed glasses (this being less then three hours ago) i felt that Shotokan performed admirably, and i think it would against any unarmed, untrained attacker. Anyway, just my two cents.

We have thirteen katas to learn. Taikyoku shodan heian shodan/nidan/sandan/yondan/godan Tekki shodan Bassai Dai Kanku Dai Jion Jitte Empi Hungetsu 13 Katas, which is really not that many in comparison to some of you guys out there :S

I have to agree with Useoforce. I strongly believe that as a martial artist i owe it to my community to prevent crime as much as i possibly can. That being said i feel the same sense of obligation from simply being a citizen of my country. I suppose that this sense of duty comes simply from the fact that as a MA i am considerably better qualified to deal with the threat then my mother for example. By not attempting to deal with the menace to society (however small my chances of success) i am, in my mind at least, indirectly putting my family and friends at a much greater risk then i myself am at. On the other hand, this is probably because i live in a wealthy area and am very unlikely to come into contact with firearms or knives. It also relies upon an old fashioned and probably niave hope that others would do the same for the same reasons.

Hey all, this is my first post so i apologise if it seems cocky but i just wanted to add my two cents. There is always good reason for putting a begginer with a Dan grade, the first is that they almost always have far better control then anyone else in the class, so chance of you getting hurt is much much less then if he put you with a slighty more experianced white belt. It is also for the safety of those already trainig in the dojo. I'm a 4th kyu and i was put up against a white belt for a training session, in the lower grades (i.e 5th kyu and below) we practice very controlled sparring, so i was expecting a few gentle mistimed punches. What i infact recieved was a lightning fast, full power kekomi to my head, i only just got out of range and blocked in time. As it turned out he had been a 1st kyu in goju-ryu but had quit for a year before rejoining out club, he hadn't told anybody. If he had been matched against a lower grade then the chances are he would ahve seriously hurt them/been seriously hurt in return. In conclusion, trust your teacher! He will know who he is matching you with and definatly wont want to scare you away, so relax and enjoy.