AikiGuy

Welcome to the club. The sai is also my current hurdle for my Ni-dan test. I started a couple of years ago, but I'm really dragging my feet on becoming proficient mainly because I did not own sais until very recently. Anyway, I hope the clinic goes well. Let us know if you pick up any interesting tips at your clinic. I'm still a bit new at this too so perhaps we can trade tips.

The answer is...both! My dojo practice breakfalls alone, and also breakfalls with a roll out of the way. They both have their place. Soemtimes you just need to protect yourself from the fall like if there's glass or rocks on the ground. Other times, maybe you were pushed and you need to move or defend. Both are very important to plan for. It's like asking if we should practice blocking a punch and counter-attacking or just blocking and stepping away to avoid more shots. Of course, we practice both of these along with many variations of each since we know there are many scenarios we may face in our lives.

Organization: Goshin Dai Ryu Location: Brook Park Recreation Center in Brook Park, Ohio Instructor: Master Bob Fields, 8th dan Hey Brandon Fisher, we're neighbors! I've been to that Y you train at. Maybe I'll stop in some day to say hi.

Doesn't sound very nice of him at all. In fact, from what you have said so far, it sounds unethical. That's the kind of thing that gets people kicked out of schools. As everyone else said, you want to mention it to the head instructor. If you are worried about sounding like a whiner, then just ask it like a casual question. You heard some rumors and wonder what was meant by the comments and why? Just don't go in yelling and demanding answers or you will sound like the mean one. Another option is to enlist the help of your friends. Get the others who told you about these comments to find out from the black belt. Tell them to just ask and not defend you at that time. Or else, they will never get any answers. One way or another, this should definitely be fixed. Trying to settle this in a sparring match, as someone suggested, is a really bad idea (unless you are a black belt too and are willing to "fight" it out). Good luck.

I suppose there is some special kind of belt for the sheath (similar to a carpenter's belt to hold the tool pouch), but I don't really know for sure. However, my answer would be "it doesn't matter if you don't bring the sheath". Whenever I have done or seen weapon performances, there is never a sheath or cover brought to the performing area. Unless you are doing something that involves the sheath (like beginning by drawing the sword), then just take it off, and approach with only the weapon. Don't know if that helps what you are asking about or not.

If you are looking for something similar to your previous styles, definitely Muay Thai. Just be aware, they are very hard and brutal in training. They don't really do much soft stuff like "touch" or "point" sparring where you pull your punches. So if you want to take striking to the next level, this is your thing. Just a side note: Most people who train in a second style usually pick a much different style so they are more well-rounded. Judo or Hapkido would be good choices for some variety if you are ever interested in that.

Yes. If you hook your thumb under the guard and let the blade hang down against your forearm, the tip should extend at least to the tip of your elbow. Ideally it should be just a hair past the elbow. This is because you will be blocking strikes holding the sai in this position so you don't want any part of the arm unprotected.

Oh i agree, but i think this is what the instructor is for. Not myself. I grew up seeing all the women in my life get the crud smacked out of them by various men. I'd never hit my mum, i'd never hit my sister, i'd never hit any woman. MY training doesn't require me to hit women. I see your point about not hitting women as long as we are talking about any situation away from the dojo. And believe me, I live the same way too. I've never hit my mother/wife/sister, etc. However, the dojo is somewhere a woman goes when she wants to be involved in defense training. Plus she won't be fighting for real. Even places that have full contact fighting have rules for protection of participants. For example: no groin shots, open-hand strikes, head kicks, counter-joint movement, stikes after a knock-down, etc. As for your comment about the instructor being there to train women, you are only half right. The entire class is there for that too. As an instructor, I can say that I have benefited from sparring many different kinds of fighters. Big or tall fighters have different advantages than small fighters. A fighter should go against many opponents to be well rounded. If I only fought against my short instructor, I would never learn how to fight tall people, and vice-versa. Also, when I teach sparring, I can coach and correct the fighters better from the sidelines. If I am fighting, I am looking for openings for strikes, so I can't always watch what the other person is doing as well. So I would need another student to spar her while I watch. And if that student doesn't hit for real, I will never know if the woman can block for real. That's a harsh reality, but it's the only way to actually learn. So you are right saying that your training does not require hitting a woman. However, her training does require you to hit her. I will agree with you completely on one thing. When I fight a beginning women, I hit softer. But only until she becomes proficient. After she knows what to expect and she can actually fight, I fight her aggresively. I would feel bad if I gave her a false sense of proficiency and then heard that she was hurt trying to defend herself using those same moves because she thought she was good at it. She should have the chance to find out what really works for her and what doesn't.

Leave him! Do it quickly before someone talks you out of it.

Thanks for the tip. I will try to avoid Dragon-tsunami. I do not think you are being treated fairly though. I ordered a CD through Century and they sent me my CD plus a different CD by mistake. I heard it is a law that if you receive something by mistake, you cannot be made to pay for its return. The sender should pay. When I got the 2 CD's, I called and asked if they wanted it back (which would be reasonable), but they said they don't make customers pay for their mistakes. I thought they would pay for the postage and resell it since it was not opened. But they said just keep it because it was only a $20 item and they would not care enough to pay for postage. I think these people are trying to get you to fix their mistake and hoping you don't know any better. I don't know if the law I mentioned is in effect across the whole country, but I know lots of places that do it that way because it is good business. I would call back and hope to speak to someone else. Ask for a supervisor and try to get better help from them. I would not accept that ridiculous answer they gave you. I think they should pay for returning the item.

I grew almost another inch between 18 and 20, so there is a good chance you will as everyone else stated. Of course, you never know since your genetics play a part in it. I do know guys who have stopped at or before 18 though but not many. Most go to at least 19 from what I have heard. I have heard that thing about women stopping younger but don't really know anything about that or why it happens.

I've thought about this one a bit and I agree they would be MOSTLY the same. That is to say, anything you can do with a staff can be done with a spear. But it doesn't work the other way. There would be a few additional things that only work with the spear. For instance, if you miss with a spear thrust, you can pull back and scrape an opponent with the corner of the blade. There are probably a variety of close-range moves that only work with a bladed weapon too. Like just lightly grazing a clothed limb with the tip of a spear will injure at least a little but a bo does virtually nothing. As far as the point weight affecting the balance as someone mentioned, I think it would if it was a heavier blade so it depends on the selection. If that was the case, maybe you would just have to move one or both hands toward the blade a bit till the balance returns, then wield it as you normally would a bo. Just my thoughts.

Yes, I agree. If you are worried about taking shots, you will get used to it after doing it a few times. (Please specify if this is not the part you are concerned about. I can't really tell by your post.) I would add that you should load up on protective gear too. It's amazing how much more relaxed I am if I have my full-head gear with cage as opposed to the standard top-of-the-head-and-ears helmet. I also wear shin, and knee pads when I go into contact sparring. None of these are required at my school but we get to choose our own gear. A few places suggest everyone having the same type of gear but hopefully yours lets you select your own. BTW, it is WELL worth it to get a helmet with full-face coverage, and possibly a cage or shield too even though it about doubles the cost of the headgear alone. I know a few people who broke their noses or lost teeth in sparring. I never did that but I did get a black eye once. A month later, I bought my new, improved gear (lol). Even the full-face models without a cage/shield are a whole lot better. Okay I'll stop now since I'm starting to sound like a sales person.

That's a tough spot to be in. I have done something similar. I am also a BB in Goshin Jutsu but I have dabbled in other arts and occasionally attend a Karate class (different style) at the gym where I work. Whenever I started going to any of these, I always pointed out to the instructor what my rank was in the other style and asked what the policy was on their recognizing my rank (i.e. should I wear my black belt or white belt). Each place is different in their response. I believe your situation is similar. Since you don't know what the policy is, just ask the head instructor. Remind him/her of your previous experience, then tell him/her that you sometimes notice mistakes in the advice given to you by those who outrank you (here) and you want to know if you should offer correction when possible, or submit to those who have practiced this particular style longer. Then let the teacher decide. See, you're off the hook that fast. If you can't have this conversation with the teacher for a while and have to wing it with the other students till then, I suggest just putting your heads together (you and the other student) to figure it out. Subtly remind him of your experience (which certainly transfers at least in part to any style) without sounding arrogant, suggest a different movement, and ask if your partner agrees. Maybe something like "This is how we do it where I teach, what do you think?" That way you are giving respect to his higher rank at this school while asking for respect of your dan rank elsewhere. Mutual respect is key here. Don't come on too strong or people may be offended. Eventually they will come around and realize you know what you are doing regardless of what color is around your waist.

I know. I never saw it either until I read this thread. (Mental note: remove blinders soon.) Anyway I uploaded a pic just so I could participate here. It's here http://www.karateforums.com/album_pic.php?pic_id=422

So you both recommend Billy Blanks' Tae Bo, huh? Well I did get one DVD for ideas a while back and I watched about half of it. A few interesting variations in that one but nothing spectacular. I figured "maybe these DVDs are all the same". Do you think I should get a couple more or will it just be more of the same thing? Also, I never tried the "8 minute abs" videos. It doesn't sound like it would be relevant from the title. But if you have seen it, I will check it out. Also I have never tried multiple stations but I have tried a single station (punch in place, go to bag and repeat punching drill, back to originial place and repeat). I will give this some thought though. I don't know how many stations I can create with the limited equipment they have at the gym where I teach, but we'll see. Thanks for the ideas, and let me know if you think of any more.

I agree (conditionally) with everyone who votes Judo if you are seeking variety and well-roundedness. However, there is one reason to do the MT. If you really like striking and would like to become not just good, but elite at this or want to compete, then do the Muay Thai. It is a very hard, intense style. They do little or no "touch" or "point" sparring, much like in Boxing. Plus there are fewer rules to make it more realistic like a real fight (or at least the stand-up portion of a real fight). For example, in Karate, you usually can't kick your opponent's leg out or use knee strikes to the face. Both of these are legal in Thai. It's like a Karate match if you could fight dirty (lol). Anyway I dabbled a little in MT and all the guys there like that it is a hard contact style. Plus the school I went to also taught MMA so you could learn ground fighting too if you wanted. Check out your MT school to see if they offer this as an option. I don't prefer to spar real hard all the time, so if I did not already know a grappling art, I would probably pick the Judo. Just wanted to share my short Muay Thai experience if it helps at all.

I teach a cardio kickboxing class once a week. My students are not martial artists so this is primarily exercise to them. I try to teach them combos, evading, and proper stances used in sparring as most similar classes do. Plus I throw in more traditional exercises like jumping jacks, laps around the room, and running in place. What I need now is some new ideas to throw in so it doesn't get boring. I try to do at least one thing different each class compared to the last class. So if any of you have taught (or attended) this type of class, please offer any suggestions of what I could add in.

I hear you Jay! I am kind of a science nut too. Most people find that wierd. I had to take one Physics course in school but I took a second one just for fun because I find it so enjoyable. Anyway, the (other) odd thing I do is play "Yu-gi-oh!" with my son. For those that don't know, that's a card game based on the cartoon show. I play with him at home, go to tournaments (yes we both enter), and I even have my own custom deck.

I agree with Feathers of Doom. Sticks aren't too tough to handle, so I would say Escrima would be first (easiest). After that here's how I would rank them. This list is only the weapons used in my system. Bo Tonfa Kama Katana Sai Nunchaku

Mister Radley is right. I would avoid fighting a girl more than a guy too. But KarateAndy, keep in mind this is not a fight. It's a class. This girl paid good money and time for the right to prepare and practice so she can defend against a REAL attacker. If you hold back, she is not getting the realistic practice she paid for. In personal life, I would hold back unless I thought there was a very serious threat from a girl (like a weapon or multiple attackers). But in class, it is ok to forget those rules and just spar people based on rank and ability.

Aaawww! What a sweet thing to say. Something like that is hard to ignore from your little girl. I get the same type of things from my four y.o. daughter (one of three kids) about other things, not martial arts. Well if you do train with her, I'm sure you and she will both benefit from practicing together at home. My oldest son is 11 and we practice at home all the time. It really helps the learning and makes it more fun for both of us. I don't know how busy you are, but if you have time for Karate, I hope it works out. Most people who train with someone else get into it more and stay at it longer. Good luck.

I've been practicing and I even took boxing before...I don't think you could touch me. (A student of a fellow instructor actually said that to me. He knows better now.)

Kendo is VERY focused on proper form. When you start, you will do the basic drills over and over for months. You will have to show proficiency at them to move on to combinations or advance movements. I only took Kendo for less than a year, but I can tell you they are very strict on rules. Once you start moving up, it will be worth it. A friend of mine who took it for years says it is one of the best work outs you can get when you actually get to spar. Good luck and hang in there.

I agree with NightOwl. Tell someone who can put a stop to this. Remember the first thing a martial artist is taught is to avoid a fight if possible. Plus it sounds like this guy might fight dirty. If he is armed and you are not, then it will be hard to stop him without taking damage. NOT WORTH IT! But of course, he may come looking for trouble since you already thwarted his evil plan once before. So just brush up on your moves just in case. Do some shadow boxing or bag work to shake off some of that rust. If he approaches you, keep your distance or fight. One or the other. Don't let him reach you before you reach him. If you must hurt him, you would be justified since he is a known criminal (carrying weapons to school and threatening teachers are illegal). If a guy with a rep like that came at me, I would drop him quickly. Just don't go overboard. If you injure him, you will be the criminal. Remember you are expected to do the MINIMUM required action to stop someone from hurting you or your friend. But you are not allowed to go crazy, no matter how mad you are. (Example: If he punches, you can punch but you can't use a knife. If he pulls a knife, you could grab a rock or stick or other weapon, but not a gun.) Just end the problem as gently as possible then stop. Only resume if he comes back for more. Of course, you have probably heard all this before. I'm just reminding you in case your anger has taken your focus off of the laws. I have been there before myself. Someone pulled knife on me once and I whipped out my nunchaku and beaned him. Then I remembered that nunchaku is an illegal weapon and I could have gone to jail if I got caught. Lucky me that no one was around to see. Good luck.