jaymac

Bet you slept well afterwards. Congratulations.

I have same problem (in fact I was just complaining about it before I read your post). I had a doctor tell me once to stand in a shower and inhale the hot water through your nose. It worked! Painful but it worked! Also, he advised me to see a Ears, nose, and throat doctor because the shower thing was for temporary relief. Good luck!

Very well put Red J!

When I go to the dojo, there is a mixture of ranks present. If I am setting the example and practicing basic movements and basic Kata instead of hanging out and waiting for class to begin, then the white belt who is trying to find someone to follow will pick up extra technique or a movement they may have been doing incorrectly. Plus I am working my own technique. I practice all my kata from white on up for myself personally, and there is rarely a time that another student doesn't come up to me and say "Sensei could you do that again, or I didn't know that, would you help me with this." The best way to improve in training is to practice and teach.

I have placed first a few times with Bassai Dai. It is a great kata. I have lately been competing using Kanku Dai. I have done well have taken 1st with that also. My biggest award however was being told by a judge that I represent shotokan very well with my kata.

I am in the same boat. I continue to train anyways. I do not want to sit at home and do nothing. I have asked "what would you like to do?" There was an interest in yoga, but when I suggested we go together, I got a "No" instead. I am not giving up making my life better because my spouse wants a couch potato partner.

Be sure to warm up first (push ups, sit ups). Do lunge like stretches increasing your stretch as tolerated. Follow up with hot shower and Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) 800mg every 8 hours if 180lbs or more or 600mg every 6 hours if under 180 lbs. Good luck with your testing and tournament. I think that the adrenaline you have during those events will keep you pain free.

It is a bummer, but look around the area. There are always tournaments to attend. Start training now for the next one. Keep your upbeat attitude. It is one of the things that makes someone a good martial artist.

Menjo, maybe the fever and pain and everything you have been through has given you a moment of clarity! Glad you are feeling better!

It is an Art and a Science. The science studying the mechanics of the body and its reaction to outside forces. In a sense, I do think that it is an Art form. Especially your chinese styles. Beautiful.

Having a Black Belt and being a Black Belt means that I am going to take each day to continue to learn and make myself better as a Martial Artist and as a human being.

Must be! Hey if you are Canadian and come into the states to train, do you drop in rank? Just kidding. No offense really to our beautiful neighboring country.

Way Cool!

We have testing fees and I do not feel them to be unfair. They start at $15.00 and increase (not dramatically increase) as you continue to rank higher. It helps pay for the party afterwards, belt, and certificate. We also have to open the school on a non-traditonal day thus, the fee goes towards the heating for the winter day or the air condition on the summer day. It is not figured in tuition because it would be unfair for a student to pay ahead of time for a belt test that he/she may not even take. Also, we would never test anyone whom was not actually ready to be tested, so very few ever fail. The only ones who fail are ones who walk off during the testing and do not return (it happens--nerves I think). I don't criticize those who do not charge. It is up to them, but when you have 100 or so people in a dojo on one day to enjoy a testing and then eat pizza and pop at the dojos expense, then a small testing fee is a good thing.

Good luck!

I agree with Bushido, you cannot effectively train online without an instructor.

Max, there really is no alternative. If you are serious about Kendo training, you are going to want to be with someone who specializes in it. You may get lucky to find a school where the head instructor has training with katana but may not advertise it. In our school, in order to train with katana, you have to be a black belt student. Ask around. Tell the head instructors what you are looking for in training. If they can't help you, maybe they know someone who can.

danbong, i tend to disagree about shotokan. I strictly train in Shotokan and our instructor focuses heavily self defense against punches, kicks, and weapons. He also teaches a vast amount of releases. My self defense training is actually what I look forward to in class. I do think however that if varies from school to school.

Just walking through the dojo doors motivates me. You know, there are days when you just want to lay around, but you know you should go and train. Then when you get there, all the people who have now become another family are there and happy that you are there and appreciative for any type of help you can give them in their training. At the same time, I am constantly working my own technique by just working with them.

I wonder if they are doing this to you because they are judging the book by its cover. You said that you had shaved head and tatoos and they are bible study type. It isn't fair if that is how they feel towards you, but maybe they think you believe you are a tough guy or something. Continue to prove them wrong. You deserve to be there because you are a dedicated MA.

I would have started training in my dojo earlier. I had known about the dojo for years and had always wanted to take classes, but waited for a long time to start. That is my regret. I love Shotokan and think that the instructor I have is awesome at what he does, so I would not change the style or instructor.

Anything weapon form done properly by a Kung fu practitioner is worth seeing. I do not necessarily like to judge it because I just sit there with my mouth wide open Just kidding.

Aodhan, how would someone go about offering karate classes in local schools and community colleges if their background does not contain a bachelors degree?

My ankles pop and my knees ache like "toothaches" all the time. I was told it isn't arthritis, but what the heck is it. The pain is beginning to effect my training.

By walking away and not caring what those so called "martial artist" say about your style shows what kind of a Martial Artist that you have become. I have not trained in TKD. I train solely Shotokan. We were taught to never criticize other MA. I do not, but I have to say that I have seen "McDojo's" in every style not just TKD. Also when I go to tournaments, it is the TKD person wiping up the places in sparring. Nicely represented. Anyone who takes martial arts should be highly commended for doing so, as long as they are humble.