RichardHangHong

What type of baseball bat is used for tamashiwara (breaking)? I saw basball bats made specifically for breaking (slightly softer wood and a beat cheaper than a normal bat) on a website ages ago but have no idea where it is now. Tried Google but no joy. Does anyone know where I might be able to find some or do I just have to get normal bats?

Ditto bushido and dragonwarrior, it sounds like concussion. I'd get yourself checked out asap, just to be on the safeside.

As a simple bit of advice to build up leg strength for kicks, try doing the kicks slow and low whilst wearing ankle weights, then gradually increase the height and hold it out there to work the muscles. There's a work for this specific type of workout on the muscles but for the life of me I can't remember what it is. Any sports physios/personal trainers in here that can remind me please?

Thanks Zanshin, I found some more videos of Shiteigata. I think it was more of a case of finding out how to spell it correctly, then I had no troubles finding what I needed.

Thought I'd update mine as it's changed a bit My Club: Seitou Ryu Karate Club Style: Blend of Shotokan and Okinawan Goju Ryu Instructors: Rod Martin, 4th Dan Seitou Ryu, 5th Dan Goju Ryu. Richard Gregory (me), 3rd Dan Seitou Ryu Locations: (me) 9 dojos across Essex. (R.Martin) 1 dojo in Brisbane, Australia I also train at: Tokon Kai Karate Association - Steve Roberts, 5th Dan GKI Goju Ryu Karate-Do - Keith Bishop, 5th Dan Yoku Do Karate - Martin Rees, 5th Dan edit: forgot to say where we are

I train at two different clubs regularly, £6 for one class, £4 for the other class. I only get to train twice a week as I run my own club and teach all of the other nights/days. We charge £6 for adults, £4 per kids. Students just pay as they go to train. Gradings are £15.

I have to agree with the others, it's generally about bragging rights. Who's got the biggest one? I rarely get bruises now but my students still get quite a few so on one side they all jar each other because they know they haven't been blocking correctly, but at the same time they praise each other because it's almost like a right of passage as you go through the grades. After all, it's martial arts we train in, we learning to defend ourselves, not playing tiddly winks aren't we?

Karate - 11 years Iaido - 2.5 years

Anyone know where I can find some videos of Shi Te versions of katas online? Either to watch online or shops that have copies for sale. I can't find anything on youtube. Thanks Richard

I have to agree with Killer Miller's comments. The general quality of technique was pretty good but all of the kicks pulled back to soon and could do with a bit more kime. Ditto the arms flapping too much on the mawashi and mikazuki geris, keep the elbows in. Make sure you don't hold the leg up after the kick has finished, get it back to the floor straight away. On that same note, make sure your kicks all start from the floor and finish on the floor. Each time you kicked it came up to the knee (which was good) but then there was an ever so slight pause in the movement, which is bad because it disrupts the flow and build up of momentum in the kick, therefore making it harder to engage the muscles around the hips to extend the leg out for the kick, resulting in less kime. Hope that helps. Osu Richard

I think it's generally with the shin. Some of my friends train in kyokushin and afaik they kick with the shin but sometimes also with the ball of the foot. In my club it's ball of the foot for the body, instep for the head.

Cheers guys, I'll put up a brief account of how it all went down later but right now I'm still recovering from getting married on Sunday!

Right front kick

step forwards into zenkutsu dachi and block Jodan Juji uke

Hey guys, Just thought I'd let you all know that I passed my Sandan grading a couple of weeks ago on July 1st, and one of my students got his Shodan. I was aching all over afterward, had a few bruises here and there including a lovely little shiner on one eye, but I'm really happy I got it. Richard

I'm definitely going to the cinema to see it, just got to wait until after my wedding this Sunday before I do though.

I like the idea of a coloured card for each grade level. Does each card have a set amount of marks that has to be reached? E.g. 20 ticks for classes for first belt, 30 for 2nd belt, 40 for 3rd belt, then 50 for each belt after that.

Which knee do you go onto first when lowering yourself into seiza? Is there a reason why you do it one way and not the other? Answers on a postcard please... Osu Richard

Mauritius is in the Indian Ocean, east/South East of Madagascar. If you're not sure where that is look on a map, go to the very bottom of Africa and then look along the right. It's a very small island next to Reunion.

NAKMAS seem to be getting their act together since Karate England looks like its going down the toilet. I use some of Shi Kon's services indirectly. I recently took up one of the Classic Coaching courses to get myself an additional teaching qualification. MASA has some good services though, so might look into them sometime in the near future.

I use a paper register for every individual class that runs in my club (17 classes a week). I'd like to go electronic but a) I don't know how and b) I have 6 instructors who teach at other venues for me and I think it would just get too complicated. Also, I enter all the class attendance totals onto an Excel data sheet so I can keep track of class numbers and see which dojos need helping out with getting students in/or if a class is losing students I can help the instructor if he's having any problems.

I was 21 when I got my Shodan-ho, 22 for Shodan, 24 for my Nidan/2nd Dan I am now 26 soon to be taking my sandan/3rd dan

Hi everyone, I've not been on the forums for what feels like ages so thought I'd let you know what I've been up to. Back in December I went on holiday with my fiancee to Mauritius for 4 weeks over Christmas and New Year. It was awesome! 31 degrees on xmas day, spending much of the time on the beach getting a good tan. I was lucky enough to find a great association in the UK whose chief instructor had some branches in Mauritius and allowed me to train with them. I had several sessions at the La Marie honbu dojo of the Mauritian Bunbukan Goju Ryu Karate Dojo, part of the Bunbukan Institute of Classical Japanese Culture. Shihan Chris Rowen, 6th Dan is the Chief Instructor of the association and Sensei Danny Sayhe is the head instructor in Mauritius. Although I did most of my training with Sensei Raouf (the club's oldest member) and Sempai Sandesh. The karate training was brilliant, most of the sessions I attended were on Sunday mornings at 6am, just as the sun was rising, lasting from 1.5 to nearly 3 hours. What a way to start the day eh? It certainly was a experience to remember. The only thing I really struggled with was the variations in the kata as the kiais were at different points from what I usually practice and some of the moves were very different and it almost felt like learning a completely new kata. It was still all good though. I've been back home in Essex, England for just over a week now and I'm getting heavily into my training as my instructor is coming over in the summer and is looking at me for taking my 3rd Dan grading in June. Wish me luck! Anyway, that's what I've been up to the last few weeks. Did anyone miss me at all or was I easily forgotten? I hope everyone has been starting the year strong and you're all training hard in your dojos. I know I am! Osu Richard

I use that technique a lot in kumite, especially when my opponent does a mawashi geri, it's very easy to set them up for it.

96% Very funny!