NidaninNJ

When you stretch you should make sure you hold the stretch long enough to make it work. Some people say that less than 30 seconds for a stretch is useless but I disagree. It's like somebody else already said about a little being better than nothing. Stretch as much as you have time for. If you can do each stretch for 30 sec's that's great but 10 to 15 sec's is still going to be good for something. For some stretches, I like to hold for about 5 secs while I breath out and then breath in as you relax and ease off. Then stretch a little further and breath out again. Do this a few times until you feel you have improved your flexibility but aren't gaining much by the 4th or 5th time - after about 1 minute. Try it. Maybe it'll work for you or not. I think they important thing is to try different things and see what works for you. I know some people are really stiff in some areas and loose in others but other people are the other way around.

So we shouldn't work out in the water because it washes out our knowledge?! HA! That's great! LOL!!!

I don't see the point of this. Understanding application is great for individual training, to get the most out of the kata practice. But for team kata all you are being judged on is how you look and application is not considered at all by the judges. You really don't have to have a clue about what the applications are. You just have to show good form and have good timing with each other. So if 2 guys and me decide to patheticly flail our arms in legs in a sycnronized fasion, we could potentialy win first prize. To use correct application is understanding one more section of martial arts, competetions are in a way showing what you know. While a focus may differ from one to another, the general idea is still acknowledged. Why would you even do kata, let alone a martial art system if you spent your training tring to learn values that make the art a martial art, are being completly ignored. I'm not saying what is better for training. I'm saying what wins tournaments. The judges are looking at just form and timing in team kata. That's it.

What is your goal? Are you trying to prevent injury, make yourself more flexible, reduce soreness or all of the above? I have been reading that some pros are saying stretching before a workout can be BAD for you! I've been trying to do more calisthenics before the workout and stretching only after. I'm not sure yet if this is really the best way to do it but it seems like it is better than the traditional way I first learned with all the slow stretches before class and then let the body cool down between training sets. You gotta keep the body warm during the training.

What do you mean by this? What do you mean "they went away"? Tokaido went away? Or your dojo went away? Or your uniform? Or the style? I think Tokaido makes the best uniforms but I've also heard that Hirota is just as good now and some people prefer the cut of Kamikaze, even though I heard their material isn't as good(?)

There are lots of kinds of sweeps. You could come from the front or the side or the back or somewhere between. What is the goal? Do you want to draw his attention away from the punch to follow? Do you want to put him off balance? Do you want him to fall the floor, and if so to which direction? One of the best ways to set up most of these is to get him to lean back and straighten his front leg. This make it harder for him to resist it when you sweep his foot to the side and if you are sweeping his foot forward from the back he could go into a split and down. Sweeping directly from the front is dangerous for both of you.

I don't see the point of this. Understanding application is great for individual training, to get the most out of the kata practice. But for team kata all you are being judged on is how you look and application is not considered at all by the judges. You really don't have to have a clue about what the applications are. You just have to show good form and have good timing with each other.

It depends on how often and how much you train and also how good your instructor is. I guess it also might depend on money but that's another story and one I don't care to discuss. Anyway, I think what you should be asking yourself is how you compare to students in the other dojo in your area? I think that for many people who train just once or twice each week for an hour or so 6 months might be more than often enough for a kyu test. My personal opinion is that a good dojo should offer a test every month or two - if there are enough students to make it work that is - and allow students to take the exam as often as they want. But if in this case someone who isn't very good tries to test every month or two he should fail at least every other test.

Here are a couple good links about this. http://www.i-clps.com/karate/lesson21.html http://www.jkasv.com/article9903.html

I use a makiwara when I can but prefer the heavy bag. It's not because the bag is softer or more like hitting a body. I like the bag because it moves around. If I had the money and space for it, I would make a room with all kinds of makiwaras and bags and other things to hit, some of them moving around to make targeting more of a challenge. I would also put in some sensors to tell you when you make strong contact. Now I'm getting off target - off the subject, I mean. lol.

direct debit might be good for the students so they don't have to remember to pay each month and also for the teachers who don't have to get on the students backs about paying. But I haven't seen a dojo yet that FORCES students to sign a contract that is any good.

I think I've only ever seen ONE test where everyone passed. That one seemed rigged by the way. All 5 people passed their 1- to 4-dan level black belt exams though I though maybe just one of them deserved even his present rank let alone the rank he was testing for. I have heard that a few places just pass everyone to keep them paying. But I don't go to those places so I can't say anything but about some of the traditional Shotokan places I've been. I think if nobody ever fails then how can you be sure that the people who passed deserved it?

What's the weather like in Sydney in August? Isn't it late winter there then?

What do you mean by 'movement of the rear hand'? What did you think of his teaching? Did he talk about his time in Japan? I have trained with a few guys here who know him from Japan and they all say he is really good. Very old-school but great instructor, mainly making the basics interesting so to speak.

KarateForums does not allow me to send PMs. Where is good for Shotokan in southern California? I don't live there but I might visit there sometime. I have lots of friends there and some do Shotokan but always looking for more choices. And if you have any recommendations for me to try near NY/NJ, I'd like to hear that as well. I heard from a freind that you are well connected so hopefully you can help get me more options. Thanks in advance.

Ha! This is definitely edited. It's not just the speed that gives it away. Look at the way the leaves in the back move for example. It's definitely not 'raw' video. I don't think it's sped up by much but definitely is sped up and edited.

My favorite uniforms and belts supplier is Tokaido. https://www.tokaidojapan.com My favorite DVD supplier is LegendProductions. https://www.legendtv.co.uk For books, I mostly buy them used or at sell-out sales. TamashiiPress has some good book deals sometimes.

This guy teaches both yoga and karate http://www.artofzenyoga.com/ It looks like he's pretty good at both. I know a few other people who do both and it seems like it can work out great. I also heard on the radio the other day that yoga is probably better than anything else for a bad back. Better than regular stretching due to the way you work the mind as you're working the body, I guess.

I like the cotton belts better. They last a lot longer. Some people like the way the satin ones wear out faster and make them look like they have been a black belt for a long time and therefore must be good or senior. I got most of my belts at Tokaido. Now they have everything online so I think I will order that way next time. https://www.tokaidojapan.com

Does this help? I just ran some Google searches and found it. http://www.jkasv.com/article0210.html Nothing new in that article, but I think it sums it up pretty nice. I've been on winning kata teams before. In a few of the tournaments, we practiced together before for MONTHS until we had it down. In a couple of tournaments, we didn't practice at all before and got lucky...or not as the case may be... lol. Use a video camera to help you if you can. You can see things from another angle that way.

Watch the way cats land. Do it softly. Let your feet down before the rest of your body by stetching out your legs a little on the way down and then you should land more gently. On the way up, push off really hard with the legs and tuck your feet tight against your butt. Then on the way down try what I wrote above about the cat landing.

So for the places that have blue belt, is it a beginner rank (just after white?) or the same as purple belt? I'm still confused. I've done Shotokan for more than a 10 years and have only seen a couple blue belts and I thought those weren't shotokan people.

move on. There are lots of other choices out there and you could always just work out on your own.

The only time I ever washed any of my belts is after I worked out in the ocean.

I just registered. Great start. I hope they continue. Some great articles for a free magazine. I wonder how they can make any money to stay in business...