Nurvingiel

Were you able to take a picture of the technique?

Where does a 500 pound gorilla sleep? I call my sensei "sensei" or "sensei [his first name". He's actually a shihan sensei, but we don't call him by that rank. IIRC shihan is a rank of sensei. (Is that right?)

Mtheiss, are you talking about a story or a real situation? Either way, what does the fighter being female have to do with anything? If this was a real fight, I don't think it's a good idea to spring it on her at the last minute. Not everyone would react well to that situation. Plus, sleepless nights aren't necessarily bad. Even if we don't sleep well before a major event, our brains are sharp and ready for anything.

Buy her some pepper spray and maybe send her to a one time women's self defense class, but leave her out of your martial arts group. Personally, I don't think the pepper spray is a good idea, but in my experience women's self-defence classes are loads of fun and you learn many useful techniques (with a good sensei of course).Why doesn't she like Goju? Personally I don't think it matters if you guys train different styles anyway.

One thing that helps change is students like Squall are going to say I don't need this garbage anymore. I figure that dedicated students will eventually find dedicated instructors, and students who just want to learn to fight in a hurry will find like-minded clubs. It really sounds like you've earned some rest Squall. My advice would be once you're healed, shop around for a club that suits your needs as a student. You should feel completely free to watch classes and/or try some out before committing to training. A good sensei will have no problem with you doing this. So basically, what they all said.

Yeah, high kicking is definitely not a focus of karate! It's fun, but not really important to self defence. The best thing about high kicks is if you can do them, then you have good balance and flexibility. Flexibility is important to prevent injuries. However, some people just aren't flexible. That's how it is, and there isn't anything wrong with not being able to do high kicks. If there's a lot of pressure in your clubs to be able to do those techniques, maybe you should try a different club/style? It could be that karate isn't right for you (edit: not because of the kick thing, but only if you genuinely don't enjoy it), but I think you should try another club first. Also, talk to your sensei. Maybe he doesn't realise that you're trying hard to improve your flexibility and it's not working. Best of luck!

Thank you Patrick, DragonMike, Vertigo, and Pinapple! People sure seem friendly around here.

While I don't necessarily think it's a scam, I don't think you can turn into a "deadly-powerful lethal weapon" in an "astonishingly short time". Maybe he is going to send you some good quality DVDs with a variety of well-explained martial arts techniques. Maybe he will help you learn how to learn. But if you're willing to part with $127 to become a deadly weapon through Lieutenant X's secret shortcuts, then I know a bridge that's for sale...

Well said Aodhan. "Don't do that." Hee. That could be in a movie. Do you (everyone) think that guys fight more than girls? Are guys more inclined to get in fights than girls? How readily do you think girls will fight other girls? I've never been in a fight before. I've only been in one situation where it could have escalated into a fight. I admit that I would have allowed it to escalate. The other choice I had in the matter - to allow those three guys to continue doing what they were doing, was unacceptable to me. Do you think it would have escalated had I been a guy? As it was, everyone peacefully dispersed after a heated argument and some minor shoving. It's interesting to think about gender in the "Why fight?" question, because it might also lead to "Why do guys fight?" (And "Why do girls fight?")

Welcome to the board! I hope you post some more.

Yeah, welcome! I just got here too. I see you've already earned a yellow belt! Nice one!

Hi forum! I always find the introduction forums around 20 posts in. Heh. I've been in karate for eleven years, except for the past four I've been at university, and my training schedule has been very hectic. I train in Renshikan Karate. We branched off from Chito-ryu karate about ten or so years ago. Chito-ryu is quite a large style, I hope that gives you some context. Our style is also influenced by Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu, and possibly other styles. My favourite katas include Ro-hai (both of them), Chinto, Bassai-dai, and Seiken no migi hidari. I'm not just saying Seiken no migi hidari to be cool - it's a very basic kata which our sensei has used periodically to remind us never to forget the basics. All the most important basics are included in this kata. Bassai-dai is my favourite of all, simply because I really enjoy this kata and I'm good at it. It also has some great techniques. Chinto and the Ro-hais are just good plain fun. (Unless you're doing Chinto on a cement floor. Then, not so much.) I hope that these katas are reasonably common in other styles of karate so I'm not babbling to myself. My favourite weapon is the bo. My favourite karate discipline (for lack of a better word) is kata. Cheers, Nurv

I wear a white Budo Nord kata gi, with our style's crest sewn on the left. I got it in Sweden and I wear it in place of my worn Juka Emerald gi. For sparring I wear my old rugby mouthguard (it's the simple kind you dip in boiling water and bite in to) and white cotton gloves. (My gloves are technically illegal in tournaments, but I haven't competed in ages. If I do compete I'll grudgingly go buy some of the required gloves, but I really don't like them. They don't allow you to fully open your hands, and have a silly wrist band. You also have to buy two pairs, one in red and one in blue. Bah.)

I'd like to second Karate-addict's suggestion of Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. This is a biography of Musashi's life up until he was about 30. I found it incredibly inspiring and it had many useful insights into martial arts.

If Miyamoto Musashi had a sensei, and someone badmouthed him, Musashi would challenge the guy to a fight. It would be a real fight too, most likely ending with the death of Musashi's opponent. These sort of things were simpler back in the day, but really, can you even imagine yourself in that situation? I think the best way to handle it in modern society is to not respond at all, and don't worry it. The guy badmouthing your sensei is not actually taking away from your sensei's honour. It doesn't work like that any more. Well there's my two cents. How did the situation work out y2_sub?