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?

Good one Aodhan. If someone says to me, "So you think you're tough eh?" I hope I remember to call them on it. I'll be all, "Yeah, I do. I'm so tough, I can bend rebar with my eyelids. You got a problem or something?" (Except I won't really because I don't want to make martial artists look bad, but it would be funny.)

Drgnslyer, you are awesome. Before I joined karate, I played soccer and piano. Soccer helped me with endurance, cardio, and teamwork which were all very usefull at karate. Piano, and memorizing pieces, helped me remember kata as well as encourage equal dexterity in both hands. I started playing classical guitar (And Killer Miller, I feel your pain with Bach!), and I'm sure dexterity and finger strength helped karate, and vice versa. Piano and guitar performances and karate tournaments also reinforce each other because for both you must be calm and perform something technical in front of a crowd (with no "do-overs"). I also played rugby and badminton in high school, as well as continuing with soccer. I think karate helped me in rugby a huge amount. Karate gave me a lot of confidence as an athlete, and sparring is a lot like tackling someone in rugby. I actually think rugby helped me in sparring more than the other way around. Once I got past my fear of tackling I really took to it, and that helped in sparring. I've never been totally able to dispel my awkwardness and nervousness when sparring. (I'm not terrible, but sparring is very hard.) Badminton is all about co-ordination and timing, and karate can certainly aid you there! I love sports and music. I am no longer active in anything I listed, except that I play guitar occasionally. I'd really like to get back to karate.

I completely love that we have a stickied, 13 page thread about tying your belt. That kind of says it all - what karateka has escaped any problems tying their belt? I tie my belt without thinking about it (now!), but that can be a problem when showing a new student how to tie their belt. "You just take about this much of your belt in your right hand, then *wrap wrap tuck knot* like so." Student: o_0

This thread is hilarious! You guys are awesome. I'm happy to be exempt from "Is that anything like karate?" - man, would that get annoying. McDojo! Hee. How about... "You're in karate?" Thanks a lot there buddy. Response: "Yeah, wanna see?" (We're never this witty right in the moment though eh?)

I definitely second Budo Theory. This book really outlines a lot of useful points about a number of aspects of karate. I haven't read it in quite a while but I remember being very impressed with it. Thanks for the link Shorin Ryuu! $55 is a good deal for that book. I recommend Funakoshi's book Karate-do Nyumon: The Master Introductory Text, and Okinawa's Complete Karate System: Isshin-ryu by Michael Rosenbaum. This book is very well-written and succinctly explains important karate concepts and history.

Well I guess you're in Africa now y2_sub! (I hope I didn't totally misread the original post.) What country are you going to (or are at right now)? I'm the woman who's going out with Drgnslyer and who went to Sweden last year, just to provide some context for the rest of this post. Regarding training in other styles while away: When I went to Sweden I couldn't find my own style (Renshikan) or our parent style (the much more wide-spread Chito-ryu) or even our sister style Shito-ryu. I did find a Kyokushinkai club - interesting that we trained in the same style! It wasn't right for me at that time in my life, but I did enjoy the people in the club (they were very dedicated and I admire that), as a style of karate it seems very sound, and it was great excercise (I enjoyed the pre-class workout a lot). If you feel it's the right thing to do, look for another style of karate. You can learn a lot from a good sensei even if it's not your style. Also, there's nothing wrong with taking a year off. That's what I ended up doing in Sweden (partly because I hurt my knee). If you do take a year off, go back as soon as you can to your regular club when you get home. My life has been in turmoil (not karate's fault) since I got back from Sweden, so I still have not returned to karate. Part of the problem, outside of my chaotic life, is that I'm no longer in the habit of regularly training in karate like I was before Sweden (though it was hard with university). You sound dedicated to your training, so you shouldn't have too hard a time getting back to training if you decide to take time off. However, it is something to be aware of. I think the opportunities of going abroad outweigh taking time off (or training a different style). Regarding your girlfriend: If she doesn't support you going abroad, I think you should dump her. Or, if she simply feels that a long-distance relationship wouldn't work, break up with her in the kindest possible way. As someone in a long-distance relationship, I can tell you that with the right person it's more than worth it, but they also suck mightily (the long-distance relationship, not the person!). If either you or your girlfriend don't want to go there, well, those are perfectly valid feelings. And who knows, when you get home maybe you can start going out again. I thought you had a problem with African food or something, but I think I get what you mean now. Well, you never know when you're going to meet the right person, or someone that you're attracted to. But you're probably right. What with your current girlfriend and a possible language barrier, it's unlikely (but not impossible) that you'll go out with someone abroad.

I don't think there's anything wrong with learning from a brown belt. Of course, a club should have at least one black belt, preferably a higher dan. When I tried out kyokushinkai I learned the most from a really talented brown belt. He was training for his black belt. (He spent the most time with myself and a few other students - the class was divided into small groups for instruction.)

Sorry for going so far back in the thread, but that was an awesome post! I also share the dislike of people getting a belt that they haven't earned. I don't think it's fair to the student. It reflects that the student's instruction has been rushed. I think the speed of promotions depend on the style more than the school. It seems that senior senseis would agree on the testing requirements including required class hours, kata, bunkai, sparring, and whatever else they decide. That being said, I don't think quick promotions necessarily mean a style is bad. Maybe different amounts is learned at different levels. I think it depends on the content of the martial arts as well. For example, if sparring is a large portion of the style, a student could advanced quickly due to their natural abilities as a fighter. Personally I do prefer slower promotion because it gives the student time to learn more regardless of content. Also, a top-heavy class (a lot of black belts) doesn't always indicate speedy promotions. It could simply mean that black belts are the most likely rank to stick around and the club has not been actively recruiting new members. If you train for a while with the black belts, you can decide for yourself if they've been promoted too hastily or not.

I have a Mikado belt and I think it's very good quality. The colour rubs off on your gi a bit, but no biggie. Juka is a good brand too. I bet Shureido makes good belts! Aren't those the same guys that make silk gis?

I posted my picture by uploading it at photobucket, then linking the url in my post. link title I'd like to see the technique.