Eye of the Tiger

What??? Karate is the most recognised Martial Art in the world alongside it would be Kung Fu and then Judo. If you asked anyone in the world if they knew a martial art they would say Karate. Hardly any of the people I know have ever heard of Tae Kwon Do. The fact is there is also more karate clubs in the world than that of Tae Kwon Do. Maybe in the USA but in the rest of the world Karate is the most practiced, recognised, and biggest Martial Art in the world.

I'm working on running up a wall and doing a back flip from there, I can also do handstand running and kicking from a handstand.

The most effective meditation I have found is Mokuso (Japanese meditation). Assume a kneeling position with the hands on lap. Back straight and so on assuming the correct form so your centre of gravity is horizontal. Breath in for 15 secs imagining the course that the air takes, through the forehead down the spine down to the lower abdomen till it reaches a tiny spot. Exhale and tense your abdomen and exhale for m15 secs. Do Mokuso everyday for 1 minute.

You should only use it in Justice, but this still doesn't give you the right to use physical violance to someone if you dont use the skills you are taught. I only use it in extreme provocation (when someone threatens me or dishonours me), unprovoked attack or in protection of myself or loved ones and friends, to uphold Law and Order, when it is needed to stand up for unjust in society e.g. cruelty to others. Any of these actions are never in anger.

I always invisioned the Perfect Guy as someone that was in the military and was a hero and saved the day and got the girl but oh well.

Very nice. KickChick I jsut wanted to get an idea, of course everyone wants different people thats why poeple have different personalities but I'm talking in General if thats possible.

So Nei Chu was strong in both spirit and strengh as well as in mind. Click on the link and go down the page to find So Nei Chu. http://www.safesci.unsw.edu.au/karate/oyama.htm

Does anyone here practice or heard of this style that was developed by the great Masutatsu Oyama and I think is refered as the 'Strongest Karate'.

Must be good since you yanks found out before we Brits did. Very funny but I think these reality shows will continue to progress. Since first off you have big brother then survivor going form a house to an island now this I can see whats gonna happen next. Proboly putting President Bush with Bin Laden if hes still alive that is.

I always wandered what women really want out of a man. What qualitys should the 'Perfect Man' have. Should he be sensitive, courageous, funny. Come on women please feel free to list.

Your whole body is used in your punches and kicks, especially using the hips and the 'hara' (centre of gravity). Only using your arm for a punch is only using a fraction of the bodys capability.

I see, you have to punch air like you would punch a resistance. This is so important let it is so neglected this should be told to anyone performing in any 'Hard' style martial art that involves not only punching but kicking. I have never been told to kick like that have you? I only found out through a book, if I didn't I could still be causing my self serious harm. Why isn't this point made to strongly? So to recap on Kicking: you must push of not pull. do not raise the knee then snap the leg out, you must continually raise the knee as the leg snaps out. Do not snap out the leg all the way only 3/4 of the way. And one more thing, should you kime your kicks. And just to recap on my question why isn't this point made to strongly. Millions of people could be doing nothing more than harming them selves. I will see it that I bring this to my 2 Sensais to make it aware to everyone at my club about this. Action must be taken.

Actually strengh is just as important as technique. You see you cant really perform well without the other. You might have excellent technique but without the necessary power it wont do anything. Strengh without technique will lead to the punch being sloppy and not focusing the muscles to acheive a more powerful punch. Both are jusat as important as each other. Infact a famous olympion Karl Gotch who won the 1948 wrestling olympics and is know as the 'God of Pro Wrestling' in Japan wouldnt teach a student one hold before they would get into condition. Anyway if you look at alot of the Masters they will be very toned but not necesseraly have strengh rather than endurance and are very fit and have good flexibility. The others are quite fat. I think someone said to me that they dont want muscle as they want to use the use of KIME rather than the bicep muscle for punching as this might impend its use. If this where true then it would serve a good explanation as to why the masters of the art dont posses strengh rather than just have toned fit bodys or infact fat bodys. Just look at some of the present day Shotokan practitioners who are in the JKA and see what kind of conditioned they are. I think they want to use spiritual energy (KI) into their punches which is more powerful than the muscle with their KIME and Kensai ( an Aikido practitioner) told me that the muscle would stop the flow of KI, and that is why the masters do not need muscles once you have mastered the use of KI. I am totally awar of KI and its power but I still feel there is a benefit of muscular strengh alonside strengh even if it only helps that little much.

Your very wise LeaF and thanks. I'l try that, but once I flick it out its quite hard to control the KIME unless I completely bend my leg, but I just found that concentrating on the foot is a good way to focus my kicks. Also did your sensai give you any instruction on useing KIME on your kicks?

Yes I just found that problem where I cant really KIME or focus my kicks as I can with my arms. I have been taught to keep the other leg bent while kicking, but when we break down the kick you first bring up the knee and keeping it steady you then extend your leg out and then snap it back, which is a snap kick. Is it possible to focus your kicks as with your arms?

I watched a programme today about Tae Kwon Do and how you can master your 'unseen life force' into techniques through punching and kicking. This done through the fact that the arm or legs stays relaxed through travel and tenses just prior to the moment of impact but can still deliver power through spiritual energy even if it is to just quicken the punch. I do understand in Aikido how size and age is not important since you are using your KI not strengh and size. One thing though Kensai. If muscle prevents spiritual energy through passing through it are you saying it passes better through fat? lol. I do understand that it passes through relaxed muscle sol how does more muscle affect it.

Yes i beleive it was Withers M.A.A that told me that having strong muscles isnt going to increase the power of the punch. There is one other question. When we look at the great masters for example Karate and Tae Kwon Do they dont do any strengh training, they are toned and supple as well as fit but not strong. They concentrate more on kime and focus, using inner power into their punches rather than muscle. I am aware that your spiritual energy is more powerful than muscle alone wouldn't the punch be more powerful if you used muscle with KIME and spiritual energy or does muscle impends its use of spiritual energy. Kensai told me that muscle impends the spiritual energy through traveling through it but I am more spectical. Thanks for your replys

So KI really isnt important for me?

I just realized that I used kime after my arm would finish lock out. Now I use kime just before maximal trqavel and I can feel it doesn't lock out, that it stop by the smallest millometer.

So why is it that I progress in handstand pushups. Bit I'l try doing them every other day as in Matts book he doesn't inclued pulling type movements probobly becuase they dont work like the other movements. Well thanks anyway

I was just told by a few people that being strong will not improve the power of your punch. But anyway why do you think all the masters are not really in good physicasl condition because if they combined both strengh with kime or Focus they would have an even stronger punch, wouldn't you say so?

So Kensai you think its a good idea to combine breath power (meditation) with KI exercises (spiritual energy) I noticed these two are both practiced in Aikido, breasth power is used as clearing the mind and relaxing the whole body and KI for strenghening their spiritual energy to use in their techniques. I think combining muscle power with KI is more effective than just KI on its own do't you think?

In my calisthenics I make gains everyday except for my pull ups. I only eother struggle to keep the the same amount of reps I did the previous day or decrease in them but I gain in all my other calisthenics. Why is this and what should I do? ThaNKS in advance

"Prior to A.A. 1900, Karate development was a slow, gradual process which had spanned centuries. This all changed with the research and teachings of Funakoshi Sensei and the acceptance of Karate in Japan following his demonstration in Kyoto in 1915. With the exception of several hundred G.I.s after World War II had finished, virtually all the students of Karate where oriental - more accurately, they where Japanese. The fact that they where shorter and more squat than their Western counterparts resulted in a difference in the mechanics of the techniques of punching, kicking, striking and blocking. This difference was not understood immediately by the Japanese instructors who brought Karate to the West. Consequently, the long-limbed Westeners allowed their punches and kicks to terminate only when the arm or leg would not travel any further. Of course, we now know that "locking out" a punch or kick will aggrovate the joint; so much so that it will eventuallly become arthritic. The arm or leg must be be stopped just short of its maximum travel by utilising the appropiate muscles to focus or "kime". At present, there is no known cure for oseoarthritis, which affects the joints of many elderly people. Regular exercise through Karate training will help combat this affliction. Incorrect Karate training may hasten its approach. This point cannot be made to strongly." Of the four MAs I have done I have never been told about this. I always lock out my leg and arm when I kick and punch, stopping it just short seems weird to have your arm bent. Could someone care to explain. Thanks in advance

It certainly helps control your emotions.