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I have no idea about clubs in Mauritius, but I have looked for and trained at different dojos in different countries. One good place to start would be your home dojo. Ask them if they know of any other dojos in the place you are going to. Another suggestion is to google Shotokan and Mauritius or something. What I usually do is to send them an email in advance to ask whether it is OK to train with them. Or call and ask. Good luck! It is a great experience to train with other people while on vacation, so I hope you'll find something!!

I don't know about yoga, but as far as Pilates I know one of my family member used to use the Windsor Pilates tapes and she loved them. If your looking for a just good all around work out video, my wife got the Turbo Jam dvd's and she loves them. I thought it was kinda a joke when she first got them, but I tries it a few times with her and I have to admit they are a great workout. They are like a aroebic/kickboxing/capowera based cardio kickboxing dvd set. My sister uses them too and likes them a lot. Hope this helps. Thanks!! I will try to find that pilates tape and see how it goes.

Does anyone know a good yoga or pilates tape? After reading this thread, I think I would like to try that out but I can't spend the money to go to a yoga studio and also would rather do it at home. Any suggestions?

Wow!!! That IS very interesting! Do you know now he practices for that?

I can certainly understand how you reacted as far as your son is concerned. After all, you are a parent and being protective of your children is a good thing. Also I think it's really good that you approached him after class about it and didn't yell back. About facing him in class: I've had to deal with situations like that before too. And I have come to the conclusion that I could use this for my training. Meaning: When you face him, try to get over about your dislike or the issues you have with him but focus on him as an opponent. Just like any other opponent. Because if you let your dislike take over, you might feel the urge to "teach him a lesson" which (at least for me) backfires a lot, just because I get so tense that I can't react fast enough any more. This works for scary opponents too, by the way.

I like to use visualizations for both kata and fighting. If I use it for kata, I go through the forms, perhaps when I am at work in a boring meeting or something. As for fighting, I use it more like bushido_man, for a scenario when being attacked in the street. As I have never been attacked, I can't tell how well visualization works for this kind of fights. But as for kata, I would say it helps a lot. Because you can not only picture the form itself, but also think of possible applications, I mean, there is really no limit to your imagination.

Perhaps you should try to go back to semi-free. Because there, you will learn to actually see the opening because your opponent is supposed to stay and be a target for you. Or you can try free sparring but switch attacking side with your partner. First, all you do is attack him/her, and then he/she attacks you. And you do this from free stance just moving around and try to see the opening as it presents itself. Or create an opening with a feint or a combination. The mental block thing could be another possibility. Perhaps you fear that you could actually hit someone? You said that your punches always come in too short which almost makes me think you are worried you could hit your opponent. In this case, it could help you to do a really slow match with a partner, maybe in one of the above mentioned settings (only one person attacking) and then really estimate the distance correctly and try to get in without actually hitting the person. Maybe just to touch their gi. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Much time has passed since then, and I agree wholeheartedly. I am experiencing this when doing techniques slowly or fast. I find that practicing with a bag or makiwara is also a good method to use. I agree on that. I have never had that state of mind doing kata but can reach this often when I do makiwara training.

I have the opposite problem. Too little control. Somehow, I am really trying to have control but I just tend to snap out of it. I guess this would be a topic for another thread, but maybe any of you has similar experiences and can tell me what you have done about it without sacrificing power/distance/speed?

Good, keep it up! The thought of never having a cigarette IS daunting but once you are over it and eliminated the idea that you HAVE to smoke, you won't be missing anything. Non-smokers don't miss anything either right? Nor will you!!

So.... how is it coming along? I hope it's not too hard and you can stick with it! Good luck!!!!

For me, like for everybody esle as it seems, it goes up and down too. It is usually tough for me to go through plateaus (or even lows) but in retrospect I always realize the value of it. The value I get out of these things is almost always of the psychological or mental kind, like to learn perseverance, for example. My longest and most tedious plateau was in the year before my Shodan examination and lasted for about 6 months. I was almost ready to quit, but what kept me going was the recollection of how much I used to love karate. I did train a little less and tried to do other things to get my mind off of the major karate rut I was in. But I never stayed away from the dojo for too long, because I think it is VERY easy to quit in a situation like this, when you don't get the satisfaction you are used to out of it. Eventually, as my exam came closer, I hiked it up a little and then after I passed my exam I went on this karate high that lasted at this intensity for a very long and satisfying time. So.... I guess my advice is: keep training! Perhaps a little less, but keep at it.

Congrats, Kez!!!!! Good decision, and don't let other people get you down. This is YOUR thing! What do you care about what everybody else has to say. I went through the same thing a couple of years ago and one thing I would like to assure you of and that you can keep in mind when it gets tough: you will feel it in your training. Soon. That can keep you going. Plus all the other benefits. In any case, I am sure you know about all the good things about quitting yourself so let me just again congratulate you and wish you all the best. Hang in there! It'll be worth it!!!!!!!

This is an interesting article. I would probably agree on the white-green-brown-black system with no more additional ranks to black. I especially liked the part about creativity. In my dojo, it is nurtured that you eventually make your karate YOUR karate, as you become more experienced. But this does certainly not go so far as to say "invent a new kata" or even just "come up with new ideas of teaching". It is more about personalizing your own karate. So I do think that a little more freedom for creativity couldn't hurt.

Hey there, I ride my bike all year long to work and karate and the grocery store and whereever I need to go. I find that I actually get sick less often than before I moved to where I live now and started biking every day. If you are hot but it is raining, I recommend buying a light rain coat. I always keep one at work and one at home. When it gets cold, bundle up. In other words, act according to the weather. It's a nice workout to ride your bike so keep it up!

If the Sensei in the other club asks you, I would be honest and tell him about your son's friends and that you feel self-conscious. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. As for your black belt: I agree with everybody that it is a realistic and attainable goal. However, try and don't put this in the front of your striving. Enjoy the journey! You'll learn so much on the way to black belt, that it would be a shame not to savor it along the way. And then, when you become a black belt, there is much more..... but I don't want to repeat the other posts. My advice is: Enjoy the journey!

I hardly ever have bad cramps but when I do, I find that karate does help. If you are not only crampy but also bloated, it helps even more. That's for me, anyways. But if you feel like you have to sit out because you are in so much pain, I would suggest trying some gentler exercise, like yoga, or stretching. Or self-train at home doing slow katas and stuff. Maybe by doing that you can get your body used to doing some exercises while your on your period.

I think there are countless benefits to MA training. I find that I have better reflexes and that I am just fitter, both of which translates into becoming a better athlete period. But also, as other people stated previously, I have noticed that I am calmer and more focused at other things I do. Work, for one thing. Arguments (or road rages ) for another. I am more aware of things too. Surroundings, other people, myself.

I keep having a ball with this website!!! I have never ever seen such an extremely entertaining website out there!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Good thread, evilgollum!! Anything you want to work on in more detail than you can in the dojo, i.e. stance work, certain combinations, kata.... Just as GOM said, you can slow it down and REALLY work on your form and basics. I also like to work with resistance tubes, for added resistance to punches and kicks.

I just really love it! Also, I discover new facets of myself and the interaction with others the more and longer I train, so my motivation could be summarized like this: It's something I love doing and there seems to be a never-ending flow of things to learn and to discover.

This is a good idea. I don't have a video right now but have a friend with a camera so maybe I can ask her to film me doing my mawashi geri. Thanks for your offer to check it!

The cute little white box appears when you click on the "quote" button in the right upper corner of a post and don't use the "reply" button.

Do you ejaculate blood?? I guess not - so why do you think it sucks the blood out of whatever muscle group? When you get an erection, then THIS is held up by the increased flow of blood but this blood will go back into the circulation when the erection goes away.... But in any case, I don't think that sex and adrenaline are connected. Someone else mentioned that adrenaline might be confused with testosterone here and I think so too. Testosterone is this male hormone that is responsible for male sexual aggressiveness, adrenaline is the fight and flight hormone in both men and woman that is triggered by fear rather than sex thus it is not depleted by sex.

Hi Smitty! To strength train without getting all big, try using a higher number of reps with lighter weights. Choose weights that you can lift for 15-20 reps, 2-3 sets, but not too light so you can lift them for more than that. This will give you the strength benefits you want without the bulk. Btw, I think that your calisthenics routine is pretty good for that too, but it's understandable that you want to switch things up a bit.