GOM

Before you go down that path, there a few things you need to consider: - What does your instructor think of this? Are you affiliated to a big organisation that has its own set standards for instructors? - Your instructor may be interested in teaching at the school with you as an assistant. - Make sure you and your students are going to be fully insured - Once you start teaching and giving up your own time, you will need to follow through. You can't just try it for a month and then stop. - If you teach for free, then you are implying your experience and ability is worthless. People expect to pay. Are you going to pay for mats, punch and kick bags, insurance, uniforms, advertising, phone, electricity, water, gas, etc. Grants are great but they are long and complicated to organise. They are just a few things you need to consider before jumping in.

Yes, but I heard it slightly different. I believe there is only one Gojushiho but a high ranking JKA teacher was taught an incorrect version, and to save face he simply called it Sho.

How old was Oyama when he moved to Japan? I thought he was only a chld? And even then I believe he moved to China for a period before moving back to Korea and then on to Japan? I am not sure. Off Topic - But there is a Korean movie called 'Fighter in the wind' about a comic book based very loosely on Oyama - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416499/ As for the modern kicks in Japanese karate - I would say the higher the kicks, the more interesting and appealing karate became to the public masses, and especially children. Controlled kicks to the body and head are a lot safer for children to practise as well. As for all the flashy kicks....I am not sure. Possibly Taekkyon, but then again there are a lot of dance moves that also look 'martial arty'.

Do Shiko Dachi instead - much better on the knees, hips, and ankles. When kiba and kokutsu were introduced into the shotokan kata there was little thought, or knowledge, on body mechanics. The idea behind these two stances, plus long zenketsu, was for the physical "benefits" for school children in the Physical Education karate program taught at schools.

I have competed in many competitions over 20+ years in both kata and kumite - WKF (WUKO) competitions mainly. However I think competition kata has ruined karate. Competition kata promotes bad muscle memory - hand to the hip after striking or blocking, long unnatural stances and movements, blocks and punches to the body, repetitive stop-start action, etc. The kihon practised in most dojo, and I was doing the same, is competition kata based. Many times we would move up and down the dojo in front stances practicing outside block, and then move back in backstance doing knife-hand block - all to make the competition kata prettier! This type of practice did not make my karate stronger, and in fact hindered my ability to defend myself because my muscle memory would be to punch to the body with a straight(ish) arm, or try and move back into an awkward backstance. And don't even get me started on Hangetsu-Dachi.... Thoughts?

There is a fair bit of information about Kojo Ryu in the book Okinawan Karate by Mark Bishop. It is Chapter 3. Check the book out if you have it.

6 Days - Monday - Friday 3:30pm - 9:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm

We have two types of stances - One for kata performance, and one for karate.

You have to ask yourself who are you targetting? Newbies? Those who have trained before? Both? instructor bio/pictures - Great, but unless the instructors are models, I think it looks unprofessional. all 4 locations listed - Great! How about a google map as well? a virtual picture tour of our studios -Another great one! we have a picture page - Yep, I like it! Make sure you choose the pictures carefully though. history page - Good one. affiliations page - Good if they are quality affiliations. links page - Who are you linking? Other MA clubs? Not a good idea if they are in your area, ut if they aren't, why not! students page - Members section? ranking system page - Not needed IMO. FAQ page - Not needed as you should answer the FAQ in other sections. terminology page - Again, not needed. Chuck it in the members section. a news page, for updates/events, etc - Yep great. a rules page - Not needed. Members section. and a rank requirements page. - Same as above. We are also in the stage of giving our club's website a facelift. Just remember to keep it simple, neat, and informative.

I would rather not mention them in public mate, but send me a PM if you wish.

^^ The many resources given to me from my father have helped my acquire a fair amount of knowledge.

Itosu was assisted in his work by Hanashiro and Yabu.. both former students of Bushi Matsumura. The history of karate as written down is often contadictory but Itosu and Higashionna (Higaonna Jap.- BTW Miyagi's teacher) both submitted proposals for an indigeneous MA program to be included in the Okinawan Schools Phys. Ed. curriculum. Itosu's program was selected and originally it was known as Toudi (Tote Jap.) but later, the name Karate was coined firstly by Hanashiro Chomo in a book on Kumite and some 20 years later promoted (the name that is) by Funakoshi (Itosu's student) and accepted in Japan and Okinawa (ref.the 1936 Okinawa Master's meeting). Itosu determined 14 kata for the new MA program and made a number of changes. With PE in mind, the exercise routines were better balanced to train both sides of the body but still with a definite right side bias to suit the majority of potential students. These kata included Pinan/Heian, Naifanchi, Passai. Kushanku, Chinto, and Gojushiho. Itosu removed dangerous techniques by making some strikes into blocks, changed targets from the head to the body and raised kicks from lower to mid levels. This was the karate initially introduced into Japan. Some of these kata were later modified again by Funakoshi (Funakoshi Kempo), Nakayama (JKA Shotokan), Mabubi (Shitoryu) and Ohtsuka (Wadoryu). All added and subtracted kata but the majority followed the new karate formulae and changed targets, etc. Miyagi taught at after school karate programs but it was some 14 years later before his program was accepted into the Okinawan School system. Goju is the new kid on the block and based on a slightly different technology to Matsumura's te which evolved into karate.

For sport kumite, kicking with the instep is much safer (for the person kicking) than using the ball of the foot. But for SD, kicking with the shin is far better than the instep. There is a bigger range with your shin v instep, and the shin is much stronger. In SD situations, kicking above the waist is a big no no.

NorthernDragon - I call it shoto as it wasn't the Shotokan taught by Nishiyama or Nakayama, but pre-JKA karate. We did Shoto(kan) kata, but a little different to how JKA or SKI did theirs. I guess we were practising shoto based karate before the JKA modernised and changed the P.E karate system. We would always have a bit of a chuckle at those who practised mawashi geri with the ball of the foot.

^^ For the person executing the kick with the ball of the foot. I practised shoto based karate for 15 years, but never did the kick with the ball of the foot. I think it is a JKA (and offshots) version.