GOM

Within my Karate school, we have a seperate Kobudo class. We don't have a belt system, instead we use Mudansha and Yudansha. Grading for Yundansha - Bo Kihon no Bo (fundamentals) Bo Kumigata (two-person set) Tenryu no Kon, Shuji no Kon, Tonfa Kihon no Tonfa (fundamentals) Tonfa Kumigata (two-person set) Sai Kihon no Sai (basics exercise) Sai Kumigata (two-person set) Matsumura no Sai Nunchaku Taira Nunchaku Kata Nunchaku Kumigata (Bo vs Nunchaku set) Kama Kanegawa no Kama Kama Kumigata (Bo vs Kama set)

I don't think a kick to the body is any better than a kick to the face in terms of self defense. There is a high chance your attacker will grab your foot/leg if you kick any higher than groin height. Just a side note, I find side snap kick to be totally useless. It is not a natural kick and has no value - ie. useless in a self defense situation, and a waste of time in kumite. The only place you see it is in kata, and when karate was inroduced into Japanese schools as a means of fitness, they changed side kick from a thrusting kick to the knee, to a snap kick to the body. This was meant for flexibilty and safety for school children and the wider community.

Karate and Kobudo are two different Martial Arts. Granted a lot of karate schools do include kobudo, but they are not related. 'Karate' (China/Empty hand) never had weapons in it's syllabus, as karate was formed for Japanese school children as a means of fitness, stretching and sport.

Fav kata to practise at home - Hanashiro Jion, Aragaki Niseishi, Yabu Gojushiho and Matsumura Passai. For competition - Heiku, Suparenpei, Annan and Chatanyara Kusanku.

Mmm...only had a brief look at the site, but doesn't look all that appealing to me. Too much focus on Shotokan for my liking, but for those interested in Shotokan and Japanese Karate, it could be of some use.

Yeah I clicked it a couple of times and got through. I registered myself so hopefully it is will be good.

Weren't the white uniforms and belt system an import from Dr. Kano's judo system? As such, they really aren't tied to "traditional" Okinawan Karate. I am not sure about the white uniform, but I believe the belt system comes from Japanese swimming. As long as they aren't wearing coloured uniforms (i.e green. blue, pink etc), then I classify them as a traditional karate school.

Brendon, your reply did answer my question very well, thank you very much. I 100% agree with what you said. I also refer to a traditional karate school as one who practises kata that can be linked back to the original form, as well as a white uniform, belt system and no frills. My dojo went through the same situation as you are in now. My instructor (father) started his karate career practising an off shoot of Shotokan, Heian kata through to the advanced, with all the usual stances, blocks and kicks. For almost 30 years he did shotokan until he decided to go back to older style kata, Pinan, Passai, Nihanchi and so forth. From then on, we haven't looked back. Our knees, hips and other joints dont hurt anymore. We scrapped a lot of excess baggage we didn't need, and really got down to the core of karate and what we thought worked and didn't work. Anyway, sorry about the waffling on, but thought I would share with you what our dojo went through.

Couple of broken toes and fingers and numerous bruises, but the big one was when I was 13 and got a front fist to the eye from a South African bloke during a WKF World Cup. The b@stard detached my retina! The referee only awarded a warning and the doctor told me to ice it......hrm, something wrong on both accounts there.

So you practise Shotokan kata? Do you think this is "traditional" karate or sport karate?

What traditional kata do you practise and win with?

I like the old and new aspects of karate. I enjoy practising and teaching old style karate and kata but also enjoy the sporting side, be it kumite or kata.

Why not practise kata with these blocks in them??? If you are going to do some self training, it is better practising kata than practising standard blocks.

Yes, I am a 4th Dan and have been training for almost 20 years. I agree with what you are saying, but having to do all the basics in a black belt test seems time consuming to me. The kata that most schools are going to test you on for your black belt should include all the kihon that you practise in the dojo. If the practitioner hasn't been able to show they understand the basics of kata/kumite/karate, they shouldn't be allowed to test for black belt.

Use a mirror. Slow down your techniques, check to make sure your fist is really on your hip and your elbow is tucked in.. You shouldn't be able to see a hole though your body and elbow. Using the mirror, check your feet position in stances, make sure they are facing the correct way. The dojo is used for training with partners, home is used for correcting your own techniques.

Absolutely nothing. The same as a 5 mile run, 500 push ups, 500 sit ups or anything else you can do at a gym.

I have no idea why a black belt test should nclude basic kihon. The practioner should already have a fairly decent grasp of the kihon by being graded to 1st Kyu. If you are worried about their kihon, watch their kata, especially the early kata as it is kihon related. I think a lot of clubs waste too much time on kihon repitition standing on the spot or moving forward and back when kata has all the kihon you need. And if the kata doesn't have the kihon you practise, why practise the kihon then?

A stick is just as dangerous as a knife if the practioner has the correct training and ability.

I also think that the statement indicating a dojo that charges fees to upgrade is a McDojo to be somewhat ridiculous. I run a full-time Dojo and the only way I really survive is to receive money for gradings. Thanks for your views.

I was looking at the "McDojo" link in wikipedia and came across this - Another frequently seen McDojo practice is charging a fee per belt test or per actual advancement in rank within a particular school. This is frequently combined with creating additional levels of rank within a school, making a school known as a “Belt Factory.” Is this seen as a money grabbing scheme? What does your dojo do in this situation?

You can also type in "McDojo" into wikipedia and it will tell you everything you need to know. Also, type in Go Kan Ryu and that also talks about McDojo's.

Makiwara training (partner training) is supposed to be about timing, distance and speed. It has absolutely nothing to do with conditioning your hand/knuckles. The traditional makiwara post can be supplemented with a punch/kick shield/bag as well as a partner. The makiwara post is/was meant to be used in your own time at home, whereas other makiwara (shield/bag/partner) is suposed to be used at the dojo. Using makiwara (post, shield, partner) is absolutely vital in Martial Arts, otherwise you are strking thin air.