Sensei Mark

Osu, the belt loop does go at the front. It is used to stop the tied ends working themselves up your stomach and keeps it centered on the navel. The gi pants, has a back and front with regards to where the two ties go, so genrally you would stretch out the ties untill the back part of your pants are tight enough and then thread them through the front loop and tie as you please. This tends to stop the ties becoming too tight across the navel etc.

Osu, In the Kyokushin Karate system, we tend to follow the Japanese pronunciation for some of the techniques and we then add our own language interpretation for what they are called. One of the reasons why we use so much Japanese in our system and classes is so that what ever country one is visiting and training in, one can generally get a hold on hearing the Japanese names of the techniques and can pretty much follow along. This is not intended to discribe in detail, but more of a general gauge as to what technique is being taught etc. I could just imaging travelling to 10 different countries and training in 10 different dojos, with 10 dirrent languages to contend with. But when we hear, Chudan Tsuki, - We get it Jodan Uke - We get it Mawashi Geri - We get it Even if the person saying the name of the technique has a strong accent: 99 times out of 100 - You will get it. Got it?

Yes Simo, i am in Tamworth, NSW. My daughter is doing her Medical Degree at Coffs Uni. BTW: I love Coffs, nice and green lush in many parts. I had a freeride mountain bike film screened as a finalist at the Cool Banana Film Festival in Coffs last year, they screened my film at the Novatel, very plush.. cheers

Because training is so varied with regards to traditional formats, i will outlay a typical day when my boys & myself were training for Kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts when our Karate Tournaments are out of season so too speak. Start the day with: Stretch 6-8km jog Incorporating short Sprints Skipping 15 to 20 mins straight. (nice warm up) 5 x 3 mins shadowbox ( incorporating punchs, kicks, knees and elbow strikes) 10 x 3 mins Bagwork 5 x 3 mins Thai Pad work Shadowbox 5 x 3 min rds ab work (crunchs, leg rasiers etc) 500 Low Kicks right leg, 500 low kicks left leg to the long heavy bag Sparring 6 to 10 - 3 min rds Shadow again to bring the body back down, and stretch out. Alternate days we would swim, 1000, mtrs local pool Strength training with weights mountain running with medium weighted backpack. This does NOT include regular classes i needed to take 6 days a week. the result of this training can be found on my fight record at: http://marktysondojo.com/sensei.htm

Those well know Kyokushin names to progress to K1 Superstar Status: Andy Hug Francisco Fihlio Nick Pettas Glaub Fotosia Sam Greco Michael Thompson Peter Graham

Just found this site, but am not sure how far it is from you. http://www.loughboroughkarate.co.uk/

Osu RichardGregory Fun maybe not the word, but the ale's and company after the grading at the after part presentations certainly were. It took me a couple of weeks untill the bumps and bruises dissapeared, but fond memories indeed, (as i recall myself trying to walk down the stairs when the legs were smashed up). But this is when we learn that: "Ice can be your best friend!"

aaahh the memories of Gradings. Ok, lets go back to the middle of a super hot summer in 1987. Dojo is full and the temprature is draining, 3hrs30mins basics including idogeko (moving basics) then Kata (16 different ones) Tamashiwari (Breaking) Broards, Seiken and Shuto. Then the Gruelling Kyokushin Karate 40 Man Kumite: 40 Fights, 2 mins each with a fresh opponent every round, with no drink, toilet, or rest breaks in between the fighting rounds. Osu

The Style of Kyokushin Karate The Japanese refer to Mas Oyama's Kyokushin karate as kenka karate, meaning "brawling" or "brutal" karate. But Mas Oyama tells his students "Kenka karate ja-nai! Budo karate da!" which translates to "This is not brawling karate! It's budo karate! One look at a Kyokushin karate tournament reveals the answer. Kyokushin karate fighters in Knockdown style tournaments are among the fiercest in the world. Many Kyokushin Karate students consider themselves modern day Samurai, by following Mas Oyama's teachings encompassed the Budo / Bushido fighting spirit and attitude. This spirit which is seen in demanding training sessions, gradings & tournaments is very evident of this. At World level competitions there are no weight classes; a fight ends only when one fighter proves beyond doubt his superiority, which can mean his opponent may be flat on the mat and may need to be carried away on a stretcher. Kyokushin Karate is Power Karate! Why does Sosai Oyama refer to it as "budo karate"? Perhaps because kyokushin fighters personify the budo (warrior) concept better than any other karate stylists. Through his budo karate, Sosai Oyama has indeed revived the Japanese spirit in terms of the positive characteristics of bushido, the " way of the warrior," which was so much of the culture of feudal Japan. In a modern world of peace and unification, many have forgotten this ancient code and see no need for the old warrior ethic but in a time when it is no longer necessary to carry a sword for personal protection, the discipline of budo recreates in the hearts of its followers the do-or-die attitude of living life by the unspoken law of the sword. And that law is: Be prepared to sacrifice. Always remember that all Karate-ka, whether black belt or beginner who is totally ignorant to the teachings of Karate, train in the same dojo & on the same floor. All practice the same techniques and aspire toward the same ideals. Therefore, all are governed by the same requirements of etiquette.

Osu mid life crisis, Ideally organising your trip abroad to include contacting possible instructors which you intend to enquire about participating in their classes would no doubt be proper ettiquet. But of course, life being as it is sometimes makes this not possible. I would then locate the dojo, find out the class times and then visit and introduce yourself and i am sure that the instructor would welcome you into their club to train. We tend to be like that here in Oz!

ahhh, thats it, "freestyle/xma Thats the problem, freestyle/xma No one knows what the hell that is, its not a style or form but something created to look good but with not much substance. You might as well take up ballet, or dancing.

Yes it is easy to see the mongrelisation of the traditional arts. After reviewing quite a few so called traditional martial arts demos on cable TV recently as well as the format that is put forward, i tend to see that Americans seem to be the ones who do the flashy demos with a more gymnastical approach as opposed to tradition. I may be wrong, but Americans seem to like to change / alter / or edit the traditional martial arts content out of their styles and add / create / modify techniques to suit the competition. This long term approach to dialuting their martial arts no doubt contributes to the standard of actuale fighting skills. NOTE: This is not a pregidous statement but more of an observation as to how the world (from my point of view) views American Martial Arts when we see it advertised on Cable. This is also one of the reasons i prefer the Japanese Arts, as they see the benefits of traditional technique as opposed to some sort of strange so called martial arts competition which would look more comfortable in a Circus.

Possibly TV and the Media have contributed to what some may see as Martial Arts, but at the end of the day, i prefer to train under a doctrin which even though modifies techniques slightly and over a reasonable period of time, still keeps the "Traditional Art of Karate" in mind.

Osu, You are welcome!

Their are no secrets...

Now this is an interesting question, considering i have recently seen seen a few of those I.S.K.A Forms Tournaments held in the USA i think on ESPN which gives the competitiors the chance to do their Kata/Forms and or Weapons Forms to music whilst in their martial arts attire. What can be said about them? hhhmmm To me it is like ripping tradition away and showcasing, demonstrating, advertising, marketing the martial arts as a gymnastical dance with no real interpretation of spirit other that seeing who can scream the loudest or longest. I sit and am very amused at the sight of the competitors jumping around and doing spins, summersaults, twists and turns and some of them even have weapons as i think "what has this got to do with martial arts?" The music is blaring and the whole event is based around this weird entertainment being displayed by all ages alike. Now i have nothing against what i have described to you, exceopt the fact that its advertised and marketed on TV / Cable as Martial Arts. Sorry as its soooo far from this that its not funny. Now lets quickly talk about the "Breaking I.S.K.A Championships where all the crazy looking dudes go onstage and do the breaks to music. Its like The Dukes of Hazard meets WFW... enough said!

Osu Kez, Its a pity that your club does not have things setup so as to allow young adults or adults to compete. Competition regardless of what anyone says can benefit the student like no other challenge in their martial arts training. It is akin to learning how to swim but doing it onland and not actually touching the water, getting a feel of what the body experiences when one plunges in! Competition even though looks to be set up in a winners are grinners type of thing, is one of those events in our art that allows us to face our fears, to challenge oneself and to put oneslef under pressure is a sure way to learn about yourself very quickly. What i would suggest to you is: 1, Look around your area for tournaments using rules similure to your own 2, See if you are able to take part 3, Speak to your instructor to see if they will support you 4, Read the Tournament Rules and train accordenly 5, Compete and learn a little more about Kez Good Luck!

In all styles their can generally be found a combination of the Hard and the Soft. It is the Yin and Yang of the Martial Arts which taken as a whole allows the student a better roundness to their style. Seeing the original topic poster referred to himself as a beginner to the study of the martial arts, maybe it would better serve your needs to firstly train for awhile and as such the answers may present themselves.

Osu here is a overview on our knockdown rules when in competition: The winner shall be determined on full point (IPPON) or at time one half point (WAZA-ARI). Two half points awarded will constitute one full point. 1, Full point win - IPPON: With the exception of techniques which are fouls and not allowed by the contest rules, any technique that connect and instantaneously downs the opponent for longer than 3 seconds, scores a full point. When a contestant informs the referee or judges that he is beaten as the result of techniques allowed within the contest rules, his opponent shall be awarded a full point. A serious foul by or the disqualification of a contestant will automatically give the other contestant the win in a contest. 2. Half point win - WAZA-ARI : Where a contestant is knocked down by a technique allowed within the contest rules and regain a standing position within 3 seconds, a half point can be awarded to his opponent. The (downed) opponent will be allowed to continue with the contest only if in opinion of the referee he is fit to do so. This will be after consultation with the doctor, at the referees discretion. When an opponent is downed with a technique including foot sweeps and a well focused but non-contact technique is followed through, WAZA-ARI is awarded. Any attack to the opponents head, face, neck with the open hand, fist or any part of the arm. Except in exceptional circumstances, this will normally merit an automatic disqualification Kicks to the groin. Head thrust or butts. Kicks to any part of the knee Grabbing or holding an opponent or his/hers DOGI. Elbow strikes to any part of the opponents back. Striking or kicking an opponent who has been downed, unless the attack immediately follows the sweep or downing techniques. in which case contact is not allowed. Making an attack from the floor after having been downed by the opponent. (This should not be confused with an opponent defending himself whilst on the floor). Failing to obey the referee's instructions during the bout. Any other techniques or practice that the referee of the contest shall decide is improper or unfair. osu.

I am sorry if i came across cocky or arrogant those were not my intentions. My words came out wrong in the explantaion of what i was tryin to say. Osu sempai, no apologies needed as i did not take it the way you assumed. Your heart is in the right place, and it is this which contributes to our perserverance when we forget why we do what we do. Our beloved Martial Arts are very special to us all as it is this "Gateway" into the world of warriors which makes it so. Gambatte my friend (Go Hard) and as Sosai Oyama once said: "In the Martial Arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see contemplation on your actions as an opportunity to improve." Feel free to visit my forum one day Osu Sensei Mark

Osu Sempai Brandon. I do not personally have a clip online at the moment (although im working on it) but if you visit: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4845922824597238061&q=Karate and checkout this bit of Kyokushin video footage (Brazil i think) it will give you an idea of the style of roundkick which we ourselves in kyokushin generally use. It has a good assortment of good basic knockdown techniques and combinations which are very effective and are very good for free sparring and Tournaments.

Your evaluation is correct in that lifting the knee from a side position is theirfor a larger movement, hence easier to see and theirfor easier to defend. But you miss the point of any technique applyed in kumite to be successfull must also incorporate timing. If the timing is correct then it becomes very difficult to block even if seen, as the split second reaction time can be lost. The general opposite theory, where the knee lift is from the front can be less easier to see but the trade off is less power because of less hip rotation availability. As you know kumite or sparring can be unpredictable and as such their are many moments when fighting that the knee lift is neither side nor front but a mixture of the two depending on distance, balance etc Nothing is locked in as it is more of a basic guide to a variety of technical suttlties.

Osu Sempai Punisher, do not be fooled, as situations of expectations very rarley present themselves in a time of ones own choosing. Even the most gifted and highly trained Martial Artists does not always relax when they find themselves in a fight situation and being that relax is not really an instinctive reaction, as you do not want to be "too" relaxed. I have had over 150 full contact bouts in my career, and be it fight #1 or fight #100 i was never relaxed, more like a controlled rage inside to pump up the fighting spirit and keep the mental demons away. The adrenalin is dumping at a huge rate, and only experience allows the fighter to stay calm. Now i do not think that taking a beating will do anyone any good if the beating is a headbutt to the face coupled with a few foot stomps to the head while your down and even smashing your face into the cement for good measure. Their are all sorts of beatings my friend, but to state that you can take one may be not the best approach to the question. Remember The beating my be something you never recover from! With this attitude to yourself and your art, i am sorry but you will "not" be prepared!

Osu, Believe or not most of the students who find them selves in a martial arts club or dojo end up their for reasons other than actually learning to fight. Some come to get fit, others are their to try & lose weight or improving their confidence by achieving small goals such as traing, gradings and competing, others want some dicipline in their lives and others just come because they want to be involved in some sort of group activity where they can meet new people and make new friends. Most of the kids come because their parents see that the martial arts offer "all" of the above to those that try their hand at the Martial Arts and as such see that their training is a major investment where at the end of the day even after 1 week of training the parents already have started to see the benefits. Then their is that very small pool of students who want to compete in tournaments, we then have to break that down again to: Kata Competition, Non Contact , Semi Contact & Full Contact Competition etc The great thing about competing in the Martial Arts is that the training for the students is like a mirror, we cannot lie to ourselves when we look at it, we cannot become lazy or complacent, even when your teacher turns their back it is not a time to relax and take a breather because "you know" that this is incorrect. As we continue to train we look at that mirror every day and with this come a realisation that the Martial Arts is a "Gateway" to other unknown possibilities! Osu

Osu Karate_Kid2, If you have been training for 3 years , and you are finding it difficult to communicate with your instructor then this is a major problem for not only you but i am sure that if you are in this position at your dojo, then their are probably others as well. If this is too difficult for your teacher to communicate with you, what will happen when you are training for your Black Belt? I have to agree with aefibird on this one, as things like may do not improve and a new Club/Style should possibly be considered, even if it is in the back of your mind. An instructors job/responsibility is to improve the charecteristics of the participants and one of these is knowing and demonstrating on "all" occasions that the ability to communicate information to students is very important. If he cannot communicate to you what yours needs are when he is in the dojo. How on earth will he be able to do so when you are competing when their "is" actuale pressure on him? Lets not forget at the end of the day when you compete, you do not do so only in your name, wether you like it or not, you are also competing for your family name, your fellow students, your instructor and your dojo or club Osu