Holland

I face this alot in my school. Some students are great about respecting a well controlled technique and some, well, they just have to be hit to understand. I love fighting with someone who can knock my head off without actually doing the damage. It makes for a fun fight and is a good learning experience. What I have found, is that it is best to say things like "nice front kick, too bad you would have been spitting teeth after that backfist I just pulled" or something to that extent. Of course it works even better when I am not actually in the match, but commenting from the side.

Guess what it comes down to is that I do not train weapons to kill people with a nunte bo. But then again, I do not train karate to kill people with my bare hands either.

I plan to go this summer if possible. I have a really busy summer though. I have tons of friends who have been to "little okinawa" but I have not had the chance yet. I have heard nothing but good things about the camp though.

I play guitar and bass. I have done both in bands. I also have had a couple of songs published.

Due to my instructor closing his school I did not train much from 95-2000. I would suck it up and find a new instructor sooner. I also would not get any credit cards....and I would ditch the girl I dated for 5 years alot sooner. I would also stockpile gas....

I have superhumanly strong toes. I can literally lift a 30 pound dumbell off the ground just by gripping it in between my big toe and the second toe. When I find a way to market this talent into a million dollars I will let you know.

Kyoshi Doug Perry for me. (shorinryu shorinkan) First he was a great speaker...entertaining and interesting. Secondly the guy knows a ton about karate and knows how to relate it. Just an overall great seminar.

I see where you are coming from Jaymac...but how much does it really cost to open the building? I am not saying people should not charge to test...but I think people use it as a money making device for a dojo. (not saying your school is...just an observation of other schools) This can lead to an instructor testing people early or undeservingly just because of the income it brings in. As I have said, I have no rent....so when I test I charge six bucks a test, because that is what the belt costs me. For black belt I personally buy the candidates heavy weight shureido belt out of my own pocket. It is a gift from me to the student. There is no fee to test for black belt at my dojo.

I run my own school and while I do not have any single unforgiveable rule, we have an on going joke about the importance of rule number 1. Rule number 1: Don't throw up on Sensei. This rule allows any student who may break this rule otherwise, to head to the bathroom if needed. Really I am not a freak about getting barfed on, but if you were to ask any of my kids class members what the first rule of the dojo was, that is what they would say. I did have to dismiss an adult student about a year ago...but that was not for breaking one single rule...she broke about every rule, and a bunch of times. I was actually more patient with her than I needed to be.

Sorry to hear that. I had a friend go through that (basketball injury, not karate) and it was a hassle for him. Good luck in your rehabilitation.

You can always tell the students that practice from the ones who don't. Be one of the latter. Good luck!

Have you never used a pair of sais or tonfa? I am going to assume you have not. First if you use a pair of sais for more than half an hour rigorously, then you will feel how much it works out your wrists and forearms. Same for Tonfa...a great arm workout. Does this not add to your punching power? Punching or stabbing with a sai is not all that different that punching without one. Moreover the focus expended on using a weapon correctly can only enhance and improve your open hand kata. I see it every day at the dojo I run. Students who learn weapons become better karatekas and the ones who skimp on their weapons training never refine certain techniques. Now I am not coming at this as an incompetent buffoon...given, my original style of karate was Isshinryu...which is somewhat weak on kobudo. BUT in recent years I have extended by training by working out with a local Kobudo master who has taught me a ton of great weapons techniques. Plus I think that you are totally thinking inside the box when it comes to weaponry. Have you ever wielded a pair of wooden tekkos? If you can not see the similarity in open hand technique and tekko technique then you are of course blind. Do with your training as you will though. I do not train with traditional weaponry to fight with it. But then again, I do not take karate to fight either...as through training I have found a peace that allows me to avoid such confrontations. Basically there is only a slightly larger chance that on a daily basis that I will have to put the beat down on someone with my bare hands and feet than there is that I will have to do likewise with a pair of tonfa. None the less, I train at both disciplines very hard.

A lot of what we train in weapons affects our open hand karate as well. Many of the movements are similar to our open hand techniques. But at the core of it I like weapons training on a personal level.... just a preference I guess. Given, I do not train with the thought of actually having to kill someone with a pair of sais, but then again I don't exactly get into many open hand scuffles either.

Open hand Seisan, Seiuchin, Wansu, Chinto, Kusanku, Sanchin, Sunsu, Ananku, Passai, Naihanchi Sho-dan, Naihanchi Ni-dan. Weapons Sai: Kyan No Sai, Chatan Yara no Sai, Shinte No Sai, Tsuruken Haku No Sai, and Isshinryu's Kusanku Sai. Bo: Tokumine No Kun, Urashi Bo, Shishi No Kun no Dai, Koga Ryu Bo San, Koga Ryu Bo Yo. Kama: Kusari No Kama, Kusari No Geri Tonfa: Isshinryu's Version of Hamahiga Jo: Jo Sho (Akido roots) Nunte Bo: Shorinryu Shorinkan Nunte Bo, Nunte Bo (Odo) Eku: Shorinryu shorinkan no Eku dai Ich Tekko: Takemyoshi No Tekko dai Ich. and such

The leadership of the last organization I was with (the USIKA) got together and voted to remove me from the group. (Nice buncha guys) Anyhow, my instructor really stood next to me during this. Even before hand my loyalties were with my sensei, but now it is even much more so.

While my background is in Isshinryu, I am about to test for my shodan in kobudo in a shito ryu school. The instructor has competed at an international level and still alot of what you say is rather narrow in scope. The most advanced kata I know is from the Koga Ryu style (their 4th bo kata) It is a beast and uses the entire length of the bo throughout the kata. You hold the bo in thirds perhaps half of the time...certainly not "always." Moreover, you just do not beat on yourself during the kata, or any kata that I have learned. I am not saying that this is not done, I am just saying that it is foolishness to believe that it is necessary to do this to be competitive. Moreover this kata has many back stances in which the back leg is bent...once again debunking what you are saying. I am not defending isshinryu bo katas nor even discussing the kobudo Shimabuku taught. His own knowledge of weapons was limited by all accounts and that is partly why I sought out a new weapons instructor from another style. Do not think that just because my roots are in Isshinryu that I have the narrow view that many in my style have. As you mentioned, Tokumine, Urashi and Shishi are all held in thirds...but those are not very advanced katas and I was in no means refering to them. Isshinryu is a good style...no doubt. But it is not the end all of end alls in karate. I realize this, and I also realize that I have alot to learn still. Moreover in realizing this, I would never dare to make statements blanketing all katas into a few simple rules, that in truth, are ficticious. We certainly have to disagree, and with respect.

Oracle, I think you are taking whatever style you take and generalizing it for all styles. If you are doing a kata that is always in thirds with the exception of baseball swinging it, then I would have to assume that you have not learned all that many bo katas and not too many really advanced ones. While your comment holds true for many katas, it certainly does not apply for all. In Isshinryu katas we do not have a straight back leg in our bo katas. Our stances are very upright and I have seen plenty of good katas done this way. As for the striking yourself hard comment....I guess we will just have to disagree on that. I am not tournament illiterate, having been going to a few a year for the past 17 years now, and while I have seen some good kata where it looks like the practicioner has beat the crap outta himself with his weapon, I have also seen many who can look crisp and powerful without hardly striking themselves at all. I just really doubt that an okinawan master such as Taira Shinken taught his students to beat the snot out of their arms and ribs with their own weapons....that just does not compute with me. It also goes against all kobudo training I have received. (which is a relatively significant amount) Anyhow...to each his own. Just be careful about generalizing.

Wow...due to the fact that I don't have a rent payment I only charge ten bucks a month per student. Test fee is six bucks...because that is what the belt cost me.

I am definately a left legged side kicker. My bread and butter for sure.

Imagine what that last gi would look like with a yellow or orange belt.

The first is not true in many Bo katas. There are many times in the katas I know where you slide the weapon down to the end and use the full length. While as a whole the weapon is kept in thirds...(about 80 percent of the time in our katas) it certainly is not "always." The second is not true for the most part either....people who beat themselves up during the kata are kinda defeating the purpose. Most of the good Bo competitors I know do not hit themselves very hard with the weapon. Three is true. As for number four...not all stances in every style have an unbent back leg...so be careful about stereotyping there too...

I too use martialartssupermarket I also use https://www.wwmas.com

I play mostly sports games such as the Madden and NCAA series on PS2, Baseball games, basketball and NASCAR. In the past I played a goodly amount of everquest online as well.

I prefer Bo katas, but the jo is more practical as there are many things you can find in a street situation that resemble a jo.

I practice the eku as well. I have been learning it through the Kobudo class I take from the local Shito ryu instructor. Neat weapon.