Holland

My name here is just my last name....My nickname among friends used to be "son of kong" or "Kong" but I stopped using that as a message board handle a few years back when I caused a bit of controversy of the Isshinryu OIKKA forums.

They are designed, as a saftely feature, to break at the end if pushed too far, BUT actionflex will fix them for free for the first year so its all good. Plus Kyoshi Abbott is a really nice guy.

Great stuff, really. We do chanbara at my dojo (https://www.capefearisshinryu.com) and we have around 12 chokens, a couple of bos, and a couple of short swords. The actionflex stuff, while somewhat expensive is well designed and blocks and strikes well. I bought a century knock off and it was horrible...was basically like fighting with a swimming pool noodle. I highly recommend their products.

I like the two handed weapons...Bo, Nunte-bo, and Eku. Those are probably my favorites, though we also train in Sai, Tekko, Kamas, Jo etc...

I agree with that...especially if the person has bills to pay dealing with the arts. To charge is not wrong, to gouge prices is though.

I like Nirvana, Counting Crows, Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, The Police etc...

My father was a professional blue grass guitarist while I was growing up, so I was heavily encouraged to learn guitar. Of course I rebelled, but then chose to learn how to play while I was in my teens. (not blue grass though) Electrically I play a Fender Telecaster out of an Ultrachorus amp....Acoustically I have a Guild D-25 (1975) that sounds pretty good. I mostly play rock and alternative...though I have had a couple of country songs published.

Of the three listed, I would go with the bo. Are those your only possible choices?

When I started teaching my wife became one of my first students...so I would have to say that she has been very supportive. Now Karate is not her passion, but she has done well enough to get to black belt, though at her own pace for sure. Sometimes my passion for karate irritates her, but when all is weighed out I am pretty lucky to have a wife who is willing to put in time at the dojo.

My Kobudo instructor, learns his weapons from Kyoshi Perry and I have met the man several times... Good Lineage of Karate you are in to. Good luck in your training.

I guess he thinks you are going to move the sword in slow motion. Unless this guy has reflexes like the Flash, I just can not see it as possible.

No way. You have reach and he would have to hit you to stun you. You would cut him into pieces.

Alas, I am not allowed to date anyone at my school... Of course, my wife is a black belt at my school, so you can imagine that she would not take too kindly to me going out with one of the other students. As for everyone else, its all good at my school.

Most Okinawan karate styles teach Bo...Isshinryu, shorinryu, etc...

I know five bo katas in all, the three of Isshinryu, and two I have learned from my kobudo instructor. Probably my favorite weapon to work with all in all.

Good Luck...so what belt is 6th kyu for you guys? In my school Rok-kyu is blue belt.

Should have probably listed Isshinryu on that list....can't imagine there are more uechi-ryuists than isshinryuists that post here.

I too agree with most people on this forum, except this guy... What a jerk. I mean, maybe you did not mean it to come off this way, but you really sound like the "I am too good for a belt" type. Plus you kinda talked down on the guy. Anyhow...enough on that. It is never fun to have something like that happen, but just remember that karate is a marathon and not a 100 meter dash. Your goal is to get to black belt...to GET there. When you run a marathon, you do it to finish...just finishing on your feet is a worthy accomplishment. Same applies here. Keep plugging away, it will all work out.

I am not allowed to dogs/cats at my duplex...so I have a hamster. His name is Sanchin.

It was in his signature, which apparently he changed. Oh well.

Outta curiousity...at 120lbs, how tall are you? That seems too thin to me, but if you are 5'4 or so then I guess not. Granted, I am looking through the eyes of a 6'2, 235lb guy.

I think mine would be spelled "Ouussss" or "oo-uhhhs" but mine vary.

This was a good article....and I agree with almost all of it. The part about humility made me laugh because I see alot of it in my home dojo. You see the problem is that my Sensei is a truly humble person. The students in our dojo (my sensei's dojo) all see this and try desperately to act in the same manner. The trouble is, that it is not genuine and thus comes off as showy and kinda pathetic. Its entertaining to watch students have a "humility contest." But its kinda sad because most people can see that its a total show.

As an isshiryuist I have always thought that the mizu gami was really gaudy. I prefer the fist shaped one personally, but even that is a bit much for me. The one I dislike the most is the one (not pictured) that makes the water goddess look like a google eyed cartoon freak. Sadly, it is the mizu gami that you see most often, especially in my part of the country.

I was by no means calling isshinryu perfect or pure. I love some of the things that shimabuku did...like the vertical fist and the more natural narrow stances. On the other hand I dislike doing the opening moves of seiuching in a straight line and some of the other kata changes as well I think Isshinryu is a wonderful style to go from white belt to about ni-dan in. Unfortunately with only 8 open hand katas and 6 weapons, there is not too much left to learn for isshinryuists after 2nd degree. This is why many of my old dojomates have left karate...it simply got boring. As I am the type that thinks there is always something left to learn, I started training at a shitoryu school under an instructor that is a 5th dan in okinawan kobudo. I am on the verge of testing for sho-dan in that and I have incorporated it into my own classes. I also have started learning shitoryu open hand kata as well and I plan to incorporate that down the line too.