fosforlu

I have a bad back too. It's a skeletal problem and doesn't interfere much with training as long as I'm careful. I agree with the above posts about seeing a doctor. You might end up in a lot of pain some day if you don't have it checked out. I don't think seeing a chiropractor is the best idea. I know people who've had HORRIBLE experiences with them and some who've had good experiences. Go see a doctor first, if you decide to have your back checked out.

"hiaaaaoooaaauiaaaaa" (supposed to be a kia or bruce lee imitation?) while standing in fake martial arts stance

Hearing about this incident makes me so glad our windows face a closed off courtyard not the street. So glad noone was hurt. And enjoy the squeaky new mats!

Thanks Aodhan! I'll read up on it but it still sounds scary to me.

i don't know if this one counts but "samurai champloo" is one of the greatest anime shows i've ever seen and i've never heard of any of the ones you guys posted. are they relatively new? i'd like to look for them if they are.

These uniforms look like bathrobes! Especially the blue one.

aodhan, I'd never heard of that before. i would guess that you'd have to be training in an unhealthy way for that to happen. right? anyway, just from personal experience, if i get some exercise, especially on the first day, i don't get cramps. although mine have never been intense, i've stopped getting them altogether since i've started training regularly. if i don't have training that day, i make sure i jog, take a long walk or do some power yoga. i guess you could try training and see if it works for you.

I'm so inspired by your post Sohan! I'm preparing for my 5th kyu test and I've been feeling like I've reached a training plateau in my katas. I think I'm going to try a few techniques from your list. Thanks I love Karate Forums! Helpful even when I don't realize I have a question!

There are so many different reasons, political, religious, personal. For me, personally, it comes down to this: I identify with animals a bit more than most meat-eaters. It disturbs me to eat them, if I don't absolutely have to. The same way most people would feel about eating animals that aren't traditionally consumed as food. I've felt this way since I was very young, so as soon as I started cooking for myself I switched to a vegetarian diet. I don't see the point of doing something that doesn't feel right, just to fit in. And I must say that it's a healthier diet if only because it forces you to think about what you eat.

I love Jet Li, mostly for his screen persona. I know people say he's not a good actor, but I think he has a real on-screen presence. I haven't seen his latest yet. But "Twin Warriors"/"Tai Chi Master" is my favorite. It was directed by Yuen Wo Ping who also directed "Iron Monkey", another great movie. I also love Bruce Lee, but i don't think his movies are that good. My favorite of his is "Way of the dragon". "Sanshiro Sugata" (dir.Akira Kurosawa) is the only film I've seen on judo; it's very naive but has a special place in my heart. And what about "Drunken Master" 1&2? There are so many MA films I love that I'm overwhelmed just thinking about them.

I'm a vegetarian and getting enough B12 is really hard. I had been taking Vitamin B pills regularly until last year. But I found out the kind of cobalamin (B12) they use in most vitamin pills is not well absorbed by the body. There are some food sources that contain B12 (eggs, dairy products), but if you're a long-term vegetarian, you'll likely have to take the sublingual methylcobalamin pills or get injections like i do. (we don't have the sublingual pills in turkey )

Thank you for the link! I wish Ilija Jorga's bio was in English

hi! i was wondering if anyone knows anything about fudokan karate. i did a google search but there wasn't much on it. the person who invented it seems to be affiliated with JKA. Can someone tell me the differences between JKA style dojos and other shotokan schools? I hope you're having a great weekend

Just curious, are there any vegetarians around here?

What about the leg& hip stretches you do before class? You could do those in your bedroom.

I hope you get well soon!

you don't think they're bad in a good way? thanks for the laugh!

oops.. sorry, i misunderstood

But don't wait too long for the pain to go away! If it's a spinal thing, it'll only get worse until you get treatment for it. Trust me, I found out the hard way. As for the pain, I would suggest gentle exercises for the spine and stomach such as lying on a hard surface and holding your stomach in ten seconds at a time. or the cobra position http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/cobra.htm Hope you feel better soon!

look, somebody did a spoof: http://www.andromeda-galactic-ginitu-karate.piczo.com/?cr=6&rfm=y as if it needed spoofing

This reminds me of the article that was posted here about the similarities between some MA schools and cults. I can't believe people buy into this stuff and at such expensive rates too! The guy reminds me of L. Ron Hubbard

Hey reakt! I'm sure the more experienced members of the forum will be able to help you better. But here's my experience: I've been practicing shotokan karate for over a year. In my dojo we sometimes do rolls and practice falling etc. ( I'm not sure that it's part of the general curriculum of karate or just specific to my dojo. ) Anyway, I injured my back last summer and had to stop for a few months. My doctor has forbidden me to do the rolls/falls etc. All the sensei know about my condition and they're very supportive. So I just step aside and practice kata or stretch when they're doing rolls. And my not being able to fall hasn't hampered the rest of my karate experience. At least not yet I think the important thing is to find the right instructors. When I was looking for a dojo, I watched classes and talked to the instructors at several dojos before settling on one. I think that's what you should do before you even pick a martial art. (well, obviously judo and aikido are out )

from one beginner to another: I agree with heather. Patience and constancy are the key in my humble opinion. When I started shotokan last year I thought I would never be able to do the stretches correctly. But I kept pushing myself inch by inch and now -even after taking a break due to hernia!- I'm one of the most flexible colored belts in the dojo. I think one thing that also helped me was doing yoga on days that I don't train. Whether it helps with shotokan stretches or not, it'll improve your overall flexibility. It also relieve some of the soreness

mmmm.baklava... indeed! an american friend visited me here a month ago. i gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks because she wanted to have baklava with every meal. baklava is addictive. so it's taken me a while to get back to my normal diet. thank you for the warm welcome, everyone. Hosbulduk!

Thank you everyone! Sohan- I live in the megalopolis, Istanbul. Did you take a tour of the coast?