Shotokan-kez

Hey guys. This isn't so much a question, i just needed to vent off to you all..(since your all good listeners) I went to karate on monday and just felt like i couldn't put in any effort. There is a kyu grade coming up soon so sensei was putting the younger grades through their paces. When we were asked to do heian kata's i couldn't believe i had forgotton parts of them! It was like a complete mental block. Sensei said to me "well i can't tell the lower grades off for getting it wrong now can i?". I was pretty ashamed as im 1st kyu and i shouldn't be getting wrong. I often find that when there is only a few of us in the class the lower grades tend to follow me in kata but this time i was doing it wrong i felt bad. After that i just couldn't put in any effort, i had no power or spirit, and i'm ashamed to say had a 'can't be bothered attitude'. Sensei said to me at the end "If you do that for your dan grading i will fail you". Of course that made me feel worse, and should have really hit home. The same was tonight in training (wednesday). I couldn't concentrate on it and again i was showing no spirit, kia's weak, techniques not half as powerful and good as i would usually do. I don't know whats wrong with me, i have been 1st kyu for three months and in 8 months time i can grade for black belt so i should be really working towards that and trying really hard...maybe actually looking like im interested in karate! I am terrified of my dan grading, even tho it's 8 months away i'm very scared and i'm wondering if it's that fear that's causing me to be sloppy in my training. Maybe i'm going through a phase and i need something to give me a kick to get back into it again. I'm not saying i'm losing interest in my karate because i can honestly say i would never live without it. I just feel like i'm stuck in a rut. Anyway i just needed to get that out. Thanks for listening guys! Kez

Definatly not! YUK. Ryan does that to me all the time, sticks his bottom in the air and then wafts it around in my direction..he is foul lol

Hey well listen...that makes you a better person because you didn't do anything bad back to them, make you a bigger man

I know what you mean hun. When me and the kids are on the bus my lad Ryan always gets up for any elderly person or a lady that's pregnant. Like Kirsty says it's his job, and it probably makes him happy to be able to carry people's shopping out to the car for them. Maybe it makes him feel that he is doing 'good deeds' for people and likes the feeling it gives him. You just never know!

I wouldn't know really i'm affraid, have you tried a google search?

Well thank you for at least giving me the benefit of the dought .......wish my wife would........ Hehe

Last night in training one of the kids let off wind. It was only a small class (4 of us), me being the only adult. The other two kids laughed their heads off, and here's me standing there trying to keep a straight face. The poor little guy got told off from sensei, he said next time ask to go to the toilet hehehehe

Hi there Ashley...welcome to KF and have fun!

Fosgate i have no retreat no surrender and i really like it, and i have cyborg on vhs.

I know that our black belts get free lessons...or at least some of them do. I have seen some of them pay and others not pay...so i'm not sure whats going on there? But i do think it's ok that they get it for free if they are putting so much work into the dojo, as well as trying to train themselves.

Saved by grace....i'll take your word for it lol hehe

Congratulations!

Cathal thanks for that. I was kinda doing the tecnique like that, my first kick was hardly noticed, but then when i watched the sensei doing it both his kicks were 'proper'. So thats when i realised i was doing something wrong. Thanks brandon, great advice...i'll keep at it. Kez xx

I actually found that quite amusing As did other people in the audience, surely after all those attacks those two men should have been dead!! I did like some of her moves though, but i'm not sure it would attract females to ma. It reminded me of a sketch out of a comedy show.

Sohan there has really said it all. You are never too young, you need to be happy and mature within yourself. Keep training hard and it will come. You need to learn that if you can tell yourself "wow i did really well then" and "i feel special just for doing this", it won't matter what anyone else thinks. Of course it's nice to hear other people say that but what does that matter? You are only 15 you have your whole life to "get better", it's constantly about learning...don't give up!

Congratulations everybody! It's all well deserved Kez

Very good!

Thanks Bushido, great tips there I'll keep at it of course and hopefully get it right soon. It's a great kata, one of my faves just that move is letting it down a bit.

Well said Fish

Congratulations to you

Thanks leopard claw. I'm ashamed to say i don't actually know what that kick is called.

Happy birthday to you, squashed tomato's and stew, you look like a big fat monkey and you smell like one too! No seriously...happy birthday, hope you have a good one

Hi guys. The Jumping double front kick is really bothering me. The main times i have to do it is when i'm performing the kata kanku-dai. I find it especially difficult to also put the block in at the end of the kick, without wobbling, at the end of my kick the block seems weak and there doesn't seem to be much power right throughout the whole technique. So anyone else ever had difficulty with this move in kanku-dai, and how did you overcome it?. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Kez

Sohan thats what i was trying to say in my post but i didnt want to sound to harsh. The part you wrote about getting hit by a lower a grade, it's your own problem for not blocking it right. I was having this discussion with my sensei, saying that i find it difficult to spar with someone of a lower grade who uses no control or real technique, and he basically said hit them back....in the long run that would make them think and maybe improve. Obviously i don't mean hiting them hard but making the touch, you can use a certain amount of force with your mitts on. I also agree with the part where you said it's good because you get different variations and it keeps you on your toes, and of course keeps you learning at the same time and gives you a good workout

I agree that black belts do have much more respect, as they do in our club, i look up to and respect them all! There is a line though that shouldn't be crossed and black belts take advantage of their grade by 'slacking' off and doing nothing during a class. Mainly because i think this isn't showing much of a very good example to the lower grades. I think this is what the original post was refering to, and this is what i agree with.