Shui Tora

I think it would be wise to keep your relationship on a "work cologue" status... Yes, go out with him (as you met him outside of MA school) but when it comes to paried work, try and partner with someone else. Why? For one, you'll get used to trying out techniques on different people other than working on just one person, but also you'll keep the relationship professional and you'll stop losing your concentration and hell stop being "frisky"...

There is a line to everyone's space... And to have someone come in wreaking of alcohol isn't acceptable. You must need to speak to your Sensei about this... Not only (as I have mentioned before) unacceptable, but also a very grave concern. Why? Smelling of alcoholobviously shows he drinks, but also that he isn't able to establish what time of day to have a drink. Say to your Sensei that you are very concerned about this, but also being the only who gets paired with this person is prejudice. Either your Sensei does something about this, or involve the police. (May sound drastic, but I'm sure they'll do something about it.) At our Dojo we have rules (like evryone else); short nails, clean gi, no hair products, we must use a certain areosol, (if anyone shaves) clean shaven and must've had a bath/shower the day before.

Whatever you do, do not put pressure on a bokken near someone's eye (this happened to me)... Someone decided to put more pressure near the kissaki (the pointy end) and luckily it missed my eye, but it caught my eyebrow, and so a trip to the hospital was in order (the nurses were very nice! ) And I had 9 stitches put in! So remember lads! If you even want a trip to the hsopital (or just to see the nurses there Do what happened to me....) Boy; that was a trip to remember!

Shotokan Karate-do; A fairly new style, created by Master Funakoshi himself. "Shoto" being the name of his pen which means "Pine Waves", and "Kan" being the name of a house... So Shotokan was the name of where his students trained. Our Dojo uses the JKA system, however, we do not concentrate that much on Kumite (only if it is for comps, senior teaching and for grading...) When we do use Kumite we use the WKF rules. We are not a McDojo, and my Sensei has failed some students in the past that did not compete at their grade level. Being governed by JKA, we concentrate on Kata's and self-defence techniques (made by my Sensei) though we do go through Ippon Kumite, and all the other stuff (but not a frequent)... We do a lot of Kata work / Bunkai... That's about it!

Male (student) 16, going onto 17 (which means I can learn to drive! OH YEAH! ROCK ON! )

I was on the bus on my way home from a great spending day in town (it was the day after my birthday! ) And I had brought some great stuff with the money, and spending some time with my sister (who doesn't always get the time to see me as of working in Japan.) Anyhow, we got on the bus, sat at the back, and began talking about life... Two teenagers (around 17) sat in front of us, and began to talk (it isn't a crime for someone else to do it) so we ignored them... Then they began shouting, and one got out a cigarette lighter to begin playing with it (I'm not bothered if he burns himself! ) We got to our stop, I let my sister go in front (as a gentleman would) and then I followed... The two teenagers followed us all the way home! We got to our street and all of a sudden I heard one of them running towards me... I turned around to face him (he stopped about 6 feet away) and began to shout at me in foul language... I shrugged, and began to walk back slowly (still facing him... My sister was telling me what was behind me...) And this guy still walked towards me, I stopped and this time he was gonna do something. He was standing right in front of me, having a grip on my arm (my right) and his left arm raised to punch me. Instantly I did a front kick into his stomach, and twisted my arm so that it came out of his grip without me having to tug at it (if you make an "okay" sign, but with a gap, i got my arm out of that gap...) and then did two punches to where his kidneys where... He fell there and then on the ground. By this time, everyone came out to see what the commotion was and my sis phoned the police... Everyone cheered and clapped when they saw what happened... Apparently they had been stalking some other people as well as vandilising property... My parents were well pleased to know that MA came in handy for me, and I also got some extra money out of them for that too!

Well; first of Kiba-Dachi (Horse Stance) is used within Tekki Shodan/Naihanchi... Okay; what's my point here? Well; there is one kick used within that kata which is helpful, and if done correctly, you can hit the pressure points on the inside of the leg (and they are the hurtful ones too!) Cat Stance, aka; Nekoashi Dachi is a great setup for doing Mea-geri with your front leg... Perfect! So there are some uses within a stance... And like Alsey said; they are just modern names.

I can speak Chinese (incl. Mandorin and Cantonese) as well as Japanese... Currently I'm learning French... I learnt Japanese for the age of 4 onwards (my sister lives over there, and so in the summer hols, I spend 2 months there, practising Japanese... Writing and reading it is easy, speaking is too now... ) I learnt Chinese from the age of 8 onwards... Hoping to go there next year for a holiday!

HELLO! Welcome Myth! We've talked before, but I never said Hello... So; Hi! Shui Tora

Yep... The only reason being that we do not want the children to learn advanced tehcniques (not as of their age) but because some of the techniques that the adults use can kill people without sense, and I think along with my Sensei that a child isn't ready to hold that much responsibility... Imagining a child learning that; then going to school and performing that tehcnique... Not a pretty sight having lawyers among us... It was also advised to us by the JKA as well....

WOW! I have trained under Rick Clark for a number of times in the past and he is excellent! (For pressure points/fighting...) But anyhow, Nice to have you here Chuck (can I call you Chuck?)

You sure? I never heard of that before... Translated it literally means "Death Touch"... All it is about is focusing your Qi into some sort of form (like a Ball of Energy etc) and then "transfer" that ball/energy over to a pressure point (and depending on how sensitive the points are, determines the end result...) == That is what Dim Mak is.... *goes away and looks it up on the interent*

Yeah - I did some Judo at my High School (they only offered it for two terms, but still it was good...) there are a lot of techniques within Judo that focuses on grounding/grappling... I think we all like serious training, without that, where would be the point of learning a self-defence? However sometimes the "boring" basics are essential too... It isn't the "worng view" we all have different views/opinions... just depends on the people that like them! And having everything in one location is great! I have to travel to my nearest Dojo for Kyudo (but that is the name of the game... Can't get around that!) If you do not like some of the Arts, then like Alsey said, you can always drop them... However, think about it before doing so as you never know when youcould use those skills for Tang Soo Do... (Or vice versa...) Hope that helps!

Kenjutsu is "Way of the Sword"... Samurai work, but some applications are similar to Aikido and I use those in Karate! Something for on-ground MA wise... How about Judo? That seems ideal...

Well; I practice multiple styles, Shotokan Karate and Kenjutsu (everything in Kenjustu is the opposite! ) but I find it an advantage when it comes to Kumite as I can use some of the stuff that I've learnt form Kenjutsu... It all depends... Crossing-training (as its called) does have advantages but also disadvantages too. It comes down to whether you can handle it (which I'm sure you can... ) Enjoy TDK... I've heard it is good!

Okay, here is me! Titles:- 2nd Dan in Shotokan (Jnr. Syllabus) I'm now Brown I in the Adult Syllabus..., Top perfomer for Katas in my Region (not boasting or anything) and Assisstant Instructor for Kenjustu, Kyudo and Shotokan Karate... ("And the best boyfriend that a girl could have" ~ My girlfriend... ) Height:- 5' 7" (and still going! ) Weight:- 50kg Age:- 16... *whistles...* Style(s):- Shotokan, Kyudo, Yamabushi Ryu Kenjustu Favourite Technique:- Oi-Zuki to the head (I'm a simple type person... )

We go with the WKF rules for Kumite Tournament... Even though what Alsey has mentioned about Shotokan Kumite, light kicks to the head and punches above the belt, but we are also not allowed to do Tettsui's (hammer head strike) to the head (a dangerous pressure point is located in the head, and so hence)...

Seisan and Hangetsu Kata are both the same, although different versions of Seisan use techniques that differ considerably to those we have in Hangetsu. Bear in mind that Hangetsu was created to tie in with a system that rarely uses Sanchin dachi... And so that is where you get the variability of Seian/Hangetsu... (Not a bad kata, but it is the breathing that I can't get right... Just me though! )

When I began Karate, the first couple of lessons I felt like I wasn't learning anything (I was 6 at the time! ) And I didn't want to continue it any further, but my Dad told me to just hang in there, and from the my first grading (2 months later) I got my blue belt and i stuck with it all the way to today. I know what you are going through... In the past I have had the low days, and feeling "un-motivated" to do it. The thing that got me going was seeing myself getting my Black Belt, no matter how long it took, just to see myself with my 1st Dan was what got me thorugh, and I worked myself to this very day... (I've got 2nd Dan in Jnr. Syllabus and Brown I in the Adult Syllabus... So you can say that is was worth it...) Just think of a goal for every week/month to help you...

I think that what happens in Karate can equate to life (and vice versa...) Before I started Karate, i was just like anyone else, when i got into fights I would just swing punches and hoped that they hit the target... But now, after 10 yrs of Karate, I s'pose you could say I am more "on my feet" with situtations... I can say that my reflexes have improved 10-fold! And I'm more quicker on my feet as well as my pucnhes etc hitting their targets with the required power... But the thing is that I have learned is learning when to stick a fight, or to just move on. Karate is that "thing" (like your conscience) that tells you if you are making a bold/right decision... Without Karate today, I would be dull; it is that thing that when I wake up in the morning, I always know that something is going to happen, and that the next day will bring something unexpected... Is that just me?

When doing a Yoko Keage Geri your foot must be at an angle (90) to the attack(er) and you must be using the very top edge of your foot. Also, you need to relax your leg, and stiff leg will not do a lot of power. This side snap kick is designed to be sharp but quick, not slow....

Welcome! Konnich-wa! Ni Hao! Glad to have you here, hope you enjoy it here and most of us do not bite (or for any other matter punch, kick etc [j/k]) Shui Tora

In my view, if someone invades my space, then I tell then to get out of my way/space, and if they still don't listen then it is a quick kick to the chin and a tate-zuki in the collar bone. I give people one chance, if they don't get the hint; then that is what happens. However, I use diplomacy first, and then violence; it isn't always the answer to everything...

Roundhouse kick... Could never get it right, until now!

Can't say that I haven't used that way before... Usually if we would attack the throat etc we would use the palm, or our seiken, but not koken. Thanks for that though! I shall ask my Sensei about it...