Shui Tora

Interesting, I have not heard of that theory before... In a way, you can say that is it like that, but do remember that Shotokan was a merging of Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu; both compeletly different with Aikdio.... But nonetheless, interesting. Don't misjudge the use of stances....They are there for rooting you (and the opponent) down. There is an arm bar where we use the satnce "Kibi-Dahci" or "IronHorse" stance, and we have the attackers arm across our legs. From this armbar, the back of their arm is open to over 5 different pressure points (including the dangerours one; Heart Meridan) allowing us to physically disable the attacker, and do a lot of damage if intended to do so)... Not forgetting that we can also put him in to a wist lock form the move too, afterwards. Yes, Shotokan does do that... A move where someone has your wrists behind your back is a real life situtation. Someone coming in with a hook punch and you throw them to the floor, all of them making you step out of the line of attack and then dealing with it. Shotokan is about getting out of the way of attack and then dealing with it. The use of a large stance is to be able to have your attacker where you want him/her, a stance roots you down, "center of gravity?"... The use of exact form is important, as you wouldn't know what to do but also what is the point of learning it? Once you know what to do, then you can mix and match about, only until you've learnt the basics...

I study Shotokan. Heian Shodan ends with 4 shuto. Yep, the shuto can be used to black and counter in one move. Your guide in theory blocks or pushes the attacking arm out of the way (pushing it to the side will leave the body open and unprotected) and so when you finish the technique, you can strike into a heart point, triple warmer point of even into the jugular... In theory yes. However, you are not really going to go into a fight and perfom Heian Yondan are you? For the beginners, then like PS1 said, yes. However, as you go through the ranks, then you begin to question... I believe (being a Brown belt) that different parts of a kata are for different scenairos (sp?) and that learning a kata will help us to deal with different situtations...

You'd be silly not to take up Shotokan... It is a good style; teaches you Self-defence (like any other art, but teaches you how to move out of line of attack, very handy) the kata's are great to learn, you leanr the use of Bunkai... And if you are sporty like (unlike me! ) then Kumite is good for you... In the end though; it is your choice... You are going to be the one doing the style, not me. Happy thinking! Have a look at this site, clikc on kata's; http://www.lelandvandervort.info/ma/index.php?doc=3

^ Ah... something completly different to what you are describing... My bad!

What? The Roundhouse or sidekick? That is kinda going into a different area completly... I would try and talk to the person (through diplomacy) to persuade him not to do so. It is good to learn Karate (or TDK etc) but there are limits to it.

Side step using the ahppo rules (the compass) they'll likely be in a continuous momentum that as soo as you side step them, and counter; it'll take them twice as long to turn around and attack you. What si the point of doing something really "show" like when there is a simple solution to it?

^ I like that philosophy there Ace! If someone were to push against me, I would (very quickly) bring my hands down onto his arms (with relaxed hands) which would cause him to be off balance and his head would come forward to me... On the other hand, I would side step to my left and stick my foot out fo rhim to trip over....

Congrats there Grace! It shows that your Sensei knows how you would handle in other situtations, and by the grading; well; it shows that you do work hard enough.... Congrats!

Not all the time. In order to have someone in an arm bar, you'll want to hit a joint (i.e.; elbow) in order to put them in it; however, as they tense (by natural human reaction) up it'll become harder to keep that arm bar in place.

Shot yourself in the foot there didn't you? Being obesed is an issue... Medical Profs are always saying that it is the cause of high cholesterol, but HANG ON! Your body makes cholesterol anyway, with or without fatty based foods, so somewhere in that statement there is contradiction. On the other hand, fatty foods can lead to obesity as well as CHD and again, something to be concerned of (not worried... I hope i'm not making anyone feel low about themselves? If so, do tell me! ) It is a problem that everywhere, you are going to get, and the fact is, if you get these fast-food companies to close down, and get areas that serve good quality food; then your problem is near enough solved. Its the fact of getting every other person to do it too that is the obstruction.

"Only put your fists up when you need to do so..." when you see this person again, talk to him... Use diplomacy; and if that doesn't work, then let him throw the first punch. Ideally, it would've been better if you talked to him fisrt time round instead of throwing out the dukes, then that way you could've saved yourself the audasity (sp?) to be worried... "Man who runs away, lives to fight another day..."

Just because they say the chicken is healthy isn't always true. Yes, white meat is good without anything else! Don't forget that they also add in batter fried to it (full of fat!) as well as salt (great for giving CHD and raising Cholesterol) I do not eat anything from Fast Food take-aways. I refuse to eat that junk. A friend of mine said that McDonald's new healthy range was really healthy, until two weeks later, when his face was covered in bad acne, and he put on 2stone! This also leads me to another thing; my mum cooks a lot, and ever since i was able to eat solids, my mum cooked a lot of home reciepies using organic meat, without the salt and fat etc... A healthy way to enjoy food. What I am trying to get at is that McDonald's uses the media to increase its sales. All of their healthy range isn't so healthy, even though they say so. There was a programme (not Supersize me) about McDonald's and fast food take aways... Lets say that the content in all their food isn't good. I'm careful about what I eat; and most stuff is done by my mom. I know that some people do not have time to home cook, but it is a safer way of cutting down the excessive ingrediants that our body doesn't need. I'm not trying to cause an argument about worklife (and I understand about that) here; but Mc Donald's isn't what it cracks up to be.

Just because they say the chicken is healthy isn't always true. Yes, white meat is good without anything else! Don't forget that they also add in batter fried to it (full of fat!) as well as salt (great for giving CHD and raising Cholesterol) I do not eat anything from Fast Food take-aways. I refuse to eat that junk. A friend of mine said that McDonald's new healthy range was really healthy, until two weeks later, when his face was covered in bad acne, and he put on 2stone! This also leads me to another thing; my mum cooks a lot, and ever since i was able to eat solids, my mum cooked a lot of home reciepies using organic meat, without the salt and fat etc... A healthy way to enjoy food. What I am trying to get at is that McDonald's uses the media to increase its sales. All of their healthy range isn't so healthy. A recent report was published by the Deprt. of Health, and I was shocked at the contents in their "Healthy range". I'm careful about what I eat; and most stuff is done by my mom. I know that some people do not have time to home cook, but it is a safer way of cutting down the excessive ingrediants that our body doesn't need. I'm not trying to cause an argument about worklife (and I understand about that) here; but Mc Donald's isn't what it crakcs up to be.

All of Burce Lee's films are great! Truely masterpieces! What would he ber like today? Old, wrinkly, fragile; but probably able to still kick those great moves!

In my area, there are about three styles of Karate, Shotokan, Goju Ryu and Wad Ryu (sp?) But I would really like to try a Chinese Art like Kung Fu, or something with the Snake/Dragon/Tiger Style in it...

with a sidekick, you need area to do it (unless you not going to perfrom the sport style kick) but you'll still need room to turn your back leg... Round kick is simple and effective in small spaces and even if yoo don't turn your back foot, it can still hurt...

That is what I was trying to get at (but you put it better! ) Kumite does have some advatages to using it in the street, but mainly I would use footwork to get outta the way of the attack and then counter, rather than prance about like in Kumite. The odds of a street thug knowing how to do kumite is slim. They're gonna come in wtih a hook punch (etc) and you're gonna have to move outta the way of it. I don't want to get hit! Self-defence is more realistic and pratical than Kumite. I still do Kumite for health, but more than often you'll see me practice self-defence. (I don't prance in kumite! [j/k])

My cats are somewhat addicted to fighting (just play fighting, no claws drawn) and it is surprising to see that they booth sit on their hind legs to use their front paws. I've noticed from two of my cats (I have four! One ragdoll) that one will use one of this paws to bolck an attack, it doesn't always work, but on occasions it does. And its quite effective when it does work. At the very beginning for this post that Sohan made, all the points he wrote down are good points about cats! "Man who runs away, lives to fight another day..." Don't put your dukes up until you have to! Man; I wish I was the Zodiac Tiger, instead I'm a Snake...

Because they use the stuff that they learnt inside the dojo. Like blocking in the same line as the enemy, instead of moving out of the direction of the enemy's force.

Well; I hope y'all don't bite? If you did, that would leave a nasty mark on us new people...

Learning from books etc is okay, but from a Sensei that has been doing it all their life is even better... You get to understand fully the moves and ways of Wung Chun than what you would get from a book... Books leave the good juicey bits out (like pressure points etc ) and become boring...

The way that the steel has been folded and tampered with, trying to sharpen it myself would be like me trying to paint (i'm not the good!) The steel has been heated, hammered, folded over seven times as well as coated with streaks of clay (hence why you get the wavey effect along the edge) to get the sharpness... I would send my sword back to where I brought it asking them to heat it and re-fold it and tamper it again... (Some businesses do it that way...)

Shinai are good for learning Happo (eight way steps, bit like a compass) they're also good for trying out different combos... I use them just for stress relief! And trying out different moves!

Yes, that is true; however it is up to the Karate-ka to learn how to switch between street defensive and kumite. Simple methods against street thugs... Yeah; its great that you can use some techniques, but if you do not understand how they work, and not use your body effectively with the moves; then you are stuck... Not every martial artisit will know how to defend against the moves... Don't forget that you have different styles. A Tae Kwon Do artist will not know how to defend against the first moves of Heian Nidan as they do not cover it! Everything is different, and that is why you cannot have set defence techniques... What of Bunkai? The use of Kata is to understand how to use techniques together... Now this may not mean in using the whole kata, but (for example; Heian Nidan) the first three moves can be used effectively IF you understand how they work. It doesn't always come down to using moves... You have to understand how they work, why they work and if they don't; then is there a solution? Katas were designed for training, but also to get you to think Strategy wise as well... At the end of the kata Heian Sandan, the move isn't hitting someone over your shoulder (it could be, but not very effective) as before the Yori-ash, you are striking into someone's arm (when they have a hold on your shirt) and then striking them with the tate-zuki. (Got me? ) Sorry if I have gone off topic! Think outside the box...

Junior Shotokan - 1st Dan since the age of 14yrs old Senior Shotokan - 3rd Kyu (going is for grading this October ) Kenjutsu - Chuden (brown belt) Kyudo - 6th Kyu (Green Belt) (grading is for this September! )