Dobbersky

Actually that's not very true at all. This is an old myth. With proper strength training you can actually greatly increase both your speed and flexibility. Do you mean Mr Miyagi was wrong!!! My whole life ethos has been destroyed

Quick Google search gives me the Japanese name for it sankaku-garami/ude-garami http://www.mma-training.com/omoplata/

At A Demo at a School, I was performing Pinan Nidan (Heian Shodan) infront of 7-11 year olds (around 100 Kids) on the final sequence I found a wet patch on the floor and ended up breakfalling instead on Knife hand Block. to which the whole audience decided that it was funny! I rolled back up and finished the Kata. I think I gave an "excuse" as to what that it was part of the kata or something but They knew it and i knew it but I got 5 students out of the Demo!!!

For me I compare it to a Championship Boxer journey, A Champ is not a Champ until they have susccessfully defended their Championship!!! Therefore I advise New Blackbelts, they're not a full Black belt until they've got their 2nd Dan grade! It helps but I do see a lot of grades in many schools of many different arts having students "disappear" within a few weeks of getting their Blackbelts and Certificates

I just want to add, an instructor no matter what age they are should treat the students, no matter what age they are, like their own children an therefore this shpuld make them think. It should be treated the same as school teachers and it should have a code that Instructors should not date their own students or those of a Dojo within their organisation!!! It should also be one of the questions asked when having security checks. Its not ok for a College Lecturer to date Students, so why is it ok to date Karate students, OSU

Spot on ! Totally agree with this! I jus started a new art just recently, and enjoying being a "beginner" again. Wow it makes you feel good as you're using muscles not used as much as the rest for a while, lol Just do it for YOU, forget what ages the others are. When I was doing Wado, I started with a teenage boy and we went through the grades together, now when I left, he's still training but at a standard in the club it didn't matter me not working with him

Sorry my friend, apologies for the wittiness, but I will elaborate.... Singularly GERI is Japanese for "vomiting", whereas KERI is Japanese for Kick!!! Not too sure why the connection is used but its ok the Say Mae Geri or Front Kick as opposed to Mae Keri which is what it should be

Even better, if the end result is giving your opponent "geri". sojobo Yes "geri" is a definately underated technique, I've not actually used it myself but have seen it used both in and out of some Bars and nightclubs

Totally agree here!!! Head shots are trained in Ashihara and Enshin and other offshots too, but it was Oyama Sosai who took them out of competition to prolong the bouts. I must add a punch to the head is the most easy strike to accomplish, I know even an untrained Yob can hit someone in the face!

But all styles don't use kata as a training tool. Lacking kata isn't going to cause an inefficiency in learning. Could you give me an example? Sure. BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai, Aikido, Combat Hapkido, Pankration, are some off the top of my head that don't train with kata. All are effective combat systems. BJJ - this teaches combinations of techniques, THIS IS KATA Wrestling - same as above Boxing - each Gym has its own set of techniques and combinations practiced together makes up a Kata Muay Thai - Again each Camp practices its own combinations and again when they practice them all together 1 after the other this is Kata, I know when I trained in Muay Thai myself My Arjan shouted 24, 10, 12, 15 & 4 etc Aikido - Sojobo has answered. Hapkido - These have Hyungs here's 1 of them I've not come across a style yet that doesn't have a series of combinations/techniques put together to make it easier to practice! As Sojobo said Kata Does NOT have to practiced alone, it can also be in pairs too

Both style are awesome styles and I can not say either will not give you the tools to defend oneself effectively. But there is only one issue I have with Shotokan and that's only from MY experience of visiting Dan grades to my Dojo, is there adaptivity to the use of Sabaki, and it seems rather Rigid in execution of techniques. Kyokushin is similar to Shotokan but Sabaki is a key point in the training of Yudansha (Black Belts)

FACT - Kata is practiced in other styles of martial arts too. There IS Jujitsu Kata, Judo Kata, Aikido Kata, Budo Kata Iaido Kata etc for Japanese styles. In other Styles from other countries there are forms of 1 type or another. Kata/Hyungs/Poomsae or other names for them are practiced by Tai Chi, Kung Fu All Types, Silat, Filipino Martial Arts, etc. The fact is anywhere where there is a series of combinations put together this is a Form or Kata!!! For Example, if you have "Self Defence Drills" and you practice them 1 after the other at home or even at the Gym/Dojo/Dojang/Kwan/etc - YES YOU HAVE JUST PRACTICED A KATA!!!! The thing is people see kata as complicated and hard or pointless as we don't use it for anything else. if this is the case then it is YOUR teacher's Fault!!!! I use my kata and every part of it is used, Damn I even use techniques in the warm up for application!!! Not having Kata is like sitting in the middle of the ocean in a rowing boat without any oars!!!

Would recommend some books from Amazon on this very subject. Also work on timed striking Using Thai Pads or smaller hand held bags do 10 or 20 second time intervals using say jab/cross do say 4 rounds then do the same but sit-ups etc. Work on the. Technique for a few weeks then change the technique and so on and so forth say after 5 techniques doing 1 round ;ab/cross, round 2 hooks, round 3 uppercuts etc OSU

Yes - One word "PRACTICE"

SOLID POST!!!!!!!!!

In the UK its called "Freestyle Karate"!!!! They tend to work on Basics, Sparring Techniques and Self Defence. Kata (Forms) are useually if required Self Created for Dan Grades, sometimes to Music!!! Karate Without Kata is like a Hot Dog without the Dog in it! Kata is what makes Karate Karate. We practice Kata and this is where 90% of everything else comes from. Before Books and Writing was common, Kata was the only way a Teacher could pass on his fighting system to his students!

Being a good fighter does not guarantee you'll make a good teacher! I know this from experience, I attended a Course by a reonouned Champ and his teaching skills were useless! but I've attended Courses by Instructors who've never competed and found that there teaching skills were second to none. If you want to teach, you need to sacrifice your fighting career, if you wish to fight you need to forget about teaching, at least for you fighting career is over. My Sensei always told me Martial Artists take 2 main paths, Fighters who love to compete etc and Instructors who love the technical side of the art, perfecting it etc. Of course you get those who attend just for themsleves, they don't want to teach and they don't want to fight, these are the guys who are happy to sit at brown belt or first Dan forever unless they feel they must do it for themselves! Now I did my fighting durinig my Muay Thai Days but took Knock Down Karate as my vocation! I like to spar, but I love to teach. I work so much on Bunkai sometimes I forget the sparring side of the art!

Agreed, but then again, The Yudansha should have advised Evergrey that she's not used to Full Contact and to not to go as hard as normal. When I visit other clubs and They want to spar, I advise I am used to thigh kicks so apologise prior to sparring comencing

Lol, I am sure that Nidan will treat you with more respect than she did previously. Oh and my rule is the lower grade controls the pace, she wants to be on par with Yudansha in your Dojo then you must "honour" her by sparring with her as if she is! She should have defended herself better

Totally agree with this statement!!!

Is this the same Nidan from the Shotokan school? Don't worry about it, Injuries ARE expected. Did you know you are at more risk of being injury doing Gymnastics/Field Sports that you are practicing Martial Arts.

THE only place I have ever been grabbed by the wrist is in the Dojo/Dojang/Kwan!!! I know in my Tang Soo Do days there was 18 Wrist grips to learn and XX self defence combinations but nothing at all on the Hyungs (Kata) that we practiced. But i know that this was indeed a belt factory as it is still today BB in around 2.5 years is not correct when I got students of 6years who still not reached BB yet!!! I love the way various techniques work within the Dojo, against other training partners in the same styel but put it against someone from another style and it tends not to work. I know this from a few of the Ippon Kumite's from Wado Ryu, I tried it against a Tang Soo Do 2nd Dan and I failed to "pull off" the technique correctly. I'm not saying that the techniques are bad and the styles are not good far from it, it needs to be tested against varying locations and situations. When it comes to Ninjitsu, yes an excellent art with proven history with origins within the depths of China as opposed to the dark side of the Samurai! I just get visions of "Frank" Dux Ryu Ninjitsu. Ninjutsu is practical; if a tactic is effective, then it is acceptable. The Eight Methods taught in many ryu were: Body skills, Kara (Kode) Te, Spear fighting, Staff fighting, Blade-throwing, use of fire and water, fortification and strategy, and concealment. Many ninja weapons were modified from farm sickles, saws for wood cutting, pruning shears, etc. If discovered, these items would not give away a ninja's identity. Among the ninja were expert poisoners. Poison was added to food, or applied to a dart or blade. Some ninja disguised themselves as flute-playing mystics. The sturdy flute could be used as a club or blow-dart tube. A full List is: Ninjutsu Houses Seishin Teki Kyoyo (spiritual refinement - meditation) - Seiza No Kamae Taijutsu (unarmed fight) - Ichimonji No Kamae - Hicho No Kamae Kenjutsu (sword fighting) Bojutsu (short stick and staff fighting) Shurikenjutsu (blade throwing) Sojutsu (spear fighting) Naginatajutsu (naginata fighting) Kusarigamajutsu (chain and sickle weapon) Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics and explosives) Hensojutsu (disguise - impersonation) Shinobi Iri (stealth and entering methods) Bajutsu (horse riding) Sui Ren (water skills - swimming etc.) Boryaku (military strategy) Choho (espionage) Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment) Tenmon (meteorology) Chi Mon (geography

if you have a window sill (sorry not too sure of the American equivalent) at waist height, this is something you could work with outside class, after warming your muscles, get your legs up and bend the standing knee trying to get your head to your stretching leg's knee

If you are easily upset DON'T watch the video!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsPmHZjK_ZA&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dhomelees%2Bguy%2Bbeaten%2Bkarate%26oq%3Dhomelees%2Bguy%2Bbeaten%2Bkarate%26aq%3Df%26aqi%3D%26aql%3D%26gs_sm%3De%26gs_upl%3D3732261l3766287l0l3767220l56l34l1l17l2l4l281l1974l3.9.2l16l0

I would consider what it is you're getting involved in, it could be just aq fad, or it could be similar to the Dojo, I'll upload the URL later (not mastered the art of adding URL's via blackberry yet!) or it could some underground Organisation similar to the KKK or other "Religious" or "Racially motivated" group! If your instinct is saying "NO" then maybe just maybe you need to listen to it!!!