Dobbersky

Fortune Cookie, I know of 2 in Europe but not too sure how you get to them, they are with Ashihara Karate (NIKO) and Enshin Karate. If you are Kyokushin based I'd recommend going onto Kyokushin 4 Life to ask the guys on there Hope you find something fitting OSU!!!

Its also very much a knockdown karate thing too, we use OSU!!! a lot. I think it depends on the origins of the style of karate you do and your Instruictor. In some parts of Japan Oss or Osu is considered as a "Dirty" word so should only be used inside the Dojo. I find that predominately the only styles that use it are: Kyokushin (all Variants) Ashihara (all Variants) Enshin (all Variants) Shotokan (not all Dojo's.) I can't think of ever hearing OSU in a Shukokai/ShitoRyu Dojo before your post. OSU!!!

If you take Karate, and you work through the kata, you will be supprised at how clsoe Karate is to Jujitsu. most of the forms and combiantions can be used in stand-up and ground work just like Jujitsu techniques. I love Bunkai and we practice a lot of Bunkai in my Dojo. we use Naihanchi, Bassai, Chil Sung Ee Ro Hyung and Niseishi Kata as well as my Jissen based kata from Ashihara Karate. nice post looking forward to reading some excellent points of view

You've also got to look at the differences betwen Classical Karate and Tradtional Karate, what are the differences and when did Classical Karate become Traditional Karate etc. I wish you look and look forward to reading your findings.

Fish_Headz- san How do you find the approach to Kata compared to the Poomsae. I know ITF have a "Sine" effect to the Poomsae and in WTF its there but not as apparent Thanks

OSU!!! Welcome Kross-san to Full Contact Knock Down Karate, I know you are going to enjoy your journey through your grades etc. You Tube is your friend!!!!! I would recommend Shadow Sparring, just trying to put some combinations together. If your Sensei/Sempai has a Bag do some bag work before class. this will get your mind in the correct process for KnockDown Karate Sparring. I'm not Kyokushin but I am Ashihara karate which is from the same place. If you ask your Sensei to assist you, i am sure he would give you some extra time to help you. But don't try to run before you can walk, take each lesson with its own merit OSU!!!!

Kamusta I would use some of the techniques from the Kata you have learnt. There will be some really excellent applications from them Salamat Paalam

In my Style we practice a total of 16 Kata: 3 Taikyoku Kata (practiced by Junior (kids) Grades, created by me to move the more advanced Kata up the Syllabus as I believed they were too technical for "Beginners") Taikyoku Kata Shodan, Taikyoku Kata Nidan and Taikyoku Kata Sandan 4 Ashihara Kata (All Renamed – from “XXXX” no kata sono Ichi/Ni) Shoshin Sho kata, Kihon Sho kata, Kumite Sho kata and Nage Sho kata 4 Traditional Kata Naihanchi, Chil Sung Ee Ro Hyung ( renamed - Shichi Hoshi Kata), Bassai (Passai) and Niseishi 5 Hybrid Goshin/Jissen Kata (formulated by myself from “XXXX” no kata sono Ichi/Ni/San/Yon) Goshin Dai kata, Kihon Dai kata, Kumite Dai kata, Nage Dai kata and Jissen Dai kata I used to practice Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yondan and Pinan Godan. But I've not practiced them in over a year!

I'm suprised at how many forms they have taught you. Normally you learn 1 form them grade and move on as it is set in the JKA, JKF syllabus. Does your Sensei, know you don't want to grade and does he know you are a TKD'ist. You'll need to find a way to slow down the rate you're learning the Kata as you will find they will just merge into each other. OSU!!!!

A lot of people seem to think that the day Karate becomes an Olympic sport we will say good by to the Traditional Classes and it will die a death. I think it will lift karate to new levels. Sure some schools will concentrate on the sport aspect, but you will still have your hardcore traditionalists as well. Agreed, but you'll never see Knockdown Karate at the olympics Also, I wonder why Parents seem to be more interested in how many Medals or Trophies their child can get rather than will what is being taught by their child's Instructor enough to protect them from any bullies or being mugged etc.

A lot of people seem to think that the day Karate becomes an Olympic sport we will say good by to the Traditional Classes and it will die a death.

I would not worry about your rank, if its what your Sensei has awarded you then that's fine. Most organisations only recognised belt grades with their own group. I have issues with this as if you gained blackbelt in a style then you've earned that rank. Now I have blackbelts comwe from other clubs to train with me. If they just want to do some extra training to accompany their own Core style then they wear the B/Belt. If they wish to grade through the syllabus they wear a coloured belt with a thick black tab to recognise their previous Dan grade. NGB's in the UK are although not Official are a good thing as they do have some excellent policies and support to be given as well as a good source of knowledge for Independant Instructors like me. Sometimes with Organisations and NGB's it is a bit of "money in the right pot" etc but I'm glad the one I'm with is not like that. The EKF will not allow its members to take part in any competitions etc with any other NGB Organisation that is not sanctioned by them. I believe they can be expelled if they do.

And Elbows in!!! the Best stance to be in is a "Boxing" stance as this is what we use in Ashihara and Enshin. The most similar stance I see in Karate is Tata Seichan dachi. but with the hands/arms up.

I second this motion

It takes about 1 hour to do all the kata properly, I get a good sweat on too. so burning calories too. I have to wait for my Baby Son to wake up for his feed so rather than going asleep then waking up an hour or so later I just do kata whilst I'm waiting. To add, does anyone find that they tend to do things in a "karate" type way, like opening doors with an empi/hiji tsuki (elbow strike) or doing a kata whilst stood waiting for the kettle to boil? I'll make sure I wont do any extravagent techniques where the kettle is though lol

All Just wondering if anyone has the same mindset as I do. I always practice my Kata before I go to Bed every night, all 16 kata twice and 4 times for the more senior kata. This I suppose is not much of an issue but I find that the best place to practice is in the Kitchen! Ok my kitchen is not huge, I can't do any spinning round kicks or head kicks due to the space available but I compensate by changing them to shin or thigh kicks. So does anyone else practice their Kata in the Kitchen or any other room in the house or is it just me. thanks

Ravenwings, its a pleasure to chat with you too, I sometimes find that as I'm from a military background I have a different concept of what martial arts is for hence why I put the comparison to Drill and Weapons care in my post to assist you Looking forward to many more conversations I'd be looking at moving to Cavite, but I already have many friends in the Philippines who are Karateka in Manila, Cebu and other places Lol, I have to laugh because An Officer and A Gentleman, has many scenes filmed in the Philippines etc, I understand what the Filipinos say too OSU!!!!

I presume from reading your posts etc that you are an Officer in the Air Force or something like that. I was a Sergeant in The British Army I suggest too that you read "Book of Five Rings" Hanshi Kaufman's version and a book called "The Way to Blackbelt" Patience is a virtue, think about when you first learnt Drill some of the guys I bet had to practice for days just to get the attention correct etc. If you compare Kata to Drill, it take years of practice to get on the Drill Team same as it takes years of practice to get the inner meaning of the Kata itself. Kata has applications that NEED to be learnt. Compare it to learning how to strip a weapon down etc aswell as leaning how to fire it. Shotokan whether its 11 kata or 26 is an excellent style to practice OSU!!!

All, Is this film based on the JKA, I've not seen the film yet but it is on my wish list on amazon if anyone wants to buy it for me

Let me know the Dojang in Manchester for ITF and I'll pop along Thanks Ken

All I am looking at cross training, I practice, teach Full Contact Karate and someone recommended ITF, I can't find much info apart from the Wiki stuff What are the real differences between ITF and WTF in Training, Forms, Sparring and Applcation of Forms/Self Defence techniques etc? Thanks Ken

Have you got a Video of this jump in Bassai, I practice Bassai TSD version but we don't have any jumps in it

@everyone My main issue is that Karate to me is about personal understanding, my Idea of Kata, Kumite and Kihon may be totally different to my students' ideas. Am I to "scould" them for thinking "outside the box?". No, a good instructor learns from his students. If they wish to talk and write about Martial arts and what it means to them, I alway let them know about Forums like this one and then its up to them what they wish to write. I read loads of books?forums/articles on Karate/Martial Arts, I got several of Iain's, Lawrence's etc which I lend to my students if they wish to extend their knowledge but to me if the perform well on the Dojo Mat and can give a good perception, in application, of the kata (senior grades are asked to take the basic application and "extend" on it) then to me, whether someone is the next famous author or is dislexic and/or can't formulate a sentence, is not important. I agree you all have valid points as does everyone else who has commented on this topic, I think its an excellent topic by the way. Its just that to me I don't think that "Written Papers" are a good media to express what a student "Feels" about his or her karate. I feel that the relationship between Student and Teacher should be a bothway relationship with Students having a relevant amount of input to the karate they are learning. I never refuse to answer a student's question and I always you practical means to demonstrate the answers. There are basically 3 types of learning and we have to cater for them all (note there are various names or Categories but Lawrence Kane's book on Martial Arts Instruction goes more indepth into them 1, Listening Learners 2, Seeing Learners 3, Touch/Experience Learners Thinking outside the Box to me is for students who see what is taught but their concept is completely different to that of their Instructor, hence why we have so many styles and offshots of the Classical styles. If one of my students could see a grappling technique from what I taught as a Strike only, then I'm not going to tell them they are wrong, just ask them to explain it and we can work on it with the rest of the class to validate the technique. With regards to writting Essays of say 500 words to say 2000 words, some people have issues putting pen to paper and would not manage any more than say two paragraphs; does this mean that they fail that grade because they are not academic enough to complete the written requirements even though their Karate is picture perfect?

I personally do not see the need for "writing" papers for Yudansha tests, Was it part of the Classical Arts of Naha Te, Tomari Te and Shuri Te forming together with Kode Te. Who actually decided that these Written tests should be done. It doesn't equate to a Degree or PHD and doesn't give me a BSc after my name so to me its wasted energy. I bet Daniel-san didn't have to write a paper

Where was the influences that helped you decide on the name Dark (black) School (Koku Ryu) Karate? thanks