ashworth

Huge congrats on the grading! Sorry to hear that it's been a rough month for you, but well done for pulling through and putting everything you had into your grading It sounds well deserved!

We were very similar in this regard! and it's an aspect of my training journey that I regret. I chased that Sandan hard! I was already teaching at this point and felt like I needed that grade to ratify myself in the instructor world... I achieved my Sandan at the age of 21, faster than I should have done. But like yourself I completely gave up on chasing ranks. and the more time passed the more I realised there was no need to chase. 10 years later was the next time I graded when I got my Yondan. To be honest for me, my current training period is the one I want to relive... After covid and becoming a father, I have had to take a step back on the teaching side of things. for the past 18 months I have been training at a friends dojo, it's a different style but they have accepted my grade. I'm just happy being there and training as a visiting black belt, occasionally I help with the teaching, most of the times its a black belt group and the main instructor likes me to teach them something from my style to give them something a bit different to work on. But at the moment it's just nice to be focusing on my training just for the sake of training. One day I'll look into kick starting my club up again, but when the time is right

Congrats!!

Haven't looked too much into Zen Meditation, but regarding visualization, what is it exactly you are referring to? visualizing an opponent while you perform your techniques? that's very beneficial, helping to ensure your techniques are aimed at the correct areas. But this also reminds me of what I call 'image training' where I focus my mind and imagine myself going through kata... This is good if you can't physically train, (maybe your injured or lack of space) but I find this a really good exercise to develop focus. It is actually quite difficult to go through an entire kata this way. (It could just be me with a brain that is very easily side tracked!) either picture yourself from first or third person, either will work, with students I suggest their first exercise can be to build their surroundings first, whether its your ideal personal dojo, or a peace field somewhere. Maybe just the dojo where you train... Try it yourselves, choose a kata and imagine going through every step, like I said, for me I find it helps develop my focus and remember my Katas, this can often highlight areas I know I need to practise... Interestingly I came across a video years ago, I believe it was talking about Chi Ghost. and they run you through a simple exercise, physically bend down and try and touch your toes. Then assume a comfortable meditative position and focus on your breathing, then while still breathing (obviously) imagine yourself getting up, and picture yourself going through stretches that you normally would, and then picture yourself bending down and touching your toes. Once you have finished, get up in the real world, bend down and trying and touch your toes... you should be able to get further than you did initially

I am exactly the same... I am the dirty fighter in our dojo, distraction techniques. "watch out behind you" etc... One of my favourite ones that works really well on my instructor is stepping on his lead foot, it's not a stamp, just stepping on it pinning in momentarily and distracting him from the punch that comes in, it really throws him off and the punch goes through every time. He thinks it's brilliant! Another tactic that I stole from someone is throwing techniques to limbs, not just legs but arms, keep striking their arms, in some cases it will wind them up, and they will become conditioned to it and less likely to defend your real techniques that come through.

I come from a Shotokan background, but have also seen it from other styles, as mentioned in previous posts the main purpose in my eyes it for leg strengthening. My Instructor use to say that obviously in a real life situation you wouldn't assume this stance, especially with adrenaline running through your body, but if you train to kick from those positions, then you would be able to kick from the shorter fighting stance with less issues, (less likely to injure yourself from pulling muscles etc)...

The club that I train in at the moment use a mixture between the WKF style pads and the MMA one's, mostly its the black belts that use the MMA gloves. I too use a mixture of both depending on what class I'm in, If I'm more likely to come up against other black belts I'll go for MMA ones.

Hey! welcome to the forum fellow UK person!

Welcome to the Forum! Even if they aren't Shureido, they certainly look like decent quality! for 5$ too! I'm very jealous! enjoy them!

Thanks! Slowly getting used to the new forum, and it is growing on me! great work Patrick! the time and dedication that you put into this community continues to amaze me!

Definitely!! I have always been good at knowing my left from my right, and it surprises me when someone doesn't... Makes me laugh every time when my wife has to hold up her index finger with her thumb sticking out to see which one is her left hand!

Finally! been able to change my Avatar! The old one was very outdated! Getting used to the new look! was a shock when I just signed in for the first time in a while!

Congrats on the award for the 3rd time!

Good luck for the up-coming grading!!

Welcome to the Forum!