Shorinryu Sensei

Score on him before he scores on you?

Well OK...this has been answered throughly if you want to check on the Sport Karate Forum section. You'll find some great (and some not so great) advice there I'm sure.

OUCH!

Actually, it didn't hurt that bad...but sure bled!

" And now class I will demonstrate how to preform Pinan shodan entirely in a left cat stance so as to simulate what to do should you loose the use of your left foot. :cry:"

Yeah, that took a while for my students to get over the jokes and snickering. I just told them to think of it as a "What NOT to do" lesson.

I start my people at shodan level myself.

The only serious accident I've had with them is stabbing myself in the ball of my foot trying to do the kama in Pinan Yondan...damn, that HURT! Yeah I know...not my brightest moment. It bled like crazy, and this was just minutes before my class was to show up. Ever try to bandage a gouge on the ball of your foot that wants to bleed like crazy...and then try to teach a karate class?

Welcome to the martial arts!

Your instructor shoudl teach you about handling multiple attackers, but there are some general "rules of thumb" pertaining to dealing with them, and this will vary from system to system, so my methods might not be the same as yours and others.

1. Learn to work your opponents against each other through your movements and actions. An example: If you have two people attackign you, move insuch a way as to keep one person in the middle. That way you are only dealing with one person at a time. Easy to do if you have the room to do it.

2. When you strike a person, you have to attempt to do a disabling technique on them thefirst time. You don't want to have to fight multiple people more than one time each. They have the advantage of numbers and if they're smart,they will use that advantage. You need to take them out as quickly as possible.

There are otherthings, but I need to get going on my taxes here *sigh*

er..... don't put rattan staves in that group...

in the chinese styles, rattan staves are almost considered a different weapons to hardwood staves.

True...how about broom sticks?

I will try to come. Plane tickets from Seattle are $305, so driving is probably the only way I can pull it off. Looks like about a 10-hour drive. Have to check with the boss (my wife) and work.

COOL! It's an easy drive (I think anyway) from Seattle to Kalispell. Take I-90 to St. Regis, MT...get off the interstate and foillow the signs that say "Glacier Park".

Bring your wife if you'd like to..and the boss if she's cute and single! Any questions you might have, please ask. You have my regular email? tallpaul@sofast.net

Do you not use wooden Kama for Katas?

No, I don't use wooden kama, foam nunchaku, rubber sai's, rattan/lightweight bo's or PVC tonfa. There is no point IMHO, as they don't feel the same as the real thing, nor move the same. The kama I use are dulled, but the identicle to sharp ones in every aspect.

Never. Unfortunately, where I'm at now, I don't have a bag setup or anyway to do it.

Well....OK...I guess I can bend a bit...but just this once! I've faced sharp weapons before and don't have a problem with that, but I don't like to practice with sharp ones in the dojo.

Remind me when I see you in June to tell you about the kid at the tournament that had sharp kama, and what happened to him.

But when it comes down to it, Okinawan hardware store kama are probably the best...

*grimacing here*..this is probably the first time I've ever disagreed with you Shorin Ryuu, but personally, I don't like sharp weapons, and those hardware kama come VERY sharp. I've been cut once myself severely by a chain saw , and seen a kid get cut really bad (almost lost his thumb) at a tournament using sharp kama . Nope...don't like, nor recommend a sharp blade myself, especially if the person is a kid...which we don't know if the author is or not.

Just my opinion. You'll see in June what I'm talking about in regards to the chainsaw.

I knew a guy once who went to the local army surplus store and bought a military canvas duffle bag and two sleeping pads for about 15 bucks, he rolled the sleeping pads up and placed them in the duffle bag as padding around the inside and then filled it with sand. cut the straps off so all that you have is the hook at the top, hang it up and you have a pretty good punching bag.

A waste of money. My sensei and our class chipped in and bought a surplus bag...good as new, and did what you describe. It lasted less than 10 minutes of punching and kicking it. We bought a 2nd bag and inserted the 1st bag into it. It lasted maybe 15 minutes. Both tore apart in the middle where we were kicking it. They aren't made for that sort of impact.

April 5th, 2004 to April 5th, 2005 may have been the fastest year of my life. One year ago tonight I returned to American Karate, and I haven't looked back since. It's hard for me to believe that one year ago tonight, I came home feeling worthless, like I was complete crap, and like everyone would always be better than me, all those people who went through class easily, when I could hardly keep up.

Now here I am, one year later, and I am (not meaning to sound arrogant) one of the best students at the school. There are very few people who beat me in sparring, far fewer who can beat me on the ground. I'm probably one of the top three forms competitors we have, and in the top ten sparring competitors. I've lost fifty pounds and gained a will to push myself more than I ever thought possible. I know the thrill of victory and the dull, aching burn of defeat. I know how to end a fight with grace, a bow, a brotherly embrace and a "good fight", regardless of whether I win or lose.

I thank everyone here for the support given for my tests and tournaments, the advice given to my repetitive questions, and for simply putting up with my random, sometimes pointless posts. I thank you all, and stay tuned. Who knows what the next year will bring

I leave you all with a great quote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt (26th U.S. president (1901-09), 1858-1919)

Tang Soo!

Cool Mu Ryuk! Nice feeling, isn't it!

I also don’t understand the whole ‘knife hand’ thing that everyone so commonly associates with Martial Arts. Is there a popular movie featuring a Karateka that only does open hand techniques?

Yep (dating myself here)...The Pink Panther series of movies from the mid-60's to mid-70's starring Petter Sellers as Inspector Cleasuoe (hukd on foniks werks 4 me ) and his manservent Kato (takeoff on Bruce Lee's Kato from The Green Hornet series). Kato and the inspector used to fight each other often in the movie using pretty much strictly open hand techniques and stances. They smashed everything..tables, chairs, walls, each other. Pretty hokey, but at the time it was a parody of the martial arts. Classic movies I watched as a kid and young man. still would if I caught one on TV.

Woah, whoah, whoa I just heard that only 3 of us have confirmed here. Surely we can do better then that!

yeah...you, Shorin Ryuu and me...that's it. A lot have expressed interest and a desire to attend, but distance is the problem, and the date is also. I had to pick a date and set it so people could make plans. Everybody wants it in THEIR town of course.

I'm looking for a new martial art, anyone know a good online school locator for the United States? I used to have a few, but I had to re-format my harddrive a while ago and I lost all of my links.

I don't know of any "martial art dojo locator", but have you tried google and typing in "martial arts, (your town)"?

I haven't been taking karate long, but I've already gotten a "Have you kicked anyone's butt yet?"

I've gotten this also many times. My response is usually "I don't know of any technique besides putting my size 13 tennis shoe up their *** that would cause me to want to kick somebody in the butt."

You do NOT want to look at a persons eyes. Some people (my origional sensei was good at this) can psych you out that way. Also, by watching the eyes you will miss kicks because you are looking to high.

You also don't want to watch a persons feet for the same reason...you'll miss his punches.

Focus your eyes on the center of their chest. You can see everything that way and can't be psyched out by their looks.

I am new to sparring (I'm a yellow belt), and it is completely counterintuitve to me! I am not a warrior, but a 5'3" mom who takes ballet and TKD.

Despite what your sensei may be telling you, you are not training to be "a warrior". You are training to be a martial artist...BIG difference there. The arts aren't so much about being a fighter, as they are about being a better person. Being able to defend yourself is a part of this, and a path to this.

When it's time to spar, I want to run away instead of fighting someone (especially the taller men), but I am really loving TKD--the forms, the basic moves, the self-confidence I'm building--so I don't want to quit.

TKD tends to favor taller individuals, as it's primarily a kicking art. Taller people have longer legs...that's why they're taller! Perhaps you're in the wrong martial art for what you're looking for?

Any advice for me? What can help me feel more comfortable when I face someone in a fighting stance? Or should I follow the advice someone gave me on my blog--quit TKD and take Tai Chi instead?

Tall or short, everybody has their strong, and their weak points. You need to find your strong points (speed and agility for example) and work them hard, and learn what a taller opponents weakness's are and work towards using those to your advantage.

Most often I'll have people ask me how many boards I can break. I tell them "I've never broken a board yet...but I have broken a few peoples arms, legs and cracked a back once."

That usually shuts them up.

Then of course, I explain to them that I was kidding. I don't want people thinking I'm someone they have to be afraid of.

I had to deal with this situation last night. I'm not quite as old as some of the fossils here, but I have a similiar story.

Hey now..I resemble that remark!

Uhhh...I mean... resent that remark!!!

I was a guest instructor at a friend's TKD school. We are all preparing for our AAU Regionals. Since its only a week away I gave a little talk just before sparring that we all need to be careful not to get hurt or hurt anyone. We should do our drills but with light contact and control. I spoke for about 2 minutes and asked if everyone understood. They all said yes.

When I paired up with this 14-year-old black belt his very first move was a 360flying roundhouse to my face at full force. Where was he when I gave my "be careful" speech? I know I said it in English. What possibly could he have not understood?

BTW.. I blocked it.

He continued sparring at full force and I just studied his technique. After the round I gave him a few pointers and reminder him that when he sparred the next guy to tone it down and work on the tips I gave him.

The next guy he fought was my 16 year old son. The kid again went full out. Now my son is a high rank and knows to fight lower ranks at just one notch above their level, Just enough to let them think that they could beat him, all they have to do is train a little harder and they'll get him next time. (I know, I'm letting out a black belt's secret, sorry).

After they finished I told this kid again that he doing too many flying techniques and jumping up too much. I explained how dangerous that could be in tournament against a better fighter. He looked at me like I was from Mars.

His next fight was once again against me; and guess what...full force jumping and flying again. Well this time he spent more time on the mat than in the air. Every move him made in my direction but him on the ground. He made be quicker than me, but my timing is better than his, so it gives me the appearance of being faster. Twice he jumped up while I was doing a back kick. That meant he got hit below the belt. Yes, it hurt. Yes, too bad.

I did, again, review his sparring style and choice of techniques after we finished, but this time to a frighten face. He didn't stick around after class. I hope he becomes a better fighter, a better sportsman, a better person.

Good for you kicks! What we may lack in speed, we make up for in expertise. One of my favoite sayings is... "Age and deceit will always overcome youth and skill"...or something like that.

Okay, that leads to another question... at what level of aggression should a student be kicked out of a dojo? If a student has been warned repeatedly not to go all out during sparring, and they intentionally continue to do so, at what point have they gone too far? Does the sensei have to wait until the student breaks a rib/arm/whatever to get rid of them? Has anyone here been in a situation where someone was removed from the dojo for being overly aggressive?

I haven't had to kick anybody out of my dojo for being to aggressive and hurting others, but one of two things will happen to them in m yexperience

1. They will beginbto exercise more control...problem solved.

2. They quit coming to class...problem solved.

Either way works fine for me.

Sounds interesting. I might make one if it was, say, next year. I'll be in Texas for about a year starting around this November. San Angelo, to be more precise (yes, the middle of nowhere). It's quite a drive from to Houston from there (400 miles) so it may not ever happen...

Trust me...if you can make it to one of Sensei Lindsey's seminars...do it. The man is the real deal in old style Shorin Ryu. There are only a few people in this country that I would consider a true master of the art, and he is one of them.

Meet their aggression with equial force, but greater skill. Use your experience to teach them the right lessons.

I disagree. Meeting force with force is an unskilled way of fighting IMHO. That's not what you should be learning in your training.

Take a 6' 21 year old man with big muscles and an attitude. Put that man up against a woman that is 5'5" tall and slim build. She is not going to be able to match force for force in a fight, yet she should be able to come out triuphantly if she uses her skill, knowledge, experience and training.

Holding back does not show them a true picture of you as a Martial Artist, and might be hindering the emotional development that they need to more fully appreciate those that train with them.

This depends on what you mean by holding back. if you're talking about going all out on this young man, that doesn't teach him a lesson, but rather will stroke your ego. I don't think I've ever given anyone my best fight...ever. Not in 30 years. The person that I will give my all to in a fight is the man that I intend goiing into the fight, to kill or cripple for life. Thus far, I haven't encountered a situation that I feel I need to go all out in, thus I hold back.

why would he be going "all out" on you. The goal of sparing isn't to injure your partner. It is to learn how to use your martial arts in a controlled fighting situation. Am I correct?

You're correct that that is what it's SUPPOSED to be but like I said, many of the young practitioners want to prove themselves .

I've had a number of these "overzealous" young men in my class in the past that felt they needed to hit harder than they were supposed to. I will warn them a few times about it, and if it isn't doing any good, then I will spar them at the same level they are sparring at. I tell them this right up front that if they want to get rough, I will also.

It usually only takes a minute or less and they understand that they need to tone it down a notch or two.

there is a one day(10:00-16:00) seminar by semsei Lindsey on 4/3/05 Sunday. at sensei thampson's dojo (north of Houston), i think there is $30 charge. anyone interested can contact me for more info.

I bet taht will be interesting and informative. I've never met Sensei Lindsey, but had talked to him a number of times over the phone maybe 15 years ago or so, and I have some videos he sent me that I use for reference now and then. This guy is the real deal people!