Shorinryu Sensei

Sempai = senior student. usually only one senior most student in the class, and normally (not always), that student is a black belt. 1 = Ichi (Eechee...long "E" sounds) 2 = Ni (knee) 3 = San (soft "a" sound) 4 = Chi (She) 5 - Go 6 = Roku (Row Ku) 7 - Seichi (SeeChee) 8 - Hachi (haachee) 9 = Ku (Kue) 10 = Ju (Jew) Hopefully I didn't screw that up! lol I haven't tried to write that down in years, and may have misspelled some of it.

What is best for you is up to you. We can't help you with that decision of course. As I said, I'm partial towards Okinawan systems myself, having been involved in this one for nearly 30 years now. They tend to be very effective for self-defense, limited flashy garbage techniques (in my opinion anyway), realistic rank promotions (you earn it rather than pay for it), usually more laid back and easy going during the class than Japanese and Korean systems (which is my preference), but you'll get a great workout, learn to be an effective self-defense fighter, and hopefully, enjoy yourself! I need to take off and go pay bills *UGH!* I'll check back later.

Something "newbies" don't realize about karate schools is this. Every instructor is going to tell you that their school/system is the best. Period! If they didn't think so, why would they be doing it...right? So keep that in mind. Ask questions...a LOT of questions when you go in. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask before you go in. Watch several classes, preferrably beginners and advanced both. Are they affiliated with any organization? Is the instructor "uppity", or is he/she a human being and treats you as such? Can you take some free classes to try it out? That's always a good thing. What is the emphasis of the system? Sport? Self-defense? Don't be impressed by a lot of black belts running around. Be very wary if you see really young kids walking around wearing black belts. That isn't an indication of a good school. Same goes for a lot of trophies on the walls. Some of the best styles and instructors are teaching in their basements or garages, so look around for those. Having a flashy storefront with mirrors, training equipment and (SHUDDER) contracts does not make a good school either. Good luck...it sounds like you have a lot of choices out there.

Personally, I'd recommend any traditional Okinawan system over a Japanese or Korean one...but that's personal preference of course. You need to figure out what it is that you want out of a martial art. Sport/competition? Self-defense? Grappling? Fast promotions (aka McDojo/belt factory). Effective or flashy techniques (usually can't have both)?

Ya gotta love Google! I did a searchg for "grimsby, martial arts", and this is what I got. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.allenby/ Societies Black Phoenix Wing Chun Chin-na Kuen Kung Fu Grimsby Leisure Centre Aikido Club Karate Club, Laceby Shotokan Karate, Konjaku Shin National School Of Satori Shotokan Academy Y M C A, Grimsby And Cleethorpes http://beehive.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=4577 Judo > Organizations Yorkshire & Humberside Judo Association Karate > Organizations Konjaku Shin National School of Karate - Grimsby - instructors, training schedule, and events calendar. Karate > Shopping and Services@ Kung Fu > Clubs Shaolin Iron Fist Kung Fu - Kingston-upon-Hull - offers details of the sport and the club. Shopping and Services@ Tae Kwon-Do > Clubs John Turners Black Belt Academy - Brigg - accepts members from the age of four upwards. That should get you started. I didn't personally check out any of the sites and I can't vouch for any of them, but maybe some of our other UK friends can add something.

It woukld help tremendously if we knew where you were located, and what was available in your area. For example, if you lived in New York City or LA, then there is just about everything. But if you lived in Two Dot, Montana (yes, there really is a Two Dot)...then your choices are limited.

I've never switched from one system to another, but have had many people in my classes over the years that had belts ranging from a 2nd black belt in TKD, to just a few months of something else. What you need to keep in mind is that every class is different, as is every instructor. What may seem wrong to you, is right for someone else. I run a pretty relaxed and loose class also, because that's the way I was taught, and that's my nature anyway. I really don't like people bowing and scraping to me. Some incoming new students like this approach...and some don't.

Pinan Yondan (4) It's not my most advanced kata by any means, but something about that kata always feels "right" to me. Just the way it moves, and the bunkai associated with those movements.

TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!! Ok boys..break clean and go back to your respective corners. One thing I've noticed in nearly 9 years on the internet is how easily people can be misunderstood in what they type on this blasted thing. It happens to me all the time.

I just posted about this same thing in the Korean Martial Arts Forum, so I figured I'd toss it out for everybody else to ponder. Just how old is your martial art, and what exactly determines where that time frame starts counting? For instance, there are some systems and sensei that claim their martial art is 2,000 years old (or more). To which I say...*!!!. Why do I doubt that figure? Well, if you art is 2,000 years old..or even 500 years old...have they NEVER changed anything in their art at all during that time period? Nothing at all? No new techniques? No changes at all? You see, in my opinion...warped as it is sometimes...I feel that anytime you make a change to the system...something halfway significant like a new break fall technique or grappling perhaps where before you didn't..that you have just markedly changed the system to something different, and in my opinion, at that point you need to restart your time clock in regards to how old your system is...because it is no longer the same system that it was prior to the changes. Does that make sense, or am I the one that's full of *? With that in mind, the system I choose to practice is somewhere around 200 years old in its present form. We are actually trying to regress (go backwards) to the older ways as far as our research can take us. This is a daunting task, as Okinawa lost many of its records and practioneers during WWII. We're definitely not a "new and improved" system, which is the way that I like it. We kick, punch, grapple, lock and have all kinds of fun making pretzels out of each other. What more could you want?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but prior to around 1953 or so, TaeKwonDo didn't exist as a unique system until a guy by the name of General Cho incorporated the two systems, Tae and Kwan, into one system. Or at least, that's the way I've heard it explained. Correct? Now even if my dates and names are exactly accurate, then why do I keep hearing TKD sensei in their dojangs, tournaments and demonstrations telling people that "Our martial art is over 2,000 years old.", when in actuality, it's only around 50 years old? I mean seriously, if you want to, any martial art can trace it's linage back to when a cave man named Ugg (from the Lee family) first learned to make a fist, hit somebody with that fist and find out it knocks other people down, then teach his kin folk Hom (Lee) and friends (Bare & Frank) how to do it...and WHAM! We have a martial arts system! So, with that in mind...my art is 200,000 years old...maybe older! I just think that these sensei are misleading their students and the general public by making these claims and I wish they'd stop telling such wild * that just isn't true. Actually, if you stop and think about it...anytime that you change something in a system...like the ITF and others have done, then from that point, you have a new system...so that is where you need to start your linage clock.

True...any weapon can be thrown...but if you don't hit and drop your opponent with that throw..you are now weaponless...and that's not a good thing if the other guy has a weapon or is a better fighter than you are. I wouldn't recommend it, and would consider it nothing short of suicide and an act of desperation to do so. Personally, I would consider any sensei teaching you to throw your weapon (sai excluded of course), especially a bo, to not really understand basic fighting concepts and lacking in common sense. But hey, that's just me. Does he teach you to throw a pistol also, even if it still has bullets in it? Kind of the same thing. Or throw your knife in a knife fight? Bad choices for all of them IMHO.

That's OK bud. The bo is just a single weapon held by two hands and is just easier for a novice to handle than the sai is. The sai are heavy (or should be anyway if you have a decent pair), and for a novice, rather awkward to manipulate at first. It takes more time to learn to control and use them than it does the bo.

I don't think that would be the case however, as manipulation of the sai is much harder than with the bo for a beginner. Plus with the sai, you have to make sure they are placed in the proper position to block an incoming strike, and I've seen many that don't do that correctly...even black belts. Block it wrong, and the sai are worthless. Nope, for beginners, I'd give a definite edge to the bo wielder.

But only the spring loaded ones are illegal..right? Gravity fed are OK to get as far as I know.

Short.....posts.....don't.....offfend.....me.....but.....dotted.....lines.....do..... Sorry, I'm in one of those moods today.

No problem Wap...I caught the humor.

I can't vouch forother sensei in this system, as there are no set "requirements" for the particular order. I start with the bo first at 4th kyu level belt, then sai at 3rd kyu, tonfa at 2nd kyu, kama at 1st kyu, and nunchaku at shodan. The kata aren't taught all at once for each weapon, but are taught as they progress through the belts.

Skip the speed bag and hand strengtheners...get a good heavy bag instead.

Now, that's a good question. I believe that the deceased head of our system, Sense Kuda Yuichi, had his own family system of kobudo. He also trained with several kobudo Masters on Okinawa, including OSensei Soken Hohan. I wish I could be more specific, but honestly, I really don't know for sure.

Oh sure..no problem. I've actually let a couple of people live that had called me that to my face before. That's a joke, just in case you're not sure. As it says under my name <------------- over there -------------- I study/teach Shorinryu Matsumura Kenpo (Seito/Orthodox) Karate and Kobudo. I practice and teach the nunchauku, bo, sai, kama and tonfa as a part of my art. There are many more weapons, but I haven't had the exposure to them yet because of where I live. It's to difficult to travel to work with higher belts. Oh..about an 8 out of 10. We've had some pretty talented jugglers on this forum in the past.

I didn't take my Anti-Geezer "Play Nice Pills" this morning, so I'm a little blunter than most are today.

A good point back_fist. I see no reason that you can't do both flashy and effective technque, but if you're teaching others, you need to stress to your students which is which, and what each is for. My gripe is with people that only do flashy techniques, teaching others that flash, and trying to pass it off as effective technique.

In that case Python...I'd say go for it and have fun!!!

"Geezer"? Well, you young whippersnapper...I outta.... Did I call you names, such as a young punk? So let's not go there, OK? Why would you want to teach bad technique from the start, such as holding the weapon clsoe to the rope/chain, and then down the road have to correct that mistake and re-teach good technique? This is no different than empty hand technique. You have to teach it correctly from the beginning or you will have more porblems in the future. As for having more "control" holding it close to the rope/chain, yes you would, but only if you're interested in (and apparently that's your main focus) in doing flashy, ineffective technique. Holding and using the weapon as it was intended gives you plenty of control, but won't allow you to do flash as easily. The differance is in striking power. Your way will leave bruises and bumps on a person you strike. My way will crush skulls, break bones, and cripple my opponent. To each their own. And like you said..."Whatever"...I have better things to do, like wash my socks, than to verbally spar with "baton twirlers" that don't understand basic physics principles. Oh geeze..am I resorting to name calling now too?