hobbitbob

Tom Kurz is definately the expert. I stretch every day. I find that I'm doing maintenace stretching at this point. If I go two or three days without stretching, I notice small decreases in the ease of flexibility.

Videos are great as a memory aid, but that's about it.

All I can say is make sure your instructor has a valid link back to Maasaki Hatsumi. Ninpo/Ninjutsu, etc.. is full of people who are charlatans. One school in the Baltimore area was run by a person with a "Start your own school" link on his website (Send in $1500,and he would send you tapes, certificates, etc...)! There is one "real" teacher here in Denver, with a valid lineage to Bunjinkan in Japan, and two "ninjabees" who teach TKD in funny outfits. https://www.bujinkan.org is the main organization's site. Also look on e-budo.com. there are Ninpo practitioners there, in the Koryu Bujutsu section who might be able to help you. Good luck. I do know of two good Shotokan Dojo, and a good Wado dojo in the Tuscon area, if that is any help.

A good example of how the interperetation may vary is to take Heian 4, a popular "demo" kata. the opening sequence (Left and Right Haiwan Shuto Uke in Kokutsu Dachi, followed by Juji Uke in Left Zenkutsu Dachi) is valueless when interepereted as : 1: Block a punch to the head from the left. 2: Repeat on the opposite side. 3: Step forward and block a kick. However, when interepereted as "shaking" oneself free of a bear hug, controlling the arms, and executing a wrist lock to bring the oponent to the ground (and, if one incorporated the Morote Uke that follows, dislocating the wrist, elbow,and shoulder in one fell swoop!) the Kata has value. If you watch the JKA Bunkai tapes, they are downright silly. I wonder how much of this can be attributed to the Uchinanchu not wanting to share with the Japnese,and how much is attributable to the rapid growth of Karate in the very militaristic early Showa period? I actually credit the BJJ folks for "shocking" us out of complacency. They made it obvious that unless you are Oyama Masutatsu, the block punch kick method is flawed. Thanks to the Gracies, Karateka began looking into their own systems for the "himitsu" or "hidden techniques," that weren't that hidden. To be fair, the Uchinanchu had always taught them, but the throrws and locking techniques weren't popular with the "sport" mentality that permeated Karate in the 70s and 80s. Even Wado Kai, which has Jujutsu as its co-base, has been taught as a percussive art only. I started out in Wado Ryu,and we never learned anything about locking or throwing. It was Yoshinkan Aikido that introduced the concepts to me, and allowed me first to see that the same techniques were in Karate. The locking/throwing techniqes are beginning to filter back into Shotokan via Harry Cook (in the U.K.), Asai Tetsuhiko and Abe Ryoki (in Japan), and many others. Also, many Shotokan teachers in the US do teach self-defence, most notably Dennis Palumbo in Denver, Skip Matthews in Seattle, and Najib Amin in Baltimore. The block punch kick method does have its uses.Due to the spread of TKD/Karate as an afterschool activity, chances are you may be confronted by some bozo in a Kamae, especially if your opponent is middle or upper middle class. About eight years ago, during one of Sisters of Mercy's rare swings through the US, I and my (rather mouthy and obnoxious) girlfriend were standing in line outside the Fenix in Seattle waiting to go in when this person said something to Lisa, she said something back, and suddenly I was confronted by a chap in a back stance with a guard up (Classic TKD point sparring stance! ) I just waited for the flippy roundhouse to the head that I knew was coming, controlled it, took the supporting leg, and let his friends calm him down. I spent the rest of the evening looking over my shoulder. The point of this long-winded example is that the "point sparring" model can get one in trouble in real self defence situations. He had never learned self-control,and I had questionable choice in women! Against someone who wished him ill, he would have been killed or seriously injured. Had he learned self defence, he would never have taken a Kamae, and would not jave attacked with a high Mawashi-Geri on cobblestones, on a hillside, in boots! Osu!

Pre-1975 TKD was Shotokan (frequently very well executed!). My understanding of the origins of the Chang-Hon forms is that Gen. Choi directed Han Cha-Kyo to "Come up with some forms that aren't Japanese." Han mixed and matched techniques, added more kicks, and designed the Chang-Hon set. I think that he did a wonderful job, and the froms are a wealth of combat technique! Tang Soo Do still uses the "Shoto 26," as does Chung Do Kwan. Their executiuon of the Kata are similar to the way the SKA and the Shotokai people do them.

Elmar Schmeisser is another person who has "reverse engineered" Shotokan techniques. His books are out of print, but can usually be found on e-bay, or in used bookstores. Harry Cook is another good source. Rich, I hate to disagree with you, but I have used "Shotokan technique" in self defence situations. Not "kihon technique", with long stances, etc.." but good Karate technique.the problem with using any "style" per se is that many dojo don't teach self-defence, just competition techniques. Often because their teachers didn't know any bunkai/oyo. The first generation of JKA instructors was the perfect example. They had received a "block/punch/kick" education,and an emphasis on jiyu kumite. Their efforts to "Japan-ize" Karate led to a less "practical" Karate. The techniqes are still there, one just has to have a competent guide to find them. Not too long ago our Volunteer FD had a seminar on personal protection, and brought in a Krav maga person to teach it. The techniqes she taught were good, basic Karate technique. I rather enjoyed the class! I have always felt that their are no "new techniques," or "ancient secrets," only willingness or unwillingness to think about the form of a technique. Why is it done this way? What am I reacting to? How would I change this for terrain, bulky clothing, etc...?

I know this sounds awful, but when you get to college, it will be better. Just hang on. I was raised by my sister and brother in law, who are somewhere to the right of Mussolini! At 36 I still get guff from them, it never ends. eventually you learn to be your own person.

The "smirk" says it all.

The tone of your posts makes you come off as an obnoxious teen. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

Watatabi were the typical indoor shoes worn in Japan from the 1700s until the late 20th century.

Are you likely to step into a ring with a professional boxer and win? No. If cornered in a alley, might you be able to survive? Probably. the latter has always seemed far more important!

In many ways you seem to be the sort of child who benefits from Karate. You display a chip on your shoulder the size of New Jersey! Hopefully a good instructor will be able to focus some of your excess energy into a constructive path. As for the "bruteness" aspect, there is no glory in injuring another person.It is too easy to injure, or even kill another person. People are fragile. You will find that you gain far more respect from being gentle and kind, than from pounding on others. If you wish to go into law enforcement your most important priority should be your education. I know people who test for years before getting onto a police department, and the federal branches all require at the least, a BA in something. I have several friends who are in the DEA, FBI, ATF, etc... and almost all of them were recruited from University. The best way to get into the FBI, in fact, seems to be to have a Law degree, or a graduate degree in a science or engineering field! Having said that, all branches of LE require the applicant to pass a psychological batterey that weeds out those who are looking for chances to beat up or kill others. 16 is a rough age, and I would not wish to repeat it (or 13-20, for that matter) for all the chocolate in the world. Have you friends at school? Are your teachers supportive? the world is not out to get you any more than it is the rest of us!

It is an addded thing we would have in common. My girlfriend does Shotokan, so we have similar frames of reference for things "Budo." I actually met her when we were both reaching for the only copy of "Moving Zen" on the shelf at Borders.

As long as the person who is certified continues trainng under an instructor from that org., the parent groups rarely mind. The thing all orgs., even the Kukiwon, really care about are testing fees.

Yorked before my first Shodan test (1985) and my Sandan Test (August, 2002).

I find the whole "Ninja Suit" thing comical. One doubts real Ninja wore an easily identifiable costume. The modern "Shinobi-gi" is actually the costume worn by stage handlers in traditional Japanese theatre. They wore black clothing to symbolize not being there when they changed scenery. Real Ninja wore regular clothing.

there is a light at teh end of the tunnell, and it is looking less like a train every day.

The nerves, the worries, the throwing up in the bathroom before hand. I sooo eagerly await testing again........

One of my favourites I ahev worn was an Adidas heavyweight Karate gi. Except for the adidas label on the right chest and knee, it was great. they ahve discontinued these, and now make their karate gis out of that lightweight paper they make their TKD doboks out of.

Actually, I know several people with teaching credentials through one of the TSD organizations, and Kukkiwon. There is a chap in Laurel Md. who does soemthing similar. It sounds like you've found the right school.

I have a shelf of three ring binders!

I started training at 14, and followed a very simple rule. it was no one's business but mine that I was practicing Karate. Perhaps you might wish to try this philosophy? If you were my student, I would have ejected you for fighting.

Yoshinkan/Yoshinkai is the most "street-practical" method of teaching Aikido,and is taught to riot police recruits in Japan. Did Yoshinkan for ten years until my knees finally gave out too much for all the bunny hops and squats. Try it.See if you like it.

C'mon you can't mean to tell me that after those videos were made they didn't put on their gold chains, jump in their I-ROC's and drive to Bensonhurst to play a wicked game of hand ball. I could have sworn during one of those videos I heard TKA playing in the background. I might be wrong though. Ahhh...sometimes I miss living on the east coast. Seriously though, I just re-watched the videos and certain things really bother me: A: The emphasis on "looking good." I ralize that he is attempting to atract affluent young families, but still.... Lots'o'Dojo bunnies in those promotional videos. B: I got a strong urge to shout "Cobra Kai!" Might just be the pretty outfits.

Mine is embroidered. My school's name isn't on it, though. Name on one side, karate, kobudo on the other. I know what my name looks like in Japanese, so I have an advantage - a japanese man wrote my first name on my gi during a seminar once icon_biggrin.gif Well...wouldn't all the black belts in your dojo have the same kanji on the one side? _________________ Hmmm...makes me glad I read Japanese. I was actually given pushups as a brown belt at my first Dojo for allowing a new white belt to enter the practice area and walk past me without correcting his belt. Kurobane Sensei walked over, retied the students belt, tehn called me aside, explained the "sempai-kohai relationship" and gave me twenty pushups. It was a lesson I did not forget.