KarateEd

My school still emphasizes katas/hyungs. I find them useful for training by myself, just to keep the memory of various techniques fresh in my mind. Also, like joesteph, I see their merits in developing newer students' stances and coordination without the stress of facing or working with another student. However, tallgeese, I can see how a burdensome regimen of katas/hyungs can sap precious training time that could be better spent focusing on real world, shorter duration sd conflicts. Do ya'll think think that the belt-rank system perpetuates the continued introduction of longer and more complex forms as each rank requires something to set it apart from the ranks that come before?

I generally use the ball of my foot, sometimes I use the instep, and usually use my back leg for the kick, which often is set-up by some other technique/combination. Also, I usually aim for the ribs/midsection, though I'll do some head-hunting if the opportunity presents itself. I have never really worked with the shin or at whacking opponents' legs, though I sure wouldn't mind making those things a part of my repertoire.

*ouch* He did smash a couple of them, but that support sure didn't break when he hit it. I wonder if he expected to break all those coconuts or just as many as he could manage?

Welcome to KF!

The above quotes sum up my position. Hopefully, your old sensei won't hold it against you if you don't return to train with him. Of course, you can't control his actions and if he does hold it against you then you don't need to be training with him anyway.

Bruce Lee spoke of "labeling" in the same way as you sensei8, except he was speaking of labeling an entire fighting system, not just techniques.

I have a few of these memories. In one, I remember, as a young kid (4 or 5ish) having a little silver car with the number "66" on the doors, but no one else in my family seems to remember this car.

I know a little German, but am forgetting more and more of it everyday from a lack of use.

After the Meiji restoration in 1868 Japan began the move into the industrial age. They mimicked the industrialized west in many ways. I'm sort of shooting from the hip here, but I would say that their military training was similar to that in the west. Therefore, their primary focus in combat training (outside of shooting) would have been bayonet usage (as Night Owl mentioned), grenade throwing, and the like. An interesting book that gives a glimpse into this era of Japan (though it doesn't focus on military training or MA) is The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa. My $0.02 worth.

As bushido_man said it is used to develop a sensitivity toward another person's body movements. Also, Bruce Lee, in his book Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: Basic Training speaks of using chi-sao to develop balance and the proper flow of energy to maximize one's power.

Cool video!

I have required young students to sit down and forgo participation for a period of time when they were unable to follow the rules. I have done this outside of MA training, also, in an after-school academic program and when substituting at the middle school level. Seemed to work rather well.

For BB I had some short answer questions and several essays questions, though they were short essays. I am unsure about writing requirements for dan tests. Hopefully, I'll found out within the next year or so.

Congratulations!

Great!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Perhaps you are focused too much on the idea that you should be winning your division. As others have said, if you just enjoy the tournament for what it is (a learning experience) then maybe you won't be so nervous, and, like you said yourself, you will probably start to win those competitions.

OK, cool. Let us know how it goes.

BB of C, are you going to format the HD or erase it?

It should wipe out everything. You'll have to reinstall the OS and all other software that you plan to use. You'll need to back up files you want to keep or else they'll be destroyed, too.

Welcome to KF, Ranpu!

Welcome to KF! Nice website, too.

I got a pretty good deal on an MP3 player that I am giving to a friend. Unfortunately, it is on back order. That is all the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping that I did.

I enjoy photography, but I don't have the time or money for another hobby. I do have a point-and-shoot camera, a 2 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 2100, which I bought in 2003. I have managed to get three pictures that I took with the camera published in two magazines (all pictures of cars).

I don't own a Wii but have played one on occasion. I was surprised, when playing Wii tennis, that the arm movements needed to strike the ball were similar to actual tennis. A friend of mine has the Fit and enjoys it.