Montana

What I've seen over the last 45 years is a longer, more aggressive "tournament kiai"..one aimed at intimidating, impressing or "SEE ME" type of kiai. There are 3 purposed of a kiai: 1. Startle your opponent. 2. Tighten your body to absorb impact. 3. Add strength to your technique. IMO, these long Kiai, especially at the beginning of a kata, are ridiculous!

There was no "requirement" to remove jewelry, but a recommendation. Rings can get your fingers hurt. Necklaces can get broken. Bracelet's can hurt yourself or others. Facial jewelry can be a bad idea.

My thoughts also. Are they afraid you'll switch to the other side?

As far as I know, my branch of Shorin Ryu doesn't do that kata. Descended from Soken Matsumura, to Soken Hohan, to Kuda Yuichi, eventually to me. Interestingly, my branch of Matsumura Seito does do Seisan. However, my lineage branches differently, from Soken Hohan to Kise Fusei.Essentially the same thing as I do then. Kuda and Kise worked together at first, but as I understand it from several high ranking sensei that left Kise, he was passing out BB's like confetti and changing things quite a bit. My origional sensei studied under Kuda in Okinawa. I received my Shodan from Sensei Kuda.

We've talked about this before. My personal Shodan testing took maybe 5-10 minutes under 7th Dan Kuda Yuichi, head of the Shorin Ryu Matsumura Kenpo. I didn't even know I was being tested. We don't make a big deal out of the BB tests, or any others for that matter.

America...none

As far as I know, my branch of Shorin Ryu doesn't do that kata. Descended from Soken Matsumura, to Soken Hohan, to Kuda Yuichi, eventually to me.

Top of the foot

100% agree. Almost anything can be used in self-defense if you get your mind to thinking about it.

I don't remember my first test. Sometime in March or |April 1975. Yeah, a bit ago. I'm sure my test lasted maybe 10-15 minutes. Basic blocks, kicks and punches. Stances of course, and Pinan Shodan. Sensei Miller made corrections and suggestions, and that's it. Done. Pass or fail. I really, REALLY don't like instructors/systems that feel they have to put a student thru a 2.5 HOUR long test! WHY??? As an instructor, I should know what you know better than you do. I see you in class every day, make corrections, give advice, correct flaws and MAKE YOU BETTER!

I'd take you up on that. Most of the schools I've been a part of have not indulged in this kind of training. I've dabbled a bit in the past, years ago, but without really knowing anything about what I was doing. I've seen a partner forearm blocking drill that I think would work really well, but never any of the leg kicking stuff. I do think this kind of training would be beneficial, so long as it's done right. I'd be afraid of getting that "no pain, no gain!" style instructor that would batter someone up to the point that movement was difficult and actually causing injury. Kicks are easy. Only hit as hard as your partner can take, but take all you can. Does no good if you're not pushing your limits. receiving end determines how hard. 1. Face each other, right or left legs forward. Roundhouse to partners thigh. Alternating turns. Emphasis NOT flinching the knee away or could be hurt! Do other side. At least 10 reps each leg. 2. One person with right leg forward, other left. Same kick but to the INSIDE of the thigh. Roundhouse kick. Same thing, don't flinch! 3. Back shoulder kick, facing each other, right let, right hand on top of the head. Roundhouse under the arm to kick back of shoulder blade. 4. Stomach kicks. Partner stands sidewise to you, hands behind back, horse stance. Partner roundhouse kicks to stomach 10 times. There's one using an openhand block where a partner punches you, block, then upwards against their forearm then double chop down. Easy to show, hard to describe. If I knew how to do a video on here and get it to you, I'd show you. Really good for toughing up the forearms.

We do what we called Kotoate drills, involving roundhouse kicks to the inside/outside of the legs. stomach, ribs and back. The idea was to accept as hard a kick as you could manage. Arm techniques involved doing outside to down blocks whacking each others forearms against each other. Thee is also one using an open hand block, but I cant really describe it. I have a grandson in Tang Soo Do class right now and offered to show it to their sensei if he'd like to incorporate it into his training. No interest..lol.

Yeah, that's an automatic TWO point deduction!

Exactly! I might be going down with another sensei from Tang Soo Do. He's VERY legit, having competed in the same circuits as Bruce Lee, Bill Wallace, Chuck Norris and the like. He's 78 years young and trust me, still has it! He's been to this tourney before and didn't like it, but might go just to watch. He said there were a lot of things this tourney does oddly. If I go, August 3rd, I'll give you guys my impressions Afterwards.

I've run into that a time or two. What I meant was after you finish your kata, face the judges and bow to indicate you are finished. Probably 98% of kata do finish facing the same way as you started, but yes, a few don't.

AGREED! That's how I taught also. However, most systems don't teach it that way, so I don't judge using that as a criteria.

Unfortunately, none of my sensei I trained under taught me the names of any individual techniques. Blocks were hand, outside, inside, down and up blocks. sorry.

This is the closest to what I do. Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu

There's an upcoming tournament about 2 1/2 hour drive from me that I've never attended before and was thinking of going. I got to looking over their rules and it was kinda odd how they do their kata judging. I was wondering if anybody else had seen this and what you thought about it. After competitors are bowed in they all sit down to the left side of the judges. There are 3 empty chairs on the right side of the floor. The first competitor does his thing then is told "You are in first place" and takes the chair closest to the judges. Then the 2nd competitor does his kata. Then he's told either "You're in first place" so he takes the chair occupied by the first guy, who moves down to the 2nd chair, or he's in 2nd place and takes the 2nd chair. The third competitor does his kata then is told either 1st, 2nd or 3rd place and takes that chair, potentially making the other 2 have to move depending on where #3 is placed. Any other competitors after that will be replacing or moving occupants of those 3 chairs, or not sitting there at all. I've never seen this and it just seems to be a really poor way of doing it, let alone telling non-chair people they sucked and are out of the running. Thoughts?

There needs to be a category on here for Martial Arts Tournaments. Anyway, a quick background. I've been an Open, all style tournament judge since 1982-ish. I judge Open hand kata, weapons and sparring. I've done breaking but try hard to avoid it because I consider it so much garbage. but that's for another thread. I thought I'd put down my thoughts on what I've seen in kata performances and what I like, and what I dislike. Feel free to comment. EMPTY HAND KATA What the judges are looking for: 1. Good opening presentation. Personally, I'm old but not deaf! I do NOT like being yelled at by a white belt, or black belt master. Tournaments are noisy so speak firmly and clearly so the judges can hear you, but DON'T YELL AT US! State your name, name of your school, instructor and the name of the kata you are going to show us. Wait for confirmation, back to your starting point and begin your kata. 2. Judges may, or may not, know the kata you are doing, so if you screw up JUST KEEP GOING! We're not judging if you do the kata correctly, we're judging how well you do it. 3. Please, do NOT put on a warrior face when doing your kata. It makes me think you're constipated and mad at me about it. Be at peace, be calm, be ready. I'm not impressed by sneers, angry looks , or EXCESSIVE ANGRY YELLING! I am impressed by cool, calm and precise kata. 4. Remember your stances. I see this a lot in black belts especially. Straight legs, movement when their shouldn't be any, etc. karate needs a firm foundation, and that foundation is your stance. 5. Don't do flips, splits or other acrobatics (unless you're doing sports karate). Personally, I will make you down a full point for it because it has no place in a kata. 6. Finish the kata facing the judges, bow and wait to be dismissed. WEAPONS KATA 1. Same as #1 above, but also present your weapon to the judges for inspection if they'd like to. 2. Use a "real" weapon. No, I don't mean a razor sharp katana, but don't use a toothpick bo/staff. I will knock you down a full point from the start for it. 3. Know the name of you weapon. If you come up before me and tell me you are going to do a "numchuk" kata, I'll take a point off before you even start. 4. Know how to hold and manipulate the weapon properly. I'm constantly amazed at even black belts that haven't a clue how to use a kobudo weapon. If your sensei taught you that, he/she doesn't know what they're doing, so it's not your fault, it's theirs! 5. Limit kicks (it's a weapons kata), easy on the screaming, control your weapon at all times, and a killer for me is watching with a sai, tonfa or kama and they're holding it wrong. 6. This one is my biggest pet peeve. NUNCHAKU! A. if you hold the weapon close to the string/chain, deduct 1 point, and this is NOT good technique! B. If you start twirling the weapon like a cheerleaders' baton, just quit and go sit down, because I'll give you the lowest possible score allowed. OK, comments?

I do 3 Nahanchi kata. The first 2 both have open handed strikes/blocks. Do you have a video? Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito/Orthodox (we call it Kenpo now)

I've been in Shorin Ryu since 1975. ALL movements in ALL kata have multiple applications and yes, they can transfer from one kata to another.

Sounds GREAT!

Can i petition for a role as your disciple? For a small cut of the monies received i can attempt to open the eyes of more potential acolytes! (or convince some gullible people to pay us both money - you can choose the definition you prefer!) Yes, my young WORM! You may kiss my feet and I will give you tiny morsels of knowledge that will feed your starving soul! That'll be $250, please...

My $.02 worth. Aesthetics, which are found in the kata and basics, teaches you proper stances, punches, kicks and blocks. It teaches your body to move in a certain way to be "proper" in the eyes of your particular system of martial arts. But then there's sparring, and all that great technique you've learned goes flying out the window for the most part. Why? Because those perfect blocks, punches etc that you've learned and practiced for YEARS are to slow for a real fight. WHAT???? Yes, I said it. Basic techniques, for the most part, and perfect kata technique, don't work in a real fight! BLASPHEMY!!!