Montana

Speaking from my own observations and experiences only here, this is what I've found from people that are "self-taught". When I first moved into this area back in 1985 and started teaching a karate class in my basement, word spread quickly (small town Montana) about me, and being a high school teacher I was bombarded daily with kids telling me about Brian...another "instructor" and high school student, that was "Fantastic!" and teaching out of his parents garage. I met Brain a few days into the school year (he was a senior) and found that he had taken a few months of classes from a blue belt Chuck Norris System instructor, and a few months worth of classes from a local 7th Dan San Sou instructor. He told me he felt he knew more than they did, so started training on his own from videos (pre-DVD days) and books. As chance would have it, Brian's father was my wifes boss at the hospital and we were invited over to their house for dinner a few weeks later where I had the opportunity to talk at length with Brian about what he was doing. He invited me out to his garage where he had an impressive collection of every martial arts weapon that you can buy from a catalog. I asked him if he wouldn't mind showing me some things that he was practicing, and he eagerly agreed. Well folks, all I can say is...YUCK! To say he was sloppy would be a gross understatement. To say his technique had no power would be like comparing a very expensive sports car of your chosing, to a lawn mover. And this kid was teaching, and PROMOTING about 10 other high school kids! He was more concerned on looking good, rather than proper function. Blocks were nearly non-existent, no chambers (to the knee and back) for kicks, punches were wild and unfocused (as was everything he did). I have run into several other self-taught people through the past 30+ years...not one has ever impressed me of having any technique above possibly a very low kyu ranking, yet considered themselves very good...right up in the black belt levels. They all have the same inherent weakness's and flaws in their techniques...stances, blocks, power, etc. You can't learn that stuff without a sensei telling you where you're making your mistakes and correcting your flaws.

Agreed. I've ran into many self-taught martial artists over the past 30+ years and one thing they all have in common (I'm not saying you do) is very weak technique, sloppy, exposed, poor stances/foundations, no understanding of what they are really doing (the mechanics) and the list could go on. Instruction from a qualified teacher is essential to iron our deficiencies and short comings in order to progress and improve.

I've never heard the term either. Maybe this is just a way to obvious, but I assume your sensei is tell you that you are doing this...right? Ask him/her what it is and how to correct it.

Do the kick very slowly and hold it at the end of the kick for as long as you can without leaning your body very much as a counter weight. It will improve balance and also strengthen the leg muscles.

Trying to disarm a person with two weapons is where you made your mistake. Instead of disarming them, use your speed to get in and out with very strong and fast blows/jabs, low kicks, etc to upset their balance. Angle your attacks to their weak side (their left side if they're right handed, etc) Your legs are longer than their arms, kick low and fast. The thing that most people don't realize about defending an attacker with a weapon is that the attackers entire concentration is on using that weapon pretty much exclusively. They rarely kick. That can be used to your advantage. You don't want to get close to them unless you're attacking, and you need to move as fast as possible, and as efficiently as possible. Forget fancy kicks, complicated disarms (unless the opportunity presents itself and you can do it safely). We've done this same sort of scenerio in my class, plus in my sensei's, and his sensei's class. It can be done.

Would you mind clarifying what you're saying here please?

I think what you guys are missinbg here is the purpose of training in karate or muay thai. Karate was developed for self-defense purposes, whereas muay thai is for sport. True, there is a lot of sport karate out there now, which I think is really sad and pathetic (personal opinion), but training traditionally for karate is to protect yourself on the street against any sort of attack, not just attacks from one particular style of martial art.

Agreed. The karate fighter approached the JJ guy with his hands down, no defensive posture at all. He was either extremely overconfident...or stupid.

Every height has its advantages, and its disadvantages. Tall people have a greater reach, usually (not always) a harder punch/kick due to more mass, but a larger target area to defend. Short people have speed, lower center of gravity (more stable) and a smaller target area to defend. The thing to watch out with taller people when they fight a shorter person is that most of them are "head hunters"...meaning they go for head shots the majority of the time, as that's what's easiest for them to attack. A shorter person needs to understand that and learn to get under their attack and go for the torso more than their head.

Agreed! Simple? Well, simpler than higher katas perhaps, but simple...not even! Our "simpliest", first kata is Pinan Shodan (Shotokan people call it Nidan). Attention to minute details is important the higher you are ranked. Nobody does it perfectly, especially myself, but that is our goal. Just on a side note here, ALL kata can be asked for for each and every test we take. ALL known kata are practiced by ALL karateka (including myself) during each practice. Each and every kata in our system is as important as any other and has its place in our system. Well, now you did it. You went and made me use upper case!

6'6" here...that's about 198cm for you metric folks. Being taller than everybody else in class has it's on set of "issues" too.

I had a student a few years back (Don) that after getting his first of 3 brown belts started attending an Ed Parker Kempo class occassionally without telling me about it for a while. I had lunch with that other sensei now and then and that's how I found out about it. I had been suspicious anyway, as Don was trying different stances, blocks and techniques that we didn't use in my class...now I knew why. I wasn't angry about it and have no problem if a student isn't satisfied with what I'm teaching, but I think I deserved to at least be informed about it after putting nearly 3 years into teaching a student.

A card that you show someone before thumping them, so that you aren't held liable for their butt-whooping? Am I understanding your statement correctly? I think the idea is that while they're reading the card and starting to laugh hysterically over it, you nail them!

There was an article many years ago...1970's somewhere...possibly in BB magazine or in a medical journal about it. The article was about the continuing growth of a serious, continually training martial artist, not a tournament competitor. The difference is the honing and refining of skills was a continuing process and that advancements can still be achieved into the mid-60's. Of course this doesn't pertain to UFC sort of competitions. Take for example a true master of the arts, any art, when they are in their 50's or above. They normally have the skills to defeat a much younger opponent, also with MA skills. There are countless examples of this. How old was your sensei, and could you, as a much younger person, defeat them?

I disagree. When you reach black belt level, or that level which you are considered proficient in the basic fundamentals of your particular system, then that is the time that you are really learning "IMHO". I have progressed so much since that time that I can't begin to describe it since getting my BB back in 1978. My reflexes are faster, timing is better, understanding of what I'm doing is phonomenally better, speed and smoothness of my techniques is better...in general, reaching black belt is just the beginning of understanding what your art is all about. Did you know that as a martial artist, you don't reach your peak until your mid-60's? It's true.

You've got to watch the whole thing...Ninja kata perhaps? http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&cache=1&gid=137966&vid=600913&b=2

Agreed.

Unless you're planning on wearing a cup everytime you leave your house, and your purpose for training in a MA is for self-defense purposes (not just sport), then you;'d better learn how to block/protect your groin. It's not all that difficult actually. Use your legs to block more than your hands. Also, we keep our kicks lower. The higher your kicks, the easier it is to get nailed in the groin (DUH!)

Yep! We don't full contact the groin...you don't have to to know you got it. Most cups make a distinctive "pop" when struck. But then again, very few of my students wear a cup anyway. I've found that those that do on a regular basis tend to not protect that area nearly as much. I leave that as an option for 18 years and up...but not an option for 17 and below. Those kids are required to wear a cup. For myself, I haven't worn one probably in 25+ years, and even then, it was seldom. I block instead.

I like your signature! About the vid...GREAT sweeps, very fast and powerful and yes, he'd be very hard to defend against. Not knowing the rules, I would be using more lateral movement against him. Everybody he fought stood straight on to him. He'd still kick my butt though!

I prefer simple and effective. Front leg roundhouse to the groin...it either makes contact, or at least causes your opponent to drop his guard. Either way, followed up immediately as your foot is coming down with a backfist or punch to the head. Works most of the time.

Keeping in mind that I know very little about iaido, so maybe somebody can verify this for me. In the video, with the katana in his belt, the curve of the katana is on the top instead of the bottom...is that the correct way of placing it in his belt? Or is it correct either way? I've never seen it that way before.

True. Red in some systems is the equilivant of brown (or just before black belt) in other systems. In my own particular system, and I believe the majority of Okinawan/Japanese systems, a solid red belt denotes the head of the system. Only one person can wear it (legally).

The system I practice already has mixed three different, and distinct systems some 300 years ago. They are: 1. Okinawan Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate-Do 2. Okinawan Tuite (joint locks/grappling) 3. Okinawan Kobudo (weapons) It is a very complete (IMHO) system and well rounded.

Aalong that line, I've taught many people that had the interest and were willing to train hard...for free, because they couldn't afford it. Slackers? No...they can use the door. I use barter quite a bit actually. Mostly mechanics, a dentist once, students father that was a professional sign maker (I had some really nice signs in my dojo), etc. To me, barter is the same as cash, especially with a low overhead that I have.