DasZab

I teach a bunch of high-school aged kids. Every time they know I'm going to their school (it's right across the street from the dojo) they all line up at attention in front of their classes until I "bow them in." ... THOSE KIDS ARE CRAZY

Oh, man, I'd never go to the dojo when I'm sick! =O I don't want other people to get ill, too... Sometimes I will continue to practice at home, though, depending on how I'm feeling.

Hahaha! My first instructor was a bishop in a Christian community! =D I don't think there's anything wrong with being Christian and practicing karate... I do it all the time!

Shorei Kempo - Okinawan Style We place our fist at our belt.

I'm pretty sure someone has already said this, but since I can't find it I'll just say it again for fun. I believe that you have both advantages and disadvantages using either linear or circular movements in martial arts, according to your personal preference. I, myself, use mostly linear movements, as my first experience in martial arts was training in Shorei Kempo (a lot like Shotokan for those of you who haven't heard of it). I find linear movements to be fast, hard, and have a certain 'snap' to them that work for me, but I do admit that it has it's weaknesses. It really does just depend on personal preference, in my humble opinion.

Well put! Couldn't have said it better myself! =D Punch a hard area with a hard hand, it's just going to hurt yourself. Palm a soft area with a soft hand, it's not gonna do much damage...

Hahah. Being a girl myself, I actually get stuff like that a lot... the guys say "I don't want to spar against you... you're a GIRL!" I promise, if the chest gear is good quality stuff, it doesn't really matter if you punch us. Sounds to me like that girl was A) inexperienced in sparring as she was a yellow belt (she may have mistaken pressure for pain or just not have gotten that a punch to the chest isn't meant to be a perverted move) and B) was just being weird. Just make sure you control your power and sparring girls is a breeze, my man!

This is actually one of my favourite things to practice... I love 3-1 fights! What my instructor always taught me was "line them up, line them up..." and it has worked wonderfully so far! Another thing I like to do (if you are in better shape, faster and have more endurance than the opponents) is just running away! When the opponents chase you, the fastest and most fit will always catch up with you first. Turn that into a one-on-one fight, and when the other two start to catch up, run away again and just keep fighting the group one-on-one! It's worked quite well for me in the past, anyway... And, who knows, you may actually be able to clothesline an opponent if they cant stop chasing you fast enough! =D So, basically my philosophy is: 1) Line them up and 2) Turn it into a one-on-one fight

Just my two cents... I've been in sparring matches with the boxer-bouncer type. While it can help them if they're fast on their feet and they actually know what they're doing, most of the time I'd say it just gets people really angry. =D

I suggest a full out charge. Keep your guard on your temples and try to cover your face without taking your eyes off of him. I suggest running straight for him as fast and hard as you can. You may take a few hits but if you can take it and keep moving it will pay off and be worth it when you're too close for him to throw a punch or even a kick. From there I suggest secondary limbs (elbows, knees, even headbutts) or take downs. Or, move in with your guards up and as soon as he goes for a kick, wrap yourself into it and keep a grip on that leg. He'll probably try to use his other leg to go for your head. Don't hesitate on taking that hit. If he has no legs on the ground he can't do anything to you, so from there you can just throw him. I'm not sure if this subject has been addressed yet (I haven't read the whole topic), but I would strongly suggest NOT charging! If his strong point is kicks, then you charging would only fuel his fire. Think about it... If you charge, you have less control over the motion of your body and it's going to be a lot harder to protect yourself. And what happens when you get within his range and he just lifts his leg? You'll run into it and all the power you used to charge will be added onto the power of his kick and you'll probably fall over and then get pounded. =D That's not very fun... I would suggest trying to get inside of his kicking range. Switch angles and stances until you can get to the inside, and then use a fast combination of knees and elbows. He can't kick you if you're already inside of his reach, right? Just a thought and how i was taught...