ShoriKid

I've had 2 century Iron Man gis, which these days run over $100. Tough, good quality and cut. A Piranha that was super tough, that shrank too much and a Break Point JJ gi that retails for well over $100. Being that I like a heavier, 12/14+oz gi, I can't find one very well put together for much less than $100 and that's on the low end. Light weight gis don't hold up well with the amount of grabbing and pulling we do as part of our normal training. There are risks sure. But, if you check the reviews and read the care directions a lot of the troubles can be avoided. Hang dry, not machine, cold water wash and soak a color gi in water/vinegar solution before washing etc. If you can find a place to try on one or two of the brands you are interested in, that can't hurt.

Matsubayashi Ryu (Shorin Ryu branch). Angles, details, precision, subtle power, yeah it's where I started. Have trained in Shotokan and traded techniques with Isshin Ryu fellow back in college. So, I don't claim to have the widest perspective. Of the listed styles Goju Ryu is the one that I think I would like to train in the most at this time.

Do we want to go into the stand up things we don't teach on much or at all any more? Too much to cover, too little time. If someone would just step in to pay us full time to do this stuff we would have the time to do it all.

Really I can't believe in all the footage you have that we didn't tape the drill?

We have a basic flow drill that starts from under mount and moves all the way to mount, through the various positions on top, and allows your partner to start the drill himself right after. So it's a back and forth exchange with no real re-set between reps. I don't think PittbullJudoka has the video up so I'll try a quick "type through" of the series. Start under mount. Break the top man down so they can't sit up and work. Trap same side arm and leg, bridge and roll to sweep. You'll come up in guard. Start your pass, pass out to scarf hold and switch right into side control. Pass around the head from side to north-south, back to side control on the opposite side. Get your grips at collar and on a pant leg and posture up to knee on belly. Cut your knee across to mount. Now the partner on bottom can start their turn on the drill. Does that mess make sense? I know a lot of it assumes certain knowledge for things like the sweep and pass etc. But it simple enough to follow.

Bushido_man, his partner in the video isn't really cooperative at times. PitbullJudoka is right though, when you sit out and move away to break them down, you will be sitting out more. Ground work isn't much different than stand up when it comes to things like this. There are little differences between text book and the real world. The differences being dictated by the opponent's reaction and your own position.

And now I want to go back and watch the original karate kid to figure out the time between the beating he took at the dance and the all valley open. Then try to conceive of the kind of advancement you would make with daily privates with a very good instructor. Then calculate the liability cost of hosting a tournament without protective gear for minors.

I seem knowledgeable? man have I got you guys fooled! I really enjoy being part of this community. It's part of my daily net stops, a primary one even if I don't post daily. Sometimes everyone has covered everything intelligent, and funny, that I can think of to say. Learning from Luiz was definitely a highlight for me. It was great to be learning from someone that good at teaching, getting the personal attention and just getting to be a pure student again in an art I enjoy even if I'm not good. There are many smaller, much more personal things that have stuck with me. Like a comment by Shihan Terry at the end of my nidan testing. A discussion with Larry over a beer or six that you were in on PittbullJudoka. I always love seeing what people write on here. Even when I disagree with them, like I do with Tallgeese on kata, I learn from it and know it isn't about ego or anything like that.

Pinan Shodan. Multiple layers of application with the concept and movements just at the opening. Add to that the rising and falling and twisting movements found through out and I'd rather training it than most of the others. In fact, if I could only train one of these kata, it would be shodan.

Wastlander, it's great to see someone training, researching and getting banged around and having such a great outlook on their training. It's obvious reading your posts, and blog, that you have a lot of respect for traditions. However, you aren't afraid to ask questions, look for improvements and strike out on your own when you find something that works better for you. Motobu as a hero makes great sense in that way.

Feel blessed that you're part of my martial journey man. Couldn't imagine teaching without you. And Tallgeese, and the rest of the forum folk, our doors, humble as they are, are always open.

CredoTe, Thank you for the kind mention. I always enjoy reading your posts knowing we come out of a shared beginning. And, I get to ponder how my journey, though starting the same as someone else's, has diverged greatly now.

Youtube video that you will never hear the end of in the gym? Learning exactly when you should tap? Unless someone holds the choke on way too long there isn't much danger. Most incidents involve under lying heath issues that the choke brought to the fore.

Best of luck. Having trained in first the Pinan series and then the Heian series later on. I've spent more than a decade trying to keep them separate and they sometimes till bleed over. If you are concerned about an up coming and don't want to quit the second club, you are going to have to slack in your training there. Focus in on the Pinans you need to know and work them extra reps. If you don't, you'll never keep them separate. What I've had to do to keep them cleanly apart is divide them up mentally with some movement ques. I have to make myself think of them as completely different kata. And oddly, at the same time keep the similarities in mind while teaching. Best of luck, hopefully you can find a nice balance.

For the messed up cross over of the week! We worked on a sweep from under mount the other night and my understanding of standing arm bars made the BJJ technique make more sense to me. Made it easy to pick up and I really got a good "feel" for the sweep.

The question is fragile compared to what? A katana is not the super sword that many have made it out to be. It has properties of toughness, sharpness and flexibility according to it's materials and construction.

I am always more in favor of the effective. I want there to be proper technique. It will be, or should be, effective. If proper techniques are not effective there is a level of disconnect that you just can't have.

Great post What you mentioned about stances being closed to protect your legs / groin is key. That's part of shime (to close) and involves your whole body moving in such ways to always protect your kill zone. Additionally, stances / movement also involves tanden (posture / control of your center of gravity). Thus, you're always moving in ways that protects your kill zone AND controls your center of gravity. Yes, I remember that Reeses commercial with the two guys that crash their cars into each other, one eating peanut butter, the other eating chocolate... Not being critical of Shotokan as I think it produces some great martial artists and has some good material within it, but I always feel over exposed when using more text book stances. Matsubayashi Ryu, and the bits and pieces of other Shorin Ryu styles I've been exposed to, seem more conservative in stance and movement. Shotokan's movements, and bassaiguy would be a great one to correct me, seem to be very committed. In that I mean that the power generation and strategy/tactics demand a kind of all or nothing approach to techniques. Either all in, or all out. And at least I'm not losing it and someone remembers Reeses commercials too!

Ahh, the change in reverse I see! I went Matsubayashi Ryu to Shotokan. And now are area hybrid child of the two. We are a strange little bunch. As others have said, the stances will be higher, lighter and depend on smaller movements than I found in Shotokan when I started training it. Higher, shorter and more closed in stance provides a quick, light movement and, to me, protects my legs/groin more. Fewer stepping/lunging techniques are present in Matsubayashi Ryu than I've encountered in Shotokan. Power generation is different and the explosive contraction at the end of movements is different than what I found in Shotokan training. The timing and incorporation of a "feet up" body movement is very important in developing power. When it comes to kata the Heian/Pinan katas are very similar. So much so that you will always be getting your peanut butter in your chocolate as I say. Flip the order of Sho/Ni in the kata series to start, there are no side kicks in Pinan shodan, the knife hands are very different in delivery and presentation. The differences are small enough that they can be hard to break out of old habits, but large enough that you have to work on them. Think of Matsubayashi Ryu and Shotokan as cousins. Cousins from different parts of the country, but cousins none the less. You will find many similarities. But, there will be differences that must be paid attention to or you will miss out on a very nice style with a great depth and character. Best of luck in the new dojo. Be up front with your prior experience and enjoy being the new guy again. And, if something slips in from your old training, and it will, just shrug and grin and tell them it's just you getting a little peanut butter in your chocolate. (I hope I'm not the only one that remembers that old commercial)

We reviewed and drilled some hand trapping, limb manipulation and in fighting style grappling last night. We train to control and to sprawl along with foot work to try to stay off the ground. On the ground we teach basic grappling from a BJJ prospective. Get ups, sweeps, counters, guard position and defense. Submissions too. There are get up drills we do, where the "attacker" is supposed to keep you down, can strike etc., all you are trying to do is escape and get up. There are times when hammering someone into submission isn't the best answer. And it's fun.

This. Very, very much this. Those who train without protective gear and make real, honest contact get injured a lot. And then they miss training time, work time or lose a job due to appearances.

I've broken down and ordered a belt with embroidery on it now. Style name only. Decided against dan bars or name. KI International, who seemed to have a good price and good service. I would likely have not done this, but my original belt went missing last week. Gone from the dojo office (we rent the up stairs of a building that we can't fully lock up). Kinda of miffed and upset that the belt I've had for 17 years has disappeared.

Do you have a video or link to video showing the kata? Do you have any background information on the kata you can provide? This, very much so. I'm curious now as to what this kata looks like.

Good luck sir. I've kept up with the blog and have seen you're putting in a lot of work in preparation for the fight. Let us know how it goes and I think it's safe to say we're all pulling for you.

I haven't hung the Sandan certificate at this time and may hang a copy in the dojo. All of mine for the past decade plus have come from the same set of instructors. Signatures all match up, though the certificates all are slightly different. They are far more interested in the training than the paper work. Which will some day lead to all sorts of trouble I'm sure.