white owl

I do not know of any at this time in my training and what I have read so far. For tournaments my Sensei has me throw my kicks high because they "look better" and to be able to compete with competitors that do not do traditional katas.

Patrick, Happy Holidays to you and to everyone here at the Karate Forums and I wish everyone a great 2009.

Thank You Patrick for sharing. Very Interesting.

What a coincidence ! I have heard my instructor say this many times. That being able to kick HIGH doesn't mean you are a great kicker. It just means you can kick high. There are people who can kick high, but it's not a "great kick" if you know what I mean. Then there are people who can only kick low, yet their kicks are beautifully executed and effective against their opponent. Quality not height (or something to that effect) This is so funny we were discussing this last night in class about the heighth of kicks in a self defense situation. and I agree with you it is not the heighth of your kicks, it is about proper technique and the effectiveness against your opponent.

Fallenyuyu do a google search (karate tournaments NY) I found some that way.

Here is some tournaments from the Professional Karate Commission Tournament Schedule. http://pkcheadquarters.org/tournamentschedule.html I know there is a few in New York area every year and the new Pkc season just got underway so I wish you luck.

I would of died. At this tournament they had grappling also. I happen to look over at them during the no gi portion and there was a guy grappling in his underarm underwear and nothing else meaning no shirt, well need I say that the woman that I was competing with had there eyes glued to him. I was like is that guy nuts.

I have never tryed it but I would like to. Problem though I am scared to death of needles.

Sijak means perform your kata on your own on your own count, I think.

Ok this totally blow my mind at a tournament that I attend over the weekend. I was standing around waiting as we always do when we compete an something caught my eye. This person had stapled the hem on there pants I could not believe it, to me bells went off in my head at how dangers that could be like if one of them staples came lose you could get cut or poke in the eye or even get your eye scratched with it and even step on it if it happens to come lose from the pants. Well I alerted someone in charge to it since the person was getting ready to spare and I know I did not want to go against those staples so the person was made to remove them. So this brings me to a point what is the strangest thing you have seen at a tournament it could be what people have done to their uniform to their gear or etc. Duck tape on gear does not count I actually had to use it on my gear, my gear does not seem to last.

I always thought the knot to look like a fortune cookie. That is how I teach new students to tie the belt.

I did not care for it at all. I do not think I even laughed during the movie at all. That's bad.

Welcome to the forums, Ranpu.

I actually do not have a problem taking orders from some one who is younger than me and holds a higher rank since my sensei is 23 and I'm 34. I actually had this happen to me at my old school the person was 14 and I was 32 at the time the 14 y/o was just award there bb. This person actually tryed to pull a power trip on me it was before class (childerens). This person was told to move up to adult class since they were a bb. I was able to put this person in there place win we were ask to point spar against each other well this person end up scared to death of me and they could not hang in adult class, this person whined during drills and they end up moving them self back down to childerens class. Well I know this sounds kind of childish but it is true. When the person pulled the power trip I went to my sensei at the time and told him about it I got told it was a kid thing. I am feeling the same way, also. I feel there should be a distinction between adults and children holding bb.

2008 has not been to bad to me I have overcome some injury's that did not stop me from training for to long. I have earned off all my stripes off my brown belt. which sometime in 2009 I should be testing for my shodan. I have successfully ran children's and adult classes on my own which I was very nervous about it so to me it was a big accomplishment mentally. I look forward to 2009 and I will echo tori I will make it a good training year.

I agree with tallgeese here. Continue train as a group to keep your skills sharp. Do use caution with sparing and doing your self defense drills. I also agree continue to look for a dojo.

Way to go! Congrats.

Brrr! I suffer with Western PA weather instead of Antarctica weather I do not like being cold. Patrick cool picks. I like 4, 20, 23, 24.

Well I always wanted to ma when I was a kid but both of my parents worked and at the time we had know ma near where I lived (1 school) that was excepting new students. It was not until I got married that it peaked my interest again. My husband and I signed up our son at a local academy for a summer lesson and end up taking him to the local ymca in the fall where they had a instructor that taught shotokan and tangsoo do there. I sat there and was watching him and thought boy would I love to be doing that. Well myself and my husband signed up 2 weeks later. And have been doing it for 3 years. My husband was awarded his Black Belt last February and I currently hold the rank of Brown Belt. I love training when I miss a class I feel like I cheated on a diet and I feel really bummed about it. What keeps me going is the benefits of ma, like the confidence, fitness, self defense to name a few. I plan to keep training to I can not physically train know more.

Wow! That is so awesome, Sensei 8.

I loved Kung Fu Panda an so did my son. I was little disappointed in the skadoosh.

Good Luck Norbert!

I agree here with tori, as to does my instructor we are traditional school not a tournament school. We go to 2 or 3 a year that are close to where are school is located and the other is our instructors, instructors tournament that he fills that we should make a good showing to represent our school. we do well at them when we go even though we train traditionally. I know one thing do well when we hit you know we hit.

Have you been to sit in on some of there classes? If not go and sit in on some of there classes and take notes maybe do a pros and cons list of what you like and what you do not like and if they offer free lessons take them (I seen that some of them did) that will give you a better idea of what you maybe looking for out of taking a trial period and help you choose what is right for you.