ShotoMan Posted April 17, 2004 Posted April 17, 2004 I don't know if you people know the KUGB's Andy Sherry and Frank Brennan? But what my instructor said to me before Thursday night's lesson was, "If you can punch like Andy Sherry, you don't need to be able to kick like FRank Brennan!" So true. There is so much power in Sensei Sherry's punch and it is the one thing I one day hope to be able to achieve. I work on all my techniques but I always spend most of my time on this one simple things. Every now and then - and I mean about every few hundred punches - I feel like something close happened then. It is an incredible feeling when it does happen. Don't even get me started on his shuto-uke in kokutsu-dachi or his mae-geri!! Everything he does is done so different from anybody else I have seen. After a lesson with him, you feel like a whole new path is set out before you. You want to do that punch like he did. Step into zenkutsu-dachi and kokutsu-dachi and perform the respective technique how he showed you to do it. An incredible man. He is the inspiration of my training. Who is your magic person that makes you give that extra, even when you just think of them? ShotoMan of the Shotokan
aefibird Posted April 17, 2004 Posted April 17, 2004 Well, I have to say that my 'magic person' is my karate instructor, Graham Smith. I can't believe how privelaged I am to learn from him. He is a great karateka and he inspires his students to try and always give 100% effort and to improve all the time. He is always helpful and willing to answer questions and he will even admit when he doesn't really know the answer to anything (not that that happens often!). If he's not sure of something, eg a kata application, then he'll go away and think about it and come back to you with an answer. He's not into flashy techniques without substance, just simple karate and applications and he always says that basics are the key to everything - without good basics you can't build on your techniques and move on to more difficult techniques, such as sweeps or throws. Another inspirational karateka for me is Sensei Ticky Donovan, whom I've had the privelage of training with a couple of times. "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers!
Rich_2k3 Posted April 17, 2004 Posted April 17, 2004 Isn't Ticky Donovan the Ex-England team coach? "When my enemy contracts I expand and when he expands I contract" - Bruce Lee
aefibird Posted April 17, 2004 Posted April 17, 2004 He is. "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers!
White Warlock Posted April 19, 2004 Posted April 19, 2004 Art Stone would be the 'magic person' in my life. He was my wresting coach in high school (he was there for 5 years and brought the team to Metro the first year, CIF the next four years). I met up with him again in college, where he was coaching wrestling, teaching judo, and offering a self-defense course. He still teaches at the same college (24+ years), as well as instructs self defense at the police academy. He is about 5' in height, yet used to wrestle most every CIF wrestler (regardless of weight class) with one hand flying in the air, like a bronco buster. His enthusiasm and energy was inspiring. "When you are able to take the keys from my hand, you will be ready to drive." - Shaolin DMV TestIntro
Dijita Posted April 19, 2004 Posted April 19, 2004 Sorry for my ignorance but I do not know who Andy Sherry is and the punch that you talk about. I would love to learn though, so if you have a good website or other resources to check out, please let me know. As far as that magic person... I can't really pinpoint one person. It is probably because I am so new to martial arts. Maybe this sounds cheesy, but I am very inspired by anyone who I meet who goes beyond to aquire their goals. The person that really pushes themselves in class every day. The person who above all else is curteous to everyone about them. I also have A LOT of respect for my sempai. He goes out of his way to make us a better martial artist. He brings everyone together and really makes our dojo a very tight community. He pushes us very hard and inspires us. He pushes us even harder if he senses any lost hope in us, and it has helped us go beyond what we all thought we were capable of. I am also inspired by Mas Oyama (I know there is probably some bias there as I practice Kyokushin). I am inspired by his dedication and focus that he put forth in his life to become a master of the martial way. He developed both his mind and his body in ways that defied what people thought was possible for a human to do. I am sure that through out my journey I will continue to meet many people who will inspire me in the martial arts.
Guest Posted April 19, 2004 Posted April 19, 2004 My "magic" person in the karate world would have to be Rob Redmond of 24fightingchickens.com. Agree with him or not. Like him or not. His "Mu" section cautioned me to keep my feet on the ground during a very impressionable and very important period of my karate training.
ShotoMan Posted April 21, 2004 Author Posted April 21, 2004 Sorry for my ignorance but I do not know who Andy Sherry is and the punch that you talk about. I would love to learn though, so if you have a good website or other resources to check out, please let me know. I must admit, I wish there was a lot more about Andy on the web. A very briefe profile of him is available at http://www.loghar.com/preview/kugb/profiles/profiles_sherry.html He has recently been graded to 8th Dan though the web site has not been updated to reflect this. ShotoMan of the Shotokan
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