What has surprised you most about your style?

[usc96]

This question is more for fun than anything else , but what has surprised you most about your style?

I am a 2nd degree brown belt in Kempo Karate, testing for 1st Dan in December after nearly 5 yrs.

Here is what has surprised me:

1. We don't break boards, ice, bricks, or much of anything (though I have broken a toe or two);

2. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but no matter how much I have tried, I just ain't that limber;

3. I can hit pretty hard when I want;

4. I can jump pretty high, but add "spinning" to the mix and I'm just about useless (I get dizzy);

5. Anyone can make it to black belt, but few stick with it;

6. I don't see too many of our moves used in sparing (I'm afraid to use them myself for fear of getting called down for sweeping, etc);

7. Karate is 40% cardiovascular, 40% mental, and only 20% physical strength;

8. Why do we learn without shoes? How often are you going to be attacked at the beach or in your house?

So what can you add?

[Ti]

Boards don't hit back.

[bushido_man96]

I'm surprised that our classes don't have some more variety.

I'm surprised that we don't do that much self-defense applications.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Looking back, I'm surprised at how simple the curriculum actually is when you consider how complicated other styles are. Isshinryu Karate has a very minimal number of empty hand katas, weapon katas, and basics, but they are difficult to master (just like other styles).

I'm also surprised, a little, by how much fun I'm still having after 18 years of it.

[Dobbersky]

What has supprised me about My Style is How different it is to most "traditional" Styles. My Jissen Based Karate has some totally different Concepts and Kata than the more "traditional" Kata.

The Sparring is Full Contact Kyokushin type instead of stop start point sparring of WKA rules. Its more realistic as street fights don't stop when someone gets hit to realign themselves.

That Since I have become "Independant" of my Instructor I "FEEL" like I have learned a lot more about my style - a bit like driving lessons senario, your Driving Instructor teaches you to pass your driving test, only you can teach yourself how to "Drive".

How I enjoy Cross training and I don't mind if my students cross train but other Clubs Instructors don't like it (I do howver advise that they should get quite senior before they do).

[beagstkd]

I'm surprised with the amount of "fancy" kicks we learn but when it comes to sparring you pretty much stick with the basics.

[ninjanurse]

Looking back, I'm surprised at how simple the curriculum actually is when you consider how complicated other styles are. Isshinryu Karate has a very minimal number of empty hand katas, weapon katas, and basics, but they are difficult to master (just like other styles).

I'm also surprised, a little, by how much fun I'm still having after 18 years of it.

Simple is better.....mastery comes from doing a few things a thousand times, not by doing 1000 things a few times.

[barryives]

After having practised Wado-Ryu as a teenager for 6 years, taken an 18 year 'break' and returned recently to training (in Shotokan), that Shotokan is not at all how I imagined it

[Patcherson]

This question is more for fun than anything else , but what has surprised you most about your style?

I am a 2nd degree brown belt in Kempo Karate, testing for 1st Dan in December after nearly 5 yrs.

Here is what has surprised me:

1. We don't break boards, ice, bricks, or much of anything (though I have broken a toe or two);

2. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but no matter how much I have tried, I just ain't that limber;

3. I can hit pretty hard when I want;

4. I can jump pretty high, but add "spinning" to the mix and I'm just about useless (I get dizzy);

5. Anyone can make it to black belt, but few stick with it;

6. I don't see too many of our moves used in sparing (I'm afraid to use them myself for fear of getting called down for sweeping, etc);

7. Karate is 40% cardiovascular, 40% mental, and only 20% physical strength;

8. Why do we learn without shoes? How often are you going to be attacked at the beach or in your house?

So what can you add?

its a HUGE offense to wear shoes on the mat or inside a dojo!

It's a sign of disrespect as you bring evil spirits into the room.

[tallgeese]

I don't know about offensive, but they do tear up mats. It is a good idea to train in them now and again to get the feel of using movements with them on.

Ideally, it shouldn't change things that much, if one can't perform movements designed for defense with an everyday item like that on, then one has to question the efficiency of the movement. Still, it's a different feel, hence the use of training in them from time to time.

They also present a safety hazard if used all the time. For instance, any sort of grappling automatically raises in the likelihood of hurting someone if done in shoes. So, not everyday, but worth training in from time to time.

I like to double up this with training out of doors. Killing two training birds with one stone.