Self training - your advise?

[JohnnyB]

Since you have covered all the basics in your Shodan rank then you can train yourself up to a reasonably advanced standard with the aid of shotokan dvds and books.

However finding a shotokan partner for sparring would be the ideal thing. But he/she must be 3rd kyu or higher.

[bushido_man96]

I'd say go ahead and practice on your own. If you end up fouling something up, then watch some videos or get to a class, figure out what went wrong, and then fix it. It really isn't that big of a deal.

[pers]

Hi Dave , good to see you want to start karate again ,as you already have a shodan in shotokan I would suggest you practice katas a lot , you can always look them up on youtube for reference , if can't go to a good dojo then its great to be able to do it yourself and enjoy doing them . you have spent so much time in the past learning them so why not use them for your basic training ?

I still enjoy doing Hian katas and I do them with intent , I do any kata like I am in a real conflict ,what is the point otherwise ?

To me is like taking part in a movie and I am the John Wayne !

That is what kata is all about ,from hian shodan to unsu ,the reason you are doing them are the same , they teach us different skills at difereent levels but the end result is the same , it is mind and body conditioning .

[Wastelander]

Despite not being a Kyokushin stylist, I'm going to come to the defense of Kyokushin here and point out that not all Kyokushin schools train only for knockdown rules, which is what you were referring to when you talk about not punching to the head. I would also mention that the idea of ending a fight in one blow is great, but also highly unlikely--if it were that easy, do you not think that full contact arts would be doing it? After all, they certainly have more incentive to end the fight quickly than someone doing no-contact sparring. Them trading lots of blows is the result of how difficult it is to achieve a one-strike finish.

In any case, back to the topic at hand. I think that it's great that you want to get back to your Shotokan training, although I would still try to make it to a BJJ class once or twice a week just to keep your skills from degrading. If there is not a Shotokan dojo near you then you may have to just train solo and visit the nearest dojo every now and then, or you can try another style of karate. Check out other styles in your area and you may find that they provide what you are looking for, even if you have to modify your kihon or learn new kata along the way.

[Harkon72]

I train myself when I can't meet with my Sensei, I work each evening now for a few months. I train with a Rowing Machine, a makiwara and pushup bars. I run 5 miles three times a week. I train in the Pinan Kata twice a week for an hour. I think I'm doing ok.

[bushido_man96]

I train myself when I can't meet with my Sensei, I work each evening now for a few months. I train with a Rowing Machine, a makiwara and pushup bars. I run 5 miles three times a week. I train in the Pinan Kata twice a week for an hour. I think I'm doing ok.

Sounds to me like you are doing ok. And kudos to you guys who can run 5 miles it at time. I do 10 minutes on the treadmill, and my knees then ache for a week.

[ShoriKid]

I train myself when I can't meet with my Sensei, I work each evening now for a few months. I train with a Rowing Machine, a makiwara and pushup bars. I run 5 miles three times a week. I train in the Pinan Kata twice a week for an hour. I think I'm doing ok.

Sounds to me like you are doing ok. And kudos to you guys who can run 5 miles it at time. I do 10 minutes on the treadmill, and my knees then ache for a week.

The "mill" is an evil device Bushido_man for sure. I'm trying to get back to my running ways and I hurt from the hips down after running Thursday before training. Maybe look at doing interval sprints to get the same cardio effect without punishing your knees as much?

[bushido_man96]

I have thought about sprints, but just haven't gotten up to doing them yet. I am considering giving the elliptical a go for a time, and split time between that and rowing, and see if my knees like me more afterwards.

[JohnnyB]

I have thought about sprints, but just haven't gotten up to doing them yet. I am considering giving the elliptical a go for a time, and split time between that and rowing, and see if my knees like me more afterwards.

The elliptical is great workout for dodgy knees. It is my first choice of warmup/exercize when in the gym. Rating all 3 warmup gym hardware to counter knee problems: Elliptical > Gym Stand-up Bicycle > Running Mill

[BlueWaveKarate]

I'd bet there are a lot of us (self included) who train solo these days. It keeps getting easier to do. I teach a small club, and have a few friends my dan grade, but no one specifically as my instructor.

A part of me cringes when I say this, but YouTube is an excellent resource for dan grades looking to improve or even learn kata, in addition to things like Nakayama's "Best Karate" series of books.

Of course, once you get yourself back to where you feel comfortable you will need training partners.

And if there isn't a club around, there is always 'that' way to remedy the issue....

....sensei.