# Martial Arts



## theo

Saw some other threads on the topic, but they haven't been posted in for 5 - 6 years. Thought I would start afresh rather than necro-bumping.

I've been doing freestyle karate for about 3 years now and I've just graded to my 5th Kyu. Loving martial arts as much as ever, I'd love to talk to some fellow sso'ers who also practice!

The style I do is termed "freestyle karate", but we take almost as much influence from Kung Fu as we do Karate. We're a smallish club with probably 30 - 40 adult members, although there are LOADS of kids. 

I'm looking at starting tournaments this year for Katas and Point sparring.


----------



## ShadyDavey

I've done loads over the years but haven't done any for a substantial period of time. 

Starting in about 1988 (excluding the Judo I took for 3 years when I was a LOT younger) I've studied (to one extent or another) Taekwon Do, a couple of styles of Kung-Fu (Lau Gar, Wing Chun, 7 Star Praying Mantis, Northen Shaolin), Muay Thai, Systema, and Karate (Freestyle/Wado Ryu).

Only today I managed to catch up with a friend I've not seen in 5 years and he dropped off a whole bag full of Arnis/Escrima literature which I'll probably pick up when I have more time/opportunity to travel to classes. He's studying under a 1st Generation Master of the Lightning Arnis Grandmaster so it's quite a pleasing opportunity to be able to see the lineage in close focus.


----------



## theo

Wow that's awesome! I personally haven't done a lot of weapon training. My club restricts dedicated weapons classes to 4th Kyu and above. Although I have done a little Bo work.

I'm interested in starting Kama for XMA katas at some point.


----------



## ShadyDavey

As I said - some more than others  The main weapon training I've done is a couple of traditional kung-fu weapons (Broadsword, Staff) the odd bit of Japanese (Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bo and Jo) and then a smattering of Philippine weapons - butterfly knives, rattan stick etc. 

I'm trying to avoid anything too injurious to my hands as breaking boards and tiles when I used to do TKD has certainly damaged my digits to some extent ^^


----------



## yellow

just some background, Im a black belt in karate (I studied shorin ryu, Shotokan, and seido, and they are really all the same thing even tho there is a debate about lineage and origin between Okinawa and japan, but I am black belt in seido, all kata and karate techinuqe are all the same, the difference comes in at the higher kata forms and the integration of zen, but its rare to find such good schools, like seido in that respece), which I began studying at the age of 7. there was also a very brief stint with kenpo, but the school was a joke, so I couldn't say I studied it aside from having physical exposure and contact with "black belts" of that tradition, I think kenpo is a good system, but not this school.

Later, in my teens, I switched to kung fu. First, I tasted the wutang/wudang school of the three treasures (taijuquan, baguazhan, and hsing-i) briefly, then on to wing chun/ving tsun of moy yat, a southern shaolin system that is hard and soft, external with internal elemsnts because it is a hybridization of all shaolin animal and family forms with a touch of the wutang school. then I very briefly studied under wong kiew kits shaolin school lineage but that guys a profiteer as far as im concerned and found nothing there I did not find in a book, and then some exclusive taijiquan, but after a few years, I had enough money to return to finally the best of the best, back to the wutang school, which is the definition of the soft, internal school of the north. 

id say ving tsun is the most effective system for producing able fighters within months, inclusive of all systems outside of china (only except being muay thai WITH the right teacher and willing student). however, the best system of all systems, and remember I come from a long and strong black belt karate background, the supreme and finest and most refined system is wutang: taijijuans soft fluidity and yielding, hsing-i's direct and powerful single finisher attacks in linear explosive power, and baguazuans circular whirlwind attack that does not ever become static. 

when you combing the three, you truly have every teaching of every other system of kung fu, which precludes any other martial art from china/japan, and its form, technique and esoteric teachings are beyond that of anywhere else, for instance, their neijia/ nei chia and chi kung are built in from the ground up and only continue to advance, whereas as the external schools just begin real nei chia much much much later after form and technique are completely learnt. 

I am not speaking as an elitist, I am a true martial artist, and I can speak with seasoned experience, that I spent the majority of life studying karate, but the wutang school is beyond a martial art, it is the practice of living and the enhancement of it, and within the martial art of form and defense/combat lies the secret teachings of Chinese Taoist immortals, which is up to your belief system to decide if it is of benefit or truth to you, however, I can say this, ive witnessed and have been a part of the hidden teachings that would astound even atheistic non believers of anything in general, its that profound.

I did not get much into the weapon forms and I did not complete the system because they are three kung fu styles that while complimentary, are much different in form, what they share is the internal philosophy and practice, but the way the form is manifest appears externally differenct. The weapons are practically a system of their own, with approximately 17 off the top of my hand, and since we cant carry arms or weapons like deerhook swords, broad swords, long poles, and buttefly knives in real life, I didn't care much about the weapons forms and practice, tho id love to be proficient in perhaps the greatest of them all, the taijiquan sword.

anyway, kung fu and karate are the most well known martial arts, but there are others that are great, like muay thai, aikido, ninjitsu, and then there are alright ones like judo, tkd, tang soo do, and jiujitsu and capoeira (i exclude jeet kun do cuz lee just hybridized his teachings and called it his style, and theres no real reason for it cuz its just wing chun with lees name on it).....and then finally there is the bastardization of it all:MMA, which is not only not a martial art nor art in any shape whatsoever, it is a big waste of money and in insult to the classical schools of authentic tradition from any country. it is boxing with grappling, it is complete all out freestyle brawling using any excuse for attempting to try another systems technique, im sorry to sound condescending now at this point towards MMA, but as an old school martial artist, it is nearly insulting that its called mixed martial arts instead of mix and match arts, its not an art at all, its just fighting....with the mentality that youre a martial artist using techniques from martial arts. you can watch videos of karate and kung fu, and be a better MMA fighter than learning from an MMA school I bet. who knows, all I know is those guys are street fighters and brawlers looking for something to prove. its not self defense, which is the reason you study, and its not a high art, its just brawling (end rant)

in general, Ive never really heard of freestyle karate, so I read up on it and it seems to be either a hybrid of a few karate schools and with elements of other martial art systems. I am not giving an opinion and im not calling it MMA, cuz its obviously karate, but it sounds more like "competitive sport" or wushu rather than a traditional system that includes an inner aspect, but remember this is coming from someone whos approached it old school since I was 7, so I mean nothing by my old mind old set ways or mentality. naturally of course, since it is an American invention for the most part, and America being a new country exposed to martial arts and having an influx of many traditions from many countries within a very short time, really only about 50 years maximum of martial arts in America at most, you wouldn't expect that to be a part of it, it wouldn't make sense.

im glad to see American freestyle karate actually, and I wish it would decimate MMA's sensationalized nonsense. the only thing I will accept as an American martial art is freestyle karate at this point, now that ive read and heard more about it. it sounds great, and it sounds very much like an attempt at a true hybrid of traditions that come from outside, in other words, its a sincere attempt at bridging different systems for their benefits (and not exploitation like MMA) and I think it sounds quite interesting really.

still, please correct me if i am wrong about it, but is there a spirit aspect like zen or chi kung? there seems to be no spiritual or inner cultivation, and that is what makes a complete system speaking from the point of view of a classical traditionalist looking for true authentcity, at least as close as you could come to as an outsider learning something passed down from one guy to another over hundreds of years, you just hope its as close as you can get to the real thing. remember, I am simply an observer asking practitioners questions, not presumptusouly assuming anything, I WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR, I am not here to troll flame or disrespect by looking down at the new...I am asking for my own knowledge to see what the state of martial arts is in America.

I find the "sport" of martial arts to be completely cool as well. in my karate days, I used to be the senior in my class, meaning, I was the student responsible for being kind of a mentor/older brother in helping the development and technique of my other school brothers. I was the best at sparring and of course people got a shot in here and there, but I remained undefeated (when using the point system obviously because we didn't have fights to KO, but if we did, im sure I wouldn't have lost either). so I have fun with that stuff, but the wutang school has no sparring, what we do is called "playing" and its close but non competitive and there never is a winner. I cant look at tournaments and sparring as a karate guy anymore, I can only see them as a kung fu guy at this point, so its no longer my thing, once you reach a certain level of understanding, you don't really wish to compete anymore

that's not to say tournaments and sparring are beneath me or are low forms of martial art at all, remember I used to be very combative in my early/middle years of study. I found it useful for attemptying technique applications in full on combat with someone else who has the same fighting knowledge as myself (as opposed to just getting into a fight with some asshole on the street who doesnt know how to fight and wants to attack you) so its great for preparedness. in other words, taking the katas purity and moving it into a physical setting, and its good to see application in effect certainly.

on the other hand like I said, at a certain point, you don't need to do that anymore, and you don't want to fight or compete or see what can happen because in full force application, it is completely lethal and not the point of practice. the point of martial arts is NOT to fight.

with all that said, I am VERY VERY glad to hear the enthusiasm you guys have for the martial arts, and I commend you for your hard work and continued practice. I wish you great and much success in your development and I hope it provides you with everything you have been looking for in the art. I also wish you the best of luck in establishing your tournaments, especially kata, and I hope you never get hurt while competing in sportsman like competition. I really really hope the martial arts give you everything you want and need and more than you expect. truly and sincerely, the best of luck to all of you and I only posted to share some of my story with you guys since you were kind enough to share yours, blessings, fortune and success to you my brothers. Osu!


----------



## skeels

Ninpo.

Shhhhhhhh....


----------



## yellow

skeels said:


> Ninpo.
> 
> Shhhhhhhh....


 
nuff said  I really like the wit in that lil clever post


----------



## phantomnote

Used to do karate for 4 years. Shuri-ryu. Didn't feel that it worked for me - I was unsure what to do if someone really attacked me.

I shifted to weng chun some 3-4 years ago and haven't looked back.

Very MMA like in the way you train, except we have forms too and it's a much bigger system than mma of course - much more delicate

I also do some BJJ, but weng chun is my main focus (I like standing best and I only have so much time in my schedule). Weng chun does have floor applications tho, but BJJ really helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=uUnxXWMGZxc&NR=1


----------



## skeels

I actually never studied anything formally but I've been lucky enough to ascend surrounded my whole life with people who have. My friends have been in everything from real crane style kung fu to ninpo to muay thai to real scholars who have trained with samurai in Japan. 

I have always been a student since I was very young, both in the forms and the philosophies of all the arts.

From chin na to aikido, its all good. I also was exposed to yoga and tai chi at an early age.

The Way of the Intercepting Fist set me free though...


----------



## mcleanab

I started in Shotokan for about a year... wasn't a good fit for me.

Dabbled in Aikido and then Ninjutsu for another couple of years... also felt good, just not quite right for me.

Stumbled in Wing Chun which was being taught along with Kali/Silat and JKD with some ground fighting too... loved it.

Attended a few seminars with Guro Dan Inosanto... AMAZING (this was back in the late 90's and he seems to improve with age).

Got my teaching license in Wing Chun and taught for a few years. First place I taught was a basement in a Muay Thai gym... the owner had a wooden dummy that was given to him as a gift in the early 80's by Dan Inosanto that he had for years apparently... gives me goose bumps to think who worked on that thing...

Haven't trained in years, but always loved it...

And recently (a total secret) got an impromptu lesson from a lovely old man who used to train directly under Yip Man and his class mates were Bruce Lee, William Cheung, Hawkins Cheung, Moy Yat, etc... goose bumps again...


----------



## ghostred7

I've dabbled off & on my whole life. At 6 y/o, I was a member of the NKJU and studied Karate for a year. Stopped for a while and then in early teens practiced Kenpo JuJitsu for 4yrs. 

After I joined the military, I studied "Shisei-Ryu" under Gary Ducote in Louisiana and also studied Arnis de mano e-ditsu/Shaolin Kuntao under Guru Mustafa Del Ali Rawlings. After I got out of the military & moved to Atlanta, I briefly joined the Chinese Shaolin Center in Marietta and then my other half and I studied Skinkendo/Aiki-Jujutsu at Atlanta Budokan.

Mostly practice on my own b/c after all of my dabbling, the only style that fits me is Kenpo and have been having challenges finding a school that's not either across the state or private lesson only. I don't do well in private lessons and like the group environment better.


----------



## skeels

Slightly off topic- curious as to what ideals have proven the most valuable and profound to you guys. 

For me, duty, family and calmness. 

Also-reading.. Book of Five Rings. Hagakure. Tao of JKD. Tao de Ching.


----------



## ghostred7

Self discipline and situational awareness. I've always been pretty centered in the other areas like you mentioned (duty/family/calmness), so those were more enhanced than learned.


----------



## Lagtastic

I took American Kenpo for about 4 years. I thought I was a badass and entered a few tournaments. After you win some early rounds, you quickly realize how much practice time and raw skill the the really good guys have under their belts. I took a few good beatings and moved on to other activities. 

Studying one of the martial arts was great for me as a kid. It teaches you self control, personal awareness, and gives you lots of confidence. If I could go back I would have stuck with it. The thing that has stuck with me most is the ability to handle stressful situations without starting to panic, and being able to think clearly under duress.


----------



## yellow

Seeing sameness in difference perhaps


----------



## theo

Was away for training over the weekend (not martial arts related) great to see all the activity on this thread. Yellow my style is an interesting mix, I'm not totally sure what styles of karate we utilise, but wing chun is where we take our kung fu influence from. There is incorporation of zen etc. But they only start teaching more about it at higher grades.

Before that we are heavily taught about the bushido code and we also have a student and school creed which we follow.


----------



## yellow

great, wing chun is certainly the best system to emulate and incorporate, and do you have a link to your school or anywhere I can read on your styles lineage and history?

plz read my post through and pm me, Id like to chat when you can dude.

thx


----------



## theo

Not really, We have a severely outdated and underutilized website: Golden Cobra Martial Arts

We are a relatively new and small club though.


----------



## espman

I've got my 1st degree black belt in Taekwon-Do, but ended up having to stop training shortly after due to a self-inflicted injury (outside of TKD). I really do miss it though


----------



## Humanoid

When you say you practice ninpo/ninjutsu, please tell the name of the art instead of using the "market name". Ninjutsu is so small part of the curriculum of these arts you just shouldn't use it to make it sound more mystical.


----------



## yellow

don't mean to answer for him man, but after he said ninpo, he posted to explain more to say he doesn't actually study/train/learn the art himself at a school. his friends are practitioners and they taught him what they learn, at least that's what I think he meant.


----------



## ghostred7

Anyone have any good recommendations in the Atlanta area?

Also, in regards to someone telling you that 'x' martial arts is the best....my philosophy is this:

IMO, there is no best, only "best for me."

Everyone's mind and body differ so the individual styles will fit each individual differently. That's why you so often find adults, while dedicated to training in an art, hop from dojo/dojang/etc so frequently...the style may not work best for them.



yellow said:


> *snip*
> with all that said, I am VERY VERY glad to hear the enthusiasm you guys have for the martial arts, and I commend you for your hard work and continued practice. I wish you great and much success in your development and I hope it provides you with everything you have been looking for in the art. I also wish you the best of luck in establishing your tournaments, especially kata, and I hope you never get hurt while competing in sportsman like competition. I really really hope the martial arts give you everything you want and need and more than you expect. truly and sincerely, the best of luck to all of you and I only posted to share some of my story with you guys since you were kind enough to share yours, blessings, fortune and success to you my brothers. Osu!



While MMA definitely has real-world applications, and lets agree that it does (if it didn't, JKD would of never have been invented), a lot of martial artists I know in the US prefer to take a pure or at least a mixture of pure ARTS. There is definitely a more cohesive spirit to the arts than there is in MMA gyms. Again, I will never slam MMA b/c for fitness and overall defensive techniques, it definitely has its place in the world and to call it "not self-defense" I would say is wrong, especially after seeing the results of someone defending themselves using what they learned in a MMA gym.



yellow said:


> still, please correct me if i am wrong about it, but is there a spirit aspect like zen or chi kung? there seems to be no spiritual or inner cultivation, and that is what makes a complete system speaking from the point of view of a classical traditionalist looking for true authentcity, at least as close as you could come to as an outsider learning something passed down from one guy to another over hundreds of years, you just hope its as close as you can get to the real thing. remember, I am simply an observer asking practitioners questions, not presumptusouly assuming anything, I WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR, I am not here to troll flame or disrespect by looking down at the new...I am asking for my own knowledge to see what the state of martial arts is in America.


Yes, there are plenty of schools in the US that you can still get the "full benefit" of the arts. Be it Aikikai, Tai Chi, Aikido, Shinkendo, Aikijutsu, etc....there are still plenty. It is sad that a lot of the traditional schools are either giving way to MMA gyms or to the "corporate Karate" schools like Joe Corley, "The Dojo," etc. These are good for children...but as an adult that also likes the Martial Spirit as well as the Martial Art, makes it more difficult to find a "home."


----------



## mcleanab

I think Sifu Francis Fong is still in Duluth, GA? Some serious Wing Chun and probably a bunch of Kali/JKD as well. I don't know if that's the type of martial art you are looking for, but I've never heard a bad word about Sifu Fong. It's worth looking into...




ghostred7 said:


> Anyone have any good recommendations in the Atlanta area?
> 
> Also, in regards to someone telling you that 'x' martial arts is the best....my philosophy is this:
> 
> IMO, there is no best, only "best for me."
> 
> Everyone's mind and body differ so the individual styles will fit each individual differently. That's why you so often find adults, while dedicated to training in an art, hop from dojo/dojang/etc so frequently...the style may not work best for them.


----------



## Estilo

yellow said:


> and then finally there is the bastardization of it all:MMA, which is not only not a martial art nor art in any shape whatsoever, it is a big waste of money and in insult to the classical schools of authentic tradition from any country. it is boxing with grappling, it is complete all out freestyle brawling using any excuse for attempting to try another systems technique, im sorry to sound condescending now at this point towards MMA, but as an old school martial artist, it is nearly insulting that its called mixed martial arts instead of mix and match arts, its not an art at all, its just fighting....with the mentality that youre a martial artist using techniques from martial arts. you can watch videos of karate and kung fu, and be a better MMA fighter than learning from an MMA school I bet. who knows, all I know is those guys are street fighters and brawlers looking for something to prove. its not self defense, which is the reason you study, and its not a high art, its just brawling (end rant)



Hmm.. why don't you try your luck with MMA then? 

It's funny how some *edit* some of the UFC *edit* guys are actually trained in the "old-school" forms but almost always stick to Muay Thai, BJJ and good old wrestling. 

Also there are documentations of how old-style martial artists doing superhuman stuff, like being able to harden their bodies so they knives can't get through their flesh, or an old man standing his ground being pushed by 10 younger, bigger men, but you don't see none of these in MMA. Is it because they abhor and despise MMA to an extent they see no point in proving their worth in it, or because their skills are useless in a brawl-like setting?


----------



## thedonal

Nice to see all this talk of martial arts and some depth to it too.

I agree that there is no best style for everyone, but a best for each of us.

I practiced southern Shaolin kung fu (tiger and crane combination- Nam Yang Pugilistic Association in the UK) for 8 years. I stopped the classes a couple of years ago after a bike crash- not from injuries but more from financial and travel circumstances. Though when I do start exercising again, I work through my forms (trying to remember them!) And the sword and staff forms I learned. Though practicing forms without instruction can lead to bad habits, it's amazing how natural it feels and now much is still with me.

I've just starred running and exercise again after a year and its amazing how flexible I'm not these days (age 40 compared to 30!). My Sum Chen form is still there-though it's going to take my body a few weeks to fit back into it again!

The other thing that's missing with solo practice is interaction- pushing hands and sticking hands practice for example. While am more interested in the pure art and self developement, its when you practice application that you really start improving..

I will get back there once I get a car and a rise... (Ok the car will probably follow the Payrise!). It's something, like music, that once in my life, will always be..


----------



## Choop

I used to practice Isshin-Ryu for a good while, and tbh I really miss it..but the school/dojo closed due to the dan who ran it having arthritis complications.

It's a really neat style. Very simple with emphasis on short, efficient motions.. at least for the most part (save for some of the kata).


----------



## capoeiraesp

It's interesting seeing how prominent Karate is around here, it was also the first martial art I did as a kid.
My martial arts history
10-13 years old - Karate
14-18 off the rails on the swayze express
18-27 capoeira - this has done a tremendous amount of good in my life
23-26 Tai Chi
Currently I've been training boxing and muay thai just to round out my skills a bit


----------



## thedonal

Karate does seem have been the more prevalent art in the west from an earlier time(judging by amount of mention). I think that it may have been the first to be widely taught, whereas some of the deeper kung-fu styles (white crane, for example- though that came to the west via Okinawan karate to a degree) were held back from westerners for longer.

Bigger kicking styles are more impressive to watch than more internal styles or short range styles (ie like southern kung fu styles), which may appear more attractive to kids etc.

I actually started with Tae-Kwon Do at the age of 14. The class closed, so I stopped for a year or two, did Chines Boxing for about 18 months then nothing for over a decade (discovered beer and guitars!! ).


----------



## ghostred7

mcleanab said:


> I think Sifu Francis Fong is still in Duluth, GA? Some serious Wing Chun and probably a bunch of Kali/JKD as well. I don't know if that's the type of martial art you are looking for, but I've never heard a bad word about Sifu Fong. It's worth looking into...



Ya, I think Sifu Fong still has school(s) here. Sorry, I should of been clearer....I meant American Kenpo. The only thing I've found is Tracy Kenpo and they're not near me. I have been thinking about looking into Sifu Fong tho. Thx for the info.


----------



## yellow

@estilo, I don't need to try mma, why would I start filling in coloring books if I can draw my own pictures and color them myself? 

I gave very legitimate reasons as to why MMA does not deserve respect as a martial art, remember the term we are using here, and I did not include boxing because boxing is sport again, not art. there is technique to it and there is craft and strategy, but its not a martial art., fighting is fighting, martial arts is a lifetime of personal development that never ends

and you can ask any real martial artist the same, ive been doing it about 25 years, and I would have no problem handling an mma brawler, at all. why not try my luck in a fight with mma? for the same reason I don't compete in karate or kung fu anymore, I don't need to. my technique is only used for self defense in lethal situations and only used if I feel there is a real threat to myself or someone I love, not to have fun showing I can kick your ass.if forced to fight or if I was attacked by an MMA street fighter/brawler, after 25 years, I have absolutely do doubt, an MMA practictioner wouldn't be too hard to handle, at all. but I wouldn't wanna hurt them just cuz they are street fighers/brawlers. doesn't make them martial artists, and that is what we are discussing: martial arts.

and why are you being so confrontational towards me? I said nothing that warranted that response to provoke me into wanting to prove that I can kick ass?? like really, I didn't say anything like that, and ive been very supportive of everyone here. im sorry if anyone took offense at what I said, I didn't meant to hurt your feelings. and I didn't mean MMA is useless, its of course a great self defense tool sure, id take it if I had no other option, but im talking about the arts of the east (well u know what I mean), which includes spiritual cultivation as much as physical training. so again, I wasn't saying MMA is gay, im saying its something outside of what were lookin at. that's all, hope u forgive me if ur into MMA.

so if you felt offended, im sorry, and looking back at the post, I can see if an MMA fighter would not like it. I do apologize, and I tried to edit it out, but I cant, so if possible please delete that for me because I cant edit it and I don't know why. point is : im sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean to do that to anyone personally. really, im sorry. I did rant and I shouldn't have

(PS for the record, my friend is from Thailand, his father is a muay thai lightweight champion, he taught is son muay tahi, and his son now does MMA....needless to say, we decided to show each other some techinques and appplications in response to combat attacks, and remember hes really a muay tahi guy with a strong background whos been doin MMA for about two years, so hes a great fighter, but still new to MMA, tho 2 years is pretty much all there is to learn from MMA I think, and I gotta say, if we actually turned combat application display "light contact" demostronations on each other, to full sparring, there would not have been much to really see on his end, except him staring up at me from the floor quite a bit.)


----------



## mcleanab

Hmmm... my old teacher coaches and trains MMA and continues his study with such martial artists a Guro Dan Inosanto, Ajarn Surchai "Chai" Sirsuite and many others. He's a lifelong practitioner of martial arts, which includes MMA. He did Wing Chun for years, Kali/Silat, wrestling, BJJ, Judo... all the stuff that Bruce Lee did WAY back in the day... yet I don't see many folks saying that what Bruce did was NOT a martial art. I think MMA deserves just as much respect as any other art. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work, determination, focus, concentration, etc, etc... that will begin to shape anyone's character. 

I would hazard a guess that many folks that study exclusively MMA are also lifelong martial artists and not just brawlers... Randy Couture seems to me to be a martial artist period regardless of what style or system he's studying, be it wrestling, BJJ, MMA, whatever. MMA has changed many peoples' lives for the better I'm sure, just as "traditional" martial arts has as well. To say that it doesn't deserve the same respect seems a little wonky to me.

I would say the same for boxing too... sure it's a sport, but it's damn hard work. A lot of people that study boxing, MMA or any other martial system don't do it for self defense... sometimes it's just the work out, the sense of community, the betterment of the self and those around them. That seems to deserve respect. And I would call it an art... watch someone like George St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, hell even old Royce Gracie or any other high level MMA practitioner... there is a skill set that is only cultivated through the betterment of self. 





yellow said:


> @estilo, I don't need to try mma, why would I start filling in coloring books if I can draw my own pictures and color them myself?
> 
> I gave very legitimate reasons as to why MMA does not deserve respect as a martial art, remember the term we are using here, and I did not include boxing because boxing is sport again, not art. there is technique to it and there is craft and strategy, but its not a martial art., fighting is fighting, martial arts is a lifetime of personal development that never ends
> 
> and you can ask any real martial artist the same, ive been doing it about 25 years, and I would have no problem handling an mma brawler, at all. why not try my luck in a fight with mma? for the same reason I don't compete in karate or kung fu anymore, I don't need to. my technique is only used for self defense in lethal situations and only used if I feel there is a real threat to myself or someone I love, not to have fun showing I can kick your ass.if forced to fight or if I was attacked by an MMA street fighter/brawler, after 25 years, I have absolutely do doubt, an MMA practictioner wouldn't be too hard to handle, at all. but I wouldn't wanna hurt them just cuz they are street fighers/brawlers. doesn't make them martial artists, and that is what we are discussing: martial arts.
> 
> and why are you being so confrontational towards me? I said nothing that warranted that response to provoke me into wanting to prove that I can kick ass?? like really, I didn't say anything like that, and ive been very supportive of everyone here. im sorry if anyone took offense at what I said, I didn't meant to hurt your feelings. and I didn't mean MMA is useless, its of course a great self defense tool sure, id take it if I had no other option, but im talking about the arts of the east (well u know what I mean), which includes spiritual cultivation as much as physical training. so again, I wasn't saying MMA is gay, im saying its something outside of what were lookin at. that's all, hope u forgive me if ur into MMA.
> 
> so if you felt offended, im sorry, and looking back at the post, I can see if an MMA fighter would not like it. I do apologize, and I tried to edit it out, but I cant, so if possible please delete that for me because I cant edit it and I don't know why. point is : im sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean to do that to anyone personally. really, im sorry. I did rant and I shouldn't have
> 
> (PS for the record, my friend is from Thailand, his father is a muay thai lightweight champion, he taught is son muay tahi, and his son now does MMA....needless to say, we decided to show each other some techinques and appplications in response to combat attacks, and remember hes really a muay tahi guy with a strong background whos been doin MMA for about two years, so hes a great fighter, but still new to MMA, tho 2 years is pretty much all there is to learn from MMA I think, and I gotta say, if we actually turned combat application display "light contact" demostronations on each other, to full sparring, there would not have been much to really see on his end, except him staring up at me from the floor quite a bit.)


----------



## Estilo

@yellow: Not offended at all man. I too apologise if I caused you distress in any way or form; reading back at my post it does seem confrontational in some ways haha, which was not what I intended. 

What I said about pro MMA fighters (something I've just edited in) not using stuff from the old styles even when they're proficient is what I've observed so far. A classic example being GSP, who despite his proclamation of his Kyokushin roots almost always depends on wrestling and BJJ in his matches. His stand up is outstanding too but I don't see anything from him that is beyond the scope of Muay Thai. I was just wondering why this is. 

And that last part about the practitioners of the traditional arts being able to display superhuman abilities, is also a point of ponderation for me. If a knife can't pierce through them, surely the striking prowess of Anderson Silva nor the ground and pound of the heavyweights would mean nothing to them? And surely there must be someone amongst them who is interested to prove to the public eye that they can kick the asses of the "new breed" that are MMA fighters, using the styles sneered upon by MMA fighters themselves? 

I hope that clears it up for me . I must say though, your comments about MMA do leave much room for debate and disagreements, maybe even confrontations from the other SSO members on here. Though I swear, I'm not one of them .


----------



## ghostred7

yellow said:


> if forced to fight or if I was attacked by an MMA street fighter/brawler, after 25 years, I have absolutely do doubt, an MMA practictioner wouldn't be too hard to handle, at all. but I wouldn't wanna hurt them just cuz they are street fighers/brawlers.


This is a bold over-generalization. By this statement alone, you're stating that just because someone practices MMA they'd be "easy" for you. So by this sweeping statement you wouldn't have any issues against someone, that say, had been practicing Jeet Kune Do for the same amount of time you've been in your various arts, simply because it is a MMA? Let's face it....JKD is the parent of all MMA as it was the first public mixture of various arts & disciplines.

Additionally....every MMA person I know personally has studied at least 1 pure art for many years. Hell, one of my friends had 20yrs Karate learned IN JAPAN (military baby) that branched out to MMA later (total of over 30yrs training....damn wish he lived closer lol).

For someone so based in the spiritual side of the arts, why so much ego and pride that is usually taught as one of the first things to let go of?

Disclaimer: I do not do MMA


----------



## yellow

not what I said at all...just doubt that if he fought fair and clean with just his skill set, nothing dirty or cheap shit, It wouldn't be a problem for me. did i say I would beat his ass from here to sunday and then mop the floor with him and then some? no...i just dont see a challenge from what ive experienced with my mma friend. 

other veteran martial artists of real tradition I would be more wary of, another person who practiced any real art from a real teacher could be a challenge to me, but who knows, so could anyone, I don't underestimate any opponent, but if we were put into an octagon with MMA fighter, id feel easier about it than a rooftop or basement match with a kung fu practictioner in china town, but most of you probably don't know what I mean or what im talkin about.

close minded and egoism? the only thing I said was truth. sorry if it hurts. in any case, I really don't care (not ur feelings, but if u agree with me or not about MMA bein art or sport)...if you wanna be a martial artist, be a martial artist. I just don't recognize mma fighters (or boxers) are artists, they are competitive sportsman. so whoever neg repped me with that nice apology for speaking my very open mind to all arts and artists and respecting all of them, except MMA which is not a martial art, has no idea what im talking about and I doubt you practice. 

someone asked what ive learned most from the arts? it is something I cannot mention here or put into words, but its the complete opposite of ego: think of the exchange between jet lis character and the karate master at the end of fearless....tea is tea, the details dotn matter. there is no superior style, only a superior fighter

I was talking about the purity of authentic, traditional, classical martial arts. I have no ego, just a very direct way of saying things.


PS Jeet Kun Do is cool, and to call it MMA is an insult to JKD, ive read the Tao of JKD and knew a JKD practictioner, its not MMA, but its bruce lees take on Wing Chun and his own experiences in fighting application. It is nothing more than a new lineage or offshoot of an established style: wing chun. my experience and reason in this knowledge, my sigung and sifu sihing worked with and trained with bruce in china before he came stateside.

PPS A martial artist, who goes to learn MMA, is not an MMA fighter who walks into a school wanting to learn how to kick ass from scratch, a martial artist who learns MMA is a martial artists who wants a taste of some other martial arts, a watered down expose. a karate guy of 30 years who goes to learn mma, which I wouldn't really think happens, Is still a martial artist who wants to see what mma is about

ANYWAY , I really meant no disrespect and I asked to delete my post cuz I cant edit it off, so please disreguard the statement, and please accept my apologies for anything you took as an insult. I did not mean to hurt anyone feelings or judge anyones preference. I restract my opinion and concede that you are correct in correcting my phrasing. Everyone is entitled to their own and I wish you success. I hope you will accept my apology.

To show my regret in hurtin anyones feelings, I will stop posting here so I don't start any arguments


----------



## Estilo

@ghostred7: Can you ask that mate of yours how applicable he thinks his Karate is in an MMA context? Seriously I'm dying to know.


----------



## ShadyDavey

"Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation"

Open minds my friends....open minds. Acceptance of one's faults is courageous, being quick to assist with others faults with others is altruism.......but being blind to one's own faults is ignorance, and finding fault with others is disrespect.


----------



## yellow

like I said a long post ago: "seeing sameness in difference"


----------



## ShadyDavey

If you can see sameness in difference then the interminable and tiresome debate of traditional vs. contemporary/hybrid styles is a moot point - superior practitioners count - not a superior style


----------



## yellow

again man, like I said already^:


yellow said:


> someone asked what ive learned most from the arts? it is something I cannot mention here or put into words, but its the complete opposite of ego: think of the exchange between jet lis character and the karate master at the end of fearless....tea is tea, the details dotn matter. there is no superior style, only a superior fighter


 
so agreed


----------



## Lagtastic

ShadyDavey said:


> - superior practitioners count - not a superior style



I feel the same way about guitarists.


----------



## Evilized

espman said:


> I've got my 1st degree black belt in Taekwon-Do, but ended up having to stop training shortly after due to a self-inflicted injury (outside of TKD). I really do miss it though



I'm in the same boat, although for a different reason. Shortly after I received my 3rd degree black (in TKD as well), school was just becoming too busy. About midway through undergrad I had to stop altogether to focus on studying. Which is unfortunate, since I'm eligible to test for my 4th. Hoping to get back into it next year after I move to the states. I miss sparring!


----------



## theo

Good luck evilized!


----------



## jenagrey8585

Every martial art will increase your coordination. Some more, and some less. Karate may not improve your coordination as much as Capoeira, but they both make you stronger and flexible in their own way. Whats important is that you pick something where you enjoy the trainer, the people and the art itself; otherwise youll end up quitting. 
One of the biggest benefits Ive noticed from martial arts is the psychological part. When you start out, youll probably be scared of putting your heart into what youre doing.


----------



## zilla

Just found this thread.

I've trained in a number of styles: Judo, Aikikai Aikido, and jiu jitsu: traditional Takenouchi-Ryu, Tenjin Shin'yo Ryu styles and modern Can-Ryu.

Can-Ryu jiu jitsu is a style that incorporated a lot of western boxing. Very unique and effective style.

The only "unfortunate" part was that a lot of the techniques could only be taken so far... you always had to hold back a bit otherwise there could be serious damage done.

Judo was great in that you could go at 110% and still be "relatively" safe... also made me realize that most of the fancy joint locks are really just an academic exercise in biomechanics. it would be extremely unlikely that you would be able to apply kote gaeshi or similar on someone attacking at full strength (then again, some would say that if you are properly trained, you would never find yourself in a situation in which you would need to resort to physical techniques, but that's another debate....  

I wish i could find a yosekan aikido or a yoshinkan aikido dojo around here. aikikai aikido was very good at honing ukemi and joint manipulation, but i wasn't able to keep doing only that.

I had to take a break from training a few years ago due to some nagging injuries that needed time to heal. I'm really anxious to get back into it, but unfortunately in this town jiu jitsu = MMA and it's full of guys in their tap out shirts and rash guards who don't even know what a gi is.


----------



## ZEBOV

I think I want to learn Krav Maga. It's so simple yet super effective. Your thoughts?


----------



## zilla

I'd like to try krav maga, too. 

From what I've seen, the concepts and principles are very similar to can ryu.


----------



## theo

zilla said:


> Can-Ryu jiu jitsu is a style that incorporated a lot of western boxing. Very unique and effective style.



That really interests me, It's always bugged me that with Jiu Jitsu you can have a guy in a position where you could effectively deliver some devastating strikes etc but you aren't allowed to.



ZEBOV said:


> I think I want to learn Krav Maga. It's so simple yet super effective. Your thoughts?



My only experience with Krav Maga practitioners has been negative. The two guys I've met have been ridiculously arrogant about it. To the point where I was talking to one of them (I'd met him at a party and we got talking about martial arts) about techniques and I was curious about the style. His only reply was "I can't show you anything, all our moves are only designed to kill or seriously injure". Later that night he threatened me with a baseball bat. I'm glad I managed to keep my cool. That situation could easily have gotten ugly.


----------



## capoeiraesp

^awesome, just plain awesome. This is my concern when you're dealing with self-defense forms that aren't grown from a martial arts perspective or set of principles. People get caught up in the offensive or aggressive nature of it because there's not an 'ethical' foundation like in traditional martial arts. FYI, I don't know a whole lot about the principles of Krav Maga so I could be completely wrong in my interpretation of one person's negative representation of the self-defense form.


----------



## theo

Also, please don't take what I'm saying the wrong way at all. This is just my only experience with Krav Maga. I'm not putting it down or saying everyone who practices the form is like this.

I saw the Krav Maga episode of fight quest (or was it human weapon? I can never distinguish the two) and the woman who trained them in that was a total beast.


----------



## Floppystrings

I started with Tae Kwon Do when I was 11 years old.

After going to one bad school, and leaving pretty fast I joined probably one of the best schools in Florida at the time. The classes were very militant, and tradition was pretty hardcore. The only tournaments we attended were international WTF (World TDK Federation) invite only events. It is the same organization that does the Olympics, there was a lot of pressure, our black belts won a LOT of tournaments.

I went to my first tournament as a yellow belt green tip, so I think I had about a year and a half of training at the time, and came in second. It wasn't a very good experience because I got a knee injury (I was 12, and it sucked). Partially torn meniscus, not too serious, no surgery needed, but it kind of scared me. This was back in 1994 and if you tore an ACL you were shit outta luck.

I eventually left the school when I was 13, I would go every day and often take double classes. I got to blue belt red tip, and seeing all of the pressure I was about to face, and not even having fun with it any more I decided to move on. The school also has some issues, which led to a lack of sparring, which is what I LOVED to do more than anything. And then there was the tournament exclusivity, which I guess means if you want to compete you are going to be flying around the world to do it. 

After that, I watched UFC (one) for the first time, I was 13 and thought it was crazy. I swore some guys died and they just edited it out of the footage. lol I learned that fighting on the ground is a very important element that I had no experience in. From that point on, I never looked at martial arts as "one" style. I was pretty bitter about dedicating myself to TKD like I did.

Right after I left TKD I got in a fight near the end of middle school, it was kind of bad, I could have gotten sued (lots of knees to the head, almost knocked the kid out, he couldn't stand) I felt pretty horrible about it. There were two other cases in high school where I had to fight, and I would always use Judo and avoid striking completely. I stayed away from fights after that. 

Now I am 30, and recently got into really good shape, I started boxing and that opened the can of worms. I decided I was going to compete in featherweight MMA at 145, and have since met a lot of people but have not found a proper training location. I am done with gi's and belts, and at this point I prefer to train with other competing fighters only (they are the only ones that are willing to spar hard, where you learn the most about yourself).

I was planning on having my first fight this year already, but the amount of bullshit I ran into left a lot to be desired (promoters lol). Training MMA is very expensive, it consumes your life 100% and you have no choice but to be completely dedicated. Lack of sparring partners is such a very real problem that you almost have to be lucky in finding proper training partners hours away. 

As of right now, I am taking a break from the whole mess. I do plan to continue training in a month or so, I am hoping to work with Richard Crunkilton who lives in the area (nice guy): Rich "Cleat" Crunkilton MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com 

I would never think of doing this if I didn't have a lot of confidence in my abilities, and after seeing what other 145ers have to offer, I am not impressed by their performance .


----------



## theo

Maybe it's time to bulk up a bit and enter a heavier division then? Or just dominate the 145!
Thanks for sharing floopystrings 

On the subject of sparring I had an excellent and very illuminating class that dealt exclusively with sparring last week. I think it's about time I tested out the tournament scene. Probably start just with forms/kata and point sparring though. I don't know where I'd stand in a continuous match.


----------



## Floppystrings

I am definitely a 145er, I even tried to get down to 135 but I was very skinny and my cardio suffered.

Sparring can be a lot of fun. I can bring people in to my local gym, but I am horrible at convincing people to spar with me. When I have a fight coming up I will probably spend hundreds on partners to come in, boxers, muay thai, kick boxers, BJJ rollers, wrestlers, other MMA guys etc. I probably won't find that variety but I hope so, I have pretty good connections.


----------



## Fiction

I'm actually hoping on starting some form of martial art soon, but I honestly have no idea where to start to find what style I'm after. I'm ending my gym membership soon, as I'm not really after a huge build and I've gained what mass and strength I want from it, I've always preferred the aesthetics of more slimmer fighters/body weight training builds and in the end is my goal. I do some parkour and some yoga to atart/end the day at the moment ad am hoping to get right into that, but I also have an interest in learning some form of martial art.


----------



## zilla

capoeiraesp said:


> ^awesome, just plain awesome. This is my concern when you're dealing with self-defense forms that aren't grown from a martial arts perspective or set of principles. People get caught up in the offensive or aggressive nature of it because there's not an 'ethical' foundation like in traditional martial arts. FYI, I don't know a whole lot about the principles of Krav Maga so I could be completely wrong in my interpretation of one person's negative representation of the self-defense form.





> Also, please don't take what I'm saying the wrong way at all. This is just my only experience with Krav Maga. I'm not putting it down or saying everyone who practices the form is like this.
> 
> I saw the Krav Maga episode of fight quest (or was it human weapon? I can never distinguish the two) and the woman who trained them in that was a total beast.





Krav Maga was born from the Israeli military for hand-to-hand combat.

simple, brutal, and effective.

It's not really about self defense... it's about self survival.


----------



## zilla




----------



## capoeiraesp

Zilla, you're spot on. I've known dudes from various professions who've trained it and it's always because of its effectiveness and relevance to their profession.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass

Could anyone recommend some reliable books?

I'm looking for something grab/grapple based. Like Judo.


----------



## zilla

what kind of books? you want technique books or something else?

there's Kodokan Judo by Jigoro Kano which is the bible for judo. It's not really a book that you sit down to read.. it's more of a reference book if you already know the techniques. Amazon.com: Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano (9784770017994): Jigoro Kano: Books

the entire Judo Masterclass series is excellent Amazon.com: judo masterclass: Books don't believe the prices on amazon. you can get them each for about $20 per copy... none of this $500+ nonsense.

Gracie Jiu Jitsu by Helio Gracie is good. he does more than the typical MMA moves that you see in UFC fights... a lot of the fundamentals. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: Helio Gracie: 9780975941119: Amazon.com: Books


Judo Unleashed by neil Ohlenkamp is good too. very clear. i think neil also owns/runs judoforum.com Amazon.com: Judo Unleashed: Essential Throwing & Grappling Techniques for Intermediate to Advanced Martial Artists (9780071475341): Neil Ohlenkamp: Books


----------



## skeels

I love this thread!

The story about jerky boy and his attitude about krav maga is classic. 

"I can't show you any moves. The only moves I have are designed to kill or seriously injure you."

"That's okay. I practice a form that is specifically designed to make a highly dangerous person like you look like a loud mouthed idiot. This move is called 'take away your baseball bat and make you cry like a little girl and apologize'." 

I have seen it so many times. The big bad tough-guy dude keeps pushing the quiet dude until the quiet dude puts him in a thumb lock or something... 


EDIT: found this Bruce Lee bit from Art of the Soul. Reading the Tao of JKD actually made a bigger impact on my guitar playing than my "routines"..

_The artistic activity does not lie in art itself as such. It penetrates into a deeper world in which all art forms (of things inwardly experienced) flow together, and in which the harmony of soul and cosmos in the nothing has its outcome in reality. _

_It is the artistic process, therefore, that is reality and reality is truth. _


----------



## All_¥our_Bass

zilla said:


> what kind of books? you want technique books or something else?


Technique books, primarily.


----------



## theo

Skeels even without the baseball bat I would not have liked to be in conflict against him. Whilst I'm pretty confident I would have had the upper hand (I don't think I'd had anything to drink that night either), I really wouldn't have wanted to put my skills to the test. 

For one I see physical conflict as an absolute last resort, Also he was massive, seriously massive, I think someone hit by him would stay hit for a while.

Also he was drunk to the point where I don't think he'd notice pain all that much. Rendering my go to locks etc much less effective than normal.


----------



## skeels

You're right of course- fighting is for idiots. 

The guy sounded like a loose cannon though. 

A big bully.


----------



## theo

Without a shadow of a doubt. 

On a more upbeat note yesterday I started my assistant instructors course! Very excited


----------



## davidsantana27

Very nice thread guys! Enjoyed reading it. I used to train Karate Kyokushin back in the day, for 5-6 years, but I had over a year of pause due to leg injury and I had problems when I tried to come back, so I gave up  Now I only train at gym (bodybuilding is great imo).


----------



## Audioworks

I love martial arts and train in Combatives as well as being a Senshido International Instructor. I train all the time, and if you wanted to check out my website there is a link to my youtube page where you can view all kinds of training videos/instructional vids. 

Martial Arts are awesome!! I love talking about it, training, health/fitness. Whatever!

www.becombative.com


----------



## capoeiraesp

I've not been training any martial arts these past 3 months and I'm in two mindsets.
I'm thinking of returning to capoeira, after a 14 month hiatus since moving away from my groups' city. However, I've got a real curiosity to try wushu because of my tai chi background. Thoughts?


----------



## zilla

Worst case is you try wushu and you don't like it. You spend a few hours out and meet some new people.

There is never anything wrong with trying something new.

Edit

I don't know what it's like with capeoera, but I would advise you to not look for a new club and expect it to be just like the one you left. I did this with jiu jitsu and I was never happy until I realized that I was comparing everything to what I had left when I moved and forced myself to stop comparing.


----------



## Audioworks

Just make sure you are pressure testing what you are training with resisting opponents. Only then will you know if what you're training works. Include the clinch, stand up attacks, ground fighting, and weapon attacks. Multiple opponents, too....Doesn't matter what you train in. Just TEST it.


----------



## capoeiraesp

Zilla, you're dead on about never expecting new groups to be like old ones. That is the issue that's held me back and honestly, I get to return home enough that I still train with my old master and group a few times a year. That said, the group over here is a different one but I know the instructor well and he has a very good relationship with my master.

As another option, my gym is doubling in size and will be having a massive crossfit, mma, and boxing area. I'm thinking that I'll just train myself and tag in with some of the guys in the gym at this point in time. Ideally I really want to keep pushing my stand up attack skills like boxing and tactical strikes.


----------



## yellow

capoeiraesp said:


> I've not been training any martial arts these past 3 months and I'm in two mindsets.
> I'm thinking of returning to capoeira, after a 14 month hiatus since moving away from my groups' city. However, I've got a real curiosity to try wushu because of my tai chi background. Thoughts?



What wushu? From what i recall its just a term for competitive/sportified kung fu. I say go with the tai chi off hand if its a good school, otherwise, what wushu school are you lookin at?


----------



## theo

Matt I'm pretty interested in Capoeira, Let me know if you find a good place to train!


----------



## theo

Necrobump!

Been doing a lot of training over the last few months. Hoping to hit my Black belt late this year or earlier next.

Here's a video of some bo spins I was mucking around with:


----------



## capoeiraesp

Nice man! I miss the bo staff. My right shoulder is a bit out of alignment right now and all I can think of doing to correct is bo staff training.


----------



## Fiction

Ooh I just saw my comment, I never ended up starting anything. I made that post exactly one week before starting my full-time employment 

Still something I'd like to start once my hours balance out, still keeping fit with yoga and running though.


----------



## theo

Cheers Mat, I'm still a total n00b. Picked up the Bo in Feb, then went away for a fortnight with work and now playing around with it again, pretty happy with my couple weeks of progress though.

DID YOU KNOW, the guy from Twilight (Taylor Lautner) is actually a really talented martial artist?

EDIT:


----------



## Khaerruhl

I wanna ask for some help guys. I started training Bujinkan in 2009 and kept up until 2010. Started training using bokken and whatnot. Not long, I know, but it was great fun, and I learned a lot about myself in the process. I quit because I had to focus on school, and because I was getting depressed to the point of not seeing a reason to do just about anything. Anyway, Now I feel like Im mentally stable enough to continue training with such a thing, but my body has deteriorated. I gained 100 pounds, got cancer (fully recovered from that yay) and overall become weaker than before. I now weigh almost 290 pounds. I have been keeping myself somewhat mobile though, wrestling with my dad and brother. I may weigh a lot, but I know How to use my weight at least!

I want to get back into Bujinkan. It felt so good to me! I learned so much (in one month I went from stumbling on my own feet to doing cartwheels, one handed handstands, and walking on two hands) and I had so much fun doing it but Im scared that I might hurt myself or others! What should I do to get back into it all? Send them an e-mail and go "Hello, remember me? I wanna jump into training again!" or should I lose weight and train myself up first? In some ways I feel like I've forgotten my body and I want to get to know myself again, but mainly I feel that I need to do something! I want something with meaning, not just hammer away at the weights in the gym! Help please!


----------



## theo

Personally I'd get back into training at the same time as bringing your fitness back.
Get into swimming etc for your weightloss (there's no impact so your joints will be happy) as well as it being awesome for overall cardio.

You might not be able to do everything at Bujinkan that you used to at first, but you can set yourself goals and work towards them Eg: "At the end of this month I want to be able to do ___" and then use swimming or jogging etc as a means to helping you achieve that short term goal.


----------



## Humanoid

Khaerruhl said:


> I want to get back into Bujinkan. It felt so good to me! I learned so much (in one month I went from stumbling on my own feet to doing cartwheels, one handed handstands, and walking on two hands) and I had so much fun doing it but Im scared that I might hurt myself or others! What should I do to get back into it all? Send them an e-mail and go "Hello, remember me? I wanna jump into training again!" or should I lose weight and train myself up first? In some ways I feel like I've forgotten my body and I want to get to know myself again, but mainly I feel that I need to do something! I want something with meaning, not just hammer away at the weights in the gym! Help please!



I'm pretty sure they'll take you back gladly. Your body will remember the things with a little training. Just try to move the best way possible even if you have gained some weight. You can drop it little by little on the way. Just don't give up


----------



## 777timesgod

I have never heard of a respectable dojo turning people away because of their weight. Unless it brings health issues of course.

Perhaps with a proper diet and a training regiment before you return you will feel more confident.


----------



## theo

^ this


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Hey all, I'm a 1st dan in Shorin Ryu, a 4th kyu in Judo, and I've been working on BJJ as of late. I spar and practice my striking in a gym that also teaches Muay Thai, so you get those awkward moments when someone tries to "correct" my form, but really they're just telling me how a Muay Thai practitioner would do it. I have to explain to them that no, I know this kick doesn't have as much force on it because it's being thrown from a neutral stance; but there's no wind-up - it'll land twice as often. 

As for the query above, just do it. As long as you get back into it at a calculated pace and don't push yourself to the brink of death over training, I don't see how this can be a negative experience.


----------



## theo

Khaerruhl I'd love to hear updates as you progress.

I'm really enjoying XMA. I know it's not practical in the least but it looks like so much fun!
Really want to get into it.


----------



## Floppystrings

777timesgod said:


> I have never heard of a respectable dojo turning people away because of their weight. Unless it brings health issues of course.
> 
> Perhaps with a proper diet and a training regiment before you return you will feel more confident.



I have seen it, over weight people get injured much easier. 

I saw one kid go three years being denied his black belt because of weight before he left. (TKD)

I have no problem with this either, I think it is in their best interest not to train with people that are much quicker, and better balanced.


----------



## theycallmetc

Well, I guess it depends up to what point you're overweight and how physically strenuous the martial art is. A lot of the times people get caught up in the "first I'll get fit for it" mentality and never actually take the leap. I know lots of guys who are gym rats and told me all the time "oh man I'll totally join your gym...once I gain X pounds of muscle, or get to Y level of conditioning". The result was they never joined and just kept hitting the weights or treadmill.

I find martial arts conditioning (again, depending on the physical demands of the particular MA) to be so specific or at times, intense, that most of the times perfectly fit, athletic people would come to a Muay Thai class and feel like throwing up after warm up. So what was the whole point of getting so fit for MA instead of you know, getting fit while practicing MA?

Of course, if you're too heavy, then there's other considerations like how that will bear on your joints, specially your knees, specially if what you want to do incorporates skipping rope and roadwork. If you feel like you're too heavy, you could always diet for a bit and slowly lose weight until you get to a point you can start exercising regularly and then practicing MA again. Best of luck!


----------



## Khaerruhl

Been overall trying to get a feel for my body and find out where there are problems... Three places that are of concern to me that I noticed are my wrists, knees, and lower back. Dull aches, but I'd hate for it to become something worse, especially the back. 

I understand theycallmetcs part about "getting fit enough for gym first", but I have a feeling this is more a thing about "losing weight so I don't break something". I have no trouble with working hard, it's just that I don't want to get hurt while working hard. I've been slowly losing weight thankfully. I'd much rather lose weight slow and steady, rather than a 45 lbs drop in three months. Im thinking about losing weight down to at least 265-ish before concidering martial arts. Until then, bicycle, swimming, wrestling and fencing/bashing my brother with a bokken.


----------



## zilla

If the school is worth it's salt, they won't have an obviously out of shape person doing the same drills and exercises as the regulars.

The instructor should adapt the warm ups to suit the abilities of the student - or the student just has to be able to say "stop. this is beyond my ability. if i do this i am going to hurt myself."

Ideally, the school would have the novices in a separate group to get them familiar with the basics before integrating them into the rest of the class. When I was doing jiu jitsu and judo, the white belts were *always* separated after the warm up so they could work on breakfalls and basic footwork so when they would train with the rest of the students they wouldn't hurt themselves or their partner (ask me how a noob partially tore my deltoid because they were petrified of falling backwards - i never returned to that school again)


----------



## theo

Where I train everything is just adapted to suits levels. 
So the instructors will get everyone warmed up/limbered etc and then start some basic stuff. After a while it will be "Everyone over X level I want you to start doing Y as well" and we just progress from there.


----------



## thedonal

Well. I'm back into practicing my Kung Fu forms (alongside running, other exercise and stretching) after a long break. 

Doing this with a view to returning to my school soon.

Three weeks in so far- my body is starting to fit into the shapes again, though my knees are suffering from crouches in weapon forms... Need to work on a way to strengthen them! 

It's all good though. I almos forgot the calm and focus that proper martial arts training can bring. And I seriously need that right now!


----------



## theo

That's good to hear man! Keep it up 

Had a really productive day today coming up with my own Xma Bo form.


----------



## Konfyouzd

Anyone in the Northern VA area do capoeira?


----------



## thedonal

Think the garden is too wet from yesterday's rain here to do any staff/sword forms outside.

Though I'm busy trying to remember more freehand forms right now..


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Tapped one of the main black belts at my jiu jitsu gym on friday.

Apparently I've just green lighted myself; we've sparred since and he's playing for blood.


----------



## 777timesgod

Floppystrings said:


> I have seen it, over weight people get injured much easier.
> 
> I saw one kid go three years being denied his black belt because of weight before he left. (TKD)
> 
> I have no problem with this either, I think it is in their best interest not to train with people that are much quicker, and better balanced.



Well I do mention above that if someone's weight is extreme, then a programme prior to joining is a good choice.

I agree that Dan grades should be denied on grounds of not being in good shape but only if it affects the execution of the techniques or there is a risk of heart failure.


----------



## theo

Took another quick video of some Bo spins I'm toying with.

I've gotta stop moving my body so much focus more on moving the bo around me I Think.


----------



## Chiba666

Managed to get one of my Schools purple belts last night, got him a few times but in all fairness he is on his way back form long term injury and I tihnk tapped just to look afer his body during recovery.
I guess thats why he rolls with a white belt.
When I rol with higher guys I tend not to work in tapping them out it show long I can survive and escape. Which is getting longer and slightly easier.


----------



## capoeiraesp

Lookin good, Theo!

I'm 3 months into my training of Muay Thai and it's been great! Killer academy with a lot of very experienced people and no egos. I'm feeling the fittest I have in a number of years and every session is an improvement.


----------



## Chiba666

Had another really good No-GI trg session on Weds. Im definatly lasting longer agasint guys more experienced than me, I still make basic errors at times but they are getting less and less and my stamina has definatly improved.
One thing I ahve notuiced when sparing with Russian guys recently is how aggresive they are there is no period of finding out about your opponent it is all out war, even when rolling lightly.
I had a few rolls with a guy who had just come back from along break and the aggression button was well and truly pushed. After a cold war of guard passing on my behalf and lots of him trying to drag my arm down to get me in a triangle I manage to avoid those. Does help I'm agood foot taller and abit more athletic.
I mange to get a shakey half guard and manaouver him so he for some reason turtles up (he dosent seem to like me manipulating his head to much). I take his back and roll over and start trying to apply a choke, he gets out the first one but my left arm sneaks in and I get him nice and tight. I am ashamed that I made him tap twice before I released but I wanted to make a little point that I don't like getting smacked around when its a light rolling session.
He didnt take to kindley to it and went to sulk by the drinks fridge. When he left the Purple belt comes across and tells me that I pulled a really nice move in getting him to turtle and I executed the roll over my left shoulder really well and the chock was nice, even with the second tap. I was expecting abit of a dressing down.

So slighlty ashamed but he shoudl have toned it down for a light roll.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

^sparring isn't a fight. The last dude that went all out on me in a sparring session got the point of my elbow in his floating ribs until he calmed down.


----------



## texshred777

I've studied/trained in Tae Kwon Do, Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaido, and kendo. 

Lately I'm trying to decide if I should get back to Iaido and kendo, or branch out and start studying wushu under Shi Xing Ying. To be more accurate, under his disciple here in Austin. 

In making this decision, finances are going to be a major factor. Should I continue in MJER Iaido and kendo, I'll have to be driving to San Antonio a couple times a week. Iaito costs are another thing. A decent Iaito is more expensive than a decent(albeit lower end) shinken. I'm not advanced enough for waza with a live blade, especially being away from the practice for nearly a decade. Then there's shinai, hakama, gi, and eventually bogu. Luckily I still have several bokuto. 

With shaolin wushu, only robes/uniform are required-and even then, only eventually. The center is also much closer. 

I'm still leaning towards Iaido and kendo, but have a couple months before I start anything again.


----------



## Chiba666

SoItGoesRVA said:


> ^sparring isn't a fight. The last dude that went all out on me in a sparring session got the point of my elbow in his floating ribs until he calmed down.



Try telling him that, I think holding the choke in did that.

See what he is like this week, fingers crossed he will realize that a light roll is just that.


----------



## vansinn

Nice seeing a thread about this 

I trained Taekwondo in my late teens, became instructor, and was training for region championships, just three clicks from 1st dan, when a car accident injured my knee which took me out of any sports; couldn't even walk stairs without pains. Public health care simply said nothing to do..

Eight years later, on a business trip to Singapore, the business we visited turned out to also produce electro- and laser acupuncture equipment, which brought me to a Chinese doctor who turned out to one the foremost experts in acupuncture.
He gave me three treatments while jokingly saying "they don't fix these things in the west? hehe, we do here ", never since felt any pain, but didn't get back into the sport.

I'm now doing some self-training in a mix of Taekwondo and Shaolin techniques, mixed with Yoga and meditation.
For me, it's now exclusively about self-balance, control, agility - quite handy for my aggressive skating, and working with music - and moving on with spirituality. Oh well.. might be handy in case someone should have yikes ideas, you know..


----------



## theo

I recently enrolled at a second club to partake in their XMA classes.
Starting to get my head around it a bit more, really fun.

Working on some personal forms that I'll probably record on post on youtube if they're good enough.


----------



## icos211

Going back to instructing Tae Kwon Do for the summer as a second job. It was kind of a fun day, helping all the kids again. I am dog tired and in 10 different kinds of pain right now, though.


----------



## theo

^ means you trained hard enough


----------



## theo

Went to a seminar with Mike Chat last night. Holy crap that guy is awesome!


----------



## Alex Kenivel

Wow, never noticed this thread before!

I took Kajukenbo from age 5 to my early teens, and learned Aikido from my dad, who also taught me how to use nunchucks and swordfighting. Good times.


----------



## Solodini

theo said:


> Went to a seminar with Mike Chat last night. Holy crap that guy is awesome!


 
Who he?


----------



## theo

He was the blue power ranger and is the founder of XMA.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Depending on how my paychecks are looking, I'm thinking of entering a submission grappling tournament in June. Probably going to compete at 162. I don't feel like cutting much weight for this.


----------



## theo

Good luck man!


----------



## Solodini

SoItGoesRVA said:


> Depending on how my paychecks are looking, I'm thinking of entering a submission grappling tournament in June. Probably going to compete at 162. I don't feel like cutting much weight for this.


 
General submission grappling so not specifically BJJ? No gi?


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Yeah, it's no-gi. There's also a sport jiu-jitsu category, but I'm more interested in no-gi.

EDIT: Their competition levels (beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced) factor in any experience in Judo, Sambo, Wrestling, etc; but it follows more of a BJJ format as far as rules (no slams, etc.)


----------



## Solodini

Good luck, dude. What have you been working on lately?


----------



## Chiba666

Good luck.

I really want to enter a tournament this year but we shall see if there wil be an island wide one as we have I think its 4 BJJ schools in Cyprus.

By then I will be 36 so in Seniors age range, add into that white belt and chances are I will try adn fight at about 182, just my luck there iwll be no one to go against.


----------



## Solodini

How far off are you from the next weight class down?


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Solodini said:


> Good luck, dude. What have you been working on lately?



Lately I've been working on my Jiu Jitsu. I'm comfortable with my top-grappling game, and sweeping from the bottom, I just need to work my submission game off my back.


----------



## jaxadam

SoItGoesRVA said:


> Lately I've been working on my Jiu Jitsu. I'm comfortable with my top-grappling game, and sweeping from the bottom, I just need to work my submission game off my back.



Where abouts do you train in Rva? I was just up there hanging out with a few buddies that go to Top Game Academy.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Revolution BJJ. My instructors are black belts under Foca Fernandez, who earned his black belt under Carlson Gracie.


----------



## jaxadam

SoItGoesRVA said:


> Revolution BJJ. My instructors are Black Belts under Foca Fernandez, who earned his black belt under Carlson Gracie.



Small world. Tell Tink that Adam in Florida said what's up.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Will do! Stop by for open mat next time you're in town.


----------



## Solodini

SoItGoesRVA said:


> Lately I've been working on my Jiu Jitsu. I'm comfortable with my top-grappling game, and sweeping from the bottom, I just need to work my submission game off my back.


 
Which subs have been going well for ya? You should check out the Braulio Estima episode of Rolled Up on YouTube for some good, simple stuff from the back.


----------



## Chiba666

Solodini said:


> How far off are you from the next weight class down?


 
i normally sit at about 81.5/82kg without gi so its not much of a weight loss if I need to do it. Even though I seem to prefer no Gi and the moment and see to have developed a better game than I have with Gi.


----------



## Solodini

Well, if you can drop down comfortably, why not give that a go. Give yourself a bit of an advantage. Or go up, if you want to challenge yourself more!


----------



## ITW Matija

I have nothing but the deepest respect for the martial arts of the world. I have never been a practitioner of one form per se but I would love to get involved in one of the Asian Pacific originating styles sometime in the future. 

What experience I do have is American Amateur Wrestling and the sub-specific styles associated with it. I had wrestled since I was 5 until my Sophmore year of high school (12 years) and was nationally ranked as I took 5th in the World my 8th grade year wrestling in the High School Division of the World Nationals at the Pontiac Silverdome (where the Detroit Lions used to play). I only quit because at that point, wrestling became purely political for the school, the coaches, and the athletic director, and having done it since I was 5, I wasn't putting up with their shenanigans.

I wrestled all year round, not just the school year, so many, many open tournaments across the country, clubs, and camps. I was a Sectional and District champion and fell short from placing in State (being 1 of 9 freshmen) to make it that far.

Anyways, I practiced all forms of wrestling from the bastardized "folkstyle" of today's American school programs, to more elite forms like olympic freestyle and greco-roman. These 3 styles are based off one of the most ancient forms of hand-to-hand combat and in the latter half of the BC era became known as Pankration. 

Basically, it's what the ancient Spartans used to kick major a$$. However, I have heard rumors that they learned grappling techniques, takedowns, throws, and locks, from Samurai who had migrated west and made their way into Greece (which is a pretty neat notion). 

Not that I'm proud of it (because I try to be a humble person), but I got in my first bar fight 2 years ago because some douche sucker punched my brother and... well... I don't think that punk will ever underestimate a wrestler/grappler ever again. LOL 

I want to get involved in a martial art that focuses on strikes and energy/mind focus like zen or chi (ki) . What MA do you guys recommend I should check out?


----------



## theo

ITW Matija said:


> I want to get involved in a martial art that focuses on strikes and energy/mind focus like zen or chi (ki) . What MA do you guys recommend I should check out?



Cheers for sharing your story man!

Start looking into the various forms of Kung Fu. I'm no expert on the differing styles, Shaolin style is known for it's physical intensity as well as mental practice but definitely do some research. 

There are a couple of guys who posted earlier in this thread who have trained in different styles, maybe shoot them a message.


----------



## ghost_of_karelia

It's more of a sport than a martial art, but I've recently taken up epée fencing. I used to do a bit of foil work a few years ago while I lived in Scotland, but I've recently got back into it. It's absolutely ridiculous amounts of work and strain on your legs and arms, especially as some fights can drag on for almost an hour if you're scoring at fifteen and you're evenly matched with your opponent. 

Fun stuff.


----------



## asher

jarvncaredoc said:


> It's more of a sport than a martial art, but I've recently taken up epée fencing. I used to do a bit of foil work a few years ago while I lived in Scotland, but I've recently got back into it. It's absolutely ridiculous amounts of work and strain on your legs and arms, especially as some fights can drag on for almost an hour if you're scoring at fifteen and you're evenly matched with your opponent.
> 
> Fun stuff.



FINALLY! ANOTHER FENCER!

Even if you do both the wrong weapons. 

_he says, regularly fencing all of them..._


----------



## Chiba666

Solodini said:


> Well, if you can drop down comfortably, why not give that a go. Give yourself a bit of an advantage. Or go up, if you want to challenge yourself more!


 
I did think at going up but due to health issues I find it hard to bulk up and stay bulked up same as cutting weight, which I have to do by diet rather than dehydrating before a weigh in.

82 with Gi si workable adn sustainable for me. So we shall see how it goes


----------



## Solodini

Just don't pee for a week and I'm sure you can move up.


----------



## theo

Picked up the bo yesterday for the first time in 2 - 3 months:
(I just filmed these to suss out my technique particularly isolating my body and arms, figured they were good enough to upload, It's all just improvised stuff)


----------



## Solodini

Don't know if this is the best thread to post about this but has anyone been watching the Metamoris BJJ events? Unsurprising that Galvao submitted Sonnen, but he seemed to have a pretty tough time of if. I'm pretty amused by how upset people are by Renato Laranja not shaking Sonnen's hand after.


----------



## Solodini

Got around to watching Brendan Schaub vs Roberto "Cyborg" last night. 20 mins I can't have back. I wish Schaub just hadn't showed up if he didn't want to offensively counter Cyborg.


----------



## theo

Took some photo's in the streets of Melbourne a couple weeks back.
Pretty happy with this one:


----------



## Solodini

Any more?


----------



## theo

Photos from that sesh?

Yeah but that's the one that turned out best


----------



## theo

Entered my first extreme Bo form into my club tournament over the weekend. 
Didn't go so well, But it was a great first attempt in my opinion:



Did moderately well in sparring and placed first in empty hand forms though. Was a lot of fun!


----------



## Solodini

It's the taking part that counts!

Metamoris this coming weekend. Excited! Renzo is looking on form from the clips I've seen. Looking forward to seeing how Rory does, too. Not sure what Torres' wrestling is, so it's tough to know who'll have the advantage.


----------



## theo

What's Metamoris?


----------



## Solodini

Metamoris - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## lelandbowman3

I studied Cuong Nhu when I was younger. I want to get back in it, but there's no instructors where I live now. And none can hold a candle to sensei Vhu anyways.


----------



## theo

Have a look on facebook and try to find a local community group. Do a post there. You might be surprised at the people that come out of the cracks occasionally


----------



## Alberto7

So after thinking about it for years, I finally joined karate lessons. I did karate for about a year when I was 8-9 years old, but I've forgotten almost everything since then. I've been to 5 classes since I registered at the beginning of this semester, and I absolutely love it. I wore my karate gi for the first time last class, and it felt great. I'm doing Shotokan style, for anyone interested. I have read about the differences from other karate styles, and our sensei has talked about it, but I still haven't had the chance to witness those differences first hand yet. Hopefully I'll internalize it all in due time.

I am only doing lessons at my university gym for now (the classes are offered by the university), but hopefully this summer I will join the sensei's actual dojo, and have a few more lessons scheduled within the week.

Also, according to my sensei and other higher belts in my class, I am doing very well for a beginner white belt.  

I definitely missed doing extra-curricular physical activities (aside from the gym, which I've been hitting hard the last few months), and I'm super happy I went with this martial art... now to see if I can ever compete against my 5'0" black belt shaolin kempo roommate.


----------



## theo

Awesome! congrats


----------



## Solodini

Good stuff. Let us know how it progresses. Remember to have fun. It's not all about reaching black belt as quickly as possible.


----------



## theo

Solodini said:


> It's not all about reaching black belt as quickly as possible.



Heh, I am so overdue it's not funny, I just haven't felt the need to keep grading at regular intervals. started training in mid 2010. Up the 3rd Kyu now.


----------



## Solodini

But you're having fun? I personally love that BJJ doesn't really have set gradings, just promotion when your professor thinks you're ready. Won a blue belt tournament? A few? Let's see how you do at purple belt!


----------



## Alberto7

So, there's a karate tournament coming up on the 21st, with people coming from Japan and the US, and my sensei really wants me to join the white belt team. I registered for the tournament and everything, but then realized that I have a university project due on that same day, and I had to cancel. I won't even be able to make it as a spectator, and I'm super bummed out. At least I'm honored that my sensei considered me a suitable candidate for the team! It's a letdown that I won't be able to go, but also quite motivating to know that my sensei likes how I'm progressing.


----------



## theo

Aw balls! there's always another one


----------



## Alberto7

So, as of today, I am officially an advanced white belt,  and I will be going for my yellow belt hopefully by the end of summer/beginning of fall.  I felt like I've improved so much in such a short time. I keep getting compliments from the higher-belts, but I feel like I still have sooooo much to learn (which is a very good thing), and I always feel compelled to ask for advice.

Also, today was the last karate class for this semester at my university's dojo, so we all went to dinner at a Japanese place after class along with our sensei. I got to know better my fellow karatekas, and they just happened to be some of the loveliest people I have met in a long time. I also spent quite a while talking with my sensei, and she's one of the loveliest and sweetest old ladies I've ever met. Such an interesting person, too. She makes a living as a 5th dan and is married to a physicist who builds and customizes guitars as a hobby.  I honestly feel like a lucked out big time in having these people around me.

Now that this was the last class, I hope to resume training next Saturday. I'm stoked to be learning so much in such a positive environment, and I'm grateful for being surrounded by so many passionate people in my class. Picking up karate this semester has definitely been the best thing I've done for myself in a very, very long time.


----------



## theo

Awesome!

What's the name of his guitar business?


----------



## Alberto7

^ I actually have no idea, I didn't ask.  She just told me that if I ever had a guitar that I wanted to customize, or an old guitar that I wanted to repair, that I could just let her know and she'd pass on the word. I also don't know the scope of his work, in the sense that I don't know if it's an actual business he's running, or if he just does it as a hobby for a few people. I should probably ask next time.


----------



## theo

I'd love to find out and have a browse (assuming he's online).


----------



## Alberto7

So I went to the JKA (Japanese Karate Association) Nationals today as a spectator/volunteer, and my God...  it was the first karate tournament ever that I attended, and this was a pretty important one. My sensei was there as a judge, and a couple of the black and brown belts that I know were participating, too. I got to meet Don Sharp, who was the 1995 JKA world champion and is one of the most recognized Canadian sensei. He was there today as chief judge. I also got to meet some of the top current Canadian karateka in the association. All really cool people, although I have to say that I was indeed a little intimidated after seeing them literally kick so much ass.  I realized it's one thing watching tournament videos online, but it's a whole different thing seeing it right there in front of you. The level of skill of these people honestly floored me. Everything was so tight, fast, and precise, it was impressive. After the tournament ended and we put everything away, we went for dinner with some of the local contestants and my sensei. Had a grand time today, and came out of there with a lot of inspiration.


----------



## theo

Alberto7 that sounds fantastic 

Picked up my Bo after a couple of months being off training (due to recording music) and shot a couple of improvised strike sequence videos. Pretty rusty, but haven't forgotten it yet haha

https://www.facebook.com/theo.goslett/videos/10203031908878358/?l=5250485911784264952

https://www.facebook.com/theo.goslett/videos/10203031818156090/?l=2939109815999983822


----------



## Alberto7

I've been really curious towards the bo staff for a while. If there is one thing I wish was done differently in my style of karate, was the use of weapons (I know, kind of against the core concept of karate, but still). More than a self-defense tool, it looks like such a fun skill to have. And it seems to me you have some pretty good skills on the bo staff! That was a nice little save on the first video haha.


----------



## asher

I feel like, no matter what sport, getting yourself to national events and getting to both watch first hand and interact with the top tier people is always both really cool and really inspiring 

ed: also, missed out on your last post on the last page. That's fantastic. Finding a great community of people to practice with makes all the difference in the world.



since we lost the off-topic pics of yo'self thread, have my lazy ass looking en garde from the weekend (really happy this was snapped, as it let me know my weight's a little off and my back heel is on the floor again):


----------



## odibrom

What I have learned on web videos on weapons is that, we, as the observers, cannot know how hard it is to handle the filmed weapon, and in my opinion, most of the videos are made with light/training materials. More so, most of these videos are full of "Show of" tricks that have no fighting implementation nor are fight usable.

Do you feel the same?


----------



## theo

odibrom I'm more or less self taught when it comes to the bo. I watch videos off youtube for ideas but quite often find it hard to replicate what they do, I struggle to learn from the videos I've found so far.

I don't train for real life combat, it's fun and a challenge for myself. I'm all for showmanship, just because it's not necessarily an efficient way of killing or disabling an opponent doesn't mean that it didn't take someone many hours of dedication to master.


----------



## odibrom

Theo. I partly share your thoughts. I do not wish to kill nor hurt anyone. I rather run to actually fight, 'cause there are so many variables that could go wrong... however, I do like to have a go on fighting at the gym I go to and we never get hurt, even with weapons. I also like to know that if I really need, I can get on top of things with whatever tool I have at hand.

This to say that I work for the real thing with real objects, like heavy wood nunchucks for example and try to search for useful maneuvers with real and functional applications/appliance (?)..

My previous comment was not to be a snob, just to understand what drives each one of you on these matters. I like to keep it real, but some flashy stuff once in a wile is also cool.


----------



## theo

I wasn't taking offence, merely stating my feelings on the matter.
The thing to keep in mind with the dudes doing acrobatic martial arts and tricking, they still throw real life techniques in there too, just with added flair between haha.

I get what you're saying, and I also understand why people dislike that side of things. They both have their place for me.


----------



## Alberto7

Personally, I did not choose to go back into martial arts to learn self-defense. In fact, I don't even think shotokan karate is very effective as a self-defense tool until you're well into your shodan, maybe even nidan training. I feel the self-defense part that eventually comes with it is just an added bonus. I suppose it's worth noting that in my style of karate (JKA Shotokan), we only begin semi-free sparring at the brown belt level, and free sparring is only introduced at the black belt shodan level, with some choosing not to start doing it competitively until their nidan level. We begin training for it early on in our lower belts, but only in very controlled settings following rigid timing, always knowing what punch will be thrown at us and when, with surprise punches having a limited number of choices.

I went into it mainly to develop my flexibility, agility, precision, stability, overall body strength, and as an outlet to control my emotions and inner self, which I've been struggling to keep in check for some time now. I also love to challenge myself with physical training that isn't just lifting a bunch of iron and/or running from A to B. I chose it for the art side of it as well. I love the fact that it combines physical exertion with beautiful moving shapes that can be perfected over time, all while teaching a new, perhaps more fulfilling way of life.



asher said:


> I feel like, no matter what sport, getting yourself to national events and getting to both watch first hand and interact with the top tier people is always both really cool and really inspiring
> 
> ed: also, missed out on your last post on the last page. That's fantastic. Finding a great community of people to practice with makes all the difference in the world.



Yep, it's been absolutely great so far. Much better than I expected when I started. I know I've only been doing it for 5 months so far, but I haven't felt this fulfilled by something I do since I picked up the guitar. Sensei was happy that I went to the tournament. She kept telling me how invaluable an experience it is and how lucky as a lower belt I am to be able to hear commentary about the tournament from all of the black belts and world-class fighters I got to meet and exchange ideas with.


----------



## theo

Alberto7 I totally relate with what you're saying. 100%

At my club we start sparring right from the get go, but in a very controlled manner. It's not until 1st kyu that there's officially 'full contact' sparring. Although it does happen of course.


----------



## Alberto7

Anyone with experience in aikido? I can't be bothered to read the whole thread.  One of my sempai, a 1st kyu, opened his own aikido school this year along with another dude and he invited me to try out a class some time. Never tried aikido, but it sure looks pretty cool, and I'm a fan of its soft style.

My other question is... I'm still very early into my karate training. As much as I'm into it, I've only been doing it for 5 1/2 months. Would starting another martial art interfere with my karate given that I'm so new to it? I imagine it as learning to speak two languages at the same time, where you can mix them up by accident, or reading two or three books at once, where I'd momentarily mistake one character for another.


----------



## theo

It's up to you at the end of the day, do you have the time required to practice and train in both styles? Although cross training can be really beneficial, it's something I'd personally suggest you delve into once you're starting to become fairly proficient at your primary style and you want to expand your knowledge outside of your clubs syllabus.


----------



## Solodini

I'd say they'd probably complement each other, more like playing two styles of music and seeing how they bring improvements to your understanding and ability with each other. Awareness of how other styles move will make you more discerning in how you move, so you can make conscious choices which work for you in different settings.


----------



## theo

^ I do agree with your point solodini, but not too early on. 

Think about guitar, when you first pick it up you learn things in a pretty linear fashion.
Same with martial arts in my opinion. At the end of the day it's really a deep understanding of the human body, it's mechanics and how to exploit those mechanics to your own advantage. Once you start getting the co-ordination down and grasping the how and why behind all the mechanics then definitely branch out. But don't get too involved too early or it could be like trying to learn a paganini song at your first guitar lesson.

Obviously I'm using extreme examples here, I just think there's a certain point where it could be too in depth too early and you could end up feeling more bewildered than informed. Without having trained with you in person there's really no easy way to judge. I'm not here trying to say "don't do it" by any stretch of the imagination, by all means, if you feel ready, then you probably are. Just want to draw attention to the possibility that you're not quite ready for it yet too.

Regardless of what you choose, keep us informed and let us know how you're progressing!


----------



## ghostred7

I also agree w/ Solodini. They are very complimentary of each other. One style I studied under while in the Army was Shisei Ryu, developed by (then) LTC Ducote, USAF. It was essentially a mix of Okinawan Karate and Tomiki Aikido (ish). Like others have said...it's up to you, your mind, and control over your body. 

You may find that the hard-linear aspect of Karate isn't for your personal mechanics. It wasn't for me, which is where I started. I didn't find "home" until I found Kenpo. The mixture of hard/linear, soft/circular, and locks/throws was perfect for me (still is...now if I can find something I like here LOL).


----------



## asher

How good are you at compartmentalizing?

I suspect there's some value to the advice of waiting a bit to get a better handle on karate before branching out, but if you're good at being able to compartmentalize - "when I'm doing karate, I move like this and do all these things and have these reflexes, when I'm doing aikido I move like this and do these other things and have a different stance and reflexes" - then you should have no problem, and in fact I'd recommend you experiment, as that'll make it easier to compare the two and see how they might work with each other.


----------



## Alberto7

Whoa, some sound advice here. Thanks guys!

But yeah, I feel like I've been relatively quick at developing a decent grasp of what I'm doing in karate, and, so far, I feel perfectly at home doing it. I'd say I'm good at compartmentalizing, at least on an intellectual level, but I don't know how that'll go when unconscious physical reflexes are involved.

I think for now I'll just try out that free aikido class whenever I have the time, to see how I like it. However, I also think I want to play it safe. I'll wait it out a while until I feel I have a good enough grasp of karate before I jump into anything else. I feel like I need to have a better control over my body before I begin getting it used to perform different movements.


----------



## asher

If you're able to be mindful of how your body feels and moves through every action, you should be just fine.


----------



## zilla

Aikido will focus a lot more on circular body movements, joint locks, and breakfalls - especially rolling. These will be very different, but also complimentary to what you will be doing in Karate.

Alberto: if you can, I would highly recommend a Yoseikan Aikido school if you can find one in your area (I think there are a few in Montreal) - they combine a lot of elements from aikido (body movements, joint locks, pressure points), judo (throws and grappling) and shotokan (striking and kicking).


----------



## ghostred7

zilla said:


> Aikido will focus a lot more on circular body movements, joint locks, and breakfalls - especially rolling. These will be very different, but also complimentary to what you will be doing in Karate.
> 
> Alberto: if you can, I would highly recommend a Yoseikan Aikido school if you can find one in your area (I think there are a few in Montreal) - they combine a lot of elements from aikido (body movements, joint locks, pressure points), judo (throws and grappling) and shotokan (striking and kicking).



I completely agree w/ this. If you can't find this, maybe something like Shinkendo? It was founded by Toshishiro Obata (aka: Master Tatsu...the guy that trained the Foot clan ninja in the 90s live action TMNT). They have 2 main arts they teach - Traditional Japanese swordsmanship and Aikibudo. Aikibudo half is basically the Samurai hand-to-hand and historically where Aikido is rooted from. Basically founded on the 2 main components of feudal era Japanese Samurai that he studied from homeland. They follow traditional belting as well: white --> brown --> black. Everyone is same rank until tested to be instructor quality.

I would also recommend maybe checking out Kenpo. It really is a bastard art (that I love mind you). It borrows heavily from Karate, Shaolin, Aiki, Judo, and JuJitsu. The mutt-nature of it allows for quick personal adaptation (at least for me).

Side note - cool article about how he put a 13cm gash in an old-style helmet: Kabutowari  Helmet-Splitting


----------



## Solodini

I love that minimal belt system. Instructors' lack of encouragement and appreciation of students' progress is probably why everyone is so tetchy about needing belts to mark progress, though.


----------



## asher

That's on ....ty instructors not emphasizing progress and not achievements.


----------



## Solodini

Seems to have affect huge swathes of martial arts, though. People scoff at someone saying they're a black belt now, because being a black belt has become the goal with minimal time dedicated, even if that doesn't actually mean being any good.


----------



## Alberto7

Interesting. I don't know what style of aikido my sempai teaches. All I know is that the business card he gave me says "Ecole d'Aikido TAMASHII" (Aikido school TAMASHII). I don't know if that's just the name or an actual style; I haven't seen him in a while so I haven't had a chance to ask him.

And yeah, the 3-color belt system is pretty neat. Then again, belt color doesn't really mean much other than to track progress, though it's easy to get hung up on a rank. Like asher said, that's why having a sensei/instructor that is good, down to earth, and keeps you motivated is important.

Also, I love the saying "black is the new white" when applied to the martial arts, because it sets higher standards for the art. Black just symbolizes mastery of basics, an whole new world of cool stuff and a lifetime of learning is opened up. At that point is when you're really just starting to make something serious out of your art. That's how I think about it anyway. A way to keep my eye on the target without idolizing the black belt. (Don't get me wrong, I do consider earning a black belt a huge achievement and something to be admired, but it's not the end all be all.)


----------



## theo

I've been with my club for almost 6 years now. Still haven't graded to black.
When you sign up the club sets a goal date, that was two years ago for me.

I used to train really hard for my gradings and try to get prepared for them in the minimum time, after a while I realised that a belt is just a piece of cloth, it really doesn't make you any better or worse. Don't get me wrong, I'll get there one day, but my mentality now is just to take each class as it comes and make the most of each training session for what it is. Not to revolve my training around syllabus and grading requirements.

Also I really got into Bo and no one else at my club does much work in that area, it's also not part of the grading syllabus. Speaking to the head instructor the other day and volunteered to start teaching a Bo weapons class and draw up a syllabus plan for it. Pretty positive feedback, so that'll be fun.


----------



## Humanoid

Solodini said:


> I love that minimal belt system. Instructors' lack of encouragement and appreciation of students' progress is probably why everyone is so tetchy about needing belts to mark progress, though.



I agree. We only have white, green and black. It's good to remember it's not about the grades but your own development. Of course grades can keep you motivated, but then, if the grades are the only thing that motivates you maybe you are on a wrong track


----------



## Solodini

Humanoid said:


> I agree. We only have white, green and black. It's good to remember it's not about the grades but your own development. Of course grades can keep you motivated, but then, if the grades are the only thing that motivates you maybe you are on a wrong track


 
Exactly. It seems to me to be the sort of thing you should do for the love of it and of real improvement. Otherwise you might as well be giving people a sticker for attending and grade them based on the number of classes they've been to rather than their level of ability.

I relate things to what I understand to be the traditional belt system: you're a white belt until you're a black belt; a beginner until you're an expert. I don't think most people can be experts in most things in any less than a decade. Think of your musical development. Many of us will have had lessons as youngsters. How many years of those did we have? Do we think we could hold our own in a jam with experts after that long? Can these black belts hold their own against experts? If not, I think they're deluding themselves and that's really my issue here. When competitions are divided by belt level, if a black belt isn't expected to be able to hold their own against someone with 20 years of experience who is also a black belt then there's some discrepancy in the grading. 

By contrast, Keenan Cornelius got his black belt in BJJ and started owning legends in competition, and at least holding his own competitively when he wasn't winning.


----------



## zilla

traditional styles never really had a belt system per se.

You would start with a white belt simply because the belt was made of white cotton. over time, the belt would become dirty with sweat, blood, etc. and would eventually turn black. Then, as you kept training, the fibers in the belt would start to fray and break off, making the belt look white again.

one of my favourite quotes is this: "I have a belt. It holds up my pants."


----------



## Alberto7

Solodini said:


> Exactly. It seems to me to be the sort of thing you should do for the love of it and of real improvement. Otherwise you might as well be giving people a sticker for attending and grade them based on the number of classes they've been to rather than their level of ability.
> 
> I relate things to what I understand to be the traditional belt system: you're a white belt until you're a black belt; a beginner until you're an expert. I don't think most people can be experts in most things in any less than a decade. Think of your musical development. Many of us will have had lessons as youngsters. How many years of those did we have? Do we think we could hold our own in a jam with experts after that long? Can these black belts hold their own against experts? If not, I think they're deluding themselves and that's really my issue here. When competitions are divided by belt level, if a black belt isn't expected to be able to hold their own against someone with 20 years of experience who is also a black belt then there's some discrepancy in the grading.
> 
> By contrast, Keenan Cornelius got his black belt in BJJ and started owning legends in competition, and at least holding his own competitively when he wasn't winning.



Do remember, though, that, as a black belt, that's where your real self-defense training begins. It's not the ultimate level. Obviously someone with 20 years of experience as a black belt will, more likely than not, be better than someone who just got theirs. I guess it's why they divided it up into dans at the black belt level.

What you said is true though. For reasons that are still beyond me, they put high-level black belts against 1st dans. One of my sempai (a 1st dan) was recently put up against a 3rd dan (or 4th, not sure) who also happens to hold a silver medal in team kata at the JKA world cup and 7th place in individual kata. I thought that was somewhat unfair.



zilla said:


> traditional styles never really had a belt system per se.
> 
> You would start with a white belt simply because the belt was made of white cotton. over time, the belt would become dirty with sweat, blood, etc. and would eventually turn black. Then, as you kept training, the fibers in the belt would start to fray and break off, making the belt look white again.
> 
> one of my favourite quotes is this: "I have a belt. It holds up my pants."



Have you seen the film Kuro Obi (Black Belt)? I like the way they put it there: "The color black never becomes dirty. The same goes for the belt." Very, very neat film btw.  The most down-to-earth martial arts film I've seen so far. I love how, even though what is portrayed in the film is meant to be old-school Okinawan karate, they used the actors' different styles to show the differences in their characters. (One of the actors does JKA Shotokan, which is generally stronger, more linear, and aggressive, and the other actor practices Goju-ryu, focusing more on defensive circular movements and counter-attacks.)


----------



## theo

I've read some interesting philosophy about the black belt becoming white again.


----------



## Humanoid

theo said:


> I've read some interesting philosophy about the black belt becoming white again.



I think it as a learning circle. You learn, then you feel you know something, then you don't -> start the learning process again. In the end we are all only beginners who want to learn.


----------



## Alberto7

So, I just got back from Burlington, VT, from a weekend camp taught by sensei Douglas Luft (7th dan JKA). I got to be part of two black belt-oriented classes, and had a ton of fun. It was a kata-oriented camp, and I was allowed to give all of the basic 15 Shotokan kata a go (from the beginner Heians, all the way to Hangetsu). I was very sloppy obviously (15 different katain 3 hours, most of which are new to me? Right. ), but I got a ton out of it, and a little taste of what's to come. I also got some extremely valuable advice from sensei Doug. The people hosting the event held a potluck at their home, and invited everybody from the camp. They had a makiwara there, which we all took turns to punch at least 10 times on each arm. They also had a shinai and, for the first time, I felt the sting of a shinai on my leg whenever I didn't use my hips correctly or messed up my technique.  Also, sensei Doug's punches on that thing made it feel like the entire house was going to collapse. Of course, the makiwara became the center of attraction by the time we were all drunk. All in all, it was a very valuable experience, I met some wonderfully friendly and down to earth people, and it was a super fun short roadtrip to unwind a little. Also, Burlington is a really nice little town.


----------



## Alberto7

Ok, so by now it's like the universe actually wants me to do karate.  Turns out my new roommate is a black belt in Shotokan karate, testing for his nidan this summer. The only 'drawback' (mind the quotation marks) is that he practices with the SKA (Shotokan Karate Association/of America) and I practice with the JKA (Japanese Karate Association), who are pretty fierce rivals.  Regardless, the differences in the actual styles are few. JKA is just more tournament-oriented and is a more pragmatic and scientific approach that is constantly changing small things in its standards here and there (and is a lot more structured as an organization), whereas SKA tries to preserve the original shotokan teachings of Gichin Funakoshi by the book. Still, I am damned to live with karate for a while longer, it seems.  I've discovered that the karate and martial arts scene here in Montreal is absolutely fantastic. There are so many legitimate (and some not-as-legitimate) schools and practitioners.

Also, testing for my yellow belt tomorrow morning, so fingers crossed that I pass the exam!


----------



## asher

I would normally say "break ALL the legs!", but it's not quite a performance or audition. So uh...

Sweep all the legs?!


----------



## Alberto7

Haha at this point, I think I've broken my own legs from training so damn often.  I'm taking a 2-3 week break due to family vacations starting next week though. And, while we're at it, I think the exam went well. I got some nice comments from my classmates, and some constructive criticism from my sensei and the other judges. I shall find out this Monday.


----------



## Alberto7

Forgot to update: I got it.  Now a much needed break.


----------



## FRETPICK

Silat.


----------



## theo

I really need to get back into training, this week I think.


----------



## ghostred7

theo said:


> I really need to get back into training, this week I think.


Me too...i'm still in the conundrum of finding an art that's close to what I like to do and ALSO in proximity. I don't want to go any further than 10mi from my house b/c in Atlanta-area time, that's like an hour drive lol.


----------



## theo

Australian time is obviously very different to Atlanta time haha!


----------



## Alberto7

So I had my usual Monday karate class with sensei Don Sharp as a guest teacher from British Columbia. Don Sharp was the JKA kumite world champion in 1996, and has been nominated Canadian athlete of the year twice, aside from coaching Canadian teams for the WKF and JKA world champsionships. Today, I spent 3 of the last 6 hours training with the guy at another seminar. The dude is absolutely unreal. Whenever he performs any kind of move, it's like between the beginning of the move and the final stance there are just no frames. He's also very good at putting things into words, and at showing the absolute importance of coordinating the hips with shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Dude's insane. Then went out to dinner with him and some fellow students and local senseis. I'm so pumped.


----------



## kmanick

Nice to see so many guitarists/musicians into the martial arts 
I studied Wa Lum Kung Fu for a few years in my 20's and absolutely loved it , but my sifu packed up and moved to Florida, and I just stopped.
fast forward to 4 years ago, I stuck my daughter into an American Kenpo school (Ed Parkers system) and started watching the adult classes and liked what I saw.
Now I am getting ready for my blue belt test (I blew out my knee 2 years ago so I lost almost an entire year of training  ) and my daughter is prepping for her Green belt.
I've been in a couple of tournaments and placed in the top 3 both times and loving it.
My Sensei loves to mix in Muay thai and JuiJutsi into the training so we get to learn aspects of different styles as well as the system we are under.
I've been doing this 3 times a week for the last couple of years and couldn't imagine not doing it anymore.


----------



## 777timesgod

Alberto7 said:


> Have you seen the film Kuro Obi (Black Belt)? I like the way they put it there: "The color black never becomes dirty. The same goes for the belt." Very, very neat film btw.  The most down-to-earth martial arts film I've seen so far. I love how, even though what is portrayed in the film is meant to be old-school Okinawan karate, they used the actors' different styles to show the differences in their characters. (One of the actors does JKA Shotokan, which is generally stronger, more linear, and aggressive, and the other actor practices Goju-ryu, focusing more on defensive circular movements and counter-attacks.)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hednG8m_4y8

That is Tatsuya Naka, he is pretty good with the traditional style. The movies he made came out with choreography natural and flowing as well.


----------



## Alberto7

^ Sensei Naka is a total beast, and possibly one of my favorite JKA instructors that I've seen online. I wish he'd come do a karate camp here in Canada or somewhere it wouldn't be too hard for me to attend, because I dream of training with the guy one day. I still have to watch High-Kick Girl! though.

Here's a neat "magic" trick that was first taught to me by my senpai, and which showcases the importance of breathing. Sensei Naka is evidently really fond of it; he does it in at least 3 different videos of him that I've seen. It's also a really neat party trick!


----------



## Alberto7

So, among other great things that have happened this weekend, this happened:



Enpi, Kanku-dai, and Heian Sandan.

I've always loved Sia's music videos (as weird as they are), and I can't believe she got Mahiro Takano to perform there! That kid sure is going places. It's also funny because Enpi and Kanku-dai are the katas that two of my friends performed in their Nidan and Shodan (black belt) tests this weekend. They both passed.


----------



## Josh Delikan

I was practicing martial arts long before I discovered music; it was my first passion.

I started out with simple kickboxing as a child, and eventually started to study other styles (such as wing chun) taking from them what was useful and discarding what was not, to the point where I developed my own style that works for me.

Now, I practice around three times per week at home to keep sharp as well as regular weight training in the gym!


----------



## theo

I've recently started back at my karate club after taking most of last year off due to touring with my band and then injury. I've forgotten so much and lost so much strength haha... It's a serious challenge again.


----------



## Alberto7

Just got back from Boston from a karate camp. 2 days of training under sensei Masataka Mori. Got to train and mingle with some wonderful people, including several US champions and world-class competitors. Was a friggin' incredible trip. It's curious how all the people I've met from the US and Canada that practice Shotokan with the JKA have been some of the nicest, most genuine individuals I've ever met. It was such a valuable experience. Had fun in training, and fun with my classmates and the new people I met; it was the whole package. Funny how some of the best times of your life can be had without the need of drugs or cracking a single dick joke  but with just sweat and like-minded people. I am now looking forward to the next camp. 

Also, Boston is a beautiful city, so that was a nice bonus.

My sensei has also asked me to compete in our upcoming tournament this March, so I'll be working hard on that. Team kata and basic sparring, most likely.  



theo said:


> It's a serious challenge *again.*



And it wasn't before?  jk haha reintegrating can be frustrating, but if you like what you're doing, and you practice with people you like, it should be relatively seamless.


----------



## theo

Your camp sounds like great fun Alberto7! And likewise, all the martial artists I've met have been fantastic individuals.

Haha alright it's always been a challenge, but losing form on things I'd once mastered is both interesting and frustrating. My club is pretty small, so everyone there is a personal friend anyway. Pretty relaxed vibe.


----------



## Solodini

Josh Delikan said:


> I was practicing martial arts long before I discovered music; it was my first passion.
> 
> I started out with simple kickboxing as a child, and eventually started to study other styles (such as wing chun) taking from them what was useful and discarding what was not, to the point where I developed my own style that works for me.
> 
> Now, I practice around three times per week at home to keep sharp as well as regular weight training in the gym!



What have you abandoned as useless?


----------



## Josh Delikan

Solodini said:


> What have you abandoned as useless?



When talking about martial arts, I'm talking about the art of combat, of self-defence, self-preservation. So to me, the classical "forms", flowery routines and impractical stances in practices such as wing chun and karate are ultimately useless in any kind of real combat application. In such situations, your mind needs to clearly and instinctively go to the effective techniques that will protect you, not to some regimented _kata _ or form.

There is nothing wrong with those things, however, if we're talking about martial arts simply as dance, theatre or tradition...


----------



## Solodini

Certainly. Outside of forms, any techniques you've rejected?


----------



## Josh Delikan

Solodini said:


> Certainly. Outside of forms, any techniques you've rejected?



Nothing major outside of what I've already mentioned; just certain ways of punching, kicking and locking that don't work for me or that I think aren't actually worth the effort when there are better alternatives. Although, as everybody is built slightly differently, with unique strengths and weaknesses, it's something that the individual needs to learn via simple trial and error. I think that training "systems" in general are flawed by that simple fact. They may have many more useful techniques than useless ones, but then why bother with the useless ones? It's far better to discover and develop your own style.

Do you train yourself?


----------



## Solodini

I've been largely out of training for the last year, save for the occasionally informal pads session in the park with a pal. Went back to BJJ a couple of weeks back but some idiot wrenched my elbow. It seems better now so I'm assuming to return again on Thursday.


----------



## Josh Delikan

Solodini said:


> I've been largely out of training for the last year, save for the occasionally informal pads session in the park with a pal. Went back to BJJ a couple of weeks back but some idiot wrenched my elbow. It seems better now so I'm assuming to return again on Thursday.



A bit of casual padwork is always fun and effective! Better luck with the other members in your class this time, man. Easy on the elbow. Let us know how it goes.


----------



## Solodini

Will do, cheers. Yeah, I've enough knowledge of striking technique and tactics that it's nice to have the opportunities to be creative outwith sparring. And knowing my own weaknesses to focus on.


----------



## Solodini

Good return to class today. I still got tanked by everyone except the wee 125lb lassies who had just started but I had lots of fun and felt like my technical intelligent and awareness improved. And no more damage to the elbow. Everything else is definitely gonna be sore tomorrow, though!


----------



## Josh Delikan

Solodini said:


> Good return to class today. I still got tanked by everyone except the wee 125lb lassies who had just started but I had lots of fun and felt like my technical intelligent and awareness improved. And no more damage to the elbow. Everything else is definitely gonna be sore tomorrow, though!



Haha, sounds like a good class indeed! It's a good thing that you're up against more skilled guys - that's how you learn. You learn nothing if you're always sparring with guys who are less skilled than you, even though it may be a nice boost to the ego.


----------



## asher

Josh Delikan said:


> Haha, sounds like a good class indeed! It's a good thing that you're up against more skilled guys - that's how you learn. You learn nothing if you're always sparring with guys who are less skilled than you, even though it may be a nice boost to the ego.



This is why I'm totally stuck with fencing progression 

The club is now hosting a twice a week capoeira class too, bringing in an instructor from Richmond. Thinking about doing it for conditioning


----------



## kootenay

Just found this thread and its super cool to see how many different forms of martial arts everyone has tried or is in to. I started BJJ about 9 years ago, but a new job, getting married, having a kid and moving to a new town all kind of put a stop to that. Oddly nine years later a guy I used to roll with at my old school has his own school where I am living. So for the past 7 month I have been going there and doing both BJJ and Kickboxing. I just received my first stripe on my white belt on Wednesday and since the instructor knew me from before and knew I had about a 1 year of on off time in he striped me twice. Needless to say I was super stoked!! On the very same night I got my first tap when I caught a blue belt in a triangle! Needless to say he crushed me on our next roll...haha! 

Anyways, nice to know there is a thread here to chat about martial arts and my journey into them!


----------



## Solodini

kootenay said:


> Just found this thread and its super cool to see how many different forms of martial arts everyone has tried or is in to. I started BJJ about 9 years ago, but a new job, getting married, having a kid and moving to a new town all kind of put a stop to that. Oddly nine years later a guy I used to roll with at my old school has his own school where I am living. So for the past 7 month I have been going there and doing both BJJ and Kickboxing. I just received my first stripe on my white belt on Wednesday and since the instructor knew me from before and knew I had about a 1 year of on off time in he striped me twice. Needless to say I was super stoked!! On the very same night I got my first tap when I caught a blue belt in a triangle! Needless to say he crushed me on our next roll...haha!
> 
> Anyways, nice to know there is a thread here to chat about martial arts and my journey into them!



Congrats on your progress. It's good to hear you've got back into it. How's kickboxing going for you?



Josh Delikan said:


> Haha, sounds like a good class indeed! It's a good thing that you're up against more skilled guys - that's how you learn. You learn nothing if you're always sparring with guys who are less skilled than you, even though it may be a nice boost to the ego.



Yeah, I always look to roll with the people who I know will own me. I learn best from the context of a tough challenge. I obviously also roll with those newer than myself but that's a learning experience, too.


----------



## kootenay

Solodini said:


> Congrats on your progress. It's good to hear you've got back into it. How's kickboxing going for you?



Kickboxing is going good as well, thanks for asking. I am not exactly sure the style of kick boxing we do, but there is a belt system as well and I went from white to yellow in it. It is much faster progression than BJJ for sure. I had to drop it though just due to my schedule as of late. I started guitar lessons and its snowboard season, so I am trying to fit everything in, plus my wife and son...haha. I am sure I'll start kick boxing again as soon as the snowboard season is over.


----------



## Josh Delikan

Since there are actually no set rules for grading systems and progression (any instructor in his own club can grade as he sees fit) it can be a little difficult to accurately judge your skill level; that's why it's a good thing to check out different clubs every once in a while if you're interested in measuring your progress from a broader perspective.


----------



## Solodini

Well I was dominated less conclusively yesterday, which was encouraging. Managed to diminish the danger of various situations, as well as take the back sometimes, catch the odd anaconda/d'arce choke here and there. I still need to learn how to defeat the arms so I can trap their leg and tighten the anaconda up, but awareness seems to be a big step in conquering a puzzle.


----------



## asher

Awareness is absolutely a big deal... in pretty much anything  thankfully it tends to come with experience and understanding naturally if you're training reasonably well (again, for basically anything).


----------



## Solodini

Which I feel I am, thankfully. Even when I'm in inopportune learning situations, my past experience of learning well has taught me to make the best of it for myself, and fill in the missing information. With a good grounding, you seem to develop naturally even without guidance, as you mentioned.


----------



## kootenay

I have had a terrible chest cold and sore throat for almost 2 weeks now, just getting to the end of it thank god. I haven't been able to roll at all during this time and it's driving me crazy. I better be back to full function by next Monday for class or I may go a little insane...haha!


----------



## Josh Delikan

The reinvigoration of _finally _getting back into it after a setback such as illness or injury is an amazing feeling!


----------



## Ebart

Just started Judo like 6 weeks ago. I've got 9 years of jiu jitsu under my belt, so I have learned some rudimentary judo, but nothing like this. Also, let me tell you that waking up the next morning after having been thrown repeatedly the night before is so much worse than rolling infinity JJ rounds.


----------



## Solodini

It's a shame that a lot of BJJ places just focus on the groundwork, not takedowns, defending against strikes and such, huh? Watering down of the art.


----------



## chassless

Hey everyone! Muay thai brat here. I've been at it for the best part of the last 6 years or so. Because of work i haven't been very consistent and still feel like i have a lot of potential to unlock. Although i think it will remain my main style, I'd love to try some karate (kyokushin, seidokaikan type schools) when weight classes don't matter to me anymore, and TKD for the sheer agility it requires/provides (non-point style, which one is it, olympic?WTF?) and probably kali or something that's nasty like that.


----------



## Alberto7

Went to my first tournament today! It was a Quebec-wide (mostly Montreal, as the JKA Shotokan scene here is pretty huge) competition, along with the JKA schools from Maine and Connecticut that came up here. I participated in the 7th kyu adult category for kumite (basic sparring) and individual kata, and the 7th kyu all-ages team kata representing my university. Won bronze, silver, and gold, respectively, so I'm super proud!  Especially the team kata. We practiced our Heian Sandan a lot, and it really did pay off.

Then, the black belt adult category was INCREDIBLY good. I might be making a short video with highlights some time soon for our website, so I might share it here once it's done. Then a bunch of us, including the US people, went out for food and a few drinks. Was great fun, and a totally successful weekend!


----------



## kootenay

Ebart said:


> Just started Judo like 6 weeks ago. I've got 9 years of jiu jitsu under my belt, so I have learned some rudimentary judo, but nothing like this. Also, let me tell you that waking up the next morning after having been thrown repeatedly the night before is so much worse than rolling infinity JJ rounds.



The truth bro.... a judo class will just wreck you the next day. The first BJJ school I went to had deep roots in Judo so we did a lot of take downs, had to know them, the names and everything for belts etc. I hate to say it, but I am glad my new school doesn't have such a large focus on throws....haha


----------



## Josh Delikan

Long time no update... how's everyone's training (as well as guitar-ing) coming along since last discussion?


----------



## Alberto7

It has indeed been a while since we updated this thread! Thanks for reminding us.

Regarding my last post, I doubt the video will end up happening, since I found out I'd need to ask the JKA for permission to make it public (since it would more or less advertise our dojo and the tournament, both of which represent the JKA), and I do not have the video-manipulation skills to produce a quality result that would justify the hassle.

Regarding training, I had a belt test this last Friday, and, while not official yet, I can pretty much safely say that I'm now a green belt in JKA Shotokan Karate, and still have the ambition of reaching shodan and further.  More than getting higher up in the ranks, my actual vision lies in learning and mastering some of the advanced katas that I watch in awe as my senpai and instructors perform them. Still motivated AF!


----------



## Khaerruhl

My training has gone to hell. Mostly because I landed really badly on my shoulder during a tumble(not sure if it's the correct word or not). Somehow I managed to land on the front of my shoulder and force a roll over it. Heard a really nasty crunch noise right as it happened, and I couldn't move my left arm for a couple of days. Almost 4 months later, I can't move my left shoulder as much as my right. X-ray showed no bone damage whatsoever. So yeah, now I've gotta start another process to try and get some kind of help with regaining full mobility. Again.


----------



## Alberto7

^ Aw man, that sucks! Shoulder injuries are a bitch and a half. The shoulder is such a complicated joint. My mom had to quit playing tennis for a long time after she sprained something in her shoulder (forget what it was) after a serve. By the time she had recovered enough to be able to play again, we'd moved out of the country and she'd lost the motivation to continue. Mind you, she was in her early 40s when this happened, so recovery would have been much slower for her due to age. Better get that checked asap dude!


----------



## Josh Delikan

Alberto7 said:


> It has indeed been a while since we updated this thread! Thanks for reminding us.
> 
> Regarding my last post, I doubt the video will end up happening, since I found out I'd need to ask the JKA for permission to make it public (since it would more or less advertise our dojo and the tournament, both of which represent the JKA), and I do not have the video-manipulation skills to produce a quality result that would justify the hassle.
> 
> Regarding training, I had a belt test this last Friday, and, while not official yet, I can pretty much safely say that I'm now a green belt in JKA Shotokan Karate, and still have the ambition of reaching shodan and further.  More than getting higher up in the ranks, my actual vision lies in learning and mastering some of the advanced katas that I watch in awe as my senpai and instructors perform them. Still motivated AF!



Congratulations man! Keep working at it, and one day students shall be watching in awe as _you _ perform those very same advanced katas!

Btw did you mean "sensei"? ;-)


----------



## Josh Delikan

Khaerruhl said:


> My training has gone to hell. Mostly because I landed really badly on my shoulder during a tumble(not sure if it's the correct word or not). Somehow I managed to land on the front of my shoulder and force a roll over it. Heard a really nasty crunch noise right as it happened, and I couldn't move my left arm for a couple of days. Almost 4 months later, I can't move my left shoulder as much as my right. X-ray showed no bone damage whatsoever. So yeah, now I've gotta start another process to try and get some kind of help with regaining full mobility. Again.



Ouch, sorry to hear that. That sounds horrendous. Injuries are always a bitch, but the recovery process can teach you so much about yourself and your body that you might not have learnt otherwise. I hope that you manage to find that silver lining, that enlightenment, however minor it may be. 

What kind of recovery methods have you been looking into?


----------



## Alberto7

Josh Delikan said:


> Congratulations man! Keep working at it, and one day students shall be watching in awe as _you _ perform those very same advanced katas!
> 
> Btw did you mean "sensei"? ;-)



Thanks! 

And yeah, touche.  I said "instructors" simply because I thought the word "sensei" might have been interpreted as singular, and I tried including senseis I've trained under but who aren't MY senseis that I regularly train with. Not sure how much sense that makes but, in any case, you are right. Semantics.


----------



## Josh Delikan

Alberto7 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> And yeah, touche.  I said "instructors" simply because I thought the word "sensei" might have been interpreted as singular, and I tried including senseis I've trained under but who aren't MY senseis that I regularly train with. Not sure how much sense that makes but, in any case, you are right. Semantics.



Ah no, I mentioned it because you said "senpai" - I wasn't sure whether it was autocorrected from "sensei" or whether you were _actually _saying "senpai", haha!


----------



## Alberto7

^ Oh! Yeah I actually meant senpai! I'm not sure how it is in other martial arts, (I've only ever tried the one I currently practice) but karate tries real hard to keep things traditional, and once we enter the dojo, names of things are in Japanese, for the most part, and manners are subjected to Japanese standards as much as possible. That includes the way we address each other, the way we sit, stand, etc., etc. When you go to class more than 3 times a week and make friends with the people you train with, it's very easy to create a habit out of it, and you end up calling them "Sensei" or "Senpai" instead of their actual names, even during casual conversation, or at the pub when you go out for drinks.  Kinda like calling your mom and dad, well, "mom" and "dad" instead of their names.

I also lost count of how many blank stares I've received after I unconsciously go "ossu!" instead of the usual "thanks," or "sorry," or "good bye," or what have you. It can be kind of an embarrassing habit, but I enjoy the whole thing so much that I couldn't care any less, honestly.


----------



## Josh Delikan

Alberto7 said:


> ^ Oh! Yeah I actually meant senpai! I'm not sure how it is in other martial arts, (I've only ever tried the one I currently practice) but karate tries real hard to keep things traditional, and once we enter the dojo, names of things are in Japanese, for the most part, and manners are subjected to Japanese standards as much as possible. That includes the way we address each other, the way we sit, stand, etc., etc. When you go to class more than 3 times a week and make friends with the people you train with, it's very easy to create a habit out of it, and you end up calling them "Sensei" or "Senpai" instead of their actual names, even during casual conversation, or at the pub when you go out for drinks.  Kinda like calling your mom and dad, well, "mom" and "dad" instead of their names.
> 
> I also lost count of how many blank stares I've received after I unconsciously go "ossu!" instead of the usual "thanks," or "sorry," or "good bye," or what have you. It can be kind of an embarrassing habit, but I enjoy the whole thing so much that I couldn't care any less, honestly.



I only knew of "sensei"; I didn't realise that "senpai" is used as well. I've only ever received formal training in Chinese styles, so my knowledge of the Japanese way of things is rather limited.

I absolutely get what you mean! Better to be passionate than indifferent.


----------



## Alberto7

^ Aahh right. Senpai is the word/honorific used to address a senior student. Kohai is for junior students, although I have rarely heard it used to address anyone. Sensei is an actual instructor, as most people know. (Though, if I am not mistaken, the actual, literal translation is quite a bit more complicated and much more nuanced, but it's effectively just a teacher.)

Ossu (or "osu," simply pronounced "oss") is a word I really like, just because it can mean so many things, depending on context. It's used to say thanks, sorry, or simply to show acknowledgement. It is very much a martial (read: military) expression of acknowledgement, and of almost outright submission sometimes. You don't say "sorry" and justify yourself unless asked to do so. You just say "Sir, yes, sir" and await dismissal, or whatever your superior's instructions may be. Of course, when everybody gets along, and your sensei is a naturally laid back person giving you a poker face in class, the term itself becomes very casual, too.  However, when your sensei for that particular class is your sensei's sensei - a Japanese man in his 80's who can barely speak English and who holds one of the highest ranks in the entire organization - you know sh1t just got real, and you hit yourself in the head with a shinai (wooden sword) if asked to do so. (Didn't happen to me, but I saw it happen to one of the 5th dan instructors that was training that day... I think that was the day I learned to successfully hide intense laughter, out of sheer fear. )

I'm curious now. Do the Chinese arts have the same kind of manners in the training area, or the way you address fellow students and/or the instructor?


----------



## Josh Delikan

Thanks for the education! I've not looked into Japanese martial arts traditions much, as I've always just been drawn a little more towards the Chinese side of things for whatever reason.

Every Chinese-style class that I've attended has had a high level of manners and tradition, yes, which is something that I like. It shows that the instructor / school represents martial arts as _arts_, not just as a way to fight. There's a balance to be struck, though; I've seen quite a few examples (particularly in wing chun) of instructors that teach the students far too much fluff, almost as a facade (perhaps to make them seem more "genuine"), and not enough actual fighting technique.


----------



## Humanoid

Alberto7 said:


> Ossu (or "osu," simply pronounced "oss") is a word I really like...



Read this, #10:
10 Japanese Words Everyone Misunderstands in Karate | KARATE by Jesse


----------



## Ebart

Training has been going well! Got promoted to Brown Belt in BJJ after 9.25 years. Also picked up Judo in January as I joined my universities judo club/team. Have progressed very quickly there being promoted to yellow and then green belt already because of my strong BJJ base. I kinda feel like the promotion was a little fast in judo, but I wasn't going to argue with my instructor. Plus, I've been terrorizing other yellow belts and green belts in local judo tournaments, soo....


----------



## _MonSTeR_

This is my first post in this thread, I'm posting because I'm at home nursing a torn gastrocnemius (calf muscle) from kickboxing the other night. At least 6 weeks off training for me.

I also train a little in karate, but it's not as formal a dojo as Alberto7's school. Use of the Japanese language is very limited, and we refer to our instructors as Master or Miss, rather than sensei.


----------



## Solodini

What happened to your calf?


----------



## _MonSTeR_

Solodini said:


> What happened to your calf?



Not really sure to be honest ?!?!? I was just practicing some round kicks, and twang!!! Nice and bruised now!


----------



## chassless

same thing happened to my mother once, doing a very simple and light step in a dancing class, snap, calf tears. weird!


----------



## Fiction

My Step-dad also tore his calf muscle playing soccer against me and my step brother when we were 8, just some light sports with children and it tore out of no where.

Everyone watch out for your calves, the bastards.


----------



## _MonSTeR_

Yep, I'm putting it down to my age! I'm in my forties now and martial arts are my midlife crisis!


----------



## Ebart

_MonSTeR_ said:


> Yep, I'm putting it down to my age! I'm in my forties now and martial arts are my midlife crisis!



Hahahahahaha, I am kind of in the same boat. I started late 20's, and now 36. I've definitely peaked and well on my way to being the old guy in the gym.


----------



## Alberto7

Humanoid said:


> Read this, #10:
> 10 Japanese Words Everyone Misunderstands in Karate | KARATE by Jesse



Somehow I missed this! Sorry for the late reply.

Now that you've brought him up, I want to state my opinion on Jesse while also addressing the article's content.

I've read that article before. In fact, I've read quite a few of Jesse's articles, and a couple of short, autobiographical paragraphs he's written. From what I gather, he's an individual that has taken pieces of different styles and has adapted them and developed his own sort of style rather than belonging to a larger group with more standardized practices. While I think that's perfectly fine, (cliche example, but Bruce Lee) I think that the decision to become independent and incorporate things from different styles and reject stuff from the one with which you started should be made once you have advanced knowledge of both your initial style and of your own body and how it reacts to different kinds of strains and stresses, and knowledge of how the human body works in general. You also risk become more of a lone wolf whose technique becomes kind of hard to gauge, as there are no standards to compare against. Absolutely not saying Jesse does not have the credentials to do so. I'm just saying that I am not there yet, and thus I take everything I read by him with a grain of salt.

Same thing goes with any philosophy you choose to adopt. Different associations and styles of karate will have slight variations in their philosophies, teachings, and motto. Likewise, with the specific origin of the word "osu" being so vague, I assume different associations will use it slightly differently. From what I've seen, within JKA, (the one I belong to) even at headquarters in Tokyo the word "osu" is thrown around pretty mindlessly for pretty much everything. Funnily enough, the term is also a bit of a trope in Japanese anime, where characters who partake in martial arts, the army, and/or speak in a martial tone for whatever reason will throw the word "osu" around quite often. It's sometimes used in a more "kawaii" manner for added irony. (Or weirdness for its own sake... who knows, it's Japan. ) It's also true, however, that its widespread use is most popular among karate practitioners, both within and out of Japan. With that said, it surely isn't used commonly in everyday communication between Japanese speakers.

Adding to my thoughts on Jesse, there are some articles by him that are indeed quite interesting, and I seem to agree with his ideas for the most part. However, his spamminess also makes me somewhat wary of him. I like his videos and some of his articles, but for the most part I try not to pay too much attention to him and just focus on what I am taught at my dojo and by instructors belonging to JKA and/or any of its international branches.

And just to clarify, I do not actually care about any of this as much as I probably seem to in this post  and I really don't care what other people choose to practice. I just like to muse over these things every now and again for fun. Given that my mind is on karate about 50% of the time these days, I've taken some arguments to some length... sometimes without much base, too.


----------



## Alberto7

Passed my 5th Kyu exam and finally got my blue belt!  Half way to black. 

I've been helping my sensei this summer while she took a couple of months off. I helped stabilize the classes and take care of the children, while also assisting the black belt instructors she left behind with demonstrations and what not. Teaching martial arts - especially to children who may not necessarily want to be there - is a challenge, but I loved every minute of it. Great experience. I definitely gained a new appreciation for what my sensei does, other than being very skilled and talented.

I also attended a camp with sensei Kazuaki Kurihara (for those of you who might possibly have any knowledge of JKA instructors) who is currently world champion in kata and kumite and 9-time Japanese kata champion. (Within JKA.) The dude is a total beast and I have a hard time wrapping my head around the way he moves his body so fast and so naturally. Very humble and outgoing guy, too. The camp was tough on the mind and body, but it was a total pleasure.

I also may or may not be going for 4th Kyu (purple belt) this December, depending on how often my training ends up being over the Fall semester along with school and work. Not in a hurry though. I enjoy taking my time to make sure I polish everything and to ensure that I make things as perfect as possible before examining.

That's my quick update on the matter.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA

Been a while since I've posted in this thread, but training has generally been going well. I've had a few Muay Thai fights, won all of them except a BS split decision loss (I put the guy on crutches FFS) and everything had been going perfect until last month. Found out I had put on too much muscle and can't make the cut to 147 lbs anymore, so I'm on a new diet and taking supplements for the first time since high school so we'll see how it goes from here. Planning on competing in a submission only BJJ tournament in December and I'll try that cut again. (probably worth mentioning that I've competed as heavy as 170 when I wasn't cutting at all)


----------



## Solodini

Good luck with getting back down to weight.


----------



## Fathand

Wait, I can post here too. 

I've been doing BJJ/Submission wrestling for a few months. It is as challenging and fun as I assumed it would be, but *a lot* more demanding conditioning/stamina wise that I'd have expected. Every training leaves me pretty much beat (not literally) and I've found new muscles that can ache, and ache a lot it seems. Excellent way to get in shape, though.


----------



## Alberto7

Fathand said:


> Wait, I can post here too.
> 
> I've been doing BJJ/Submission wrestling for a few months. It is as challenging and fun as I assumed it would be, but *a lot* more demanding conditioning/stamina wise that I'd have expected. Every training leaves me pretty much beat (not literally) and I've found new muscles that can ache, and ache a lot it seems. Excellent way to get in shape, though.



Awesome! Glad you've been enjoying it. 

Karate's been the same way for me. My lower body flexibility, strength, mobility, and overall physical and mental stamina have gone waaaayy up since I started. Much more than when I simply went to the gym for 15-20 mins of cardio and weightlifting 3-4 times a week. It's the best shape I've been in my whole life, I'd say. Save for my core muscles, upper body strength and shape haven't changed much, except I feel I have learned how to use more specific muscles that I never really knew how to move, or that I even could move, so punches and blocks have become a looot more efficient than they used to be, obviously.

I don't like wearing jeans or dress pants much these days just because I feel so restricted in my movement, and I like to do random stretches whenever I'm walking around or sitting down in class.


----------



## odibrom

So, a few weeks back, a friend and I gave a workshop on kung fu techniques. Mine was focused on the medium sized staff. These are an excerpt of what was studied, with improvised mix of several previously suggested techniques. Hope you like it...


----------



## theo

Thanks for sharing dude! that looks pretty cool! 

Being self taught with a bo (mainly from youtube videos) it's interesting seeing the kung fu side of things which are quite different to what I've been exposed to.


----------



## odibrom

Glad you liked it. These videos are based on a Synthesis I've been making with this medium sized staff. It's bigger than the "stick" kind (an arm long) and smaller than the long traditional staff, which allows to incorporate techniques from both and from other weapons as well. This particular workshop gathered many adapted nunchaku moves.

Most of the students at this workshop used wood staffs, but mine was a stainless steel pipe (with covered ends), which is considered quite heavy from most my friends. It becomes a real weapon that can defy swords, spears and many others... in our dreams, of course, nobody carries swords or spears anymore and this won't stop bullets... but is pretty fun to practice.


----------



## Alberto7

Thought I'd post an update.

Got my brown belt about 3 months ago. Totally different game now. Really enjoying the new katas, and the free and semi-free sparring we do at this level. Now that I'm eligible, I'll likely be competing in the JKA nationals in May of next year. I'm probably doing only individual and team kata though. I've been to the nationals the past 2 years, and the sparring was a little too aggressive for my liking. Lots of broken noses and other kinds of injuries I am really not down for. I've got a life outside of karate that I need to take care of lol showing up to work with a broken nose often isn't particularly great.


----------



## _MonSTeR_

Congrats on going to nationals  that's damn cool in my book!

Whilst I'm here I just wanted to share that my 8 year old just received his 1st dan black belt in wadoryu karate this month following a horrendous weekend of grading split over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

I literally could not be more proud.


----------



## theo

Congrats guys! that's awesome.

I'm finally gearing up to grade for my second kyu after around 8 years of training (with a few breaks) and then aiming to get my black belt in 2018!


----------

