.Martial Arts

Black Belt Kata's

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:17:00 +0000

Over the next few month,s I will be giving tips and information on Black Belt Kata,s.
You must train with an expert to get the full potential of these Kata,s.
But when you are at home and are doing extra training you can look up the next move if you have forgotten it by reading here.
I have not written anything for a while as I have been moving house.
When I have settled in I will start my blog again about Black Belt Kata,s see you soon.
I have already wrote about Bassai Dai Kata but I am going into more details and at a slower pace now that I have settled in my new home in Wales.

Bassai Dai
To Storm a fortress(Major)

Bassai Dai means Storm a Fortress but it could it could also be Protect the Fortress as it such a powerful Kata.

This Kata is about four hundred years old and was created by a left handed person,this may help you to understand some of the techniques better.

Step one

The first techniques are fast and explosive with movements in three directions within seconds.

Stand upright with arms down by your side and feet together Bow (Mushubi Dachi).

Move feet slightly apart with arms to the front of your hips with fist clentched (Shizentai).

Bring feet together and hands together with your right hand in a fist into the palm of your left hand (Bassai-Dai Yoi).

Step Two
Bring your left leg behind your right leg with only your toes on the floor,at the same time bend your right leg knee facing forward,move your right arm to your left your left side waist high bringing it forward fist clenched elbow bent into a inner outer block at the same time push your left hand onto your right arm between fist and elbow with the hand open as if to give the right hand block extra power and support.(Hiari Chudan Uchi Ude Uke).

Step Three
Step forward with your left leg keeping knee bent,at the same time pushing forwards with your right leg until it is straight.In the same movement bring your right hand back to your right side waist high while moving your left arm in a inner outer body block, your body facing right(Hidari Chudan Uchi Uke).

Step Four
Strike straight ahead with your left fist at the same time bring your hand under the left arm and bring forward into a inner outer body block twisting your body to face forwards.(Chudan Uchi Uke Gyaku Hammi).

Step five
While with your right leg toes facing left strike out with your right hand and as in one movement bring the right hand back to your waist executing a left arm outer inner block bending the right knee and right foot and body facing forwards. (Chudan Soto Ude Uke gyaku hammi).

Step six
Staying in the same stance bring your right forwards in a inner outer block bringing the left hand back to the waist.Bring the left foot forwards and place it by your right foot keeping knees bent.(Migi Chudan Soto Ude Uke).

Step Seven
Bring your right hand down to knee height,come up with back straight right hand back by your right ear and your left arm pushed out in front of you fingers straight,as in a forward finger strike.Bring left leg back straight right knee bent executing a inner outer block with your right arm.(Migi Chudan Soto Uke).

Step Eight
Strike forwards with the right arm moving left arm under right arm.Bring the right arm back to your waist and your left arm into a inner outer chest height block.(Migi Chudan Uchi Uke-Gyaku Hanmi)

Step Nine
This is a very slow powerful movement and you must concentrate on your breathing.
Bring your left foot forwards level with the other and about a foot apart.
Bring your left arm to your right hand clasping clenched right fist with the left hand..(Koshi Gamae)
Keeping the same stance strike forwards with the left hand. with a knife block strike.(Chudan Tate Shuto Uke).

Step Ten
Bring your left hand back to your left waist and strike forwards with your right hand fist clenched knuckles forwards,keeping the same stance.(Chudan Zuki)

Step eleven
Bring your right hand back to your left side,strike out with your right han d with a inner outer block twisting body leftwards.(Chudan Soto Uchi Uke).

Step twelve
While twisting your body to face forwards bring your right hand back to your waist and strike with a forward punch with your left hand.(Chudan Zuki).

Step Thirteen

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ORANGE TO RED and RED TO YELLOW BELT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Orange to Red Belt

Grading for your Shotokan Karate Red Belt is similar to orange but there are some more applications to perform.The basics are the same exept you will have to do a side thrusting kick(Yoko-Kekomi)and a side rising kick(Yoko-Keage).The kata you will have to do will be Heian Shodan,and your kumite will still be five step sparring but a little more advanced.

BASIC FORM

In the basic form you start off in the side stance(Kiba-Dachi)sometimes called the horse stance.You stand with your feet parallel two shoulder width apart and facing forward.You must be evenly balanced and bend the knees and maintain an outward tension,keep your arms out straight above your knees.This is a good stance for developing strength and flexibility to your legs.Next you will be asked to do a back stance(Kokutsu-Dachi),stand with your left leg forward knee slightly bent foot facing forward and left arm out straight above the knee,right leg behind you knee slightly bent with your right foot facing the side,right arm down by your side and 70%of your weight on the back foot.You then bring the knees together keeping the hips together push the right foot forwards keeping all the weight on the left foot,step forwards into back stance by abruptly rotating the hips and pushing the right foot forwards.

KNIFE HAND BLOCK

This technique uses the outside fleshy part of the hand to block.It can also be used as an attacking knife blow to the neck.To start you are in a ready stance and prepare to block with the left arm by bringing it up to the shoulder with the palm facing towards the ear,forwards with the other hand palm down execute (Shuto-Uke) to the stomach and step into back stance.Tips for this technique,pull the elbow of the blocking hand to your centre line,time your blocking action to coincide with the twisting of your hips as you settle into back stance,keep your hands tense with your fingers together.

HAMMER HAND STRIKE

This strike is done with the fleshy underside of the fist and can be used to strike collar bone or the nose.You start in the front stance,pull backthe leading hand using the whole of your body.swing the fist up over your head and strike the base of the fist at the collar bone heaight as you step forward.Tips for hammer hand strike(Tetsui-Uchi),make the arm and foot movement big,but don't pull your body weight back to far as it will slow down the forward motion,and finish with the elbow at 90 degrees.

SIDE RISING KICK

This kick(Yoko-Keage)is also called a snap kick because you pull the kick back in a whipping action.The kick is directed upwards and directed at the chin or armpit.You strike with the edge of the foot.Start in kiba-dachi stance,step forward with the right foot,lift the left leg so that it is pointing to the side,kick to the side useing your hips to throw the kick,rotate the supporting foot on the ball of the foot,snap the foot back then step down into the side stance.

SIDE THRUSTING KICK

Start in the side stance step forward with the right foot,lift the knee as high as possible pointing to the front,kick to the side and hold the kick briefly.Make sure the supporting leg is bent and make it feel as though you are pushing all of your body weight into the target,pull the kicking leg back and then step down into the side stance.That show you do a side thrusting stance(Yoko-Kekomi).

KATA

HEIAN SHODAN

The kata you will be doing for your red shotokan karate belt is called heian shodan,You start witha bow and in a firm voice announce your kata heian shodan and step into ready stance yoi-dachi,step to the left into gedan barai then forward punching with the right hand,move the right foot and turn 180 degrees with a downward block then execute a right hand hammer strike,step punch with the left hand,step to the left and execute a downward block to the left,step forwards and execute a right rising block,step forward wiyh a left rising block,step forward with a right rising block,move to the left 270 gegrees and execute a left sided downward block,step forwards with a right hand punch,move the right leg and turn 180 degrees and execute a downward block,step forward and punch with the left hand,step to the left and execute a downward block to the left,step forwards and punch with the right hand,step forwards and punch with the left hand,step forwards and punch with the right hand and KIAI,move the left foot and turn 270 degrees and execute a left sided knife hand block,step forwards at 45 degrees and execute a right sided knife hand block,pivot on tour left foot for 135 degrees and execute a right sided knife hand block,step forwards at 45 degrees with a left sided knife hand block and KIAI,finish by moving the left foot back into a ready stance and bow.

You finish your shotokan red belt karate grading with a five step sparring the same as you did with your orange belt grading,just try and make it more precise and stronger.

Best of luck

RED TO YELLOW BELT

BASIC FORM

Going from red to yellow belt is using what you have already been taught,defending with combinations and techniques where one follows the another.This can be very challenging with some students as they may find it hard to decide which hand to use next,but with repetition this can be overcome.

As usual you will start with basic grading syllabus as follows.A triple punch(sanbon tsuski)rising block with a reverse punch(age-uki,gyaku-zuki)then an outside block with a reverse punch(soto-uke,gyaku-zuki)inside block and reverse punch(uchi-uke,gyaku-zuki)then a knife hand block(shuto-uki)a front kick(mae-geri)a side thrusting kick(yoko-kekomi)lastly a side rising kick(yoko-keage).

KATA

HEIAN-NIDAN

The kata for this grading is called HEIAN-NIDAN and the sequences are as follows.

Bow call out Heian-Nidan and step into ready stance,step with the left foot into back stance.Block the upper level to the side with the left arm and block with the right arm above the forehead,block with the left arm and strick with the right arm, strike out sideways with the left arm,pivot to move and face the other way and block upper level to the side with the right arm and above the forehead with the left arm,block with the right arm and strike with the left arm,hammer strike with the right arm sideways,move the left foot to the centre and lift the right foot to the left knee and place both fists on the left hip,strike with a side rising kick with the right leg and at the same time use a bach fist strike with the right hand,step down with the right foot and into back stance with a knife hand block with the left hand,step forward witha right hand knife hand block,step forward with a left hand knife hand block,block down with the left hand palm down strike with a spear hand9nukite)over the top with the right hand and kiai.

With the left foot move into back stance with a left hand knife block,step forward with the right foot at 45 degrees into back stance and a right hand knife hand block,move the right foot forward into back stance with a right hand knife hand block,step forward with the left foot at 45 degrees into back stance with a left hand knife hand block,move the left foot across and block with right hand inside block do not change arm positions and front kick with the right leg,step into front stance and punch with the left hand execute an inside block with the left hand without stepping,do not change arm positions and front kick with the left leg,step into front stance and punch with the right hand,step forwards into front stance and block with the right side(morote-uke)turn a whole 270 degrees by moving the left foot and execute a left downward block,step with the right foot at a 45 degree angle and execute a right rising block,turn 135 degrees by moving the right foot and execute a right downward block and then step forwards with the left leg at a 45 degree angle and execute a left hand rising block and kiai,finish by moving the left foot back into ready stance and bow.

And lastly you will have to do a five step sparring as in the other two gradings.

Best of luck

YELLOW GREEN AND PURPLE BELT GRADINGS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:38:00 +0000

YELLOW BELT TO GREEN

If you have got this far you have beaten thousands of other Martial Art students

It might surprise a lot of martial art students that the drop out is very high especially as they get higher up the grading ladder.They say that one in a hundred will quit after getting there yellow belt and out of the ones left one in a hundred will quit after getting there green belt and so fourth up to black belt.The reason is the higher karate belt you are the harder it gets to reach the next one.I'm not saying this to put anybody off but it does get a lot harder,but worth it.And so it should if you want to be better than the ordinary person in the street,and of course to compete against you fellow karateka student.

To pass your green belt you will be doing similar movements as your yellow belt but with extras.

As always you start with basics (kihon),triple punch(sanbon tsuki),rising block,reverse punch and a downward block (age-uki,gyaku-zuki,gedan barai),outside block with a elbow strike (soto-uke,empi-uchi),inside block,and reverse punch (uchi-uke,gyaku-zuki),knife hand block and a spear hand strike(shuto-uke,nukite),consecutive front kicks(mae ren-geri),a side thrusting kick (yoko kekomi),and a side rising kick(yuko keage).

KATA

HEIAN SANDAN

Bow announce Heian Sandan and step into ready stance.
Move the left foot into back stance and block at stomach level with a inside left block.
Move your right foot up to the left foot and prepare by crossing the right arm to the left hip and the left arm to the right shoulder,straighten the legs and at the same time cross and uncross the arms.
Blocking inside block with the right arm and downward block with the left arm,cross and uncross the arms blocking inside block with the left arm and downward block with the right arm
.Now step with the right foot so you face the other way and block to stomach level.
Inside block to the side with the right arm,move left foot up to right foot and prepare by crossing the left hand to the right hip and the right hand to the left shoulder.
Straighten the legs and at the same time cross and uncross the arms,blocking inside block with the left arm and downward block with the right arm.
Cross and uncross the arms blocking inside block with the right arm and downward block with the left arm.
Step with the left foot into back stance and use a double handed block (morote-uke) block palm down with the left hand and strike over the top with a spear hand strike.
Move the left foot rotating body anti clockwise and strike a hammer hand blow with the left hand then stepping forwards punch with the right hand and KIAI.
Slowly and with control move the left foot towards the right into closed feet stance (heisohu-dachi)and rotate the body anticlockwise at 180 degrees.
Lift the right knee and twist the hip and stamp down with the right foot,block stomach level with the right elbow.
Right hand back fist strike (uraken-uchi) making sure the arm moves in a vertical plane,snap the fist back to the hip following the same path.
Lift the knee twist hip and stamp down with the left foot.
Block to stomach level with the left elbow.
Use a left handed back fist strike making sure the arm moves in the vertical plan.
Snap the fist back to the hip following the same path
.Lift the right knee twist hip and stamp down with the right foot.
Block to stomach level with the right elbow.
Use a right back fist strike making sure the arm moves in the vertical plane,snap the fist back to the hip following the same path.
block to the right with a side vertical knife hand stepping forwards with the left foot execute a stepping punch.
Bring the right foot up to the left foot,moving the left foot around and turn180 degrees anti clockwise.
Bring the left fist to the hip and the right fist over the left shoulder.
Slide to the right and move the right foot then the left foot (yori ashi) sliding foot movement where the front foot moves first,bring the right fist to the hip and the left fist over the right shoulder and KIAI.
Finish by moving the left foot across into ready stance and bow.

KUMITE

Kihon ippon kumite is still one step sparring,similar to Gohon, except that there is only one attackand counter attack before the exchange is stopped.
The defender must respond with a counter attack of his or her choice.
The attacker must do a head and stomach level attacks using the right handed side attacks.
And the defender must defend using the left hand blocks,and then change to the other side.
Bow to your opponent and judges.And next train hard for your shotokan karate purple belt and all the best.

GREEN BELT TO PURPLE BELT

NOW YOU HAVE REACHED THIS FAR JUST KEEP GOING ITS WORTH IT.

AND WELL DONE

BASIC MOVES

Triple punch followed by rising block.
Reverse punch and downward block.
Outside block,elbow strick,back fist strick,inside block.
Jabbing punch (Kizami-zuki).
Reverse punch,knife hand block.
Jabbing front kick (Kizami-mae-geri) and a spear hand strike(Nukite).
You will then have to finish off with a side thrusting kick,side rising kick and a round house kick(Mawashi-geri).

movements in more depth

Start in the front stance step forward and block to the stomach level with an outside block.Move your weight to a side stance and strike with the right elbow and then strike out with right hand in a back fist,snap back the fist.

Go into a front stance then step forwards with the left leg and block stomach level with left arm and a inside block,without stepping punch with the leading hand,then swing the right hip forwards and strike with a reverse punch.

Start with a back stance and right hand in a knife hand position,stepping forward with the left leg go into a back stance and block with the left hand stomach level knife hand block.
Now lift the leading left leg up and execute a front kick,put the left leg down and without stepping move your body weight forwards and strike to stomach level with a spear hand strike (Nukite-uchi).

Start in a free style front stance,lift the back right leg swing the hips round so that you rotate on the left supporting leg and execute a round house kick (Mawashi-geri),snap back the kicking foot and step forwards into a front stance.

Start in a front stance raising both arms to the right shoulder with the right fist on top step forwards into front stance and block down as if blocking with left hand (Gedan-barai)and punching with the right hand.

Start in a front stance prepare to strike with the left hand by pulling it back.Reach forwards with the right hand and strike to the head level with a knife hand strike (Shuto-uchi).

Stand in ready stance bring the fist to the hips and slowly start to step forwards while crossing the arms in front of the body,palm side facing in,step out into back stance and slowly open the arms and rotate so that palm side faces out,go into start stance and bow.

KATA

HEIAN YONDAN

Bow and announce your kata Heian Yondan in a firm loud voice.
Step to the left into back stance (Kokutsu-dachi) with open hands very slowly.
Raise your arms as if blocking upper level inside block with the left arm and a rising block.
With the left arm,pivot into back stance facing the other way keeping the hands open and very slowly raise your arms with a blocking upper level inside block.
With the right arm and a rising block with the left arm.
While stepping to the left block with both hands lower level cross block (Gedan juji-uki).
Moving forwards into back stance block right side double handed block (Morote-uke).
Bring the left leg up to the right knee,place both fists on the right hip look to the left and kick with a left rising kick and at the same time strike with a left back fist strike.
Snap the foot back leaving the left hand and stamp down into a front stance,at the same time open the the left hand and strike it into the right elbow (Empi-uchi).
Move the right foot halfway towards the right and place it on the left knee and with both fists on the right hip,looking to the right execute a side rising kick and at the same time strike with with a right back fist strike
.Snap the foot back leave the right hand out and stamp down into front stamp,and at the same time open the right hand and strike with the left elbow,using open hands block lower level with the left upper level with the right.
Now using both hands block upper level with the left and strike knife hand to head level (Jodan shuto-uchi).
Then kick stomach level with the right foot,snap the leg back and at the same time reach forwards with the left hand in a pressing block while lifting the right fist above the head.
keeping both hands in a circular movement bring the left fist to the left hip and the right performs a back fist strike.
While stepping forwards into crossed leg stance (Kosa-dachi)
(KIAI).

With control slowly move 135 degrees ant-clockwise and step out with the lft leg into back stance.
At the same time cross the arms palms towards you with the the left arm on the outside
.Open your arms rotating the wrists out into a wedge block (Kakiwake-uke).
Front kick head level with the right leg stamp down into front stance and punch stomach level with the right fist.
Then punch stomach level with the left fist.
Very slowly and controlled move 90 degrees clockwise and step out with the right leg into back stance.
At the same time cross the arms,palms towards you with the right arm on the outside.
Open the arms rotating the wrists out into a wedge block,strike with a head level kick (Jodan mae-geri).
With the left leg,stamp down into front stance and punch stomach level with the left fist.
Then punch stomach level with the right fist,step 45 degress to the left into back stance using a double handed block on the left side.
Then step forwards using a double handed block with the right side.
Again step forwards using a double handed block on the left side.
Move forwards into front stance and push the open hands up to head level palms facing each other as if grabbing somebodys head.
Thrust the right knee upwards while simultaneously clossing the fist and pulling down to the level of the knee,as if you had an enemys head in your hands and
KIAI.
Pivot anti-clockwise and face torwards the rear and step into back stance with a left hand knife block,step forwards with your right foot into back stance with aknife hand block,move the right foot back into ready stance and bow.

BASIC ONE STEP SPARRING

There are many different applications in Heian Yondan that the instructor could want you to do.

You will be up against an opponent,but remenber this is not a test to see if you can defeat each other but a test to see if you can defend yourself against attack from different angles with kicks and punches
.Always block hard and with confidence but not so hard as to hurt your opponent.
The same as when you counter attack make it so convincing that if you followed through with the attack instead of stopping a hair width away you would put your apponent out of action with one strike.

As in all martial arts the training can alter somewhat between schools.
WhenIi went for my purple belt it was not one step sparring as for the other belts,we had to fight free style,which I liked because it was better for you if you won the fight.
Even if you lost but put on a good show and the rest of what you did was good you could still pass.

Never forget aggression control and respect are the things that make a good shotokan karate martial arts pupil as with any martial art.

Karate Belt Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:53:00 +0000

Karate Belts

Each organisation has its own colour belt grading system.

The colour of the belt signifies the grade of the wearer.But all of them start with a white belt and finish with a black belt.

This is the colour,Kyu or Dan and Japanese name of the Shotokan Karate style that I was trained with.

You always start off as an ungraded white belt,and have to train for at least three months.
Before you are allowed to grade for your 9th kyu and each kyu thereafter which will be a orange belt(kukyu),all Japanese names of the grades will be in brackets.8th kyu is a red belt (hachikyu),7th kyu(shichikyu) yellow,6th kyu (rokyu) green,5th kyu (gokyu) purple,4th kyu (yonkyu) is a purple belt with one white stripe,3kyu (sankyu)brown,2nd kyu (nikyu) brown belt with one white stripe,then 1st kyu (ikkyu) is a brown belt with two white stripes.

When you reach this high standard you have to train for at least six months before you can go for your 1st dan,which is your first black belt(shodan).
All belts from now are black,2nd (nidan),3rd (sandan),4th (yondan) 5th (godan),6th (rokudan,7th(sichidan),8th (hachidan),9th (kudan) and 10th (judan).
Going from 1st to 2nd dan you have to train for at least a year,thereafter to go higher you may have to run tour own kate school(dojo).
When you become a 4th dan a lot of spiritualist training comes into the teaching.
When someone reaches the fantastic height of 10th dan they revert back to white belt or red belt because they then claim that they have gone full circle of there training.

My Karate Training and different stages of fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:36:00 +0000

The first time I was interested in the Martial Arts was after I had been to see a film staring Bruce Lee.He became my hero straight away,and I wanted to learn the martial arts as soon as possible.
There was nowhere in my home town that had a training hall for anything like that.
I did find a town seven miles away that was teaching Karate.
Before I did anything I asked around to find out if anyone new anything about Karate.
A Friend of a Friend said that he had tried it for a little while but gave it up because it was to hard.I also found out the training hall was called a Do Jo, and that the style of martial art was called Shotokan Karate.
So I made my mind up that I was going to give it a try,and not be like the other person and give it up because it was to hard.
As I was a bit shy about going on my ownIi asked my mate Steve if he would go with me.As he played football and table tennis he was quite fit so did not think he needed to go to a Karate lessons
But after some persuasion he said he would go with me,just to keep me company.
So we found out that there was a Karate lesson at seven pm at Trowbridge.seven miles from where we lived in Melksham.
So that was it we were on our way to train in Martial Art called Shotokan Karate.
On the way to our first Karate lesson I was having doubts,as it was in the year of 1979 and I was 28 and thinkingIi was to old to start Karate training
I liked a drink and smoked soIi was definitely thinking this was not for me as I was not very fit.
It would be all right for Steve he was already fit so it wouldn't do him any harm.
We got to the Karate school and with a deep breath I walked in to the Karate club for my first lesson in the Martial Arts.
The first person we saw was Pete our Karate instructor
If I remember right he was a third Dan,which means he had earned his black belt first Dan about three years ago,because you need to train at least one year before you can go from first Dan to second Dan,and the same for each Karate Dan after that.
There was about thirty pupils there and I think about five of use were first timers.
We all lined up in our different Karate grades,highest to the left and lowest to the right
We started by doing some stretching exercises which is very important as you need to warm your body up because if your body is cold and you do a lot of physical training you can pull muscles or tendons because your body is cold.
We did running on the spot,side and forward splits,plus push ups and sit ups.
I had done about ten push ups and ten sit ups and light stretching.
That was enough for me,but I noticed the higher Karate Belt you were the more you did.
You start off as a beginner and have to buy a white Karate suit and a white Karate belt.I cant remember how much they were butIi bought mine from the Karate school,and I'm sure it was not to expensive.
If it was I think I would of been put off Karate training
Anyway the first lesson was mostly doing exercises to start toning the body.
Near the end of the Karate lesson the black and brown belts did a demonstration of how good you could be if you kept up your Karate training twice a week.
And I was amazed of how fast and strong they were.I was definitely going back for some more Martial Arts training.
After three months of training it was time for my first karate grading,although the first grade to a 9th kyu orange belt(kukyu) is very basic and that all you really have to do is stand in a horse stance and throw punches,and then show you can kick.
Next is a kata which is a set of defined movements showing kicks punches and blocks.
Next stage is you partner someone and they will try and kick or punch you and you have to block them
You must show a certain degree of control but with aggression and all this watched in front of a high ranking Japanese Master.
YES i passed.

When I think back now it seems so simple to pass this first Karate grade,butIi can assure you it was very hard and nerve racking at the time
NowIi have three months to train for my 8th kyu which will consist of the same kicks and punches but with more power and accuracy.
Plus there will be more emphasis on blocking as the martial arts are all about defence.
As for fitnessIi have noticed instead of only being able to do ten push ups and ten sit ups,I am now able to do fifty of each with a lot of effort.
So Karate must be doing me some good.

Going for my 8th kyu red belt(hachikyu) was very similar to training for the 9th kyu,but we had to be more precise in our movements and train a lot harder to get ourselves fitter.
I think the first grade was to see if we were really interested in learning karate.
As sensei Pete said,I will now see if you have the potential of being a karate student or not.

Sensei Pete came over and told use that this lesson would be about the rules of training in Karate.The first thing was that we always show respect for our instructors and fellow students,and show respect for the dojo by bowing on entering and exiting.
Always bow to our opponents and to our instructors.
That we are not here to hurt anyone but to learn to defend ourselves against any attack from assailants.
The longer we train the fitter and stronger we will get so always be in control.

Plus we must have license which will give us our rules and grading records.Mine started on the 14.03.1979.It is a license to the KARATE UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN SHOTOKAN.
And it says I promise to uphold the true spirit of Karate-Do and never to use the skills that I am taught against any persons,except for the defence of myself,family or friends in the instance of extreme danger,or unprovoked attack,or in support of law and order.

We must start to learn some of the Japanese words and meaning,so I will give you a run down of some of themIi had to learn.
The forefist(Seiken)the backfist(Uraken)the spear hand( (Nukite)the wrist(Koken)the knife hand(Shuto)single-knuckle fist(Ippon Ken)and you have the elbow strick(Empi)which can be a very versatile and powerful contact point.
Then there is the heel(Kakato)the instep(Haisoku)the ball of the foot((Chusoku)the knee(Hiza)another good contact point used a lot in kick boxing.That's the main striking contact points which will be explained later as I write more about my training and gradings.

A lot of effort is now going to be put in your training to get you fit.
So this session we were really put through our paces.
Instead of the ten or more push ups and sit ups we could do we had to stop take a minute breather and then start again
.At times we just wanted to stop because we had had enough.
Some students gave up because they could not take anymore,but about four of use would not give up and kept going until out sensei told use to stop.
I think I must of done about a hundred push ups and press ups,more than I had ever done in my life.
My mouth was dry and my arms and legs felt like lead.

We were allowed to rest for a couple of minutes,and then we done some light stretching so that we would not stiffen up or get cramp.
Now it was time to do some fighting moves.
We had to keep our backs straight and lower our body's down so we were standing in a very low stance with legs about shoulder width apart.
And then without rising up, we had to throw punches,starting with fist clenched at our sides and punch forward and just before our punches reached arms length we had to twist our wrist and shout.

The reason for the twist is to rip the flesh of an attacker and the shout is two fold,one to stun the attacker for a split second and to bring all of your strength from inside to the end of the punch,plus it helps with breathing,holding your breath when attacking is a common mistake so shouting ensures a smooth exhalation with the technique.
The shout is called a [Kiai] and if done properly it brings the inner strength from within,we all have this inside its just a matter of bringing it out and controlling it.
The punch we were learning is called [Choku zuki]a straight punch,
The reason for the low stance[dachi]is to strengthen the legs when training and when you stand up to fight you will be quicker on your feet.
The next karate session we are going to learn to kick.
Went home very tired.
After each karate lesson we would watch the higher graded members finishing off their training,and wonder and hope we will make it to the next level.

The karate kick we we were being taught is called(Mae-Geri),we had to start with a front stance(zenkutsu-dachi)that is with your right leg forward and knee bent with the left leg behind you out straight,and arms straight down by your sides.
You keep your body up nice and straight moving forward without rising up,lifting the knee as high as possible and striking straight out with the left leg,keeping the toes tucked back and striking with the ball of the foot,then snap the leg back and hold it so your left foot is by your right knee.
You hold this position just in case you have to strike again,plus you snap the leg back so an opponent can not grab it.
Repeat this with the right leg,and go through the same motions many times.
As I had had an operation on my toes when I was young I could not tuck my toes back soIi was taught to kick with my heels.
In the martial arts there are many ways of adapting if you have to.

Now that we had been shown how to punch and kick it was time to learn how to block these movements from an assailant.
We had to choose a partner about our own size,so I chose my mate Steve.
We had to stand facing each other about arms length away hands straight down by our sides and bow(rei) as a sign of respect.
As this is very early days in karate training we had to do everything slowly or we could hurt each other.
Your opponent would throw a punch by stepping forward with right leg and throwing a punch with his right arm,you would step back and block the arm with a downward block(Gedan Barai).
Which means you focus on the punch step back with the left leg left arm out straight right arm up under your chin with fist by your left ear and as the punch comes forward you pull the right arm down to make contact with his arm and push it out of harms way,as you do this you bring your left arm back with fist clenched at waist height.
This action gives power to the block.Repeat with the other side and then change so your opponent can practise.
You do this many times and slowly speed up as you get more used to blocking the punch.

The next block is called(Uchi-uki) which is a sweeping block across the body to defend against a stomach attack.
You start with a front stance(Zenkutsu-dachi)as the strike comes towards you begin to step back right arm stretched out left arm under right arm fist clenched and sweep the left arm outwards to stop the attack.
Repeat with the other arm.make sure you do this very slowly to start with or you will get hit or kicked.
Your timing will be way out to start with,but if you and your partner start slowly and speed up as you get more confident.
Always remember when training in the martial arts whether it is karate,kung fu,kendo,judo or any other form you are in the dojo to learn to defend yourself,and not hurt you opponent.

My Sensei Pete had a word with me before my next karate training session,he told me that he new my father and had a chat about me.
My father told him that I drank and smoked to much,and that I would get in a fight just for the fun of it,so my father asked Pete to keep an eye on me and hopefully sort me out especially my temper whichIi must admit at that time was very quick and could be violent.
I seemed to have no fear and would take anybody on even to the stupidity of fighting more than one person at a time.
A couple of times I got beat up bad taking on more than was good for me
.So now I was a marked man and Pete said he would do all he could to sort me out.
So now for the next few lessons we were put through a lot of hard physical training,I think this was going to happen anyway.
I have been to a lot of karate dojos since we had this type of training but have not seen any physical as this except when I went to learn Kung Fo for a few months(more about that later).
Every karate training session now started with a lot of stretching ,this was doing the side split as far as you could go and then somebody would come and sit on your shoulders to make you stretch even further,i always seemed to have a very heavy person sit on my shoulders.
Another stretching exercise was the front splits where you would go as far as possible and then someone would come and push your front leg forward a couple of inches,did that hurt,one of the exercises that I hated the most was bunny hops but to make use stronger we had to not only to do bunny hops up and down the dojo,we had to bunny hop over a person knelt down.
If we hit them we would have to stop and do twenty press ups and start again.
Of course the more tyred we got the more we hit people,so the more press ups we had to do.
We would then do sit ups and forward stretches where someone would come over and push your head forward and down to the floor as far as possible.
This would take up the first hour of training,then we would practise sparring,kicking,blocking and kata.
Getting up in the morning was hard as I was so stiff and tyred,but in the end it was worth it.

Now was the time to get ready for my yellow belt(shichikyu).I new I was a lot fitter and that my techniques were a much better.
For this grade I had to do triple punch(sanbon tsuki)with a rising block and a reverse punch(age-uki,gyaku-zuki)followed by an outside block(soto-uki)and a reverse punch then an inside block(uchi-uki) and again a reverse punch,next was a knife hand block(shuto-uke)followed with a front kick(mae-geri)then a side thrusting kick(yoko kekomi)finishing off with a side rising kick(yoko keage).
The kata I had to do was called (heian nidan),I had already learned(kihon)and(heian shodan)but this one was going to be a lot harder,and as usual the grading finished with five step sparring.

Now it is time to start learning my syllabus for my green belt.I no it will only get harder as my sensei said no pain no gain,
I'm sure he is right butIi did not think so at the time.
With all the stretching and sit ups plus push ups and running getting harder and harder I asked him when the pain of training would stop,his answer was never.
So then I thought it was about time Ii started to help myself in karate training if I was to progress any further.
So I bought myself a punch bag and put it up in my garage,and worked at punching and kicking it for at least half an hour a day and started to do 100 press ups and 100 sit ups every,and to go for a mile run at least three times a week.
I new I had to do this when seeing how fit and good the higher martial art students were.
And all this after a 12 hour shift.
So nowIi had gone from struggling to do ten push ups and ten sit ups to being able to do a hundred each.
It was about this time that I started to have a lot of back pain.
I had been suffering from a bad back for a while,so I decided to have a rest from karate training,because
I was sure it was all the physical work I was doing.
I told my sensei the problem and he said have a break for a month and then go back to see how I was,but to make sure I still done some light training at home.
So that is whatIi did,but I was missing the comradeship and the competitive of the martial art work outs,plus I was going to fall behind the others of my grade,butIi new I had to rest.
After a months rest I went back to the Karate dojo and saw my sensei and explained that I was on pain killers from my doctor but he was not sure what was wrong.
Sensei said he was pleased to have me back and to get back into full training slowly as we are not there to hurt ourselves.
I started training again and was pleased to be back,butI I had to skip going for my green belt this grading and wait for the next one because it would be hard to catch up,and it is better to miss a karate grading than it is to fail.
I was disappointed but new it was the right thing to do.
I was so determined to pass the next time round that I cut down on my social life,which was mostly going to the pub and having a few beers most nights to only going weekends.
I even had a go at packing up smoking,but no luck there but cut down on them.

As I am writing posts on help with karate gradings I will not go into details of the techniques,but just write about what I did generally to get to my black belt.
Back pain or not it was now time for me to knuckle down and get into some serious training.
I found myself a way round town which was about eight miles and was determined to run that distance at least three times a week.
My first try was a bit hit and miss,I newI could run a mile but eight was pushing it.
The first two miles was OK then I started to slow down to a trot for about a mile,then it was a jog for a mile and a slow walk home.
WellIi had been four miles which was not bad really for someone who was not fit.
I was up to doing 200 sit ups and 200 push ups on most days now,I did have the occasional day off,but they do say do not have more than three days off at a time because you lose a lot of what you have already gained.
I new i was getting fitter as Ii could go into my garage and have a workout with the punch bag for about an hour with kicks and punches and the bag would now move with the force of my blows.

It had now been six months since my last shotokan karate grading,and I was told by my sensei that I was ready to take it.
I was really pleased as I had missed one grading because of ill health,and so I was behind a grade with the couple of students that were still training,and had started the same time as me.
I'm not sure how many people started about a year ago when I did,but I did know that there was only five of us left.
I was really keen to get my green belt because in our dojo when you got to purple belt you could take part in competitions and fight for your club,plus being a green belt you were taught to free style.

It is a shame so many karate students give up.
I no it can be very hard at times but you can not progress if karate training was made easy.
As with any of the martial arts it has to be very physical or you will not get any benefit from it.
There was a few different moves to execute for my karate green belt like after doing the rising block with a reverse punch it had to be finished with a downward block
.After the outside block was an elbow strike,with the knife block came a spear hand strike,instead of a front kick it was consecutive front kicks,the rest was the same as the yellow belt.
The kata is called Heian Sandan incorporating the extra moves.
The Kumite was one step sparring,head level stepping punch and stomach level stepping punches.
As always i was very nervous but got through OK.
My instructor said I had done well so I was pleased as punch.
I new now that the training would really get serous because free style was going to be taught and you can get hurt bad if you do not have enough control.
Now my karate training really begins.

This was one of the best parts of my karate training,I was allowed free style training.
As I used to street fight a lot this was right up my street.
I used to fight anybody just for the hell of it and i was told that I was pretty good at fightingIi can only remember losing three fights and one was three blokes picked on me while I was walking over melksham river bridge andIi must admit they gave me a good pasting
.When I got back to my lodgings the daughter of my godmother who I was living with could hardly recognise me.
She spent about an hour cleaning me up,and wanted me to go to the hospital,but in those days it was a sign of weakness.
I was lucky because I used to heal very quickly,and two days later allIi had was a fat lip and a black eye.
I had a lot of nerve and would not give up no matter how bad I was beaten,so in a way I was lucky that not many lads of that day would want to take me on.
The second time I got beat up was when I was drunk and did not no anything about it until the morning when I woke up with blood allover my sheets.
Even today I don't no who or why it happened,I expect I got mouthy and deserved it.
The third time Ii remember getting beat was by a hard man from out of town came to boost his reputation,and that day he did,again I had had a lot to drink and he kicked the shit out of me.
Two weeks later I found him and kicked the shit out of him,I made sure I was sober then.
I have wrote this not to brag but just to let you no what type of person Ii was in those days,and you will understand why I have mentioned my fighting days as I write about my karate training.

At the beginning of this post I said I could do about ten push ups and ten sit ups,now I can do five hundred of each,which I did most days,and I went for about an eight mile run three times a week
.In my garage I put up a punch bag and used to go out their for a workout most days for at least an hour.
It was a good job that I only worked eight hours a day at that time,or there would not be enough hours in a day.
All though may karate dojo was in trowbridge my sensei advised all purple belts and above to go to other martial art halls and train as well,because like he said each instructor has slightly different ways of teaching karate.
I went to my main martial art hall but at least once a week I went to different towns to train,and I found this was very helpful and recommend it to everyone.

I new that Shotokan Karate had helped me with my temper and my stupidity in getting into a fight just for the hell of it.
When I was in my local labour club and there was four lads picking on me because I had a spurs scarf on.
I was at the bar and they were were taunting me so I got my drink and walked away ignoring them,as I was about half way across the hall the hairs on the back of my neck stood up,so I turned round and one of the lads was throwing a punch at me,I blocked his arms and sweeped his feet away from him,and as he was falling I grabbed hold of him and let him hit the floor without hurting him.
I then picked him up with the hand that helped him to the floor,and i told him to go back to his mates and have a good night and enjoy himself as I did not want any trouble.
When I sat down with my mate he could not believe that I not only controlled my temper but I had not spilled my drink in the process.
There was no more trouble that night,and I no it was all down to my martial art training.

Now back to karate training for my purple belt belt.
I new it was only going to get harder,butIi did not expect to have to do bunny hops over people knelt down on the floor with their heads tucked into their body's so if you missed you did not hit them in the head.
There would be about ten lower grade students lined up in front of use green belts and above.
We had to bunny hop over each one then rest for a couple of minutes and start again.
I hated doing bunny hops but you just do as you are told.
If you hit anyone as you were going over them you were punished by having to do ten press ups,hit someone again and it was twenty press ups,I did a lot of press ups which I used to like doing.
At this training stage you could see the difference in fitness between green belts,purple belt and brown or black belts
.Green and purple belt graded students would normally hit some of the students and have to do a few punishing press up and the brown belt students would hit a couple,but the black belts hardly ever hit anyone,they just seemed to fly over them,this just shows how fit they are and how fit you can be.

Now it was time to take my purple belt karate grade.I was fairly sure I would pass except for my kata which was HEIAN YONDAN.
I was having problems with it in training,but with a lot of help from my sensei and fellow students I should be ok
.This time I was really on edge,I think i must have gone to the loo about ten times in the hour before my grading.
I was told it was because like an animal before a fight you try to lose as much weight as possibleI don't no if it is true or not but I passed my grade.
The kata went well and my free style was very good,I beat my opposite number,very much to my surprise as he was a good free style student.
After the grading he came over and congratulated me saying he was glad it was not for real as I would of killed him.
This really pleased me as he was a very good student.
Now I was at the stageI i wanted to be,purple belt and I could now fight in competitions for my club.
They would not allow anybody to fight until they had achieved purple belt ranking.
All clubs are different,but I think that is about the right time.

Now that I was fairly fit and could free styleIi thought I was the bee's knees especially as I was a street fighter.
One day I came down with a hard bump.
We were practicing free style,that is all karate purple belts and above.
I new that the black belts were good but I was quite fit now and could fight.
Anyway I was put with a girl of about twenty yrs old,black belt and about five foot two high,so we were having a light sparring when I accidentally hit her and she told me off and said we were only practicing and to take it steady,I said sorry so we carried on,again I hit her,this time she was a bit annoyed and said if i done it again i was in trouble.
I can honestly say I was trying to be careful and did not want her to tell my sensei .I did hit her again and the next thing i no is that i am on the floor and she has her fist right by my face and the look in her eyes was not pleasant and she said you could be dead now so have you learned to be careful.
I got up very sheepish and again said sorry,and I did not hit her again.
From then on I relaxed and was taught a lot about fighting from her and to never under estimate your opponent.
Now I new I was going to learn as much as I could about the martial arts.

I'm not going into much detail about training for my karate brown belt,butIi can tell you the training got a lot harder.
I will just tell you some of the things I had to go through to get my fitness up to a higher standard
.It was bad enough doing bunny hop's over student's knelt down,but now we had to do them with somebody sat on your shoulder's,that really hurts.
Instead of just doing push ups we had to do them on our knuckles,and another way of doing push ups was to start the normal way with hands flat on the ground and then we would have to do ten with four fingers,then three then just index finger and thumb,we had to do at least ten of each.I must admit push ups was my favorite and later in my training period i could do ten press ups just with one thumb.i no a lot of people may not believe it but it is true,it used to be my party trick when showing off at party's.

I was about ready to take my brown belt but my back had been hurting a lot at this time and I was advised to give up the martial arts.
This was something I was dreading would happen,so I took a break from training and started a lot of different types of treatment,like acupuncture,rekie,physio,you name it I tyred it,but to no avail.
I was still in a lot of pain all the time.
It was about six months of no training when I decided to start again.
A Kung Fu class started up in my home town so I thought I would give that a try as I would be starting at the bottom and it would not be so bad for my back problems.
It is advised to seek out another style of martial arts to train in as you get a good all round knowledge of the different styles,and as there is no one perfect style it is a good learning curve.

I went to my first lesson in Kung Fu with my older brother,who thought he was fit and all this Martial Art stuff was a load of rubbish.we were introduced to our Sensia who I must admit I can not remember his name,but he was a second Dan of Kung Fu.
As the martial art school had not been going for very long there was about ten students and only two had graded at all.
I told our Sensia that I had a bad back but had practiced Karate and was ready for my brown belt until I was taken really bad,and told him my brother had not done any training at all.
His reply was that we would all train together and do what he told use to do.

We started off with about a five mile run which was ok for me and the other two graded members,but the others really found it hard.
The three of us arrived about ten minutes before the others who were at a walking pace.
I remember my brother telling me that the Martial Arts were a waste of time and that he was as fit as any of use.
When he got back to the dojo I took the mickey and asked him how fit he felt now,he was not a happy chappy.
After we all had rested our sensei took us back into the dojo so we could do some stretching exercises so we would not pull any tendons
.My brother andIi paired up and after a short time he had to go outside and was sick,because the sudden exertion was to much for him.I must admit I did take the mickey out of him,and he had to admit the Martial Arts was a very hard sport.

I stayed at this dojo for about six months and must admitIi did enjoy this different style of martial arts.I never took any grades as my heart was still for karate.
I was going to practice both arts at the same time until the kung fu instructor put me off.
We were doing some light free style and he was fighting with a young black student and by accident he kicked him between the legs and the poor chap went down in agony.
Instead of saying sorry and punishing himself like an instructor would have done in karate he just stood there and laughed.
I walked out in disgust and never went back.
Don't get me wrong it is very rare to have a sensei of this low standard in any martial art.

I heard that my best friends mate Jeff had opened a dojo in Melsham,so I went to have a look and make sure he was a good instructor,especially after the last encounter.
I was happy with the way he was teaching and as he only had about ten students and I was the second highest so I would get a more personnel teaching,and I would have the chance to help train the lower grades,which Ii think helped me a lot as well as them
So now it was time to get back on track and train for my brown belt.
I told my good friend Steve about this dojo and he came along and joined as well,which was another good thing for me as we had been training together right from the beginning,and he was the same grade as me but was fitter and had better coordination than me.
And as I had a good sense of controlled aggression we would help each other to gain our brown belts.

We both new that we had to up our training,so Steve spent time teaching me the finer points of karate,like katas and lower stances and better coordination,while I helped him with the aggressive part.
As I used to fight a lot I new how to take and give a punch but Steve had never had a real fight in his life.
One day after Jeff had finished our training we stayed on to do some free style.
At one stage Jeff was getting worried we might kill each other as we really did hit each other.
Like Ihave always said its no good being able to give a good punch or kick if you can not take one.
You can be a brilliant martial artist but get one bad hit and you are finished.
So now it was a regular thing to stay behind and do some extra training,Jeff used to join in as he used to street fight so he new all about defending himself.
He was a lot better than use but we all liked to get stuck in.
We used to go home sometimes black and blue up are arms and down our legs,but we never done any head strikes unless it was very controlled as this was much to dangerous.

Anybody who is at this stage in Karate training now is doing well, it is a big step up to brown belt.
I do not no what it is like in every ones dojo but with use it was when you could fight for your club,help teach other students and take over the class when your sensei asks you to.As i said not every dojo is the same,some let you fight at yellow belt stage but Jeff thinks that is to early,but everyone to there own.

I remember going to a tournament and a white belt was fighting,but whatI did not no he had been training for years and had never graded,no wonder he was good.
I remember my first contest I had t go against a older black belt,I d seen him warming up and new he was good and there is me still a mere purple belt.My thought was if i get in fast he wont no what hit him and not have time to use his skills.We faced each other and bowed and the ref said fight,we eyed each other up and moved about a bit and then i went in for the point with a kick and punch at the same time,i was amazed that my punch just touched his jaw and my kick just connected with his body and he never had time to do anything.I was just about to cheer my win like the rest of my team were when the ref said foul as the black belt went to the floor.As per custom i turned away from him and knelt down with my head bowed.I was to be disqualified for a low kick but because he never had a box on we had to fight again.He was not taking any chances this time he wouldn't let me near him and took me out with a lovely punch to the head and a sweep to the floor.I night not have won but it was a great experience and i new i would fight many more times in the future.

Now that i was back in full training i was determined to go for my brown belt.My doctor had advised me not to train in the martial arts anymore,but the pain killers and determination kept me going.I new this was a big step in karate to get your brown belt,as in my dojo when you earned your brown belt you were allowed to teach the lower belts,which was one of my goals to teach the youngsters as i could relate to them very well. My Sensei Jeff was a very good teacher and as hard as nails but he could not relate to the juniors very well so i had the job of teaching them.I found this was good for me as i had to go through all the moves and katas with them so my skills were improving all the time.At the end of a session Jeff would then take me through my brown belt training,and he was very strict but fun with it.I had to learn a black belt kata so out of the four he showed me i chose Basi Di as it looked like a very powerful kata and i love power.

Just a short note on a site i have just read,i won't put a name to it as i do not recommend people to read it.I was amazed that this person said he had been training in the martial arts for over twenty years and it had not helped his fitness.He was either super fit before he started training or he was not training properly or hard enough.When i first started i could just about do ten push ups and ten sit ups and run about half a mile.After four years training i could do five hundred sit ups and press ups run eight miles three times a week and do an hours work out in the garage most days,that is with going training at least twice a week.I must admit i really don't no where he is coming from.He maybe a great martial artist but his training had to help him get fit if not fitter than he was.Well that's my opinion and i stand by it,and next i will get on with my story of karate training.

As training for my brown belt is a big step in my life,and Jeff was busy teaching the other karate students as i was with the youngsters he suggested that i go to Trowbridge one a week and train with sensei Pete who i started training with,plus there were a lot of students of brown belt and higher there so i would get some good training in.So that is what i did,and it was nice to see some of my old mates again.There was not that many as when i first started as a lot packed it in as training got harder,but the ones who stuck it out were getting really good.It was a bit strange at first as i had to go up against some black belt students who at the beginning made me look poor,but they were a great bunch of people and gave me a lot of help.Nothing against Jeff but he was the only black belt in Melksham and the sensei so his training for me was a bit restricted.

Sensei Pete new that i still smoked and liked a good drink,which i must admit i was one of the rare students to smoke but most liked a drink,but not as much as me.One day Sensei Pete got all of the brown belt trainees together and set up a free style bout.At first i thought it was a competition until i saw a student lose his fight but had to stay up and fight again.This was very rare as after a fight you are very tyred weather you win or lose.It was my turn to get up and as usual Sensei Pete said your turn Harrold,he never called me Phil unless we had finished training.I got up and faced my opponent bowed and away we went to try and win for our own pride as well as to impress Sensei.I won my fight and thought we would both sit down ready for the next two students,but no it was stay up Harrold.Again i just won this fight and again he said stay up Harrold,the third fight i lost so to me it was plain to see i was very tyred and would sit down.But no stay up Harrold,i just scrapped through this fight to win,but i had no spit left in me and my jaw was hanging on the floor my legs felt like lead and my head was swimming.I knew i had to sit down or fall down,but no it was stay up Harrold.Fight number five was a disaster,i lost very easy.But to every ones amazement it was stay up Harrold.As the next opponent was getting ready for what he thought would be an easy win i heard Sensei Pete whisper to him that Harrold was finished so go in there and take him apart.That made me very angry and i fought him with my last bit of energy i had left and won the fight ,i could not believe it nor could anyone else.I was so shattered it was unbelievable,it must of took me ten minutes just to start breathing again.After the session Pete took me to one side and told me why he had done something he had never done before.He said that i was not the fittest of students at my grade but new there was more to me than others could see.He took me to my limit and then a bit more,he told the other student to take me apart just loud enough for me to hear,and that was enough for me to respond the way he hoped i would.Like he said in a real fight you don' sit down for a rest you must win.This was the Chi he taught me that day and it has stayed with me all my life and it will never go,controlled anger greats great power,and it has helped me many times.Thank you Sensei Pete.

The kata for my brown belt was TEKKI SHODAN,i must admit some of the training i mention might not be in complete true order as it was a long time ago,but i do try and get it as close as possible.i will at a later date write all the kata's down for you in as much detail as possible.This is a nice fast moving Kata which did not take to long to learn the moves but to perfect them was as usual hard to do.I was now very busy in the Martial Arts what with training with sensai Jeff and teaching the juniors in melksham and spending as much time as i could being trained by sensai Pete in Trowbridge.All this training and getting fitter faster and stronger was of great help in my passing my Karate Brown Belt.Steve and i passed on the same day so it was a good night out,with Jeff and a couple of mates.I got shit faced,Steve was not a heavy drinker but he got drunk just like the others.Well that's my 3rd kyu passed and now time to practice for my 2nd kyu.

I have not wrote on my blog for a while as i have been busy working on my other two hoping to make a bob or two,as times are getting hard,one has to try.Anyway back to my Karate Training days.I was now fairly fit now and was realy enjoying teaching the juniors at the Melksham dojo,and training at Trowbridge for my next belt.It was getting even harder as most of the training was with the other Black Belts and some very good Brown Belts.I remember when i asked when did the pain stop and Sensai Pete said to me NEVER,i must admit i did not believe him,but i no it's true now,i still go home shattered but no it is always worth while.I am going to write about my next two grades in short as although they are very important i want to start again with help on Karate grading as i see most of my readers want a more in depth knowledge of the grades.So in the next couple of weeks i shall stop my personal training and concentrate on grades.As it has been a long time since i graded i shall swot up as much as i can and give you an all the right information i can.

For my brown belt and one white strip 2nd kyu i was a good boy,i virtually stopped drinking and cut down on my smoking.My wife put me on a strict diet knowing how much i wanted to pass and go for my black belt.I chose Bassia Dia for my kata as with most karate martial art students it is the favorite.I practise3d every day without fail on my kata and trained with Steve at least twice a week.At one stage Jeff was getting worried that we might kill each other when we were free styling.But like we said we have to free style in grading and it will be better if we win,plus like i said,if you are in a real fight outside you have to be able to take a punch or kick to survive,no body give a martial art expert the right to win.So now we were both ready to grade and very up for it.The first time i was not too worried and really felt like i would pass.

Now the day is here and Steve and i are outside warming up with lots of stretching and light sparring.As we are going for a brown belt grade we have a long time to wait as all the lower belt students go first.We are called up to do our gradings and in line we one step movements which go well for me as i have messed them up before by not understanding what was asked of me.Then one step sparring against an opponent,which you try to help each other pass.I was paired against a student named Boo who was very strong as he done power lifting as well as all the other training.This went well but i was hoping i would not be against him in free style because of how strong he was.I completed my kata and I'm sure it went well as i put a lot of power into it.Now it was free style time and yes i had to fight Boo,i thought that because he was so power full that he might be a little slower than me.We moved around and i put in a couple of punches and kicks and all of a sudden Boo came at me with a kick and i pulled down my arm with as much power as i could to stop him but to no avail,his kick was so strong that he lifted me right off the ground and i went tumbling onto the instructors table and crashed to the floor.I jumped straight up to carry on the fight but they would not let me carry on.I failed my first grading,Boo came up and said sorry and that he should of held the kick back a bit,but that did not help i had failed,i thanked him and went home with Steve who had passed,i was happy for him but inside devastated.

THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED

I must make this as clear as possible

Do not do what i did to get my grade

I was so disappointed to fail my grade that i can't explain it.

Still i had to get on with it and not show my pupils how i was feeling,and help them get their grades.At this time in my life i was the fittest i had ever been and Jeff was thinking about leaving the karate club and letting me carry on on my own.I tried to talk him out of it as he was a good black belt and a good teacher to the older students.He left a couple of weeks later and went to train and teach karate in Bath.Most of the students stayed with me but some left to be trained in bath or else where.I wished Jeff and the others all the best,and new i had a lot on my plate but i was determand to carry on.I had one brown belt and one purple belt student still in my dojo,so at least i had some help.Anyway back to why not do what i had done,when my grading came up again i did not no how to go about passing it.My missus said to me why not do what you do normally on a Fridays,which was to go out and get drunk.

So that what i did,i got really drunk,smoked to much and woke up with a hangover.I had a big piece of steak for breakfast and lots of tea,and off i went to my grading.I remember sitting outside the dojo holding my head in my hands sporting a raging hangover and feeling very sorry for myself.Everybody else was doing light exercises and stretching ready for there gradings.I must of had a dozen wees while i was waiting,and then it was time to line up ready to grade.I just thought that i would give it my best in the state i was in but would not pass again.But as soon as i moved to start my grade the hangover just seemed to go away and i felt great and mean,and i was ready to pass.Well i did not have boo to go against but he was a good opponent.I won my fight and did all i was supposed to do with flying colours and yes i passed.Like i said don't do what i did because I'm sure it want work for you.

Just one more belt to go and it is the BIG one,1st Dan Karate Black Belt.I was now running the dojo on my own and was enjoying every minute of it.I did not no at the time that running your own club actually can help in passing your 1st Dan.Not many brown belts at that time had their own dojo's,so Jeff had helped me by leaving.I new that when you got your 1st Dan that it was a great help to run your own dojo to proceed to 2nd Dan.I was stepping up to the mark in training and working very hard,but my back was giving me hell and i was popping pain killer's like no tomorrow.I went to a specialist and he told me to give up the martial arts,but i was not ready to do that yet as i wanted my black belt badly.

I'm not saying passing your brown belt 1st kyu is easy but i found it was not a lot of difference to tacking your 2nd kyu.I can't speak for everyone but i new i had to step up my speed and control,and perfect my kata more and i should be alright to pass.I did this by going to other dojo's in the area and training with the black belt students in their club's.This i found very helpful and would advise it to anyone taking any grade.Every instructor has a slightly different approach to training and standards.A big plus is with the free style in that you fight a lot of different people and get used to people's way's of trying to win.So when you are taking your grade you will be ready for anybody.Two week's before my grading i left my club in the very capable hand's of a dear friend who doe's not want to be named to concentrate on my own forth coming grade.

On the day of my grading i was strangely not as nervous as i thought i would be.There was a lot of student's taking there brown belt grade's,more than i had seen before.Before it was my turn to grade i noticed there was a lot more people failing than usual.I'm sure the reason was that a lot were put up for grading before they were really ready.I no some student's had passed their grades every three month's which i am sure is to quick,i no where i was concerned it was a good idea to wait an extra three month's before taking my grades,and it was good for me to fail as well,it does open your eye's that it takes hard work and dedication to get a high standard in Karate. I passed my Grading and was so pleased that all my hard work and help from fellow students had paid off.

Now it was time to train for my Karate Black Belt 1st Dan,but i was having a lot of trouble with the pain in my back and had problems with training.I had to give my Dojo up as it was to much for me and i could not find anyone to take it on.It was i shame as i really enjoyed the teaching part of Karate.I did not no until later in life that one of my students went on and became a 4th Dan,i was so proud when he met me and said that i was a big influence on him in his early days of training.He said i was a hard task master and taught him good controlled power.I was proud of him and myself that day.I trained as much as i could for the next six months but new back pain would stop me from training soon.So i took my 1st Dan as soon as i could because if i didn't i would not be able to take it later on.I am not going to brag about being a black belt because i must admit i don't think i really deserved it.On the day i w2as in pain and must of done just enough,there were a lot of better student's than me and some of them failed.Maybe the senai's seen something i me and not the other's.It was a privilege to have the honour of 1st Dan but i new my Martial Art day's were over.I did go to some dojo's to help teach there student's controlled power until finally that was to much.

One thing i do no is that if i had not been taught the Martial Art of Shotokan Karate i would of had a much worse life than i have had.It teaches you self discipline and inner strength.It was not until a few year's later when i could not stand the pain any longer and paid to have an op on my back that i found out that i had a nerve welded to one of my disc and it took the surgeon twice as long to operate on me than anyone else he had operated on.If i had not had the op i would be in a wheel chair now but because of the op and my training i can walk with a stick and still do some exercises to keep reasonably fit.So my life is not to bad even though i am in consent pain.I do thank the Martial Arts for my resolve in life.

I am going to write about keeping fit even when you are disabled.And i am going to write an e book on the subject which i hope will help other people stay fit and live longer,and i hope people will buy it.as like anyone else i could do with a little extra money.So to all you Martial Art student's keep it up and best of luck to you all.

Happy training Phil

WHICH IS THE BEST MARTIAL ART

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:45:00 +0000

THE BEST MARTIAL ARTS
The classical fighting arts of ancient cultures, including those of
China, Japan, and even the ancient societies of Greece and Rome, were often a blend of various
martial arts styles.
Some of the martial arts schools of thought toay also blend several fighting styles into what they believe to be the most cohesive application of the ancient arts.
Still, there are those martial arts purists who believe that there can be only one true style; often one that is believed to possess roots that lie in the ancient traditions.
The reality is that, even among those “pure” forms, there are several hundred varieties, leading many martial arts seekers to wonder which is the best martial art.
Much of the discussion about which martial art is the most desirable came about because of the commercialization of martial arts training.
To draw in students, martial arts schools had to find ways to emphasize their own tradition over all others.
So, it became commonplace for one philosophy to assert its superiority over all others.
The sad fact is that these types of debates minimize the true philosophy behind the study of any martial art.
“Ki ken tai ichi” Mind, sword, and body are one – kenjutsu proverb.
The focus of martial arts has become the perfection of fighting skills in many schools and training forums.
Certainly, the martial arts arose out of a need for self-defense, yet to confine the definition of ancient fighting styles to merely a way of combat is to belittle the spiritual philosophy that reigns in each one.
The study of martial arts is not a means to an end but a physical and spiritual path that anyone who has devoted themselves to true study can attest is a life-long pursuit.
The martial arts combine several physical and spiritual properties to create a primary philosophy. The majority of these philosophies are amazingly similar.
Each school of thought asks that the student create a balance between the physical and spiritual.
A student must do more than learn how to move the body and the feet, how to maintain proper posture and distance, and how to execute the proper technique.
Every student must seek to blend physical conditioning with grace, confidence, comradeship, and a sense of harmony. “I have nothing against sports, they train the body and develop stamina and endurance.
But the spirit of competition and power that presides over them is not good, it reflects a distorted visionof life. The root of the martial arts is not there...”. - Master Taisen Deshimaru.
As much as martial arts training is a path toward the mastering of physical conditioning and self-defense tactics, it is also a path along which the true student desires to create opportunities toward self-confrontation and self-discovery.
It is as much about the physical confrontation of the opponent as it is about the spiritual confrontation of the self.
Ancient fighters knew that the most important battle they would ever have would be with their own fear of death.
They knew that their ability to win this battle would be the deciding factor that would determine their success in combat.
The confrontation that one has with death is perhaps the most important factor in one’s spirituality. This is why true martial arts training must address the spiritual as well as the physical.
According to ancient thought, freedom from the incapacitating fear of death releases great power in the student.
So, what is the best martial art? Simply put, there isn’t one.
The best martial arts training is the one with which the student feels a spiritual connection as well as a physical one.
The best martial arts training is one in which the student seeks spiritual growth as well as physical conditioning.
The best martial arts training is one that emphasizes structural technique in addition to an exploration of the inner self.
In essence, the best martial arts style is the one that leads the student down the path of physical perfection as well as the perfection of character.

Karate Uniform

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Karate Uniform That Allows You To Perform Your Karate Moves With Fluid Grace Muna wa Wanjiru
There are many ways that people try to keep in shape.
One of the oldest known exercise regimes can be considered is that of martial arts.
Of these karate is still the more popular form.
To perform all of your karate moves with fluid grace you will need to have a karate uniform.
Your karate uniform should be bought with the range of movements in mind.
You will find that the karate uniform is designed as a loose fitting tunic and pants.
The pants are held to your waist by a drawstring.
This drawstring allows you to adjust the fit of the pants with ease.
The tunic of the karate uniform is designed so that you can move your arms and body with ease and not feel constricted.
While this is the basic karate uniform you will find that there are variations.
These variations are based around the type of karate that you are taking part in.
Now one of the most important items in a uniform for karate would be the belt.
This belt not only helps to keep your upper body tunic closed but it also indicates the level of training that you have passed into.
In the karate uniform you will discover that the material feels quite heavy.
But the material itself allows your body to sweat freely during your training workout.
As the material is also fairly thick it absorbs the sweat and cools you down.
The only drawback that could be seen with the majority of uniforms is that they are white in color. While this color may promote serenity it is also a color that shows off every dirt and grime stain that it comes into contact with.
Luckily the material is created so that it washes quite quickly.
The only note of caution which can be seen is that you should wash all other colored belts - not the white ones - separately so that your karate uniform does not turn that color.
You will be able to buy your karate uniform in stores that supply karate goods and other items.
The price of these uniforms should not be that expensive.
You will find that generally the karate uniform has the capability of fitting just about every student. You may find your karate uniform for sale in specialist stores which are affiliated to your karate dojo.
By purchasing your karate uniform early in your training you will be showing your respect for your instructor and the dojo.
You will also find that training in these uniforms is far easier and comfortable as opposed to your street clothes.
About the author: Muna wa Wanjiru is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Karate for Years. For More Information on Karate Uniform,
Visit His Site at http://www.merp etsales.com/karate/Karate-Uniform.php' target='_blank' class='navigation'>Karate Uniform

Karate-general background

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:26:00 +0000

Title: Karate - General Background Author: Thanaseelan Vengadasalam Article:
Karate, or Karate-do, loosely translates empty hand ("kara" means empty and "te" means hand).
This art is indeed predominantly concerned with fighting with bare hands and feet.
The basic principle is to turn the body into an effective weapon to defend and attack when and where it is appropriate.
History: Karate is one of the most widely practised of the oriental martial arts. It evolved during one of the Japanese occupations of the island of Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu chain of islands, in the 15th century.
Its roots, however, can be traced back much further than this - all the way back to ancient India.
Many people hold the view that what we regard today as the oriental martial arts have their roots in India.
In fact, when we look at such disciplines as yoga and the breathing techniques that originated in India, there does seem to be a great similarity between those and many of the modern martial arts systems.
Zen Buddhist monks took the Indian fighting techniques to China from as early as the 5th century BC. Bodhidharma, an Indian monk, travelled at the end of the 5th century AD from India to China, where he became an instructor at the Shaolin monastery.
He taught a combination of empty hand fighting systems and yoga.
This became the well-known Shaolin Kong Fu - the system on which many Chinese martial arts systems are based.
In 1470, the Japanese had occupied the island of Okinawa.
The law of the land dictated that anybody found carrying weapons would be put to death.
In order to protect themselves from local bandits, who largely ignored the prohibition on weapons, Zen Buddhist monks developed the empty hand system known as "te", importing new techniques from China. Eventually the new art was translated as "t'ang" (China hand), but was familiarly known as "Okinawa-te" (Okinawa hand).
It was not until the 20th century that t'ang became known as Karate-do.
The suffix do was added by Gichin Funakoshi's son Yoshitaka Funakoshi, in friendly opposition to his father's Okinawa-te style.
Practice and demonstrations until that time had been extremely violent.
Punches were not pulled and full contact was an integral part of the Okinawa-te style.
Yoshitaka Funakoshi transformed the techniques of Okinawa-te into a gentler system, seeking not to deliver blows fully, but to focus strikes at skin level.
The do suffix expressed the move away from the aim of the warrior and towards physical and spiritual development.
Styles: There are numerous styles of karate practised. Wado Ryu and Shotokan are just 2 of them. Other popular systems include Shinto Ryu, developed in 1948, and now one of the main systems in the world.
It is also important to realise that the various styles of Karate are the results of the personal ideas of many individuals about how each basic technique should be carried out or applied.
The different techniques within the styles of Karate also dictate whether strength, speed, hand or leg techniques are emphasised.
Competitive Karate: Karate has been a self defense system and a form of physical exercise.
The competitive and sporting elements have a further part to play in the individual's enjoyment of this activity.
It is because of the possibility of participation in competition that many people take up this art. Competition is not the only reason for engaging in this art. It is possible to learn Karate without participating in competitions, however for some people, competition provides motivation and stimulation for training.
The sense of achievement that comes from just taking part can be carried over into everyday life.

Sharpen your Karate Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:24:00 +0000

Title:
Training to sharpen your karate skills, accelerate your learning and increase your fitness. Author:
Yoshi G Kundagawa Article:

You see guys at the gym, sweating and grunting while they work on those machine trying to get stronger, doing all these workouts to improve karate.
Well, I have always been a different kind of guy, going for the old school way of getting fit and getting in shape.
My workouts to improve karate don't involve playing on some sissified equipment.
Sure, I mean, that's good for the muscle boys and all, I mean,
Bruce Lee was known for his "one inch punch." Do you think he got that kind of power from working on some machine?
I highly doubt it.
So, if you are really wanting to get that kind of power, accelerate your learning and get your skills into shape, then you need to get off of those silly machines and get on the floor.
Free weights can give you some of the strength training that you need to get the power that you want, but you need to hit the floor and really work out to get the results that you want.
Pushups, fingertip pushups and other exercises that increase your core power will give our body a good foundation.
But you gotta be focused in order to really get what you are going after in your workouts to improve karate.
My first piece of advice is to focus. Yep, that's right.
If you want to sharpen your karate skills, you won't be able to do squat if you don't know how to focus your energies first. Meditate, do whatever you have to to get the level of focus that you need. Your spirit must be in tune with your body because if your body and spirit are going north and south, you will not have the power or the strength to be worth anything.
This is why I say Tai Chi will balance your chi and keep your spirit and body in harmony.
Then you will be free to focus on increasing your body's power and skills.
As for power and increasing your karate skills, you won't get that on some machine.
The only way to do that is to hit the mats and do these exercises: * Front Kicks against a pad - each leg (sets of 12) * Butterfly Stretch * Forearm Strikes against a pad - each arm (sets of 12) * Crunch Sit-Ups * Rear Leg Sidekicks against a pad - each leg (sets of 12) * Quadriceps Stretch * Pushups You need to move quickly from one exercise to the next, keeping your heart rate up.
Move quickly from exercise to exercise and do not stop in between.
Keep your blood pumping and your heart rate up while you work so that you can get the most out of your workout.
Don't wimp out and rest, keep going, NO MATTER WHAT.
You can drink water while you work out.
In fact, you SHOULD drink a lot of water while working out.
I mean, how is it going to look if you dehydrate yourself and pass out in front of your buddies in the middle of your workout?
About the author: Yoshi G Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. He covers the mixed martial arts industry. For a free report on
http://www.martiala%20rts3000.com/isshinryukata.html

Martial Art Weapons

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:23:00 +0000

Title: Learning About Martial Arts Weapons From Martial Arts Academies Author: Muna wa Wanjiru Article: There are many ways that people can learn to defend themselves. The most popular version is that of martial arts. In the different martial arts forms you will sometimes find that there are various weapons which can be used. You will learn about these martial arts weapons from martial arts academies. You will however need to make sure that the martial arts academy that you are choosing has qualified instructors. With the help of these individuals you will be able to master your choice of martial arts weapons. At these times using the martial arts weapons of your discipline will help you. This weapon can also teach you how to move in time with your karate moves. Depending on the form of martial arts you will have access to a variety of weapons. You will need to learn how to use these weapons safely so that you don't harm yourself. The instructors at your martial arts class will be the best people to help you out in this situation. With the help of these individuals you will be able to progress not only in your martial arts moves but also in getting the proficiency in the weapon of your choice. This training will also help you to handle the martial arts weapons with care so that you don't get into trouble. You will be shown the right movements for the martial arts weapons so that you don't cause yourself any serious injurious. When you look at the different types of weapons that you can find you will see that each type of martial arts has its own specialty. These will include ones like nun chucks, throwing stars, swords and others. While these are just of a few of the martial arts weapons that you will find it is to your advantage if you become more proficient in the particular martial arts that you have chosen. You will need to learn all about the advantages and disadvantages which will arise from using martial arts weapons. Now even though these weapons can be of great help it is martial arts it is also a good idea to have a well honed knowledge about fighting without any weapons. Being able to overcome this disability will help you out of any potential difficulties. While the different martial arts weapons are perfect for getting your skills honed, there is also another need for training in the art of these martial arts weapons. This reason is quite simply that for certain martial arts weapons are very much apart of the martial art. About the author: Muna wa Wanjiru is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Karate for Years. For More Information on Martial Arts Weapons,

Martial Art vital points

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Search Amazon.com for karate giTitle: A word about the historic beginnings of vital points. Author: Master L P Lambert Article: The Vital Point combat arts, has been misunderstood for many different reasons. One reason that needs to be acknowledged is that the early development of these art forms were created to destroy the enemy and the need to make these arts instinctual. Therefore in those days the combat arts were a lethal art. It was a war-developed form of lethal hand-to-hand combat, which would render a man inanimate by means of unconsciousness and or death, preferably within one strike. Reason being, when encountering an enemy, that enemy must not be able to signal his company for any type of assistance. A second reason is in centuries past, it was used for the purpose of silent entry to a fortification. The schooling and teaching of these arts were reserved for security and military purposes, and are still used to this day. One thing we do know is, at the turn of the century most Asian martial art systems had changed the attitude of schooling and of kata applications. They would not fully explain to the majority of there students and only to the master top student, the exact point strikes and its technical methods and theories. These Masters decided that they would leave out these techniques and methods in order to civilize the art to display karate publicly in the school systems of Japan. In leaving all deadly techniques out, for fear of civilians getting hurt, was the original reason (martial combat) was drop from the art altogether. Short cuts replaced the techniques and methods in most martial art systems, and a sport or street martial art became popular. Today the making of short cuts, in the good old U.S.A., is even more wide spread. Why? It is profitable and it attracts more students because it is easier and faster to learn! (The new easy to learn method) This practice has continuously turned away from the long years of training and the true art form. Much has been lost. It is understandable in a way because life is so much more complicated today than it was in the time of the founding fathers of the martial arts. In ancient times there were a breed of men that would make the time as well as travel great distances to learn the martial art from anyone who would teach them. In those areas of the world is were you find where the arts thrive. The first to use vital points to strike the human body was southern India. Kalari beliefs of today consider Bodhidharama, a Buddhist monk from India, introduced the martial science to China and there it evolved into the legendary system of today. Some of Karate's larger systems have a legendary story transmitted from master to student, and is still in some schools taught to this day. This is how it goes. It was approximately in the year 3,000 B.C, in India a prince of the royal family lived. He was very wealthy and had many servants. This prince had a great interest in the way that many of the animals fought and defended them selves, especially in a case of a life and death encounter with a predator and the ways used to escape their demise. The prince would spend many hours in the study of the individual movements of the animals and birds as well as their methods of self-defense. He studied the birds and animals of the forest, noting how they used their power to defend themselves. For instance, white crane uses skills along with Qi, when using its legs and wings along with its spirit coupled with silence. (The spiritual requirements mean that you need to be relaxed the (arms) wings in order to circulate air). He noticed the strength and stealth that the Tiger used before successfully slaying its prey. The Tigers strength is in the body springing from the thighs and the waist. Its eyes glare with anger. The prince applied these combat techniques found in the animal kingdom to the human torso and found many of them to be successful. The second area that the Indian prince explored is after seeing a warrior struck fatally with a Bo staff, he became fascinated so much by the ease of the strike and the quickness of the warriors demise, that he started experimenting on captured warriors and slave to discover the weakness in all parts of the human body. Using an instrument that looked slightly similar to a chopstick, carved from bone and fabricated with a blunt point so it would not puncture the surface of the skin. The prince then gave the order to have healthy living slaves and captive worriers jabbed with this instrument in many parts of the body, noting the outcome of each individual reaction. In this bizarre account, thousands of captive warriors and slaves gave their lives for the purposes of the prince's peculiar experiments. In the end, all of the vital points of the human body had been discovered. Finally, the prince combined the movements of the animals with the vital points that caused an unhealthy effect and later learned to use the hands and feet as weapons as well as using weaponry. The use of vital point applications further advanced in China about the time of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). In the book named Li Chi, among other things, contained records of death by violence. In 1247 AD a book call Hai Yaun Li, contains a list of 32 dangerous points. In addition, a book called The Bubishi a scroll used by the Okinawan martial arts community has many pressure point lists. Today many U.S. martial artists have worked hard to under stand vital point striking, compiling notes and writing books as well as make videotapes to help instructors as well as students to simplify the learning process. It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to learn by these methods. Later around the sixteen hundreds, China replaced it's civil envoys in Okinawa with military men, among whom were many noted for there prowess in Chinese Kempo. The Okinawa's took a keen interest in their ability and combined these techniques with there own native martial system called TE. The thirty-six points started to spread to martial arts families of Okinawa. These families would of course keep the vital points a secret so that the very people they warred against would not learn the bases of these critical techniques. Some techniques that you will be studying on this web site are from the thirty-six vital points and a few additional points. Some of the points were lost or never given to these Okinawan Masters of TE, But this didn't slow down the Okinawa masters. They had some of there own and added them right on to what they learned from the Chinese. This is why you will be studying forty-four points rather than thirty-six. In addition, there are multitudes of critical point that I will list, 109 points. In remembrance of these ancient masters' who practiced the old ways, and after a long study on this subject myself, I have decided to reveal to the public the art and exact locations of all vital points and the techniques that make it work. For those wishing to learn and practice the forbidden art. WARNING! I want you to understand the real and intense danger that fooling around with striking points can cause. Therefore, I wish to set a few simple rules to help guide you through with out doing damage to yourself or others. 1) A VITAL POINT STRIKE can cause unconsciousness, paralyze parts of the body, disrupt organ function and cause death. Do not intentionally strike a point on another person's body or you're own body, (To find a pressure points, press don't strike). 2) Never strike two or more points with in a twenty four-hour period (practice one point each day). To combine points has, in the past, has caused accidental death. 3) Pressing too hard can cause health problems, (press to the point of discomfort not pain). In most cases, vital points can be established with light pressure. 4) Never practice striking the body as your practice partner is inhaling. This is a technique used to maximize a vital point strike. 5) Dim Mak strikes can and will cause death anywhere from instantaneously to seven years later. For this reason, these points should never be hit other than in a combat situation. 6) Do not practice pressing points after a heavy work out. Conclusion. The combat arts (Budo) using vital point strikes are a stark contrast from the martial arts practiced today. There are really three categories of practice throughout all of the martial systems. 1) Combat martial arts - using any means to KILL, MAIM, or DESTROY the enemy without regard for law. 2) Street fighting arts - to damage to incapacitate, within lawful jurisdiction. 3) Sport martial arts - to do little to no damage at all, along with some self-defense. In addition, with each of these categories, they carry their own philosophy that cannot be intercommunicated as an all in one art. Today the general public at large has become much to civilized to carry along with them the philosophy that would be needed to be incorporated tactically, technically, and spiritually. To be a warrior you must become war! To be a good street fighter you must hit first, hit hard and subdue. To be a good Sport martial artist you must be good at sparring and hit the target first without being hit. Therefore there must be a different type of philosophy in each category to make them work for the student. In addition, there are to many instructors out there that try to please their students by mixing street fighting, combat, and sport martial arts together, IT CAN'T BE DONE! The pioneers of the martial arts lived in a somewhat antiquated society. Combative skills were a necessary part of every day life. Without it, you would surly be at the mercy of the warlords, robbers and thieves. Today, it is true that, there is not so much of a need for the combat arts and its philosophy, unless you live in an urban war zone or are soon to go into combat. Many of us are enchanted with those very pioneer's that lived at that time. To know how the vital points worked and the philosophy involved and the techniques, method and training that was done back in there day. Much of it is lost, forever, but there is a lot that maybe uncovered or rediscovered. About the author: Master L P Lambert http://www.pressurepointkarate.com/

Fitness for the over 40s

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Title: Is Fitness Over 40 Easy?
Author: Donovan Baldwin Article: It seems pretty hard to be fit over 40, doesn't it?
Well, I could tell you about people like Kelly Nelson and Morjoie Newlin, two female bodybuilders. They're not your typical bodybuilders.
Kelly Nelson first began training with weights in the early 1980's at age 53 and was still competing in the 21st century in her late 70's...in a bikini...and lookin' good if I may say so! Morjorie Newlin was in HER 70's before a 50 pound bag of cat litter convinced her that if she didn't do something, old age was going to be a difficult time.
That's when she began a fitness training program that included weightlifting.
Morjorie Newlin was participating in bodybuilding competitions, and winning, in her 80's! Same comment...in a bikini and lookin' good.
Now, obviously, these are special ladies who put in a lot of extra effort to accomplish some specific goals, but it does make a point.
Life...and fitness...does not have to end at 40. Both of these ladies STARTED their fitness careers after age 40. Kelly Nelson was 53 and Morjorie Newlin was 72.
Years later, both were still active in their chosen fitness areas and still enjoying life as well as, or better than, many in their 30's or 40's.
Fitness over 40? Heck, all around the globe, people in their 80's are skiing, hiking, canoeing, biking. Some, not so adventurous, are lifting weights or sweatin' along with Richard Simmons.
Some are black belts in Karate, and some quietly and calmly practice yoga or tai-chi.
As easy as this sounds, fitness over 40 requires regular performance of the proper exercises.
Just as in our 30's or 40's, sitting in the easy chair, clicking the remote, doing 16 ounce curls with a Miller Lite just doesn't cut it.
However, it is not necessary to pack up and head for the gym and try to keep up with the hardbody cuties, either.
It IS necessary to pick an exercise program or physical activity, combine that with some healthy eating habits...AND STICK TO IT!

Even over 40, the benefits normally associated with a regular, moderate exercise program will kick in, but for seniors, some benefits are of special importance.
People over 40 tend to break bones, usually from falling. As we age, bones weaken, as do muscles. We lose some of our proprioception, the perception of stimuli relating to a person's own position, posture, equilibrium, or internal condition.
Our ability to react quickly to a loss of balance, whatever the source, or to avoid an obstacle or actual peril becomes diminished. Exercise helps bones stay strong and exercises such as weightlifting and other resistance training help your body maintain balance and stability.
Weight bearing and resistance exercises assist the body in maintaining proprioception by improving the connections and conditions of the muscles and their anchoring in bone.
This training also triggers the reconditioning of the signaling system from body to brain which allows the brain to realize the danger and transmit the appropriate signals to muscles which can react to correct the situation.
Weightlifting and resistance exercises can help give your muscles the strength and agility to respond to those signals if you are tripped, off balance, or in other peril requiring quick reaction. People over 40 begin to lose their zest for living and experience more health crises.
Part of this is due to normal changes that take place as we grow older.
Our bodies get thicker and lose the gracefulness of youth.
Things seem to become heavier and harder to move, and we begin to feel aches and pains that often accompany aging.
Some of those aches and pains may be due to arthritis, and other ills may also attack us as we seem to become prey to every passing cold or other social ailment, and also see some deadlier or more debilitating conditions crop up in our age group, if not in ourselves.
Regular exercise comes to the rescue here as well.
It can help with weight loss, or it can help with weight management once we get to our appropriate weight.
Regular, moderate exercise can keep joints supple, in many cases even joints under attack by arthritis. I know about this as I have been afflicted with fairly severe osteoarthritis for several years and manage to keep myself active and the condition somewhat under control by my own exercise activities.
Exercise also strengthens the immune system, which helps us avoid or fight off the normal bacterial and viral infections which seem to come our way and which often seem to wreak havoc on the older population.
Even better; regular, moderate exercise seems to be somewhat effective in helping ward off such common companions of aging as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.
What exercise program is beneficial for fitness over 40? In the first analysis, almost any physical activity which gets your heart rate up, makes you breathe more deeply than normal, and which challenges muscles beyond their normal range of activity is going to be on the list.
There are people in their 80's hiking mountain trails, water skiing, playing softball, weightlifting (as pointed out earlier), or even cheerleading.
It is NOT necessary to take out a membership in a local gym, hire a personal trainer, or invest in a lot of exercise equipment and apparel...unless that helps get you motivated.
Anything from walking, to swimming, to yoga, to weightlifting will generally fill the bill.
There are, however, some simple points to think about.

1. Get your doctor's approval first. "Nuff said?

2. Pick an activity,
Or even a group of activities, which you will enjoy doing.
Don't be afraid to try something new...take some classes in yoga, tai chi, or even karate.
Maybe you will feel better in a certain amount of solitude and just want to pick up a set of weights and exercise in the privacy of your home.
Perhaps the idea of biking around the neighborhood or even around other parts of the country appeals to you.
If this is a new set of decisions, realize that you may try a few things at first that just don't pan out for one reason or another. Keep experimenting until you find what is right for you.
You are STILL exercising, right?

3. Put some variation into your exercise.
Any exercise cannot itself provide the three basic types of exercise needed.
We need exercises which will stretch muscles and joints, exercises which strengthen muscle, and exercises which improve our cardiovascular fitness.
This is not really hard to do, however, and should not take a lot of time out of your life, particularly when you consider how much it will put back into your life.
As one example, you could do a simple weight or resistance training for strength two or three times a week, some sort of low-impact aerobics or walking for cardio on other days, and do some simple stretching exercises every day.
None of these workout periods needs to be more than about 30 minutes, although a little more time and effort may produce better benefits, particularly once you have trained up to a level where your body is comfortable meeting the demands you place on it.
You are more likely to stay on a physical fitness regimen if you enjoy it.
However, things do tend to get stale over time.
It doesn't hurt to vary your approach from time to time in either the manner in which you do certain exercises, or by varying the exercises themselves.
While not exact equals, for example, swimming, biking, and walking can be somewhat interchangeable as part of your fitness routine.
In some cases, simply varying the environment, i.e. taking a walk in the park or botanical gardens as opposed your neighborhood may be all the variation you need to feel like you have put a little zing into your day-to-day workout existence.

4. Start off easy.
At any age, a common reason for failure to stay on ANY exercise program is that people tend to try to do too much at first and try to progress too fast.
Whatever you choose, your body needs time to adjust to the new demands being made on it, and results will never come overnight.
5. Don't stop.
Probably the most important aspect of any exercise program, or any other self-improvement program, is the commitment to what you know you should be doing day after day.
A haphazard approach to your exercise program is detrimental at any stage in your life.
After 40, however, making sure you get your regular dose of anti-aging exercise is incredibly important. 6. Eat healthy.
I try to avoid the use of the word "diet", and often substitute the term "healthy eating" instead.
Diets don't work and can even work against you.
They are difficult to stay on and take a major portion of fun out of life instead of making life better. Healthy eating choices will do the trick if you make them a regular part of your life.
While fitness over 40 can demand some of your time and attention that you might not want to surrender to it, the rewards in overall health, fitness, and enjoyment of life will far outweigh any investment you put into it.
About the author: Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in Copperas Cove, Texas.
He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service.
His interests include art, nature, animals, the environment, global warming, health, fitness, yoga, and weight loss. You may learn a little more about fitness over 40 at http://nodiet4me.com/fit_over_40

Martial Art Work Out

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:20:00 +0000

Title: Making Martial Arts as a good well rounded workout regiment. Author: Yoshi G Kundagawa Article: As I was reading about Martial Arts and all that it involves, I became very enthralled. I dared to find out what all the excitement was about. The phenomenon of martial arts to be used as a workout regiment for many athletes or even perspective physical fitness fans is growing rapidly. In a nutshell, this is all that I discovered. What I found to be most interesting is the fact that martial arts is researched and is used for various reasons based on each individual's goals. Martial arts are simply defined as the systems of practices and traditions of training for combat. The sport is utilized for combat skills, fitness, self- defense, character development and building self-confidence. I feel that the art is commendable in that it strives to enhance moral values and provide guidance for children who become involved with the sport. So, I decided to study further to obtain information on how it may be beneficial as a "workout regiment." I continued to find measures that could contribute to a successful martial arts workout. Coincidently, the art has as one of its benefits the exercising of your body and mind so you gain a "good well rounded" workout. Many forms of martial arts will help you burn calories, along with the structuring of strength and endurance. You would not believe that the appropriate administration of the martial arts techniques helps you burn up 600 calories within an hour. However, it is important that you find the style that will be most accommodating to your lifestyle. Let me discuss with you the different styles in order for you to choose the best fit for you. For full body training, Judo may be a perfect choice for you. Judo is defined as "the gentle way" and concentrates more on self-defense as opposed to attacking your opponent. Its basic purpose is to throw your component through different techniques to disarm him. It is recommended, however, that you are not physically challenged to perform these movements. Perhaps Kung Fu may be an option for you. This will definitely add some spice to your workout. Kung Fu is put into two categories, hard and soft. The hard style focuses mainly on impressive strikes and kicks, while the other, soft Kung Fu focuses more on staying balanced and grounded when attacked. At any rate, both styles are prominent for self-defense skills while simultaneously enhancing quickness and agility. If you desire more of a challenge or competitive edge, learn Karate. Different from Kung Fu, Karate displays more combative and focuses on blows with the hands and feet. There are also special breathing and shouting techniques. Karate is a great choice especially for family exercising as classes are offered from the beginner to competitive. Lastly, Tai Chi is another form of martial arts. During Tai Chi, your goal is to control energy, conveniently known as "Chi." Its practice is to have slow and controlled movements that vary in the length of performance. Tai Chi is not very advantageous with weight loss, yet it does prove to improve flexibility and reduce stress. More so, it may even lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Since the techniques are slower than other martial art forms, it appears to be a good choice for older exercises or for those of us that suffer from mobility issues because of arthritis, illness or injuries. From all the information that I have gathered, I hope that it makes it less complicated for you to decide which martial art style that would best meet your objectives. Whichever workout regiment that you try, it is sure to maximize your physical endurance as well as uplift your mental clarity. I encourage you to have a positive attitude from the day you begin on this journey. Always remember that martial arts are equivalent to self-confidence, high moral and ultimate respect first and then the rest will emanate into your everyday life. Finally, I must inform you as well, always get advice from your medical personnel before beginning any of these styles of martial arts. Pay close attention to your body and recognize when you need a break. Remember, martial arts is about improving your life and enhancing your workout regimen, not causing harm to yourself. About the author: Yoshi G Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. He covers the mixed martial arts industry. For a free report on http://f012.m ail.lycos.co.uk/app/msg/mail/read/%3Ca%20target=

Martial Art Values

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Title: Learning Values in the Martial Arts Author: James Liu Article: Copyright (c) 2007 James Liu Learning martial arts have manifold advantages. Not only do these martial arts help in defending ourselves from attackers, but also they are known to improve health, physical fitness and concentration of mind. Training and practicing martial arts will help in reducing body weight and keep various diseases like heart disease, diabetes under control. They also improve self-confidence and one's strength of character. As learning martial arts has many advantages, everyone is advised to learn martial arts. Learning martial arts can be both easy and tough. Joining a local club is the best way to learn. Proper guidance would be available at the club and also one can come into contact with people who have similar aims and motives. One of the most popular martial arts is jujitsu. Other martial arts like judo, karate, sambo, taekwondo and many others are also very much popular. Jujitsu has its origin in Japan. In fact, jujitsu means "gentle art" in Japanese. Jujitsu involves using a combination of techniques to overcome an opponent. Martial artists practicing jujitsu use a variety of techniques like blocking, locking, striking, throwing, sweeping and grappling to defend themselves against attackers. Learning jujitsu is a difficult task and involves a lot of hard work and practice. Nevertheless, complete mastery over jujitsu can be achieved with diligent efforts. Physical fitness is not an absolute requirement for learning jujitsu. Being physically fit has an added advantage and can significantly enhance the learning experience. Regular training at the club will improve physical fitness, precision, coordination, skill and reaction time. Martial arts not only tone the physical body but also they sharpen and tune the mind. They improve confidence and urge doe facing challenges. Lessons on the mat will help the person to face real life situations even long after the training has completed. Teaching values is an absolute must and in fact teaching martial arts is value based education. Learning martial arts is not just learning the techniques and moves. It is more of learning the philosophy underlying it. Respect towards the master teaches children to respect elders. Strict time maintenance makes one punctual and dedicated towards responsibilities. In general martial arts are the best way to realize and tap into one's own potential. It is also a way of inculcating self discipline. It is best to join young children in martial arts clubs. This way they will learn good values and put those values into practice from a very young age onwards. Children are the future and future can be changed only by teaching children better values. About the author: For more information please visit http://www.bjjtapes.com/ .

Martial Art Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:18:00 +0000

Title: Realistic Answers about Martial Arts Author: Mike Selvon Article: Since the dawn of time, physical combat has played a role in nearly every culture and civilization across the world. Differences in cultures and societies bring many different combat disciplines, commonly called martial arts, to the forefront. Martial arts have been widely popularized by action movies featuring martial artists as heroes or villains. Perhaps the most popular is Bruce Lee, who led the wave of martial arts films in the West and created a fascination with the discipline. Although there are many practitioners and places to learn martial arts, there is much misinformation concerning the martial arts. The following questions deal with many of the common misperceptions concerning martial arts, their purpose, types of martial arts, and how the martial arts apply in real world fighting situations. Hopefully these questions and answers will help give beginniners and people interested in martial arts a more realistic view of what the martial arts are about and how they fit into the modern world. What are Martial Arts? In the loosest sense, the term "martial arts" essentially means "military arts," so any training system that prepares an individual for combat or self-defense is technically martial arts. The typical perception is that martial arts are fighting styles -- like karate or kung fu -- that originate from the Far East that can transform the smallest person into a deadly fighting machine. Although these examples are martial arts, modern martial arts also include: boxing, grappling techniques, such as Brazillian jujitsu, and even the training that police officers receive, concerning how to use a pistol. Many traditional martial arts are not necessarily preparing a student for street fights, so much as it's teaching discipline and maintaining physical condition. What is meant by "soft" and "hard" martial arts? Soft and hard refer to the striking and blocking style utilized by a martial art. A soft style focuses on redirecting energy, especially your opponent's energy, to throw or put them off balance to strike or move into a better position. Soft styles teach students moves that require little energy and are easy to recover from or regain balance if they're blocked. Examples include aikido and ninjitsu. Hard fighting styles, on the other hand, are centered more on offensive moves, rather than redirecting an opponent's energy or weight. The striking techniques in hard styles deliver a lot of power and some painful blocks. Hard striking means that a person can be knocked off-balance much easier, in comparison to soft styles. A few hard fighting styles are karate, tae kwon do, and muay thai. What martial arts styles are best for self-defense in real settings? Just about any martial art training will be beneficial in a street fight or confrontation compared to not having it, but certain disciplines are designed for actual combat. Both hard and soft styles can work well for self-defense, but many people feel that hard styles are more effective since they teach you to strike first and strike hard, while soft styles are more technical and teach you to redirect your opponent's energy. Some martial arts styles that have street credit are: jujutsu, karate, muay thai, tae kwon do, and ninjutsu. Ground fighting disciplines can also be very effective, especially if you want to neutralize a person, without leaving any marks or causing long-term damage. However, ground fighting is not a good option if you have to fight more than one person. The biggest benefit of learning a martial art if you're in a street fight is that you practice fighting on a regular basis and, for most people, a street fight is their practice. If martial arts instructors are so experienced, why would they want to avoid a fight? Logically, there are more reasons to leave quietly than fight, even if you believe you have the upper hand. Unless you are in a controlled situation, you never know who you're up against and how far they are willing to go to win the fight. People who pick a lot of fights typically gravitate towards extremes. Generally, they think they're really tough, that they have a lot of fight experience, or that they've picked up some dirty little tricks that will always turn the fight in their favor. This may include cheap shots, but weapons are never out of the question -- not to mention, their friends could intervene at anytime. Even if you "win" a fight, you may end up in court over assault charges, especially if it is known that you practice martial arts. What is the deadliest martial art? Realistically, in a real fight, someone with no fight experience or training can kill someone. The human body is fragile and things can easily get out of hand. Many people believe that there are pressure points that can kill or disable someone with a light blow. While there may be some truth to this, most deaths from fighting come from someone's head hitting concrete or getting stabbed. As far as martial arts that lend themselves to incapacitating people, many of the hard styles fall into this category, as does Brazillian jujitsu. Brazillian jujitsu is a ground fighting technique and will teach you how to lock people in submission holds or choke them out. Muay thai is considered one of the most dangerous martial arts because it was designed to be used for combat. However, several muay thai moves are not usually taught and are banned from use in competitions because they are moves that, if executed properly, will kill someone instantly. About the author: Knowing the art of http://martialarts.micro nicherecommends.com/

Deadliest Martial Art

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:40:00 +0000

KUNG FU

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:37:00 +0000

KUNG FU

ORIGINS OF KUNG FU

It is most likely that the birthplace of kung fu was in the northern China about 520 AD.

In recent findings it is the possibility that a primitive martial art form reached the East by the Fertile Crescent in Mesopotamia,to be developed in India and China.It is possible that the martial art started even before then as there is a Babylonian plaque held in a British museum dating back about 5,000 years or more,which shows figures using systematized blocking and countering techniques.

The Kung Fu that is practised today is said to come from the Shaolin Monastery on the Songshan Mountain in the Honan province,in northern China.It is said a wandering Indian monk called Bodhidharma,also called Ta-Mo.As the son of King Sugundha of India he was well trained in the warrior caste.It is not known why but he renounced his birthright,and took up the robed of priesthood and set off to find truth and knowledge.He crossed the impenetrable barrier of the Himalayas on foot.He came across a monastery called Shaolin,here the monks were in a very poor state of health.So he introduced the monks to a series of exercises to get them fit and well again.He taught them 18 different movements to condition there body and minds.It is believed that these movements were the forerunners of Shaolin temple boxing,known as the Eighteen Hands of Lo-Han.H e also brought Buddhist teaching and Philosophies to the monks.It is believed that the Shaolin temple was the birthplace of the Ch"an philosophies known as Zen.

Five hundred years ago the Shaolin monks were feared as great fighter.Although they upheld the Buddhist reverence for all forms of life,if put in a life or death situation they could kill a man with their bare hands.In the late 1500 a man named Kwok Yuen came across the temple and expanded the Bodhidharma's exercises from 18 to 72.Kwok Yuen passed himself as an old man and wandered the country in search of skilled teachers of Kung Fu,and would return to the temple with new instructions until the number of movements reached 170.These were then put into individual styles:tiger,crane,leopard,snake and dragon.They were improved later and known as the five animals fist.

TEST OF COURAGE

It is said that when a young monk was ready to leave the Shaolin he had to take a last test and it meant life or death.The temple only had to doors one going to the temple grounds and the other to the outside world by the main exit.To leave he had to go through a labyrinth of many traps and obstacles to prove he was a master of Kung Fu.If he failed he died and was never heard of again,but if he made it he would come across the main gate which was blocked by a smouldering urn,and the only way to move it to get to freedom was to lift it up with his forearms.In doing this it would open the gate,but on each side of the urn a dragon was carved so as the monk moved the urn a tattoo of the dragons was burned into his forearms by the red hot metal.This then signified to everyone that he was a fighting priest of Shaolin and a master of Kung Fu.There were many temples in and around China called Shaolin and most of them had a thriving kung fu class.There was two religions,Taoism and Buddhism and both equally popular but the Shaolin was strictly Buddhist.The five ancestores were the founders of today's Triad who survived the attack from the Ching emperor K'sing-Hsi in 1674.The monks supported the king in battle with their fighting skills on many occasion,but he was persuaded that they were a great threat to him, so he formed a large army to defeat them,and it is said with the help of a renegade monk the temple was razed to the ground.Of the 118 monks 100 died in the flames and of the 18 who survived 13 were captured and killed and only 5escaped across the yellow river.

MYTH and SECRECY

Most of what was learned about the martial arts was handed down by word of mouth and shrouded in myth and secrecy.Only students who were dedicated were allowed to be taught he masters style of martial art.Many students waited years before they would be accepted,because it was a great honour to train even in the basics of the techniques.Once accepted they were bound by a code of secrecy and silence,and were forbidden to share any of their wisdom with outsiders.Because of rifts and power struggles between politicians and generals the martial arts were very often practised between closed doors of the temples.When the master of particular style new we was getting to old or new he never had a lot of time left he would find a student who he thought had the right character and teach him the finner points of the martial art,but if one could not be found the core of the style would die with him.

KUNG FU PRINCIPLES

To understand the slightest thing about Kung Fu you must have an underlying principle knowledge of the Chinese martial arts.Most methods of kung fu appears to be about the philosophies based on religion nature and cosmology.The fighting techniques were adapted from mammals,birds,insects and tidal waves.The symbol that is seen inside kung fu schools or kwoons is the yin,yang.This famous symbol,surrounded by eight trigrams figuratively expresses nature and its changes.Known as the double fish symbol representing opposites residing together.In the heart of Yin,the negative force of cold,darkness and emptiness,is a tiny part of Yang.Yang is warmth,light and positive energy.And in the part of Yang is a small part of Yin.This tells you that within strength is found weakness and within hardness is softness,and activity within inactivity.They contradict as well as complement each other.The Chinese believe that without understanding this eternal duality one can never comprehend the true essence of Kung Fu,or the power that regulates the very universe itself.

THE TWO SCHOOLS OF KUNG FU

Chinese martial arts are divided into two parts,one is the internal or soft school and the other one is the external or hard school.the external systems are associated with Shaolin(chuan-fa) meaning Shaolin fist(hung gar and tong long).These schools work on the principle of power strikes,hand and body conditioning,and to use the force in a straight line,with a lot of emphasis on kicking.

The internal schools are normally considered to be defensive and passive,not like the external systems which are mostly aggressive and muscular in approach.The influence of religion throughout the oriental martial arts is paramount.They are either Buddhism or Taoism,both believe in attaining salvation through the cultivation of harmony in mind and body.Chinese boxing or as of today it is called Kung Fu,evolved into five major styles named by their creators,Hung Lau,Monk,Choy and Li.The changes have been many over the ages from all the creators but that is what has resulted into the Kung Fu schools we have today.And they have survived the test of time because of the schools in china were built on a strong family structure.The Sifa,teacher resembled the father figure and the Sihings advanced students were looked upon as the older brothers.The novices and and beginners were classed as younger brothers.Everyone worked under a system based on self-discipline and sacrifice to perfect his art to the best of his ability.It is because of this dedication the arts of Kung Fu have survived the turbulent history of ancient China,and to become a significant and vital part of today's martial arts.

HARD SCHOOL OF KUNG FU

The legacy of the five animals have been handed down and expanded many times over from the Shaolin monastery,and may styles have developed.There are about 1500 distinct kung fu styles practised today.Many of them are still guarded in secrecy on mainland China.It has been about twenty years or so ago that Chinese teachers have come out into the open and taught westerners their art.Until then only Chinese were accepted into the student ranks.Even in the sixty's you had to be very special to be instructed by a Chinese Master As in my post which is the best martial art,there is not one,the same goes for gung fu.Even today in Hong Kong there is in-fighting between rival schools because each one thinks his is the best style.There are at least two or three bouts of(kong sau)"secret fighting" every week to try and gain supremacy over a rival school of kung fu.

HUNG GAR CHUAN

Hung gar chuan is one of the most popular external styles.Hung is the name of the originater,Gar is the name of the family and Chuan means fist.This is a southern Chinese style,and was adapted from the Shaolin tiger system.It incorporates the white crane style and is a very low and strong stance.Beginners are supposed to stand in(Ma-PU) or horse stance,and practise punching for three hours a day for three years before they are allowed to learn the next technique.It is said that one thrusting punch should alwayes result in a knockout.Hung Gar is the lowest of all the Kung Fu styles and produces very strong legs,and the movements are generally kept close to the body.The reason for the low stance comes from training secretly on board Chinese junks which have low roofs.So because of the restricted space in the junks and the bobbing about in the water while training the martial art students adapted the Shaolin style and used sweeping foot patterns.Because of the conditions they were taught in they had to concintrate on breathing exercises and have a lot of stamina with plenty of will power. The Hung Gar martial art makes use of a blocking technique known as a pounding block which is executed with a hammer fist.To use this technique properly the student had to undergo a great deal of hand and arm conditioning.So they were definitly a force to be reconed with.

TONG LONG

THE Praying Mantis

Legend say's that a Kung Fu Master named Wonk Long went to the Shaolin temple to challenge the monks to a fight as he had heard they were undeafeatable.After persistent challenges the abbot got fed up and sent out a novice monk to fight him.In a matter of seconds he was defeated,twice he went away and learned superior techniques and both times he was defeated.In dispaire he went to the mountains and secluded himself from the world.One day he was sat under a tree and watched a fight between a grasshopper and a praying mantise upon which the smaller and weaker mantis won and eat the grasshopper.He was duly impressed and wondered how this could happen,so he got a piece of grass and teased the mantise with it and all the time watched its movments in defending itself.He mememorised every defence and attacking movement the mantis made,and taught himself these same movementts.Once he had the ability to fight the same way he went back to Shaolin and issued the same challange,this time Wong Long defeated all comers.

The most distintive movement of the mantis is that of the mantis hand,which when attacking is shaped like a hook and looks like the insect's doubled up forelegs and the fast footwork is based on the hops executed by the long legged mantis.The system employs two basic principles.The first is the grab,this used by shaping the hand to resemble the mantis's claw with the index finger pointed forward.Grabbing is followed by pulling,to expose certain areas of the body,then a strike is made to a vital point,pulling is done to make the opponent off balance.The second principle is what is known as the monkey footwork,it doese not mean you apply the footwork of a monkey but that you imitate its speed and agility,while still giving support and balance.The stances are short,with quick a sideway's steppoing motion.

Mantis or Tong became the Tong Long style.In the north and south they both had the Praying Mantise in ther titles,but ther method's and fighting principles were quit different.The north mantis stress long range fighting tactics with a variety of kick's,while the south mantis schools rely heavily on the fighting techniquis deliverd from close range with a more stable stance.Kicks are seldom used but when they are ,they are aimed at the groin or knee caps.

CHOY LEE FUT

Kung Fu was founded in 1836 by Chan Heung,at that time it was called Choy Lee Fut.The style was named after his two teachers,Lee Yau-Shan and Choy Fook.Chan fought against the British in the early years in the Opium Wars.He taught fung fu to the localvillagers in the hope that they would beat the British,but to no avail,so he fled to Nanking.It was there that he set up many Tong and Traid Societies that flourished at the time.Later he went to America settling in San Francisco where he opened up his Kung Fu Kwoon.Chan Heung was born in 1802 in the village of King Mui,and from a early age he was astudent of Hung Gar Kung Fu.Not long after his early twenties he wanted to expand his knowledge of fighting styles.He set out and found a hermit named Choy Fook in the mountains,who was famous throughout china for his fighting skills.Although Choy Fook had retired he spent ten years training Ghoy everything he could,and when he thought he had learned all he could he went to the mountains to refine everything he had been taught.He combined this with what he was taught in Hung Gar by another monk named Lee Yau-Shan.In 1936 he came out of the mountains with his own system.

A lot of weapons are used in his style like the tigers fork and double knives,but the most popular was the nine dragon trident.The head of the spear has nine objects resembling hooks,this was to remind users of dragons teeth.The weopon was so heavy ordinary people could not use it.The doudle knives were short and very heavy and were desighned like that so if there was a mis-aimed blow it could do still do a lot of damage.

When the Opium wars ended and the English were victors,many secret societies were formed and ritual killings were common place,the double knife was the favorite fot these killings.Choy Lee Fut is one of the most popular Kung Fu styles in the world todayThe style consist of grabbing and seizing methods,plus punching with long circular strikes with the blow being released only a foot away from the target.A student of this style attacks by running straight into the opponent and unleashing a deadly whirlwind of overpowering hooks and uppercuts.

WING CHUN

Because of the great late Bruce Lee wing chun is probably the best known kung fu style,Bruce Lee looked to wing chun to form the nucleaus of his own style of Jeet Kune-Do.About four hundred years ago.It was founded by a nun named Yin Wing Chun.Her teacher was Ng Mui who escaped from the burned down Shaolin temple by the Ching troops with a few others.She and a few other monks found refuge in central China.Ng Mui was an instructor of Mui Fa Chuan,known as plum flower fist.In the village where she was she met Yim Wing Chun as a young girl,and taught her the system.But Yim Wing Chun thought the plum flower fist was to complex and had to much reliance on power techniques and strong low horse stance,being better fitted for a man than a woman.Yin Wing Chun wanted something that was not as complicated yet efficient enought to defend herself.She could not find it among existing styles so she greated her own.She dedicated her style to the monk that had taught her,but named it after herself,Wing Chun which means beautiful springtime.The first time the art came to the west was when it's modern instigator,grandmaster Yip Man left the town of Fatshan on the Chinese mainland during the communist takeover to live in Hong Kong.He had one great desire which was to make Wing Chun known all over the world.At his death in 1972 aged 78 he had almost achieved it.Wing Chun concentrates on defending the imaginary centre line which runs through the centre of the body,where all the vital organs lie.The simplicity of Wing Chun is evedent by the number of workable techniques involved in learning the system.There are only three forms to learn in order to gain mastery.Even the weapons system is limited to just two implement,the butterfly knives,and the six and a half point pole.

Shotokan Karate

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Shotokan Karate I spent ten years training in Shotokan Karate.After i got my purple belt i took a break and went to a Kung-Fu dojo and trained for about six months.Although i did enjoy this different style of martial arts i personally preferred Karate.Before i decided to go back to karate i asked my instructor what was the difference in styles,and to me he explained it perfectly.He said you are training in karate and i am training in kung-fu,and we both have to start at the bottom.We are both at the bottom of a hill and it is our goals to reach the top in our chosen styles. You are on the north side and i am on the south side,and we both look around at our views.You see a small seaside resort with a harbour,and think its very pretty and your view must be better than mine.I see a small village with a church steeple and think its very pretty and a much better view than you have.We both work very hard and climb halfway up the hill and stop for a rest. Now you see all of the seaside and the harbour with the fishing boats coming and going and the blue blue sea going on for miles,and think how beautiful your veiw is,and it must be a better view than mine. I see all of the the beautiful village with the fields around and the cattle and sheep grazing.I can see inland for miles.My view must be better than yours.Now we both work very hard to climb to the top of the hill,and reach it at the same time.We both look around at the view,and look at each other and realise that are views are exactly the same. As you see it does not matter which style you learn weather it is karate,kung-fu.judo,aikido or any other style,because when reach the top of your chosen martial art you will all be the same. (bloody good) So make sure you train hard.concentrate,and listen to your sensai. There are many martial arts,about fifteen are the core styles but then there are many branches of each of these. All together there are thousands of different styles. The martial arts are taught in nearly every country of the world. A lot of the original styles have been adapted. Some because where people live their life styles have changed. Others because they brought there martial art to a different country,and had to adapt for different reasons. But in all the martial arts somethings don't change. Getting fit to improve your body and health. Training the mind and its power plays a very important in the makeup of a good martial artist. Train regularly,at least twice a week,three times is even better. Meditate is good for relaxation,and most sensai's will encourage it. As my main style of martial art was karate i am writing about the origin of karate. There are many story's of how it began and progressed through the ages. A lot of it has been past down and changed for different reasons. Some of the reasons are to hide the real truths,and others could just be exaggerated. There are still practising martial artist today who like to keep there way a secret. I am not an expert at the history of karate but i will try my best to get it as close to the truth as i can.Some of what i write will be of things i already no,and the rest will be taken from what i have read.After i have written about karate i will go on to some of the other styles.So while i write about karate i will be studying other styles in the hope i keep you intrested. ORIGINS OF SHOTOKAN KARATE 'KARATE MEANS'EMTY HAND'

THE CORRECT TERM IS 'KARATE-DO'

' WAY OF THE EMPTY HAND'

The history of Karate goes back to about the 15th century.It started in the island of Okinawa the largest of the Ryukyu islands,which lies abut 500 kilometres from the Japanese island of Kyushu,and about 800 kilometres off Foochow on the Chinese mainland.The inhabitants lived mainly from fishing and agriculture and traded with neighbouring countries.There was many violent wars between the provinces-Chuzan,Nanzan and Hokuzan.The provinces unified in 1429 under the king of Chuzan,Sho Hashi.the island was in a important position to trade with neighbouring country's,China,Korea,Taiwan and Japan. Okinawa is only a stepping stone away from Japan and China and because of this the cultures of Japan and China fermented.In 1609 the island of Okinawa was invaded by the Japanese troops.The ruler was taken back to Japan as a hostage and the Japanese quickly set up a police force in the capital and ban the military class and confiscate all arms.The Japanese were confident that without weapons the Ryukyu islanders could not rebel.But the invaders had not reckoned with the ancestral heritage of this race and there martial arts.They had there own way of fighting but because of there close trade with China the Kung Fu styles and methods of the latter country's had mixed with the islanders indigenous fighting arts. The Okinawans resigned to the fact that the Japanese overlords were there to stay,so they accepted the occupation with distaste but allegiance.In 1868 a man named Gichin Funakoshi was born,a son of aminor official of Okinawa.This young man grew up learning the martial skills of Okinawan te from a great master Azato.By the time he had reached his 25th birthday he had mastered the art and had become a school teacher.When a commissioner visited his school he witnessed a demonstration of his skills.He was authorized to put martial arts on the school curriculum,and Karate was taught in schools through-out Okinawa. Martial Art is not new,way before karate came along back in the fifth century or before martial arts were taught in India.The priests were experts at self-defence because they were constantly battling(literally) against parishioners of different faiths.At the end of the fifth century Bhodidharma went from India to China to teach the Shaolin-Szu monastery.Chinese fighting called Kempo was introduced and it worked so well that the Shaolin-Szu Temple became one of the most respected schools in China.Kempo was used alongside medicine of the day and used to pinpoint areas of the body to practice acupuncture.The areas were used for attack in Kempo and later formed the basis for attack areas in Karate. Because the Japanese banned all weapons the old monks in the mountains began to toughen there hand and elbows on straw and wet sand,and eventually tree trunks to harden them.As the armour of the Japanese troops were made from lacquered bamboo and leather thongs,when they decided to fight back it was easy for them to penetrate and kill the oppressors.The islanders even learned to execute flying kicks so they could kill the mounted troops.The farmers played there part as well by using agricultural implements such as the rice grinder,which could parry the blows from a samurai sword,and the sickle made an excellent weapon against the spear and sword attacks. Japans had to wait until 1912 for the introduction of the modern day karate.The Imperial navy fleet arrived in Chujo bay of Okinawa.The crew were housed in the school were Gichin Funakoshi taught,and the schoolmaster used to put on demonstrations of karate for them.It was because of these demos that karate was talked about in Tokyo,and ten years later in 1921 the emperor of japan asked Funakashi to perform his art in front of him.He was so impressed of this fighting skill that he asked Funakashi to go to japan and teach his art there.Within five years he had become the idol of Japanese martial arts.He was now approaching 60 so he set up his own school(dojo)in Tokyo.It was known as the shotokan or the club of shoto,because when he was young he used to write poetry and his pen name was shoto meaning(waving pines),and thought this was an appropriate name.He had laid down the foundations for the biggest school of karate in the world,and at that time his art was still called Okinawan hand,it was later changed to the present name Karate-Do,the way of the empty hand. There was a lot of influence from Funakoshi's karate school and many other masters came over to Japanto teach there own styles,such as goju-ryu,shito-ryu,wado-ryu,shutokai,shotokai and kyokushinkai.today there are about fifteen major styles and many off shoot styles with millions of practitioners. Most people take up karate as a self defence system but in reality it is a lethal art.You are taught to use every part of your body with technique and conditioning to over come your assailant.When the student has mastered all the techniques he will be awarded a first degree black belt(shodan) and then becomes a teacher(sensei).As a result of hard training and the battle between mind and body he becomes calm with his or her innerself,he or she has won the fight with themselfs so no longer has the need to prove they can fight,but to prefer to walk away knowing that if the situation does not go away they will be more than able to deal with it in a deadly and effective way. Changing LINKS

What to wear

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:35:00 +0000

What Type of Equipment You Need To Wear In The Martial Arts Author: James Liu If you have decided to try one of the various Martial Arts available, you may be now wondering what you will need to purchase for your first class. Well, each Martial Arts practise is different and so it all basically depends upon which type of Martial Art you have chosen to partake in. The Clothing and Equipment Needs of Each Martial Art All forms of Martial Arts require different things and generally the things which you will need for each one include: * Uniforms Depending entirely upon the Martial Arts class you have decided to join, usually you will need a uniform. For Karate the uniform consists of a white suit and it comes in two different sizes for both males and females. Firstly there is a children's white uniform and then there is the adult white uniform. There is no real size difference between the male and the female suits which could be a problem for some. If you are taking part in Taekwondo then you will be wearing a similar suit to the Karate one only it will have a V-neck and it can come with either a black V-neck or a white V-neck. The trousers are sold separately too so it is a little extra expense. Kung Fu and Tai Chi suits are completely black and again they come in either children's or Adult's sizes. If you are going to be doing Kickboxing or ordinary boxing, then you are going to need boxing gloves. You will also need boxing shorts as well as inner elastic gloves which fit under the boxing gloves to keep your hands protected. * Protective Wear As well as a uniform, you may have to invest in some protective wear such as a head guard which will help you to protect your head against attack when you are fighting. It is usually a good idea to ask your instructor beforehand whether protected gear is recommended as not all Martial Arts need protection. Shin pads and other protective gear can be bought for your own peace of mind too so it all depends upon personal preference as well as if it is an actual requirement with the Martial Art that you have chosen. Overall each Martial Art is different as stated and you really should contact your instructor before buying any equipment and before your first class. You can usually buy the equipment from the Martial Arts school or failing that there are also plenty of equipment online for you to choose from. About the author: For more information, please go to our site: http://www.ocjj.com/

Brown to Black Belt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:14:00 +0000

BROWN TO BLACK BELT

BROWN TO BLACK BELT GRADING

THIS IS THE BELT THAT ALL SEROUS MARTIAL ART STUDENTS WANT

When i was shotokan karate training to get to black belt there was two more belts to get,and that was brown and white belt and brown and white belt twice.As in today's training you go from brown to black belt so i will only write suggestions on how to do this.As for the two missing belts i will just say that they are not very different from going straight to Blake belt.The difference i find is that instead of having to train twelve months to get your black belt you can do it in six.The two brown and white belt gradings were very similar,the only difference i can remember was that the kata's were different and a couple of movements,plus you had much more time to learn free style.Personally i prefer having the extra two belts before black belt,although today to get your black belt you have to do a brown belt syllabus and a black belt one.But times do change.I would still advise to wait twelve months and learn at least two more kata's before going for your black belt.Remember this is a big step in your martial art training and you really do want to get it right and pass first time.

BROWN BELT SYLLABUS

Triple punch9Kizami-zuki,oi-zuki,gyaku-zuki).Front kick combination(Mae-geri,ol-zuki,gyaku-zuki).Side thrusting combination(Yoko-kekomi,uraken-uchi,gyaku-zuki)Rounhouse kick combination(Mawashi-geri,uraken-uchi,gyaku-zuki)Back kick combination(Ushiro-geri,uraken-uchi,gyaku-zuki).KATA is normaly Bassai Dai,but sometimes you can choose which brown or black belt kata that you want to do.KUMITE,one step sparring(Jiyu ippon-kumite)Headlevel stepping punch(Jodan oi-zuki)Stomach level stepping punch(Chudan oi-zuki)Front kick(Mae-geri)Side thrusting kick(Yoko-kekomi)Rounghouse kick(Mawawashi-geri)Back kick(Ushiro-geri).

BLACK BELT BELT SYLLABUS

Four kick combination(Mae-geri,yoko kekomi,mawashi-geri,ushiro-geri,uraken-uchi,gyaku-zuki)Standing kicks(Mae-geri,yoko-kekomi,ushiro-geri)You will be asked to do a series of black belt combinations,which can vary from student to student.Now you will be asked to do a Kata of your choice,you will probably given four or five choices and they are usually,Bassai Dai,Kanku Dai,Jion,Empi and Hangetsu.

FREE SPARRING

Now is the time to fight.I no karate is about self defence but in a fight you can not get out of you must win.You will not no who your opponent will be except the student will want to win the same as you.If you lose you first fight easily you will probably fail,but if you put up a good fight and lose you may be allowed to fight again against the same or different opponent,if you win you will probably pass.You may have up to three fights if you lose all three it is likely that you will fail,if you win all three you should pass,but what ever you do give it your all.But remember every move you make must be strong precise and above all controlled.If you put someone out of action you will be disqualified and fail.If you draw blood you will be disqualified and fail.

You will start to free style facing your opponent and bow,next go into a fighting stance(Kamae)Point the front foot in the direction that you are going,put your weight over the front foot and on thee ball of your foot,have your body turned to the side but head turned to the front,hold your hands up in a guard with the fists pointing at your target,and the rest is up to you,this is just an example,everyone has their own method of martial art fighting.

Everything that you will be asked to do you already will have been taught,and i hope i have covered most of them in my karate posts.The last help i am going to write on this post is the shotokan karate kata BASSAI DAI.

KATA

BASSAI DAI

Start in ready stance and bow then put you feet together and clasp the right fist in the left hand,swing the arms back to the left side and shift the weight forwards ready to move,strike forwards with the back of the fist.The left hand is placed on the right forearm,at the same time step forwards with the right foot and tuck the left foo behind the right,turning using the left foot into front stance,execute a inside block with the left hand,without stepping block right hand inside block,turn and block left hand outside block.Without stepping,block right hand side inside block,bring the right foot back alongside the left and do a right hand low level sweeping block,continue the sweeping movement so that the hand moves all the way up to head height.Step into front stance with the right foot,execute an outside block with the right hand,without stepping,block left hand inside block,move the left foot into a shoulder width stance and bring both fists to the right hip.Using slow controlled movement,make a vertical knife hand block with the left hand,without stepping punch using the right hand,put the right hand to the shoulder.Inside block,pivoting on the spot,straighten the hips and punch with the left hand pull the left hand to the shoulder and execute a inside block.Pivoting on the spot step forward with the right leg into back stance with a knife hand block,step forward with the left leg into back stance with a left knife hand block,step forwards with the right leg into back stance with a right knife hand block,immediately step back with the right foot leg into back stance with left knife hand block.Move into front stance while the right hand reaches up and catches.Pull the right hand back using grasping block(Tsukami-uki).Next execute a low level thrusting kick with the right foot while the fist pulls up to the rib cage and KIAI.

Step into back stance with a knife hand block,step forwards with the right leg into back stance with knife hand block,slowly move the right foot back to meet the left foot and raise both arms into a double rising block,abruptly pull the arms apart and shift the weight forwards,immediately step forwards with the right foot into front stance and strike to the stomach levelwith a double hammer fist strike,immediately slide forwards and punch with the right fist.Turn and strike right hand(Shuto-uchi)while blocking open handed across the face with the left hand,slowly draw the left foot back to the right while pulling the right fist up behind the head and blocking down slowly with the left(Gedan-barai).Lift the right knee and stamp down into side stance and simultaneously downward block with the left hand,slowly cross and uncross the arms blocking open handed to the left with the back of the hand,execute a crescent kick with the right foot into the left hand,elbow strike the right elbow into the left hand,punch down with the right hand,bringing the left fist up to the inside of the right elbow,punch downwith the left hand,bringing the right fist up to the inside of the left elbow,punch down with the right hand brining the left fist up to the inside of the right elbow,brining both fist to the left hip and look to the right,step out with the right foot into a narrow front stance and attack with both fists to the stomach,left fist over the head.This is a mountain punch(Yama-zuki),slowly draw the right foot back to meet the left and bring both fists to the right hip,lift the left knee and step forwards with a mountain punch,left fist to the stomach right fist over the head.Slowly draw the left foot back to meet the right and bring both fists to the left hip,lift the right knee and step forwards with a mountain punch right fist to the stomach and left fist over the head.Extend the right arm up and look over the left shoulder pulling the left hand to the hip.Turn by moving the left foot anti-clockwise and swing the right arm across the body in a scooping block,extend the left arm,pivot and swing the left arm across the body in a scooping block.Finnish with a clossed fist,palm side up.Move the left foot to your centre point,then step forwards with the right foot through 45 degress into back stance with knife-hand block,look over the left shoulder and then slowly move the right foot so that you rotate 90 degress clockwise,,step with the right foot to your centre point,then step forwards with the left foot into back stance with knife-hand block,finnish by slowly drawing the left foot back to the right and clasping the right fist in the left hand and jump back three times feet together and bow.You have now finnished your black belt shotokan karate grading.Hope you pass.

Purple and white belt to Brown belt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:53:00 +0000

PURPLE and white Belt to BROWN Belt

HELPFUL TIPS ON SUCCEEDING ON PASSING YOUR BROWN SHOTOKAN KARATE BROWN BELT

I found this stage of my Karate training to be the best.I love the free style fighting and the different katas that i was taught.This is basically what you will have to do to achieve your brown belt.

BASIC FORM

Start with a triple punch,reverse punch,downward block,outside block,elbow strike,back fist strike,reverse punch,downward block,inside block,jabbing punch,reverse punch and a downward block.Then execute a knife hand block,jabbing front kick,spear hand strike and consecutive front kicks,plus a side thrusting kick,side rising kick roundhouse kick and a back kick.

Stand in ready stance and then go into front stance,step forwards with the right leg and block stomach level with a outside block.Stay where you are and shift your weight into side stance,and strike with the right elbow and straight away strike with a back fist.Move into front stance and execute a reverse punch and a downward block,step forwards and block to the stomach with an outside block,punch with the leading hand and then reverse punch then a downward block with the left hand.Move into a side stance with palms facing down and without shifting your weight lift the right foot and strike your hands using the bottom of the foot,place the right foot behind you and go into free style stance move the right hip forwards bringing the right leg with it,coil the leg and back kick,recoil the leg back and step down and into ready stance and bow.

KATA

TEKKI SHODAN

Place the feet together,put your left hand over the right hand with the fingertips touching,shout Tekki Shodan.Bend the knees and step with the left foot in front of the right foot,lift the right knee stamp down with the right foot landing in a low side stance and at the same time block with the back of the right hand to the right,pull back the right hand and elbow strike it with the left elbow,pull both hands to the right hip,left on top of right,look to the left and downward block to the left with the left arm,hook punch to the left with the right hand,step across to the left with the right foot in front of the left foot,lift the left knee and stamp down with the left foot int kiba-dachi and at the same time bring the left fist to the right shoulder and execute an inside block,cross the arms with the left arm on the outside,straighten the right arm and bring the left hand up to the left side of the hand in upper level in a sweeping block.Back fist strike with the left hand bend the left arm bringing the right hand under the left elbow,look to the left execute a wave kick(nami gaeshi-geri)with the left foot,back down into low side stance swing the arms to the left rotating the the left palm away from you,look to the right then a returning wave kick with the right foot,swing the arms to the right rotating the left palm towards you,bring hands to the right hip the left on top of the right and look to the Left,execute a left hammer fist strike and right hand hook punch to the left,smoothly cross and open the arms with a continuous movement,blocking to the left with the back of the left hand.Pull back the left hand and elbow strike it with the right elbow.pull both hands to the left hip right on top of left,look to the right and downward block to the right with the right arm,hook punch to the right with the left hand,step across to the right with the left foot in front of the right foot,lift the right knee and stamp down with the right foot into kiba-dachi,at the same time bring the left fist to the right shoulder and execute an inside block,cross the arms with the right arm on the outside,straighten the left arm and bring the right hand up on the right side of the head in a upper sweeping block,strike back fist with the right hand and bend the left arm bringing the the left arm under the right elbow,look to the right and execute a wave kick with the right foot,swing the arms to the right rotating the right palm away from you,look to the left and execute a wave kick with the left foot,swing the arms to the left rotating right palm towards you,bring the hands to the left hip with the right on top of the left and look right,execute a right hand hammer fist strike and left hand hook punch and KIAI,finish by moving the right foot to the left and the left hand over the right hand with the fingertips touching and BOW.

All this must be done in as low a stance as possible.And try and make all the move as simultaneously as you can.Remember this is a fast kata but do not give up power for speed just try and make it all flow together.

Now you will pair up,you could get anybody size does not matter.You face each other and bow.The attacker grabs you with both hands,the defender grabs the attacker and uses a right foot returning wave kick to attack the right knee,the defender pulls the attacker to the right using both hands,the attacker uses a left foot returning wave kick to attack the right knee,the defender pulls the attacker to the left using both hand and then punches with the right hand and kiai.

The attacker grabs with the right hand,the defender uses the right arm to lock the grabbing arm and lifts his right knee swinging it down behind the attacker's right knee,the defender strikes the head or rib with an elbow strike,the defender grabs the head and pulls it into the hip,the defender rotates the neck in a devastating neck break and stands back.The attacker gets up,because he is not really hurt,and both karate students bow.Then they change places,the attacker becomes the defender and the defender becomes the attacker,

BASIC ONE STEP SPARRING

You both stand opposite each other in the ready stance arms length apart.The attacker steps back with the right foot and with a downward block,then he relaxes the hands to a free style fighting position and announces the attack,Mawashi-geri.The attacker performs a right leg roundhouse kick to the head with a kiai.The defender steps back to the right and and executes a inside block with the left arm.The defender immediately counter attacks using a revers punch and kiai's.The attacker withdraws and as he does so the defender steps up both finishing in ready stance.Now they take reverse rolls and start again.

Last but not least you will have to free style fight.Your part is to win the fight by far means.The first one to score a lethal point wins.You may have up to three fights so you have a good chance to win at least one.If you lose all three it is unlikely you will pass,but just one good win should be ok.It has been known to lose all thee fights and pass,but you must show the karate instructors that you were brave and strong in your actions.Best of luck.

Purple and White Belt Gradings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:24:00 +0000

PURPLE AND WHITE BELT

PURPLE AND WHITE BELT SYLLABUS

Getting this far is an excellent achievement

All martial art schools differ in there training methods.There is a basic system,but each instructor will have there own way of teaching.Some karate schools will not allow you to free style until you at least get to purple belt,and some may even let you start free style at yellow belt status.So the advise i am going to give will be the basic moves to pass your purple and white belt.

BASICS

You will start off with a triple punch,then a rising block with an elbow strike,back fist strike and a reverse punch.Next comes an inside block,jabbing front kick,spear hand strike followed by consecutive kicks,side thrusting kick,side raising kick,and finishing with a roundhouse kick.

KATA

Heian Godan

As always you start with a bow as a sign of respect,and shout firmly and clearly Heian Godan.Step into ready stance,then move the left leg into back stance perform an inside with the left arm,immediately punch with the right hand,stay in back stance.Slowly bring the right foot along side the left foot and at the same time bring the left arm into a hook punch(Kagi Zuki).Step Move the right leg forwards into back stance,then execute a inside block,immediately punch with the left hand,stay in back stance,slowly bring the left foot alongside the right foot while bringing the right arm into a hook punch(Kagi Zuki),step forwards with the right leg into back stance and at the same time use a double handed block(Morote Uke)step forwards int front stance and block with a lower level cross block(Gedan Juji Uke)pull the hands back to the stomach,block with a open handed head level cross block(Jodan Juji Uki)bring the hands down to the right side of the body just above the belt making sure they Finnish with the palms together left hand on top of the right hand,now without stepping punch with the left hand and step forwards with the right leg and punch with the right hand,and KIAI.

Move anti clockwise with the left foot bring the right knee up and stamp down and at the same time block down with the right hand,slowly cross arms right over left,open the arms slowly smoothly and with power blocking with the back of the open left hand.Crescent kick with the right leg(Mikazuki Keri)into the open hand,straight away strike into the palm with the right elbow,while stepping into a side stance,look to the fight and use a double handed block and at the same time move the left foot into a crossed leg stance(Kosa Dachi).Then upper cut with the right fist,keeping the the left fist on the forearm,look behind you while moving the left foot into a very short back stance.Jump by lifting the right knee and then the left knee while rotating 180 degrees,bring the fist to the hips and KIAI.

Land in a crossed leg stance(Kosa Dachi)and bring the fist down in a low level cross block(Gedan Juji Uki).Step to the right into front stance and use a double handed block,look over the left shoulder and turn 180 degrees into front stance,and at the same time block across the face with the open hand.Strike to the lower level with a right side knife hand strike(Gedan Shuto Uchi)go into back stance(Kokutsu Dachi)by shifting the weight onto the right foot,at the same time execute a swastika block(Manji Uke)by pulling the right the right hand,slowly pull the left foot to the right foot and straighten the legs,step with the right foot forwards into front stance at the same time block across the face with open right hand,strike to the lower level with the left hand,move your weight back into back stance with a swastika block but pulling the left hand and KIAI.Finish the kata by moving the right foot back into ready stance and bow.

KUMITE

You will pair up and bow to your opponent.The attacker will grab from behind,the defender turns,drags his fingers across the attackers face and tries to catch the attackers arm under the armpit,the defender grabs the attacker and strikes with a crescent kick to the back of the knee,the defender then strikes to the attacker's head using an elbow strike.

The attacker starts with the right leg forward and the defender stands in a natural stance,the attacker punches to the head with a left handed stepping punch,the defender steps into a front stance and blocks across the face with the left hand,at the same time striking down to the opponents leg with the right hand,the defender strikes down with the left fist simultaneously pulling with the right hand unbalancing the attacker and striking with the right fist to the face and body with a KIAI.Both stand up face each other and bow.Then each shotokan karate student changes places and goes through the movements again.

Some instructors will want to see you free style against your opponent.Use as many moves as you can to try and score a point,and make sure the strikes are controlled and you kiai after evry time you think you have scored.It is not about winning you will still pass your grade even if you lose,just make a good show of yourself and you will be fine.

KARATE GRADING ORANGE BELT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:11:00 +0000

BEGINNER TO ORANGE BELT

Probable the most hardest part of training for most people is getting started.

Most classes train all grades in the same place,so it can be very daunting seeing the standard of skills the other students have.But don't be use this as a guide to how you can be after you have trained hard yourself.You will find it very difficult to learn coordination between arms and legs,but don't worry to much at this stage as it takes hours of repetitive training to get the body used to new reflex actions.

The first grading will be only one step blocking and punching,so if you move forward with your left foot you will be blocking or punching with your left hand.

Your first karate grade will be very basic.The things you will have to do i have put in Japanese pronunciations in brackets.Stepping punch(Oi-zuki),sising block(Ake-uke),outside block(Soto-uke),inside block(Uchi-uke)and a front kick(Mae-geri).Then you will have to do a Kata called Kihon Kata(Taikyoku Shodan).The last thing you will have to do is five step sparring(Gohon-Kumite).

There are three upright stances(Shizen-tai)translated means natural body.First one is standing with arms by your sides fingers straight and feet closed,this is a formal attention stance(Heisoku-dachi)translated as closed feet stance,the second one you stand the same but with the heels touching and toes in a v shape this is a informal stance(Musubi-dachi)translated as a connected stance,the third one is(Heiko-dachi)feet shoulder width apart,arms down by your side with fist clenched slightly to the front.Now there is a front stance(Zenkutsu-dachi)which is for lunging attacks.You should not be more than one hip in width between the axis of the front foot and the rear heal,and the length should be at least two hips widths long with 60% of your weight on the front leg and knee forward far enough so you can't see your knee,and keep as low as possible.This is a good stance for balance,stability and building up strength in the legs.When you move forward keep your feet just touching the floor,hip thrusting forward without without bobbing up and down.Keep your neck and back upright but in a natural posture.Do not lean backwards.Keep your knees pointing in the same direction as your feet.

To make a fist you start by closing the fourth finger and finish with the index finger,firstly tips of fingers touching the top of the palm then continue to fold the fingers in tightly,then fold the thumb so it is touching the second finger.This will stop you from breaking or hurting it when you punch.

Dojo Etiquette

Dojo means'place of the way'

Practising karate should always be fun,but always remember it can be dangerous.Always treat your teacher and fellow students with respect.Make sure your finger and toe nails are short,never wear jewellery,keep your karate uniform(Gi)clean,no swearing,spitting or dirty habits.Always pay attention to your teacher(Sensei)and when your sensei speaks to you bow(Rei).I f you are late for a class wait for your instructor to invite you to join the class.Always bow when entering the class and leaving,before and after sparring with a partner,at the beginning and after a kata,and of course always when your instructor tells you.If you can arrive a little early and do some streching exercises although your instructor should get you to do some before you start i think it is best to make sure and do some yourself as this will help minimise muscle strains and good for flexibility and stances.

Always use (Kime-waza)in your movements,which means a decisive technique,one that would finish afight with a single blow.Be explosive and deleliver with maximum intensity.The martial art shout(Kiai)translated means'Spirit Unity is used to boost your confidence and to intimidate your opponent,do not hold your breath when attacking,as a lot of people do,use a good kiai and this will help you breath properly.Once you have been training in these techniques for three months at least two hours a day you should be ready for you first karate grading.

You should start off by doing(Gedan Barai)which is a lower level block which is used against a low level attack,this is a very versatile move in karate.It can be used for deflecting punches and kicks and for attacking.It is used every time you do a basic form.Start in ready stance start moving backwards moving the left hand up to your right ear with the right arm out straight make sure you have clenched fist step back with the right leg bringing the left arm down to just above your left knee pulling the right fist back to your right hip twisting the hip to your right,and with your right leg straight back.

Next you will be asked to do a outside block(Soto-uke)this is a sweeping block from head level down across the stomach with right hand clenched left arm out straight as you block pull the left arm back and with the right arm block the attack,You should finnish up with the left hand by your left waist body facing left and right arm bent at the elbow right leg bent forward with the knee and left leg straight out to the back of the body.

Now it will be a rising block(Age-uke),you defend a head attack by starting in a front stance(Zenkuttsu-dachi),prepare to block with the right arm back by your left waist fist clenched,left arm raised out straight and fingers straight out.Step forwards raising the right arm to just above your head left arm pulling back to your left waist,ending in a forward stance.

Now for the next basic move which is a front kick(Mae-geri)start in a front stance(Zenkutsu-dachi)with arms down by your sides raise the knee and kick straight out with the ball of the foot and then snap the leg back before moving forward into the front stance again.

Last but not least of the basic karate moves is the reverse punch(Gyaku-zuki).This is the most common move of counter attack.Start in the front stance with the right hip and fist pulled back and then punch with the right hand by throwing the right hip and chest forwards.Make sure you do not over reach by bending your back,so keep upright at all times making sure you do all the work with the legs and hips.

Now for your kata which is called Kihon , it is a twenty different moves against an invisible opponent.There are only two hand movements:downward blocks and punches.Make sure they are distinct.A downward block follows a curved path and finishes at low level,while a punch is a straight path and finishes at stomach level.Starting is just as important as finishing,so start in the ready stance(Yoi-dachi)put your feet together in(Mosubo-dachi)bow and announce your kata(KIHON) in a loud and confident manner.step into ready stance.Your instructor will call out(Hajime)begin,step to the left and do a down ward block(Gedan-barai)to the left,then a stepping punch with the right hand,move the right foot to turn 180 degrees and execute a right sided downward block step and punch with the left hand,then step to the left with a downward block to the left,step forward and punch with the right hand,step forwards and punch with the left hand,step farwards and punch with the right hand and shout(KIAI).Move the left foot to turn 270 degrees and do a left sided downward block(Gedan-barai),step forwards and punch with the right hand,move with the right foot and turn 180 degrees and do a right sided downward block(Gedan-barai),step forwards and punch with the left hand,step forward to the left and downward block(Gedan-barai)to the left,step forwards and punch with the right hand,step forward and punch with the left hand,step forward and punch with the right hand and(KIAI).Move the left foot to turn 270 degrees and do a left side downward block(Gedan-barai),step forward and punch with the right hand,move the right foot to turn 180 degrees and do a right sided downward block(Gedan-barai),step forwards and punch with the left hand and(KIAI),move the left foot back into ready position and finish with a bow.

The last application is(Kumite)one step sparring with a karate partner.The objective is to work together to improve technique,targeting,distancing,and timing.You are not training to win or injure your partner.At the beginning you bow to your partner to show respect and to say you are ready.Both of you start in the ready position,the attacker steps back with a downward block and announces the attack:jodan:,the attacker steps forwards and punches to the head,the defender steps back and blockswith a rising block,this is repeated four times during the five step sparring and (KIAI)on the last attack.The defender counter attacks using the reverse punch with a(KIAI)the punch should be focused so that it just makes contact.Do not over or under punch.The attacker then withdraws and as he does so the defender steps up both finishing in the ready stance(Yoi-dachi)

Both the attacker and defender start in the ready position,the attacker steps back with a downward block and a announces:Chudan:,the attacker steps forwards and punches at the body,the defender steps back and blockes with an outside block,this is repeated four more times in the five step sparring using(KIAI) on the last attack.The defender counter attacks using a revers punch with a(KIAI).The punch should be focused so that it just makes contact,it should not hurt your opponent,the attacker withdraws and as he does the defender steps up,both finishing in the ready stance(Yoi-dachi)and bow to your karate partner.

Good luck to all who are taking their shotokan karate orange belt,and to all martial artist who are grading.

White to Black Belt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:03:00 +0000

Title: From White Belt to Black Belt Author: Mike Selvon Article: When someone tells you they study karate, or any Japanese martial art, your first question is probably, "What belt are you?" If they say black belt, then no doubt you're thoroughly impressed. However, if they say white belt, you might simply nod, tell them that's very interesting and wish them luck with their martial art training. What many people tend to forget is that those impressive black belts had to start somewhere. What does the white belt really mean, though? Did you know that in traditional martial art training, the practitioners had no ranking system? Sure, there was a certain hierarchy within the dojo (formal karate training school): there were the beginning, intermediate and advanced students, the senior instructors and the Sensei (head instructor), but they had no colored belts. Everyone had a white belt. The orthodox Japanese martial art of karate didn't start with a colored ranking system until it came to America. As this author's Sensei explained, the American student needed a measurement of progress, unlike the Japanese students. Today, there are some schools that keep to the bare minimum of white, green, brown and black belts. Other schools like a little more flash and incorporate yellow, orange, blue and red. It all boils down to the same thing: something to keep your gi (karate uniform) closed. Seriously though, in traditional martial art training, the difference between a white belt and a black belt was the amount of years you spent sweating in the dojo, paying your dues and how much knowledge you attained through your training. In the Japanese martial art, the only thing a black belt represents is that you have mastered the basics and now the real work begins. Once you have reached this level, you start to learn the moves behind the moves. The white belt in martial arts training represents innocence, birth and beginning. After many years of use, your white belt gets dirty from all your hard work (you never wash your belt!). It turns from white to brown and eventually black. The funny thing is, that if you wear a black belt long enough, it will start to fray and you'll notice that it's turning to a white belt again. This, too, is symbolic: you never fully master everything in your martial arts training. A true master knows that learning is a never-ending cycle. Your white belt is a symbol that you are trying to be a better person through the Japanese martial art of karate. Martial arts training has always been considered an ideal way to discipline yourself and reap some physical rewards at the same time. Rather than being embarrassed of what your white belt signifies, look at it as a new pathway to a better life. Remember, a black belt is not far off if you continue to discipline yourself and work hard with your martial arts training program. About the author: Knowing the art of http://martialarts.micro nicherecommends.com/