Martial arts discussion thread

[Sinnertwin]

Nah. Just the null rays. (Probably won't be finished in a week though)

Patience, young Seeker, patience.

[GoktimusPrime]

Meh... who needs Shuriken when your Thundercracker costume will have arm-mounted machine guns?

Nah. Just the null rays. (Probably won't be finished in a week though)

Actually... we're both wrong. Thundercracker has incendiary guns. Starscream has null rays, and Skywarp has machine guns! *tsk* Look at us getting our Seeker weapons mixed up!

[Sinnertwin]

Actually... we're both wrong. Thundercracker has incendiary guns. Starscream has null rays, and Skywarp has machine guns! *tsk* Look at us getting our Seeker weapons mixed up!

And you call yourselves fans!
*quietly leaves thread before anybody realises i missed it too*

[GoktimusPrime]

Sparred last night... been sore all day today.

[Bartrim]

Sparred last night... been sore all day today.

What are the sparring guidelines?

[GoktimusPrime]

What are the sparring guidelines?

No attacks to the face. Everything else is fair game. Only "soft" strikes to the groin and ribs are allowed. I found that the students' that I sparred with:
+ Good defence below the neck - excellent groin defence.
+ Craphouse defence above the neck.
+ Students were good with long range fighting but poor at close range fighting. Students were utterly inept at countering any form of grappling and were completely incapable of performing breakfalls. I don't think these students have ever been grabbed or thrown before! I was speaking to another Karate practitioner earlier today who said that at his Dojo one of the first things they learn is breakfalling - and he raised an excellent point - because beginners are far more likely to _need_ to know how to breakfall than a more experienced student! One student actually went, "Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!" when I put him in a wrist lock. It wasn't even that "intense" of a wrist lock... I think he just had never felt what it's like to be wrist locked before!

Most of the time when I closed in to drop my opponent to the ground, I ended up having to also cradle them as they fell down to prevent neck/head injury (no mats in the Dojo - probably because nobody ever grapples/throws).

I asked the instructor how often they did grappling training, and he answered "We don't really do much of that here." Alright... you guys don't believe in grappling... that's fine. But at least learn how to counter a grapple! It's the same when I hear people tell me that they don't believe in groin strikes (because they think it's a "dog" move) -- okay fine, you don't have to use these techniques, but you really ought to learn how to protect yourself from these kinds of attacks!

Oh, then it came time to spar with the instructor. He said to me, "Watch this, I'll show you something cool," and the threw a punch toward my head which I blocked, followed immediately by a sweeping kick to my front leg, so I instantly lifted my leg to avoid the sweep. That was it. The instructor then said, "Good! Good! You managed to avoid that!" He then showed me an alternative counter to that attack, which involved dropping back into a Renoji-Dachi, then coming forward into a Zenkutsu-Dachi with a counter punch. I personally just simultaneously blocked the punch and lifted my front leg into Crane Stance... if I wanted to launch a counterstrike, I could easily throw a Maegeri from that stance, or step into his position into a Zenkutsu-dachi etc. *shrugs* His technique works too, so I'm not faulting it per se... but IMO if my technique ain't broke, I don't see the need to change it. (nor should he change his technique to mimic mine if it's working for him - as I always say, the best technique is the one that works for that individual ).

[Bartrim]

Went to a nice big Italian Wedding on Sunday Night in Sydney and the floor show entertainment during the meal was a Brazilian dance/Capoeira show. So some guys play some drums some girls wearing very little clothing (seriously I think my Dad needed blood pressure tablets after this show) did some dancing then the capoeira team started showing their moves. Then one guy searches for an audience member to join in and by coincidence he picked... me! At first I was real nervous and didn't want to do it. Then I got coaxed up onto the dance floor. After getting me to do several pushups and stretches to warm up he slowly got me to do the ginga movement (I think that's what it's called, the rocking back and forth, switching legs thing). Once I built up some speed doing that he thought he would have some fun by adding some kicks in. Thank God I have 3.5 years practice so I didn't look like a total moron. It was quite fun and because I don't advertise my martial arts training so I surprised both the Capoeira guy and a lot of wedding guests with my ability. So after a couple of various turning kicks and a crescent kick (which I performed at head height) my grand finale was a cartwheel. Even though we don't train to do cart wheels in class I have had one brown belt teach me cartwheels before and after class a couple of times for fun. So I got quite the round of applause when I pulled it off.

I just thought it was funny coincidence that with all the guests at this wedding I got picked to do the martial arts demonstration. I even asked my cousin (the bride) if she told them to pick me and she said no, it was all coincidence.

[GoktimusPrime]

I've got my very first grading coming up in about 5 weeks' time... I'm already starting to feel nervous! A few days ago I was talking to another bloke who's a 3rd Dan in Goju Karate, and he was complaining to me about how a lot of guys get to Black Belt and think that they're "all that," but fail to appreciate that Black Belt is the Beginner's level and that everything before then is just preliminary preparation. I then said that the problem and reason for why that happens is because there's just so many belts/levels before then, that it inevitably builds up this massive sense of accomplishment - so by time you get to Black Belt it feels like you've accomplished so much only to be smacked in the face by the reality that you're still a novice! This wouldn't be so bad if there were just less (a lot less) grades/belts before black belt -- like in Japan where there are only 2 belts before black (white and brown). Or better yet, just get rid of the whole belt/grading system altogether and get back to what Karate was originally like prior to the 20th Century!! I'm only doing my _first_ grading as a white belt, and I'm already feeling the excitement/anticipation of getting my first coloured belt! I know I shouldn't, but I do! When I was driving home from training, I was thinking about how I was feeling, and there was one line from "The Incredibles" that sums it all up so well...

"They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity..." - Bob Parr

Then there's the money. I haven't even bought a Gi yet, and they won't let me grade without one (seriously... why? ) - that's $45. Then it's $40 for the grading (which I'm guessing still has to be paid regardless of pass/fail - and Sensei is a notoriously hard marker), and then $10 for the belt if I pass. So I'm looking at $95 between now and grading, and that's not even including the $10/class lessons in between ... I go once a week, so that's an additional $50... so by the time of grading, I will have spent $145!

Alright, ranting aside, does anyone have any tips/advice they'd like to offer for first time grading?

[Bartrim]

Alright, ranting aside, does anyone have any tips/advice they'd like to offer for first time grading?

Relax. That is the most important thing. Also talk to your Sensei and see if there is anything in particular you need to focus on for the grading. I'm assuming the grading will be more gruelling then a regular lesson. If that's the case I would suggest do some extra cardio work. As well as my classes I attend I also do 100 push ups and sit ups every night and I run 3 klms twice a week. Leading up to grading I increase that to 300 push ups and sit ups and run 5 klms twice a week. I find that is plenty of cardio work which doesn't take too much time. The push ups and sit ups take about 15 minutes and the running takes about 18-20 minutes.

[GoktimusPrime]

I've been told that it's the basic strikes, blocks and stances/movements. No kata. I might ask another instructor if he can do a trial grading with me before the date.