Any recommendations of a good on-line shop to buy Karate (preferably Kyokushin) dogi ?

Present 戸隠流忍法体術セミナールと師範ショングレイTogakure Ryū Ninpo Taijutsu Seminar with Shihan Shawn GraySaturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, 2008Overview: The theme of the seminar will be homework from the Togakure-ryu training that Shawn Gray has been doing with Sensei in Japan this year. We will be working from the kata as they are written, and then move on to explore the feeling of each in a more artistic manner. Tools that will possibly be used are ken, bo, knife, shuko, shaken/shuriken, and kyoketsu-shoge.Instructor:Shawn left behind 10 years of Karate and 3 years of Kendo to begin training in the Bujinkan Dojo in Vancouver, Canada after returning from a 1-year stay in Japan in 1990. After a training trip to Japan in 1995, he decided to move back to live and has been studying in Japan as a regular student of Shiraishi Sensei and Hatsumi Sensei since the beginning of 1997. He has also trained with other Japanese Shihan such as Senseis Seno, Noguchi, Oguri, Nagato, Someya, Nakadai, Nagase, etc. and admires each of them for their own unique abilities.Date:Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, 2008Time:Saturday, 10:00 to 6:00 PMSunday, 10:00 to 4:00 PMAttire:Standard Bujinkan Uniform (gi, tabi, obi) or loose, comfortable clothing.Equipment:Bokken, bo, hanbo, knife, shuko, shaken/shuriken, and kyoketsu-shogeFee:$85Contact:Brian Gore(512) 524-7227shinkengata@gmail.comLocation:Acrotex Gymnastics in Round Rock708 Round Rock West DriveRound Rock, TX 78681(512) 244-5437www.acrotex.com

I started a post and just scrapped it. Here's what I need.I know this is different for everybody, but I need tips. I don't even know where to begin, and my style has always been to learn some things, then conglomerate my own way out of the myriad of things I've collected. I need to learn to meditate. I need suggestions and ideas and tips. Walkthroughs of how you do it, the steps you take before and during. Again, I know it's unique to everybody, but this is how I learn. I watch, I observe, I make mental notes, and then I do until I succeed. And since it's impossible to watch somebody's thought processes and internal goings-on, this is the next best thing. Please, anybody who has any tips on how they meditate - and I mean a for real spiritual experience kind of meditation - please share with me. I'm in dire need.x-posted from my journal and to a few communities.

This is cool!http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4242971n

My master instructor invited me to some special classes to help students to someday to become instructors. It's supposed to be several hours of specific training. It should be pretty cool, except that I will be the lowest rank student there. Everyone is a black belt except for a blue belt and myself (I'm senior green rank). We will also be having very special guests that are all very experienced. The master instructor pretty much said that nobody teaching has under thirty years of experience, that's almost twice as long as I have been alive.

Not my personal opinion, but the subject of a compelling video.Discuss.

Ok - so have been lurking around and have begun to notice a pattern, particularly to what people believe "Wushu" to mean. Well - let's just cover this for a bit - (of course any discourse on the subject is welcome). Most seem to believe the term to be directed toward an actual art on it's own. This was noticed when I started to see a dramatic increase in the term being used when referring to a particular Martial Art that someone may in fact practice. My issue with this isn't solely based on education towards the meaning of the word but also the way the word is meant to be used. So let's dive right into it. I was always taught that to be ignorant of The history is to be Ignorant of Life. Perhaps this is why My interest in the proper use of this term of importance to me.  The term Wushu is Chinese which literally translates into "Martial Art"  though means "Art Of Fighting" this is commonly known to most Practitioner's of Chinese Martial Arts. (Point Of Interest is the term was popularized and first came along in a Poem) As well as others who have interests Eastern Martial Arts. Also known is that Wushu is the Name of the Sport of Martial Arts.Now here's where the complication comes in. This is my argument towards stopping the use of Wushu as a term to relate to a specific form of practice.The sport wushu though given the name towards the actual sport and is provided as a sport , as well as referred and shown as a sport as a whole. Is in of it self not a sport solely, yet just a name to refer to a broad range of practices that are a complex portion of such sport. This meaning that I do not believe Wushu to be an art one can practice as it self. Instead I see wushu  as to the practice of the particular family or participation in the Sport to which you still practice that which was of a Family (i.e. your family's wushu). After a poem by Yan Yanzhi during the Southern Song Dynasty the term wushu was created to refer to the many "arts of fighting" in the hopes to stop them.  Unfortunately for him it instead popularized the term to be related to each Family's particular art form. (Though eventually The history of Martial Arts does go from ban's to acceptance over and over - I personally wouldn't doubt it if this poem was indeed used as a reference towards the ban however this is just my opinion) Thus the term "Wushu" is born to refer to family arts. Much much later the term Wushu (1949) was then referred to the practice of Martial Arts in a sport sense. Dramatizations , Choreographed routines and full contact padded combat. Though originally the pads were not always present depending on your particular choice and in some cases skill (this is hearsay I have no proof to that unfortunately).The above being said - it really limits things down to what they are. Wushu is a term for Martial Arts that does in fact refer to Martial Arts as a whole not instead a particular one even when considered to be the sport of Wushu. For in the Sport each practices their own Martial Art - to which maybe their Wushu however does not refer to Wushu as a Martial Art to which one can practice. Even if you study at a School / Ru Jia / Fo Men / Fo Jia / Xiao ( any other term you can think of ) that claims they Teach "wushu"  I can promise you are practicing a Family form of Martial Arts - if they say otherwise and classify it simply as "Wushu" as an art and not a Term , is lying  , or Un-Educated though some would say Ignorant.  I myself would not use the latter term, Not unless directly needed. Opinions?Let's not forget the Eight Virtues when Posting Though please and thanks .

So I just stepped on the scales and I now weigh 204 lbs. I guess I just let myself go....NO MATTER!!!I know what I need to do and how to do it. I want to get back to 170-175 lbs again to regain my leg flexibility and my speed. Back to doing DDR with ankle weights and kicking exercises w/ eating less for me.2nd Dan in Tae Kwon Do, White belt in Happo Taijutsu.

A few times since I joined this community, questions have come up regarding the pros and cons of studying more than one martial art. I tend to be rather strongly in favor of the practice, at least in the case of individuals who have a strong foundation in a primary style, the support of his/her instructor, and an idea of what might complement his/her primary style. And although I still do believe that the benefits of training in more than one style under the right conditions ultimately make the practice worth while, I've recently become of some of the drawbacks, or at least complications, in my own training.A little background about me: ignoring my experience at a bad TKD school when I was a kid, Aikido was my first martial art. I trained in it for about 3.5 years while I was working on my BA and MA. After that, I had to move for my PhD, and found myself in a city where the tiny style of Aikido I had been practicing (Kokikai) had no dojos. I entertained the idea of just starting over again in Aikikai, but ultimately decided to take the opportunity away from Kokikai dojos to try something completely new. Bagua was near the top of that list, and after much searching I learned that there was a really great Bagua sifu very close to my apartment. So for about a year now, I've been studying Bagua instead of Aikido. Bagua and Aikido have some very significant things in common. Some people have even claimed that O-Sensei studied Bagua or at least saw it in action and was influenced by it. Whether or not there is an actual historical connection of this sort (I don't claim to know or particularly care), Bagua and Aikido (or at least Kokikai Aikido) tend to emphasize things like circular movement, relaxation, posture, whole body power, etc. In addition to this, just before I moved away from the dojo, my Sensei had told me that I had gotten pretty good at feeling heavy, rooted, stable, etc. while I was stationary, but that I really needed to work on figuring out how to combine those feelings with lightness and mobility (i.e. I needed to learn how to take my root and carry it around with me at will). And it just so happens that this sort of thing, a "moving root" is among the skills that Bagua is best known for developing. So it really seemed like a pretty obvious choice. For a long time, the biggest difference I noticed between the styles was on the ethical level. Aikido, especially as it was taught to me, very much emphasizes compassion and non-violence. Bagua, at least as I am learning it, is downright sadistic. Of course, our sifu emphasizes that this stuff shouldn't be used unless necessary and so on (as he well should). But with Aikido, the attitude that harming others ought to be avoided is woven deeply into the fabric of the art, and in a way, the practice of Aikido is a performance of non-violence (and I can confidently say that practicing Aikido has taught me a great deal about non-violence and compassion). This is not even remotely so with Bagua, which is so geared toward causing broken bones, internal bleeding, collapsed tracheas, etc. I guess it makes sense that this would be the difference I would notice in practicing Bagua, because I am a very pacifistic person. But my pacifism doesn't make practicing Bagua a problem, because I am deeply enamored with that art's foundation (ideas about power generation, rooting, etc.). And anyway, personal ideologies aside, when it comes to martial arts I practice for the sake of practicing, and so whether or not I'd be comfortable with gouging out an opponent's eyes with a piercing palm in an actual self defense situation is not really relevant. The difference that I've been finding more interesting lately is a bit more concrete. In Aikido one of the most important ideas about movement in combat is moving off the line of the attack. When, say, a straight punch is moving toward you, it is moving along a specific linear path. In order to avoid being hit, you simply need to make sure your body is no longer on that line. This is usually achieved with a very small movement, often simply turning the hips 90º. The reason why moving off the line is such an important concept is because if done with proper timing, it baits the opponent into overextending him/herself, allowing you to use the opponent's momentum against him/her very effectively, which is ideal in Aikido. I haven't been practicing Bagua for long enough to say that we never move off the line of the attack, but in the applications we have done so far, it has often been quite the opposite. The more common strategy has been to divert the attack, effectively moving it onto a different line, often twisting the attacker in the process. From this point we often move directly into the attacker's space (with hips square, of course) and deliver the counter. Of course, not all applications that I've done follow these patterns, but there have been a good number which do.So here's the problem: when I'm doing one of these Bagua applications, I have no problem with meeting and redirecting the attack, since that isn't so different from what I'm used to doing in Aikido. But my instinct to move off the line of the attack in the process of redirecting is so deeply ingrained, that I do it without even realizing it. This usually means I wind up with my hips rotated 90º from where they should be, and that I wind up moving toward my opponent's side, rather than directly toward him/her. Consequently, my alignment is completely off, which means that as an internal martial artist, I have almost no power. My sifu tells me almost every time I do it (we have a tiny class so no mistake goes unnoticed), but no matter how hard I try to move straight into my opponent, I can't. I move off the line and rotate the hips so instinctively that I can't even feel myself doing it, let alone correct it. Obviously through continuous effort and practice I will eventually become more aware of how I am moving my body, and I will then be able to correct myself. But I can't help but wonder what will happen when I go back to Aikido. I hope that I remain conscious of this aspect of movement, and can chose whether to move off the line or not according to the demands of the situation. This would be nice, as it would move me away from habit and instinct and ultimately allow me to be much more flexible in combat. But I worry that I will simply form a new habit to replace the old one, and that when I go back to Aikido I will have to relearn how to move off the line.I don't really find this worry very discouraging, though. As of right now, studying Bagua has furthered me as a martial artist in general and also as an Aikidoka (much to my surprise, my last Aikido sensei recently hinted at this). Nonetheless, this conflict between styles that otherwise have a great deal in common in terms of principles of movement has been rather interesting to me, and I think it is a good example of the kinds of problems that can arise when training in more than one style.

I posted a few months ago looking for reccomendations for getting back into training after arthroscopy on my left knee.Training is going pretty well, so far.  I've got full range of motion in my knee, and the strength is coming back.  Only problem is, I get some stiffness/tension on the lateral side after a while.  Sometimes that moves into pain, usually its just discomfort.  But since everything has been going so well - I can run and jump and leg press and do all sorts of things without pain - I've been pushing it a bit.  its been 3 months, so according to my doctor and physical therapists, I should be all set to go.But then, last night, I did my first sparring practice since...a long time.  This means my knee got used in all sorts of ways that it hasn't in a while, and probably got more of a workout than usual because the endorphins were pumping and I wasn't feeling pain during the sparring bouts.  After a few rounds, though, I sat out for the rest of class to stretch because it was starting to hurt.Today, its bruised. While I remember getting kicked in the head, punched in the nose, and charged out of the ring, I do not remember any contact whatsoever to my leg or knee.  And since I'm still protective of it, I think I would remember.  But its slightly swollen, with a small bruise.I'm sitting at my desk with frozen peas on it right now, and later I will call physical therapy office.  But have any of you had any similar situations after a surgery or injury?  Also - any tips on sparring with someone shorter than you?  For some reason, every time, EVERY TIME, I spar someone shorter than me I get hit in the face.  I blame this on lack of practice, for now (last time I was regularly training for sparring was at least 2 years ago), but I like my nose the way it is, and don't want this trend to continue!

Just want to get an idea on how serious the average martial artist out there is about their training:1) How many times a week on average do you attend a martial arts class, and what on average is the duration of a single class?2) Currently is martial arts training your only outlet for fitness, or do you do supplemental training as well? (eg. weight training at the gym/home)3) Is fitness your main goal for doing a martial art, or is there another reason for you partaking in it?Muchly appreciated :o)

Hi everyone,I recently met up with a good friend that I connected with through this community. We've known each other now for 6 years, but this was the 1st time that we'd met face-to-face because we happen to live on opposite sides of the country. So I'm curious to hear other people's stories about friendships/relationships formed thanks to the existence of this community journal and to find out who's managed to meet in "real" life.

and Present 戸隠流忍法体術セミナールと師範ショングレイTogakure Ryū Ninpo Taijutsu Seminar with Shihan Shawn GraySaturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, 2008Overview: The theme of the seminar will be homework from the Togakure-ryu training that Shawn Gray has been doing with Sensei in Japan this year. We will be working from the kata as they are written, and then move on to explore the feeling of each in a more artistic manner. Tools that will possibly be used are ken, bo, knife, shuko, shaken/shuriken, and kyoketsu-shoge.Instructor:Shawn left behind 10 years of Karate and 3 years of Kendo to begin training in the Bujinkan Dojo in Vancouver, Canada after returning from a 1-year stay in Japan in 1990. After a training trip to Japan in 1995, he decided to move back to live and has been studying in Japan as a regular student of Shiraishi Sensei and Hatsumi Sensei since the beginning of 1997. He has also trained with other Japanese Shihan such as Senseis Seno, Noguchi, Oguri, Nagato, Someya, Nakadai, Nagase, etc. and admires each of them for their own unique abilities.Date:Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, 2008Time:Saturday, 10:00 to 6:00 PMSunday, 10:00 to 4:00 PMAttire:Standard Bujinkan Uniform (gi, tabi, obi) or loose, comfortable clothing.Equipment:Bokken, bo, hanbo, knife, shuko, shaken/shuriken, and kyoketsu-shogeFee:$85Contact:Brian Gore(512) 524-7227shinkengata@gmail.comLocation:Acrotex Gymnastics in Round Rock708 Round Rock West DriveRound Rock, TX 78681(512) 244-5437www.acrotex.com

I just want to thank everyone who was helpfull in my last entry. A lot of good advice was given. It is really appreciated :-) I felt I need to expand on my post though, so here goes:Regarding point number 1: I meant I would not be comfortable taking up a style where it was expected of me to CONSTANTLY do striking training against another person. I have done kickboxing and karate in the past, and I just couldn't get myself to really hurt the guy, considering my life wasn't really in danger and he didn't cause me any malice. Don't get me wrong, I know that if indeed I was one day caught in a situation, I would PREFER not to hit (or get hit), but if push came to shove... I'd still try to defuse the situation with non-striking techniques (as I have done in the past with more, non-violent situations), but if I really HAD to, I would most probably resort to striking.Regarding point number 2 and 6: While I could take up something like jogging (or other forms of excercise) it just feels to me like the martial arts have so much more to offer. I believe that the martial arts basically covers the whole area of fitness, from strength (probably moreso with the grappling styles, unless a style also encorporates resistance training as part of the class program), to endurance, to hand-eye coordination, stretching, etc. I am aware that there are other forms of excercise that also encorporates all of these, but that's also where the comeradery comes in. Back when I did karate and judo I looked forward to going to class, to interacting with my fellow classmates. It just felt great to learn from, and to grow with each other.Regarding point number 3: I am pretty much aware that self-defence is a rather complicated thing. I myself live in South Africa, and just this morning a work colleague told about how a burglar was caught and arrested in their security complex after her husband spotted the guy breaking into a neighbour's house. These days, going up against someone (if it's even one person anymore) is very very dangerous, because the chances of him pulling out a concealed knife, or even gun, is highly likely. However, as the saying goes "I'd rather have it and not use it, than need it and not have it".Regarding point number 4: I took judo for a while when I was younger, until we moved away from that town. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately I never really got the opportunity to take it up. I DID actually find my old sensei, but we moved shortly again after that. I like the technicality of grappling, using body weight and leverage to outmanevour your opponent. Also, it makes you DAMN FIT, especially all the randori :-) If I could, I would probably take up judo again, or probably even jujitsu.Regarding point number 5: I think the reason I have a more negative connectation towards hand strikes is because my father slapped me around sometimes when I was young. I still flinche when someone does a hand movement near my face. When I did karate I did a lot more kicking than punching, mainly because a) I felt more comfortable doing it and b) I wanted to keep the guy away from hitting my face. I have actually been thinking if I shouldn't go somewhere where I can overcome my fear of getting hit, but I'm not sure about committing myself to something where I would get hit (and hit someone back) most of the time.Regard point number 6: I wasn't sure if I should post that, because it seemed to rile up a lot of people. I am aware of Christ's teaching of peace and non-violence, but the Bible also teaches us to be prepared in a certain situation. As the saying goes "God helps those who helps themselves". Also I AM weary of taking up a more oriental-based style, because of the influences it may have with that cultures religion. I don't have a problem with someone else practicing another religion, but it's just that I wouldn't want to be in an environment where the influences of that religion is quite strong most of the time. Lastly I do NOT have a problem with bowing to an instructor. It's a form of respect after all. Bowing to a statue, or anything else though is a big nono for me. I'm sure this number will stir up a lot of people, but please note, it is my beliefs. I didn't come on here to bash anyone, but just make it clear what my core principles are.Thank you again for your time and input. Blessings to you all :-)EDIT: People I do NOT have a problem with bowing. Bowing, as far as I am concerned, is a cultural thing, NOT a religious thing. There's a BIG difference between bowing to show one's respect, and going down on your knees for worshipping. I just wanted to point this out, because people seem to be hammering on it for some strange reason.

Finally, after years of debating WHAT EXACTLY I'm looking for in a martial art, I've managed to narrow down the field considerably. I came up with the following:1) I am not an aggressive person by nature. I don't like striking or being struck. If I was faced with a conflict situation I would probably resort to grappling/holds/locks/clinching/anything close to my opponent (unless the opponent was bigger, in which case I'd probably run off). Maybe it would be a good idea to get over this fear though and face it.2) My main goal is fitness. I'd like to take something that I can take 2-3 times a week, that would basically be my excercise regime. I would not be interested in taking part in tournaments.3) While my main goal is fitness, self-defence would be a close, second goal. I'd much more prefer to do something realistic than traditional, where the moves taught had real-world application.4) I would either prefer something grappling based, or something where I am basically using my whole body in unison, like capoeira, because I've always wanted to do gymnastics, but never got the opportunity to do so.5) I prefer kicking to punching. For me, personally, I've always considered kicking not really violent, but rather beautiful (like with dancers) and elegant, compared to punching, which I feel more uncomfortable with. I do however have great respect for boxers (since my grandfather and his brothers were boxers).6) I would like to be in a group atmosphere, where I interacted with fellow students, rather than just being on my own.7) Not to offend anyone, but I would prefer something that I felt didn't interfere with my Christian beliefs.I would really appreciate it if you could give your thoughts/recommendations on what you think would suit me. By the way, at the moment there's only a Karate and Kenjutsu class close to me.

Ok! Time in my specific path in life to take on another Martial artto better hone my own skills and Develop My own style. (One hopes)Per Shaolin GongFu Tradition you take on seperate styles.Now these can be other Shaolin Styles however I seek to better understandMartial Arts as a whole and hope my self as well.As such I've decided to branch out into another Martial art all together.Though similar to Shaolin GongFu (it is a Complete Martial Art), it has differenceon their own.I already have practiced shequan for many many years.As well as Dianxue and Chin Na.SO!My Question to everyone to which I hope to receive and AnswerDoes anyone know of Kuk Sool Won - from a personal perspective.I can research it all I want, however I'd very much like others perspective on it.Hope it's not so bold of a QuestionAnywayBe Good , Lemme know Thanks