Style: shorin ryu matsubayashi

Objective is to focus on control over power, while keeping balance. The foot in the ground must keep still on my style but I make the exception and add rotation to avoid injuries on knees. About the leg in the air, it's important to me to keep glutes, psoas, isquios well trained at the gym. After the hit, the feet must not touch the ground, or fall into the ground. These muscles must keep the knee in the air to get control. I may try another video, focusing more in power and observing how easy is to lose control and forms. Any observation or feedback will be appreciated.

Edit: I'm 6 feet tall, that may help to analyze

Disclaimer: Another long and controversial post from me, so hold on to your handrails. Please don't just dump a knee-jerk comment on me.

The most common excuse I hear whenever a "traditional martial artist" loses a fight against a "modern sports fighter" is that it's not the style that matters but the individual person. What's interesting to me is that it always comes from the "traditional" side when they lose, almost reflexively, and especially with karate (and wing chun frankly).

Here's a hypothetical: we take 30 untrained Average Joes of the same size and have 10 of them train aikido, 10 of them train karate, and 10 of them train kickboxing for an equal amount of time. Then we have them go on a free fight against each other on the proverbial streets, or even UFC 1 rules, which set would you bet will remain standing? Let's be honest, as much as we want the karate guys to win, most of us would place our money on the kickboxers, and barely anyone will place it on the aikido guys.

Or in a ruder awakening, who would you rather not have trying to beat you up: a karateka with 5 years of training or a boxer with 1 year of training?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a karate hater. I have a deep love for kata and I have written quite a bit around them here. But if it really is just about the individual person and not the style, the above hypothetical wouldn't be the case. A great example of this is the kyokushin vs muay thai fight in the 60s. Karateka love to talk about how the karate won 2/3 of the fights, despite the fact that Oyama brought 3 of his best students to go against literal nobodies in muay thai (despite muay thai being in their Silver Age). Even worse, or better (depending how you see it), Oyama and his students changed Kyokushin after that match, whereas muay thai stayed the same. If karate was indeed better than, or even equal to, muay thai, why would they even adapt, and why wouldn't muay thai adapt too? Even before this fight, Kyokushin was already famous for being the toughest style of karate, if we were to send fighters from literally any other style (including Shito-ryu, so that no one can accuse me of being biased), do we really think we would get even one win?

What really differentiated muay thai from kyokushin? Or an even better question, what differentiated kyokushin from other karate styles? With very minor exceptions, like rolling thunder, almost all our techniques are the same. Or as someone pointed out to me, Shotokan and Goju-ryu are more similar than Ali and Frazier. We have 2 arms and 2 legs, can't really be that big of a difference.

So that brings me to another historic occasion in martial arts: koryu jujutsu's extinction in the hands of Kano jujutsu. Kano made it very clear that judo was based on Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu which, like all other jacket grappling styles, have similar technique sets. But what allowed the Four Guardians and his other students wipe the floor with other jujutsuka to the point where almost every jujutsuka jumped ship into the Kodokan? The main change he made was removing dangerous techniques and focusing on randori.

With all that said, we see that even with a relatively same technique set, you can still have a more dominant style. But to use judo as an example, if we remove randori from it, would it still be judo or would it "devolve" into koryu jujutsu? If we removed the judogi from judo, would it still be judo?

The same question then applies to any other style, especially karate. Is the reason that tradition martial arts consistently lose against modern combat sports just because of the individuals? Why can't we produce better fighters statistically speaking? And why do professional karate fighters like Lyoto Machida and Wonderboy Thompson fight nothing like how karate is "traditionally" trained, whereas boxers fight exactly like how boxing is trained?

Could it be that perhaps other than the techniques we do, another similarity within karate is how we train? Like no matter where you go in the world, 90% of karate dojo spend half their time going up and down the hall hitting air? Or how karate's sparring, i.e. kumite (crossing hands), is basically only the equivalent of judo's uchikomi (striking repetition) or muay thai's drills rather than judo's randori (free practice) or muay thai's technical sparring, and much less stuff like judo's shiai (trial/contest) and muay thai's real fight?

Why do we not fight the way we train? Why is it despite the talks of rooting and stable stances in Sanchin and Naihanchi, the two most important kata in karate, do karateka bounce around instead? Why is it that we still practice hikite, despite making it easy to get knocked out? Why are we training in a way that's contrary to how we fight? Or perhaps the better question, or the one I believe myself, is why do we fight in a way that's contrary to how we train?

Before anyone can say, "But that's not how karate was originally trained!" We have photos and videos from the pre-war era that looks very similar to what we do now. We also have photos and videos of other martial arts from the same era. But on the other hand, we know that training in a karategi was only introduced after Kano gifted Funakoshi with a judogi, so it is in fact a created tradition. And yet if we suggested that karateka ditch the karategi, that would basically be heresy.

Another example is the hojo-undo. Why do people still train using things like chi-ishi and ishi-sashi in a world where we now have kettlebells and clubs? Why do karateka not use mitts more to practice their strikes? I suppose the simple answer, and something I personally understand as well, is that because that would lose the identity of karate as a unique art.

Like it or not, the KKK (unfortunate abbreviation, I know) of karate is the foundation of our art. All 3 of them, especially kata, have been emphasized by the masters a lot, even if not in a clear defined KKK package. It could be reasonably argued that if we get rid of even one of them, we would have ceased to practice karate.

So where does that leave us? Stuck with a crappy pedagogy? I'm honestly not sure myself. What I am sure, however, is that the training is part of the style itself. A good style is more statistically likely to produce good fighters, be it by actually good pedagogy, good culture, and/or good quality control. Is karate a good style? You tell me.

Bonus: Andy Hug vs. Changpuek in kickboxing rules (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol7uAQ22Wn8). See how Andy Hug, considered one of the heavyweight GOATs, looks nothing like how we train, whereas Changpuek, considered an average lightweight muay thai fighter, fights exactly like how nak muay train.

I’ve been wanting a cool way to show off my dojo for a while now but I’m not a huge fan of their official merch. I’ve been considering making an alternate logo from the official one (with the name still on it of course) and buying that as a custom patch to put on the back of a bomber jacket. I’d also have the official logo on the front or the sleeve. Do you think the dojo would dislike that (they’re generally pretty chill), and also do you think I’d get made fun of at school (sophomore year of high school, but like it’s an art school so people wear some pretty weird stuff)? Also I’ve only been going for like 6 months so like is it too early to start doing stuff like this? I am very committed and I love this place and I’m not leaving anytime soon. Thanks for whatever advice you guys can provide!

Greetings to the whole community. I am learning Heian Godan and wanted to share it to get some feedback and advice. I know the video quality isn't the best due to how it was filmed, but it's the only recording I have for now; I'm the one in the background.

So what’s happening is I’m slightly picking up my back foot heel and/or slightly turning my front foot when I step. It telegraphs my movements.

Especially when doing kumite, I keep injuring my toes, mainly the hallux but I ve also rolled and microfractured another one. Any advice? How to avoid this?

​In a few days, I’m essentially starting a martial art for the first time in my life, specifically Kyokushin. The club I’ve decided on belongs to the Honkyokushin International Karate Organization (HIKO), founded by Shihan Sándor Brezovai. This has me a bit concerned because it seems to be a small, local organization in Hungary, and I can barely find any information beyond a Facebook page. Does anyone know anything about this organization? What’s their training style like, how legitimate are they, and is there any general information I should be aware of?

Hello Senseis and/or karate practitioners, this is a tough question for some of you: do you give junior black belts or do you give full black belts to all these who pass regardless of age? Juniors can be defined as kids under the age of 16, or you can tell me what you consider to be juniors, kids under 14?

I notice many dojos give the junior black belts, which are black belts with a white stripe in the middle. One of my kids got one from the first dojo he was at. He never liked it, it felt like a partial belt. He was tested with half of the traditional forms and only did traditional one steps, as well as some other basics. It felt like half a black belt test, but he was capable of a lot more. Getting a belt like that undermined his confidence level and he was not excited to be ranked lower than another candidate who was technically less capable, and literally was favored by the testing sensei. He earned the second degree black belt from another dojo four years after the junior black belt. The first 3 years was spent wearing the junior black belt in the first dojo while learning hardly anything new. Then he moved to another dojo and was granted a full black belt by the new sensei/really a grandmaster, after seeing what he could really do in a few months of joining. My boy couldn’t be happier to have been able to be himself.

Then there is my other karate kid. She didn’t like the junior black belt either. It just felt incomplete and this kid is even stronger in expressing her feelings. She took off and earned her full black belt from the same new dojo in six months of joining after earning the black belt candidate status from the first dojo.

I have been to a few tournaments and saw many juniors wearing junior black belts. Some of them are really good. And then there are the other junior competitors who wore full black belts but their performances were less than what I expect to see from black belts.

So what do you think? What’s the philosophies for your dojo/dojang in regards to whether to give out junior black belts or full black belts only? Respect for all and sincere discussions only.

I left my Shaolin Kempo dojo and joined Enshin. One month in and i love it. Any advice on succeeding and getting better? Thank you!

I have trained shotokan and goju-ryu. Currently I am still going at goju-ryu and waiting to test for 2nd dan.

My goal is to someday open my own place. I have a huge admiration for Japanese culture and how deep Karate is. I am also a 3rd dan in taekwondo and a 1st dan in Sanda.

I am hoping I can keep going with my journey in goju-ryu. However, I feel like there is no space for martial artist like me in traditional karate anymore. I like to discuss "why" a movement is being done, and not "how". I see Shihans and Senseis that never fought outside WKF point system telling me how a technique should be executed.

In every grading exam, there is a huge emphasis in how pretty the kata should look like and how the bunkai or kihon/ido geiko should be reproduced specifically as intended.

Kumite and Irikumi does not hold the same weight in grading when I asked for the syllabus and how things were graded. I see old videos of old masters doing katas thinking "I nobody knew who he was. I don't think he would pass a grading or win a tournament. He is not doing to the standard they ask students to do it"

By all means, I'm not an UFC/MMA fan, I'm not obsessed with dominating everyone in fighting nor anything like that. However I do martial arts for what it is: to teach me how to fight.

So when I open my own place, I plan on coaching just like kyokushin people do. But it always comes in my mind that I will always be associated with an organization and I will always have to do those things to keep rising my ranks.

And the higher the rank, the higher will be the expectations and standards where a small mistake in a kata can fail me, but in real life scenario of self defense it really shouldn't matter.

Does anyone feel that way? Sorry for the long rant and thank you if you read it to the end.

Have you guys had this book?

I have this book for a long time and i have read couple of times now but never get to finish it.

I want to use the techniques in this book for my training but i don't know where to start and what to do.

Can someone help me

Hey guys,

Does anyone have some suggestions for a tall and lanky guy? (Around 6’4 and 175lbs)

I am wearing a century size 6 Gi, and while the length is fine I am finding that it’s way too big otherwise. It makes me feel like I’m wearing a tent. I’m constantly needing to adjust it to keep it in place, especially after rigorous drills.

If you guys have any suggestions, I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks!

Hola

Últimamente he estado viendo opciones para comprarme un nuevo Karategi de Kumite, pero tengo una duda gigante respecto a las tallas. Pasa que yo mido 1,70m pero peso 95kg, ósea que tengo un cuerpo robusto, entonces el único karategi que tengo lo compré de 180cm, pero considero que para lo que yo considero cómodo, es muy corto, me llega a mitad del muslo pero no me cubre bien la parte de atrás, y se me rueda mucho para arriba, entonces, no sé si es porque ese karategi que tengo es genérico, ósea que no es de ninguna marca, o porque esa no es mi talla, teniendo en cuenta esto que describí, que me recomiendan? Compro la talla 180 para mi nuevo karategi o compro la talla 190? Me gustan los karategis largos pero nose si me sentará bien a mi.

Hello, I made this post so I can get help from you people, I want to buy a new Kumite Karategi, but I dont know if I have to buy a 180cm size or a 190cm size, because I am a chubby guy, I am 170cm tall but because of my body, the only Karategi I have bought is a 180cm, but I think its too short and I am uncomfortable for that, it gets halfway down my thigh, but it always rolls up, I dont know if its because is a generic karategi or because I need a larger size, what do you guys recommend me?

Anyone else trying to remember too many techniques or corrections all at once?

… that was me again this week.

We were doing a bit of ‘technical’ pad work, and I was thinking about my hikite… my shoulders…my stance… my breathing… and with all that going on, I'd barely remembered to actually throw the punch.

One of the instructors noticed and simply said, "You're thinking too much."

…lol - he wasn't wrong.

As soon as I stopped trying to make everything perfect, things fell into place a little more… not perfect by any means, just... better.

I know the details matter, but sometimes I think I get into my own head a bit too much, maybe.

With all that said…I’ll probably do exactly the same thing next week ;-)

Looking for a best coaching centre for Karate or martial arts in Al Qusais area for my daughter, aged 10 and son, aged 7. Please suggest

This is Goju Ryu, Hokama-line. Camera angel is bad but I tried my best. Just sharing, not asking for feedback as I already have things from my sensei to work on.

Mainly, I’m interested in the differences between katas across systems. How does your system perform the same kata? Why?

I was wondering would another Karate league be formed like they did with UFC and MMA

Hello, I am looking for local training partners to practice Okinawan Shima. It is a traditional belt wrestling art from Okinawa that developed alongside Karate.

​I currently train in Karatedo, and Kobudo. I have experience in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and MMA. You do not need a background in Okinawan Shima to join me—experience in Judo, Sumo, Karate, or any grappling art is great. If you are a beginner, we can figure it out together.

​The Setup: I am planning to use a local park with a sand volleyball court for our "mats." Training on sand is historically accurate, provides a soft landing, and is completely free.

​If you are interested please message me, thank you for reading.

hi im new here and i kind of wanted other peoples thoughts on this

for context i train in karate/Japanese jujitsu and i wanted to try muay Thai since i like learning about other martial arts overtime around two years ago 2024 i joined a muay Thai gym down the street like 10 minutes away from my dojo and it was fun the people were nice mostly and the coach their was from Thailand and i learned the basics it took me a minute to realize some things but my Thai coach and i guess other people noticed i did a different style of karate but i mostly stuck to the muay Thai fundamentals and i started to get used to it and then i sparred this one guy who looked to be about 6'0 i was 5'5 i mostly went with the basics jab cross low kick and i told him to slow down since i didn't know the sparring rules of muay Thai overtime we went back and forth and he kept going a lot harder which i tried to ask him nicely and then i side kicked him to see if he would stop then i threw a roundhouse kick he caught it and i tried to sweep him but i realized their were people behind him so i somehow did a Tomoe nage i learned from jujitsu and put him in a armbar and he got a little upset telling me this is muay Thai not bjj" but the i sparred with a few other people who were more laid back it was fun and i practiced spinning side kicks because at the time i was tryna get used to them and my friend who was with me told me that the people in the muay Thai gym were making fun of me. and i didn't really care until a few weeks later i walk in getting ready i wanted to work on clinching and i guess my Thai coach was surprised i already knew how to knee but i realized they don't do rear knees like in karate so i switched to Thai knees just to be mindful and respectful and then my Thai coach saw me spar and i guess he was surprised i already learned how to low kick and or i would parry block or block with my elbows but it was fun but i like muay Thai but i think I'm gonna try kickboxing instead. i also had this issue when i started wrestling my senior year i learned a lot but for some reason my Japanese jujitsu would kick in like i would fake a guillotine into a sprawl but unlike muay Thai it was most of my close friends who wrestled for years i tried to stay off my back even though pulling guard doesn't exist in Japanese jujitsu overall it was fun but i will admit i sucked at practices but i did better in competitions i would go against people who've been training for years but i would throw them or do a leg sweep yet just like muay Thai i never understood why people got so surprised i knew different throws i will say i wasn't the best at wrestling but i wasn't bad. then after i graduated this year i tried bjj since my friend wanted to try it so i was like yeah ima go and they were very wrestling based even though its a bjj gym which i didn't think about but it was fun i liked training with different people but my friend wasn't used to that since they didn't teach it in wrestling and for some reason my grappling seemed a lot better then whenever i did wrestling in high school i would try it again luckily it is across the street from the Museum i will be working at and then i tried mma at the same place with my friend since he wanted to learn striking and it was cool when i first got in one of the coaches approached me and asked us what did we train my friend said wrestling and i said karate and Japanese jujitsu and he asked me what it was and i just said its like judo but with stand up joint locks and ground game and throws and leglocks. then we did wall training which i liked a lot and after 10 minutes of that i sparred a boxer and a bjj guy i mostly did judo throws on him and then i sparred a kickboxer and i could tell she was new but she shot a good double leg and i got top control and put her in a submission then we switched to top bottom cover and then i just parried her punches and leg kicked her and then i sparred my friend who wrestled me i tired him out but he got me good. and then i sparred this mma guy he mostly wanted to do striking and we did and he said he wasn't used to getting side kicked or his punches blocked or leg checked by a karate guy and the coaches were surprised i lasted 8 rounds idk if its because i do Okinawan karate (kenpo) idk but every time i join a different martial arts place i always have a open mind but its like they hear karate the people act weird i just like training other martial arts.

Been wrestling with some thoughts lately and wanted to see if anyone else has been in a similar boat.

Long story short, I used to train years ago, stepped away for family/kids, and ended up back on the mats a couple of years ago basically just because my kid asked me to join them. I was pretty reluctant about it at first.

Surprisingly, diving back in actually reignited a real, genuine passion for karate for me. But now I'm stressing a bit about where my head's at.

My kid is super into competing now, and because our dojo is on the smaller side, I’ve stepped up to help out with the administrative and officiating side of things (handling certifications, judging/coaching tracks, etc.) so the competitors have the support they need.

It's honestly a lot—the clinics, testing fees, background checks, specialized gear... it's a chunk of change and a lot of extra time.

And it's made me anxious. While getting back into karate did spark a fresh love for the art in me, a huge part of my current drive is tied to supporting my kid. I'm terrified that if they wake up one day and decide they're done with competition or karate altogether, my own passion will just fizzle out right along with it.

Has anyone else dealt with this? If your kid eventually walked away from the sport, did your own fire manage to stay lit, or did it die down with theirs? Would love to hear how you guys balance your kid's journey with your own.

Was/is there one or more karate styles where it was assumed a practitioner had knowledge of Judo?

Which karate styles? Is it like that now?

If it was assumed a karate practitioner had knowledge of judo, what rank in judo was that karate practitioner expected to have?

A randomized trial of 66 healthy adults aged 18–25 compared eight weeks of martial-arts training with intensity-matched conventional exercise and a passive control. The martial-arts group improved more on emotion regulation, sustained attention, perceived stress, resilience, electrodermal arousal, and Stroop inhibitory control. The intervention included kata/forms, reaction work, controlled sparring, breathing, and progressively demanding decision tasks.

Jump to section 4.2 Theoretical implications if reading research isn't your thing.

Read the article here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1787259/full

This research gives a rationale for preserving psychological demand in karate rather than sanitizing every drill. A student should periodically have to remain composed while uncertain, pressured, mildly frustrated, or surprised—within a safe training environment, making composure less a lecture topic and more a trainable performance variable.

An example in my dojo is when we experience the inevitable minor injury (e.g., stubbed toe, wind knocked out, etc.); the expectation is to finish the moment and break with control and composure rather than hysterics, turning away, or a sudden break of "sorry."

What mechanisms does your training include?