mrdee

Exactly.Remember zak92, "no pain, no gain".

Best of luck to you.I know exactly how you must be feeling.I have an exam next Sunday (for my brown belt with red stripe though), but that is Shotokan Karate, this belt is the one just before black 1st Dan.Once again, good luck!

And also, although that might sound very paradoxal, it is advisable to eat oily fish (mackrel, salmon, sardines, kippers, tuna) three times a week.Although oily and fatty, they are a rich source of Omega 3 oils, which keep cholesterol at bay.Further (IMHO) they are very tasty too, and they can give you lots of other benefits (keep the bones strong, protect against constant colds and infections...).That is why people used to give their children cod liver oil in the old days.

That is correct, scutari, but, funny and paradoxal as it may seem, one almost obligatory way to keep the cholesterol down is to eat oily fish about three times a week.This means things like mackrel, tuna, salmon, kippers, sardines etc.Although these things are oily and (as people wrongly assume) full of fat, they are actually a rich source of Omega 3 oils, a very powerful aid to keep cholesterol at bay.On top of that (in my opinion anyway) they are all quite tasty too.Furthermore, they also have further advantages: e.g. they will keep your bones healthy and protect you against regular colds, flus and other infections (think of the benefits of cod liver oil).

Well, here is another example: I wanted to add Krav Maga to my list. (For the people who don't know, Krav Maga is the self defence of the Israeli army and the Mossad, but it has also been widely adopted by the American police in many states and it is also becoming more and more popular in Europe). Anyway, I could not believe my luck when I saw there was a Krav Maga club in my town, until I looked at what they charge. First you have to do an induction, which will cost you ? 20 (Around US$ 40) and then you have to shell out either ? 45, ? 85 or ? 150 per month, depending on how many lessons a month you want. Same for private tuition, that will cost you the princely sum of ? 60 (about $ 120) PER HOUR. (And then some people say my private music lessons are expensive at ? 20 per hour). So, obviously, Krav Maga is a no go area for me at the moment. (And, all for the same reason, I will definitely not be the only one). A pity really, as it really interests me. Yet I live in hope.

You are more than welcome, Malraza, and if you require further help, please do not hesitate to post.We also have a set of DVDs, which we can buy at our club, one with all the Kata's from beginning up to black belt, one with Kihon (the basics), also beginning up to black belt, and two with Kumite (sparring), once again, all the sets needed to go from the beginning to black belt.I must admit they are a very useful aid, but they are obviously not going to do your training for you.The other advantage is, unlike on YouTube, that everything is performed by the chief instructor at our organisation, assisted by some of his top black belts, and that obviously shows you everything the way he wants it to be done when he judges you at your grading exams. (Whatever you find on YouTube mostly comes from different clubs, and although they are from the same style (Shotokan), there are bound to be slight differences and variations).Obviously, when being examined by someone, it is best to execute evrything as close as you can to the way he does it, or you might get the comment "That is not how you were taught this, is it?"But anyway, nothing will replace your training and your Sensei's guidance, but the Internet is still full of wonderful resources.

Yes, that's right, Jodo might also fit the description, but I also think our friend means Kendo, with the black suits and facial protection.Kendo is the better known and most popular of the two.

Thank you, everyone, for your good wishes.Indeed, bishoujo, my operation was not that long ago, but I am feeling pretty much OK now (and I am kind of a tough type).Also, there is no full contact involved, although I could get whacked in the nose accidentally, of course (Knowing my luck, that might just happen ).Had a funny experience the day i came out of hospital, though: the dog came for a cuddle and got so excited to see me back home that he whacked me straight in the nose with his head (they do have a damn hard head, those animals).I could not really be angry with him, though, he was only trying to show me how much he loves me and that he was excited to have me back with him.Nol, thank you too for wishing me luck, but 12 years is of course a long time. If I do manage to get my black belt next year (normally, when i pass my exam next Sunday, I will have my brown belt with a red stripe, and then the next grading will be in a year's time, for the black belt 1st Dan).In the beginning, we grade every 3 months or so, as soon as we reach brown belt, it becomes every 6 months, as there is a lot more to learn, and what you learn is also a lot more difficult to master, same when reaching your brown belt with red stripe, there is a hell of a lot to learn to get your black belt, so it takes about a year.But, if all goes well, I will have reached my black belt, from the very beginning, in about 3 years.Anyway, I will keep you posted, and thanks again for all your good wishes.

No linekill, another 2 weeks.But thank you for your good wishes and encouragement.After doing (and hopefully passing) this grading the real work starts.It will mean a whole year of intense and hard work to work up to the black belt.(Shiver....)

Thanks for the good wishes, folks.Will, yes, you spelled 'Sensei' correctly.The thing is, if our Sensei feels we are not ready for grading he will hold us back.You think this grading is tough, well, when I will do my 1st Dan grading (in a year's time hopefully) I will have to do all the above, with the difference that we will have to do all sets of Kumite (1,2,3,4 and 5), we might have to do all 9 or even 10 Kata's we wil know by then and we will also have to do a fight against a number of opponents for 10 minutes continuously.I get scared even thinking about it.But, by then I will be a year older and, hopefully, wiser.

Hi folks,on Sunday 30 September 2007 I will be grading for my brown belt with red stripe (1st Kyu) in Shotokan Karate.As the name 1st Kyu implies, this is the belt just before becoming a black belt first Dan.For this grading exam we have to do our basics (Kihon), Kumite (Kihon and Jyu Ippon) set 4 and the Kata Bassai Dai plus any previously learned Kata they might ask us to do.(So far we did Taikyoku Shodan, Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan, Heian Godan, Heian Yondan and Tekki Shodan), so we have to be prepared to perform up to eight Katas (although they rarely or never ask you to do all of them during a grading below black belt).A lot to get through and this will be especially tough for me since I was not allowed to do any training whatsoever for 4 weeks after having had a nose operation. I have only resumed my training two weeks ago.Fortunately i was fairly much on the right level with everything, but I still have to catch up.So, it looks like I will need all the luck i can get.I will keep you posted on my progress and of course on the result of the grading too.

A good analysis, vmatosc.However, there is also another (or two) main reason(s) why people opt for a certain martial art (I speak from my own experience).One reason is often that people want to take up a certain martial art, but there is no club in their neighbourhood offering the particular sport they want to go for.(I would have liked to take up kickboxing, but it would mean miles and miles of travel to get to the nearest club. Same thing for Wudang tai Chi Ch'uan).Another reason (sometimes, but not always linked to the first one) is that some clubs charge people an arm and a leg for membership fees, excluding uniform and equipment needed, and then also charge hefty fees for exams, tournaments and the likes.As you can see, people are not always as free to take up the martial art of their choice as you would think.It just is not as black and white as this.(Mind you, this was not written with the intention of criticising you our your post, merely an addition to the reasons you mentioned).

Let us not forget that ANY addiction, whether due to certain substances (nicotine, alcohol, drugs) or other (gaming, gambling, even food) triggers certain receptors in the brain.There are obviously (and literally) 1000s of those receptors, all with their own triggering sources, but it basically boils down to exactly the same.If it is not the substance that triggers a reaction, then it is the kick people get from gambling, or playing games, or whatever.I went through something similar years ago, when I had bought my first computer (the good old Commodore 64, bless its woolen socks).My wife and me tried to play a game, obviously we were rubbish at it, being new computer owners, but after a while, things got a bit better, we started getting near going into a next level, and that is where the triggering came in. We desperately wanted to see what this next level would be like, how your 'enemies' would change, how much more difficult it would be, so we decided to have one more go.Until all of a sudden we looked at the clock which showed us it was 4 o'clock in the morning.This went on for a good while, but, just like nicotine makes your brain tell you yopu need that next cigarette, similarly the game made our brain tell us we wanted to find out what happened next (against all common sense, of course).What it basically comes down to is that any addiction is triggered via certain hormones and brain channels, so, a gambler most probably needs as much help as an alcoholic.

Similar here in the UK.We get our treatment and examinations for nothing, but that does not mean it is actually free, as you do pay the NHS through taxation.Fortunately, I have not heard about things like you just described in the case of the old man's pacemaker.The only thing is, if the NHS think your case is less urgent, you will have a longer wait to be treated.The other thing, though, it is often said "If you pay peanuts you will get monkeys".I think that certainly goes here in the UK, as the number of doctors I have met who either don't care or are totally incompetent or both, goes beyond description.The other thing I do not agree with is the case of how selective they are sometimes when organs are needed.I am referring here to the case of George Best, who needed a new liver (and got one) after years of alcohol abuse.The problem I have with this is, that Best was served very quickly, as it looks to me, only on the merits of having been a top class soccer player in his day.However, as soon as he was out of hospital, the alcohol abuse started again, and killed him in the end.Why should he have been given this liver purely because of being George Best, especially if you see how he threw it all back in people's faces?That is why I will never donate a single organ.If they were to go to people who need them on an "if and when required" basis, then yes, but if they are only meant to be reserved for the one with the right name, or the ones who can afford to pay for them, then I'd rather be buried with a full body.

Well,1) Very irregular, sometimes none for weeks or months, then sometimes 5 a day2) about ? 2.50 for a pint here (1 pint= almost half a liter).3) I do like foreign beers, such as the ones from Belgium, e.g. Kriek, which is made from cherries, or Trappist, which is brewn by the Trappist monks in monasteries (this beer is real nectar, anyone should honestly try it), a pint of Foster's is nice and refreshing too (provided it is served really chilled).

It might be a good idea if you (on YouTube for example) typed "Bunkai" in the search bar.Bunkai is the Japanese word for applications of certain moves, as practiced in Kata's.Eg. like the ones (Katas) on YouTube, performed by Luca Valdesi, usually have it in the title, it usually looks like "Heian Shodan, including Bunkai".So, have a go, try to enter that word into the search box and see what happens.

Obviously there are rights and wrongs to learning from videos, if you rely on them exclusively, you become a "parrot", just copying what you see.But it does have some advantages in jogging memory, and picking up your sequence (again).Obviously, you still have to practice your kata's yourself, as the muscular memory plays an important part in them, but this can nevertheless be a useful aid.I don't know about the thing you say about forms and kata's for other styles, as I do Shotokan karate, that is obviously what I have looked for, but I was under the impression there are resources available for Tai Chi forms and the like.Also, the Shotokan Karate Kata's i look for, I want them to be complete, including Bunkai, so that they give you an insight of What they can be used for.But obviously, a video can never be a replacement for personal training and regular training with your sensei.

I have read somewhere in the forums it is possible to change your subdomain (i.e. the part of your name that comes before 'Xisto.com').I have not found anywhere how to do so, however.So, sorry if it was already posted somewhere and I missed it, but could someone let me know how this is done?At the moment I have vlaanderen-flanders.trap17.com, how could I change the 'vlaanderen-flanders' bit?All help will be much appreciated.

Needles don't really bother me, I've had enough injections and have had enough blood taken to last me a lifetime.However, the only injection that does bother me is the one the dentist gives you.I think it can be pretty painful when that needle goes into your gums.

I think it is a good thing if people learn a number of martial arts, and then learn to combine them.As said in another topic, there is no such thing as the best or worst martial art, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, if you can combine techniques from different martial arts, it will give you a great opportunity to combine the strengths of every one, and reduce the ones you consider to be weaknesses.However, if you are good at what you do, correctly executed techniques are always difficult to defend yourself against.Let us not forget that the great Bruce Lee, an absolute master in martial arts in my book, built up his Jeet Kune Do by combining the techniques of a vast number of martial arts.

Like I said earlier, ALL styles have their own pros and cons.So, whether there is a "best" or "worst" style is very debatable.You can also "kill" with what is not strictly speaking a martial art, namely close combat, as taught in the army.

That is indeed what it was.Funny enough, although cocaine is a narcotic, used in small doses it becomes a stimulant. All those years ago, someone wanted to make an energy boosting drink (medicinal) and tried to achieve that by mixing very small amounts of cocaine with caffeine and then turning it into liquid, hoping the drink would have the desired effect. It did, however, not work out the way he had wanted it to and he gave up, leaving the formula to his drink behind in the process. There it was picked up by someone who actually used it and became a billionaire with it, you guessed it, the inventor of Coca Cola. Although there is no longer any cocaine in Coke, I think it still has a hint of a sort of medicine taste. But, you can check this out, this is the true story about how it all started.

Hi TikiPrincess,yes, I can breathe, but it is obviously not easy as there is a lot of congestion there after the surgery.It can be painful at times too, but things can only get better (probably once the congestion begins to clear and the wounds heal).Anyway, I am awaiting better days.

Well then,made it home today.I had my operation yesterday an dhad to stay in overnight to be monitored.There is of course substantial swelling and lots of clotted blood inside my nose, it also feels quite uncomfortable.However, when the doctor came to see me this morning he said that there was going to be some congestion for the first week or so, I was given seawater to spray into the nose after which I have to put drops in.Unfortunately I have to rely on painkillers quite a bit, hope that will soon stop and hopefully I'll soon see the benefits of my surgery.

I wonder why people even bother comparing the different martial arts.It is true, any martial arts of whatever style will usually say "What i teach is the true martial art".How wrong, same as the pointlessness of this discussion.All martial arts have their strengths and weaknesses, but also their techniques specific to the style.Therefore, when a karateka were to fight a TKD or Kung Fu fighter, it is pointless to say "Karate does not stand a chance against Kung Fu" or something similar.fact of the matter is, if you are proficient at what you do, any technique, whether described here as weak or whatever, which is executed skillfully and correctly, has got its merits.It would therefore not take a skillful Martial Artist long to se what his(or her) opponent's favourite or frequently used techniques are, and equally, it will not be rocket science to work out what to use to counter attack.But, as said before, don't expect a total beginner in any martial art to possess lethal skills.It does take many years of training, whatever the art.