Technology

Internet has made sharing and communicating much easier. It is fast, easy to use, and almost everyone has it. You can share what you like, your different ideas, you can connect with friends old and new. You never really know where technology is going to go next or what is going to be the next big thing. However, sooner or later everything will start connecting even more so then they are now. Everything will be in one place at the tip of your fingers and easy to use. Technology will start coming together and it will happen because that’s what people want, they want everything in one place, on place to do it all. Watch TV, play games, chat with friends, share pictures; everything. This change is happening now, but it is certainly moving that way and the pace is picking up! Soon we will have everything right in front of us, all of it can be used or controlled from your phone and everything will converge. The internet is changing and evolving. Who knows what is next?

My little Avatar

Hey, this is my avatar that I created from voki.com. I created the look because I thought it was cute and I like cats, I thought it would be a good addition to my blog!

Do Belts Really Matter?

Some people think that belts are just a waste of time, while others think they are a necessary part of any martial art. While having or getting a belt can be motivational and show your progress. It is not necessarily everything. You can go online and buy a black belt for $5, but does its really having any meaning when you do that? No it doesn't. You have no skill and no training to back it up. Belts are used to show your rank and how far you have progressed as well as where your skill level should be. After getting the first few belts, achieving the next belt becomes harder as your skill become more refined. As a kid learning martial arts the belt can be used to motivate the kids to push themselves and try harder, as they go up in rank they must work even harder. The belt has no meaning unless you have the skill and knowledge to back it up.

How Teaching Can Help You Improve Yourself

Teaching is not only for the person you are teaching, it is also for you. Teaching helps you realize what you are good at, what you're not so good at, and what you need to work on. Teaching can help you benefit just as much as the people you are teaching. When you teach you have to be assertive and not shy. Even when you don't know all the answer you leanr as you go and you always find your own groove. Teaching doesn't always come easy but with time you get more comfortable.

How much training?

Have you ever wondered if you are training enough, or if you are getting in enough practice? Do you ever how much you should practice? Well the simply answer is you should practice all the time, but what does that mean when you have a busy life like most people? When you start out and you are a lower rank it is recommended and ok to train around twice a week if you want to maintain a growth. As you being to climb the ranks you should practice a minimum of 3-5 times a week. While practicing involves going down to your training area (dojo) and working for a few hours, practice doesn't always have to be down at the dojo for intense training for 2 hours, training can be while you are sitting in front of the TV practicing your stances or basic techniques. Practicing can be while you are walking around the house using your kicks, and learning better footwork. We all have busy hectic lives and training can sometimes be put on the back burner, but there are always ways to get around to training, you can always find 30 minutes somewhere to practice a little bit. If you have a higher rank and all you do is go to your class 2-3 times a week, you might not loose what you have, but you wont be gaining very much, you do have to train outside of class and put in the effort if you want to continue to get better and "sharpen" your tools.

What is Bunkai?

Kata, would simply just be something to look at without bunkai. Bunkai is the definition of the moves in a kata. Bunkai is how the moves in a kata would be used in a possible life situation. When you study bunkai, you are breaking down the movements in a kata and applying them in a practical situation. Each move in a kata however, has multiple different applications and therefore different interpretations of bunkai. For example a block can be more then a block it can be a strike. The same goes for a strike, it can become a block. What you see in the kata is only the skeleton, it is only the very top layer, once you begin to learn more about bunkai, the applications change. One move can mean many different things. Bunkai takes time and hard work to master, but practice everyday and you will get better, things will become easier and you will be able to see the different applications. Bunkai takes great amounts of focus and time, but when you begin to understand what that kata really means everything begins to come together.

Kata

What is a kata? Basically a kata is a series of techniques and movements. Kata comes from the Japanese term meaning formal exercise. It is a symbol of an imaginary fight between you and an opponent (or multiple opponents). When karate was against the law, the common people and farmers had to find a way to still be able to practice, they then came up with katas. In each kata, one move can have around 8 actually meanings. The katas were made to look almost like a dance rather than a form of self defence; however the katas are typically very brutal. Through kata we can learn proper stance, focus, and transition between technique, as well as footwork. The use of footwork in katas teach the student how to use distance for offensive and defensive purposes. Offensively, footwork closes the distance between the student and his attacker so that the student may strike. Defensively, footwork allows the student to evade an attack by creating distance. With kata you are able to get a strong foundation and improve your sparring and self defense. While practing katas has many benefits it will not prove advantageous unless practiced with the utmost seriousness and knowledge of the practical application. My instructor always says to practice it like your life depends on it, because one day you may very well need it.



Kata should be performed with knowledge, technique, focus, accuracy, good breathing control, speed, and power , so that over time the kata is done without even thinking about the movements. It takes a very long time to master a kata for there is always something you can improve, however, with time your kata will always improve if you put in the time and effort.