Blog is Dead, Long Live the Blog!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I'm not quite done with the internet!
My new website is a single place where I can post photos, tunes, blogs etc on a variety of subjects. There will be some karate discussion up there, but it won't be an exclusive karate site. I hope that's a good compromise!
Here's the link:
http://virb.com/sji
Labels: total karate, Virb
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:49 PM,
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Coming Soon
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New website coming soon.
More details shortly.
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 9:19 AM,
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Time to Call It A Day
Saturday, October 10, 2009
It's been fun. Thank you for reading and for the comments over the last few years, but it's time to finish now.
Time to focus on more important things. Time to gather in energy reserves to meet the challenges that are coming.
The website will remain open as a reference.
The club is continuing as usual, I'm just not writing articles any more. If you wish to know about our club please visit http://barrow-karate.blogspot.com
Goodbye and Good Luck with your training.
Labels: Goodbye
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 3:26 PM,
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No training until 5th October
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Message for club members.
The next training session will be Monday 5th October 2009. I'm going to be out of circulation for a week or so, I'll be back posting soon :)
Labels: training
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:38 PM,
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Aerobic conditioning
Friday, September 18, 2009
OK let's lighten up. This is harder than it looks.....
Add it to your cardio routine.
Labels: cardio
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 12:55 PM,
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Ugh! McDojo Recruitment Season!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
It's the time of year when the sales and marketing people at the local McDojo gear up for their new intake. Why is it that high-price, high-membership turnaround, low quality clubs attract many people (sometimes hundreds!) only to put them off martial arts for good?
At the same time traditional dojos struggle to find new students. There's the competition from the snake oil peddlers (McDojos) and also places like gyms that offer physical training without thinking about it, where they have aerobic kickboxing and suchlike (so people can play at martial arts without getting bruised or having to bother learning real skills).
There are two McDojos in our part of the world. One is high profile (instant "market") and the other is run by... well, I won't say anything here.
Traditional clubs (by which I mean places like Muay Thai and MMA gyms as well as traditional karate, kung fu etc) rely on a handful of senior grades to keep the place going, as well as the regulars and those who only train in the short term (fair enough if you decide martial arts isn't for you).
The best way to gain new members is word of mouth. A club is only as good as the instructors and students, and simply putting some effort into training and telling people about the place can work wonders. Now, I'm not talking about constantly yakking at people like some network marketing wannabe (or McDojo salesperson!), just being enthusiastic is enough.
Traditional clubs will endure; full time dojos will do well because they are professionally run and are ethical. McDojos will come and go - they tend not to have too many hardcore members anyway. So really, they are not that much of a threat. They tend to attract students who'd rather buy a belt than earn it, leaving the rest of the clubs to work with people who care.
And that's the difference. If you care about your club it is bound to be a success.
I'd rather have a dozen decent students (who can cover hall rental costs) than have 800 low quality students who are only there for a quick fix. Less marketing and business = more training time!
Labels: McDojo
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 6:36 AM,
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UK Karate Instructors to go on government vetting database
Friday, September 11, 2009
Anyone working with young people (under 18s) must be registered on a new government database designed to "protect" children from paedophiles. There's a £5000 fine for failing to register. Clubs can also be fined £5000 for using unvetted instructors.
Here's the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8249020.stm
This has implications for karate clubs all over the UK of course. You might have a couple of brown belts who "help out" with the kids' class before their own training session, or you might have senior grades training with younger people. In future they will have to be registered on the database.
No database can protect children. First and foremost it is parents' responsibility to protect their children, then those who work with youngsters have a duty of care. This is just plain common sense and good ethics, but now you have to "prove" you're "safe" by being on a database.
It's yet another government revenue generating scheme and further interference into our lives disguised with good intentions. Being checked out as OK to work with kids is one thing, but keeping another massive database? As someone who develops large-scale databases for a living I know they are good tools, but they are not the answer to life's problems.
The system comes into force in October, and people need to be registered by November 2010 before they are committing the crime of not being vetted.
Labels: instructors, karate, register, vetting
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 6:23 AM,
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Bunkai Difficulties?
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Are you studying bunkai, and getting yourself lost?
Tip: don't do bunkai!
Another tip... watch aikido videos :) These techniques are uncannily familiar...
Irimi Nage is a favourite of mine.
Labels: aikido, bunkai, karate
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 5:09 PM,
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Basic Wrist/Arm holds
Some aikido for you. But these techniques can easily be found within basic karate kata. In aikido each of the following holds can be executed with different variations, so these are just basic examples of each technique.
They are somewhat painful to Uke :)
Ikkyo
Nikyo (my favourite trick here is to compress the forearm by pushing the wrist and elbow together as though plaing a concertina. Do this after getting the basic twist)
Sankyo
Kote Gaeshi (Wrist Turnout)
Labels: aikido, karate, wrist locks
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 4:44 PM,
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Only One Kata
If you had to choose just one kata for training what would it be? What would be the reasons for your choice?
It could be a favourite kata, or one that develops specific skills, or perhaps a kata that encompasses many ideas. Some katas are for specific training, while others are more geared to demonstrating a full system.
Kushanku would be a good candidate for a "single kata". It pretty much wraps up wado ryu in one nice package :)
Some would argue the only kata you need it a tai chi form. The bagua 8 palm changes is another interesting system!
Sanchin and tensho go very nicely together. Now, how about if both these forms were wrapped up into a single kata - that would be something! (Does such a form already exist?) In wado ryu, seishan is the equivalent to sanchin, so that might be a good candidate for covering all the basics.
Labels: kata, Kushanku, sanchin, seishan, tai chi, tensho
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:45 AM,
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Interesting article about kata from an Aikido perspective
Worth reading.
http://www.aikiweb.com/training/skoss2.html
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:44 AM,
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Chito Ryu Karate
Now this is an interesting style. I've read about Sensei Chitose in the past -fascinating stuff. Here's some more information on Chito Ryu...
http://chitoryu.com/Chito-Ryu%20Style.htm
And some videos...
Labels: chito ryu karate
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:27 AM,
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Staying Healthy
Important information below
As a follow up to recent posts about conditioning training...
There's a difference between "health" and "fitness". Health refers to our overall physical and mental condition, our wellbeing, and our ability to go about the day without suffering from ailments. Good health means our minds and bodies are working in harmony, operating at optimum parameters as they say on Star Trek.
Fitness is specific, is in fit-for-purpose. You can be a highly trained athlete capable of putting yourself through extreme physical endurance and pressue, but if your immune system is weakened through improper training and diet then your health may suffer.
So the trick is to train smart, and remember that rest is as important as action. And stay healthy! That's why people refer to "health and fitness". You can have one without the other, although it has to be said that fitness works best if you're healthy in the first place!
Here's a health tip: get some Vitamin D inside you (note that I am not issuing medical advice, it's just a tip. Do some research of your own).
The best source of Vitamin D is from sunlight, so catch some rays before autumn/winter sets in (northern hemisphere!) The next best thing is to take cod liver oil (or capsules). There's some information on vitamin D at this site: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp
Vitamin D does an excellent job of protecting you from the Flu Virus - including swine flu. It is far more effective than any untested, potentially dangerous vaccine (why are governments so keen for everyone to have the vaccines? I smell a very nasty rat...)
Here's some information for you:
http://www.medicalvoices.org/
http://www.theflucase.com/
Also very well worth checking out is this information on Colloidal Silver
http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=61
http://www.colloidalsilveronline.co.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6srMG_2-aY
In your research you'll probably come across colloidal-silver detractors. These people are the same ones who want you to have untested, unproven vaccines. As always, trust your instincts, educate yourself and understand that the "experts" often have their own agenda.
Get fit, stay healthy and enjoy your training.
Labels: health and fitness
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:06 AM,
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Hojo Undo
Friday, September 04, 2009
Hojo Undo means "supplementary training". I've posted a few ideas recently on supplementary training for your martial arts. It could include weights, running, swimming, weapons training, yoga and other exercises to increase strength, stamina and flexibility.
Traditionally Hojo Undo means training with Makiwara (striking post), Nigiri Game (gripping jars - old school powerballs!!), as well as sand bags and stones for striking into.
Traditional Hojo Undo can often be found in Okinawan styles, but if this kind of training is your thing why not incorporate it into what you do? We used to do some many years ago. We built our own exercise equipment - Nigiri Game can be made from candy jars filled with sand, stones or grit, for example.
There's some good photos of equipment here
http://www.okinawagoju.com/okinawagoju/ph_hojoundo_equipment.htm
And there's some ideas on making your own at this link:
http://www.otgka.co.uk/supplementary.htm
Labels: Hojo Undo
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:53 PM,
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Powerballs!
OK, calm down. Powerball is an exercise tool for developing grip and arm strength. Here's a video if you've never seen them....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5cM84qSj5o (embedding is disabled...)
Basically, it's a gyroscope and the idea is to spin it up and rotate your wrist. It's amazing how much force these things can generate. They are excellent for improving your grip and forearm strength (and that means you can improve your grappling and punching skills).
I found that engaging the whole body using the powerball gives you a good workout. Try using one in sanchin stance for instance. Keep your arms and shoulders aligned and relaxed. Stay rooted down through your legs and feet.
Useful thing to try.
(Tip: you can start them up without using a length of cord. Once you get the hang of it, it's much better to use).
Labels: powerball
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:48 PM,
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Barrow-in-Furness Karate
Friday, August 28, 2009
Do you live in or around Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England?
Shoshin Karate Club is looking for new members who are interested in learning Karate. Please leave a comment here if or email stephen dot irwin at bt internet dot com for details.
There's no training on Monday 31st August (Bank Holiday Monday). Training on Thursday 3rd September begins at 6:30pm, and after that we should be back to normal hours.
Every Monday and Thursday
Juniors from 6:30pm (ages 6 - 12)
Seniors from 7:20opm (ages 13+)
Greengate Junior School
Greengate Street
Barrow-in-Furness
More info: http://barrow-karate.blogspot.com
Labels: karate barrow-in-furness
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 12:50 AM,
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Training and Conditioning: Abs and Core Muscles
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Here's some more training articles focusing on core strength training and abdominal workouts...
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/abdominal.html
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/a/NewCore.htm
The second link has plenty of further links for you to research.
Labels: abdominals, core muscles, training
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 3:51 PM,
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Training and Conditioning: Sit-ups
Here's another a posting on conditioning training. This time we'll take a look at sit-ups. There's a good video on Youtube on the subject, try this:
How about going for a Two Hundred sit-ups challenge? There's a website here if you're interested in that! http://www.twohundredsitups.com/ Just remember to have a specific target for your exercise, don't simply exercise for the sake of being good at doing sit-ups!
The US army has a minimum sit-up requirement for different age groups enlisting. Check out their chart at http://www.army.com/enlist/sit-ups.html It's probably a good first target to aim to complete the minimum requirement for your age if you haven't done sit-ups before. (Actually those charts are pretty useful, check out the push-ups chart too!)
There are other charts for the British Army if you wish to study those. They can be found at:
http://www.hmforces.co.uk/content/Army_basic_training
Labels: Sit-ups
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 3:32 PM,
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What's happening?
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Hello!
Still here, haven't gone away... I've been enjoying some summer training (keeps me out of the rain!!!) Classes are continuing during the holidays and we're doing OK with numbers. We have one or two very dedicated students and they are the ones who make it all worthwhile. (You know who you are, I won't mention names, and one of you will probably blush if I did ;) )
I've been playing with some sticks with a couple of the lads, and we're having great fun with that. We're using escrima sticks because they are convenient and using them with kata "bunkai" has been very interesting (I'll post some info soon). Plus the circular flowing movements of the stick work are very beneficial for our karate.
Also coming up will be some more information on conditioning.... sit-ups, core training and some traditional methods for conditioning which you might find useful.
Labels: escrima, karate, summer training
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 2:19 PM,
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Training times changed for summer holidays
Monday, July 27, 2009
As from this Thursday 30th July our club training for seniors will be from 6:30pm to 7:30pm at the usual venue. Training will continue every Monday and Thursday except August Bank Holiday Monday (31st August). We'll go back to our usual training time from 7th September.
Anyone from Barrow-in-Furness area or South Cumbria (England) who wishes to train with us please leave a comment and I'll get back to you.
Labels: classes
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 3:43 PM,
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Dan Anderson demonstrating bunkai and body structure
Friday, July 17, 2009
The first part of this video is some footage of Dan with Iain Abernethy training in the back yard. The second half is some seminar footage, definitely worth checking out.
Labels: Dan Anderson, Iain Abernethy, kata bunkai
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 2:49 PM,
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Press Ups / Push Ups part 2
In a recent post I illustrated some push up movements. I wish to follow that up with a few notes and ideas...
Try push ups on your knuckles (if you're age 18+, but not recommended for under 16s). Only the first two knuckles should make contact with the floor. Your fists should follow the direction you are facing, i.e. if you are kneeling down with your hands in front of you then your fists are vertical and your elbows are tucked in.
Speaking of elbows...
Notice in the video how everyone had their elbows sticking out? Not a good position for punching, is it? When you do a straight punch the elbows should stay pointing to the floor, and rotate from the forearm to maintain a good structure in the arm and shoulder alignment.
Do your push ups the same way. When you bend your arms make sure the elbows are pressed in towards your sides, not sticking outwards. This is a better position for strengthing your punches. You'll notice at first that this type of push up is more difficult.
Now try small sets (2-3, increasing the numbers up to say, 10) - this time do each push up in rapid succession, as fast as you can. Have a couple of seconds rest in the ready position between sets.
Another idea is to bend your arms to lower yourself slowly then extend your arms rapidly.
Finally, have a clear goal for the exercise. Don't just do push ups to get good at push ups! Remember this is a supplementary exercise for your karate!
Labels: karate, press ups, push ups
posted by Stephen Irwin @ 1:04 PM,
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