I practiced Kajukenbo for several years as a child and really enjoyed it. I remember that the classes I took were heavily focused on self-defense. We did some light sparring but the contact and intensity increased with your level - I remember watching a black belt promotion exam where the examinee had to defend themselves against several attackers at once and thinking it was very cool and impressive. I also enjoyed the "forms" in addition to the more practical elements of the classes. 

I got busy as a teenager and dropped karate for other activities but now as an adult I'm interested in going back. I can't find any Kajukenbo classes near me. There are several karate and martial arts schools in my city and as far as I can tell it looks like my options are Shotokan, Shorin-ryu, or other types of martial arts entirely like jiu-jitsu.

I am wondering which of those styles is the most similar to Kajukenbo with a similar emphasis on self-defense and actual combat but with some of the more dance-like, performance-based elements as well. Has anyone practiced multiple of these styles and can offer some comparison?

I love finding answers to this question. I have had a lot of mammograms this year due to treatment for breast precancer (and I have one tomorrow), and the breath control and posture holding I have learned in karate makes it easy peasy to get good images. I like to wear my karate t-shirts to appointments/treatments for morale as well.

How has your karate training made your everyday life easier/better in some way?

People in Delhi, especially female athletes looking for genuine martial arts progression, need to know the reality behind a Fityard MMA gym based in Delhi, Prashant Vihar

I joined this facility for serious MMA training, but the classes completely lack structure and progression. Techniques are taught randomly, making it entirely unsuitable for anyone looking for professional athletic development. However, the most glaring issue is the discrepancy between their "women’s empowerment" marketing and the actual reality on the mats.

I was excluded from training twice simply because there was no other female student present. The male instructor flatly refused to demonstrate techniques with me, resulting in disrespectful and unprofessional behaviour where I was forced to stand aside and watch the entire class train instead of participating.

When I challenged this blatant denial of the service I paid for, co-owner Sonal defended the exclusion, asking: “What if something happens? Who will take responsibility?”

This admission is highly alarming. By stating that men must only train with men to prevent "something happening," management is openly acknowledging that their own male staff lack the professional standards and athletic boundaries required to safely train female members. If hired coaches do not know how to teach without losing control, it highlights a serious internal failure in operational accountability.

This highlights Deficiency of Service & Unfair Trade Practice by the Gym: Gender-based exclusion from training mats due to staff boundary failures.

As equal partners and founders, Sonal, Rocco, and Jatin should not sell memberships to women under the guise of self-defence if their own operational model assumes their staff cannot guarantee basic safety and boundaries on the mats. Paying female members should not have to sacrifice their training opportunities or tolerate disrespectful treatment because the gym's personnel lack the training to function professionally.

Ultimately, this facility is structured to sell an aesthetic rather than actual capability. If you just want a superficial workout to feel productive and buy the identity of being an MMA learner without gaining real, street-practical self-defence skills, go here. But for anyone looking for authentic martial arts progression, the flawed rules enforced by this partnership make it a complete failure.

Avoid this place if you value your time, money, and dignity as an athlete.

If any of yall have heard of or have experience hand embroidering their belts I’d like some tips. Not on technique, but like what needle should I use, what thread should I use, that kind of stuff. I got my black belt in June and just started coming back to karate after being away the whole summer, and I really don’t wanna get an embroidered belt for like 90 bucks and hand embroidering the stripe would actually feel great

I live in Canada and my 2 daughters started at a local dojo. Sensei is young, but amazing with the kids and both kids are loving it. When we signed up it was $250 registration (he only charged for 1 kid cause both were signing up) we pay $300/month for both kids - unlimited classes they can do 5 a week, but we typically do 2-3.

NOW 5 months in there is a hush talk that happens when your child is selected to move to a blue uniform. You are given a piece of paper with a lump sum payment of $3000 is expected to stay in the dojo- or payment options that will triple your monthly payments along with a smaller fee, if you don’t have the money. This seems insane. Is this normal?! I only know the pricing cause all the parents are starting to talk about it and it’s super stressful for all of us.

Sensei mentioned to my 7 year old she is ready to “move up” she is excited and now I’m freaking out cause obviously we don’t have the money and I don’t want to break her heart by pulling her.

Any thoughts, comments of what to say when sensei pulls me aside and I get the dreaded piece of paper?!?

Thanks!!!

Months ago I had talked about my weight situation, I said I was going to go to a gym before rejoin to karate but their feedback helped me change my mind. And a few weeks ago I talked about the nutritionist a month before I returned and also helped me (in this case, I would go to the nutritionist while I rejoined karate). Unfortunately, I'm having a lot of expenses this month and I don't think I'll be able to rejoin this month. If all goes well, I'll join in November, but what do you recommend for now?

I am Taika's son Masaki and my family and Ryu-Te would like to thank you all for your interests and purchases this past month.

The 2nd Edition of Ryu-Te No Michi is officially entering its final days. We started with over 300 books, and we are now down to the last copies.

This is the final printing. We do not plan on printing more on our end, so once these remaining books are gone, the 2nd Edition will be out of print.

To ensure you get one of the final copies, you must use the official order form (We are not doing international orders): https://www.ebay.com/usr/masaki23

Hiii, primeira vez postando aqui nesse sub sksksk

Então, eu pratico karatê há 11 anos e participo de competições há uns 4 anos. Tô querendo comprar um karategi de kata novo, mas tô MUITO na dúvida de qual pegar.

Tava pensando no Shori da Adidas, mas queria saber a opinião de quem já tem/usa ele. Vale a pena? Como é o caimento, o peso, o barulho e a qualidade no geral?

Também aceito indicações de outros karategis de kata aprovados pela WKF. Pode ser de qualquer marca, principalmente se vocês tiverem experiência com eles.

Agradeço!

Really interesting video! And if you're on here, Goju Ryu Philosopher, I hope you comment so people can give you credit.

Some context for why I found this video really intersting: I trained first in Shorin Ryu, before moving to World Oyama, before finally finding a home in Kenshikai Goju Ryu (I had to move multiple times due to work, but that's life! I'm very happy where I am now).

While World Oyama doesn't have the same katas as Kyokushin, the idea that katas even of the same name in different styles reveal what that style wants to emphasize helped me view my own practice and experience in a new light. Since falling in love with Goju Ryu, I have tended to look at my World Oyama experience as very simplistic in comparison; i.e. I found much more depth in Goju Ryu. This video helped reframe my previous study, and has given me a greater appreciation of World Oyama.

White belt here. I’ve just started Kyokushin Karate and have a question about the basics.

How much of what we learn early on, such as blocks, kihon (basics), basic stances, and kata, actually carries over into kumite and real combat?

Are the techniques we drill in kihon essentially the same movements used in fighting, just adapted to be more economical and fluid? Or are the formal techniques and stances mainly training tools for developing things like balance, timing, coordination, power, and body mechanics?

For example, are the formal stances actually useful in combat, or do you naturally end up using much more relaxed and compact versions of them?

And what’s the best way to practice the basics so that they eventually become useful in kumite rather than just looking good in kihon?

I’m wondering if it’s a bit like learning scales in music. You practice the movements very formally and precisely, but when you actually "play the song," they show up in a more natural and adapted form. And you can slightly alter/change them to suit new needs or even use them in different ways.

Would love to hear how Kyokushin practitioners think about this, especially how your understanding of kihon, stances, and kata changed once you started doing more kumite.

I am a brown belt in karate. I've been training for about four years. However, I'm not at all confident in my ability to defend myself if I ever get into a real fight.

This is because at my dojo, untrained people never spar. We wait until purple belt (been training without sparring for roughly 9 months) before you are even allowed to spar, and then a lot of people wait until blue or green belt (1-2 years training) to start sparring.

My instructor says this is because untrained people don't know any skills to be able to safely spar or spar without using too much power.

The issue is, that means we only have one or two people sparring each week (we also only spar once a week -- which is a whole other issue), and we get very used to sparring with these one or two people.

While we don't do full sparring with gear until purple belt, we do do semikumite - or half-sparring. In our dojo this means making light contact and taking turns attacking/defending.

The problem is, the brand new people - the white and yellow belts - are the most difficult to spar against for me! Their attacks are so unpredictable and they hit hard since they haven't learned to control their power yet.

I feel like this "no sparring until purple belt" rule is actually hurting all us students in our abilities to defend ourselves in the long run. What do you think?

Edit: I've had multiple people suggest I find a new gym. I would love to train cross-discipline, but my dojo is the only martial arts gym in my local area and other gyms would be pretty spendy in gas to get to and from multiple times per week. When/if I move to a bigger city, I would love to train kickboxing or something.

I'll try talking to my instructor about it. It wouldn't really matter much anyways, though, because everyone in my class is ranked blue belt at up at the moment, with three black belts. Only one black belt and I ever spar even though the others would be perfectly allowed to.

Hi I am a 51 year old guy just attended my first karate lesson. Basically I was paired with one of the instructors 1:1 the whole session where I was shown the basics of punching and dan burai (probably spelling that wrong). I am quite clumsy and uncoordinated, and while I am reasonably fit am not the most flexible person. The instructor was super patient and it was a nice atmosphere.

I definitely want to sign up. I meant to try it for a long time but just never had the time with work, childcare etc but now my kid is older I feel I have to get started before I get too old.

I feel I need to practice the movements before the next session otherwise I'll be back to square one. Its a Shotokan club - can anyone recommend any good YouTube vids for practicing the real beginner level stuff?

Looking for tips on my Karate training at home

Hi everyone!

I train Shotokan Karate and have also been training on my own at home almost daily for several months.

I want to improve my training at home, and I'm not entirely sure whether the exercises and training methods I'm currently using are the most effective.

That's why I'd like to ask you which exercises or training methods you would recommend for Karate training. My main goal is to make my training at home as effective as possible.

I'd appreciate any tips you can share with me 🥋

I don’t have the space to practice properly at home, and I spend a lot of time in public parks. I like to work on my flexibility, so a lot of kibadachi, leg stretches etc. Lately I’ve been trying to improve my kicks (they’re pathetic…).

The thing is I’m a little uncomfortable practicing martial arts in public. I’m not shy, I don’t really care in that respect, but there’s something at the back of my mind that tells me I shouldn’t practice my fighting skills in public. I don’t know.

Do you practice in public spaces like that? what do you think?

Can someone who only recently became an uchi-deshi already be an instructor?

Hello everyone, I am 102kg and 167cm tall and I am thinking of doing karate for self defense but I am not sure if it's possible for someone like me, there is a big chance that I will be the only obese/overweight person at the gym which makes me nervous. I would appreciate anyone who experienced this and tell me what they think and what they experienced, all types of people can tell me their story regardless of body types or anything else, thank you.

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I am writing a thesis/essay for my upcoming grading, and hoping this lovely group can help me refine my core question.

I am intrigued by a question posed in a class a few months ago that asked if bunkai should be unchanged, or if it should adjust based on the culture or who is studying the art. I'm just not sure how to frame this or a similar idea into a thesis vs. an opinion.

So, I'd love to hear your perspectives, your suggestions for authors or books or journals to review, or other ideas related to a thesis that explores the evolution of bunkai.

Someone told me during my first post in this subreddit—where I was asking for advice on belt testing— to keep coming back after every test, so here I am. I had my first testing three months ago, and I’ve been nervous for weeks; my second testing was tonight, and I passed. :)

My daughter (11yo) just started Shotokan. She really wanted to do Karate, and so far is enjoying the classes. She asked me about practicing on her own, and I am wondering if this is a good idea for her to do or not? Like, could she watch a video on the kata she is learning and practice from it, or would she potentially be practicing bad habits without a Sensei there to correct her? What about practicing overhead blocks and punches? The only experience I have in martial arts is my brother pulling all his wrestling moves on me as kids, so I don't think I can be much help in correcting form, ect. We can currently only get to the dojo 2x a week due to distance and cost to travel, but she feels inspired to improve and learn.

EDIT: Wow, this sub is incredibly responsive and supportive! I just want to thank you all for your advice and support. I will ask her Sensei if he has videos he recommends and encourage her desire to work on her own to get better.