Karate

Yep – dojo was down the Walworth Road, near the Elephant & Castle. Interesting place.

Not Sensei George Andrews was it by any chance? In the old marble factory?

FIFY. I saw a ‘kick boxer’ get into the wring with a Thai Boxer once. Kick boxer came out with a spinning reverse roundhouse (with pike). Thai <Edit> boxer timed their right hook to contact right at the point the kickboxer spun their head round to spot the target.

Well that’s conclusive proof for you if ever there was.

Fighting isn’t about the discipline, it’s about the fighter, but then you knew that already.

geetee1972 – Member

FIFY. I saw a ‘kick boxer’ get into the wring with a Thai Boxer once. Kick boxer came out with a spinning reverse roundhouse (with pike). Thai <Edit> boxer timed their right hook to contact right at the point the kickboxer spun their head round to spot the target.

Did he shout “stop hitting yourself! stop hitting yourself!”

Interesting thread but, all a bit weird since the OP is going to karate because his kids are.

Oh, slightly take issue with the comment about tai chi being an internal art; it can be and it’s often described as such but that’s a matter of style and tuition, I did very applied wu style and for every move we learned how it could be used to **** someone up or stop someone from **** you up, lots of pushing hands and opposed postures. And absolutely no mumbo jumbo. Bus stop tai chi, he called it, suddenly you discover that your handwaving puts someone in a headlock or breaks a hold. Still very light contact o’course compared to most.

(I went to another class, the teacher said things like “Right, try and push me over- you can’t, because I have rooted my qi to the ground and the flow is too great for you”. My wu style teacher said “You can’t push me over because my weight’s lower than yours, my legs are bent and strong, my feet are planted and I’m leaning into you”

Did karate for several years as a kid. Now do Tae Kwon Do with my kids and will be going for my black belt in 6 months. For me TKD is much better for self defence than karate.

It’s all fun though and that’s what counts.

Not Sensei George Andrews was it by any chance? In the old marble factory?

Now that’s a bit spooky! Yes. I started at uni in Sheffield for three years then moved to London and trained at the original Marble Factory. When it burned down I helped build the new dojo on the Heygate Estate, which has now also been demolished. I heard that Sensei George had rellocated again.

Lordy how do you know Sensei George? I stopped training a long time ago but this is the third time recently that I have crossed paths with someone from that past!

What I meant was that people getting into Karate should probably do so for the social/fitness/recreation and for want of a better word “holistic” aspects of the art as opposed to fighting. There are better arts for that.

OK that was my mistake. Apologies for being dismissive.

I saw a ‘kick boxer’ get into the wring with a Thai Boxer once.

Did he hang him out to dry…?

How come you picked Karate?

The kids do it in PE at school and it is a school club run by the head. Also it is 100m from our house, so getting there couldn’t be easier.

I only went to watch but Sensei Kath told me to take off shoes and socks and get stuck in. I wasn’t really in a position to refuse.

There are 3 other parents in the group. Two brown and one blue. I’m still at the Humvees and T-shirt end of the room with the little kids. At the moment it is all moves and kata for us, but the bigger kids do some bag and pad work.

Really enjoy it. Especially the stretching, which I’m comically bad at.

For Rusty90:

Memories of the Marble Factory

You should have a powerful side kick and back kick from all the cycling

Might need to just aim for the knee though

My side and back kick are pretty strong, but it’s the push kicks and 45 degree turning kicks where the real power comes in.

45 degree turning kicks

Do you mean round house, or in Japanese, Mawashi Geri?

Lordy how do you know Sensei George?

I trained at the Hampstead dojo in the late 80s, early 90s and got invited to the Sunday sessions at The Marble Factory. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything so intense, the warm ups alone damn near killed me! Went to a gasshuku in Denmark with him as well and got graded to 1st kyu by Morio Higaonna himself.
A very special place and an absolute legend of a man. I’d never seen a human being constructed entirely of granite before. And I’d never of dreamt of calling him anything but Sensei (to do so would probably have resulted in death by press-up).

I assume he does mean that but I dont do TKW – IIRC he has only been doing it for a few years so he is either awesome or they grade quick if he is nearing Black belt

I think I know which one he will say

I like death by press up as a phrase.

We used to have a guy who would ask if the move would really work in a fight

This invariably resulted in sensai saying ok attack me then pole axing him….he never learnt and we would all wince when he said it as we knew what was coming.

If you want a strong kick, squats for strength and cleans for explosive power.

There are 3 other parents in the group. Two brown and one blue.

bit racist.

Do you mean round house, or in Japanese, Mawashi Geri?

No, I mean a 45 degree turning kick from TKD. As in the first one of this combo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nLWLs28uvM&spfreload=10

They do grade quickly in TKD, 3 months for the first 5 belts, then 6 months minimum up until black then it goes 1yr, 2yrs, 3yrs, 4yrs, 5yrs,…..

Wow, this is so cool Rusty! I confess it is so long since I stopped (around 2003 as a result of going back to uni) but there isn’t a day goes by where I don’t think of Sensei George at least once! Sadly, from what i have learnt recently, he seems to have falled out with a lot of people politically recently. Even Sensei Linda (you must remember her; she was a force of nature as well and the person I think I respected the most in that world. She recently reached the rank of seventh dan!) has left him. It’s very sad.

So Hampstead, I’m trying to think, who was the instructor?

I started there in 1995 so I don’t think we will have overlapped. The warm ups, LOL yes, did he have you do ‘star jumps’? Not the sort others might think of but what the Royal Marines call ‘bastards’. 100 of those, 100 push ups and 100 sit ups with 10 minutes running before training started!

Same kick as he means just a different name

That is fast grading and Karate has 10 steps [Kyu] to Black

Memories of the Marble Factory

Thanks for that. I can remember the 100 star jumps, 100 sit ups, 100 press ups, followed by standing in Shiko Dachi while Sensei very leisurely made himself a cup of tea. Happy days 🙂

So Hampstead, I’m trying to think, who was the instructor?

Mark Tekinalp, who took over after Sensei Ted had a heart attack.

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarr

In a crowded pub when approached by two perps do you quickly remove your shoes and ask everyone to standback to allow you to swing your legs? 😆

This was confirmed when our ‘grand master’ at wing chun got punched in the face by a student because he punched him with the ‘wrong hand’.

Reminds me of a ju jitsu club I briefly went to. When I asked what would happen if you were attacked by someone not right-handed, the high grade I was training with replied “you avoid the blow and then use the technique when they strike with their right”, or words to that effect. I stopped going after that.

Back to the point though, if it works and you enjoy it, go for it OP. I’ve dabbled in various styles a few times, but stopped after an op and then a car crash a few years ago. We’ve since moved and have become parents; I miss it and want to get back into it, so look forward to taking the nippette when she’s old enough.

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarr

Hiya!

Oh Hora, there had to be someone and it had to be you 😀

That is fast grading and Karate has 10 steps [Kyu] to Black

There are 10 steps to Black in TKD too (at least in ITF (TAGB)). It’s just they rattle through the lower belts at a rapid rate.

My daughter has been doing it for a few years now and just got her red belt – it’s been of great benefit to her.

As long as they enjoy it, most martial arts can be of benefit to kids.

Same kick as he means just a different name

Nope.

Roundhouse or mawashi geri equivalent would be the full turning kick.

There are 10 steps to Black in TKD too (at least in ITF (TAGB)). It’s just they rattle through the lower belts at a rapid rate.

In Wado Ryu. I remember it being white, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, black show off levels (from memory).

In a crowded pub when approached by two perps do you quickly remove your shoes and ask everyone to standback to allow you to swing your legs?

No, probably something like this (at 20 seconds) For reference this is Sensei George Andrews teaching hand to hand combat to Spetznas, KGB and Kremlin Bodygaurds in Moscow around 1989 (i.e. before the fall of comunism).

Have you got a better video of the first kick then [ and a bit slower] pr a description online?
ta

I know nothing of TKD

this is Sensei George Andrews teaching hand to hand combat to Spetznas, KGB and Kremlin Bodygaurds

a tool of the repression then?

(not sure if I ought to add a smiley or not, really, it’s a semi serious point – why get involved in teaching the bully boys of a repressive state how to hurt people that the state considers enemies?)

I think there are two schools of TKD. There is the traditional school, which seems to have a lot in common with Shotokan and the northern styles of kung fu. And then there is the tripe you see at the Olympics, which is just so utterly embarrasing as to be painful to watch. It has no more to do with ‘martial art’ than tig in the school playground does.

JY – 45 version the hips stop roughly 45 degrees from perpendicular to the opponent. Turning kick goes to fully perpendicular. 45 is good in sparring as it is quick to kick to just above the belt. Turning kick is good for a head shot once you’ve moved their guard by doing some other technique. TKD is a kicking art so there is a ridiculous number of kicks in it and a lot of them are very similar.

Ta for that so sort of like a close knee to the body whilst in prime but a kick at distance ish. I assume its done to be quicker to the ribs

Will ask my instructor what the name is but not a kick we practise but what we do when tired and get told off 😉

(not sure if I ought to add a smiley or not, really, it’s a semi serious point – why get involved in teaching the bully boys of a repressive state how to hurt people that the state considers enemies?)

Same reason anyone does. Power and influence. I know what you mean though. It was controversial but there’s always going to be demand for that kind of expertise. Out of interest, if I’d said ‘MI6/5, SAS/SBS and CO19’ would it have been different?

I trained quite a bit with a high ranking FSB officer (who was obviously former KGB, though by the time I met him the Soviet Union had collapsed) who was Chief Instructor for Russia so would come over a lot to train. I won’t ever forget the vacant look he would give you; not vacant as in he’s not there, vacant as in you’re not there. He’d just look straight through you, like you didn’t matter. It was horrible in all honesty.

I was sparing with him one time and felt hugely intimidated af first. But then I realised he just wasn’t trying. I suddenly had the impression that he didn’t feel like sparing with me was worth his time or effort. So I hit him pretty hard, enough to rattle his teeth and wake him up anyway then shat myself as the look on his face changed. Then I heard Sensei George roaring with laughter and shouting at him ‘Cawm own c***’.

And then there is the tripe you see at the Olympics, which is just so utterly embarrasing as to be painful to watch

That is WTF – World Taeknwondo Federation.

The ‘proper’* one is ITF – International Taekwondo Federation.

*no offence to people who do WTF – but WTF are those chest/body guards about!?

geetee1972

No, probably something like this (at 20 seconds)

If you’re very lucky.

For reference this is Sensei George Andrews teaching hand to hand combat to Spetznas, KGB and Kremlin Bodygaurds in Moscow around 1989 (i.e. before the fall of comunism).

You have to wonder why when Sambo is the main fighting art of the Russian security forces.

I assume its done to be quicker to the ribs

That’s what I use if for. It’s also quicker to get back out of danger area.

You have to wonder why when Sambo is the main fighting art of the Russian security forces.

Because like most elite military units around the world, you take what you can get from everone that has something valuable to offer.

if I’d said ‘MI6/5, SAS/SBS and CO19’ would it have been different?

at that time probably and now certainly.

whatever JHJ says we don’t have state suppression of dissent and minorities (ethinic, sexual, polically) in the way that the USSR and now Russia did and do. The organisations you name are at the heart of that apparatus and anything that contributes to and furthers their activities and aims is a step too far, imo.

The organisations you name are at the heart of that apparatus and anything that contributes to and furthers their activities and aims is a step too far, imo.

So very true and for the record I completely agree with your point.

I never felt comfortable about it. I was told once how this chap (the FSB officer) had decided he couldn’t be bothered to run back to the dojo from the frozen wilderness they had been dropped in (my instructor was with him at the time) so he simply stopped a car on the road and turfed the owner out using his ‘credentials’ to do so.

The story was told as a funny annecdote but I never thought it remotely funny.

This is our style of TKD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gri-9DsmeDw&spfreload=10