I did it!!

[Dimaline312000]

I got my next rank in my American Karate class which is a Green Belt with a Black Stripe. After months and months of training and class time, I advanced to my next rank. Just to show what I went through here is a list of the testing I had to go through to get my next rank. Cermional and Proper Sitting and Standing. Proper Stances 10 Stances. Stances included: Fighting Stance, Kicking Stance, Back Stance, Cat Stance, American Back Stance, American Fighting Stance, Hour Glass Stance, Right and Left Angle Stances.
4 Katas. Katas included: H-Form, Tiger 1, Tiger 2, Tigher 3, Tiger 4. One Steps 1-18. 3 Steps 1-18. Two-Man Forms. 3 Two-Man Forms include: Tiger 1, Tiger 2, Tiger 3. Bows. 2 Bows. Bows include: Fighting Bow and Ceremonial Bow. 4 Weapons Katas. Weapons Katas include: Bo, Nunchuk, Sai, Tonfa. And last but not least point Karate. First to score 5 points Wins. For the peson who doesn't get the 5 points first even if you get everything else perfectly you fail. My first try and I did it all. I am now a Green Belt with a Black Stripe. Next belt I'm aiming for is Brown.

[HtTKar]

Weapons Katas include: Bo, Nunchuk, Sai, Tonfa.

Karate means "empty hands"
Seems rather odd that you would have to pass weapons kata

Also, why do you use the kata names of H form, tiger1, tiger2, etc?
Most karate kata are H or X form, but I assume you mean Heian Shodan.
A lot of dojos will name something as "grab release 1", but thats not the same from school to school. Seems at green belt you should know thier English and Japanese names.

I guess it's different depending on what you take. What kind of karate do you take?

[Dimaline312000]

See I take American Karate class through my College, as a college course. The reason the Katas are named what they are is becasue they are a mix of Taekwondo and American Karate and the founder of American Karate named them what they are. Yes you are correct that Karate means empty hand and it seems weird to have to perform weapons katas for advancement, but you see We didn't have to do any weapons for our Yellow, Orange, and Blue or even Green; but once we acheive the Green Belt anything after requires a Weapons kata. See when you become a Black Belt in my form you have to didicate something to that form or art and my sensai deidcated the 2-Man Forms and introduced Weapons Katas as requirements for belt advancement after Green Belt. So I hope that answers your questions.

[Jeremy Lobdell]

Congratulations

Congratulations on your promotion. This sounds like a very good and well rounded program. The weapons training you've done sounds about right. I'm not sure why there was a question about it, as the weapons you listed are all a part of most Karate programs, along with the Kama, which is usually started at the brown belt or Shodan level, depending on the system and school.
Good luck to you. I wish you the best with your training.
Mahalo, Jeremy

[Dimaline312000]

Thanks Jeremy I appreciate it. Yeah it is a good program even through my college. Yeah I do believe Kama will be coming up soon for me. I've always liked training with weapons, although my other training comes first it is fun to mess around with the bo or nunchuk. I especially like training with the Sai's. Thanks for the encourgement.

[Broadsword2004]

Wish there were decent martial arts classes at my college. These people in these classes look like they'd get their heads knocked off in a real fight.

Congrats on your promotion though.

[HtTKar]

I asked the question because although weapons kata are taught as part of the curriculum at the school I attend, they are not required for belt testing. I guess maybe it's different depending on your school. The only thing required is empty hands training, (stances, japanese, kicks, strikes, blocks, weapons defenses, grabs, grab releases, kata, and knowledge of the history of our dojo and that of karate) the weapons training is for your own personal satisfaction. So yeah, they are part of the program, but are not a requirement for testing.
Its all different though I guess. Usually purple belt is after green belt. Different schools I guess.

Congratulations. What do you have to learn for your next testing?

[Dimaline312000]

Thanks everyone. Yeah I know it seems rather odd to have to do weapons katas as part of testing but that's just our style. For my next rank will be all the Two-Man Forms Tigers 1-4, All The 1-Steps 21, all the 3-Steps 1-21, All techniques learned to that level which includes Kicks, Punches, Blocks, Holds, Releases, Stances, Chokes, and Bows. All Katas H-Form through Tiger 4, I believe a Kama kata but I'd have to check my book to confirm that. 20 Teaching Hours, How to dis-arm a person with a gun and a knife, History of form/style, and some more Point Karate first to score 10 points wins. And I think that is about it.

[Ronson]

Congrats Dimaline312000 on your promotion.

But last time I checked this was a BJJ and MMA forum and not American Karate.
Why do you do Karate? For Fun and your enjoyment? If you say self-defence then I think all your stances and katas ain't worth shite.

Sorry for shittin' in your cereal, I just had my teeth worked on.

Congrats anyways.

[crazyjoe380]

congrats.. keep working hard! it will pay off

[gregimotis]

Congrats on your promotion.




C'mon guys, let's not turn this into a 'my style beats your style' thread for once okay? The guy worked hard and got what he earned fair and square.

[Dimaline312000]

I take karate for fun and I've always liked Martial Arts. I've actually had to use a few things on the streets, I've been in a few street fights before and if you know how to handle them some of the stuff works out pretty good. Not necessarliy the blocks or the stances but the attacks/tehniques some of them do work in a stree fight.

[Dimaline312000]

I'm going to a Tournament on Jan 14, 2005. I'll be competing in Sparring, Weapons Kata (Sai) and Tiger4. Wish me luck I'm going to need it.

[Dimaline312000]

Well I took home three trophies after this pat Fridays karate tournament. I took 1st place in sparring 1st place in weaspons kata and 1st place in tiger 4 kata a perfect sweep for me!!

Dimaline31

[cakegirl]

Congratulations! Three Golds!