i was just wondering if people do this, i use to do it with 4/5 people years ago now i'm the only one left at gkr. we use to get together and do kata, spar, combos basically whatever we wanted to do the only given things on it was sparring and the fun you would have. it was great to train with these people outside the dojo we would have drinks ect after and just have a good time and we seemed to injoy our karate more knowing there was a group of people willing to help you out when you needed it. i was told by a sensei this is not a good idea as you can learn bad habits i think you would fix more problems than you cause, AND IT WAS GOOD FUN

I have found that by practicing with other people you can do things like compare your kata to find differences in how you do it. Then you can go find out how it ought to be done.


Mick

There is an quasi-official class in R28 on sundays (green belt minimum and invite only at this stage)
The degree of formality is dependant on the instructors who turn up, but it was designated a kata class, with a "work on what you like" emphasis.

I like this and think it is a move in the right direction (now if only I can get the time to turn up myself )

:thumbwink:
fang this is something i have done for around a year now.Every other sunday i hire a hall,and five of us basically go throught what we want.And yes bad habits can creep in,but they can creep in anytime.I know that ive done a lot more good than bad.
Sometimes we work on things that we have been shown in class, sometimes do just Kata, sometimes we do just Kumite. sometimes all of it.We have a laugh and we learn.
Nigel :thumbwink:

Its about the best thing you can do.In the Chinese Martial arts we practise in this manner,just a group of us.No one is called sensei and everyones opinion is valued.Most of what I have learned over the years has been in this manner.The dojo gives you the techniques,learning outside is the time to perfect them.If you are with a small group you can video each other.Thats when you find out what really needs to be worked on.Bad habits can creep in so its up to each of you to be critical in a positive manner.

yep matt i'v heard of that class but it is run with formality ect, green belt and and above only sucks to in my humble opinion, we where all white belts at one stage and liked to train and learn if they are willing to give up their time i say let them train.also do you have to pay for the sunday thing or is it free?. invite only well you had to be invited to our gatherings i guess to, but you where going into someones home so that is understandable. i was going to try getting a group together again and let any belt or person adult or child come along as long, as they followed a few simple rules no agro,mouthing off or generally making a idiot off themselfs. there would have been no senseis in it, if a sensei wanted to come along fine and good they would have been most welcome, but they come as a person wanting to train with no more say than the next person there. but i'm not sure i'm going to be training with gkr much longer so it is on hold for the time being.

well - why not organise it?
"book it and they will come"

like i said matt i'm not sure if i'm going to continue with gkr, but if i decide to stay about i will be doing something about it.

unfortunately fang is correct...

the class time was originally put together by S. Grant for an informal kata class with no one in particular running it, just some students and instructors there to help each other out if need be..

that isnt what it is though. it's gone formalised and you dont necessarily get to work on what you WANT to work on but what you are TOLD to work on. and that's why i don't go anymore.

ack - this is sad. I'd hoped the class would be along the lines of "drop in when you want to work on what you want." There are more than enough formal classes.

I can understand a fee to cover costs as the class is located in a leisure centre, with equipment available for use.

it was originally set out to be a "drop in when you want to work on what you want class" and was used that way for a few weeks.

unfortunately it is run fairly formally now.
i dont need any more formalities in my life right now.......

Fang if you ever get this happening please let me know. I think this is what martial arts should be all about and it would be nice to train with you rather than just hiding behind the same tree .

We have a class like the "drop in" class also.

It is on a Sunday and is open for 2 1/2 hours. You can work on whatever you like and is open to any student. There is even an instructor or two to assist you if you need it.

As long as you train for a minimum of an hour it also counts towards your class numbers for grading.

They are awsome classes and I find them great a week or two before testing and grading week, just to brush up on testing techniques.

Hi all, I'm new to the list and thought this would be the perfect first topic to chat about as I am still psyched from my team kata groups training last night. I am from region 3 in sydney and the 3 of us girls get together once a week usually and then twice closer to tournament time. We go for a 5K walk, do situps, pushups, you name it, then get stuck into the kata and a bit of kumite if we are not too exhausted by then. We have the best time, I'd recomend this sort of thing to anyone!

This is all fitting in nicely with the current almost forum wide theme that the best training takes place outside the dojo - at home or in an informal envorinment. With formal training stopping for two weeks shortly seems a very appropriate time to bring it up.

If anyone from Fremantle (or indeed anywhere) wants to get together during the break remind me monday and we'll organise it.

Also - good to see you here mouth! :thumbwink:

Matt,
Thanks mate, I have been wanting to get involved with this forum for quite some time. I met so many great people at nationals from all over the place that I finally got off my butt and did something about it. Look forward to chatting with ya.
Sarah.

can we do different things like selfdefense other kicks or is it going to be soley based on gkr matt?.

I'm just getting an expression of interest at the mo, but to answer your question I believe the phrase "informal" should cover it