Just Made Green Belt In Goju Ryu

[PhotonGuy]

Congratulations mate, that's fantastic . Deep respect for Goju Ryu, looove the katas too...

Me too, although I also really like the blocks and the defensive techniques. I like the blocking techniques of Goju Ryu better than the blocking techniques of my first Karate style, Shi-to Ryu. From my experience so far with Goju Ryu, I've come to the conclusion that its a very strong style in terms of defense, its got one of the strongest defenses out of all the styles, at least the ones I've done.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Congrats. glad your still training and working hard.






i have a vague memory (and i could be very wrong on this) but i seem to remember something about @PhotonGuy is training in a style called Goju-Ryu but is not Okinawan Goju or Japanese Goju Kai. am i correct on that? so the kata might be different.

I believe my style is from Okinawa, I will have to ask my instructor.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Congratulations. As was previously said, rank isn’t everything, but it’s great to recognize your hard work and improvement.

No its not. But earning rank is a rite of passage, particularly with some of the ranks such as green belt, brown belt, and black belt. When you do earn rank you know that you've met certain standards set by an instructor and so you know your hard work and improvement has paid off.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Congratulations! Goju Ryu is as close to Kyokushin as Okinawan karate gets. Where do you train ?

This is my school's website.
Tsuru Ki GoJu Ryu, LLC Martial Arts

 

[PhotonGuy]

So thank you for all the replies and compliments. Anyway, as of right now I am a green belt in Goju Ryu but I don't yet have a green belt in Goju Ryu. At the time of my promotion my instructor did not have a green belt my size. He did let me borrow a green belt that was a few sizes small but I was able to make it work. Hopefully by now he has a green belt for me that's my size for when I next go to class. Anyway the belt is not all that important, its just a piece of cloth, a symbol of the rank but not the rank itself.

 

[Christopher Adamchek]

congratulations! Ive been studying Goju for about 20 years, you should absolutely be proud of your progress.

 

[JR 137]

No its not. But earning rank is a rite of passage, particularly with some of the ranks such as green belt, brown belt, and black belt. When you do earn rank you know that you've met certain standards set by an instructor and so you know your hard work and improvement has paid off.

I like that rite of passage thing. I’ll have to use that one.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I believe my style is from Okinawa, I will have to ask my instructor.

I checked your school’s website. It looks like your instructor created his own system (Tsuru Ki Goju Ryu) based on his background in American Goju (Peter Urban’s system) and White Crane. So there’s definitely some Okinawan heritage in the art, but also American and Chinese elements.

 

[ShotoNoob]

I don't have any vids, not from my dojo, but as for the requirements you've got to be able to adequately perform the katas Geiki Sai Dai Ichi. and Geiki Sai Dai Ni. You've also got to be able to perform various self defense techniques and combos and you've got to spar for three rounds, each round being two minutes.

Could you put up a YT vid of Geiki Sai Dai Ichi and walk me through it?

 

[Flying Crane]

Could you put up a YT vid of Geiki Sai Dai Ichi and walk me through it?

Best to not try and learn through video. You ought to get an instructor.

 

[ShotoNoob]

Best to not try and learn through video. You ought to get an instructor.

I'm working my way through green belt now. I'm very vested in the Heian kata series, practicing those.

 

[JR 137]

@PhotonGuy I should’ve asked earlier- what kyu is green belt in your organization? Green is earlier on in some organizations and later on in others. In Kyokushin and many of its offshoots (such as Seido), green is 4th and 3rd kyu; the color before brown. In others, it’s earlier on.

 

[JR 137]

I'm working my way through green belt now. I'm very vested in the Heian kata series, practicing those.

Are you learning your primary art through videos or at a dojo?

 

[ShotoNoob]

Are you learning your primary art through videos or at a dojo?

What's you approach? How useful are blogs on martial arts?

 

[JR 137]

What's you approach? How useful are blogs on martial arts?

I have no idea what you mean here.

 

[ShotoNoob]

I have no idea what you mean here.

Go back and read your own post. 'Cause I have no idea about what you mean here.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Go back and read your own post. 'Cause I have no idea about what you mean here.

Your insecurity is showing again.

 

[JR 137]

Go back and read your own post. 'Cause I have no idea about what you mean here.

My post asked if you’re learning your primary art at a dojo or through videos.

You’re reply was what’s my approach and how useful are blogs on martial arts.

I have no idea what blogs on martial arts have to do with anything I asked. If you mean this forum, Martial Talk, then it really has nothing to do with my training. It’s just a place where I discuss my training and experiences, read about others’, and chat about anything MA I find interesting.

If you’re asking about how I train, I attend a dojo twice a week. I’d love to go more often, but family and work consume quite a bit of my time. In addition to that, I try to get a few hours of heavy bag time in every week, but it hardly ever goes as planned.

I wasn’t sure what you meant by working through green belt and Heian katas in the original post I quoted. So I asked if you train at a dojo or through videos. I didn’t think that was a difficult or loaded question.

 

[dvcochran]

I just made green belt in Goju Ryu. I know, rank isn't everything, but now I can say Im an intermediate in that style so I consider it a milestone. Having really fun with Goju Ryu. Although its not my first Karate style I am learning lots of stuff from it that I can apply to my overall knowledge and skill in the martial arts.

Congrats. Green belt is a fun time. You have learned enough to engage but not enough to have a lot responsibility. Good times.

 

[ShortBridge]

There is Chinese Goju, Ron Van Kleef’s system. Maybe that? If so, different kata list. Okinawan Goju and Japanese Goju Kai share the same kata for the most part.

Ron Van Kleef is a name that I haven't heard in a very long time! Memories.

Congrats on your acknowledgement. It's not good to get hung up on belts, but we shouldn't dismiss them either. You've worked hard, it's a milestone. Keep working and there will be others.