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Alan, I agree with you 100% on this one. The bone is the frame work behind each and every technique the we can ever create and imagine. Without the bone utilized as it is and/or can be, there's nothing we can do. Imho!!

OK, I just never heard the name Bone spinning vs Bone clashing.

To one and all, Happy Holidays; be safe!! Don't forget to leave some cookies and milk out for Santa!!

Congrats, JazzKicker; well deserved!!

I wonder myself. Any info in this regards to preface your OP, Alan??

I wonder myself. Any info in this regards to preface your OP, Alan??

Is Jake Mace reliable?? I don't know!! It's a personal preference; in which one might wonder if a car is reliable. Personally, I've no knowledge about Jake Mace whatsoever one way or another.

Yeah!! Afterwards, I could still see the outline quite well for quite some time!! Even our SKKA patch wasn't big enough to completely cover the area where the embroidery was, no matter how I washed the top or how many times I washed my top. Tried ironing it out, but that didn't help at all.

YAHOO....Wrestling season has started!!!!! Great post, Brian!! Sounds like they hit the mats running, with not much rust to speak of...a hiccup here and there but all in all, a great start to their season. With you helping them on their mat work and all, they'll be shaking the rust off before you know it!! Rock on Kenneth and Kendall, rock on!!

Solid post!!

That is a good thing, Brian because you've been spared that type of unfortunate events, both on and off the floor. For the events that I've been exposed to at the SKKA/Hombu have been unsettling quite a lot.

I wholeheartedly agree with Brian!!

OhioShodan85, Have you come any closer to reaching a decision as of yet!? It's not an easy one to make, nor is it one to take lightly. Wish you much luck!!

I could careless anyone's political affiliation, especially Soke and Dai-Soke's, because I'm there to learn first, and whenever it's appropriate, teach the MA!! Politics do not belong on the floor whatsoever at any time. In such a way, I do not allow discussions of any degree about politics, religions, and/or sports because how heated those type of discussions can be...especially on my floor. MA is the only thing that's being taught, discussed, learned, and trained on my floor, and I still control the tone of any conversations held!!

Allow the test or competition to take care of itself!! What happens is going to happen!! All one can do is their very best at THAT very moment, and should the worse occur, it's never the end of the world. Take a very deep breath...then execute!! If you mess up you mess up!! As far as Testing Cycles are concerned, you'll never score a 100% ever, it's not possible because no ones perfect. As far as competitions are concerned, well. you can get all 10's, but that shouldn't happen either, ever, but it does. The reason I don't experience performance anxiety anymore, and haven't for a very, very long time is because no matter what the outcome, the world doesn't end based on what I do or don't do because whatever I'm about to do will take care of itself. Just breathe!!

Directly?? No!! Indirectly?? Yes!! By directly, I speak for my own dojo!! By indirectly, I speak towards our Governing Body, the SKKA. NO!! The fault belongs to the guilty party(s) all alone, and not with the innocent. Directly....I'd expel that/those found guilty party(s) immediately with cause!! Indirectly, our SKKA has expelled a handful of it's membership of varying responsibilities, knowledge and experience with cause immediately once guilt was established in a court of law. Having said that... It's never fair to deal out unwarranted punishment(s) to the proven innocent, especially by and through association. Albeit, guilty by association occurs all of the time in history, past, present, and future to the innocent because we are fallible human beings who jump to our own conclusion with no basis whatsoever!! Just because someone's a human being, it doesn't mean that that someone knows how to act like a human being!! Those carried out punishments towards the proven innocent are despicable acts. Students that are associated with the guilty party(s) deserve their honor and privilege across the board. Punish the proven guilty, but spare the proven innocent!! If an unjust act is leveled on the proven innocent, and there's no changing their minds, then dust off yourself and remember...7 times down, 8 times up!! What's fair is fair and what's unfair is unfair, oftentimes there's nothing that can be done to right the wrong of others once their minds are up. Imho!!

Exposed? Yeah, I'm from those days begone, and as a kid back then, I saw such ads and wondered. Yet, while my thoughts were those of a child, my upbringing quickly dashed those wonderment's away just as fast as I was marveled, if even faster. Same was not the case with my MA, as it was in my childhood...but even faster were those unfounded thoughts dashed away. This was the case!! Even as a child we were being grounded so steadfastly by Soke and Dai-Soke that those MA idea never ever took roots...we, even as a child, knew that what we were being taught on a daily basis was solid in that it took much time to become sufficiently effective with the MA, and that there was no magic pill or shortcut to learning effectiveness in the MA. If someone had tried to tell us in the contrary of what we knew was true, we knew that we were being sold bad goods, and quickly dismissed that individual forthwith. So, I was part of the fortunate ones who never became enchanted with those MA impossibilities. I owe that to my parents, family, Soke, and Dai-Soke.

Welcome to KF, Mitlov; glad you're here!!

To the bold type above... Demographic studies are very critical, but what's more critical is knowing what the data is telling you, and then acting upon them properly. One wrong hiccup means the difference of keeping the doors open or closed. Do demographic studies often because data changes when one least expects it. I do them quarterly!!

Have you asked your Sensei about the differences between the two?? Your Sensei could be a treasure chest full of info!!

Again, I believe that many use who are the sole instructor of said MA school, use the name/initials to become important; to fill a void of some type. I didn't coin the phrase; Saitou Sensei did, as his right being the Soke of Shindokan Saitou-ryu. Under some definition, I suppose I do fit into the CI category, some how and some way.

Perhaps it's not the title, but the how and what that person does with it. After all, it's just a title...just words...to do with it as we feel fit; quality of the titles usage. Even then, it's really no ones business how a title is used, if at all!! I'm of the mind to eliminate every single title listed in our By-Laws, so that there's no chance of anyone getting a big head. And over what? A title!? Which has absolutely nothing to do with what Shindokan is about in the first place. Then again, in organizations, titles give into the existing chain of command. Imagine what the military would be like without a chain of command, for example. Anarchy, possible!! In retail, there's President, Vice-President, Zone/Group Vice-President, Regional Manager, District Manager, Area Manager, Store Manager, Assistant Managers by 3 levels, and associates; sub-Managers exist, like, Senior Human Resources Director and Senior Loss Prevention Director, in which other departments exist through the chain of command. In a dojo!? Not so much. Bob!! That's a cool title!! Why do we/I have to go to the Hombu?? Why do we/I feel obligated to use Japanese titles or the like, and not just Headquarters. Doesn't make the building and/or what's happening inside much more official/important. Everyone inside knows who's in charge and who's not. I continue to use CI and the like because that's what we were taught by Saitou Sensei and Takahashi Sensei; a habit that's stuck with us all for these many years. "Ask the CI?"..."The CI is the Chief Instructor"..."The CI enforces the curriculum"..."Sorry, the CI isn't here right now"..."Who's the CI?", so on and so forth. We get in the habits we're taught!! So, If a dojo, wait, a MA school, has only one teacher, then, out of habit, we name that sole instructor...CI...out of habit...and don't even give it one thought at all...and it's acceptable/understood/recognized. Then, on the other side of the coin, some feel inferior, so much so, that having a title makes them feel more adequately important.

Welcome to KF, Jetrail; glad that you're here!! Briefly and generally speaking... I respect the predicament that you find yourself in with there being no MA school nearby, it's a tough road to travel. I just want to encourage you to consider other alternatives in your MA training; you're accountable for your training. I sincerely wish you luck in your MA training!! It's of no secret here, or elsewhere, that I'm not a staunch proponent of acquiring MA knowledge and experience through any on-line course whatsoever. My reason(s) mainly are is there's no instructor with you to properly instruct you, guide you, correct you, feedback, and instill in you every necessary aspect along your MA journey immediately. Habits set in, and while habits are beneficial for any MA student, but it's the bad habits that creep in, and in short time, the bad habits can become difficult to break. Without immediate feedback/correction, those unruly bad habits set in, therefore, ineffectiveness becomes the norm. Immediate corrections are vitally important to any MA student because the students MA betterment is grossly affected in a negative tone. By having the instructor with you directly allows that immediate fine-tuning. How can I correct that which is apparent from a distance effectively. Move a foot here and there...knee bend here and there...posture this way and that way...hip twisting this way and that way...head this way and that way, so on and so forth, The interaction between instructor and student is paramount, and unforgivable, as the the minute corrections. In my direct and immediate feedback/correction I can separate the ineffectiveness away from that which IS effective. I can show you, teach you, correct you, help you, and motivate you most properly and immediately before any bad habit rears its ugly head if I'm standing right next to you. The instructor can't provide quality instructions through an on-line course due to the limitations that that one-dimensional analysis venue provides. The better-than-nothing, for me, is still nothing!! Imho!!

Solid post!! No one should ever be forced to do anything for any reason(s), I wholeheartedly agree. If called upon by something other than the formal title, there shouldn't ever be any disciplinary action leveled whatsoever...but fortunately it does occur more often than not. Whenever a person considers themselves more important than the core of the art, then it's time to close the doors forthwith. Self-aggrandizement is the bane of existence found in more MA than not, in which seeps into the pours of a many MA schools; just look at the pageantry exhibited throughout the MA world nowadays: despicable!!

I call everyone by their first name; I prefer it that way because it clears the air of any stuffiness. Titles always have their place, but not in any great abundances every second of the day/night; formality has to be toned as low as possible. After all, the knowledge and experience is far more important than how one should be addressed. Sensei or CI or GM or O/O, or half a dozen other labels can easily be replaced by just using first names...Bob...I like that, after all, it's my name. CI/Kaicho/Sensei are nothing more than labels. Formality can be misunderstood and stringently out of place if used to allow whomever to beat their chests in superiority over others. I have to tone down the stuffiness in my own dojo and at the Hombu by setting the tone right from the start. When formality calls for it, even then, the stuffiness has to be aired out as quick as possible. Ego has no place on and off the floor. I understand that using first names can be a sign of disrespect of some degree; but that tone too has to be set for an acceptable reason; formality can be viewed as a sign of disrespect. Titles like President or Vice-President or Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer or Commander or Lt. Commander or Private or Judge or Your Honor or Your Majesty or Sergeant, all have their place, and must be adhered to for their own reasons. First names usages might not be acceptable at any time within those disciplines whatsoever, because it's the right thing to do. The usages of MA respectful labels, however used, is the right thing to do as long as its the air of respect. If I allow first names, and someone else finds it inappropriate, then that person needs to remember that this is my dojo, and I set the tone, not anyone else and/or culture does whatsoever. CI, a lot of the time, is just used here by myself because most MAists recognize it as the one who's large and in charge that I'm referring to/about.