sensei8

I'm not really sure, but it wouldn't surprise me one iota if the famous music group Earth, Wind, and Fire used that kanji, or the most nearest to it, on some type of marketing tool sometime during their long and lustrous career of 49 years. Maybe...

Oh yeah... It's my pre-workout as part of my cardio; while I'm at the gym 6 days a week, I shovelglove 3 times a week at the gym...yes my gym has sledgehammers for a variety of endeavors, especially the kill the monster tire fun exercise. When I was first introduced to the shovelglove about 1 year ago, by watching people at the gym perform it, I thought that that was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. Albeit, I thought the same thing when I first saw the Battle Ropes, but now I can't live without the Battle Ropes. Same thing for the shoveglove. As the saying goes..."Don't knock it until you've tried it!!", and once I tried it, I saw the value of the shoveglove immediately; I can't live without it. Because of my lower back, is why I only do the shovelglove 3 days a week, and not 6 days a week.

Here we are, MLB time for the PLAYOFFS... My Yankee's could have done worse, but they did better than rest in the AL East... They capped off the regular season with a 100-61 record, 7 games behind the 1st Place spot in the AL East, Red Sox, with a record of 107-54. These two teams are ending the regular with a 3 game series at the historic Fenway Park in Boston, MA...they end the regular season, as well as their series September 30, 2018...first pitch at 3PM. The Yankees VS Red Sox record during their last 3 game series has the Yankees going yard quite a lot... Yankees 11 Red Sox 8 Yankees 8 Red Sox 5 While these twos rivalry is no secret, my Yankees has the better record at 30-27 this year. Hopefully the Yankees will sweep the fast and final season,,,and what a year its been for them both. After this Sunday's season closer, the Red Sox will get a much deserved rest before they meet the winners of the one game AL East Wild Card game between the A's and the Yankees this Wednesday, October 3, 2018...at Yankee Stadium, first pitch at 705PM. Then, should the Yankees defeat the A's, and they should, then the Yankees will travel back to the Green Monster for a best-of 5 game series against none other than the Red Sox; 2 games in Fenway Park, then 2 games in Yankee Stadium, and then, if need be, back in Boston. Hopefully your team is in the playoffs, and do well...if not, then better luck next year. GO YANKEES!!

Well, it's time for some NFL, and my poor Cowboys are off to a rocky rough tough start, and thus far, and when you combine Pre-Season AND Regular Season, they've managed to win 1. Not good, but not bad because they could've loss them all. I know Pre-Season doesn't mean anything to many NFL fans, but Pre-Season does give their fans, like me, a glimpse into this seasons future. Right now, the future looks bleak, but not hopeless...yet. Here's how it went down... Pre-Season: Cowboys 21 49ers 24 Bengels 21 Cowboys 13 Cardinals 27 Cowboys 2 Cowboys 6 Texans 14 Pre-Season record: 0-4 Regular Season: Cowboys 8 Panthers 16 Giants 13 Cowboys 20 Cowboys 13 Seahawks 24 Regular Season record, thus far: 1-2 Next... Lions VS Cowboys at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX...12:00PM kick-off...Hopefully the Cowboys will get the 'W' for that .500. How'd your team do so far?? How about the COWBOYS!!!!!

sensei8, this is excellent and I agree. It can also be called "stuffing." This is the approach many grapplers and wrestlers use as well...close the range quickly so that a striker can be neutralized...and Tuite is grappling at close range, so it works. Also, I agree with a lot of you as well...a good punch is a good technique. The exclamation of our brand of Tuite is that our goal is to get behind our opponent through angles and space management transitions; not many move effectively when their opponent, you/me, are behind them...and all the while jamming them to the nth degree with one set-up/checks after another. Shindokan is quite adamant about many things, but right at the top of the list is...If you can't get behind them, then get out; you've no business being there in the first place. The game of chess is at foot...or hands, as per our case.

I know. Many, many teachers teach this technique against a knife. Many high grade teachers swear by it. But they have never put it to use in real life. If utilized against a novice it may work but the chances are high you get cut. Used against someone with any level of training... well lets just say that will at the very least end up in the hospital with stitches, that's if the attacker is squeamish and stops after seeing your blood. Don't take my word for it. Attend any knife fighting class and you will realize that, blocking in general, against a skilled person with a blade ends in tragedy. Have your Uke attack you at full speed and tell them to make it real. Use a lower grade with little experience, give them a marker, and just see what happens. I think you'll be surprised how many times they tag you. Don't wear your nice new Gi. To be honest I was taught the same thing but after my time in the Corps and studying under a Filipino knife fighter I was able to convince my Shinshii to remove these techniques. If you block an experienced knife fighter they will rip back as soon as they experience resistance and both of your arms/hands will be shredded. Hard to defend yourself at that point. Solid post!! I'd never ever use many blocking techniques against a knife, for the many reasons that you speak about here. Without a knife or the like, I'd use the upper x-block because it transitions into other applications.

Shindokan does have its fair, although small amount, share of techniques that aren't that important. Should the powers that be ever discard those few Kihon, it wouldn't derail its effectiveness whatsoever. I call these Kihon...less attractive; not less effective, but without the same romance that I have for the...most attractive Kihon, I prefer. While the less attractive Kihon is what it is, I've kept them in my back pocket for their very special resurrection. After all, one doesn't throw the car away just because it has an less attractive paint job...right!?! Some of the less attractive Kihon, that I believe aren't that important, are... 1. Bent wrist block 2. One/two finger strike 3. Attention Stance 4. Back Stance 5. Any X-Block, except upper 6. Etc. But what's one to do?? Nothing...use them...don't use them...but never forget them.

MA politics can be the bane of existence, and I wish politics could be abolished for once and for all from the MA. While the MA can do without any politics, it's an unfortunate reality for any Governing Body, even the most recognized Governing Body has its own difficulties. After all, nothing is perfect. What Governing Bodies desperately need are unwavering integrity from its leadership across the board in all departments without any ambiguity. This, right here, isn't written in granite, nor is it ever guaranteed, but must have the trust and faith from its Student Body; without that, the Governing Body is an empty shell with no conscience whatsoever. Titles and the like, have been relegated to the value of the one penny candy that's found stuck to the bottom of one passerby's shoe because of, as it's already been mentioned by several here, ego. The legitimate rank that they've honestly earned, that seems to have lost its luster, just isn't good enough for them anymore, so, for whatever sick and twisted reason(s), they invent a phantom Senior Dan Rank/Title, for the hopes that it'll somehow magically satisfactorily fulfill their vacant and desperate and lonely existence...but it never will...no matter how hard they try to scrub and scrub that illegitimate stain away...they never ever will. That's for some, but not for others!!

Jamming!! The core heart of Shindokan's Tuite; this is the hub of our brand. If my opponent can't complete said technique, then I've set in motion as to neutralize my opponent. Nothing more enjoyable than seeing that confounding look roll onto my opponents flushed face as my jamming sets my Tuite in an effective motion.

That's why I love what Soke pushed Dai-Soke to adhere to... "Rank do not say you learn a new Kata...I SAY WHEN!! Not rank...not you...not nobody!!" That can be hard to get behind because we seem to want what we want whenever we want it; the sooner and better.

Great posts, all, thus far; please keep them coming!! Thank you, all!! What Kihon/Methodology/ideology, or your MA styles equivalent, isn't important?? Let's get real deep in this; we've scratched the surface, and our knowledge/experience pool, here at KF, is way, way, deep.

Fame and Fortune... Fair enough. Allow me to ask somewhat differently.... What's not important, things that are specific MA related, in the MA??

Other than rank, I would like to propose a question, if I might. We determine from time to time as to exactly what's important and what's not important, no matter what that might be, and I believe that we reserve the right, as well as the integrity, to decide of our own accord. What's not important in the MA, minus rank??

Every dojo needs those down days, even if they're caused by outside forces. Well, there's practice at home.

Kumite as often as you breath...and then some!! Not just Kumite endlessly, but these suggestions... 1) Against those who are much more adept than you in Kumite. 2) Drill, while engaging in Kumite, with those areas that trouble you the most. 3) Face any fears that you might have within the scope of Kumite 4) Be terribly honest with yourself across the board What I've suggested above, is exactly what I've done with my students who experience similar difficulties involving Kumite. What I might be suggesting could seem quite unfeeling and harsh, but they're meant to help them to improve their MA betterment. Dai-Soke was always expressing this to everyone when they were struggling... "You are not mature in your Karate-do. When you become mature in your Karate-do, you'll be effective. Find that maturity, and find it soon" Well, soon can be a very long trying road, full of many potholes, yet, repairable...in time. Those words for me, when I first heard them, and when I often heard them, for quite a long time, were very difficult to swallow. However, one can only take so many bricks to their thick skull before they start figuring just how to no longer be struck with bricks anymore...and they/we/I finally did, for the sake of our MA betterment.

ONE!! Please forgive me my nagging suspicious innate nature of mine, and having said that, just why would a fellow MAist feel the urge to mention to another fellow MAist that the style in which they're a part of possess 92 Kata, even if the style in which they're a part of had 92 Kata!?!?!? Perhaps it's because that the MA knowledge and/or experience this individual possesses has been garnered form anywhere else, via some media venue, except through having actually ever been on the floor of a MA school. Of course, I'm only stabbing at the dark with my unfounded perhaps. I remember some eons ago, while my family and I had attended a family reunion, that was held at my grandparents house, on my mom's side, when a particular friend spoke, i which that particular friend had wished that they had remained silent. As always it was my grandparents way by always allowing family members to bring with them their friends, close or not to anyone in the family, to our reunions. This one particular friend, who was a boyfriend of one of my nieces, while we had all gathered around this massive table for lunch, and right at the very height of this lunch, the majority of the conversation was of no particular topic; just some idle chit chat, as family and friends will do in a setting as in this. My niece and her boyfriend sat opposite of me and my wife, we exchanged pleasantries. My grandfather has very little tolerance about discussions in his home that are centered around religion, politics, and sports, because discussions as those can inadvertently lead to hostility within the family, and ruin the occasion. My niece, and for some unknown reason, tells her boyfriend about my MA background. He's all ears!! I just sit there and eat, wanting to strangle my niece, because everyone that knows me knows that my MA is personal and private; if someone discovers that I've a MA background, then they find it out, but not from me. Also, the downside of being a MAist, is that one someone finds out I've an extensive MA background, that person(s) want to tell you all about their MA background, whether I want to know or not. This day was no exception!! I just smile and eat!! I listened to my niece's boyfriend provide me with his MA resume, knowledge and experience, for about 15 minutes or so, and all the while, my family, all of them, become very still and very quite, one by one, as each are elbowed by someone sitting near them; all eyes are on us two, and my niece, by now, is looking like she wants to crawl in a deep hole...anywhere but at the table. Grandpa's jaws are clinched!! "What do you think, Bob?" "What do I think about what, Marcus?" I say. "About what? Weren't you listening?? About my MA background and all" "Yeah! Can I ask you a question, MAist to MAist, if I may" I ask, eyes around the table are as wide as saucers, wondering what I'm going to say/do. "Yes, ask away" "What size is your Gi?" I ask "My what?" "Your Gi!! What size is it!!" I ask Silence....you can see his eyes are seeking for an answer!! Finally, Marcus says to me... "Size 32" "Size 32, huh...wow...pretty impressive" I say retorted "Why, you ask? I tell you all about my MA background, and all, and you ask me about the size of my Gi?! Let me ask you something...what's a gi?? Everyone sits much closer to the table!! I chuckle!! "What's so funny, Bob?" "You!!" I say pointedly "I wear a size 6 Gi, myself. And I believe that you would, if you really had one, would wear a size 5 Gi. Oh yeah, a Gi, which you should know, when one considers your MA background, is a uniform one wears when you're at the dojo, and that's the name of a Karate school. If you had a size 32 Gi, it would probably fit your car. As far as your MA background is concerned, I won't entertain that because I'm quite sure that all of your MA knowledge and experience came from anywhere else but a school of the MA. Tell you what! You say nothing else about the MA, and I'll not have to listen to it anymore. Two things I hate...can't stand...don't want them around me...thieves and liars!! Do not begin, not even for one second, that you can pretend to assume a possession that you've not right to, whatsoever, to me, not when it comes to the MA!!" So, please, can I please finish my meal in peace, please...thank you I said firmly, in a calm voice. He said nothing else to me the rest of the day, and the family gave him a piece of their minds behind closed doors. This fellow MAist appears to, like Marcus did, have offered a glimpse into the MA style's possessing of 92 Kata's, and having not mentioned that, while their MA style has 92 Kata's within its history, they only learn/train in, for example, 20 or more. That perhaps might've supported the statement much more as to the 92 Kata. If not, and like what I did with Marcus, I would promptly excused myself from the conversation for cause.

I've seen this at numerous places, it means Wind, Fire, Forest. First time I ever saw this was on a plague hanging over the entrance to Dai-Soke's office. Then I saw a beautiful handcrafted Kanji, several years later, written my Soke, hanging adjacent to the Kamiza at the Hombu. Street Fighter...love that game!! Tastefully sprinkled in/on various places/items in, and around, Japan and Okinawa.

Over and over and over and over...until the end of time, and then some. That's one of the most basic way I can reach/teach my students anything; serious endless solid repetition. Anything less than that is unforgivable!!

Man that is a blast from the past technique. An old instructor (boxing) of mine tied my right arm up for two months until I learned to use my left. Thanks for jogging the old memory Bob. Great stuff! My former sensei tied me to another student once so I couldn’t “run” during sparring. He tied us together with a belt’s length between us. He did it to a few others here and there too. Thanks for jogging my memory. I hadn’t thought about that one in years LOL!! Yep, I've done that more times than I can remember. I've tied them to me!! Now, that gets their attention really quick...saucer eyes and all; and they can't run far, if at all. Life has its little perks as the CI. I've told my students that one of the biggest reason that they are in my dojo is that they're my only source of entertainment, and I get bored really quick. I mean this in the most harmless way. After all, much of the drills that I've created definitely challenge and help them to reach their AHA moments, and that is the primary reasons, but, well, I do get bored.

are you doing this out of respect for the previous instructor? if you do, I understand but then, are you still gonna do the old katas, you gonna phase them out or just throw them out at once? then there are parents too. have you talked to them? you may have to face some Monday morning quarterbacks. This is just me!! What someone else does in their dojo is their business, and I will always resect that!! I never ever discuss with the Student Body about any changes concerning the curriculum/syllabus. If a change(s) are made, or need to be made, then so be it. I most assuredly don't ever discuss any changes to the curriculum/syllabus whatsoever to parents and the like, especially parents and the like, or visitors. I run the floor/dojo, and they [Parents and the like and whomever visits my dojo] know this from day one, and are reminded if they ever forget. Parents and the like might pay for the lessons but beyond that, the only thing they run is their shoes. I run my dojo, especially the floor; no one runs my floor because that's holy ground, and because it's holy ground, it's no-mans land. Sorry, I'll go back to my corner!!

Man that is a blast from the past technique. An old instructor (boxing) of mine tied my right arm up for two months until I learned to use my left. Thanks for jogging the old memory Bob. Great stuff! Thanks, and you're welcome Ken!! After all, I'm old school too!!

While I'm still on reasonable terms with the departed instructor I wouldn't expect to be able to hedge my bets and then switch once everything is established and there's no risk involved. I've made my decision but it's tinged with a little regret. I would have liked to support the new club from it's inception but things are just too messy and, in spite of myself, I've always been a little risk averse. May I dare to say this... Try to not allow your decision cloud over your MA betterment. Initially, it's normal to second guess oneself, but in time, you'll not even think about it, and when to do think about it, you'll smile!! "The road I choose, has made all of the difference" ~Robert Frost

Solid post!! I really like your terminology of "wheelhouse" because that's the familiarity that drives the CI/Instructor. I teach the history, where it benefits the students betterment, but the fill-in-the-blanks is for the student to learn through their own research. My primary responsibility to my students is to teach the techniques and to guide them to the landscape of effectiveness of those said techniques, and not to provide a history lesson. What is the advantage to the students betterment to reveal to them the history of, for example, said Kata/Bunkai/Kihon...just teach the Kata/Bunkai/Kihon. I pray that I've guarded my passions here, and if not, please forgive me.

If a student has some difficulty of training southpaw or vice versa, then, for training purposes, secure the dominate arm so it can't move. Forcing the non-dominate to learn. Slowly but surely, the non-dominate arm will learn what it needs to learn. It goes down to familiarity, imho.

Every MA has one undeniable thing in common... Human beings are required!! The drawback to that one undeniable thing is that human beings are flawed. My point, if I even have one, is that traditional MA, or any other MA, traditional or not, don't need the help from UFC or the like because effective styles of the MA, are flawed to the nth degree because human beings are, well, flawed. Nonetheless, what's even more amazing is that flawed human beings founded effective styles of the MA so that flawed practitioners of said effective MA can execute effectively upon other unexpected flawed human beings. Oh here's my point...human beings, as flawed as they are, are exceptionally adaptable to the nth degree, and they've the built in internal/outwardly inertia to buck against the perceived impossible to exceed expectations, no matter the venue. They just need the chance!! Imho!!