sensei8

Why not? You learn the most from teaching. Physical limitations are starting to get in the way!!

What rank are you grading for??

Now that was a very pointed letter; no ambiguity whatsoever!!

To the bold type above... HUH?? All students earn the right to train, no matter the rank. That's why I'm always saying that the most important rank is WHITE BELT because the other ranks, especially black belt, do not and can not occur without first TRAINING as a White belt. Concerning the subject at hand, the other ranks before black belt have earned the right to train too. Imho!!

Then there's the other side of doing a demo for an 80 year old practitioner...BEING THROWN ON THE GROUND!! A throw is a violent act; violent for the 80 year old body that won't like that whatsoever...not many young practitioners like being thrown around like a rag doll.

With BJJ, the practitioner welcomes the ground instead of fearing the ground!! The uncomfortable becomes comfortable!! The unforeseen becomes foreseen!! The impossible become possible!! The ground is no-mans land for many practitioners of the MA that have no ground training, and that fear, multiplies ones fear of the unknown ground...BJJ dispels that faster than Tide dispels a stain on ones clothes.

Exactly!! If one doesn't believe in Kata, for example, whatsoever, and stand behind their belief, I can support them. But to be wishy-washy about whatever MA, well, I simply can't support them. It's no skin off their nose whether I support them or not because they've their mind up one way or another.

Students; good or bad or indifferent, help make the CI better on and off the floor!!

I might train up to my dying breath, but I might not be teaching up to that point!!!!

Hypothetically, among other MAists at some gathering of MAist... "Hey, I despise Kata and everything it stand for; can't stand, can't tolerate, can't get behind it, it's a waste of time and space, and anyone who trains in Kata doesn't have the minimum of an idea about anything MA." Then that very same person, after the gathering concludes, goes to his/her dojo to teach, of all things, Kata; tells his/her students all the positive benefits that can become through training Kata!! This, right here, is part of what I'm referring to, or trying to.

Books are a snapshot of the subject found in said book!! I've more books on the MA than I care to admit! ***NERD ALERT!!*** Books, like anything else doing with the MA are nothing than another form of a tool; useful or not to that practitioner is up to that practitioner alone. YouTube and whatever else is the rage of today's page are also, another form of a tool. The tool is only as important as the practitioner decides. And of course, nothing ever replaces ones instructor; the go to person on anything within the style trained in.

I try to get my guys to undermine my techniques all the time. I encourage them to doubt and question everything and anything I do. I only ask that they be vocal and voice their opinion to ME rather than someone else when I’m not there. Frankly, I love having people like you in my class. I find they stick with me the most and obviously really understand the method to my madness. If you like getting answers to the questions you ask, you’d love being in my class. That said, my personal opinion is that one should always be skeptical. I’m teaching you a science, not a religious dogma. I’ve found those that get most upset when people have questions are the ones that don’t have the answers.... Solid post!!

I used to be skeptical of spinning kicks. I still am skeptical of the more showey and complicated ones. But spinning kicks do have their uses. Perhaps more in free sparring than point sparring though. Here's one of my favourite tricks. I come in with a front kick. Nothing fancy. As basic as it gets. Or a roundhouse will do. Again the simplest kind. If my opponent manages to block it, chances are they will try to knock me by my kicking leg into a spin so that they can get to my side to counter. I take advantage of any spin they put on me and just do a spinning kick with the other leg. Usually high, on the basis that as they've literally only just blocked my low kick, chances are their guard is still fairly low by the time my other foot comes round high. I liken this principle to a wonky floor board. You push one end down and the other end pops up, so you move to push that end down and the first end pops back up. However, did, at anytime, one see someone teaching a spinning kick on the floor, then see that very same person speak negatively about spinning kicks once that person was off the floor, and away from the dojo?? That's what I'm trying to say, and I've witnessed this many times during my MA career; it disgusts me to no end. Ah, I see what you mean. No would be the answer to that specific question. But I have heard our chief instructor criticise some techniques that are in our syllabus. We're part of a wider organisation that sets our grading criteria. That includes the details of our techniques at a basic level (it's up to senior instructors to add their own experience to it). A very few times, I've heard our instructor say things like 'the book says this but nobody is going to look at you negatively if you do it like this instead'. Basically a polite way of criticising what 'the book' says. Nothing wrong, for the most part, with the CI criticizing the syllabus, UNLESS, the CI says one thing, then does another thing, without batting an eyelash. Again, one way or another, but not both at the same time.

I love and greatly appreciate the historical factors of the MA, especially Shindokan Saitou-ryu; knowing the history unlocks much beneficial components that provide ones connecting the dots. However, I know, I know, I know...but please allow me to be honest as to how I feel about this... I just don't give a bent pins about the historical factors!! Why?? Official or not, as to the historical factors are concerned, I wasn't there, and I wasn't there because I wasn't born yet. I accept the historical facts, both in and out of the MA, because throughout history, records have been kept, and verified and cataloged and who knows what else. In Shindokan, we've historical factors out the wazoo: Our By-Laws and our Densho Scrolls, both written by our Soke, as well as our Archived Records. BUT I WASN'T THERE WHEN THESE THINGS OCCURRED!! By faith, I have to believe their accuracy across the board. I'm more of a nowadays historian, but not until I was a pre-JBB, did I peak an interest of the nowadays MA history outside of the Shindokan circle. Even with that, my heart just really isn't in it...if I learn something historical, great, and if I don't learn anything historical, that's great too. I don't yell out to the top of my lungs if MA history can or can't be verified because I came to learn effective MA, and history means nothing to my being able to execute effective MA. History has its place...effectiveness has its place, however, I don't mix them together. Who did what when to whom is the furthermost thing in my mind whenever I'm training, teaching, administrating, or defending myself/family/friends/innocent. I didn't come to learn about MA history, mine or others, and important as it might be, that's up to the individual practitioner, but I came to learn effective MA. If one thinks that I'm not complete in my MA totality, on and off the floor, because of my personal views of MA history, are mistaken. Is my believe going to meet with both approval and disapproval?? Sure, but irregardless, it's still my believe.

If you've not done so as of yet, please read about the concept of Shu Ha Ri because this is what occurs continuously in ones MA journey, no matter rank. Everything that I've read on this thread speaks about the ups and downs that a MAist experiences. In which, you might want to consider this... 7 times down, 8 times up!! That, right there, that's you!! And that's a great thing!! Discouragement happens, but it's the test of ones character that embodies the maxim of 7 times down, 8 times up. It's easier to quit that it is to endure, but I don't see that in you, not from what I've read. As my Sensei always says, and as his Sensei always told him... SHUGYO...Suck it up!! Welcome to the MA; if it was easy, everyone would be doing it...but everyone's NOT doing the MA...but you are!! You're fine, shortyafter; train hard and train well!!

There's this... Read the very first question in this interview... http://fightingmaster.com/legends/royce/interview.htm

I used to be skeptical of spinning kicks. I still am skeptical of the more showey and complicated ones. But spinning kicks do have their uses. Perhaps more in free sparring than point sparring though. Here's one of my favourite tricks. I come in with a front kick. Nothing fancy. As basic as it gets. Or a roundhouse will do. Again the simplest kind. If my opponent manages to block it, chances are they will try to knock me by my kicking leg into a spin so that they can get to my side to counter. I take advantage of any spin they put on me and just do a spinning kick with the other leg. Usually high, on the basis that as they've literally only just blocked my low kick, chances are their guard is still fairly low by the time my other foot comes round high. I liken this principle to a wonky floor board. You push one end down and the other end pops up, so you move to push that end down and the first end pops back up. However, did, at anytime, one see someone teaching a spinning kick on the floor, then see that very same person speak negatively about spinning kicks once that person was off the floor, and away from the dojo?? That's what I'm trying to say, and I've witnessed this many times during my MA career; it disgusts me to no end.

Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you...SING IT WITH ME, EVERYONE, Happy Birthday dear Noah...Happy Birthday to you...and many, many more!! Cake and ice cream and presents time!! Have a very safe and happy birthday, Noah!!

If I speak strongly against, for example, Tuite, and all that it embodies, here at KF often, and then when I'm at my dojo teaching Tuite daily and speaking strongly positively about Tuite, and all that it embodies, I believe that I'm quite the hypocritical. In my dojo, I believe that Tuite is "Practical", and to this point in my MA journey, and I've been on the floor quite a long time, no one has yet convinced me otherwise concerning the methodology and ideology of Tuite. Not before, not now, and more than likely, not in the foreseen future. Hypothetically speaking... With that in mind, imagine me, and you knew me outside of KF, and you read post after post from me, here at KF, speaking strongly against everything that is Tuite, you'd lose respect for me across the board, and hopefully, and in a kind way, you'd reveal my indiscretions. So, what's "Practical" to me, now, becomes Impractical, but tomorrow, at my dojo, it becomes "Practical" once again. I've not made my mind up yet, I'm a liar, not only to myself, but towards though that I both know and those I train. Pick one; can't have cake too!!

maybe...but for whom??!! The one thing, not just anything, but just that one thing that has rubbed me wrong ever since I heard the term "Practical" whatever the style of the MA, I fully supported it because I believed, and still believe, in the methodology and ideology of "Practical". Why?? The opposite of "Practical" was the "Impractical"; effectiveness over the ineffective. That's what all MAist should be striving for each and everyday of the MA journey...PRACTICAL EFFECTIVENESS!! Then the coin slowly started to turn over the "Practical" term in such a way that there were two camps of division; as bright and blinding as the Sun. The contradictions amaze me to no end. Some, not all, who are proponents of "Practical" whatever, will criticize vehemently against the very MA methodologies/ideologies that they practice daily with their CI, while on at the very same moment, they'll be speaking negatively; akin to someone speaking with forked-tongue. "That's [insert Technique Here] isn't practical for these reason(s)!!" However, on a daily basis, that same practitioner is training in that very same technique(s) and the like with their CI. Either IT is or it ISN'T; there's no in-between!! Can't train one way, then almost on the very same note, speak against that which they train in daily with their CI. I'm not speaking about when one discards said methodology/ideology/techniques totally for whatever their reason(s) might be. But when one speaks ill-will about a technique, for example, high side kick, then, while in class with their CI, they're practicing that very same high side kick, just after ripping its practicality to shreds; quite hypocritical. Did that very same practitioner voice their true opinions about that very same high side kick to THEIR OWN CI???? Pick one...Practical or impractical...one way or another...either it is or it isn't...THEN, be true to it, and not pretending about it. Imho!!

It's a pretty laid back environment. Most are very open to what new students bring to the table. The biggest thing to keep in mind is to just embrace the different training methodology. I wholeheartedly agree. I've crossed trained with many, many BJJ practitioners over my entire MA career in more of an exchange of methodologies and ideologies, but nonetheless, oftentimes, I was treated differently right off the bat due to my rank, whether it be good or bad or indifferent; made me quite uncomfortable.

The way you first describe; I've been doing that since day one back in 1964...that's how we were taught, and this is how I taught/teach it. My "tails" hang down to just under the hem of the gi jacket...mid-thigh.

What will their (Instructors) expectations be of me?? While I'd be "new" to BJJ, from a student aspect, I'm not "new" on the floor, nor am I not "new" within grappling per Shindokan's brand of grappling, and while I'm not ranked in BJJ, whatsoever, yet I'm ranked in Shindokan. This isn't my first rodeo on the floor as both an Instructor and Student and Administrator.

I've posted here, and not in the "Health, Training and Fitness" forum because my question is not that type of question. My lower back hasn't improved; it's worsened!! Shindokan is one of the very few Karate styles that incorporates grappling, but not in a passing notion, but a full on bull in a china closet notion. I'm sincere when I say that Shindokan is very comfortable on the floor...literally on the floor...on our backs...or whatever the position dictates. My doctor says that my days on the floor, grappling wise, are behind me. My lower back is toast. Just the littlest wrong move, and my back goes out, and with my back going out, the accompanying pain is quite severe; so severe, I literally can't move, and if I try to move, the pain is unbearable. Last episode I have, I was bedridden for 3 days, in which after I could move, I was slow and deliberate. This is life as it stands. I need a ESI procedure, but my Cardiologist forbids that procedure because I'll have to come off my Eliquis blood thinner for 3 days prior to the procedure. The ESI is where the doctors give your disc, in your back, 3 shots of steroids to reduce inflammation, hence, relieving pressure on the pinched nerves; the needle is quite long. I hate needles!! I know Shindokan isn't the complete picture when it comes to grappling, which MA is?! But I believe in BJJ wholeheartedly in what it brings to the table, and BJJ would add so much to our brand of grappling. I'll need to learn BJJ, and not in a passing notion either, but, join a BJJ school. SO...can I roll BJJ wise??

Because the students deserve that from the CI!! Imho!!