sensei8

You seem to be in a Catch-22; darn if you do, and darn if you don't. Equality should be considered, however, the field should also be of equality as well. The fact that females are not as strong as males shouldn't be weighed whatsoever because the MA isn't based on gender, but on knowledge and experience, i.e., either the practitioner is or isn't effective. Our Testing Cycle isn't gender based, but rank based, and yes, I hate that terminology, as if rank has meaning, which it doesn't. The bottom line is that the CI and/or the Governing Body has ruled as to the policies and procedures, in which, the SOP must be adhered to, or one can go somewhere else, which is another Catch-22.

Yes!! Why?? It's part of the methodology, and the starting point of the syllabus/curriculum. Any system has to have a starting point to be considered as well as for it to grow. However, the effectiveness must be harshly tested thoroughly and without any ambiguity whatsoever. Imho.

In any splitting up of any MA school, I believe that the students suffer the most for a wide variety of reasons. It's never a peaceful transition across the board. The dust will eventually settle, and what remains will either add to or take away or do nothing for the Student Body, as well as the school itself. Hurt feelings are often hard and slow to mend.

It was just a joke. It was analogy of looking around and trying to spot the weird guy and not seeing one, only to realize YOU’RE the weird one. It’s happened to me a few times, where I’m sitting there in a group and wondering “what’s the matter with these guys” when it dawns on my that they’re all probably saying “what’s the matter with HIM (me)?” I tend to look at things from an odd angle and get a chuckle out of it. I knew it was a joke, and I didn't take it personal at all. I've just never personally encountered face to face; just on line or read about it or someone told me about one.

For myself, I'd not be overly concerned with if any MA style is real, but is said MA style effective, and is that effectiveness doable for said practitioner. As far as the 15th Dan...that's his right as the founder, no matter what my professional and personal feelings might be.

What I teach my students, and what the SKKA require to teach, are two different things. The SKKA has a set of 3 required Bunkai for each and every movement found in said Kata, and they are staunch proponents of Oyo. This is fine because any "tool" has to have a starting methodology to it. What I strongly teach my students is to NOT look at what the SKKA core has provided as the end of any means, as students tend to do; the gospel truth from the Governing Body. Albeit, to look at each and every Bunkai way beyond what the SKKA has given us as a starting point, because that's what the SKKA is giving them, a starting point of reference. The literal or the developed or the practical of Bunkai are not to be the bondage of its possibility. For every challenge is opportunity, and with every opportunity comes learning. This, to me, is the summation of 'why' is to the summation of 'because' of any approach to Bunkai. We don't believe, therefore we don't teach the literal because to us, the word "block" isn't what we do, which is we receive. To us literal proponents haven't matured away from the illusion that literal Bunkai offers. To each their own!! I respect that!!

As I've said, I'm happy with that principle. It's just that in my club, we've been assured otherwise. I think everyone else in the club is under the illusion that when it closes, they'll be able to simply join another club, keeping their rank and practicing the exact same karate as they practice now. I imagine there's going to be quite a few unhappy people when they realize. One will only know the possible outcome once its been decided by the CI; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Just this past Thursday night, 15 minutes before the store closing, a student of mine was robbed at gun point at work. He's a Store Manager of a well known retail brand. This is he's 3rd time in being robbed in his 19 years in retail. The robbers didn't get much, and no one was seriously injured. 2 guys brandishing a shotgun and a very large pistol came into his store, they were wearing hooded sweatshirts, sunglasses, and baseball type caps. At that time, there were 5 customers, 2 clerks, and him, and they were forced to lay face down, except him because he's the Store Manager and only a member of management can open the register without a sale. The robbers were violent in both language and physical. At the end, and this covered only about 5 minutes, if that, but the robber with the shotgun watched over all but him, while the other robber with the big gun escorted him behind the cash wrap to retrieve all of the cash out of the 3 registers...$150.00 in total. But, right before the robber that was with my student, instead of ordering him to lay down, the robber hit him right in the head. The trauma was severe enough that 1 of the clerks quit, and my student is contemplating to quit as well. He had many opportunities to disarm the robber who hit him, but with others in the store, and with there being 2 robbers, and because it's against company policy to take matters in your own hands, he did nothing. He's taking a few weeks away from the dojo to clear his mind, and seek some professional help, but he feels he's failed as a MAist...and he's not, but there's no telling him that, at this moment. My student's a Yondan!!

That my dojo was a business; first and foremost. It's always been a business, but at first, I didn't treat it as such for one reason or another. Through trials and tribulations I learned the truth... Take the school for granted will only get you taken to bankruptcy court!!

To Chunmonchek and JR... Huh??

Is that really self-motivation, or is it a realistic lack of time? If you’re sitting on the couch and making up excuses or just plain-old don’t feel like going, then yeah, lack of motivation. But if you’re at work, kids’ wrestling tourney, etc., I wouldn’t call that a lack of motivation. I’d call that higher priorities. I wholeheartedly concur!!

Yes!! One can learn Kodudo on-line and/or from a book. I'm just on the side of the fence that are proponents of having the experienced watchful eye of a qualified instructor in order to catch the mistakes right off the bat instead of when it counts and/or when the bad habit is deeply engrained.

At the SKKA, we've never ever said that our Governing Body was the best!! Why?? Because it's not!! Never has been and never will be because nothing and no one is perfect nor complete; flawed to the core. BUT, we're super duper far, way far, very far away from being the worse. Any Governing Body of the MA says that they're the best, well, show me the best, and I'll show you the worse.

Solid post!!

I've this nagging rule... If you've experience on the floor, and you ask me if YOUR rank will transfer, guess what I'm going to say?!?!? NO!! If you're not in the SKKA, then you're a white belt, ESPECIALLY if you ask me about your rank!! Why?? To me, to even ask me that, tells me that rank is more important than knowledge and experience. So, get to the end of the line, and train hard and train well!!

I'm in agreement with this. Students come and go. I've always respected a student that told me that they were leaving, why they were leaving and/or what they were planning on doing. What we do is not for everyone... I agree with both here because manners are everything!!

Man, I live a very boring life because I've never experienced any bizarre, strange, weird masters and training places.

The answer to your questions will be as varied as there are cars' make and model, but they all do one thing...they eventually get you from point 'A' to point 'B'. For us in Shindokan Saitou-ryu, Bunkai is the nomenclature of our syllabus, at its most general terminology/ideology. The Bunkai tears down said technique/movement, and then rebuilds it, and all the while, effective discoveries are revealed, while discarding that which isn't effective. Within the process of Bunkai, applications are analyzed for its most rudimental effective fighting method. For us, Oyo Bunkai is the self-expression of anything, and everything, that's found in the said Kata. From its stances, to its postures, to its timing, to its breathing, and so on and so forth. Our students are taught a set of Bunkai's for the said Kata, which is normally 3 prescribed different Bunkai's for each step. Then, we are strongly encouraged to discover our own Oyo for each step, making sure, through resistive training, that which is effective and those which aren't effective. Oyo for me is everything; the puzzle piece that I've been searching for quite some time, and I've desperately sought after it diligently, and then by accident one day, I finally find that darn missing puzzle piece under the darn couch, even though I've looked under that very same couch before over and over. Those AHA moments are both refreshing and joyful, but at the very same time, an alarming frustration. What I learned, and I'm very stubborn, is that I MUST allow my Oyo to just happen naturally, and not forcefully. When it's forced, like in anything, it's the furthest thing from it being close to effective. Then, there's the Shu Ha Ri types of Bunkai: Omote, Ura & Honto!! Omote is "Surface"; that which one sees on the surface of what any part of the Kata is from a mere observed glance. Ura is "Hidden"; just what's below the surface. Honto is "Truth; this is where the effectiveness lies, and casts away that which is ineffective.

First off Kenpo/Kempo is a generic term like Karate. It mean fist law. It is not a new term nor was it invented in Hawaii although some styles with this name were. Whether Villari (And I'll hold my personal opinion) is legit or not isn't the issue. Whether SKK is considered legit by some is not the issue. The issue is do you feel it's effective? If they are teaching you sound and effective techniques that you can translate to real life then who care's where it came from, who invented it or whether it's Shaolin, Kempo or Karate? If it works for you then continue to train. If it doesn't then find an art that does. I have no idea what this art is or if it's effective. I do recall seeing this man when I was younger in one of the martial arts magazines (I think black belt). Having said that he is not the first to combine more than one art into a singular art. Do I believe it's legit? I have no idea. What I would be researching is a few things if I were concerned with the legitimacy of the art I was studying. 1. What grade did Mr. Villari hold in each of these arts and how long did he study them? 2. You said that Kata and requirements continue to change... I would look into whether there is a curriculum for the art. Maybe your teacher is the issue and not the art. Wouldn't be the first time someone studied for a time and decided to open their own school and started teaching without knowing the art past a certain grade (usually a low one). 3. Is it effective? Do you trust or have you used what is taught to defend yourself in a real fight (not in the Dojo). Did it work or did you get the you know what beat out of you? If what they teach is not effective then you probably need to move on unless of course your not taking the art to learn how to defend yourself. Maybe you enjoy the camaraderie and exercise. 4. Do you trust your teacher and what he teaches? Based on your post I would say you are questioning both. And on a side note: no, Kata usually do not change with the wind nor are they done or taught differently to each new class of students. They are the one true constant. If you have learned a Kata and they are now teaching it totally differently from what you learned I think I would be questioning the teacher. But that's me. Just my 2 cents. Solid post!! For me, it's more of just what can the practitioner do with what is taught!!

I don't think that you can have one without having the other. If you're there for the fitness and fun, then the MA attributes will be there nonetheless, practical and/or non-practical. Of course, from your OP, I believe that you're already getting what you want...cardio...fun...the club and people you love!!

If there's no application in said Kata, then there's no Kata, whatsoever. An application can be just the technique seen in said Kata. A seen punch, kick, "block", and strike can be just that within said Kata. Please don't misunderstand me because I'm a staunch proponent of Bunkai of all types, and will always be so. Oftentimes, practitioners look for applications, especially on the Oyo side of the fence, to just find an application even if the effectiveness of it isn't there whatsoever. Imho!!

As I'm always reminding you of...Train hard and train well!! Even though they're closed for now!! You got this!!!!!!

1) My family, my health, and my MA journey...none more important than another because they are all of equal importance. My family has encouraged me all of these many years to remain on the floor. They've seen both the ups and the downs, and they'd never change a thong because they know how much the MA means to me personally as well as professionally, on and off the floor. My wife, Linda, is a very staunch supporter of my MA career, even though I'm often away from home on business with the SKKA and/or conducting seminars here and there. My health! Well, I've Afib, and I'll have it for the rest of my life; nothing I can do about that. I do go to the gym religiously, 5-6 days a week for about 2-3 hours a day. And when I'm not at the gym, I train at home...but not on Sunday per my wife!! I've lost just over 110lbs since October 2017, and I've 30-40lbs more to lose to reach my goal per my doctors. I've been stuck in a plateau at 250lbs for some time now, and that angers me to no end. My MA journey is in its 53rd year, and I've not regretted on single second of it. I've earned some sizeable milestones that I'm quite proud of, but not so much that my ego gets in the way of the journey; integrity and humbleness. I've climbed the SKKA ladder, even though those appointments weren't ever searched for, nor were they desired of by myself; they happened, but not of my accord. My journey is far from over, God willing!! 2) Then there's my students, as well as the entire Student Body of the SKKA. My students are everything to me, and these aren't idle words because I mean it with all of my heart and soul. They came to me, and I didn't come to me, and that speaks in deafening volumes that I'll never deny. I've more than my share of Dan students under me, as well as the countless amount of Kyu students. After all, to me, the White Belt is the most important belt of them all because without the White Belt, any other rank is impossible to earn. Rank is free; its only cost is blood, sweat, and tears!! What is a dojo with no students?? A long lonely walk; a painful void!! The SKKA Student Body is my sole responsibility to ensure that they receive the best of the best on and off the floor!! As Kaicho, nothing comes before the Student Body; they're first and foremost!! Albeit, I'm responsible of the success of the SKKA because it is a business, and in that, it must comp up continuously, and without any ambiguity. Therefore, and for that, the Student Body of the SKKA must be, has to be, taken care of firstly on the floor, then off the floor as well. As long as there's breath in me, the SKKA's Student Body will be cared for in immeasurable ways; I take care of them, then Shindokan Saitou-ryu is taken care of as well.

That was way to cool. Thanks, Bulltahr!!

Yes; many, many times. Of intrinsic value. What Soke and Dai-Soke taught within the Shindokan circle are of immeasurable importances across the board. However, outside of, and away from Shindokan is a vast wide world of valuable insights in and out of the MA, and the Book Of Five Rings was one of those many MA books that've helped me to see outside of the Shindokan circle, and in conjunction with my forging my own MA identity. Immensely so!! Being a staunch proponent of what the Book of Five Rings teaches, but what it also teaches the reader as an individual. Strategy is key, however, the one thing that struck me first was the Strike of Non-Thought, for that was the exclamation of what Soke and Dai-Soke was teaching us to their last breath. And when Bruce uttered these words in Enter the Dragon... 'I do not it, it hits all by itself', and 'there is no thought'!! We were taught these maxims...Mizu no kokoro [Mind like water] and Tsuki no kokoro [Mind like the moon], we MAists seek ever so diligently to be so automatic in everything that we do because the mind does seem to have an ugly habit of getting in the way.