sensei8

Kancho! I just turned 12 again... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanch%C5%8D LOL!! Kancho, depending on the Governing Body, means Head of the Style or President of the Governing Body or the Founder of the Style or whatever else. We use Kancho as our title for being the elected Vice-President of our Governing Body (SKKA), and Kaicho as our title for being the elected President of same Governing Body (SKKA).

I don't imagine for one second that God designed us for combat because we're quite fragile, even though our body can take some abuse, depending on the degree that the abuse is. We have to wear PPE of all types to minimize any type of injury/trauma because our body isn't like petrified wood or some other invincible material. Vital points are all over our body, and if one of these vita points are struck, that's the end of the game. Some vital points, like the groin, take very little to wish one didn't have a groin. What injures the body can take, from looking at any outward injuries to the body, can be misleading, whereas someone might not think twice about it, "Oh, it's just a scratch/small bruise, I'll be fine", yet, what one sees on the outside just don't paint that exacting picture as far as what's happening to the body internally. Look at some of the ending results of many of the MMA fights, and what a fighter's body looks like at the end of the fight. They look like they were ran over by a truck again and again...and again; they don't look so good. If they look that on the outside, imagine what is happening internally. NFL players suffer concussions regularly, and that's not combat, that's just sport. Then there's the various injuries that are sustained at sports in general; broken bones, torn ligaments, contusions, and so on and so forth, and that's not combat either: Sports...fun things!! Combat, is severe, and can be quite fatal!! Combat is meant for the Man of Steel; Superman, not us, with our fragile mortal coil. Imho!!

Solid post!!

Congrats, Himokiri Karate; well deserved!!

No one has read, seen, and/or heard about any unyielding/very difficult/near impossible/etc. Testing Cycles?? OK, with the hope to start a conversation, then tell us about the unyielding/very difficult/near impossible/etc. Testing Cycles of YOUR DOJO/DOJANG/GOVERNING BODY/etc, please. Thank you.

Painfully? As in not good? Painfully, as in, I don't do good watching ANY MA movie and the like without treating the content as though it's a Testing Cycle, and not a movie...I STILL do that to Enter The Dragon. That's ingrained in me so very much, that I judge the content of said MA movie, and not enjoy the entertainment value that it might have.

I watched the entire series, twice, for free. Key word - free. YouTube Red has a free 30 day trial period. I’ve got a few days to cancel before my account gets billed. There’s really nothing else to make me want to pay for a subscription. I thought the rest of the episodes were better than the first two. Thanks for the tip, JR; I just might further painfully further endure to watch the remaining episodes, then cancel it...I'll read the fine print before I do the 30 day trial period.

Congrats, Wayofaswede; way to go!! You're half way there to Shodan; hopefully you'll continue training beyond Shodan, if not, that's cool too. Train hard, train well!!

He's Kancho of the style that he founded; no idea of his MA background, other than this.

I painfully watched episodes 1 & 2 for FREE on YouTube, NOT YouTube Red, with episode trailers. My favorite word...FREE!!

What if it's NOT a marketing tool??

An untold amount of well known MAists have either been expelled or resigned from well known Governing Body's for varied reasons. These actions have, in their own way, small or large, have all been game changers of their own right, in one way or another. From this link, there's these examples... https://www.karateforums.com/expulsion-vt38382.html Please note the 4th paragraph at the above link, as well as the Sources at the very bottom of same link.

I was just reading where a MAist instructor has closed the doors of his school, and is now teaching out of his home dojo to a select few. He's a very strict screening process, which he points out, can't be done in a public dojo because he teaches a MA "that is very deadly", in which, he's afraid what he's teaching might end up in the wrong hands. He feels quite responsible in making sure that this deadly art stays out of the wrong hands. That's fine!! The term "I teach a MA that is very deadly" has always struck me as quite arrogant and such. Is it a marketing tool? Maybe!! Is it reality? Maybe!! Isn't the MA, every single MA on the planet, if done effectively, deadly?? Why is his MA more deadly than the rest?? If a MA IS deadly, than why ever mention it to anyone in any shape, way, and/or form?? For the "Oh's and ah's"?? Yeah, I suppose I need to get over myself because it's not that important...but whenever I hear that, I raise my eyes and my ears and shout... Good Grief Charlie Brown!! Deadly!?!? Hhhmmmmm...

I've truly tried, but in the end, I've not watched and enjoyed the movie, but instead, I've just only completed another Testing Cycle. Shoot, I did, and still do that with Enter The Dragon...I'm totally hopeless!!

Thank you Brian and singularity6; means the world to me.

Forgive my question, please... Why are the forward stepping so robot-like?? With each step, the stepping forward foot goes in a straight line...shoulder width to shoulder width, step after step; to me, that way of stepping forward is disjointed. The feet aren't, as one's stepping forward, having the back foot, going to the inside/center of the body, then returning to the outside, shoulder width, for the ending of the forward step. This is also what GM Suh taught us, and is akin to what Shindokan teaches. I'm just wondering. I know style differences exist, this is why I'm asking, and I'm not implying that what I see in the videos is incorrect, just different.

Is it possible that within your community that you're well known as a LEO as well as a MAist; anyone in your community won't hassle you if your wore MA apparel around town. The first thing I'd notice, if I lived in your community, and I wasn't a MAist, is that you're a LEO, and I don't want to go to jail for being stupid. Second thing I'd notice is that you're a BB in TKD, and I don't want to get my head handed to be for being stupid and dumb, all at the same time. Respect goes along, long way...so does common sense!! That would also apply with Alex, tallgeese, too, if I lived in his community!!

Great news, shortyafter!! You'll get Yoko-geri before you know it because, imho, it's a staple technique, like tying your shoelaces is to getting dressed...remember what I'm always saying to you...TIME!!

Quite briefly... Testing Cycles are just what they are meant to be...A TEST of proficiency held once every quarter at the Governing Bodies designated locations throughout the year. Some Testing Cycles are held only once per year, usually at that Governing Body's Hombu, in which all candidates from within said Governing Body's network, after having been approved by the Governing Body, are allowed to attend. Some Testing Cycle locations are held at either a dojo or at the Governing Body's Headquarters or at some other venue to be determined by the Governing Body. As the word "TEST" implies, candidates are examined from time to time to insure that their proficiency demonstrates an marked and noted improvement since that candidates most recent Testing Cycle; effectively, as determined by said Governing Body. Strict adherence to applied, and therefore obeyed, requirements are enforced without any ambiguity whatsoever, and without violating the integrity of the Testing Cycle. Close scrutiny hovers over each and every segment of any, and all, Testing Cycles, from the tiniest to the largest, to therefore erase any, and all, impropriety in any shape, way, and/or form. In short, the credibility of each and ever Testing Cycle must be stainless; pure to the most discerning eye, no matter who's eye it might be. OK... To the question... What Are The Unyielding Testing Cycles that you might've seen, read, and/or heard about?? But, please, let's try not to speak about YOUR dojo or gym or dojang or whatever else because there's a possibility of not being biased. So, I'll start... 8th Dan in Kendo is the highest attainable physical/written rank/dan level attainable from the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (All Japan Kendo Federation). Since the 8th dan test only has a pass rate of about 1%, it has a reputation of being the toughest Testing Cycle in Japan. It's held 2 times a year...In May in Kyoto and in November in Tokyo. Hachidan Requirements: *10 years or more after receipt of Nanadan, and age 46 or higher. *Kata 1-7 and Kodachi Kata 1-3. *Written examination & thesis. Your turn, please...

Excuses are like the stars, they are endless; to many to count. Guess what else about excuses?? They (excuses) are live and well in the MA, and at every level of knowledge and experience; quite normal in every imagined endeavor, including the MA. The good news for you, OneKickWonder, is that you've realized the importance of Kumite (sparring) across the board. Perfecting what one's learned, and/or is learning, and/or will learn is critical, however, that's not enough. Without Kumite, many aspects are lost, and so is the practitioner. The fatigue you're experiencing, shortness of breath, if no medical issue is causing it, while engaging in Kumite, it's more than likely due because you're holding your breath...and/or...you're just not use to the physicality of Kumite, but I dare to lean more towards you are holding your breath in Kumite. Proper breathing is everything in the MA, not just with Kumite. If you're not fatigued at any other time while training EXCEPT at Kumite, I stress once again, you're holding your breath. One holding ones breath for any duration outside the normalcy of when one should hold ones breath for only in micro moments, happens quite a lot with beginners and somewhat with intermediate students. I believe that beginning and intermediate students hold their breath quite a lot during Kumite is triggered by the brain to protect the body in the best way it understands. Fear might be the initiating factor during Kumite why beginning and intermediate students hold ones breath. Again, the mind is trying to protect the body from any imagined injury. In that, Future Event Appearing Real...FEAR!! Beginners and intermediate students will also hold their breath while executing Kata. Next time you go to a tournament, watch the Kata division with beginners and intermediates...you'll see them, not all of them, trying vainly to control their huffing and puffing at the end of their Kata. Oh, they'll still Kiai at the appropriate times, but before and after, they're holding their breath. That's why you hear a lot of audible sharp exhales of ones breath at each and every technique executed in said Kata; it's to control ones breathing and to handcuff the urge to hold their breath for the entire Kata. Like anything, it takes time and patience to overcome ones limitations, and holding ones breath improperly is a limitation that must be erased for ones MA betterment. Hold your breath, but only at the appropriate time, which that time is a micro short sharp exhale just before one's about to be struck; hence, Kiai time.

Nope. I don't want to draw attention to myself outside of the dojo because it can backfire on me by someone wanting to test me. Sport apparel is all I wear that's even close to something MA like.

To the bold type above... Nope!! Just how many MA styles have been diluted?? Many MA styles are STILL around!! Again, who's to say that YOU/I/WHOMEVER is better than their Sensei?? Well, in my case, I suppose Soke would be better to make that determination if I'm better than Dai-Soke because Soke taught Dai-Soke. My Governing Body?? NO WAY!! That would be an assumption that bears no fruit. It's not about saying you are better. It's about going into the dojo every time and working your hardest to be the best you can be. Aspire to be better. Work you hardest to be better otherwise you've already put limitations on yourself. To me saying I can never be as good as them is already constructing barriers and putting limitations on yourself. I guess this is where TKD differs as in ITF TKD our founder was explicit in that the greatest compliment a student could pay their instructor is to surpass him. In General Choi's Encyclopedia (The TKD Bible) it explicitly says: "An instructor should be eager for students to surpass him; it is the ultimate compliment for an instructor. A student should never be held back. If an instructor realizes his student has developed beyond his teaching capabilities, the student should be sent to a higher ranking instructor." It's about building on those before and aspiring to something better. This is the conversation people have I suppose when the word "better" is used, like in the bold word way above. Once again, of course we want our students to be better than us, like we parents want our children to be better than us. I too, want my students to be far better than me, therefore, I hold nothing back from my students; holding things back from my students is a disgrace on my part. Aspire, better, whatever label we choose to attach to it, I have never came to my Dai-Soke with the intent of ever being better than him; I just want to be better today than I was yesterday.

Solid post!!

Is stretching overrated?? I don't know, is breathing overrated?? I believe that anything that helps one body can't be overrated, I suppose, but I'm not a medical doctor.

To the bold type above... Nope!! Just how many MA styles have been diluted?? Many MA styles are STILL around!! Again, who's to say that YOU/I/WHOMEVER is better than their Sensei?? Well, in my case, I suppose Soke would be better to make that determination if I'm better than Dai-Soke because Soke taught Dai-Soke. My Governing Body?? NO WAY!! That would be an assumption that bears no fruit.