sensei8

Sorry I missed this topic!! Unsu is one of my most favorite Kata's, even though nowadays, my age is showing at the wrong time. That big jump does task any practitioner, especially at first...hundred times or so. I'm a firm believer that to get height in ones jumps/leaps, one needs strong and muscular legs. I've very strong and muscular legs, and here's what I do at the gym... STRETCH FIRST!!!!!! You'll have to look these exercises up to learn how to do them, unless you already know. *Leg Presses *Step-Ups *Pistol Squats *Glute-Ham Raise *Lunge Squats *Bulgarian Split Squat *Hack Squat *Romanian Deadlift *Front Squat *Barbell Squat 3 sets of 10 each; slowly. Making sure your adhere to correct form!! Adjust the weights to your tolerance. Remember, it's not about the weight as it is about the reps. I work my legs 3 times a week!! I start with cardio for 30 minutes...Rowing or StairMaster or Treadmill or Battle Ropes or Tire Flipping or Bike Riding, then hit the weights. Have fun, be safe, and train hard!!

There are milestones, then there are MILESTONES!! KarateForums.com is one of those MILESTONES, this is for certain. With the flash of light, KF came and did what few ever do within this sensitive industry. An industry that sees the comings and goings of the plethora of forums as often as the waves in the oceans go this way and that way to its end. The steadfastness of KF's success lies with Patrick!! His consistent administration of KF brings its harsh criticism from the variety of places and people, but that's OK because as John Lydgate's famous quote states... “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” This is very true of Patrick's managing style. A style that I've grown to respect and depend upon. His mentoring of his staff, past and present and future, is as unwavering as the rainbow is in the sky after a rain. What’s a leader without any followers? Just a guy taking a walk. I've yet to see this of Patrick and/or KF. Patrick IS that consistency that takes no prisoners, and this, too, has earned my respect and it's what I depend upon. I've made many life long friends here at KF, and I pray that I'll earn many more friends in time; thank you members, thank you all!! Patrick is a firm example of what Spencer Johnson, M.D., spoke about in his book, Who Moved My Cheese?, in which he unearths change, and how change can make you or break you without change breaking sweat. Patrick, continues to change KF across the board to attract new members in a positive way. I'm proud to be part of KF's Staff and one of it members. I'm even much more proud to call Patrick my friend; these aren't idle words!! Happy 17th Birthday KararteForums, and may your have many, many more in the future!!

Between you and me, I'd comply with the system changes, albeit, I'd still train on Gekisaida ichi kata because it still contains valuable and effective contents; kind of train on it on the side for your MA betterment. Imho!!

Has anyone ever seen the movie Moneyball with Brad Pitt?? In the move, based on a true story, the GM for the Oakland Athletes of MLB, Billy Beane, who's rebuilding the team from scratch, is convinced by the newly hired Assistant GM, Harvard-educated statistician Paul DePodesta, to use sabermetric principles to run his team, with OBP, On Base Percentage, was the way to win a game, the way to win the pennant, the way to get into the playoffs, and a way to win the World Series. After all, the more 'W' than 'L', the better chance to the promised land of the World Series. So, the GM of the Oakland Athletes starts filling his roster with players that have a proven OBP. The scouts were irate!! The way to pick a player was to scout them, following them, track them, fretted them, and to go by owns gut feelings about potential players. Over the 2002 season, the Oakland A's, went from the basement to the stratosphere by winning consecutive playoff appearances. Like-minded GM's started to adopt Billy Beane's strategies for their chance of similar successes, including the efforts of In-Play Percentages for an improved "Outs" ratio, and looking more at High School players for the draft. Oh, btw, at the end of the 2002 season, the Red Sox offered Billy Beane over $12 Million dollars to GM the Red Sox; Beane turned the offer down!! Actions of Beane changed the game of baseball forever!! Within the world of MA, and in your opinion, who were the game changers?? I'll start... Bruce Lee was that game changer. How so?? By one statement...one quote... "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own" This, for me, and I'm pretty sure a countless number of MAists as well, was a game changer. This started me looking, and respecting, other styles of the MA. My first exchange was with TKD because they had a kicking arsenal that respect to this day; Shindokan kicks are waist down. Had it not been for Bruce Lee's quote above, I'd be stuck in the limitations of Shindokan, and not changed my game to be eclectic as possible. Over my 53 years in Shindokan, I've cross trained in a wide plethora of styles of the MA to add to my own; it has made all of the difference in my MA betterment. I'm complete in my totality as a MAist, even though, I'm still learning something new and effective every day. Another game changer was our own Soke. He refused to compromise with the status quo that permeated Okinawa Karate of that day, and possibly still today. Soke was cast aside by the powers that be in Okinawa Karate because he refused to join their organization(s) and follow their way and their rules. The powers that be in Okinawa Karate back then, made it extremely difficult for Soke across the board. So, he finally decided that he and Dai-Soke would travel to the USA in order to teach Shindokan. That too, has made all of the difference to me. I don't succumb to any governing body of Okinawa Karate or any other governing body of any MA style. After all, proof is on the floor; now and forever!!

What if, on your path to be better today than you were yesterday, you suddenly find you are better than your teacher? Do you cease your quest of self improvement foe fear of losing your humility? Would that not itself be an act of arrogance? I should point out by the way that this is just me sharing philosophical musings as a thought exploration exercise. I don't believe there can be a definitive answer. Though I could be wrong even about that. To the bold type above... Who's to say that I'm better than my Sensei?? Me?? Yeah, that's very arrogant of me, and that's not me. Someone else?? While that's kind of them, it's quite assumptive of them. My MA journey continues, irregardless, because my MA betterment requires it of me daily. What another MAist possess is for them; I can only be myself and not someone else. I strive to be better across the board; I'm never satisfied with myself!! My Sensei said I was better, therefore, he promoted me over those many years, and if it had been left up to me, I'd still be a white belt; I'd be fine with that. If I was still that white belt after 53 years on the floor, I'd be fine with that too. And I'd still strive to be better today than I was yesterday!! Very valid points well made. In all your years, when as you say your sensei said you were getting better so he promoted you, did you work really hard to perfect what he had shown you, to be able to do the techniques as well as him? Having tried your very best to replicate what your sensei had shown you, did you then stop, or did you keep on trying to further improve your technique? I always try to improve myself beyond what my Sensei taught me as well as what he was teaching me; always with his guidance, after all, I'm his student!! Is that not the same as trying to be better than your sensei, not in the sense that you are trying to be superior as a person, but better in terms of martial arts skill? Not for me!! I never try, nor want, to ever be better than another person, but to only improve my MA betterment across the board. I've never thought that about my Sensei, to be better or whatever than him in any shape, way, and/or form. Why?? He has his own abilities, of which, he partook of himself to provide the necessary efforts to help us, his students, find that which is within us in order that we can be better stewards of our own MA betterment and MA journey. Like a father who wants the best for his children; to be better than himself, so did my Sensei, and so do I as the Sensei of my students, however, for me, that's what I want for my students, but that doesn't mean that my students, or his students, like myself, desire that. I didn't come to learn from my Sensei so that I could be better than my Sensei. No!! I did come to learn from my Sensei how I can improve my MA betterment second by second, minute by minute, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, but ONLY ABOUT MYSELF. Our MA journey can be shared, nonetheless, our MA journey is extremely personal, in which in the end, we must be accountable to no one else but ourselves. Imho!!

What if, on your path to be better today than you were yesterday, you suddenly find you are better than your teacher? Do you cease your quest of self improvement foe fear of losing your humility? Would that not itself be an act of arrogance? I should point out by the way that this is just me sharing philosophical musings as a thought exploration exercise. I don't believe there can be a definitive answer. Though I could be wrong even about that. To the bold type above... Who's to say that I'm better than my Sensei?? Me?? Yeah, that's very arrogant of me, and that's not me. Someone else?? While that's kind of them, it's quite assumptive of them. My MA journey continues, irregardless, because my MA betterment requires it of me daily. What another MAist possess is for them; I can only be myself and not someone else. I strive to be better across the board; I'm never satisfied with myself!! My Sensei said I was better, therefore, he promoted me over those many years, and if it had been left up to me, I'd still be a white belt; I'd be fine with that. If I was still that white belt after 53 years on the floor, I'd be fine with that too. And I'd still strive to be better today than I was yesterday!! Very valid points well made. In all your years, when as you say your sensei said you were getting better so he promoted you, did you work really hard to perfect what he had shown you, to be able to do the techniques as well as him? Having tried your very best to replicate what your sensei had shown you, did you then stop, or did you keep on trying to further improve your technique? I always try to improve myself beyond what my Sensei taught me as well as what he was teaching me; always with his guidance, after all, I'm his student!!

What JR speaks towards and about are solid points, for sure!! If I can add to what JR has said, the degrees, like the black belt, are the outward identifiers that can be spotted at a mere glance. Still, I could tell a lot about Mr. Martin by observing him on the floor in a matter of minutes, and much more by the end of the session, and he'd earn my respect by what qualities he has while on the floor; he exhumes a great deal of solid information. I'd not respect him more because of the degree identifiers on his obi, but his quality he displays on the floor. I'd like him irregardless of his outwardly identifiers because of the manner of which he carries himself. I don't need an outwardly identifier to like him, or like him more!! Of course, I don't fault anyone who displays outward identifiers whatsoever. They serve a purpose. Unfortunately, the outwardly identifiers become a target of harsh ridicule, one on top of another...black belt AND degrees....two targets of ridicule and judgement from those who've not been on the floor with whomever is being ridiculed and judged. Quality attracts, and I'd be attracted to Mr. Martin because of his quality on and off the floor. We, the SKKA, have gotten rid of the outwardly identifiers. Check out this link... https://www.karateforums.com/returning-to-the-ways-of-old-vt37058.html?highlight=identifiers However, since that article, the SKKA has also gotten rid of any and all Soke type titles!!

What if, on your path to be better today than you were yesterday, you suddenly find you are better than your teacher? Do you cease your quest of self improvement foe fear of losing your humility? Would that not itself be an act of arrogance? I should point out by the way that this is just me sharing philosophical musings as a thought exploration exercise. I don't believe there can be a definitive answer. Though I could be wrong even about that. To the bold type above... Who's to say that I'm better than my Sensei?? Me?? Yeah, that's very arrogant of me, and that's not me. Someone else?? While that's kind of them, it's quite assumptive of them. My MA journey continues, irregardless, because my MA betterment requires it of me daily. What another MAist possess is for them; I can only be myself and not someone else. I strive to be better across the board; I'm never satisfied with myself!! My Sensei said I was better, therefore, he promoted me over those many years, and if it had been left up to me, I'd still be a white belt; I'd be fine with that. If I was still that white belt after 53 years on the floor, I'd be fine with that too. And I'd still strive to be better today than I was yesterday!!

No!! I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

Nearly every single style of the MA has a belt system, and within that, there's the dreaded black belt; the only rank that receives unbridled constant resentment across the board. The ridicule is nearly, if not completely, unforgivable to some degree from all walks of life in and out of the MA world. Doubt rears its ugly head without any facts to back them up just for the mentioning of the black belt. Of course, I do understand as to the why's and why not's because we humans are a suspicious creature by fault, but often not, by cause. Deeply ensconced in the black belt rank lies the mitigated proponent: It's varying degrees!! Please, if it's even possible, let's not talk about how the black belt degrees are a political tool, especially in the Senior Dan ranks, because that's a supposed myth; Shindokan tests all ranks up to Hachidan, for example. For the most, there's Shodan-Judan; 10 degrees. Usually, Shodan thru Godan are earned through Testing Cycles. Rokudan thru Hachidan are earned not through the physical efforts, but through the theory and philosophical betterment; what they positively contribute to the MA world, in which, they are expected to be leaders in the MA world. Time in rank is critical and important because maturity of rank isn't a whimsical thing whatsoever; over time!! Kudan and Judan are bestowed in this manner: Kudan is the current leader of the style...Judan is for the styles founder. Let me speak towards that which I'm an authority of: Shindokan. As I briefly aforementioned before, Shindokan tests all ranks up to Hachidan. Only once, has the SKKA conducted a Kudan Testing Cycle, mine, and won't be repeated ever again. The SKKA, has abolished the Judan when the Soke types were. If the black belt receives the disdain it has endured for so long, then degrees of the black belt have received that same disdain, if not much more, then why promote BB degrees at all?? Money?? That seems to be an easy answer, but the money was an unfortunate side effect because we humans can be greedy and morale inferior for profit. White belt to black belt....then that's it. No degrees!! The ridicule of the black belt seems harsh enough, without the furthermore crucifying of the black belt degrees to no end. Alarming to me is when those who have earned a black belt rightfully, speak ill-will towards either the practitioner or the style or both about the black belt. Even most alarming to me, is when those very same, speak vehemently about the black belt degrees. Why?? They wear a black belt and they wear a black belt degree TOO!! It's as though theirs, which they've earned, is so much better than anyone else!! Imho!! My question stands... If the black belt receives the disdain it has endured for so long, then degrees of the black belt have received that same disdain, if not much more, then why promote BB degrees at all??

Welcome to KF, perrymour; glad that you're here!! Can you tell us a little more about yourself??

Congrats, Tempest; that's great news!! Gets better all the time, doesn't it?!?

S L O W Take the time to work into the stretch while keeping mindful of things can can injure you, i.e., bouncing and such. Rushing any stretch gets one injured, and as my doctor always reminds me of... "Are you in a hurry to injure yourself??" S L O W Work into any stretch with a modicum of sensibility; the more one feels stiff, the more time one will need to stretch at a smart pace. The overused phrase "Over time" isn't stressed enough; ones betterment is risked when one ignores that fact that improvement, of any degree, takes exactly that...time. No one earned anything in the MA overnight, and no one will earn the desired stretching ability overnight either; over time, things of interest are earned, and therefore, achieved.

Then there's the "expert" on the floor, wherever that floor might be, or the "expert" from reading books on said subject but having never been on said floor...ever. I'll take the "expert" on the floor!!

Works every time!!

Solid post!! To the bold type above... Like you said, content and context must be considered, but the way I was taught, belt and rank are not one in the same.

Perhaps... Belts is to ranks as the deep blue sea is to the deep blue sky; both are different, not the same, not even in context and/or content. Can the two be separated; belts and ranks?? I sadly wonder if it's even possible for some, if not many!!

Solid post!!

Another serious practitioner can spot another serious practitioner; the clues are to striking to ignore. The package isn't mistaken as a possibility, but more of a concrete affirmation.

I am trying to trade the shift. I also know how hard up my department is at the moment with people out sick. I have a good boss and now that the semester is over and I can fill in where needed. But, Bruce Lee on the BIG SCREEN. I am trying to trade it though. I won't call out sick. I wholeheartedly respect that!!

Has anyone here ever had a visiting BB question your decision of not upholding their BB in an unprofessional manner?? How'd you deal with it?? I just politely ask them to leave; opinions vary, his/hers and/or mine. However, this is MY dojo, end of story!! I've had them get in my face, but I'm not that easily concerned. Put your hands on me, well, time to do what I do the best...give free karate lessons.

A very noticed and marked improvement over time through their mature approach to their training/practice.

Great topic, Danielle!! Thank you for starting it!! Great article across the board, as well!! All students, and not just kids, have to be rationally challenged at all times. If students aren't challenged, then burn-outs around the corner. I do agree, that students need to engage in other activities outside of the MA school, the sooner the better. Too much of a good thing, or one thing, spoils the fun, as well as the learning. The MA is a serious thing, and in that, it's also suppose to be fun. I play with the kids, literally, and the younger the kid, the more I play; I'm that child that they don't ever have to be intimidated with at all. This topic is a serious topic, and I don't ever want to just brush over it; ignoring its importance whatsoever. Kids are the MA future; handle them with loving care!! There are my immediate thoughts, for the moment. There should be a sign, at the entrance to my dojo, that reads..."Pushy Parents Be Warned!!" I set the tone, and not the parent!! I teach the parent to know their role, and when it comes to my dojo, I run it completely without their help; their help isn't expected, nor is it ever appreciated. The parent came to me, I didn't come to them. I set the rules, and I teach the parents to know that right out of the gate by telling them just that in our initial conversation. If the parent doesn't understand that, then the parents and the child can go somewhere else!! I've no ambiguity whatsoever on this. I'm the CI, the kid is the student, and the parent BETTER JUST SIT DOWN AND SHUT-UP!! I welcome conversations with parents about anything EXCEPT anything that occur, or might occur, on the floor. When it comes to the floor, I'm God, as far as the parent is concerned. I earned my abilities within the MA on my own, and not one parent can tell me one darn thing about the MA, especially when it comes to Shindokan. My rank, my title, my everything is why I'm the CI, and the sooner the parent accepts that reality, the faster we can teach their child...without any of their unsolicited advice!! Other than that, I'm a sweet teddy bear, and a real nice guy...who has been teaching the MA for 47 years, almost 40 years on my own in my own dojo's.

First off, welcome to KF, Azulx; glad that you're here!! Your student did well; which is evident with the still picture of him with his new belt and certificate!! Congrats to him!!

As far as a knife threats concerned, the one constant about a knife attack is...be sure that you bring a gun to the knife fight. All I can do is continue to train; honing my skills in the best way that I know in the event that I'm attacked. Realistic offense and defense have to be sharpened across the board both mentally as well as physically. Self-defense might be changing, however, I believe that in the core of self-defense human beings are what they are, and in that, known limitations of the human body are unchanging. It's man/woman VS man/woman; keeping it all as sensible as possible...not being overwhelmed by the threat. Reading up on the rage of the page new threats is one thing, but if at all possible, realistic training to recognize them, prevent them, and to defend against them is far better than pretending that whatever won't ever happen to you. The MA has it's limitations, and the human being is THAT limitations of the MA; we're our worse enemy. Within our world, there are things that we can defend against, in which we can be prepared for, and if I can be prepared for it, then I might be able to defend against it. However, there are things in this world that we can't defend against, chemical threats, to name just one, be that doesn't mean that we don't prepare for that possibility. Do the best that one can; never giving up!!