sensei8

Gamesmanship...can be thought of as cheating!! I'm OK with that!! After all, everything's fair in love and war, and the MA is a form of war, to me because my survival depends on my dubiousness to be far better than my opponent. What about my living with myself should I choose to cheat?? I must be proactive to ensure my survival, thereby, I'm OK with that:; I'll not lose any sleep over it. No matter the game, I want to win!! If the MA is a game of surviving, than whatever gamesmanship I choose, is acceptable to me, and I don't care what might be said about me because I must, and will, survive!! What games tune up my gamesmanship?? That's easy!! CHESS!! Chess pits two warriors across from each other with one thing in mind...WINNING!! Chess has more twists and turns in one game that one can ever imagine. But with Chess, well, with the purity of that game, I don't cheat. With Chess, my gamesmanship is simple and direct...I get down to it, I get on with it, each movement of each chess piece is provided according to its pure merits, with my own abilities, without showing off. It is said that Golf is a gentleman's game, fine, OK, but Chess is a pure gentleman's game. After the dust settles, and Checkmate has been established, and the proclaimed victor and loser have been with cause, the three stages of the game of Chess provide a dynamic strategy that hasn't many equals in comparisons. If it's the MA or a game of Chess, I believe these worlds collide in life's most dubious methodology and ideology of them all...The Game of one-upmanship!! May the best one win!!

I've not the time nor the inclination to be superstitious whatsoever; it only gets in the way of my progress!!

80 plus years old!! After that, I really don't care one way or another!!

To the bold type above... You're still practicing as often as you can all that you've been taught thus far?? Have you mastered all that you've been taught?? Have you spoken with your instructor about your frustrations respectfully?? I know you want to be a better MAist; I sense that. PATIENCE WHILE LEARNING!! MA betterment is achieved but only in time!! Do you still believe in your instructor, outside of your frustration?? Do you still believe that your instructor challenges you often?? If no to these last 2 questions is a NO, then maybe it's time to go. Who's fault is that...you and/or your instructor??!!??

Welcome to KF, melvis; glad that you're here!!

So if I may... Yes the gloves are heavier but you need them to protect your hands. I mean the core issue of the problem is you- lack of snap isn't the fault of the gloves, its the fault of you. This isn't a "yes or no" in terms of "do you know how to throw a punch" and more about "how well do you know how to throw a punch." I'm with you about the gloves inhibiting a bit, but this is a blessing not a curse. Consider, what gives snap and speed to a boxer isn't so much the attack itself but the recoil after the punch has hit its target. A common problem most people have is focusing on the attack but relaxing and being completely oblivious to the recoil. If your punches lack that snap and feel sluggish this sounds to be the issue. You need to consciously think about engaging your shoulders and delts to pull the punch back with as much "intention" as there was when you threw it. The same applies to sub par pad holders. Sure enough it is annoying as hell when someone hasn't a clue how to hold mitts, especially when they keep their hands (your target) 3 feet apart from one another.... but again this has potential... Everyone loves hitting pads and loves hitting the bag because you KNOW its going to be there when you swing- you can always rely on that "pop." The most important thing IMO is shadow boxing. The greater the discrepancy between your shadow, bag work, and pad work, the greater the difficulty you'll have sparring/fighting. This is because you cant rely on your punches to always make contact. If you cant control your punches (read: your balance) you're going to have a lot of difficulty. A poor padholder can be a blessing in this sense because you have no idea if hes going to get the pads there in time or not! As such don't wait for him but fire that combo out the way you do with the power you do. If it hits great and if it misses it should already be forgotten by the time the following punch is thrown. It becomes a great way to help bridge that gap between shadow boxing and sparring. What you'll then find is that you only have as much practical power as your ability to keep your balance allows- this is why you can see a guy kill the bag in the gym but hit like a pussycat in the ring, and why a seemingly thin or small guy can hit like a mack truck.... Hope this helps... Solid post!!

I don't think it's special preference, more about accommodating different people. Speaking to some female TKD friends recently and some of the bigger women were saying it does hurt in the chest to be hit there. Thing is it's not muscle and can't be conditioned or tensed like the abdomen might be. Not far off being kicked in the groin for a man. Whilst a target is a target I think you can moderate what you're doing to accommodate the student. Like if someone has a dodgy shoulder, whilst I might go through the motions to apply a lock, I'm not going to crank it full force because they have to go to work in the morning and be back at training the next day. I do accommodate students? How so? CONTROL!! I will not tolerate attacking without control that's not measured. That is to mean that contact has to be controlled and measured whilst on the floor at all times. If the chest is the target, then USE MEASURED CONTROL; arrest the technique(s) just short of contact; Sun-dome, stopping a technique just prior to contact, about a hairs breath away from contacting said target. I accept anything except not attacking any said target because their decision is gender driven. Being target selective driven based on gender might cause unwarranted hesitation. Don't want to hit a female, especially in the chest...don't want to hit a man, especially in the groin...fine...THEN USE CONTROL BY ARRESTING THE TECHNIQUE(S) JUST SHORT OF CONTACT TO SAID TARGET!! Wear proper safety equipment...chest protector...groin cup...if not, then learn how not to get hit...learn how to deflect/block...learn how to avoid attacks...learn how to not be where the attack is...something...BUT LEARN!! We all know that no matter what, all contact can't be avoided, hence, an accidental contact. Intentional contact with resolve wont be tolerated in my dojo...ever!!

Forgive me, but why are female students given any special preference when it comes to the MA, specifically whenever the subject is in the line of Kumite??!!?? A student is a student, nothing more, no matter the gender, no matter the practitioners mindset concerning the pause, the delay, the second-guessing, or whatever label one wants to hang from it, of hitting a female student. Whether it be a drill or Kumite or what have you, a target is a target, no matter where, and/or whom that said target is attached to or to whom. I can't forgive a student for not taking advantage of said target if that said target is giving one an effective opportunity. If the target is the chest, for example, then so be it, I'll strike her chest without any ambiguity whatsoever, I'll not feel uncomfortable or whatever else because the target must be destroyed, and I've not the inclination and/or reservation to be concerned with where the target might be on the human anatomy. Yes, I was raised to not ever hit a woman, no matter how archaic it might or might not seem. However, in the course of becoming an effective MAist, one might have to attack said targets that one prefers to avoid at any cost, for whatever the reason(s) might or might not be, and once again, hesitation is an evil enemy of effectiveness that has no prudent resolve. Yes, it's a female...a woman...a girl...NO IT'S NOT...IT'S THE ATTACKER...THE ENEMY!! Treat the attacker as though that attacker is cloaked in some type of secret protective force field, then that hesitation is all any attacker, even an attacking female/woman/girl, needs to gain an advantage. I have never hit a woman/female/girl; just the person that's before me!! I don't see the gender; only the person that's before me!! It is that person that stands before me that I must deal with, and I will deal with that person with the most harshest resolve I can muster!!

Solid post!!

Solid post, through and through!!

Don't misunderstand me...I do not concern myself with retaining students myself!! Students come and students go, and nothing I do will change that. For those students that do remain, that is the result of my being a CI of a quality. You and I are two peas in a pod in many things!! We see eye to eye on a wide plethora of issues, but oftentimes, you say it so much better than me; I believe is that our backgrounds are quite similar, and we're from the old school generation. Proud to know you...proud to call you friend!!

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I am the living product of Shindokan, therefore, the lineage lies within me, and continues within me without the SKKA. I suppose that the SKKA possibly provides that big fat stamp of authenticity of an exclamation point!! Again, proof is on the floor!!

Must be nice!! Nanadan and Hachidan do have formal grading's per our Soke and per our By-Laws.

It'll take as long as it will take, and no time sooner. The variant learning curves affect each person differently in reaching a recognized proficient level. Often times, one emotional level affect each person differently in achieving ones desired proficient level. The good thing about this is that there's no such thing as there being one big fat proficient level for everything.

Credible lineage!! Reasons for "belonging" to either will vary from practitioner to practitioner. Albeit, no reason(s) are wrong, imho, because each of us have our reason(s) to do so. It wasn't for the need of belonging to something because I already belonged to the Hombu. At 7 years old, I didn't join anything of my own desires and needs; that was birthed by my mom, her being the adult, and me being the child. A portion of my monthly dues went to the SKKA, which is how it still is, and that's how students join the SKKA. Let me lay this question in your lap...Why NOT belong to a MA club or organization??

I wholeheartedly agree!!

Because the Testing Cycle does takes care of itself; learn to relax!!

Exactly, Alan; solid post!! Procrastination is the enemy of the MA, and the MAist through and through. Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan Carry it out Yeah...carry it out...do it now...quit waiting...get on with it already...engage or get out of the way!! Yet, it doesn't mean to be foolish in your actions. Be proactive, but not overly fool-active, if you can help it. Watching Kumite, drives me crazy...I find myself always having to shout out..."WHAT THE GRAVY TRAIN ARE YOU WAITING FOR!! ENGAGE OR SIT DOWN!! YOU'RE ALL DRIVING ME ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!" The great Ed Parker said it best, imho... "He who hesitates, meditates horizontally!!"

Well, I've been in the MA for quite some time, and I've extremely climbed up the ladder from being a goofy-two-left-footed-all-thumbs-couldn't-open-the door-properly-if-his-life-depended-on-it-couldn't-fight-his-way-out-of-a-paper-sack if his life depended on it, to the current Kaicho of the SKKA/Hombu with a membership of a quite substantial size over a 53 year MA journey. I've been a CI far much longer that any other positional type, in and out of my own dojo; ever since 1977. I too, am from an older generation, and what you're speaking about was never an issue. Being a taskmaster on and off the floor has served me quite well. No, I'm not a cruel taskmaster, but a taskmaster, nonetheless. I'm swift to work your tail off and swift to level out some discipline and swift to hug; as my wife is fond of saying..."He's nothing but a big teddy bear!!" Both in my dojo and at the Hombu, I'm not anybodies fool, and my standards are high, and my tolerance is limited, but I've learned over the many years that you can get more with honey, than with vinegar. Respect begets respect, both in and out of my dojo; EARN IT!! The student came to the dojo...the dojo didn't come to the student. One of the main responsibilities for any CI is to retain the Student Body. To me, that's the easiest thing because, well, I know for good grief that I'm one heck of a CI, and not to bad of a human being. Give a student an inch, they'll take a mile...but I'm very selfish...I don't give an inch...not a millimeter...nothing...EARN IT!!

Sensei Poage, his family, and friends, in and out of the dojo are in my daily prayers ever since you posted about this on FB. This situation is a difficult one across the board. Soon as I read about Sensei Poage, I remembered what all of us went through at the SKKA/Hombu whenever Dai-Soke had his first stroke; devastated us, but when he suffered his second stroke, not to far apart from the first stroke, he passed away; that floored us!! I've an inkling as to what all of you are experiences. Hang in there, and know that there are a lot of people, both near and far, and more than you can even imagine are praying for Sensei Poage daily.

Solid post!! Welcome to KF, Combat sambo life; glad that you're here!!

I was 7 years old when I first started taking Shindokan; I believe that's enough said!!

Congrats, Shizentai; very well deserved!!

Yes, using Chess was a good tactic.Was once invited to a chess club, while there of course played chess with this guy, that I never knew. I won the first game, he was upset, won the second game, he became even more upset, won the third game, he broke in to a fit of anger and stormed off. I thought this situation might get violent, I asked the friend that invited me there "who is that guy?" He replied "He is the club chess champion" The chess champ returned to play more chess with me, this time armed with a tournament stop clock, something I have never used. We played again using the stop clock and he won, how happy he became, as he regained his pride and honor, for me it was no big deal to win or lose. Playing chess as a martial artist was something this chess champ player hadn't had much experience with, as I learned and gained from him how to fight with the element of time. This chess lesson became very useful when sparring in the dojo, by combining not only martial art experience but also using the element of time against the opponent. Here is video especially chosen, for those that seriously hate homework. Excellent story, Alan!! Defeat and conquer...adapt or die...use whatever benefits the victory!!

Can one lay their heads down onto their pillow with a clear and concise mind at the end of the day?? All types of CI's can, no matter if it's an honest day or not!! I only teach that which I'm qualified: Shindokan Saitou-ryu!! But you know what?? What you're speaking about is called MARKETING...THE BOTTOM LINE...PAYING THE BILLS!! I don't condone it at all, in any shape, way, and/or form. However, whatever another CI does is none of my business!! Sure, I don't have to like it, and I don't, but you know what?? It's just not that important!! I've enough to worry about making a living and caring for my wife and me, than worrying about their lack of integrity and all. For the very few times that I did add other MA to my dojo, I made sure that the CI for whatever was qualified across the board. If not, sorry, can't rent that time slot to you!! "WHY?" Because, I said so!! There are all types of Marketing to fulfill ones bottom line honestly, as well as dishonestly!! That's up to that CI...up to that school of the MA...but it's NOT up to me to police their actions and activities. Again, to me, what another school of the MA does isn't important to me, and in that, I really don't care one way or another UNLESS it directly affects my family, me, my students, and/or my dojo. Sure, when I read about or hear about what your OP speaks about, it angers me, yes it does! But just as fast as it angers me, it calms me down because I remember, that I don't care one way or another. These acts of indiscretion are the acts of madmen!!