sensei8

Well put; solid post, and to the point!! I wholeheartedly agree!! Thanks. I know it's uncharacteristic for me not to write a novel. You and I can be the very model of writing...ahem...novels; we seem to share that trait.

Normally, I report a lot of things that are NFL here, but for some reason, I've lost the drive to do so this season...Sorry!! My poor Cowboys have been kidnapped by aliens or something because the team that was on the fields last year have gone missing!! The replacements have tried to play, but they've failed. No playoff hopes!! About mid season, the Cowboys needed to win ever single game to be wild card hopeful!! However, the Cowboys have not lost a game since then. But the last two games of the season will drive the nails into their coffin, for sure!! First the Seahawks!! They've helped by losing some they shouldn't have, welcome to the NFL. We face them December 24th!! We've not done so good against the Seahawks, as history will stand. This game against the Seahawks...the Cowboys will lose that one!! Then to end the regular season, we've the Eagles. Only two teams have beaten the Eagles this year, and the Cowboys weren't one of them!! This rivalry goes along way back, and with the ways the Eagles are playing this year...the Cowboys will lose to the Eagles, as well. The Cowboys need to win the Seahawks for sure, and to beat the Eagles would be the icing on the cake, and secure them a wild card. But the Cowboys of lately, when it comes to be the playoffs, well, the Cowboys are a 1-and-out team. Yes, I love my Cowboys, but real is real, and I have faith in the real and now!! GO COWBOYS!!

In my 53 years in Shindokan, and it has its share of Kata, to be for sure, I learned quite a many different kata outside of Shindokan. Why?? Curiosity!! What are their Bunkai and the like, compared to Shindokan, was my driving force behind learning their kata's, and not in a passing notion. What I found was the many, many similarities between the kata's, with changes here and there for their reasons alone. Learn one or learn a ton!! That's up to the individual, imho!! I do see two things...effectiveness and ineffectiveness through and through in the plethora of kata's that I've learned, and I've learned a lot of Kata's; some still haunt me. Have I added anything of importance by learning so many different Kata's to my MA betterment?? That answer will change because I'm still learning and don't know everything!!

I wholeheartedly agree!!

You take the high road, and I'll take the low road; semantics can be the bane of the MA existent...who's correct, who's not...who's pure, who's not...who's effective, who's not...so on and so forth!! What I call this and that, might not be the same for the next person, no matter how hard I try to explain it to that individual, the meeting of the minds are so far apart. All I can do is smile!! Wait... Proof is on the floor!!

Perfection through knowledge and experience and practice!! I'm not perfect, nor is anyone else, for that fact!! However, in the searching of that perfection, for me, is not a wasteful life on the floor. Will I ever find that perfection in myself through knowledge and experience and practice?? NO, I WILL NOT!! I'm content knowing that, yet, I'll not ever stop in the search of perfection!! I'm complete in my MA totality through my never ending search for that allusive perfection!!

Well put; solid post, and to the point!! I wholeheartedly agree!!

"I don't care, put hands somewhere, anywhere; just put them up!!" our Dai-Soke would command quite insistently, and often. Dai-Soke taught us the many different proper mechanics of hand placements, with a particular emphasis on Fichidi, put wasn't stuck on it as the end of all end all, just another method. However, the placements of ones hand is of no concern because by themselves, the hands are mute. The entire orchestration of the body, from head to toe, must be in concert with one another as that one instrument of motion through harmony. Dai-Soke was adamant that while hand placement MIGHT be an important ideology/methodology to some, and not for others, what mattered was the end resulting application of the hand. Remember, Shindokan is 85% hands!! Oh, I could go on and on and bore the tar out of you all here if I was to beat the drum with the details of technical and mechanic of it all, but, I won't, and let me just say this one thing... Put your dukes up!!

Solid post!! Welcome to KF, Combat sambo life; glad that you're here!! Thank you, I was just looking for a place to communicate with other martial artists. What system do you train? Shindokan Saitou-ryu; it's an Okinawan style that's Shuri-te and Okinawa-te based; 85% hands and 15% feet!!

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!!