sensei8

No it's not!! Whenever another human being hits another human being with the intent of doing harm unto another human being, no matter the gender; all's fair in love and war!! It's not the gender that stands before me, but it's the person that stands before me; that's whom I must deal with in a manner of total resolve, no matter the gender. I don't accommodate or deal with students who come into my dojo with this opinion. Kumite is vitally important to Shindokan. If a student refuses to Kumite for whatever the reason(s), then that student needs to find another dojo asap!! Contact is inevitable in the MA, and most especially, with Shindokan. However, our contact is measured, and we do not tolerate any student being insubordinate with the rules of my dojo. Don't want to hit a women, and I respect that mindset, but unfortunately, a male student is going to hit a woman student sooner or later; again, our contact is measured!!

Are you referring to the two-method system that uses the Condorcet winner, if one exists, but switches to a Borda count if one does not? Yes!! I'm fine with it. Both methods involved are easy enough to understand (for transparency) and easy enough to apply. I also prefer them to some of the various run-off methods, as those can sometimes harshly eject good candidates. Don't you just love a good game of politics??

Am I interested? Maybe! Having a slight understanding of I Ching, and all, I'd be curious as to how it would be utilized in any way in the MA. However, be warned...I'll lose interest if it takes a turn down a dark alley some how and someway!!

For me, a great game of chess helps me with my concentration outside of the MA. Albeit, the concentration used in both the MA as well as in a game of chess, aren't far from each others efforts across the board [no pun intended]. We do quite a large amount of concentration drills in Shindokan. For example, our Tennis Ball drill dips deeply into increasing ones concentration; paying attention at all time. Paying attention in a game of chess, will have its benefits against an opponent that's attention span is lacking, in which, I can capitalize on my opponents wandering mind. Not careful, checkmate!! Drilling with a double-ended speed ball require its fair share of concentration or you'll not be able to use the darn thing well, if at all. The overly emphasis on concentration can backfire!! One can over concentrate, and when that happens, nothing is focused upon as it should be; the forest for the trees syndrome. Seems impossible to over concentrate but if you were to stare at a point of something, you'll start to get a bit stir crazy trying to focus on that one point. In short, as far as concentration is concerned... PAY ATTENTION!!

We sure did put a lot of attention on a demonstration!! To me, that's all it was, a demonstration, no matter how poor I perceived that demonstration to be, and it was poor!! Imho!!

Congrats, my fellow grandpa!! Spoil away...I have!! This is indeed AWESOME NEWS!!!!!! New student...I like how you think, MatsuShinShii!!

Are you referring to the two-method system that uses the Condorcet winner, if one exists, but switches to a Borda count if one does not? Yes!!

Are you referring to the two-method system that uses the Condorcet winner, if one exists, but switches to a Borda count if one does not? I know we all study Martial Arts but when you speak Chinese the rest of us Okinawan and Japanese practitioners can't understand. No seriously you totally lost me. You're on a roll there, MatsuShinshii, you're on a roll!!

OK...I'm trying to stop laughing...really...I am...but right now, I'm laughing quite out loud right now.

Now we're talking!! I look forward to that day!! We'll allow the floor to do its job while we train...but the floor will be very well pleased at the 3 of us, this I'm for sure!!

Psst...MatsuShinshii, I'm in Tulsa, OK TOO!! ::Hint:: ::Hint::

I wholeheartedly agree with both of you, JR 37 and MatsuShinshii across the board. I do believe that both my Soke and Dai-Soke knew perfectly what any title meant, and they both were very adamant about not awarding them to just award them for grins and giggles. Our titles have surfaced, and then said title would disappear, and then sometime later, that title might resurface; some might stay forever, and some might be shelved. All at the discretion of Soke and Dai-Soke!! Titles, like ranks, are immaterial next to knowledge and experience. Push us consider you, well, you better get really use to remaining said whatever until the end of time. "Did you come to learn or did you come for toys!!" ~ Soke Saitou

What's your opinion, if any, about Black's System??

Congrats on you being promoted to 5th geup; well deserved. Even with your testing mishaps, you still passed. This shows that no one ever needs to score a 100% in any testing cycle to pass.

Much of what I did see on the video was quite comparable to what Shindokan incorporates within its close range techniques, especially with the locks and such. Thanks for sharing the video, Alan!!

I didn't like the video because what was shown wasn't informative, but more of a strange promo of himself. Imho!!

Very interesting topics, thank you for starting it, singularity6!! The political engine needs a tune-up across the board. But how does one know what's the fairest criteria to support, and is that preferred criteria the correct one?? It's, to me, like Mechanic 'A' says this and Mechanic 'B' says that and Mechanic 'C' says another, but to whomever, they all sound good and quite plausible, even after doing some research, does one vote for in the end?? Picking straws?? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?? Gut feelings?? Hair on the back of my neck?? Paper, Rock, Scissors?? Flip a coin?? Sad and/or funny at the same time, those methods of choosing above, are exactly how choices are made by the voters at large. Elections at the SKKA, at the Governing Body of Shindokan, where I'm the elected Kaicho, are conducted via the Roberts Rule of Order, Nominations and Elections rules. As a matter of fact our entire nuts and bolts of how the SKKA is conducted is based on Roberts Rule of Order and our By-Laws. http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/roberts_rules/chap12.html Soke and Dai-Soke created our By-Laws, which have been amended quite many times through the 60 years history that the SKKA has been functioning, but still, SKKA meetings and the like are strictly in and through Roberts Rule of Order, with no exceptions!! Elections are held once every 4 years, depending on the office, whereas some offices are elected once every 3 years, and other offices are elected once every 2 years. Within our Executive Team, Administration Team, General Affairs Team, and the Instructors Team lies the bulk of SKKA's Higher Hierarchy; each and every Director and the like are elected to their respective office. Here's a small glimpse of SKKA's structure... https://www.karateforums.com/a-glimpse-into-a-hombu-vt36501.html?highlight=glimpse Please keep in mind that some changes have been made within the SKKA and our By-Laws since I first wrote the post that's linked directly above this paragraph. For example, both Soke and Dai-Soke have passed away, the attempted destruction of the SKKA/Hombu was staved off, new By-Laws and the like at the Restructuring of its Chartership, and the passing's of 6 members of the SKKA's Higher Hierarchy, to name just a few. What type of criteria does the SKKA fall into, from the criteria that singularity6 has mapped out?? Majority Rule!! This criteria has been satisfied by our Legal Team. The other criteria mapped out by singularity6 are perfectly plausible, depending on ones particular situation(s). Our Legal Team IS NOT comprised from any entity within the SKKA whatsoever!! Our Legal Team is an outside source; a Lawyer firm that's been contracted by both parties, SKKA and the Lawyer firm. No party of the outside Lawyer firm is ever allowed to become a student of any SKKA affiliated dojo, including, and especially, the Hombu for any reason whatsoever!! This provides both parties the highest integrity clauses possible.

Would you consider trying CrossFit training?? Having followed you in this forum, I'm quite impressed with your training, and CrossFit might be your cup of tea. I mean this as a very sincere compliment, Brian!!

Personal preference, I suppose. I more prefer hanging bags because I've, as of yet, not found a standing bag that provides me what I'm needing; standing bags are akin to a Bozo the Clown bounce-back, that, as a kid, you could punch it or whatever else, and Bozo would go backwards, and then forwards. My favorite hanging bag is a 500lb beast of a bag; provides me a lot of what I'm needing. I'm more of a to-each-his/her-own type of MAist.

Between students and teachers?? I never!! The teacher/CI, sets the tone, good or bad. In my 53 years in the MA, I've never had a student get mad at me in any shape, way, and/or form...nor have I ever gotten mad at my students!! Again, the tone must be set by the CI!! No exceptions!! How?? It takes a human being to know how to act like a human being. If the tone is bad, then my first guess is that that's how that CI/Instructor was taught...in and through anger. Respect begets respect!!

Spartacus Maximus wrote... Solid post!! Not having the ability to explain the curriculum in such a way that THAT student can grasp both the methodology and the ideology. If not, that CI runs the risk of changing even the most minute detail from effective to ineffective. Lupin 1 wrote... Sold post!! Your opening phrase speaks well about this topic!! Taking that intelligent CI to the core of the problem, which is their delivery system of the explanations of the curriculum, and helping them to find their own AHA moment so that they, as you said, might lighten it up. I do a drill once a year at our Hombu, which addresses this very topic, with any and all current, as well as future, CI's/Instructors. Title of it is..."Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say!!" I play a 2 year old, to the Nth degree, who wants to make his very first Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. I'm on the stage center, and with me on a table sits the demise of their destruction...4 large loafs of bread...1 restaurant sized Peanut Butter and Jelly jars...1 spoon...1 butter knife...nothing more, nothing less...except a lot of imagination on their part as well as mine. Their simple task is to instruct me, start to finish, on how to make my very first PB&J sandwich!!!! Simpler said, but much more difficult than one, an experienced adult on the art of making a PB&J sandwich, might assume. These adults in this class are very accomplished individuals in and out of the MA. In all of the years, 26 years thus far, not one class has been able to properly help me, "Tommy", the 2 year old, make one, JUST ONE, PB&J sandwich!! The class is ended when I run out of bread...oh yeah...A mess of unbelievable portions is made of me, the stage, and whomever is near the stage. The funny thing...or the not so funny thing about it all, is I, as "Tommy" don't have to purposefully cause the massive complications the ensue in the difficulties of teaching "Tommy" how to make his very first PB&J sandwich; they, the CI's/Instructors, do it all by themselves. Each CI/Instructor take turns shouting instructions out to "Tommy", which the mess/disaster begins from the very first instruction...that never fells!! Shortly, multiple shouts of instruction are given to "Tommy", which everyone knows, to many chefs ruin the dish!! Yes, we have a blast at this class, but the points are driven home is such a memorable way for them to grasp, and they discover that in order to teach anything to anyone, they must always...Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say. The difficulty wasn't "Tommy", the blame wasn't "Tommy", the fault wasn't "Tommy"...NO...the difficulty, blame, and fault laid with the CI's/Instructors!! "Tommy" didn't have the knowledge and experience on how to make a PB&J sandwich, but the CI's/Instructors...ADULTS...did have the knowledge and experience for the task at hand. The adults couldn't properly pass their knowledge and experience onto "Tommy" in a understandable tone. YES...these CI's/Instructors, with all of their accolades and all, became frustrated and often times angry at "Tommy", like it was "Tommy's" difficulty, blame, and fault that "Tommy" didn't understand the minimum of what they were trying to teach!!!!! Why make "Tommy" cry?? These adults thought they knew so much, and they do, but they lacked the most basic of teaching skills...SIMPLICITY, aka, K.I.S.S.!! The MA is only as difficult as the CI/Instructor makes it. Get the CI/Instructor out of the way, the Student Body can learn!! After all, the CI/Instructor are the water that pours into the vessel in measurable measures!!

For me, and imho, this was a complete waste of time for both of them because it didn't provide anything of substance, whatsoever!! Was there suppose to be substance?? I really doubt it, no matter their cooperative and/or individual intents for this exercise. We all can assume all we want; reaching our own conclusions because we're on the outside looking in.

You might not be able to find the likes of those days gone by that are similar to the PKA days with Superfoot and Lewis. I've not seen things like that since the PKA of those days, as well as the days of Theriault, might be difficult to find. Not saying that you'll not find it. But if you do, please let me know so we two can enjoy them together!!

Solid post!! The small stuff?? To me, there's nothing small about Afib whatsoever.

Some take notes of passing text, while others take detailed notes, and others still take no notes at all. After all, the MA journey is YOURS ALONE!! There's no wrong or right when and if, you take notes or not. I'm in my 53 year in Shindokan and I've never ever taken notes at all. Why?? I was under Dai-Soke's tutelage almost daily, except on Sunday's, for 46 years; he passed away in 2010. Do I regret that I never took any notes? No, not really!! That's because what he taught me is etched into my brain for life. Years of drilling and being tortured by this taskmaster is enough to last a lifetime. Now, there's a book out that was written by Paul Walker...Lessons with the Master: 279 Shotokan Karate Lessons with Master Hirokazu Kanazawa A detailed and unique training resource! Paul Walker spent three years studying karate under the direct guidance of Master Kanazawa; this book is his diary entries of those years. Very detailed from cover to cover; a lesson from the Master, to be for sure!! Taking notes of this magnitude does have its advantages; the choice is of the practitioner, of course!!