sensei8

I think it primarily had its usage in the military for a short period of time. For those here that might be interested... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defendo

Yes, and then some!! I can relate to this topic wholeheartedly because Soke and Dai-Soke spoke very little English; they both were masters of pointing and moving us/handing us where they wanted us to move and where not to move...and a lot of grunting. Their English never really improved, even up to their passing, and they never apologized for it once!! In time, I learned to converse with them both fluently enough to not embarrass them whenever we traveled back to Okinawa, which was quite often. You learn a lot when you're submerged in the Okinawa culture with them both acting as guides and teachers, other than the MA side of them!! The closer I was in their inner circle, the more I learned!!

While Luther unleashed poised to state his pointed remark... Then this leads me to ask... Just what, if anything else, is "average"?? This answer, I can only surmise, from any KF member, might be wider than the skies, in which, there might not be one satisfying response. Is being labeled "average" a good or bad thing?? And just who, what, where, when, why, and how does this give that individual and/or group the power to pass said judgement??

Age is just a number!! Says the guy who just turned 60. What's important is that you're back on the floor; everything else is meaningless. Train hard...train well!!

Jesse's video is right on target across the board!! Start with Jesse's video, then add the jumping onto of and/or over things. Most gym's have stationary platforms to jump upon of varying heights. Remember what Jesse, in the video link you mentioned, says about jumping at the very end of his video...that, I believe, needs to stay at the front of your mind at all times.

You're absolutely correct. There's more than one way to skin a cat!! Having more in your arsenal is far better than having just one core; very limited. There's no such thing as that one core has everything; that's an illusion!! Imho!!

I have to learn what's moderation and what's not moderation, for me. This, I had better learn very soon, and I believe my last workout was on the fence of moderation. Alan, I do like the Chinese visual metaphor; thanks for that one!!

I wasn't aware that KF had a lot of old people on it...my bad!! We have... And I just turned 60 years old!!

There's not a thing wrong with Karate!! The problem lies with the CI of said dojo!! Not all black belts can teach; and many have no business trying to do so!! Methodologies and ideologies are handed down; what was solid once, has the potentiality of being weak in the hands of a CI that doesn't have the minimum of an idea what they're doing once on the floor. Some black belts have effective solid techniques, but they couldn't teach their way out of a wet bag littered with holes, if their live depended on it. Drilling is important, no matter how mundane and/or frustrating they can be. To learn how to walk, I first learned how to crawl. While I had just learned the basic fundamentals of crawling, I drilled and drilled and drilled the many aspects of crawling before I tackled something more complex...like...standing. I'll try to walk before I know how to because I want to learn the advanced stuff...like...walking because I want to, and I deserve it. I can learn standing after I attempt walking first...I know what's best. The wake up of my enthusiasm is when I fall flat on my face, have that stunned and shocked locked on my face, just seconds before I start crying out loudly enough for mom and/or dad to hear my distress. One steps are not the problem either...drilling isn't the problem either...whatever else isn't the problem either...the blame rests within the CI of the dojo. There's nothing wrong with Karate!! Karate, like anything else has to be learned, and the learning process happens in steps...not leaps and bounds...but in steps, and if I may, baby steps, at that. If the CI doesn't challenge students effectively, across the board, then students are going to fall off the wayside at an alarming rate. Don't think so! Then be that CI who doesn't challenge his/her students effectively, and see how fast the Student Body dwindles to nothingness. Don't like drilling! Then quit Karate immediately. Btw, Kumite is vitally important, as is resistance training, and they both must be done often in order for growth in the student. Guess what? These two, to name a few, Kumite and resistant training are drills as well. They're just not labeled as such. Imho!!

I've had those rare students that couldn't wear a mouthpiece. Not that there was anything wrong with the mouthpieces, it's just that in their minds, the mouthpiece caused them to feel that they were being choked. Told them, one and all, no mouthpiece, no Kumite of any type!!

LOL!! Thanks, Bulltahr!!

I agree, and that's why I wanted to see it pretty bad. Glad the family took me to see it; I was all smiles!!

Not me!! Ever since the movie, The Exorcist, I don't do so good with scary movies.

OK... My bad!! Wrong preface in my OP!! We seem to be centered around the medical professions competitiveness and not more around the MA, i.e. Governing Bodies and Dojo's and Sensei's/CI's, and what they are willing to do and not willing to do in order to increase their Student Body. Again, my fault...my bad!!

Thank you, Bulltahr for your Birthday wishes; means everything to me!!

Thank you all very much for your Birthday wishes; they mean everything to me!! You know what? 60 years old sure doesn't feel different than 59 years old!! Had a great one... Many, many birthday cards from family and friends. Family took me out to dinner at a steak house. Went to see a movie: American Made with Tom Cruise; I enjoyed it!! Everyone pitched in to buy me the Archers Theme Chess Set Antiqued Green Copper & Brass Pieces - Green Board; knowing of my infatuation with Chess. Yankee's are one win away from the World Series...another nice way to celebrate my birthday; I had to record the game, but, oh well.

Thanks, Brian!! My latest gym workout, does it appear to be "Moderation" or the very opposite??

How about, if after the pageantry is minimized considerably, or in totality, we do one thing, and one thing only... TEACH...TEACH...Oh yeah...TEACH; nothing else but that!!

One round.LOL I deserved that!! Let me reword my question, if I'm capable... Just how long do we truly believe that that type of business model would last??

When one hurts, we all hurt; the MA is that one big supportive family. This young lady, and her family, will be in my prayers!! I too wish her a speedy recovery!! Hopefully the police caught this drunk driver!!

If I've not said this, forgive me, Danielle, but I do wish you a speedy recovery, and all the best!! How are you sleeping with the cast? Will you have to have physical therapy to regain mobility in your shoulder and/or elbow?? I ask because, in a cast, I'm thinking your arm is in a fixed position across your midriff. Hang in there, Danielle, because at the end of the road, you'll be back on the floor, and enjoying the things you love.

I agree, competition is oftentimes warranted, and necessary for the survival of any business or for any individual. Positive competition is the bedrock of any business and individual; creativity is birthed. Whenever any of those listed in the quote above take the well being of their student body out of the equation, that is when competition is NOT ok. The student body suffers in the short and the long of it all. When the Governing Bodies, the MA school's, and/or the Sensei's put their emphasis over their own Student Body in the hopes of attracting new students, no matter what, that is not ok. When the Student Body is no more important than the money and/or fame, effectiveness is threatened. Imho!!

If venues like the UFC allowed the competitors to do anything and everything, yet with only empty hands, allowing no rules to be just that...NO RULES...no tapping out...no ref to save the down and out...no time limits...nothing... Just how long do we truly believe that that type of combatant would last??

With all due respect I must disagree with you that all MA's are this way. During class you are correct. Do what the instructor says. After class we have a question/answer exchange in which the students are able to ask any question and to question anything that was taught. The reason you do not question the instructor during the class is as simple as it takes to much time away from training, it's a distraction and it's not respectful. However there is nothing wrong with asking, "why are we doing this" or "why is it done this way", etc. fill in the blanks. If an instructor is not willing to teach, meaning showing the technique/ application and then be willing to explain and even answer, then I would leave that school. Because I said so does not work in combative arts. The student must have an understanding of what they are learning and why they are learning it. If not, how do you know it works? So no, we are not all alike. This is sad. We utilize the language to teach because my Shinshii's teacher was Okinawan and could only say a few words in English so he taught the way his instructor taught him. Not to be cool but because this was the way he was taught. As a Hachidan I knew what the Kanji said, I knew what the words meant (or at least represented) and could to some degree utilize that language in class. Over years it is picked up and you begin to understand more and more of the language. I must confess I am my Shinshii's student and as such teach using the Japanese or Uchinaaguchi (Hogan) languages. Since the art is not American and was taught to me in this way I carry on those traditions because to be honest we don't have words to properly describe some of the Hogan words. Having said this, all too often this is not the case and the language is used without understanding and your master instructor might understand the writings but all too many don't. If you do not speak or at least understand the words don't use them. If you can not pick up your arts grade certification and read what is on it, you shouldn't be using it. A short story. Years ago I had a student ask to train. I interviewed him and one of my questions is if they have had past experience. He said yes and produced a grade certification that said nothing about martial arts whatsoever. In fact it said nothing coherent. It was just words and some where not even words but made up jibberish. When I asked for his instructors information and called him, I was told that he used the same cert's that he was given by his instructor (of course some mystical person that could not be contacted because he lives in the mountains of Japan and has no phone or address). The bottom line is, many use this to hide their fraud. Others use it because it's tradition even though they have no idea what it says. If you do not know what the Kanji on your Gi says you should ask. There are no stupid questions, only stupid students for not asking them, or stupid instructors for not answering them. A student should be encouraged to ask questions. This is how we all learn. If an instructor says you can't ask questions, you should ask where the door is because you should be using it to leave. An honest instructor is not afraid of questions. He may not answer them until you have a better understanding of the art but they should answer them. If not they are hiding something. If a student blindly follows instruction without question this is a cult not a Dojo. Those that are afraid of being questioned have huge ego's and little knowledge. Think about it. Solid post!! I'm the CI, but in being the CI I do not own my students. They are not my property to do with as I wish. Even as Kaicho of the SKKA, I'm not holding my position and title over their heads; they can come and go as they please, and they are not accountable to me. I'm accountable to them. Yes, in my position as their CI or as their Kaicho, I've a range of authority within the dojo or the Hombu, but that is limited across the board. I can use the smoke and mirrors to aide the pageantry, but when the smoke clears and the mirrors are shattered, what one is left with is the pageantry of the MA, and that way is the way of emptiness. To do this or to do that to make one appear more than what they really are, are the acts of a vain and insecure MAist. That pageantry props the illusion, and releases the beast that lives within that MAist. I've seen one particular style of the MA use the pageantry of the MA negatively to the Nth degree; to me, that particular style is using the pageantry of the MA to cover the ineffectiveness of what they are proponents of. I'm done with the pageantry of the MA...the pageantry of the dojo...and in that, change is inevitable, and the time has come to eliminate the pageantry from my dojo as well as from our Hombu. The pageantry is not what a student has come for. That student came to learn an effective means of protecting themselves, and their loved ones, and their friends, and the innocent. Let's put the student first, and the Hombu/Dojo last, once and for all!!

Solid post!! I don't allow them to have a moment of pause, especially the younger ones. I keep them moving...doing something; I take their energy and run with it. It is said that the attention span equals the age of the student. An 8 year old has about 8 seconds, and not 8 minutes before that student is bored out of their skull. If you like to talk and talk and explain to the Nth degree of what you're teaching, that 8 year old has only remembered 8 seconds of what you've said. However, put action in the words, well, now you've got that 8 year old for 8 - 10 minutes. Aha, after those 8- 10 minutes of activity laced in with verbal instructions, you better shift the gears up, otherwise, boredom takes root once again. With children, I believe my secret weapon or my secret ingredient is...I become that age group for the entire time of class. 4 year old students, for example, armed with that 4 second attention span and the energy of TNT, I simply become that 4 year old and I play with them. It might take that 4 year old 6 months to one full year before they ever test, but they'll have learned, and they had a blast all at the same time. Even that 4 year old's parents forget the testing cycles, and that's because all are having fun!! Btw, adult students are not much different!! No matter the age of the student, they must be challenged at all times!! That's the job of the Sensei...Instructor...CI!! Challenging doesn't mean overwhelm; do that, the battle is lost before it even began. Especially that very first class; you've that one chance, and only that one chance to make that positive impression. Make it a good one!!