sensei8

To the bold type above... ...Or it could be viewed as a means of complimenting the original; depending on how ones viewpoints in this regards are taken. I'm not loyal to my core style, Shindokan, at all. Why?? Because while it's effective across the board, imho, that effectiveness, like in every MA style known to mankind, is limited. Hence, the creation of styles, and the desire to cross train in other styles of the MA.

Tradition is part of the human condition; people don't usually like change.There is a tug of war of sorts with tradition and change. Very good points to consider singularity6 Martial arts is no exception to the complexities of tradition and changing with the times. Tradition is usually trying to hold on to things that are good things or habits; passed on from one generation to the next. Change is inevitable but too quickly is just as bad as stuck too deeply in tradition. The Chinese deal with this in, how will the decisions today (change) effect the future generations. Change for today might be a temporary good but bad in the future; very difficult to reverse once set in motion. No matter how one slices it, change, as you've said, is inevitable; time is a beast that takes no prisoners. And whenever that inevitable change occurs, one had better decide which side of the equation that one want to end up on. And once that change occurs, go with it or run the high risk of being left behind.

I most assuredly concur with Brian's assessment through and through.

Can't excel at the MA if one doesn't have fun while training; might as well not even pursue it at any level. And in a way, as the owner and CI, I'm not only doing the MA for fun, but I'm also doing the MA for money; dojo/retail is there to make a profit at the end of the day. NO!! A MAist is a MAist!! No! While a pro-fighter might have an edge, that edge can be dulled forthwith at any moment; can't win every time, and that right there, is where the rubber meets the road in the human factor that we all share...from time to time. Interesting how you worded that question. Any training is worth doing is worth doing it right. In one way or another, that sadistic streak is in all of us, and not just in MAists. That too, is an interesting wording of a question. It's proper to learn how to defend oneself effectively, and to do that...guess what?? My attacker's going to get hurt, even if it's only in the slightest. Comes with the territory. I can be the most violent person that you can ever meet whenever I have to defend myself; I don't apologize for that because all's fair in love and war. Imho!!

I'm not in law enforcement, nor am I in physical education directly. However, I do run both a MA governing body, as well as a dojo. Abeit, my MA training does compliment what I do for a living, I suppose.

That was then, so short lived... ~Kaicho of the SKKA/Hombu ~Owner and CI of the Kyuodan Dojo

TKD was my first cross training, and the thing that sticks out the most that I learned outside of Shindokan is the kicking arsenal of TKD. You see, Shindokan is 85% hands, 15% feet, and our kicks are no higher than the stomach, moreover, our kicks are primarily for checking and directing/redirecting. In my Weekend Warrior days, I came up against some solid kicks mainly from the TKD practitioners. Change-up roundhouse kicks...blew my mind. Axe kicks...blew my mind even more so...Jump spinning back kick...blew my mind into the next world. Shortly thereafter my initiation against a TKD competitor, I felt the best way to understand the competition is to learn their core. And that's what I did. Not to toot my own horn, I'm a solid kicker...and that drove Soke and Dai-Soke absolutely insane to the Nth degree. Was it fun driving them crazy? It seems that it would be. Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe...ah...yes it was; I seemed to live for the moments.

JKD, imho, will never die because it's been to much ingrained into the MA society. For JKD to die...interest towards JKD must no longer be of interest for the entire world.

TKD was my first cross training, and the thing that sticks out the most that I learned outside of Shindokan is the kicking arsenal of TKD. You see, Shindokan is 85% hands, 15% feet, and our kicks are no higher than the stomach, moreover, our kicks are primarily for checking and directing/redirecting. In my Weekend Warrior days, I came up against some solid kicks mainly from the TKD practitioners. Change-up roundhouse kicks...blew my mind. Axe kicks...blew my mind even more so...Jump spinning back kick...blew my mind into the next world. Shortly thereafter my initiation against a TKD competitor, I felt the best way to understand the competition is to learn their core. And that's what I did. Not to toot my own horn, I'm a solid kicker...and that drove Soke and Dai-Soke absolutely insane to the Nth degree.

I take child students at the age of 4; and I don't apologize for it. My dojo...my rules...my P&L's Bottom Line. Our Soke's rule was that the child had to be in the first grade, as a minimum.

Not even in the slightest, whatsoever!! Not yesterday, not today, and not tomorrow. The MMA craze is the rage on the page nowadays, and there's nothing I can ever say that will convince the proponents of the MMA, and especially MMA fans. No matter the style of the MA, I believe that this idiom fits well... “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”~John Lydgate Say what you want to say, whomever you are, I don't give a bent pin what's in the mind of those who have already written off traditional MA. Why?? Because it just isn't that important.

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

Thanks, LLLEARNER!!

Yes I do; it goes down to bearings. One has them, while the other doesn't!! A "Karate Master" can spot a fake "Karate CI" faster than a speeding bullet...faster than a locomotive. How?? You already know what I'm about to say here... Proof is on the floor!! https://www.karateforums.com/proof-is-on-the-floor-vt36016.html?highlight=proof https://www.karateforums.com/proof-is-on-the-floor-an-addendum-vt41784.html?highlight=proof

Solid post!! I simply, easy for me to say, turn the audience off; they have no bearings. Now, I've not always been like that, especially when I was a kid. As I grew up, I saw the audience for who they were to me...unimportant. I can also say that it has helped me a lot to turn the audience off at will because I'm on the floor quite a lot teaching IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, both students and visitors, in all sizes of classes/venues. Teaching for as long as I've been, has numbed me to the presence of any audience type. So, yeah, teach for a while, and the audience factor is pretty much non-existent.

The SKKA does have it's requirements. However, the CI has the final discretion. No, not even in the slightest am I ok with that. Crawl...walk...run, in that order, and it's that way for a very good reason(s).

I, too, hear what you're saying, as well, Brian; through and through. And you're absolutely correct when you say that us instructors would never encourage our female students to engage male students in combat. However, I'd not discourage my female students to engage a male student in combat if that's what they wanted to do of their own volition. But to even a small point, hasn't rules and regulations made it whereas the females being separate from males made it the reality that it is no matter the venue. There's the weight divisions, for example, rules and regulations that have made it in the minds of human endeavors that a lightweight can't beat a heavyweight. So much so, that doubts are automatically raised because of those who are proponents for weight divisions, no matter the venue. Women aren't in many professional sports, like the MLB, for example, because it's been routed as a man's game; no women allowed mindset. And for some of those professional sports, I might be willing to agree...maybe. Is the human race slightly prejudice against women because they're women?!? I mean, there seems to be a very limited equality towards women in many, many sport venues. The MA world is not exception.

I wholeheartedly agree!! What kind of CI would I be if I didn't motivate my Student Body that they can, and will get better at it on a daily basis?!?! With every failure, comes immeasurable success on and off the floor, and every success overshadows that failure as though it hadn't occurred as only a learning opportunity. 7 times down; 8 times up!!

Thanks, Brian. You'd do just fine in a 5K, Brian!!

No one here is saying that. UFC is for elite fighters. And elite females are always going to struggle against elite males. As they do with every other sporting activity. Self defense or general fighting is a different thing. I think you are confusing a few things here, Bob. I think the vast majority of us as Martial Artists or MA Instructors are teaching our students to learn how to defend themselves, which I not necessarily the same as winning a fight. Self-defense = survival. Getting out of a situation in which one had to defend oneself from an attacker has nothing to do with wins and losses. We teach our male and female students to attack directly to vulnerable, vital targets quickly and powerfully in order to facilitate what???....to facilitate the chance to get away, get safe, and call the authorities. Not to "win" or "defeat" the opponent in a "fair" contest. I do see the point you are getting at, Bob, but I think its an entirely different point you are thinking of. You might be right, Brian...I might be confusing a few things here. Whenever I read it over and over again that women, especially women MAists don't stand a chance against a man, MAist or not, for various reasons, and some of those opinions have stemmed from right here at KF, and not just within this thread, I believe that my confusion is warranted, but my confusion is more directed towards those who's opinions write women off. Has any male MAist here ever been bested by a female MAist, ever?? Well, I have, and I'm no pushover whatsoever by any means. I've not learned the MA to win contests, nor have my students; albeit, to survive an attack. And to me as well as my students, and how I've/they've been taught the MA, and how my students have learned the MA from me, is that an attack is an attack, nor matter the venue, is taken seriously.

That sentence alone makes me so happy I'm here! There's noone else in my life who shares my passion for Karate (although my husband tries very hard to look like he's interested when I'm rabbiting on about it) so it's great to find like-minded people. Your thoughts on earning the gi through deciding to train is lovely - I hadn't thought of it like that. Sensei8 thank you. Reading back over my post I thought "oh God, it reads like I think I'm the enlightened one or something!" Really, if you picture Zen and look in the opposite direction, the tiny dot on the horizon is the person 1 million miles closer to Zen than me! I'm glad it didn't come across that way to you. I know I've just taken my first step on a very very long journey (and now I'm very glad to have company!) I share in your excitement through and through. The MA journey is a tough one, and it should be, but the rewards throughout the journey make it all worth it. Don't allow anyone, including your husband, to steal your joy achieved through the MA. Have fun...practice until the wheels fall off, and then some...train as though your life depends on it, because one day, it just might. You'll not pass ever Testing Cycle, and you're not suppose to. Actually, you'll fail much more Testing Cycle's than you'll pass. Remember, rank isn't important in the MA, however, knowledge and experience are paramount. Train hard...train well...proof is on the floor!!

I too, have noticed that. Seems to me that flash is replacing solidification within today's weapon production. It's become the rage of the page, and it appears that that's what generates the consumers interest. The cheaper one can produce a product, the more profits; exciting the bottom line of any P&L over quality is increasing.

5K aside, I might've bit off more than I could chew...maybe!! My number was 158 for the run. Or in my case, jog. Another sea of participants, which with this being my second 5K in Tulsa, OK, I blindly thought that there wouldn't be such a large following. So much for what I know. The run started promptly at 0730, partial cloud cover, which kept the direct sun at bay. I was in about the middle of the pack, and darn near got ran over by some of the overly enthusiastic runners. I suppose they really want to win the run, whereas, I just want to finish the run. The overall run has 3 parts to it. There's the 1 Mile Fun Run. Then there's the 5K. Then there's the 10K. The 1 Mile Fun Run is where you run in about a 4 block radius in downtown Tulsa, OK, all routes are very well marked. In the 1 Mile Fun Run, participants can either walk or run, and this is where you'll see strollers and a lot of kids. The 5K is where you run 3.5 miles on a selected route through downtown Tulsa, OK. And I was surprised, more than last time, that this time there were more hills than I could've imagined there would be in downtown. In a car, one doesn't pay much attention to the hills, if at all. The 10K is where you run 6.2 miles. In short, for the 10K, you will do the 5K twice, following the same well marked route as those who are only running in the 5K. There are several "Water Stations" found throughout the route, for remaining hydrated throughout the entire run, no matter if it's just the 1 Mile Fun Run or the 5K or the 10K. Yeah, I call it a run, but I was corrected several times yesterday that it's a race, and not a run. You race your race, and I'll run my run! This is my first 5K with me having back my Afib!! Like I mentioned earlier, I might've bit off more than I should have. I did push myself. Even though I found a nominal pace in which to survive the run, and I did complete the 5K run in 47:51:19. Snail pace, to be sure of. I was darn near dead last place when I crossed the finish line. So slow, that some of the 10K runners had finished theirs by the time I had finally finished my 5K. I drank the water slowly, and partook the advantages of each and every Water Stations along the route. Wore a hat, some sunscreen, and lose clothing. I was alarmed after I crossed the finish line, I wasn't fatigued whatsoever, much, but I was a little winded, which is to be expected with Afib, and had just finished a 5K run. What alarmed me at the finish line was my HBPM [Heart Beats per Minutes]...195bpm... My target rate HPM is 160bpm during exercise and the like. 195bpm can become fatal!! Standing under a huge fan blowing water mists, drinking ice cold water, and doing my breathing exercises to bring my bpm down, eventually helped; took me a solid 10 minutes to bring my bpm down to 84bpm-98bpm. Yes, that's still above normal, but not with my age and having Afib. I enjoy the 5K; it's a great cardio, and I usually lose anywhere from 6-8lbs from the run. I've done the 5K back in Houston, TX in just under 30 minutes, and my hbpm averaged 113bpm, and in less than 2 minutes, I'd bring my bpm down to 64-68bpm without Afib. There's one more 5K in two weeks, then there's 2 more 5K's in September to end the season. I am on the fence if I'll do any of them because of the 195bpm I experienced. Don't want to run into a heart attack of any kind, just for the sake of exercise and the like. I'll find out if I can walk the 5K or not. After all, it is a "race"/run, and not a 5K walk. I did return to the gym last night, and spent about 1 hour and 45 minutes on the StairMaster, TreadMill, Rowing, and free weights doing some variety of things so that I'm not doing the same thing over and over expecting different results, and not achieving a darn thing.

Welcome to KF, KarateNewbie; glad that you're here!! I enjoyed your post through and through; gave a lot of perception into your character and all; solid across the board. Enjoy your MA journey. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your CI, and of us here at KF. I look forward to your many posts in the future here at KF.

Very solid post; that is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out post. Existing in a karate club when you're opposed to sports karate, must be quite of a challenge, from time to time, if not all of the time. What's your exact impression of your CI?? Is the dojo geared one-hundred percent of the time towards sport karate, and nothing but sport karate?? Are you required to partake in sport karate, with no exceptions?? If the CI is more than qualified, then, if it was me, I'd simply remain there and just train. Setting aside any differences I might have concerning anything related to sport karate. While I did partake in sport karate in my youth quite heavily, and throughout my MA journey up to the late 80's and early 90's, before finally walking away from it, I was, and still am, that staunched proponent of traditional Karate-do, without any reservation and/or ambiguity whatsoever. In the dojo, and especially on the floor, tradition is paramount to the Nth degree. No conversations regarding sport karate because my dojo's have always been traditional across the board. I learned to separate the two loves of my life, and not allowing either of them to become intertwined with one another. Tradition was pure; like my Soke and Dai-Soke, my dojo floor is sacred and holy ground, and in that, sport karate is the bane of the existence Karate-do. Away from the sanctity of the floor, sport karate was live and well. Trained in it in secluded places with other kind minded enthusiastic MAist in preparation for up-coming tournaments. I did this all of the time up to retiring from sport karate. However, I still do play an important role in MA tournaments by volunteering as an Tournament Arbitrator, and occasional judge. My love for both traditional and sport karate isn't an oxymoron, whatsoever. I keep them separate...I keep them at a far away distance from each other...I keep them biased from one another. While I might be encouraging my Student Body to partake in sport karate, I don't allow those conversation on the floor. Want to discuss that aspect, it has to be done in either my office or in the lobby or in the retail area or away from the dojo, but never ever on the floor. I believe that you can co-exist in the dojo you're attending currently. Let them do what they want to do, which is sport karate, while you do what you want to do, which is traditional Karate-do. Does it have to be a Catch-22 thing?? Does it have be feel like you're caught behind the 8-Ball?? Your CI is the key to you co-existing in that dojo. Without him supporting you separately from the others, there is no future there for you, or at least, very difficult to attain.