sensei8

You're a beast! LOL!! I'm the furthest thing from being a beast, but I do thank you for your continued support. What I've been able to accomplish ever since October 4, 2016 even boggles my mind, because, I had once essentially given up that fortitude, and I paid the price for adopting a negative attitude across the board, for no good reason. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, yet, expecting different results. My Dai-Soke was quite verbal in his disapproval of my physical appearance, where at one time, I weighed 350lbs. All of my exhibiting, was for not, and was a poor demonstration of being that Shindokan representative, over all. What was, isn't now!!

Thanks, everyone, for your support!! Still at the gym, 6 days per week, doing the same routine daily. However, results varied from day to day depending on one factor or another. This week: LAST DAY OF THIS WEEK: Saturday...March 18, 2017 StairMaster 1hr 15 min 234 floors 940 calorie burn Avg HR 117 Levels 7-10 with a 2 minute cool down every 20 minutes *note: I'll burn 1,000 calorie's next week, each day of the week* Treadmill 32 minutes 235 calorie burn Avg HR 103 Inclines from 1-15; at machines discretion per the Forest Walk program Rowing Machine 23 minutes 250 calorie burn Battle Ropes/Pull Down Ropes 14 different exercises [battle Ropes], 3 sets 2 different exercises [Pull Down Ropes], 3 sets ?? Calorie Burn Free Weights 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on what parts of the body I'm targeting. Each exercise will be 3 sets, with nominal weight; reps over weight. Swimming Each Saturday I'll do 12 laps; each length is 30 yards I'll do different swimming techniques from free style to back stroke and in between. The key, for me, is to pace myself while NOT stopping until I complete those 12 laps. Btw, my MA training hasn't been ignored. That's the furthest thing from being the truth. The MA is my life, and it's all that I'm good at. I can no longer train in the MA, than I can hold my breath forever. Will weigh myself on March 25, 2017.

Why are you skinning cats? Do you have something against them? What did they ever do to you? ROFL I have to do something in my spare time! No...I tolerate them both with as much fortitude as I can possibly extend towards them. I'm a dog person. The list is both long and distinguished! They do what cats do, and for my wife, I've demonstrated a long standing affable acceptance!!

Imagine just how BORING it would be if every single student "got it"!! What would be the challenges for the CI, and for the student, for that fact?!? As an instructor, I'm there to teach and help the students. However, if everyone "got it", and teaching is rewarding in itself, singular reward on the floor might become stale. If everyone "got it", then why do they need me!?

Traditional has its merits, however, non-traditional training across the board, also has its merits. As much as I'm a strict traditionalist across the board, I'm aware that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Thereby, I skin the cat as often as I feel it's necessary!!

Excellent mat work, Kendall at Phillipsburg!! A win is a win, and a loss is a loss, no matter how many times on the mat!! Good luck at Garden City!! It'll be fine at District!! Btw, I'm having major VIDEO withdrawals!! Hint hint hint!!

...And many, many more, my friend...Happy Birthday!!

Solid post, through and through!! It's hurtful to be labeled non-traditional/non-authentic just because we've adopted outside influences to improve our own MA betterment. After all, the core of what we've trained in for so long, is still there. That which is still there is still traditional/authentic. Change is inevitable, and from time to time, that changes has to be embraced. Just who was elected to the assumed position of Master of Everything; whereas, that, whichever it is that they do, is perfectly alright, and whereas, that, whichever it is that we do, is perfectly wrong. I'll listen to what the floor says because it's at least honest in its evaluation(s)!!

Sun Dome!! This is where two practitioners Kumite at full speed and power, however, said technique is arrested just a fraction of an inch from the selected target without making any contact with one another. Albeit, one practitioner might move faster, but the other practitioner might be more powerful. Nonetheless, with Sun Dome, the outcome might be difficult to determine whom might've defeated the other in the exchange of techniques. Greg and I often took this application to the next level, and as our Dai-Soke was quite fond of saying about us two whenever we took Sun Dome to our own conclusion, "The thread of interpretation is thin and tattered with you two, but, refined!!" In short, Greg and I literally tried to kill one another whenever we practiced Kumite together; Kumite resolved with intent!! To a novice observer, we were akin to that Bull in a China closet, however, to the experienced observer, we were akin to a tuning up orchestra that was refining their craft. Very few engaged with us, even those with similar ranks, and we're Hachidan/Kudan, because it can be quite daunting to say the least, especially at first. Yet, with the understanding and respect of Sun Dome, even in the assumed chaos we exhibited, safety wasn't taken lightly, therefore, things were learned by us each and every time we meet on the floor. Sun Dome...the tool of learning and understanding in the midst of a hurricane!!

This is indeed great news...absolutely great news!! Not just for you, but also for the Student Body as well as the Governing Body. Normalcy will return, but as in anything, it'll take time. I too, tour the dojo's within the SKKA's network quite often for a variety of reasons. Whenever I was elected as the Kaicho of the SKKA/Hombu, I toured heavily to build up that lost confidence within the entire Student Body, as well as to renew tattered relationships between the CI's within the network and the SKKA/Hombu. Slowly my travel schedule returned to that normalcy as well. As we've always visited all of the Shindokan dojo's within the network months in advance in the preparations of the Annual Testing Cycle held each and every year in June/July at the Hombu. I remember just how nerve wracking it was to walk on egg shells when the SKKA/Hombu reopened. Having made all of those critical and vitally important changes across the board, didn't alleviate the stress, but more often, it added more to my stress at the onslaught, even though the entire reopening of the SKKA/Hombu went through a meticulously process, with our Legal Team making sure that every 't' was crossed and every 'i' was dotted before any and all announcements were formally forwarded to everyone within our network. Failure is only a blink away!! Steps made had to be steps enforced!! If not, the calm before the storm is devastating at monstrous proportions that can destroy every effort made. Again, I could go on because you and I share much more than the MA, because you and I have been to hell and back, but it was, and will be, worth it all because we put the needs of the Student Body before our own interests. 'I' isn't in our vocabulary when we're addressing the needs of the Student Body. Taking care of the Student Body with a stern resolve above all things ensures that everything else is taken care of naturally!! Congrats on the beginning of normalcy!!

YES; I wholeheartedly concur with Patrick!! Let the testing cycle take care of itself. Testing Cycles can be quite overwhelming when one looks at the specifics of the required qualifications. More importantly is to do your best, and in addition, you don't have to score 100% of any given Testing Cycle. If so, there would only be white belts, and nothing else!! You'll do fine...relax...practice...oh yeah...practice...and then...practice some more...and after that...yeah...practice again...and if I forgot to mention this...more and more practice...until the cow jumps over the moon, and then some!!

Good list of nuggets of knowledge there, and in that, let me add... At the right time...not to soon...not to late...only at the exact time; timing is everything. Too soon...power apex is lost; wasted before target is reached...too late...power apex is unattainable; not achieved by the time one reaches said target!! How is this solved? PRACTICE...PRACTICE...PRACTICE...PRACTICE...and then some!!

At gradings its down to the discretion of the examiners what they want to see. Generally they would rather see a technically correct kick at a lower level than a student reach too high and get the mechanics wrong and lose their balance. In our school there are a number of older students who kick below hip level and as long as the mechanics are correct it is fine. On the other hand if the examiners knows that the student is flexible or hasn't made any effort to improve their flexibility and they kick low, they would be marked down because they haven't executed the correct technique. For disability, modifications can be made to suit the student and the examiner should be pre-warned about this if they don't already know the student. In all cases, whether they physically kick high or not, the student should still know that the kick in that particular form is meant to be performed high and be able to say where the theoretical target is. Tournaments is a different thing. For actual disability, the head umpire should be informed and then they would direct the other umpires accordingly to not penalise for modifications. If it's just an ability thing, then unfortunately its tough luck. Though it would only be a 1 point deduction. I concur wholeheartedly!! It's all about communications with whomever oversees the venue, whether it be a testing cycle and/or a tournament. High kicks are well known to be a vital staple of TKD, however, exceptions should be made on a situation to situation, and not on a wide stroke of the brush.

Welcome to KF, shortyafter; glad that you're here!! The CI (Chief Instructor) runs their dojo the way they see fit!! Most of the time, not always, CI's run their dojo as their Sensei did/does...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Oyama's Karate, Kyokushin-kai, is, for a lack of a better word, extreme compared to many other Karate styles. But again, the temperance of the dojo relies on the temperance of the CI. Seeing that dojo 1's CI trained in Japan, there's not much of surprise that that CI runs his dojo in the manner of which he does. This is not to say that the Shotokan dojo's in Japan are more tolerable and understanding than most dojo's in Japan...because, they're not. Karate in Japan/Okinawa are a very serious undertaking for the student, and the CI's in Japan/Okinawa have little, if any, tolerance short of any prescribed devotion as well as seriousness. Either way, imho, no matter the location and/or the culture surrounding said style of Karate, the CI runs his/her dojo to their liking's no matter what. I run a very strict floor, it's sacred ground, however, off the floor, I'm much more personable and affable; a kid at heart. There's etiquette and protocol, to be for sure. I set the tone, and that tone must create a safe and enjoyable learning atmosphere for the students. Take it or leave it...that's the choice of the student, and the student alone. If you were living and training in Japan/Okinawa, you'd expect the high strictness versus what one finds here in the USA. However, my Soke and Da-Soke were from Okinawa, and I gotta tell you, their strictness on AND off the floor was not to be taken lightly...no way...no how!! What it comes down to is that while you can't change the manner of how they run their dojo, you can change your mind whenever you want when it comes to you either staying or leaving that dojo. Attend the dojo of your liking and of your choice. Karate must fit like a glove...warm and snug and comfortable and wearable!! No!! Shotokan and Kyokushin-kai are not fantasy karate. Yes. Shotokan and Kyokushin-kai, and a many other Karate styles fit under the umbrella of authentic Karate. A CI can ruin the experience, however, the fault, if any, must be shared by the CI and the Student. Otherwise, the dojo's is doomed across the board. Exactly as I was taught with a lot of love and care!! While I was taught by Soke and Dai-Soke, I'm my own person with my own personality; I run my dojo my way, and not their way, not now, not ever!! Hang in there!!

Your more than welcome, Safroot!! You'll be just fine; just stay at it and you'll figure it all out...in time!!

Let me just say this, and btw, you've already received a treasure trove of solid advice from many here, There's one thing that I want to add, and forgive me if I'm repeating someone else's already given suggestions here, but it bears to be repeated... Angle(s)!! Attacking/Defending on angled planes isn't always done in the course of Kumite. More than likely, direct attacks/defenses are what's chosen over angles because the direct approaches are more familiar/comfortable to execute than angles. Why? Learning to live within the angles, and outside of the direct approaches, take some getting use to across the board. Shindokan lives within those angles much more than the direct planes. We'll only go direct if it presents itself, but only then. The direct planes are expected more often, whereas the angle planes aren't. To reach the target, one has to move to the target. Direct planes, well, direct, and as the old idiom states..."The shorter path from point Angles are the indirect path, albeit, the shortest distance between two points. For example, if I'm 4 feet from my target, you, for example, then, it's safe to assume that that 4 feet can't be shortened, I mean, 4 feet is still 4 feet. However, I can actually shorten that 4 foot gap by angling forward towards my selected target. That 4 feet turns into...well...4 feet, however, it's an indirect 4 feet, and not a direct 4 feet. That indirect angle does, for the most part, shorten the distance to said target, depending on the degree of the angle. This might beg me to another question.. When is a straight line not the shortest distance between two points? A great picture of this can be seen at any football game. Running Backs, for example, can run either straight, direct in our case here, or they can run a kind of hypotenuse angle towards the end zone, indirect in our case here. Most might suggest that the fastest way to get to the end zone would be to dash straight from the 50 yard line, for example, to the promised land because, to them, the more direct route is that idiom coming to life. However, as the running back streaks from that same 50 yard line to one of the far corners of that same end zone, is that indirect angle of least resistance, in which, that indirect angle, coming to life, ended up being the shortest distance after all. Isn't Kumite a blast?? It is, once you figure out that there's more than one way to skin a cat!!

Glad to hear that you had an enjoyable experience with Muay Thai, and the great thing about it is that the humbling experience didn't steer you away from wanting to continue with training. Many will have that humbling experience, however, they'll not return for whatever their reason(s) might or might not be. Muay Thai isn't easy at all...and I'm glad that it isn't!!

LOL!! That, a marathon, would be fun; sign me up!!

Done. Even though it took me two days to complete it. However, things like this do not define who I am as a MAist, nor do they define me as a person; it's just a thing based on one's opinion(s). Imho!!

Today's workout... 1,216 total calorie burn for my cardio!! StairMaster 1 HOUR 755 calorie burn 184 floors 125 Average Heart Rate (HR) Levels 7-10...15 minutes per level with a 2 minute cool-down at the completion of each level. TreadMill 30 minutes 236 calorie burn 98 Average HR Rowing Machine 20 minutes 225 calorie burn My big win of the day was the 1 solid hour on the StairMaster AT those intense levels!!

That's great news there, AND, you had fun while doing it!! Hang in there and to it to it!!

My music tends to vary on both my mood and my goals for that day/moment. My music taste is quite eclectic across the board. I've favorites, like, GNR, Aerosmith, Rush, Journey, Beatles, Queen, Cher, KISS, Elvis, Led Zeppelin, CCR, Taiko Drum Soundtracks, and the Eagles. This list, of course, is not a complete list because I'm known to listen to Nirvana, Madonna, Lea Solanga, EW&F, Katy Perry, Les Miserables Soundtrack, Most any Soundtrack, Chicago, Metallica, Ozzy, Adam Lambert, Eminem, Meghan Trainor, Frank Sinatra, and Cindy Lauper. To name just a few, and by a few, I mean, what I've listed thus far barely scratches the surface of my music taste!! I'll put my MP3 on "Artists", then select "Shuffle" and let play whatever plays; I've a very, very large music library on my MP3

Does the Shindokan hombu offer other arts or does any dojo's associated with the hombu offer different arts? Yes AND Yes!! The Hombu doesn't interfere with any dojo's SOP within the SKKA network; they're free to do as they desire!!

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

Weight = 261lbs Total weight loss since Octobe 4, 2016 [326lbs]... 65lbs...that's almost 70lbs...man oh man!! I would've never ever imagined that type of weight loss for a second, yet, here I sit, 65lbs lighter...46lbs from reaching my target weight loss of 215lbs by October 4, 2017!!