sensei8

I suppose that when someone suggests that one should use the right tool, as far as the MA might be concerned, it's just that. Our entire body, and the parts that make it what it is...are the tools of the MAist. I believe that the right tool will depend on the circumstance(s) that one might be facing at that moment, as well as to what the level of experience/knowledge that that practitioner might posses. When we think about training/practicing and the like, the right tool might consist of what one is training/practicing on. What drill, what apparatus, so on and so forth, in order to reach, and go beyond the limitations of what's being trained/practiced at that time. When we think about defending oneself, on the outside of the dojo, the right tool, imho, is ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, and then some, that will help one to defend themselves effectively. On the streets, political correct defense doesn't exist anymore because one protection in paramount!! For example...If I was being bear hugged from the front, then a front kick is not the correct tool, due to the close proximity of the two of us, but rather, the knee might be the appropriate tool, at that time, depending if even that is doable. I do agree, MA concerned, choosing the right tool for THAT particular situation, and no situation is always the same, is the correct thing to do. Choosing the right tool on the streets makes all of the difference. Those of limited experience/knowledge, will have limited choices of what correct tool(s) to use. Whereas, those of greater experience/knowledge will have many more tools to choose from. Nonetheless, the correct tool should still be used to survive said attack effectively.

How about them 9-1 Cowboys!! Cowboys won against the Ravens 27-17 behind Dak's 3 TD passes. With that win, the Cowboys have the longest win streak in their franchise, and they have the best win/loss record in all of the NFL!! Next, the Washington Redskins in Arlington, TX for a rivalry between these two teams that goes way back to 1966 on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys lead that record of 6-1, and overall, the Cowboys have a Thanksgiving day game record of 29-18-1. However, the Cowboys have lost the past two Thanksgiving day games: 2014 Philadelphia Eagles 33, DALLAS COWBOYS 10 2015 Carolina Panthers 33, DALLAS COWBOYS 14 So, imho, the Cowboys are about due to change the 'L' to a 'W' once again under the leadership of DAK PRESCOTT...QB...the starting QB for the Dallas Cowboys!! Am I nervous? Yes!! Am I scared? Yes!! And yes, the Redskins defeated the Cowboys back in 2012 with a Thanksgiving day score of: Washington Redskins 38, DALLAS COWBOYS 31 Yes, the Redskins dominated the Packers with a 42-24 win coming into Texas to face my Cowboys...and a worried fan might have good reasons to wonder....will the Thanksgiving day game curse be lifted in 2016 with Dak at the helm...nah...they'll be fine, that's the Cowboys, that is. On other gridirons... Brian's Chiefs lost a tough one to the Buccaneers 19-17, dropping them to a record of 7-3, and ending their 5 game win streak. The Red Zone still causes them grief, and in the past two weeks, they're 1-5 Red Zone attacks to their credit. Next week for the Chiefs...the 7-3 Broncos in Denver, CO. Good luck, Brian, and you know what....GO CHIEFS!! Patrick's Dolphins squeaked by the Rams 14-10, improving their record to 6-4. And you have to say...WHAT A COMEBACK for the Dolphins!! The Dolphins were scoreless in the first three quarters, but did the possible, they scored their 14, and deciding points in the 4th quarter, shutting down the Rams from shining to dull; never say die, and that's exactly what the Dolphins showed to everyone, especially the stunned Ram fans in Los Angeles, CA. Next for the Dolphins...the dismal 1-9 49ers in Miami, FL. Still, the Dolphins won't be overconfident, because in the NFL, if you are overconfident, that NFL does stand for Not For Long, and those 1-9 49ers will surprise everyone as they creep up to a 2-9 record. Good luck, Patrick, and the say goes to you as well...GO DOLPHINS!! Hey, how did YOUR team do this week?? I now return to.... GO COWBOYS!!

I wish I could help you; I've been faithful to Century forever!! Hopefully someone here will chime in to help you soon!!

In addition, no student should ever ask your CI if you can double grade because one, that's, to be honest, none of the students business, and two, that's rude and assumptive of a student to do so. The line, should never be crossed, and in that, the line isn't as faded as a student might like to think it is...that line is quite defined and understood. Imho!

Apparently Machida and Silva didn't know anything about the front kick until Steven Seagal taught them it. haha. Anyway, go take a look at the first few UFCs with Royce Gracie and you'll see that he used the front kick a few times before taking his opponent down. For Royce, the front kick, was more of a feint than anything else, before he went in to take down said opponent. Royce's front "kick" wasn't a front kick that contained a lot of what a determined and focused front kick normally would have. However, in the manner of how Royce used his front kick was vital to his strategy, and so much so, that it opened up his opponents the way that he wanted them to open the door for him to come on in. For Royce, his front kick was text book; it served his purpose!!

I've not heard about that, which doesn't really mean anything. The Shureido USA site, the one out of California, still has sai's for sale. By that fact, I have to believe that they are still selling sai's. When in doubt, call them!!

Welcome to KF, Hameed; glad that you're here!! I wholeheartedly concur with JR 137, especially what's written in the bold type above. Don't worry about rank, ever! Train; that's your responsibility to do so!! Everything else comes out in the wash in time!!

Today... Stairmaster: Minutes = 30 Floors = 71 Avg. HR = 166 Calories = 353 Treadmill: Minutes = 20 Laps = 3.2 Avg. HR = 155 Avg. spd = 2.9 Avg. Incln. = 6.1 Calories = 175 Free Weights: Minutes = 20 Worked > Legs, arms, and back Calories = I've NO IDEA; I've not figured out how to calculate that. I did 3 sets of 10 of whatever I did with a 15 second pause between sets. Weights worked were anywhere from 20 lbs up to 800lbs. Weight = Did not step onto scale; will do that weekly, and not daily.

Thanks, Brian, kind words about my Cowboys! Romo's speech, imho, was a political correct, I mean, after all, what else can/could he have said?! NOTHING, but smile and accept his new role. I'm sure Jerry Jones told Romo to cool your jets and support the ENTIRE TEAM ROSTER, including Dak. This Sunday, we've the 5-4 Raven in our house, and I believe that this, too, will be another Cowboy win, but the Cowboys MUST RESPECT the Ravens and keep their heads in the game, and to not EVER get complacent, especially in the NFL. Yeah, I saw what your Chiefs did against the Panthers; great win for you guys. The Chiefs need to be up for that game against the Broncos. To me, it might be the upset like it was for the Seahawks against the Patriots IN Brady's house!! Good luck to your Chiefs!! To everyone else, good luck with your team this week!! GO COWBOYS!!

Imho...yes, it is! Why? Anything that can help a MAist while on the battlefield, and trust me, each time one has to defend themselves, they're on a battlefield of some type, and any help or advice or whatever it is to you, should be considered and not just cast away like some ill wanted piece of bread. Me too, Brian, believe that it's time to pick that book of a gem once again. Danielle, your review of that book is one of my most favorite because it too is something that should be considered and not just cast away as gibberish, because it's the furthest thing from gibberish. Imho!

I love the book; a classic of classics! As of which of the five rings do I like...well...for me...I like them all equally because at one time or another, each ring will serve me quite well when that ring is called upon; no one ring is greater than the other. As Spock said it so well..."The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." From time to time, and when that time is appropriate, each ring will be called upon, and without any ambiguity and/or regret. Like the six senses, we humans we call upon them one at a time, or several at once, to serve its obligations in aiding that which must be needed, or wanted for that exacting moment. I can't choose one over the other; that's not within me to do so, and to do so might be counterproductive one way or another. Imho!!

Great discussions going on here between you two!! Please continue, and hopefully others can add something, but as for me, I'll refrain for the moment because you two on powerfully proponents of the subject at hand!!

We've several vegetarian's in our family tree. Those that are, swear by it, and have been doing so for as long as I can remember, and won't sway away from the practice. I support them! Now for me, I've tried some of their dishes, and I'm being honest, I didn't like them at all. To me, it's sacrilegious to mess with a hamburger by turning it into a veggie burger because I want my veggies on the side of the hamburger. I've tried veggie smoothies and I'd rather have V8 juice from the store. I'm like Brian, I'm a meatatarian, although as of late, I'm a LEAN meatatarian through and through. Doctors have touted that being a vegetarian is the most healthy way to eat, and the more fresh it is, the better. I don't make a habit of debating doctors, and they might be dead right on their findings. However, I'll, as far as being a vegetarian goes, not partake of that practice anytime soon.

I remember what I'm about to share as though it just happened, and the circa was August 17, 1974. Location: Anaheim, CA, Orange County. Venue: 3rd Annual Tri-County Karate Tournament. Division: Youth Black Belt Ages 15-17 in Kumite, Kata, and Kobudo. Dai-Soke made a rare appearance for the sole purpose of supporting our self-made team, and yes, we stole the name for ourselves, The Weekend Warriors. His attendance was rare because he had no liking of "Sport" Karate; a waste of time, as far as her was concerned, at all. Albeit, he tolerated the comings and goings of the day's events; no outward expressions if he was enjoying it and/or hating it, which is no surprise, if you knew him on the floor. Our team consisted of the 7 of us, and we fared quite well having placed two 1st places, two 2nd places, two 3rd places, and one 5th place overall, thus far in Kata and Kobudo. Kumite was to be the next and final event. Still, Dai-Soke didn't seem impressed, yet, from time to time, we could see that he was quite engaged in the entire spectacle with a few smatterings of thumbs-up, as well as knowing head-nods. Kumite seemed to be, for the most part, our forte where Greg took both the first place, as well as the Grand Championship, as he bested, of all people, me 5-4. The others were summarily dispatched by both Greg and I, as we all climbed slowly up the brackets. What caught all of our attention was that Dai-Soke was not to be seen where he had been saddled on the front row of the bleachers. For 15 minutes, he was nowhere to be found, by anyone of us; where could he have gotten to?! Did he finally have his fill and leaved without a word? We were agape!! Then, we spotted him. Not in the stands where we last saw him...NO!! He was ON THE TOURNAMENT FLOOR approaching us steadfastly, and with a seemed purpose in his walk. Back then, it wasn't unusual of tournaments to allow Sensei's and the like to be on the floor just as long as they served in a capacity of "Coach". However, this particular tournament had set a precedence of forbidding ANYONE on the floor of any capacity except those of the competitors, and them alone. But I suppose what caused us off guard the most was that Dai-Soke wasn't alone. Not by any means. He was accompanied by that tournament Arbitrator. We were frozen! They both stopped, not five feet from our designated ring. Just standing there...just talking...just the two of them. Dai-Soke saw us just standing there and just staring at them. Finally, Dai-Soke motioned toward us in a shewing away with his left hand, as though he was telling us all to pay attention to what was happening in the ring, and not them. Then I was up for my second fight. I knew my opponent quite well because for a few years, we've bested each other in kind of a back and forth rival; he being Shotokan and me being Shindokan. Our fight was, as usual, intense, and oftentimes, quite purposeful! Back and forth we went...first him getting one point, then me, then him, then me, then clash after clash...then when all of the dust finally settled...I bested him, once again, in a 5-4 duel. While that was good for me, for the moment, my smile turned to a frown as I saw Dai-Soke right at the ring, and he didn't look happy at all. As I swallowed, I felt like I was trying to swallow a whole watermelon with one gulp. At first he said nothing...then he only said "What...", and that's it. He walked away to over where the Arbitrator and him were standing earlier. They'd talk! They'd watch the other matches, and specifically they, or at least Dai-Soke was, paying a lot of close attention to my matches. What did I do wrong? Why was he upset? Then the Grand Championship match between Greg and I commenced. While we were very close friends, both on and off the floor, we were both quite competitive in everything, and whenever we were pitted against each other in Kumite, we'd literally try to kill each other because that's how spent we were towards one another. At that very moment, we were enemies!! We both were like this our entire lifes, but we loved each other. Our Kumite sessions at the Hombu are legends because of that intensity...of that purposed resolve. Greg won 5-4, and he deserved it. During our match, both of us were given two warnings for excessive contact. Again, Dai-Soke was at the ring, with that same furrowed brow of disdain, and it felt like he was boring a hole right through my head. What seemed like an eternity, Dai-Soke placed his right hand on my left shoulder and escorted me a few feet away from the others, even though they all could hear every single word he spoke to me. "What...what was that?" he asked. "What?" I confusingly replied. "You...you Shindokan. You not others" he began... "What was other style...it not Shindokan...you Shindokan...you only Shindokan!!" he demanded. "I use Shindokan more, it's my core, as you've taught me...us..." I tried to explain, but to no avail. "Stop...I teach Shindokan...only Shindokan...we not kick up...we not kick high...we Shindokan...only low kicks...only!!" he retorted. "I used Shindokan AND I used Tae Kwon Do" I offered. "If I've..." as a started... "Stop!! Now!! Listen!!..." as he paused for about 5 long seconds...holding his right hand out towards me in an international sign of "Stop"...and hold his left index finger at his own lips, as if to signal me to be quiet... "That...you...that...other...it was...it was...it was...very...very...good...good...very good...I like it...it was effective...it was not me see it before...and me not expect...Shindokan...Tae Kwon Do...together...good...very good...I proud of you...proud of you all...you show...no...you teach me new thing...new thing that two styles can together be good...very good!!" he exclaims to me...us!! "Thank you, sir...thank you very much!!" is my reply...kind of sad while kind of proud at the same time. He bows, then turns, and slowly walks away. I've shared this, and forgive the length of this post, because this is where it was solidified in, not with just within myself, but with all of us. That is... Cross-training is not only fun, but it's imperative in one's MA training, and in one's MA journey. That TWO, or more styles of the MA CAN survive as they intermingle with one another, and, as well as them standing side-by-side to reach ones goal of being that effectiveness. In short, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and/or, sometimes both sides of the fence are green, not just the one side. I successfully used both Shindokan and Tae Kwon Do. Sometimes Shindokan! Sometimes Tae Kwon Do! Sometimes both, and sometimes, at the same time! Shindokan is my core, and at that time, TKD was vital in my growth as a MAist. While Shindokan comes to the fight first, TKD, back then, came to the aide of Shindokan; Shindokan will start and end the fight, but somewhere and someway and somehow TKD will be there when the time is right...kind of like how Robin comes to the aide of Batman when the time is right. Train hard...train well...cross train...discard the rest while absorbing that which is effective!!

Indeed; thank you for sharing. Your Sifu would win a bet in a game of "Touch me if you can". And the thing I saw was his flow, and no matter what you did to reach him, you're attempts were thwarted, even if it was at the last second; in short, he was playing with you like a cat would play with a mouse....right before the cat eat the mouse.

Xilam and Yaomachita are Mexican MA. Other than that, BJJ is the closest thing to Mexican MA that's well known.

Why have a spanner when you have a hammer? Different tools, for different jobs and different times. True, true; it's an individual preference. Btw, what's a spanner??

Why a crescent kick? I believe that that kick telegraphs itself way to much. I've jammed that kick more often than not. However, I suppose one could ask...Why not a crescent kick?! I, personally love the kick, having learned it in my short TKD days. However, I've not seen that kick having a high success ratio. Why go fancy when basics work...still?! I know, why not go fancy?! In short, it's a preference, as is anything else in the MA.

We bow in and out! We bow to each other, especially if being helped! We bow to black belts! We bow at the start and finish of Kata and Kumite. We bow whenever the CI says to. We've the formal Shomen ni rei and the like; these are daily occurrences. Now as far as the official way that we bow and when, can be quite involved. So, I'll spare you all the reading the shortened version of War and Peace. Albeit, if the occasion is formal, Testing Cycles, Promotions, and the like, the pageantry is there in all of its glory. This was the way of Soke and Dai-Soke, and as of now, we're still upholding their ways because, to us, it's natural, and to not to it, is alien to us. Our Promotions are quite the event. How so? If you've seen an ATA (American Tae Kwon Do Association) ceremony, than you've almost seen an SKKA ceremony.

Yeah, that sounds great; right what you're looking for. Nothing ventured...nothing gained. If it'll meet all of your needs, then, why not attend, at least the trial lessons. Nothing better to get a feeling by being on the floor with other students and the CI. Please keep us up to date...now...have fun and train hard!!

There's one problem...THEY DON'T HAVE ANY!! All of that expensive equipment every where you look, but no floaties. Although I do have a ducky ring at home that I could wear...yeah...that's what I'll do...come with me Mr. Squeaky, let's you and I go to the pool.

I wholeheartedly concur with Brian! I don't know how to do anything perfectly because, and by nature, I'm not perfect at all; not even close. I strive for it, but I already know that it's not ever going to happen. Having said that, private lessons aren't for everyone due to costs and the like. Group lessons are more affordable, and less taxing than private. Many do much better in a group because they don't want to be the only one on the floor; camaraderie comes to mind. Yet, on the other hand, other prefer the solidity of what private lessons bring; having the CI all to themselves in quite appealing. I've done both. I've no preference of one over another. It's an individual choice, and in that, there's no wrong answer at all, imho. Go to class, listen to the CI, practice WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT by your CI once you're home, and strive for that perfection.

Welcome to KF, shortyafter; glad that you're here!! I've some suggestions for you... 1) Look into KF's General Martial Arts forum. Once there, click on the thread at the top labeled "Sticky: Martial arts research library"...here's the link as well... http://www.karateforums.com/martial-arts-research-library-vt8082.html Once there, you'll find an endless plethora of book listings and the like, to satisfy, as well as, quench the thirst of MA related sources. 2) Karate: The Art of "Empty-Hand" Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama and Richard C. Brown have inspired hundreds of thousands of karateka, and it remains one of the finest texts available on the technique, art, and spirit of karatedo. It's a great book for anyone interested in Shotokan. 3) Mas Oyama has authored several books on Kyokushin, and they're each considered by hundreds of thousands of Kyokushin, and these jewels of books are still in quite highly demand concerning the technique, art, and spirit, as well. A) The Kyokushin Way B) What is Karate? C) This is Karate. D) Advanced Karate. E) Vital Karate. F) Essential Karate. Hopefully, this will help. I look forward to your posts, and again, welcome to KF, shortyafter!!

I've thought about what I might be involved in if the MA wasn't in my life. To be frank and honest, for as long as I've been in the MA, both as a student and as a CI, including the Administrative segments within the SKKA, I can't even begin to answer that question with any certainty. I suppose, there was a time where I was interested in Law Enforcement because I had tons of LEO's as students over the years, and I was particularly interested in working for the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). But, it was just a thought, a thought that never really materialized. I thought that with my Administrative experience as well as owning my own MA supply store, that I might try my hand out in Retail, more specifically in the Field Operations field as either a District Manager or Regional Manager. However, I felt that I was already, in sorts, doing that, and more, at the dojo as well as the SKKA. I originally went to college to earn an MBA (Master of Business Administration), but due to my schedule with me operating my own dojo, time constraints were compatible as my student body increased. The MA and its Administrative side is all that I've ever known, and all that I'm cut out for, and in that, the MA is all that I'm good at. Things happen for reasons, and I believe that the MA happened, and I'm completely satisfied, and pleased that things worked out the way it did. Shoot, I even wanted to be a pilot once, my Uncle Earnie was a pilot in the private sector, but I changed my mind right after I took a trial flight, and the pilot did one stall after another, and I thought for sure, that we were going to crash if he didn't get the darn engine started up each and every time that plane stalled...ON PURPOSE!! No no no no no no...not me...not this boy...no way and no how...I was baptized to remain on the ground from that very moment by kissing the ground, literally, when the trial flight ended.

And of course...watch more than one class to get a feel of everything. I'd do the observations first before I even did a trial class because discoveries on the floor might not be enjoyable, and once on the floor, not many can just walk off the floor in front of a crowd. I, too, have never heard of an interview as described, but as Brian already mentioned, I'm not of BJJ. Good luck!!