sensei8

Here's my 2 cents... Safety, nowadays, is paramount because insurance companies have some strict regulations whenever the MA is the product/brand!! Things done on the floor are carefully watched over by the CI to ensure that unnecessary injuries occur; however, accidents should be expected from time to time. A school of the MA can be closed whenever safety isn't more important than money!! Many schools of the MA are so afraid of teaching and training and challenging their students, as they ought to be. Why? A school of the MA ceases to be a school of the MA whenever there's no more students, and in that, a school of MA without students is a very long and lonely walk for the CI. Therefore, when students no longer darken the doors of said MA school, there's no need for instructors, alas, no need for a school. What was, is no longer!! That saddens me because that which was has been replaced, and that with what it was replaced by, is the unfortunate tone of ineffectiveness. So much so, that students are taught a dire false sense of security. Has the foregone conclusions of yesterdays been all but forgotten?? The answer might never be told with any certainties. That which was taught by the masters of old, are slowly being swept under the tattered rug as though it never existed. For those of us who have been lucky enough to find themselves under the forever watchful eye of a CI that kept the fire burning brightly on the floor, as they were once taught, and having the fortitude to pass that same torch, as well as accepting that same torch for generations to follow. That which was once treasured, can still be so. All it takes is heart and desire to breath that air back into its once dead future. So, stop being afraid, and teach your style of MA as your art once wasl with that unquenchable vigor. Imho!!

Curiosity question - how do you collect payment? By that I mean everyone hands you, say, a $10 bill every time they walk in, or can they pay in advance? My former Sensei taught a cardio kickboxing class that was strictly pay as you go. He issued cards that were bought for a certain amount. Every class, he hole punched everyone's card. Once there were no classes left on the card, they bought a new card. A dojo I was looking into before I joined my current one did the same thing as a pay as you go option (you could also pay a monthly membership instead). At the moment they just pay cash when they turn up, although I am thinking about offering the chance to pay in advanced similar to the method your explained. I've seen an organization that collected fees per class. They charged $4.00 per lesson, and they paid that whenever they came to class. That organization utilized "parents" to collect fees while sitting at one of the many tables. Name of the student would then be checked off on a roster to show that that student had indeed been at that particular class. It was either cash or check; those funds would be then placed inside of a large manila envelope for safe keeping. At the end of the night, the instructor would collect the envelopes, one envelope per class, and they did up to 4 classes, once per week, as well as the roster sheets, stuffing it all in their gym bag.

It's a hard thing to endure, across the board. Thing about being judged is that no one can't control how others will judge you; it'll happen whether you like it or not. If you can put your head on a pillow in soundness that you've not violated your integrity and the like, then what others think about you is meaningless. For me, the only opinion I want is from my wife and kids. Everyone else isn't that important!!

Gi's are a dime a dozen. So, I throw them away if they need to be. Belts, well, that's different. How so? Well, it's, for me, about the blood, sweat, and tears. A belt is a reminder of what it took to earn that particular belt; look down memory lane, a way to jog the fond memories of said belt. Rank means nothing to me, but the memories of what it took to earn each and everyone are important to me. So, the belts are neatly tucked away in a box with some moth balls. I use to hang them up in the house until one day Dai-Soke came to visit my family and I, and he saw them. He said in front of my family..."Take down, rank not you. Why put trash on wall??" Trash? OUCH!! He later told me that my priorities were askew, at best...so...I took them down and stored them in that box.

Are any rules, and the like, posted?? Do said rules clarify your concerns?? If Sensei is busy with other students, the best thing to do is not interrupt...ever!! Wait, train, and when he approaches you, ask for his help. Or, and this is a sensitive one, stop training and raise your hand, and when he approaches you, ask him for his help. The sensitive part is that you might be ignored, or worse, he'll ask you why you're just standing there....train, not stand still!! Waiting for the "Romans" to tell you anything can get you in the lions den; and that's not a good place to be. Nothing ventured is nothing earned. What's the worse that can happen?!? You need to, imho, approach him and find out exactly what is and what isn't the etiquette/protocol of the dojo. Being silent and waiting to stumble upon the proper etiquette/protocol is a waste of time, imho. Why? You're there to learn and to train!! Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro: Mind like the water and mind like the moon!! Can't give your 100% if you're not totally focused on learning and training. SO FIND OUT ASAP FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND!!

I have never heard of Tegumi! See this is what I am talking about. It seems like there are many different sub-styles within a style. I was referring to the fact that, there maybe a Karate style that uses tons of judo techniques. Tegumi is a mixture of Okinawan grappling and Sumo. Some feel that Jujutsu techniques were incorporated as some of the throws, sweeps and take downs are similar in application. The argument for this is that Matsumura Sokon (In our art), while training in Kenjutsu under the Satsuma clan during their occupation of the Ryukyu kingdom,could have easily learned Jujutsu from his teacher or another and incorporated these techniques into the Tegumi curriculum. Considering the Tegumi pre-dates Matsumura, most feel that this is not the case. The truth is no one actually knows since there was very few documents kept from this or earlier time periods about Karate or its influences. There is nothing to base this on nor any proof whatsoever to support this. However you can somewhat make a distinction between the Okinawan grappling/sumo techniques and what are thought to be jujutsu based. There is no correlation to Judo other than Judo was inspired by Jujutsu, which is why they look as if they may be from Judo, but they are not. Karate is generations older than Judo and thus could not contain Judo applications unless a more modern day instructor added them to the curriculum. Unfortunately this happens in today's Dojo's all to often. Because an instructor does not understand or was never taught Torite, Tegumi and Kyusho through the Bunkai of the Kata they tend to add to their art and often pull from other arts not associated with their base art as a means of "improving" the art. As if they know better than generations of time tested applications in actual combat situations. If one where to bother researching their art, as the founders passed it down, they would discover that Karate is the original MMA and has the answers to almost every question in the context of combat and defense. IMHO. What MatsuShinshii excellently speaks towards is a pretty close description of Shindokan, the Okinawan style of Karate-do that I've been training in as well as teaching for 52 years, albeit, with a strong emphasis on Tuite.

Excellent OP, Kyonovice!! I believe, wholeheartedly, that there are indeed "Masters" like the one's in your OP's title. Sure, not all "Masters" of their calibers are known, yet, I believe that they still exist, and are known to only their students. The unknown "Masters" exist, for sure, and this is my believe, one I'm holding onto for one reason or another. My own Sensei/Dai-Soke, was, imho, of their calibers, in his own right, and I'd like to think that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm not saying that I'm of their calibers, but neither am I a lackadaisical MAist. Those "Masters" that you list in your OP have one thing in common...they have students!! I've seen, and possibly, many here at KF have seen those students of those "Masters" on the floor in one venue or another, and that these students are of the highest quality/caliber of a MAist. The student IS the representative of said "Master/Sensei/Etc.", and I believe that these students meet the expectations of their Master/Sensei/Etc., in such a degree, that any negative reflection wouldn't set well with their Master/Sensei/Etc for a single second. Seeing that we're that very representative of our "Master/Sensei/Etc.", we're no slouches either. Imagine, any MAist that you've witnessed, famous or not, and you thought to yourself..."Man, this MAist is awesome across the board!!", well, that awesome MAist has/had an exceptionally "Master/Sensei/Etc. to teach and mentor and mold them. I could list quite a lot of MAist's that would fit in the previous paragraph, albeit, these exceptional MAist's surely had one fantastic "Master/Sensei/Etc at their disposal. The apple that doesn't fall far from the tree is WORLDWIDE, and not regional or the like!! Lineage's can be that window to what type of the MAist that person is; especially if a well known "Master" is in that lineage. Sure, it's very possible that the lineage can be watered down from "Master" to student/Sensei to student/Sensei to student/Sensei. However, that lineage chain, with the overseeing of said "Master", remains unbroken and untarnished and solid for many years to come. Yes, bad apples ruin the whole bunch IF unchecked by the "Master", and even then, not every student of the "Master" is a good reflective representative of that "Master"!! In short, no matter the "Master" and/or the student, proof is on the floor!!

Than, Monday it is!! Meanwhile...keep training!!

I wholeheartedly concur with Patrick!! Relax, and have fun; you'll be fine. Remember, you don't have to get a 100% on the test, so allow the testing cycle to take care of itself.

CONGRATS, skullsplitter; well deserved!! Feels great, huh?!

1 hour isn't much, but I'd take it at the drop of a hat to train just one more time from my Sensei!!

I don't believe that I've never refused to share things of Shindokan!! As Soke taught us..."Shindokan belongs to everyone, not just the few!!" Secrets? What are those? Afraid that the other schools of the MA will discover a means to close your school down? Share and share alike, with a joyful heart, I say!!

Teaching styles are what they are, in that, no two teaching styles will, or should be, the same, and for me, I'm quite thankful for that. Both our Soke and Dai-Soke were born, raised, and trained in Okinawa. Their teaching styles were different, yet they reached the student body, and they therefor reached the same goals for the student body: To learn Shindokan. Having said that, the one thing they had in common with teaching styles is that they both had quite a lot of difficulty with English, and while they both improved in English somewhat by the time they both passed away, their English was rough and difficult to understand. In short, they both sounded like a grunting cave man! Both of them, Soke and Dai-Soke, would say very little, due to them not ever mastering the English language, directed the student body with a compassionate Shinai, and a ton of demonstrations...as they both were found of saying..."You have to experience Shindokan to appreciate it!!", and that's were the tons of demonstrations/examples accompanied by their grunting cave man broken English. Like your Sensei, neither Soke or Dai-Soke, ever raised their voices in anger toward the student body, they were compassionate in their teachings, and they were not tolerant with many protocols and the like violations. However, if you do feel uncomfortable, and as many that have already touched on this, find somewhere/someone else to train under/with; can't learn much in a hostile environment because it's not conducive to learning. If your Sensei has a "close door" mindset, and this makes it difficult to approach him with questions and/or concerns and/or anything else, then that too is grounds for seeking out better learning grounds. Both Soke and Dai-Soke were open to questions and/or concerns and/or anything else, which, for me, is great because I always asked questions, and I was that doubting Thomas both on and off the floor. Sure, I had to obey etiquette/protocol, otherwise, we'd be invisible to them, especially if done on the floor. I suppose, listen to your gut and/or the raising of the tiny hairs on your arms, might be some good advice...maybe.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. There were two issues that I faced when I started my Kyuodan dojo back in 1977. My dojo was located at the corners of Sherman Way and White Oak in Van Nuys, California, just north of Hollywood, within the San Fernando Valley. Both of these issues were, and still are, monumentally important to the continued viability that seemed to constantly ebb on the edge of mortality and immortality; the war torn battle of juggling one responsibility after another, wondering if it'll all just topple over, to never be seen again. Business knowledgeMoney managementThese two hovering vultures can rob one of much needed, restful sleep; worrying about a multitude of delicate decisions that might've been made in haste or made in one last desperate lunge for that proverbial brass ring. Business Knowledge It's one thing to be a black belt, but it's another thing to have secured the knowledge about how one should manage and operate a business. And not just a business, but a successful business. Understand this: I'm a big proponent that a dojo is, now and forever, a business. Why? Unless you've no overhead of any type, than you're not managing and operating a business. A business, like a dojo, needs that constant care. It can't take care of itself, can't clean up after itself, can't pay its own bills, can't negotiate for itself, can't bank for itself, can't buy supplies for itself, can't market for itself, and it can't do the most simplest task for itself. It's dependant! In 1977, I was a fledging new sandan. I had been assisting my sensei, as an assistant instructor (one of many), ever since I was a thirteen year old junior black belt in 1970. When I opened for business in July of 1977, I figured that I had acquired enough business knowledge, during those 7 years, to flawlessly manage and operate the Kyuodan dojo. I figured dead wrong! Observing and doing are two different things altogether. Having hands-on experience in the daily operations, outside of performing assisting teaching duties, would've had a prodigious effect on me. Being a cogent black belt isn't the same thing as being a cohesive business owner; nor is it a guarantee. Yes, sensei taught me how to teach effectively, as did soke, but I had little, or no clue at all how to be both that solid black belt and that solvent business owner. I was that ingenuous sandan on the floor, sure of himself, though quite naive. But off the floor, I only possessed a basic idea of the business world, that I'd not fully garnered from sensei and soke! In hindsight, that business world was a vast, horrific, dark and desperately somber entity, and it overshadowed me unmercifully. However, truth being told, the possession of a black belt isn't pertinent to the business world. Being a sandan, while important to teaching the martial arts, doesn't hold the same meaning in the business world. No, my friend, I learned quickly that owning and operating a dojo, a.k.a. a small business, takes more than knowing how to teach kihon, kata and kumite. My student body numbers were scarce my first six months, so much so that I was living in my dojo, sleeping on one of the couches in my office. When I say scarce, I'm talking about only having twenty-five students at the end of those first six months. I was reaching DEFCON 1, in a business sense, and I wasn't sure what my next move should be in order to remain in business. I kept the smile on, as to not worry my tiny band of students. Teaching wasn't the problem. That's never been the problem. I'm gifted and blessed in that area. I can teach! No, the problem, as I slowly began to learn through those bleak opening months, was me! My perceived notions about business were being quickly dashed. My solution seemed simple enough. I needed to expediently learn business 101. I enrolled at Los Angeles Valley College, a stone's throw away from the front door of my Kyuodan dojo. College classes in the day, teaching Shindokan at night. I put in a major academic load of 12 units, with a major of business administration. College is fine. One can learn a plethora of subjects of interest. However, there's nothing like attending the college of trials and tribulations, a.k.a. the school of hard knocks. That'll put gristle on your business meat quite fast, and it'll take no prisoners. I learnt a valuable lesson about needs and wants. In both business and in life, one has needs and wants in order to exist fruitfully. However, these are separate desires that must be kept separate, respected and understood. The lines between the two should never be crossed. I need to pay rent! I need to pay utilities! I need to pay for supplies! Rest and relaxation is a necessary part of balancing the sane with the insanity of the business world. However, the recharging of one's batteries should never cause one to shrug off their responsibilities as a business owner. Pay your bills, all of your bills and when they're due! Then, and only then, can you afford that richly deserved vacation. Anything that doesn't sustain the dojo's existence is a want. One could overflow a lake with tangible wants. That's part of life. Nonetheless, a business owner needs to learn how to balance their spreadsheet so as to avoid potential potholes, and placing wants over needs isn't anything short of a huge sinkhole. Business knowledge wasn't my forte, but I knew I was going to learn it, even if it literally killed me to do so. Every idea requires a plan, or at least a list to follow. This might include: BookkeepingBusiness plan Managing people Sales and marketing Standard operating procedures (SOP) What else?With this general battle plan, I've one small problem: how am I going to pay for all of this? Money Management Back in 1977, martial arts schools weren't a ubiquitous feature of the American landscape, unlike they are in today's America. Having enough cash to cover the bills is a must for any business, but it is also a must for every individual. Whether it is your business or your life, one will likely emerge as a capital drain that puts pressure on the other. In order to head off this problem, small business owners must either be heavily capitalized or be able to pick up extra income to shore up cash reserves when needed. This is why many small businesses start out with the founders working a job and building a business simultaneously. While this split focus can make it difficult to grow a business, running out of cash makes growing a business impossible. I didn't have any other employment, nor did I want any other employment, other than the Kyuodan dojo! The Kyuodan dojo was my realized dream, and I wasn't going to let it become my realized nightmare, not if I could prevent it. Many times, dojo owners earn no reportable income because their cash reserves are tied up with operational costs. But that's a good thing. Dojo taken care of? Check! Family taken care of? Check! Student body taken care of? Check! Then the owner, as well as the chief instructor, which normally are the same person, are taken care of, too. Against the pleas of my family, friends and students, at the end of my first year of college, I terminated my continuing education. Even though the dojo was desperate for more cash reserves, I plugged through that first year with my integrity and passion still intact. Despite the naysayers, I was still in the black, and my student body was slowly creeping upwards. After saying my farewells to college life, I put my plan in motion to ever increasing my depleting cash revenue. I went full-time, and that meant that the Kyuodan dojo would be open from 10am to 10pm, Monday through Friday and 10am – 5pm on Saturday. My first year, I only taught during the evening hours when the majority of potential students were at home. Schools let out at 3pm, and most business ended their daily operations at 5pm. My Kyuodan dojo had been birthed on that notion, missing out on an untapped well of opportunities. That was about to change! I literally blanketed the entire San Fernando Valley in colorful flyers with the help of family, students, and to my surprise, the Hombu's chipped in to help as well. We covered vehicle windshields, telephone poles and the occasional business bulletin board. Tournament participation remained quite lucrative to me in more ways than one. Not only did I compete and win my share of events, I also gave demonstrations. This was the bread and butter for my soke promoting Shindokan in the early years of the Hombu. Any time a tournament promoter would allow a demonstration, per a rotating schedule that was shared with many other styles of the martial arts in the San Fernando Valley, I gave my all. Those who were permitted to conduct a demonstration were also allowed, by the tournament promoter, to have a sign-up table in the foyer of the lobby. This created an opportunity to speak with the potential student at the dojo. I gave out free lessons like candy because I knew that once a potential student had been on the floor with me, I'd earn them as my student. As the cash reserves were increasing, I had to remain true to the lessons of the needs and the wants. Addressing one's business responsibilities, first and foremost, over any petty want, without any ambiguity and/or reservations, is critically important. I'm quite proud that I've never ever had a late payment notice ever discovered inside of my mail box. The lessons, as hard as they were, were rewarding and worth it. Executing the Plan With a better understanding of business and how to manage the money-side of the operation, here is how I went about accomplishing the plan mentioned above: Bookkeeping: I had to hire a bookkeeper, but I couldn't budget it into my annual budget. Thankfully, and to the Hombu's credit, I had a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), paid for by the Hombu. Business plan: This is one of the most important documents a business should have because it frames the foundation either on muddy ground or on solid ground. I had to assess my skills and expertise outside of the martial arts. If I'm not qualified or willing to handle all that's going to be required, and which aspects will necessitate either more learning on my part or calling in the cavalry for help, then I've no business being in business, at all. Managing people: I believe that this skill set requires one to be a great listener over being an affable speaker. Acquire delegation skills as well, unless you want to do it all Most business owners want to do it all because they're afraid! For me, managing people has always been an easy thing to learn and to apply. It's not personal, it's business. That's a hard pill to swallow, depending on which side of the conversation you're on. Sales and marketing: I had to learn about my competitors: the other martial arts schools, which are slowly becoming sprinkled like a fine dust throughout the Valley. What are they offering? What are their prices? Standard operating procedures (SOP): What are my processes for handling tasks that are recurring? For example, filling out orders for uniforms, belts, patches, supplies, etc. Do I understand the basic principles and practices of controlling inventory? What's my refund policy? Who do I call when I need something repaired? The SOP is the playbook for situations that might arise from time to time, or quite often. What else?: Problems occur, and I need to solve them. Owning and operating a business is akin to being a firefighter. You have to fight one fire at a time. Trust me, each and every situation is a fire, and it needs to be identified and addressed in a timely manner. My biggest fire was, and still is, customer service. If not handled properly, it can become a raging fire, burning out of control, consuming everything in its path. My dojo wasn't an exception, and if I didn't properly conduct my affairs, then my dojo will eventually deserve to be closed. These six areas of business knowledge certainly have a lot to do with money management, as well. No money, no business. Conclusion I have fond memories of my first year as the owner and chief instructor of the Kyuodan dojo. I was quickly concerned with many issues that weren't related to karate-do, but were tied to the management and operation of the dojo itself. As you grow your business knowledge and your understanding of money management, you will increase the hopes that your own dojo can survive the haunting truth will define your own business sensibility: the final bottom line on your dojo's profit and loss statement.

Yoshinobu Takahashi; my Sensei...I miss him greatly!!

Congrats, CTTKDKing; well deserved!!

Good luck; you'll do fine, so relax and don't fret over any possible mistakes that you might make. The testing cycle will take care of itself!!

I wholeheartedly agree with you that kata should be simple and practical. Though Sensei hasn't asked me to come up with Bunkai for it, for every move I do I visualize what application it could have. What bothers me is the sheer length of it: 50 moves. I'm finding it to be an awfully long kata. Thank you for the idea! I video taped how I do traditional katas before to analyze my mistakes but for some reason haven't thought about it for my own kata! Ah. That's another bit of a problem I don't know how to overcome. When I initially asked Sensei about how I should approach composing the kata he basically said: "Just do it". I've also failed the test for 1 kyu twice (a year ago and this June) and I'm afraid to ask him about my kata in case he takes it as me trying to hint that I want to test again. To be completely honest I'm afraid to ask Sensei about anything. When I did in the past he would look at me as if I was a Martian and say: "Don't talk. Keep training." I'm sure I might have asked wrong questions but I have no idea which question are the right ones.Three things that come to mind. One, 50 is quite long for a kyu kata, imho. If you're troubled by its length, then shorten it, that's where the video taping will help you because when you play it back over and over, you'll see where you can edit it without losing its effectiveness. Two, if your Sensei isn't available for critic/feedback/etc., then don't bother him with it...just shorten it, and as he's said..."just do it"!! If you can believe it, then he'll believe it too...hopefully!! Three, if Bunkai isn't required, then don't worry about it. HOWEVER, Bunkai, if approached correctly, can weed out some of the movements, therefore, shorten the length of the kata. So, sure, try some Bunkai in private, but don't worry about Bunkai on test day. BUT, what if your Sensei surprises you with him wanting to have you demonstrate some Bunkai; better to be prepared than to be surprised.

All dues are due on the 1st of each month!! Have to pay to play!! Don't pay, you don't get to play!! No!! Yes and no!! I've employees to collect dues, but if those employees aren't there, than I will collect dues myself. No, to the per lesson!! Yes, to the per month/block sessions!! They clock in and out on a time clock!! Their paid the 1st and the 15th of each month. No!! Business 101 teaches one vital thing when it comes to employees...Don't mess with an employees money. Trust must be earned, and I've, as of yet, found an outside company that I can trust. I won't speak towards the Hombu in this regard because the Hombu has a department that manages/oversees all of the Hombu's accounts payable and accounts receivable. What I do know is that the Hombu accepts all types of payments and that all dues are due at the 1st-3rd of each month and that they've different receivable accounts structures for students to choose and that all paid instructors are paid on the 1st/15th of each month.

There's no one that I'd choose to train with because, before I can train with anyone, I first must be worthy, and I'm not worthy; and right now, I feel like I'm the furthest thing from being worthy!!

Welcome to KF, chickadee; glad that you're here!! Solid posts, all!! Here's my two-cents, if I may, During my tournament days, I would often signed up for the Creative Division per current rank. I struggled quite a lot at first because I didn't know how to create an effective kata filled with effectiveness throughout. I went for flash at first, and that earned me many last places, with a few discussions with that tournaments arbitrator. You see, I knew the kata's within our curriculum per current rank, and for me, that was difficult to separate that which was within me and with that which wasn't in me, hence, a kata that I created. Then doubt entered in the face of..."Just who do I think I am that I think that I can create an effective kata?!?!" Then, and finally, that AHA moment came... Keep It Simple Student The kata's within our style are effective because they're simple; even those that are advanced. Casting away that which was flashy and ineffective was easy once I took myself out of the equation. Building a building...building a car...building just about anything that's effective means that said designer keep it simple, even in the most advanced technology. Body mechanics are irrefutable concerning their effectiveness: either it works or it doesn't!! Trial and error!! For every successful kata, research must be applied. And in that application, one must be brutally honest with oneself, without any ambiguity whatsoever!! That's where Bunkai can help! It's not required, however, it shouldn't be ignored!! Anything created, must be researched, and that means that it must be analyzed to the nth degree. If it, whatever it is, is to be believed, it must be believable to yourself first, than the audience lastly. Once I got out of the way, the results were a success, not only with many Grand Championships, but in the realm of effectiveness, and that effectiveness was my true reward. No, for me, KISS was applicable in creating a winning kata. Yet, that winning kata, if it's purpose is true and honorable, can be also used during a testing cycle, if demanded by ones Sensei. Relax...let the kata take care of itself!! Btw, VIDEO TAPE it so that you can see what it looks like, and make corrections accordingly, and this is where one must be brutally honest with oneself. Above all things, seek out the advice and feedback from your Sensei, when it's appropriate!! Ask your Sensei to critic that which you're creating, but be warned, your Sensei's critic might be harsh, but it'll be truthful. Good luck...train hard...train seriously!!

I think that's a great distance. While 5 miles may seem like a short distance, it's the time itself that makes all the difference for some. A lot of the time, I think more of the travel time over the distance in miles. Under normal conditions, 5 miles can be traveled in 5 minutes, or 1 mile per minute. The 16 minutes takes those 5 miles because Sherman Way, being a major road that stretches all the way across the Valley from the west to the east and back, is riddled with quite a lot of traffic lights. Rush hour on Sherman Way, isn't bogged down with long periods of standing still...it's all of those crazy lights. Sure, there are a lot of vehicles, to be sure, it's just that that congestion is just life on Sherman Way, or many of its major streets.

It's all good, LLLEARNER. Thank you for sharing with us, and as others have said before, life happens!! Look forward to your posts when time allows...keep training!!

Anything and everything can be ridiculed at some time or another. If any style is consistently effective, then, imho, the name of what it's called is meaningless, and akin to not being able to see the forest because of the trees, or vice versa. Real life history? You're speaking towards lineage. Himokiri's history has been established from its very first day, somehow and someway. Anything with a path has a beginning, and continues forward until it no longer does for one reason or another. Hence, real life history exists!! Things are ridiculed for many reasons: Science, jealousy, misunderstandings, just don't like it, and so on and so forth; the list can be quite long, and quite daunting and unforgiving. If what the style offers helps a student of the MA, imho, who cares what it's name is, or where its name originated. If Shindokan, the style of MA that I've been associated with for over 50 years, had a interesting history and/or name, yet it being effective, I could care less what the name is or it's history or what others thought. IS IT EFFECTIVE?!?! If not, little matters after that, imho. If so, little matters after that, as well.

Again, there's no competition between Shindokan dojo's, and this INCLUDES the Hombu. My very first dojo was 5 miles, 16 traveling minutes, away from our Hombu, on the same east to west street; Sherman Way. No, that's not across the street, but the proximity might seem to close for others, whereas others might think that the distance between the two are just right. Soke enjoyed that some of his networked dojo's were bunched together because it made traveling to them more agreeable for him. The congesting of travel that is the Valley, can be more than a leisure Sunday drive. Ours, I suppose, is not a 2D mindset, but more of a 3D mindset as to how Soke framed his thinking on this subject.