sensei8

Some time ago, I wrote an article here at KF, and I believe that it has some bearing as to this thread. http://www.karateforums.com/close-range-space-management-vt46269.html?highlight=space+management After all, as any Kobudo student will tell you, the weapon, any weapon, is the extension of yourself. Awareness of ones surroundings work well into what the weapon will or won't do. For example, within tight confinement spaces, one better be aware of those limitations. However, those confinement space management aren't ruled by those limitations because adaptations are taken to ensure a clean and direct path to the weapons target. For those who think that a bo can't be freely swung within a confined space, are limiting themselves wholeheartedly, and they've not mastered that bo, nor do they understand and appreciate that bo...imho!!

Solid post!! A passing notion gains nothing, however, an intimate notion gains everything!!

How do you explain chinkuchi? Carefully and slowly!! An intriguing, as well as vital element, of any Okinawan MA. Difficult to grasp at first, but with a solid and well versed Sensei, the obstacles are minimized, but evident, yet learnable in due time. Over and over and over, we heard these words from our Dai-Soke... "To learn, and to appreciate, the many aspects of Shindokan, learning them isn't enough; one must experience them for themselves!!" Chinkuchi is no exception! It must be experienced!! That means, hands-on tutelage from ones Sensei as a student is ushered in and through the techniques. How can something be appreciated from afar?? It's possible to do so, but the intimacy of the experience is lost, and therefore the aspect of the technique is lost as well. Trust must be established first between Sensei and student! Once trust is established, the pot-holes within ones training is minimized drastically. This allows the Sensei to teach, and the student to learn; but they must be one. Chinkuchi is difficult aspect for the beginner, but in time, that beginner is no longer that beginner; the dawn of experiencing chinkuchi is just over the horizon, but again, only in time!! This is for certain, chinkuchi can't be learned or appreciated or experienced through this forum/thread!!

I just can't see my MA training life without the Makawara; just way to important in my life!!

But what you can do in one class is to either like it or hate it; every style has that one chance to make an impression, whether it be a good one or a bad one!!

Welcome to KF, Occam; glad that you're here!! You find yourself in an conundrum, and it's to be expected with what you've experienced. Who to trust?! What MA to trust?! What instructor to trust?! Through your writing, and while you're a young man, you don't strike me as someone who blindly makes uninformed decisions about anything, especially where the MA is concerned. Of the four options, I believe that number 4 would fit you much better, albeit, the 2nd option outweighs the remaining options. One doesn't always want to return to familiar ground in order to just return to just return, but when the options are few and in between, and one's left with very few other choices, what's one left with between the worse of the two evils. Search your heart, and return where it'll do your MA betterment the most good. Otherwise, keep the search alive until you've found exactly what you're looking for. Rushing into something for the sake of rushing into it never does anyone any viable good. Youth is on your side, and if it was me, I'd not rush half-cocked into that which comforts me for the time being in order to fill that emptiness. No, I'd search until that which fulfills me is found, and not anytime much sooner.

Well...I'm trying to look at these arts with a very wide open mind, and I ask that you all forgive me, if I sound like I've just got off the banana boat with my observations. So here goes... As far fetched that it might sound, a person of 40 might have 33 years of experience in one or more of those arts, with maybe 25 years of teaching experience...it's a stretch, but why not!? Here's the claim/list...Karate, MMA, BKJ Arnis, Ryu Kon Kai Kobudo, Seitei Iaido and Seitei Jodo. Let's first look at Karate. 33 years could earn one a Godan, or at least a Yondan, and more certainly a Sandan. All, of course qualify one to teach, one more qualified than the other ranks. Looking at MMA. Well, there are no ranks awarded in MMA. So, during one's Karate journey, one could be a MMA veteran with many years in the octagon, and a championship or two, or just well versed enough to pass on his knowledge/experience. Looking at BKJ Arnis, Ryu Kon Kai Kobudo, Seitei Iaido, and Seitei Jodo, if one's in a Karate style that teaches Kobudok as well, and having earned, for example, a Godan or Yondan in that Kobudo discipline, it's possible that one could become proficient in BKJ Arnis, Ryu Kon Kai Kobudo, Seitei Iaido, and Seitei Jodo in time...anything is possible. For example, I've earned a Hachidan in Shindokan Kobudo, and I consider myself very proficient in quite a lot of Okinawan weapons. I've learned many other Kobudo weapons from other styles of the MA, and for me, learning those weapons was much easier for me based on my background. Learning those arts' methodology and ideology was important to understanding of their arts, nonetheless, becoming proficient in those weapons, for me, wasn't difficult. This instructor teaches Karate, MMA, and 4 Kobudo disciplines!! So, again, anything is possible!!

Unfortunately the problem with this is most of this stuff is unintentional. A product of ignorance, of it just not occurring to us. And we reinforce or these habits or scenarios because the people who stick around are the ones who are accepting of them. Like the gym owner in your example, it probably didn't occur to him it could be an issue as there are people who are happy to use those facilities as they are. Reminds me of Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity," Not to say we are all stupid, just that we don't know what we don't know. Ideally you want to talk to people who you are driving away. But then how do you do that, especially when half the time you may not have even realised you've done it Now that's a solid post, one of the best I've ever read in quite along time!! While things might be unintentional at many MA schools, and I do agree with you, these I've seen as well, back then and now, I've also seen those MA schools whereas they were intentional in how they treated the female students. A literal disgrace, imho!!

Solid post, Justice; as always!! In my 52 years in the MA, I've encountered many MA schools, just as you've described, right down to the finest details. Dojo's, from yesteryear, and for the most, were clubs for the male student, and wherever a female could be found, they were treated as though they were invisible. Testing cycles favored males...the floor favored males...the restrooms favored males...the curriculum favored males...the rules favored males...exercises favored the males...everything favored the males. This, too, was disconcerting to me, even though I'm a male. Just because someone is a human being, it doesn't mean that they know how to act like a human being!! There was that diamond in the ruff back then. Our Hombu was that diamond!! Our Soke provided that place of solace back then, and not just for a few, but for everyone. The student body of the SKKA, then and now, lives up to the expectations of all students who are seeking a dojo of safety and understanding. Can't use the term, "Student body", if only one selective group is favored over the remaining others!! The Hombu favored everyone!! Testing cycles favored NO ONE, yet everyone!! The floor favored the Student Body, and that means EVERYONE!! The restrooms favored everyone because the Hombu had large locker rooms, even at its beginning, that were sensitive to privacy, and this meant that our locker rooms weren't designed like most pubic schools, especially colleges, with the wide open showers where everyone was on display, and made to feel violated...NOT AT OUR HOMBU. At the Hombu, our curriculum favored NO ONE, but everyone!! The rules favored those who followed them to the nth degree!! Exercises favored the students who put efforts into them!! Everything at the Hombu favored both the Student Body, first and foremost, and then the Hombu secondly!! Decorum was for everyone at the Hombu. Gi became disheveled in any, you best turn around and fix it. Albeit, for the protection of our female students, we insisted that they wore something under their Gi, at all times, again, for the protection of their dignity. The Hombu, before the advent of air conditioning, our Hombu had several swamp coolers and fans throughout the Hombu to combat the heat. And of course, just when air conditioned was available, and improved over the years, the Hombu remodeled accordingly. The Hombu, back then, was the model of technology. Soke did that for all students, not just the few!! Remember, both Soke and Dai-Soke were born and raised and trained in Okinawa where the average dojo there is that sweat box, and quite normal. I believe that's where the term Shugyo was defined; suck it up!! However, just because they both came from Okinawa, they didn't want to continue that tradition of a sweat box...when in America, do what Americans do...then and now, Americans love to be cool...our Hombu was cool!! The apple doesn't fall from that tree!! My own Kyuodan Dojo's, as well as every dojo within the SKKA network, back then and currently, have adopted what Soke and Dai-Soke provided for their students, whomever darkened the Hombu's doors. In short, if you were to visit any Shindokan dojo within the SKKA networked, you see a carbon copy of the Hombu, with some personal touches added to it. For the dojo's within that network, the Hombu was the model that we strive to emulate to the smallest details. Not because we had to, but because we wanted to; what Soke and Dai-Soke provided for their students made perfect sense to us. Women deserve to equality, and that includes in the MA, and it is for certain guaranteed within the SKKA network...I/We swear, and I/We promise!! Not one person is more important than another!!

Just allow her to have her fun. If she learns anything, great...if she doesn't learn anything, great!! Remember, it's HER MA journey, and in that, she just wants to have fun on the floor with the others. If pushed, she'll have no fun, and nothing good can come from that!!

Anything nowadays is quite possible in today's MA schools. However, just how possible it is, is another thing. Is that school a McDojo?? Might be...might not be; that will be left up to the individual to decide. Sounds like a stab in the dark kind of marketing. With all of those arts, just what depth is the knowledge of the CI and the like within the school, causes me to question the validity of what a student can learn. An old adage says..."If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" In that case, the only way to find out for yourself, is to visit said school as often as it takes to come to a informed decision, while alleviating any doubts at the same time...or it might increase doubts!! Proof is on the floor!! His age is a red light that needs to be considered.

Let us not forget...Shu Ha Ri These stages of learning and evolving are applicable to all styles as well as to all students no matter their level of knowledge/experience. Imho!!

Hey, it's cool...better late than never, right. Besides, life gets in the way, whether one likes it or not. Thank you, Safroot!! No worries sensei8 , wish you had a great one already 🎂🎂🎂 Yes, I did, thank you very much!!

I agree, Safroot, that dojo cardio/weight training is equally important to an overall routine. Health must be everything; quality of life is available to everyone, and it's free, but it requires dedication and serious effort.

How about them 11-1 Cowboys!! Vikings gave the Cowboys a tough fight to the very end...17-15 in Vikings new fixed-roof stadium. That stadium evened the playing surface, and favored the Cowboys. How so? Well, many kept telling me that the Cowboys have the very cold Minnesota weather to deal with, and that's where the Vikings have the advantage. I scoffed at that as I reminded them about the Vikings NEW STADIUM....UNDER A ROOF...OUT OF THE ELEMENTS OF MOTHER NATURE!! Dak keeps showing me that he's there for a reason, and not for just a season. Dak's showing us all that mobility that has, imho, been lost for some time now, since Romo has had 9 concussions, after all, I'd be gun shy myself. The entire Cowboys team, and not just Dak, show up to, not only play, but to get that "W"!! Next, the Giants at their house!! NO PROBLEM!! Today, the Steelers defeated the Giants 24-14, and we defeated the Steelers, not to long ago. But, I must put my excitement in check because this is the NFL and just because the Cowboys are hot right now, NO WIN IS GUARANTEED UNTIL THE FAT LADY SINGS!! Some good games today; made watching the NFL on TV worth it!! How did your team do today, please!! GO COWBOYS!!

Hey, it's cool...better late than never, right. Besides, life gets in the way, whether one likes it or not. Thank you, Safroot!!

You do more Cradio work in the Gym or you do weights as well ?! I actually started Karate after having a random Blood test & found that my liver enzymes high (fatty liver) , my cholesterol levels high & my blood sugar level is at the very upper normal when I was 30 ! After 3 months of Karate training (1.5 hours/week) in addition to better diet (specially stop drinking coke) every thing went back to normal, my GP was so much surprised & asked how did I do it & encouraged me to keep doing the same and that's another thing I love about Karate For me, in Karate I get better health outcomes while doing something I enjoy & nice people to encourage me which is not the case with the gym most of the time ! Solid post, Safroot!! To the bold type above... I do them equally!! If not, one will be stronger than the other. At first, I concentrated with the cardio, and then when the time was right, I introduced weight training into my daily routine.

Being proactive with ones diet sure does help a lot; weight just doesn't jump off, no matter how much that's desired. My weight loss is happening because I got out of my recliner and couch each and everyday. Why? I have to go to the gym because the gym won't come to me!! Healthy snacks!! Not the usual unhealthy snacks, and man oh man, I ended up on the fast track to the grave with my unhealthy snacking. I topped off once at 350lbs, and please, don't think the worse about me have having reached that weight. That MAist, is still inside of me, and quite capable/effective!!N I burn easily 600 calories daily at the gym while doing only 4 cardio routines in my first hour. Then I spend another hour on free weights, starting with the dumb-bells, working my way through that area, and ending with various leg presses. Every Saturday, I forgo the cardio machines for the swimming pool. After all, not mixing cardio and weight training can only hurt, and not improve. Why? If I do only cardio, then the body will crave, even more so, because I'm ignoring it. I'll be strong in endurance, but I'll be weak in the body, and vice versa. I've never been a fan of diet programs and the like because I don't like to surrender my independence. For me, with those diet programs I seem to suffer from trust; not my trust, but the trust of the programs as to what they promise to deliver. I believe that that trust is a two way street, but perhaps the success relies on me. Oftentimes, I'd give up way to easily; no fight within me for my well being! Fast forward, my life depends on my being that proactive everyday!! NO EXCUSES!!

I apologize for my not being much more clear in this, as I should've directed these questions to DWx because she's the author of this topic/thread. I'm trying to ascertain her thoughts on what she's asking of us. If the answer is of the first question above, then, in my opinion, there's no wrong answer because whomever finds said MAist as an influence TO THAT PERSON, it bears that mark. How can I then say to that person, "I don't agree with that!!", when, after all, that's that persons opinion. Albeit, that, which I've just described above, fits quite well with questions #2 and #3 for that group and for the masses. Opinions are just that, and while they shouldn't be subjective to interpretations, that's exactly what happens. My choices of whomever has influenced ME is MY choice. What choices of whomever has influenced the SKKA, our governing body, is OUR choice as a group. What choices of whomever has influenced the MASSES is THEIR choice. Are any of them honestly wrong in their choice(s)...really?? There are many great MAist chosen in this thread, and while I might not agree with all of their choice(s) of influences here, I don't interject my thoughts because I'm not, well, that person, nor am I of that group, nor am I part of that masses. Martial Artists, are oftentimes quite quick to pass judgment on one another, over everything, before considering the value that might be found, in a haste to discredit. Imho!!

I don't need to go to the gym!! I MUST go to the gym; my life depends on it, more now than ever!! Before being diagnosed with Afib this past October, I'm on a mission to save my life, if at all possible. That means that I go to the gym! That means that I must adopt a much more healthy lifestyle across the board! That means that I must lose weight; from being 326lbs to 215lbs in one year! No, the gym is where I must go on a daily basis!! In the past, the majority of where I'd do my training, gym wise, was either at the dojo and/or at the Hombu.

Boy oh boy am I ready!! I'm ready to follow Kenneth and Kendall for another exciting season on the mat!! As far as being afraid of being slammed or thrown, and at that age, I can understand that. Time to let time work its magic!! Here's where you can do what no coach can do; after all, no coach knows your boys better than you, and, you've been on different mats, yet similar, but still different!! You've a job in front of you in eliminating those fears though soft body drills!!

Is the most influential choice based on how one person feels?? OR Is the most influential choice based on how a group feels?? OR Is the most influential choice based on how the masses feels??

Great topic, and thank you for starting it, Safroot!! While I'm a proponent of Shindokan through our Soke, and then through our Dai-Soke, and then through my MA journey, I've held one thing constant and true, and that is... Keeping an open mind!! Shindokan is my core, this is for certain, and that Shindokan is an effective means of the MA, but I also quickly learned that Shindokan, as in any MA, has its limitations. “Using no way as a way, having no limitation as limitation.” ~Bruce Lee By keeping an open mind, I'm able to train in other styles of the MA of my choosing without having the fear of contradiction and/or condemnation, and that's because, it's my given right to do so; I'm complete in my MA totality!! Yet, with that open mind, I'm also allowed to entertain the many known and unknown possibilities, and that excites me to no end!! Rank has its privileges, however, in this regard, rank isn't paramount, no, and what is tantamount is ones knowledge and experience. Those that were garnered by having that open mind all of my 52, so far, years of MA training. Rank means absolutely nothing in the scope of this topic, imho!! In closing, for the moment, keeping an open mind, as well as the many things that have already been posted on this thread, are crucial for deepening those many things of importance for the MAist.

That's exactly my question, if you are rookie like myself & know nothing about the art, How can you figure out if your technique is wrong & the instructor is ignoring that fact for money or if you are on the right track of MA training ? One way is to contact the Hombu of said governing body. Find out where the closest dojo that's under their umbrella, and visit with that dojo's CI. But first, ask the Hombu to contact that CI for you, in order for you to have a evaluation, to see if you're on track. We do this all of the time!! If you can, go to the Hombu itself!! Cut the middle man out entirely; right from the horse's mouth!! Now, if the CI is recognized by the Hombu in a favorable way, then tread softly when you speak to them with your concerns, but still speak to them...keep it short...or you'll be shown the door quickly. If, after speaking with the Hombu, and you're lucky enough to get their attention, they will send a Senior Dan to investigate and to speak with that CI. The Hombu will not want some CI casting any bad light onto the Hombu as well as the brand/style. The Hombu will try to help your CI to see the errors of his way, and help him to reach a solution that will benefit everyone!! If the Hombu ignores you. Than quit asap!! Go somewhere else!! Your gut feelings...trust them...you believe that you're not receiving the highest quality of instructions...then be proactive and help yourself...you owe that to your MA journey!! Hang in there!! Thanks for the advice sensei8. The new dojo I found is recognised by: Australian Kyokushin Federation / Kyokushin World Federation / Kyokushin World Union and even listed on the AKF website, does that mean it's a good Dojo or not necessarily ?! To the bold type above... That's a great question, Safroot!! What's the answer?? Each practitioner of that governing body will have their own answer as to that question. Their daily dealings with that governing body should be favorable by all rights, and again, that answer depends and varies on each practitioner. We can have a good governing body on one hand, and at the same time, we can have a bad dojo on the other hand, or vice versa. Trust me, no matter the size of the governing body, each dojo, and more importantly, the entire student body is quite aware of things of that magnitude of importance. The one thing that remains constant is that neither a website and/or an endorsement and/or the like is the infinitive guarantee either way...either 'it' is or 'it' isn't!! But guess what? Guess who determines that...again?? The practitioner!! However, for that believe to take root, one will have to have more than a notion of an idea and that comes from experiences of being both a practitioner as well as a member of that governing body!!

I immensely enjoyed the podcast from start to finish; Alex is becoming quite well versed on the camera, as well as in his interviewing answers/discussions. I enjoyed it so much, time flew by, and that's a key so as to not bore the audience whatsoever!!