sensei8

Great OP, Alan Armstrong; thank you for starting the topic!! The term "Weekend Warriors" has a much different significance to me, nonetheless, the dings, as well as the battering that we all MAists endure form time to time, were fulfilled by our passions, some how and some way, while on our MA journey. It's THAT drive that propels us to unbeknownst heights in our endless pursuit for that one perfect technique...just one...just once...as the echos of our expenditures reverberate throughout our accustomed familiarity, yet without resolve, with the inevitable recrudescence of one injury or another. Having just turned 59, I'm slowly surrendering to a realization that I'm no longer that spring-chicken from my yesteryear's begone vitality. Albeit, once on the floor, there's nothing new about my MA highbrow, in my sinking lack of ability with my physical prowess. Nowadays, I'm more akin to a bowl of Rice Krispies...with all of the unsettling, as well as unnerving of snap, crack, and pop!! Time has finally caught up with me, even though that time has been here for many seasons ago, with the unmitigated gall of its constant reminders that have been brought on by more than 5 decades of MA training. No pain, no gain!! Yeah...while I've heard about this before, I don't have to like it...still, although I endure through it all; Shugyo comes to my mind!! To be or not to be; that is the question!! Yeah...while I've heard about that as well, I, again, don't have to like it...still, however, to be IN PAIN is the downside of anything physical; and that perfectly defines the side effects of MA training. Rewards are aplenty, but as with anything that's riddled with rewards, there are oftentimes, punishments; and these my friends, are the Yin and Yang of the MA. Minimizing pain on one side of the coin, has to be overshadowed by the flip of the coin that maximizes rewards more often than not. The enemy of pain, in the hopes of thwarting it, is exercise, and all it contains. The ally of pain is ignoring that a problem exists, and to heal the problem first comes with admission of said problem. Sometimes, it's much more easier said than done, yet, doable with the right mindset!!

Thank you, gunner!! I like what both your GM and instructors approach fear because one can either use that fear for you or against you; it's about having that positive mindset!!

Solid post!! There's a lesson in everything, and how you approached it with a lesson, and not with scornful words and the like, was quite admirable!!

Every beginner wants to spar or roll or whatever so bad, UNTIL, they do it for the first time, which makes them realize that it's much more difficult than what they thought. I call these sessions...eye opening sessions!!

Out of the mouth of babes...huh?! That was a great story because how many times have I had juniors tag and bag me relentlessly. And I never got upset, I smiled from ear to ear and high five them because, as you've said, they're starting to listen AND APPLY. That's what the training is for...for those many AHA moments for everyone!!

Congrats, Kusotare; well deserved!!

Nope; me neither...or at least here in the USA. However, whenever we traveled to Okinawa with either or both of Soke and/or Dai-Soke, we did exactly that which you've posted; there's no excuse for lacking in etiquette in Okinawa. To do so, would mean that that student is in a lot of trouble from Soke/Dai-Soke...not a favorable position to be in, for sure!!

In Shindokan we do train in those traditional ways, however, we don't use the Toe Kick at all. I've never asked as to why we don't, I just accepted what we do and not what we don't do.

Sorry to hear about that Patrick. Can the Dolphins recover from that injury setback, iyho??

Under our Soke and Dai-Soke, our Hombu, from top to the bottom, and especially on the floor, was very diplomatic as well as formal. The usual attitudes and acceptance towards the Hombu's rules and the like was without any ambiguity. Any deviation away from both the formal as well as the diplomatic wasn't tolerated the even slightest. And God help you if you violated the sanctity of the floor. To appreciate and understand this, one would first have to know them both, and there's no reason to seek their forgiveness in any capacity because they both were from Okinawa...born, raised, and trained in Okinawa. And no, not all Okinawan Masters of Karate-do act the same, or expect the same as other Okinawan Masters...at least as far as Soke and Dai-Soke are concerned. After their passing, the Hombu slowly became less formal and diplomatic, even on the floor. However, any and all formal events, like our Annual Testing Cycle, still remain as formal and diplomatic as ever!! I could list a before and after Hombu rules and the like. but I'll try to refrain from listing them all. That's at the Hombu! At my own dojo...well... I'm far less diplomatic and formal across the board, and this is my choice and mine alone. After all, the Kyuodan Dojo was mine to do as I wanted without any approval from the Hombu or Soke or Dai-Soke, nor did I ever seek it out. Why would I want to do that? I never interfered with their Hombu, and I don't want them to try to assume a position within my dojo that they didn't possess!! Nonetheless, whenever either of them visited my dojo, any of us that had trained under either of them for any period of time, would, out of habit, be diplomatic and formal, especially on the floor. I can say that that was more like respect to them for whatever reason(s). I prefer to be addressed at my own dojo simply as Bob!! I mean that is my informal name of Robert!! So why wouldn't I?!?! However, any formal events held at my dojo was under the strict compliance of diplomacy and formality to the nth degree. Not all habits are easily broken, nor did I want to break them; a choice of mine!! I'm not from Okinawa, I'm from the USA!! Our two cultures are different, and I don't like being told how I'm suppose to act in my own dojo. I had a hard enough time accepting the way and means of the Hombu at first because of my Christian upbringing. Albeit, I did succumb to the Hombu rules and the like because it was their house and not mine. Besides, I was under two absolutely fantastic Sensei's, and I was willing to forgo the implications that come with being a Christian. Again, it was my choice!!

Great article across the board!! You hit every cylinder about being that parent, and not just a parent!! I applaud everything you wrote because I'm an advocate of everything your article speaks towards, and I've been so for as long as I can remember. The parents that are negative, and I've dealt with them in my own dojo's! Some parents come around after I've sat them down in private, while others, haven't and wouldn't make a positive impact for their own kids. It's sad to witness!!

Great article across the board!! Meditation through movement!! It has a ring to it, a ring that can't be denied!!

Great article, Alex, across the board. You're head up with the value of Branding, and how to protect the Brand, and how to reinvent the Brand and how to move the Brand. Brand management is everything, and you, Alex, have got that tiger by the tail...don't ever let go of it!!

Good article across the board. Whether ones a follower or a leader, both, imho, are important because not everyone, no matter what, can be the leaderchief; someone has to be the follower. While the MA, through ones instructor, teaches leadership skills and the like, there's nothing wrong with not being the leader. Leaders are no more important than followers!! Comfort zone's allow some to be the leader while others, of their own desires, choose to be the follower for whatever their reason(s) might or might not be. As I love to always say, not all black belts can teach...or should they?! Not everyone, from a retail perspective, for example, can be part of the management team, and in that, not all managers can be the Zone Vice-President. I can be comfortable being both the leader and the follower; there's no shame in my game!!

Good article across the board. The key, imho, is that no matter the source of the learning, is that the learning is happening. Thereafter, receiving the fine points from ones instructor can be tied together for a positive learning environment. And that's depending on ones instructor. If someone's instructor doesn't want to help a student who's learning outside of the instructors influence, you'll either be two things...right...or...wrong in effectively interpreting without any feedback.

Thank you, ALL; I'm now...59; just 6 more years for full time senior benefits!!

Romo might've lost his job, when that time comes, but, imho, that time hasn't arrived...yet. Dak Prescott is doing a great job, and if he continues to do so, Romo might face his contract being renegotiated with him either taking the back-up job or just retiring; I believe that he'll retire before becoming a back-up QB. I believe Romo should not return until next year in order to give his back much more rest and strengthening. GO COWBOYS!!

Not yet, but my wife and I are going to see it this weekend; we're looking forward to it!!

Interesting topic; glad you started it!! I believe, that everyone, from time to time experiences a multiple levels of fear; it's natural to feel that. But how one deals with it, that makes the world of difference. That thin line that's been drawn on the sand concerning what this topic is addressing, imho, has to be drawn in such a way that that line never fades and/or erased. Being afraid is as common as the air that we breathe, and it's as mysterious as it is rewarding!! Future Events Appearing Real Addressing these fears in what we're afraid of will vary as to the severity as well as to the individual. There's no cookie cutter prescription/ways to deal with ones fear(s)!! By all means...a resounding...YES!! I'm afraid right now!! I've a medical issue that I was diagnosed with on October 4th, 2016....and I'm afraid!! Not for just me, but for my immediate family!! I will also admit that since the diagnosis, I've had more than a few pity parties, of which, I'm ashamed of. Without going into a religious rant and all, let me just say, I've already laid this medical issue at the feet of Jesus; what happens, happens. God's will will be done!! I'm not going to allow it to rob me of my joy!! What I've been diagnosed with is an Irregular Heart Beat, aka, Afib!! Literally floored me; caught me off guard. My dad and my brother have Afib! My dad's 85 years old and with his second pacemaker! My brother is just over 6 years older than me, I'm 59, today, and my brother is following his doctors instructions and the like to the nth degree. I went to the Cardiologist yesterday, and I was told that my Afib is in it's very earliest stages...that was a relieve. Yes, I still have Afib, but considering the many stages/types of Afib, I feel quite fortunate. On November 14th, 2016, I'll have an ECHO Sonogram of my heart. Then, I'll have a Heart Inversion with the hopes of bringing my heart back to normal rhythm. Taking blood thinner right now to stave off the risk of stroke, and there's fear in that because if I cut myself, I could bleed to death!! Stress is the enemy of Afib, therefore, for now, I'm contemplating to step down as Kaicho of the SKKA, until the doctor gives me the green light to return to the floor!! I'm slowly becoming that fixture at the gym; that's how often I'm there!! Chasing a healthy lifestyle...exercising...losing weight...watching my diet!! So, yeah, fears come to everyone, but it's how you deal with it makes all of the difference. I try my darnest to not allow it to rule me and/or rob me of my joy; I'm learning!! To live for the moment...to live today as though it's my last day!! I owe that to my wife and kids!! So, fear/being afraid is part of life, and my mindset has to be geared full-time to beat my Afib, but when I'm my lowest, I've a greater source of comfort through Christ. As far as fear/being afraid as a MAist, like Jim Kelly said, when he play Mr. Williams from "Enter the Dragon"..."I don’t waste my time with it. When it comes I won’t even notice … I’ll be too busy lookin’ good!!" No it's not boasting and/or bragging, it's me being complete as a MAist!! Therefore, Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro comes to my mind, and it's not always what you do, but it's how you do it.

They both serve different masters, therefore, keep them separate as to not disturb the other. At our Hombu, the gym is on the second floor. The main Dojo is on the first floor. Administrative is on the third floor. Even on the second floor, the secondary Dojo and the gym is separated by a solid wall, and in that, the secondary Dojo is still twice the size as the gym. The floor of any Dojo, as we were taught, is sacred ground, and to have the gym mixed with the Dojo would've destroyed the sanctity of the Dojo!! Any Dojo that I've ever started made sure that the sanctity of the floor was kept separate from the gym. In my own Dojo's the gym was in the far back, after the locker rooms.

I respect your view point and I somewhat agree with you because I understand where you are coming from. However I somewhat disagree with you as well. Coming from an Okinawan back ground you must know that the Kata was the fundamental means of transmission of old. Kihon was all but non-existent in terms of today's meaning of the word. Kihon was utilized to focus on a singular technique in terms of conditioning and learning the proper body mechanics in order to learn to gain full power potential. The original practitioners did not stand in a line and practice Kihon for half of the class. Furthermore Kihon comes from the Kata itself. The individual techniques are extracted to teach the student, again, how to gain full power when using the technique. But they were also not typically implemented as a singular technique but a group of techniques combined to allow the student to understand how they are used in conjunction with others such as blocks, grabs, kicks, sweeps, etc. etc. Kumite is essentially applying the techniques and combination of applications found within the Kata in a more free interpretive way. This was a way to allow the student to learn how to apply the techniques in motion by drawing from what they had learned and to teach them that unlike Kata, real life is ever changing and not confined to a set group of techniques and applications. This also teaches the student to analyze and utilize what they have been taught in different ways and to combat a wide range of attacks. Kumite was taught in stages in some schools and more free and non-restrictive in others but if you look at the applications themselves, they come from the Kata. IMHO Kata is the foundation and Kihon and Kumite are the walls and the roof. Take one away, as you say, you no longer have a complete structure. So again a somewhat agree with your premise and somewhat disagree with it. I guess its all in the way you look at it and how you were taught. Solid post!! And in short, yes, to me, of the three, Kata is far and away the most important. Without Kata, the basis of the other two, can't stand alone. Movements and its like, as they're found in Kumite and Kihon, are derived from the Kata.

Cowboys defeated the Packers; 30-16!! Rumor is that Romo will be the starting QB when the Cowboys host the Eagles....NO...Romo needs to rest his weary back for the whole season. Why? Prescott is doing a great job and providing that dynamic momentum!! Brian's Chiefs won against the Raiders; 26-10!! Makes their record 3-2!! Patrick's Dophins won against the Steelers; 30-15!! Makes their record 2-4!! So, how did your team do this week?? GO COWBOYS!!

Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee, doesn't approve of the movie, no, not at all!! Here's the link... http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2016/10/shannon-lee-responds-to-birth-of-dragon.html If Shannon doesn't speak favorable about this movie, that's enough for me to not watch it!!

I'm with this. It's teenage stuff. I wouldn't worry about it. So, you both condone it?? Expectations, seem to me, are not being meet. Age, shouldn't excuse the unwanted actions of students. Allow one, you have to allow others, and this is a pot being stirred until it overflows. Imho!!

I am curious, as a martial artist, do you consider shadow boxing a form of kata similar to kung fu and forms? Every now and then, I wonder what a martial artist perception of boxing is. Yes I do. After all, shadow boxing is a solo training tool, just as Kata is a solo training tool, in part.