sensei8

Proof is on the floor!! First and foremost!! Secondly...Integrity!! Thirdly...Transparency!! I believe that we all understand the first two criteria above but the third criteria might escape someone's grasp. How transparent is that proposed instructor?? Transparent teaching helps students understand the why and how of their learning. When students understand the task before them, its purpose, and the criteria for evaluating their training, they are more motivated and feel the training is more relevant. A key to teaching more transparently is to see things from our students’ vantage points. What would they find bewildering, frustrating or alienating? Being transparent does not mean that you don’t expect the training to be challenging rather that you will engage your students in a productive struggle. Providing instructions in more than one format is helpful. For example, you should include information on training in writing on your syllabus, verbally in class, and again in written form in handouts, if needed, to be sure that students aren’t missing important details. How much transparency?? The amount of transparency that you provide to students depends on their maturity and the level of the class. There are times when you don’t want to be explicit about everything. For example, you don’t want to constrain their creativity by priming them with examples, you want them to struggle with figuring out what the first step should be, or you want them to be more independent in their learning. To do so handcuffs the student's possibility to have those many Aha moments. So, Proof is on the floor...Integrity...Transparency are at the forefront of what I believe are what gives said instructor credibility.

For the most part, Testing Cycles have been a means for the school to earn an income. Testing Cycles have been around for so long that they have become so ingrained in any MA school one wat or another. Therefore, testing is as common as breathing is. Again, I would've never gave it a second thought of staying Shodan for the rest of my training days because my MA betterment is far more important than the seeking for ranks. The Testing Cycle has been around forever and a day whether there was any money attacked to it or not. Testing Cycles are what they are and will continue on way past the time that we shuffle off our mortal coil.

I'm a very firm believer in learning in any venue just as long as the student receive effective feedback. Above all, feedback is very critical to the growth of the students MA betterment. Imho.

That might be the million dollar question. While that might seem quite possible on the surface to approach said given instructor for continued training, however, behind closed doors those instructors can be quite guarded across the board. Training for a moment isn't the same when one's considering long term training; trust is a very high commodity for Sensei's, especially Okinawan Sensei's. It's that guarded approach that makes one, who's basically a stranger, feel like a red-headed stepchild. If one's going to approach an Okinawan Sensei for any type of training in Okinawa, one better not just show up and ask, better have an advocate to make the initial contact for them. Proof is one the floor, and seeing that it is, proving oneself while on and off the floor for continued training, no matter if it's for just a season or long term is a reality that must be embraced wholeheartedly. That's been the experience that I've witnessed and was instructed by both our Soke and Dai-Soke, who were both born and raised in Okinawa. Our founder despised anything and everything with the powers that be in Okinawa, which is the main reason why they both opened shop in the USA. However, nothing ventured is nothing gained. The first step has to be made. For me, my Soke and Dai-Soke have passed away some time ago, there's no one that can continue my training in Shindokan, therefore, I'll have to continue taking cold showers.

Thank you, Brian...and me too!!

Within the Shindokan lineage and different organizations/groups?? Nope...not as of yet since our Governing Body closed several years ago. Dojo's within the SKKA network after the closure, have branched into their own organizations/groups, and I've not reached out to them for that opportunity for no particular reason(s). Reached out and trained with many other styles that are either Shuri-te, but not to many Okinawa-te, based for many years ever since I began cross training. Love the fact that not every Shuri-te based styles are exactly the same in methodology and ideology, well, at least not in the Shindokan way, and to me, that's very refreshing.

You've MAD SKILLS!! Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks, Patrick, and I agree with you...it's quite annoying.

Patrick, I'd say that Tabata-style workouts definitely qualifies.

This post isn't about my on-going fight with prostate cancer, which is doing excellent. No, this is about my colonoscopy that WAS scheduled for today, but had to be cancelled. I was diagnosed with Afib back in September of 2018. Had a cardiac Inversion to get my heart back into sinus rhythm, however, after 6 months of being in rhythm, I was out of rhythm. Cardiologist refused to repeat the procedure because that procedure is a one time thing. Fast forward to todays Colonoscopy. My Blood Pressure was fine. However, my Heart Rate was all over the place. At rest, my heart rate is 82-86, which is normal for those with Afib. Here I am in my hospital gown on the hospital bed. This and that are connected to me like a car getting a tune-up. Nurses are not liking what they're seeing on the monitor. My Heart is racing between 120-146bpm. They do this and ask me that, and aren't still liking what they're seeing. Next thing I know is that the Anesthesiologist walks in to let me know she's not liking what she sees either. She lets me know the possible reasons why my heart is racing like a race horse. Dehydration due from the Colonoscopy Prep I did yesterday. She's afraid that my heart might race at the wring time...she doesn't want me to die on the table...neither do I!! Doctor told them that after review, he cancels the procedure. My mom died on the operating table having back surgery about 25 years ago. They put her under Anesthesia while her blood pressure was way to high. This has stuck with me forever, so, I sure don't want the doctors to me in such a darn hurry. So, no Colonoscopy for me today!! Before I can return for a Colonoscopy, I have to have my Cardiologist write me a Cardiac Clearance Approval. I've an appointment with my Cardiologist on August 23. 2023 at 2:40pm. Meanwhile, I'm logging my blood pressure and heart rate by the hour today, and once my heart reaches the at-rest rate, I'll keep logging 3 times a day. First 2 reading: 945am Blood Pressure 164/79 Heart Rate 102 11am Blood Pressure 104/75 Heart Rate 107 Getting better but still too high.

This concept is dear and close to the heart of any Okinawan Karate styles. Having said that, it's not Okinawan Karate specific because Goju and Shorin as well train their versions of muchimidi. Within Shindokan, and our devotion to grappling and close combat as our staple of getting behind our opponent at every possible opportunity. Muchimidi is vitally important to any Shindoan practitioner as for the reasons I've just mentioned. The videos you've shared, Noah, and I thank you for them, are very familiar drills for us in Shindokan. We train in muchimidi but not just for Kata applications, but for any core training because every part of the body is used effectively at one time or another. Trapping IS how we get behind our opponent and one of our most favorite drills is our two-man belt wrap drill. If you've ever seen a Jackie Chan movie, then how he would tie up his opponents limbs is exactly what we drill in. then we drop the belt and duplicate said movements. It's a slow buildup and then it explodes. is about how I can describe muchimidi, at least that's how we approach it. We don't want to lose contact with our opponent, inasmuch, we don't want to create much empty space between me and my opponent. Hard to get behind my opponent if empty space isn't controlled, otherwise, I might as well not even try to get behind.

Excellent suggested readings, for sure. I'd add... This Is Karate by Masutatsu Oyama The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama and Richard Brown Gracie Jiu-Jitsu by Helio Gracie And for those MA School Owners... Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson There's quite a bit of MA books that deserve to be listed, however, to save on space, I don't dare list what all that I'd suggest.

Hopefully the Gatorade mixed with Miralax is very tolerable in taste as well as in my tummy. Hopefully!! I'm not starving on my colonoscopy prep week but I sure do miss some foods. Not looking forward to my liquid diet, nor am I looking forward in spending a lot of time on the toilet the day before the procedure. I'm told that the procedure from check in to check out is 2 hours. Sheech!! Starting Monday, NO ELIQUIS until the d hay after. This does concern me because Eliquis lowers my having a stroke because of my Afib. I see why the temporary use of Eliquis because I don't want to bleed to death...Eliquis is a blood thinner. In the immortal words of Winnie the Pooh...Oh bother!!

Micro-workouts are great, at least they've been great for me for many decades. A quick Kata over and over or a quick jog or a quick swim or a quick weight series or banging on a hanging bag...a quick session with battle ropes or a quick bike ride...SOMETHING...ANYTHING...is better than nothing. I believe that everyone has at least 5-20 minutes to spare in their busy day. The 5 to 20 minute micro-workouts are ideal lengths of time considering my usual workout use to be hours long, 3-4 hours long, not so much now. My micro workouts are now my usual workouts due to physical limitations brought on by a medical concerns nowadays. How effective are they? If done seriously, and not in a haphazardously manner, they can be very effective across the board, especially for owns core. There's that idiom that says...Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That speaks in volumes to me. Remember. one of the key things to weight loss is getting the heart rate up, and a micro-workout can be very effective as well as beneficial in ones weight loss program. Just make sure that a healthy diet is an active one. Good luck with your micro-workouts journey.

To this day I still do not understand either the methodology and ideology surrounding "rank material". Laying aside a big part of the class curriculum dedicated to "rank material" seems to me where that school's concentrating towards the bottom line...money...is a disservice to the student body. Training in the MA, imho, should never be driven by money but by effectiveness in ones techniques because money based training leads to ineffectiveness across the board. If a students entire training was "rank material" based, then I believe that that student hasn't any maturity in their techniques. Inasmuch, I can see why many students stop their training at Shodan, which, might be the best thing in the scheme of all things concerned. After all, to me, seeking rank and allowing the seeking of rank leads down a dark road that's paved in total ineffectiveness as a MAist. Training based in "rank material" sounds to me that the rank is more important than maturing in ones techniques...this is the fault of the CI and/or the Governing Body, but inasmuch, the CI is at blame for leading their student body down that path.

What great classes you had both as a student and instructor. All are students first and foremost before any other thing. The CI is a student first!! The Instructor is a student first!! Each matures in their techniques in their respective time. Meanwhile every student has many aha moments for one reason or another. Celebrate each aha moment because they're part of the building blocks of ones MA journey. Isn't the MA...GREAT!!

Wish I could say it was just a routine exam, but I'd be lying. Found blood in my stool, however, the day of collection I was bleeding from that area die to my IBS. Another reason for having a colonoscopy is that I've not had the procedure until now, when I should've had a colonoscopy when I was 50 years old, and I'm 65 now. Dumb reason I kept putting it off lies all around the prep you have to drink, which has been described one of the worse tasting things on planet earth. However, the prep drink is far better. You take 4 Dulcolax pills, 2 now 2 later, and you mix 238grams of Mirolax in 64 ounces of Gatorade over a prescribed time the day before...Looks like me and the toilet will be inseparable that day. I too pray that the exam comes negative, which it should be because we've not family history of any colon cancer. Besides, I pray all day every day that the Lord prevent any other types of cancer come to me ever again!! No lie...I'm scared to death!!

Saw Dr. Goodman this morning. My PSA is still at ZERO, which is great news. My bloodwork came back with Dr. Goodman telling me that he likes everything he saw, and that we're right on track to make me much better. What's unusual is that I not only saw Dr. Goodman, but I also received my Eligard treatment shot. I normally visit with Dr. Goodman weeks before I get my treatment shot. Dr. Goodman told me that my LAST treatment shot is this November. After that, Maintenance Treatments. I'll still do follow-ups with Dr. Goodman every 3-4 months. It was a pleasant surprise to see Dr. Goodman WITHOUT a mask. Guess what? He looks just like the pictures I've seen of him before. On a Side note: *I've my very first Colonoscopy on August 16th. Not looking forward to that. I pray that the results of that exam come back NEGATIVE!! *I've an appointment in September with a Neurologist. More than likely with some MRIs schedules...I just do not like MRIs because I'm extremely claustrophobic. *Physical Therapy n my right shoulder is showing promising improvements even though the shoulder isn't 100%, if it'll ever be. *Have 2 referrals for more Physical Therapy in the works: >To increase my mobility and strength >Evaluation for my DME Medical Scooter Other than that, I'm fit as a fiddle!!

Thank you, Patrick. It is what it is unfortunately.

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

There's just way too many for me to list them because I enjoyed quite a lot of the 90s sitcoms. The 90s sitcoms were GREAT...not all of them but more were great than they weren't.

For as long as I can remember, I've known of many of my students who teach/taught for free at various venues, most often at their church. Any and all of the money they/they'd earn went 100% back into supporting their school. Takes money to survive, but it doesn't take money to make money especially when every dollar earned doesn't go into the CI's pockets. Even the most basics of necessities require a cash flow. After all, the students are reaping the benefits of the CI's knowledge, experience, and time. I've even known of a few of my students that don't ask for a dime whatsoever. They've the space to hold classes, so that's exactly what they do...teach!! Those Ci's pay for everything that's needed out of their own pockets without batting an eyelash. I commend them wholeheartedly for their dedication to their students and to upholding that which the floor requires. Me. Well, I've ran a for-profit dojo and supply store forever and a day of which has been quite cost-effective. I've taught at my students' non-profit schools many, many times for free because I sincerely believe in what it is that they're doing. I have a soft spot. I respect those CI's that run a non-profit school because they fulfill a very necessary need within their community.

STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! STEAK!! Heck yeah!! Steak is great with...everything. Quick and so fulfilling.

Day by day...I'm doing ok!! More positive than negative, that's for sure. Thanks for asking!! I pray that everyone here and their families are doing well.

Very interesting addition to your thread; I loved it. It's another way to keep your mind sharp and focused overall. You and Noah have a lot in common when forging is concerned with. I admire those like yourselves that can forge a clunk of metal into a effective thing of beauty. Forge on, Ken!!