sensei8

Solid post!!

Excellent tutorial, Alex; I enjoyed the way you taught it!!

Great tutorial, Alex; I'm still enjoying your work!!

Congrats to them both!! Has Kendall been coached on proper hip movements?? Still, win/loss, they both are doing great. They still love it, don't they? VIDEOS?!?!!!??? I'm experiencing video withdrawals lol

I'd say no, muscle memory does not equal instinct. Muscle memory merely means your body has learned a movement pattern; i.e., your body knows how to do it. That doesn't mean that your body knows when to do it. That's when training applications comes into play. I do overhead presses and squats at the gym. The movement patterns are ingrained, but my body isn't going to use those patterns unless I tell it to do so. But when I do decide to squat down and pick something up, that movement pattern is going to show itself when I move. With self-defense techniques, its not just enough to train a form or kata and assume you will use the techniques in it when you need to. Your body will know how to do the techniques, but you have to train yourself to recognize when the techniques need to be used. Hence the need for application and scenario-based training. Solid post!!

Interesting. Perhaps, he's the exception! Thanks for sharing that, Danielle!!

I think that is usually due to differences in culture between okinawa/japan and korea. Also due to the preferences of instructors themselves. Sensei Morio Higoanna only wears his normal black belt and no other However, they do wear their Shogo title identifiers on their black belt. Higoanna Sensei has 3 bars on his black belt to distinguish him as a Hanshi. edit: spelling error

Solid post!! A testimony of the varying variables of the MA.

Neither...because a student is just a student, and must be treated as such!! If they're inappropriate, then they'll no longer be students. I can separate relationships because the floor demands that, nonetheless, if family can't seem to separate relationships while on the floor, than that, imho, is because they're very immature as MAists. My tolerance and patience has its limits!!

Solid post!! That's why we've the type of viewing area that we have...visitors are...out of sight...out of mind!!

A very doable space; very nice!! Can't wait to see the finished picutres!!

No argument from me here. But you can train the spear hand, and any other strike for that matter, into muscle memory. But to further your post, if I may... Even if we make it muscle memory, does it become instinct? There are people who've trained for years, perhaps decades who once they're confronted with "the real thing" resort to instinctual stuff like covering up, throwing haymakers, etc. rather than their training that has become muscle memory in the dojo. If you think muscle memory's hard to break, try breaking human instinct during the fight or flight response. Sorry for my skepticism; I had an interesting conversation today with a police officer friend who teaches defensive tactics at the regional police academy. Solid post!! Imho... It is possible to train the spear strike/thrust/block/deflection into muscle memory, however, only to the mechanics of it will survive. Why? We, human beings, are a product of our own comfort! When's the last time anyone saw a spear like technique consistently at every single opportunity?? I've not! I've seen a very small plethora of techniques, but I've not ever seen a spear hand anything except during class. In the heat of the moment, the mind will call upon those techniques that have, for that practitioner, a very high probable intent of success to said target; comfort and belief goes along way with technique effectiveness.

That's why in the history of our Hombu, both of them, there's a viewing area for every visitor who wants to watch a class or a testing cycle. It's glassed, has speakers that allow listening in on the going ones, and it's soundproof so that there's no type of distractions for both the students/instructors. Yes, our testing cycles, with this in mind, are still open!!

Whether the target has a recommended choice of attack, imho, that'll matter very little because the fist will be used most often, not out of choice of the practitioner, but out of muscle memory. Imho, that muscle memory chooses the fist over any other MA hand attacks. Yes, some targets favor certain hand attacks, but in the heat of the moment, will the spear hand come into play?!?! I wonder!!

Solid post!! I'd only start to fret when the numbers start a downward spiral dive to the bottom...then, I'd look at ME, and ME only as the cause. While I agree with taking responsibility, things can fall regardless of the quality of the instructor and assistants. You have to look all all outside possibilities as well. Keep in mind Lex is based in a rec center... Are the hours appropriate - perhaps he'd get more students on other days and/or times the space is unavailable Did the rec center change policies such as fees to members, wanting more money per his students, etc. These things can drive away students, and he's got no control over the policies the rec center sets. Is the building in disrepair Are the rec center clients bothering his students And so on. In a rec center, people look at the programs contained within it to be extensions of the rec center, and not an individual renting space and running his own program. They may also look at it as a short term activity. If parents have a membership to the rec center and view his program as something for the kids to do while they do their own thing in the rec center, what happens if the parents decide to leave the rec center? Being in there throws a different spin on things. A lot of it has no correlation to the level of instruction nor his personality. Haha that is a great post because it's so deep and insightful! I am in a Rec center, I have the center for the 2 days a week I have it, obviously I have to always wonder how things would be if I was in oposing days, or more days of course. I do my classes in 2 days a week only. Also, you wouldn't believe how many people email me and say "is there karate this month?" After doing their first month. I say we are a year round program until I'm blue in the face BUT what about the ones that assume and didn't write me? We are cheap as far as a karate program goes, and the Rec center takes a small cut so not a bother there BUT how are MY customers treated by the Rec center in general? That's a good question. The rec center does a poor job of advertising, they almost always have times wrong in the brochure, and they just allowed another program in one of their facilities about 10 min away. The style is goju ryu and I know nothing outside of that. Fact is, the real test will be what happens in April and I open my first stand alone facility, none of these factors will be an issue. I have condenced my rec center classes into 2 classes (was 4), and I am working on getting a few other classes at my dojo to run while I'm teaching at the rec center, then when I'm done I'll finish at the dojo with my classes. Have a jiu jitsu guy interested so I think it will be a lot of good stuff happening. Yes, April will be my true test as an instructor, and I sure hope I pass haha! Nervous to say the least, sensei8 said if I build it they will come lol! Solid post, as well!!

Century Martial Arts Supply, out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, has, if memory serves me correct, several woman's gi, specially tailored to female MAist!!

Thank you, skullsplitter, for sharing this moving story. Shows that when one sees/reads about things like this young man, one has little or no excuses at all to offer. This young man may not be "normal", if that's even the right word to use in this context, as most MAists that are without these types of exceptions, yet, his heart and his intent and his Shugyo...are...that of a pure black belt in every way. I bow to his accomplishments...I bow to his Sensei and instructors...and most of all, I bow to his family, and without any reservations, I bow to this young man...this new black belt of the nth degree.

Yeah, I, myself, have got an ill kick from the fact that while our Soke and Dai-Soke, and the entire student body, relegate away from rank importance, we'll still perform some serious ceremonies concerning rank promotions. To me, it's kind of like eating a gallon of ice cream while washing it down with a diet coke.

Solid post!! I'd only start to fret when the numbers start a downward spiral dive to the bottom...then, I'd look at ME, and ME only as the cause. While I agree with taking responsibility, things can fall regardless of the quality of the instructor and assistants. You have to look all all outside possibilities as well. Keep in mind Lex is based in a rec center... Are the hours appropriate - perhaps he'd get more students on other days and/or times the space is unavailable Did the rec center change policies such as fees to members, wanting more money per his students, etc. These things can drive away students, and he's got no control over the policies the rec center sets. Is the building in disrepair Are the rec center clients bothering his students And so on. In a rec center, people look at the programs contained within it to be extensions of the rec center, and not an individual renting space and running his own program. They may also look at it as a short term activity. If parents have a membership to the rec center and view his program as something for the kids to do while they do their own thing in the rec center, what happens if the parents decide to leave the rec center? Being in there throws a different spin on things. A lot of it has no correlation to the level of instruction nor his personality. Now...that's a very solid post!!

Yup! For the (soft) targets I've thought it could be used, I've always thought I could always use a leopard hand strike instead, it's narrow enough to hit say, the neck/throat, but less vulnerable. I'll do a bit of conditioning, I've found if I overdo it my second joint in each finger gets a bit stiff Soft tissue targets, for us in Shindokan, are manipulative tools if properly struck or pressed.

Solid post!!

Are your testing cycles OPEN or CLOSED to spectators?? No answer is incorrect, imho, because each school has their preferred idea way of administering their testing cycles. Ours are OPEN for all ranks!! Thanks to Hawkmoon for suggesting this poll in the thread..."You Want It...Then EARN IT!!" in the Instructor Central forum.

While spear hand strikes/thrust are part of a many MA styles. Conditioning isn't for everyone, and therefore, not everyone is forced to condition for these techniques. Instead of executing said technique that might require a spear hand thrusts/strike, one can opt to use some other hand technique at said target. I use and train with what Noah has spoken about. However, I don't force my students to condition as I have, nor have I conditioned myself as others have, especially as Morio Higaonna Sensei has, for an example. Attacks to soft tissue, like the throat, and areas on the body like this, are my usual targets for a spear hand. Instead of harder parts of the body. Funny thing, all techniques are taught, but not all techniques are called upon, if ever!!

Label it as one might choose to!! All I can say, and all that I know, our Soke and Dai-Soke were products of Okinawa, having been born and raised there. I'd say that they both were just being themselves, and if religion was what they practiced while practicing Shindokan, therefore, they were just being themselves. As their student, I suspected that they both were quite serious about everything that they did, and this included religion as well as the MA/Shindokan. They did their things, and lead those things on the floor, but not in a forced way, and we students, just followed their lead because that's all we knew to do. However, I refused to follow some of their leads, especially when it came to one Rei practice. I've one Lord, Jesus, and the Bible says that I shall have no other Gods. I'd politely not bow at certain times while on the floor...Kamiza Ni Rei...I'd refuse to bow, staying silent and still. Other students would follow their lead in this practice, but not me, this was not to disrespect them two, but to honor my Christian beliefs. However, I'd follow the lead of Kamiza ni rei when I was a child, but as I grew older, perhaps when I was about 11 or 12, my Christian belief wouldn't allow me to partake of their ritual. Did I disrespect their beliefs? Yes! And, I've never apologized to them for that because they NEVER FORCED their beliefs on anybody. But as I understood, my loyalty was to Him, Christ, and only Him, without reservation or ambiguity. I've no problem with: Shomen ni rei [bow to Shomen/Front...this is where the Kun and assortment of flags are located] Sensei ni rei [bow to Sensei] Otagai ni rei [bow to the others] I treat the bow as a cultural thing, a harmless thing, and I've been taught that the bow is due because shaking hands is considered unclean due to the hand being soiled and therefore, dirty, hereto, the bow. We don't shake hands in the dojo, we simply bow. I've only hung up one picture of the Master at my dojo, and they weren't Him!!

Well...well...well... The Chiefs won against the Texans...BUT, the Chiefs won in such a dominating fashion...30-0. Turnovers did the Texans in; the interception in the 4th quarter was the exclamation point of the game. If it weren't for bad luck, they'd have no luck at all...says the Texans. Now, the Chiefs to face the Patriots...I suspect that this will be a game, unlike the non-game from the Texans!! GO CHIEFS!! ps...Brian, you've every right to SMILE and smile big, my friend!!