sensei8

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! I suppose that you're going to have to force yourself the first time back. Usually, taking a break makes things all fresh, but, you've been away, so there goes the small break. Once you get back on the floor, I can only assume that you'll be back on a more regular basis. Call your Sensei and just talk...say hello, things like that, small talk, if you will. Just break the ice, and before you know it, at the end of the phone call, you'll have already made that decision to return to the floor that night. Shoulders up...chest out...march right into the dojo and TRAIN!! Suck it up~~Shugyo. YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE THAT FIRST MOVE!! You have to GO TO THE DOJO because the DOJO WON'T COME TO YOU!! You have to WANT TO, and until you want to, you'll not return!! At least go visit the dojo, the Sensei, and fellow classmates...to at least say "Hi"!!

I've no preference! I've my share of grand championships in both, although, it's been 25 years since I've entered a tournament.

Solid post!!

Sure there is...White belt/beginner!!

Solid and powerful post!! That center line, imho, is moving constantly, and with that, to give and to take help control that center line. Also, imho, an over emphasis on the center line can be blinding to students. That center line is important, not to be mistaken, however, that center line is not the end of all things; just one element amongst many others.

Great story, mazzybear, absolutely great story!! There's a saying... "Out of the mouth of babes!", and I feel that this girl spoke not as a child, but more as a seasoned adult without any reservations. Her words would've floored most adults, and me just reading it, was floored as well. Yet, of all the times that I've been on the floor, I've been fortunate enough to have had those type of kids as my students. It causes me to tear up with pride to have known them, and to have the honor to be their Sensei. While a lot of adults seem to have an agenda as well as a front, kids seem to not entertain those type of things. Kids are, imho, the most honest across the board with what they say, and again, if I may, kids do say the darnest things; they've no preconceived notions as to what to say, and they don't wear their feelings on their sleeves as adults tend to do. You should be proud of her, as well as in yourself. But for her to share the honor with you is immeasurable beyond contestation. She looks up to you, and she wants to be like you when she grows up, and that can be a deep responsibility to carry, but I believe that you'll rise to the occasion without fault. For those instructors that refuse to teach kids, I respect that, yet, if they could experience what you and I've experienced with kids, like what your OP speaks towards, they might reconsider their stand. I bow to the both of you!!

Congrats, neoravencroft; well deserved!!

Neither!! As others have already said, the style becomes mute without great instructors; dormant to the nth degree.

YES...Congrats to Devin's cousin, Kris Bryant; an award of great magnitude for any rookie in MLB.

OUCH!! Some eye opening stats, imho, quite depressing, or it seems that way for wary fans of those teams. I love how you described the Dolphins season, Patrick, and I can now say the same for the Cowboys.

Great news, for both of you!! The one thing that you share with serious students is this...TIME!! Time on the floor: learning!! Time off the floor: practice!! And if it's allowed, time will address everything and improve everything, like kicks. When the AHA moments happen, and they will, both of you will be locked in and drawn in those moments, and this takes...guess what...yes... TIME!! One class at a time...one practice at a time!! Watching the upper belts is a good thing, and if you do, don't ever dwell on..."I have to learn to do that?" because guess what...you and your daughter are learning things already or have learnt things already that you said that very same thing to yourself while in class...but...you did it, and you're learning it and refining it. If I might suggest...read up about Shu Ha Ri!!

Solid post!! Even though, and I'm sure this applies, LEO's regularly have to qualify with said tool/weapon, but I too, doubt that even that doesn't allow for further education of the nunchaku's. I don't want LEO's to be MAist's of the nunchaku because it's not required for LEO's. But I'd like to see LEO's learn more than nunchaku 101. How can a LEO use the nunchaku for control, when the LEO lacks the proper training to control the hunchaku, let alone both, the suspect and the nunchaku, at the same time. Some might say..."Having the nunchaku is better than not having it at all; better to be save than sorry." That, to me, would be quite irresponsible of the department, imho.

Solid post!!

I agree. Seems that the landscape has been altered over quick results, no matter the quality of those results, it's for the quantity instead. Imho!!

For all who celebrate Thanksgiving....HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone and their families. Now, it's time to gear up for Christmas!! [pretend this is a pilgrim hat...I thought that what it was, but it says it's a "cowboy" hat]

Cowboys lost to the STILL undefeated Panthers; I wasn't surprised!! ROMO's OUT AGAIN. ..for the rest of the season with same injury, that put him out for 7 weeks. I still believe that he should've waited until nest year to return, but that's me!! So, hopes all dashed again...yes...I've little faith for the back-up QB's...they've not shown any promises when Romo was out the first time, and I hate being a doubter, but, gee whiz!! GO COWBOYS!!

The nunchaku speaks about destruction; it just has that type of look, and it can surely be wielded in that manner by choice, and by intent!! Get angry and hit with a police tonfa/baton, and that will certainly injure, but get angry and hit with a nunchaku, and that will certainly cause death. Yes, both can kill, but just one angry strike with the nunchaku, and death is more likely to happen. It can happen with the tonfa/baton as well, but, in my experience, it might take more than one strike with the baton to cause immediate death. After all, this might be true for all MA weapons. While they're beautiful, they're still weapons, and not toys!!

It's been my experience that... Your governing body, I'm sure, have their By-Laws set already, and usually, under their umbrella, said school has to obey standard standards as determined by the governing body!! If the school isn't under any governing bodies umbrella/brand/flag, then said school can do as they please.

Now, that's a solid post!!

Excellent points. Regarding partner work... It becomes very obvious who's who once you start sparring. I went into my current dojo as a white belt, and everyone knew I had studied before once we got going. In the locker room, few of them asked me where I studied and for how long. Walking out, 2 others asked, saying "you don't move like a white belt." After a few months, one of the yondans swept me during sparring, saying "I don't treat you like a yellow belt because you don't fight like one." Not to pat myself on the back by any means; others have walked in and I could easily tell they've had previous experience too. "The proof is on the floor" meaning the color of the belt doesn't mean much. I agree about the sparring/partner work that "the proof is on the floor"! Sensie8 it really fits don't sue me lol. The being "swept by another student". We have a rule and iys that no sweeps are allowed unless you are a black belt and you must sweep a black belt. Part of this is because we are not on mats, we are on a gym floor, so sweeping should be done with some experience. Has it been coming for you at places you have trained to sweep one another? Just curious. Bushido pointed it out that in sparring it matters and will really show. I personally never got into much sport aspect of my training, so.times I wish I had but just never been my thing. Last time I was at a tournament I was there because my wife was competing To be honest, I'm not sure about the sweeping rule during sparring. Pretty sure it's for black belts to do to other black belts. The rule I do know is don't throw anything you haven't been taught to do, and don't throw anything you can't fully control. I haven't seen any kyu grades get swept outside of prearranged 1 step sparring (we call them self defenses) where sweeping is part of it. The 4th dan who swept me sweeps a lot of black belts. You'd never know it from looking at him either. He's been in an accident and has pretty much permanently lost a lot of motion in his back and knees. He's so good at it, he sweeps like its his job. I think I'll start calling him the custodian lol. I threw a kick, and before I touched down, he grabbed my shoulder and swept my plant foot out from under me. I had that look on my face that everyone who sees it for the first time thinks I'm mad at them. In the locker room he said "sorry if I ticked you off when I swept you. I don't spar against you like a yellow belt because you don't fight like a yellow belt." I laughed and said "I was mad at myself for getting swept; do it every time if you want to." Another 4th dan laughed and said "careful what you wish for; he can sweep anyone at any given moment!" Forgot... We don't have mats either. Hardwood floors. Our CI's logic is mats teach you you don't have to fall 100% properly. In intermediate self defenses, we do a ton of sweeping. If I can find a video of it, I'll post it; they're standardized in the Seido curriculum. Sounds like Chug Le; he could throw you at will! Sounds like Bill Wallace; he could roundhouse kick you at will!! Isn't the MA just peachy!??!!

Solid post!! To the bold type above... I believe that any standards, rules, regulations, etc., need to be established in writing before said dojo doors are opened. That way, students are aware of established administrative causes before, and not at, or after any fact. Imho, your school is behind the 8-Ball, so to speak, for having any established standards, rules, regulations, etc., to address future JBB's. If the governing body has standards and the like established, then any affiliated school can post them for all students to read, or at least, be able to access the governing bodies By-Laws via established protocol and means.

Solid post!! To the bold type above... How do you think I feel about it?? I was a JBB at age 13 years old, and couldn't earn anything of rank above that until I turned 18 years old.

Well...Cowboys beat the Dolphins, sorry Patrick!! Hopefully the Cowboys, with Romo back, will continue their winning ways. However, the Cowboys have to face the undefeated Panthers this week; not an easy task, so it seems. ONE GAME AT A TIME!! That's how I have to look at the expectations of the Cowboys. They're in last place, but this is ok because first place is only 2 games out. The Cowboys 3-7 isn't ideal, but with the Giants only holding onto a 5-5 record, thus far this season, well, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just barely ahead of the Cowboys are the Redskins and the Eagles, both with a 4-6 record this season; in the radar for the Cowboys to overtake them in the weeks to come. Just when I thought the season was all lost with Romo being out, the season is now far from lost, it's found once again with the return of Romo. Got my fingers crossed!! GO COWBOYS!!

I hope Ronda doesn't sign a WWE contract, it went so well with Ken Shamrock...NOT!! Separating real from fake isn't that easy because one might forget which one to use in the heat of the moment. Yes, Brock went from WWE to UFC to WWE, but, he might be the exception. A Judo champion...yes! A UFC/Strikeforce champion...yes! WWE diva champion...no!! Imho!!

While the tonfa type baton has blunt force, it, imho, doesn't compare to the blunt force via the velocity of a nunchaku. A LEO might, having not the solid idea of what damage a nunchaku is capable of, cause unnecessary trauma to a suspect my just simply swinging the nunchaku, and I can vision a LEO swinging akin to throwing a ball; fully from one side to the other. I've seen videos of LEO's worldwide swing their police baton is such a haphazardly manner against a suspect, and their blunt injures, while severe, would be noting to what damage a nunchaku can and will cause if swung similarly. As a control device, well, that's just not that simple or easy especially if one's only taught nunchaku 101. Controlling measures with a nunchaku, as shown in the video, are being used against a willing demonstration partner and not a suspect hell-bent on not being arrested. Many sessions beyond nunchaku 101 will be required to have the nunchaku be THAT extension of ones body. Besides, what good is a LEO if BOTH hands are engaged to wield the nunchaku for control technique?!?! Using both hands to initiate the control is difficult enough, but, to assume that a one handed control, like shown in the video, is going to be effective enough, even in that short time. Should the nunchaku be dropped by the LEO in trying some nunchaku 101, and the suspect picks up the nunchaku, well, the LEO might have to use deadly force to protect themselves from the wild swinging arms of the suspect. Don't need any nunchaku 101 or more to cause up to and including death, the velocity vector will be enough!! Again, what type/grade of plastic is the nunchaku made of? I believe that matters little because of the velocity vector. I can generate quite a lot of impact speed with a plastic nunchaku or a rubber/foam nunchaku, however, I've been training in the nunchaku for 45 years. Imho!!