sensei8

Solid post!! The Hombu sends Senior Ranks to visit each and every Shindokan dojo for a wide variety of reasons, but the primary reason is to make each CI and its instructors accountable for not what they teach, but how they teach it. These type of visits were started by Soke, when he and Dai-Soke, then Kaicho. Greg and I, and other Senior Ranks have continued to follow their examples; it's all about ACCOUNTABILITY all across the board!! They hold 1-2 weeklong seminars, we students called these seminars, Dog seminars because Soke and/or Dai-Soke would constantly dog you until you got it right and you understood. Neither of them tolerated anything less than perfection from any student, especially from any CI and instructors. Do it right or go away until you do it right!! We have a very strong Hombu/SKKA. Since the passing of Soke and then Dai-Soke, some drama has infected the viability as well as the tranquility of the Hombu/SKKA. We've had more than our share of hiccups and potholes since the passing of them both. When they were alive and in charge, we NEVER had hiccups and potholes, of our magnitude, because either of them would simple squash the snuff out the fire while it was a spark, as to not allow the fire to grow. They were fantastic firefighters, in that regards. I try, and I'm still trying to honor them, but, with all of these bumps in the road, I question, past...present...future...my positive impact onto the student body; am I doing them justice, or am I harming them in the short and the long of it all?!?!? The last paragraph is truly what you need to ponder. Everything else is minor, relatively speaking. It shows that you have your organization's best interests at heart. The most difficult times require the strongest leaders. But even the best leaders are only as good as those they're leading. Solid post!! Not all BB, that can teach, and teach very, very well, can run a governing body!! My election as the current Kaicho of the Hombu/SKKA was unanimous. With that being said, I'm reminded of a John Lydgate quote..."You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." I've made unpopular decisions, but I made them with the student bodies best interest in mind, and I didn't waffle in my decisions.

I said I am extremely resistant, not that they don't work. I spent several years at university in China (Shanghai & Xi'an) and my colleagues took me to a couple of Dim Mak schools but all I saw was ultra-compliant students falling over, nobody managed to make it work effectively on me. The effects of the strikes were no more than any other strike of that power, aimed at prominent bones or weak cartilage, such as the xiphoid process. I also went to a dentist who used acupuncture, give me novocaine any day! My own take on pressure point techniques is that they make for good demonstrations but are not practical in real life situations for the following reasons: The practitioner needs to be really good to hit the right spot consistently The right spot varies by individual and some people do not react anyway YES!! To the bold type above! And when done Kyusho jitsu is done incorrectly, you better have a plan 'B' NOW!! The Tuite, makes up for the inconsistency of Kyusho jitsu.

Yes, BB is important to me, except nowadays since Sandan, I no longer proactively search for it, and yes, I'm sure that I smile humbly outwardly whenever I earned another Dan degree; the measure stick of how I'm doing as a MAist, I suppose. That BB acceptance can't be denied, it's in us, as human beings!! Some cover it up better than others, but, it's there!!

Solid post!!

A quite corner, those can be hard to find, but they're there. Once you find that quite corner, unwind to some soothing music. Some read a book, but for me, reading a book keeps my mind way to active when I'm trying to relax. Some find relaxation amongst friends; quite conversation. Some relax by watching the matches. Me, I like to relax to some relaxing music.

So true...so true!!

Perhaps!! Perhaps!! You know, Brian, I'm sick and tired of running into potholes; there's got to be an end to all of this drama.

JR137 and Montana...Solid posts, both!!

Maybe, while training, their belt became soiled and all that nasty stuff, therefore, giving their belt the appearances of change...RIGHT BEFORE THEY WASHED THEIR BELT. Then they'd do this whenever necessary. I'm only speculating!! I use to not wash my belt that often after learning the myth was indeed a myth, for two reasons. One, my mom forbid me from using her washing machine. Might've been because of the bleach incident. Two, I was tired of unwrapping my belt from around the agitator; it would wrap itself around everything like a dog would with its leash in the backyard. Then I learned about a new invention...the hose bag. It's the bag that held my moms pantyhose while they were in the washing machine; a necessity IS the means of inventions! After that, my belt didn't wrap around everything. Yes, mom STILL wouldn't allow me to use the washing machine...sheech, she can be so stubborn.

Solid post!! The Hombu sends Senior Ranks to visit each and every Shindokan dojo for a wide variety of reasons, but the primary reason is to make each CI and its instructors accountable for not what they teach, but how they teach it. These type of visits were started by Soke, when he and Dai-Soke, then Kaicho. Greg and I, and other Senior Ranks have continued to follow their examples; it's all about ACCOUNTABILITY all across the board!! They hold 1-2 weeklong seminars, we students called these seminars, Dog seminars because Soke and/or Dai-Soke would constantly dog you until you got it right and you understood. Neither of them tolerated anything less than perfection from any student, especially from any CI and instructors. Do it right or go away until you do it right!! We have a very strong Hombu/SKKA. Since the passing of Soke and then Dai-Soke, some drama has infected the viability as well as the tranquility of the Hombu/SKKA. We've had more than our share of hiccups and potholes since the passing of them both. When they were alive and in charge, we NEVER had hiccups and potholes, of our magnitude, because either of them would simple squash the snuff out the fire while it was a spark, as to not allow the fire to grow. They were fantastic firefighters, in that regards. I try, and I'm still trying to honor them, but, with all of these bumps in the road, I question, past...present...future...my positive impact onto the student body; am I doing them justice, or am I harming them in the short and the long of it all?!?!?

To the bold type above... *129 were tested! *All ranks; both Kyu and Dan! More Kyu's than Dan's. *3 for Godan. 1 for Rokudan...all passed, btw. I was the center chair on each of those testing's!! *No! Sprinkled from all dojo represented. *No! Various graders. Real quick. No one is allowed to sit on a testing panel that their student is in attendance. ONLY approved graders are allowed to sit on a testing panel, and even furthermore, ALL graders are from the Hombu, and each were awarded said credentials from our Soke and/or Dai-Soke after having attended a quite in-depth training course conducted by either Soke and/or Dai-Soke. In that, we've not any new testing cycle graders.

An outstanding OP...thank you for it!! I chased rank when I was a child, but, I grew out of that hunt, in time. At Sandan, the rank chase was the furthest thing from me. I chased rank as a child because I was just that, a child full of untold and unfounded expectations. What solidified my rank hunt was being a prisoner of the JBB rule and regulation that forbid me from obtaining Shodan until I became 18 years old. But thank God that I was fortunate enough to have a Sensei with forward thinking sensibility that still trained me as though I was able to achieve rank. Therefore, when I turned 18, I tested and earned my Shodan. A year later, I tested and earned my Nidan. Then, a year later after receiving my Nidan, I tested and earned my Sandan. Why so fast? Was I still searching rank? To answer my own questions, YES, I was still searching rank because I was quite unable to understand, at that age, as to why a JBB couldn't earn rank. I was a capable as a JBB as those adults who possessed a Shodan, Nidan, and yes, a Sandan, but over time. My quick rise to Sandan from Shodan was because, and in the words of my Sensei..."You are more than ready; no reason to delay!!" Rank is a measuring stick, but depending on whom is holding and interpreting the stick, the analysis will be different. That's OK because no instructor is the same, even though they might judge per what the governing body dictates pertaining to rank and the like. Even those instructors within the governing body will have different conclusions as to how rank should be treated, and lastly, awarded. A Shodan in dojo 'A' will not be the same in dojo 'B' in different styles, in that, for example, the Shodan in dojo 'A' is equivalent to a 6th Kyu, at best. Why? Methodology and Ideology; they too differ from style to style, and from instructor to instructor. Therefore, I firmly believe that this happens because of this... Not all black belts can teach, nor should they try. Quality of instructions will drastically differ from dojo 'A' to dojo 'B'. Quality control begins with the CI, and is made accountable by the governing body. That's why I visit every Shindokan dojo just prior to the Hombu's Annual Testing Cycle to see just how that particulars dojo is measuring up to two measuring sticks. One stick is the Hombu/SKKA accountability of the CI and the instructors under that CI. The second stick is my accountability of the CI and the instructors under that CI; both stick are in concert with each other. We don't pass to keep students. They want to go to dojo 'A', go! Maybe dojo 'A' can get that student to grade at Shodan faster than dojo 'B' can. But you know what, I'm not in the business of awarding rank! I'm in the business of sharing my knowledge and experience; therefore, teaching Shindokan Saitou-ryu to what I understand it to be as taught to me by my Sensei. If it takes a student 10, 20 years to earn a Shodan, then so be it because I'm not interested in them achieving ANY rank, whether it be a Kyu rank or a Dan rank. BIG DEAL!! Yes, it's easy for me to say that now, considering my rank history, and now look at the rank and title I posses currently. But, my rank hunt became my ignorance for me not properly prioritizing my MA training where rank should've been my LAST, and not my FIRST responsibility. Yes, I still enforce the rules of the JBB, but with a more understanding as to why Soke was so adamant about it in the first place. I can help a student get through those years of abandonment feelings because I once was there too; I understand what it is like to feel moments of despair and how to get through those times of loneliness. The feeling of being punished for just being a kid, and not worth the value of an adult. The depth of rank is not at the same level as the depth of knowledge and experience! The depth of rank is quite shallow! The depth of rank is secondary to EVERYTHING that's not about rank! The depth of rank is for others and not for true practitioners of the MA! The depth of rank is measured by the practitioner of the MA! The depth of rank isn't to only measure the abilities of where someone is, but where someone once was; more mature and not lost in the sea of "wanting"! The depth of rank is an illusion! The depth of rank fades faster than a whisper! The depth of rank needs to be put in its proper place, and the proper place isn't on top of some pedestal! The want of rank must be replaced with the need for knowledge!! The floor is sacred ground; worthy of us to train where others have treaded honorably!!

check that videos poster's all videos, Dim Mak can work on all of people even the guy who are anti-strike. because, even you practise your body, you also can not practise your acupuncture points are hardly. i think maybe, that student was afraid of being hit hardly check all of videos of that poster, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVEKAEX2LhqRia7Ry-HI1Hw all of them about the Dim Mak, even a science research about the Dim Mak japanese martial arts also came from china, about the Kyusho jitsu, i think they just learnt a little about Dim Mak. real dim mak should pour the chi inside of the victim's body. so, different dim mak sects have their own qigong practice way. but Kyusho jitsu just pressure points. maybe, they developed to different way with Dim Mak kung fu. For the moment, I'd say that we're of differing opinions about Dim Mak and the like, including Kyusho jitsu and the like. We've different backgrounds, none less than the other, nor as unimportant as the other. Even though I've trained in Kyusho jitsu for almost 51 years, I'm speculative about that art because, imho, it's inconsistent, and it's inconsistent because no one and nothing is perfect; we're all fallible. Therefore, Kyusho jitsu is consistent, but the practitioner is that which is inconsistent.

Good post. But it seems like now the question is What constitutes adequate stretching in the first place!? YOU/ THE PRACTITIONER constitute what is and what isn't adequate stretching; no one knows your body better than YOU/THE PRACTITIONER!!

Not every MA style NEEDS to be in the Olympics. Judo was fine. TKD was fine. Now wanting to add Karate to the Olympics, isn't fine because I don't believe that the Olympics should try to satisfy the masses by adding and adding and adding and adding and....good grief, Charlie Brown!! There are way too many MA's to be considered to appease every style and/or every governing body on the planet. Can't see them all on TV anyway, or in person because of scheduling conflicts with what people want to watch. Why? TOO MANY!! The more they add the longer the Olympics will be or the lessor people will be able to watch because of scheduling conflicts.

Another fantastic tutorial, Alex. Great to see a purple belt and wrestler show the double leg takedown; awesome job. From the stand-up position, I believe that one of the most prominent take down is the single/double leg takedown; it can be overused, but effectiveness can never be overused, imho. I also love to transition to the back to execute a belly to back suplex!! Being always prepared that to my offense there is a counter, and I need to be aware of it always. Gosh, Alex, I know you're already hating me for saying this all of the time, but, Tuite is where I go to fill this gap. Why? Because it's effective, and in that, Tuite has earned my respect over the many, many years. When, and if it does fail me, than wrestling will fill in the gap because I'm quite pretty good at wrestling, having done it in and out of MA my entire life.

This year, our lowest attendance in quite a long, long time, was a mere 129 testing candidates approved to attend. On an average, it's closer from 250 to 300 to test at the Hombu. Many students don't want to test unless they're at the Hombu. That's what I'm thinking...sabotage!! I agree. I too would still train with my Sensei, Dai-Soke Takahashi, no matter what. But, with the loyalty that he had toward Soke Saitou, might make that impossible because I'm sure that both of them would've returned to Okinawa, and I don't want to live in Okinawa...nice place to visit, and all of that. It would still be Shindokan WITHOUT the SKKA. Shindokan isn't the SKKA, and vise versa!! If the SKKA was dissolved, I'd still teach Shindokan, but minus a governing body. You know, I only started to consider the actual embodiment of the SKKA within the Hombu when I became Godan, and was elected to the archaic Board of Regents. Other than that, I knew the existence of the SKKA, but that was from afar; I wasn't part of the SKKA Administration until after I was elected to the old Board of Regents. Once elected as a Godan, I only became more aware of just how huge and powerful it was as a governing body!

Solid post!!

The twisting of the wrist is subjective to the type of the fist attack used in its action(s). Lunge, reverse, and the like. I'm sure it has been, one time or another. Just right before contact with the target; no sooner, certainly, not later. The hips drive the technique; no hips, no power...it is at the point when the technique becomes only a push.

IF Dim Mak and its like is real, then I submit that it's just as inconsistent as Kyusho jitsu and its like is. Parameters are what they are. The Dim Mak the videos shown, imho, wasn't inclusive to its consistency because one of the videos shown one of the students REACTING before the punch reached its target. I'm still speculative, to say the least, about Dim Mak and the like. How would Dim Mak be effective against a resistive opponent; one that's just going to stand there and be hit.

Pragmatic?! Problematic?! Up?! Down?! Left?! Right?! To do?! Not to do?! Correct?! Wrong?! Yes?! No?! The world of Shindokan can be just that; a consideration that's for some and not for others. I'm disturbed by recent events that took place at our Hombu's Annual Testing Cycle; it's not for the faint of spirit, yet more for the desirable of spirit. For the first time in the history of the SKKA, our Annual Testing Cycle, held each year on the last week of June, and finishing on the first week of July, has failed 79% of its testing candidates! To me, that's more than alarming, it's catastrophic! Why do I consider it to be catastrophic?? Sensei's don't submit, nor do they allow students to test if they believe that that student will fail a testing cycle; either the student is ready or the student isn't ready, per that Sensei. All testing candidates MUST receive the approval of the Hombu to ANY testing cycle no matter where it is being administered. In that, there's only three ways to be approved/denied to attend any testing cycle: 1) Student petitions to test. 2) Sensei petitions for said student to test. 3) Sensei petitions for himself/herself to test. The first two must be summarily signed off by the Sensei. If a petition arrives at the Hombu that's not been through the proper channels, that petition is rejected, and returned to that Sensei to be proper resubmitted to the Hombu. In the third, the Sensei is allowed to sign his/her own petition to the Hombu. Then, once received at the Hombu, said petition is sent through the proper channels to the appropriate departments for consideration. The requirement of the Sensei's signature is an affirmation that said student is qualified to test. Meaning that the Sensei believes that said student(s) is prepared and duly qualified to attend said testing cycle. Then the appropriate departments verify certain parameters, and most of these parameters are located on each students Hard Card file, which is kept ONLY at the Hombu under lock and key. No one can test unless all of the "t's" and the "i's" have been crossed and dotted...NO ONE!! If a Sensei doesn't believe that that said student(s) are qualified to attend a testing cycle, that Sensei submits the petition to the Hombu, but writes across the petition..."Student Not Allowed", then submits the petition to the Hombu, which goes in that students file permanently; therefore, a petition is submitted regardless. How can 79% of the approved testing candidates be qualified to test, yet they fail?? We're not a lenient governing body; we're the furthest thing from that. But, still, history shows that our failure ratio bears around 21% at each Annual Testing Cycle. Highest fail ratio was 36%, circa 1994. I was there. In my honest opinion, I didn't see a 79% failure ratio at all!! What I saw was the normal fail ratio being true to its history; my own score cards can attest to this fact!! Unfortunately, I can't be in attendance to each and every testing table. Because of the number of testing candidates, each testing cycle has multiple areas/rings...like one might see at any given MA tournament. Pass and Fail computations are completed, and finalized the last Friday night. No students are informed until the last Saturday morning. The only lists that are posted are those who passed. In that, if you don't see your name posted, that means that you've failed the testing cycle, and you'll have to wait one full calendar year before one can test again, no matter the rank, including Kyu rankings. I've our Legal Team conducting an investigation as to the reason such a high failure ratio; ALL score cards have been handed over to our Legal Team, and interviews will be conducted as necessary. ~ Bruce LeeHe further states... ~~Bruce LeeShindokan is a governing body, its been that way ever since 1950. I'm becoming quite disillusioned at what the SKKA has become; a stain on the fabric of the MA, but only because of the swerving politics that have tainted the ideology of Soke Saitou. I believe in tradition, but I no longer believe in the bondage of tradition. Shindokan isn't about politics, and it certainly isn't about rank, and it certainly isn't about any governing body, and it certainly isn't about who is elected to what. It's about teaching an ideology that's quite effective as a MA. Our student body deserves much more than politics and ranks; knowledge above all things is paramount!! Time for me to tear off the blinders that I've worn for nearly 51 years. Let me ask you all this, if I may... Where would YOU be if your governing body wasn't there anymore?? What would YOUR style be if the governing body wasn't supportive anymore?? I told those within the Administration of the SKKA, that I want answers and I want some NOW!! Someone or some peoples have decided on their own to derail the SKKA, and I'm not having it; not on my watch. However, if dissolving the SKKA will serve the student body better by having students remain true to their immediate dojo and their CI's and begin their own governing body and/or the like, then so be it. Sorry for the length of this OP, and forgive me for venting!!

Dim Mak is the pressure points, i think they are the same, Dim Mak is the real, it hit time less then 1/4 second, this is one kind, another kind is a touch can do the dim mak. i think the western countries said the pressure points, because they didn't practise more than 5 years, so, they have to press long time on the points. In china, Dim Mak is the pressure points, but very quickly pressure points, i am confused, what's the different Dim Mak and pressure points in USA ? i though they are the same things. both work on the acupuncture points . Dim Mak need to pour Chi inside victim's body, Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! With pressure points, it's not where you strike, it's HOW you strike. But even then, it's a game of hit and miss for a wide variety of reasons. Dim Mak and Chi, imho, is a myth. I don't believe in the one touch/Chi methodology because I've found nothing to support either existences. Kyusho jitsu, pressure points, is far more credible than Dim Mak, but not consistent across the board. Yet, to try something is better than not trying anything at all when you're in a bad situation.

Sorry, I won't be attending.

Sorry, I don't have a Kataaro belt; of the two, only Eosin Panther.

Thanks, all. I'd like to meet you, all!!