sensei8

Will I, doing as your post suggests, diminish the office for which I was elected to?? Dai-Soke was on the floor and not leaving explanations with anyone to perform FOR HIM, and while I've seen what you're speaking about from other governing bodies, I'm dedicated to what I saw and learnt from Dai-Soke; he was both large and in charge WHILE still being large and in charge on the floor AT THE SAME TIME. Still, your post is solid, and to be considered!! I don't think so. If an instructor has a lot of knowledge you notice that and respect them for that even if they can't perform everything. I wholeheartedly concur!!

I've been doing that for quite sometime already.

I'd appease the wife, and direct the female student to other avenues for assistance. Why? Your wife, imho, is paramount with no ambiguity. What front do you want to help; your home life or a female student. It's a tough decision to make. But is it?!? As an instructor, we're not bound by some ethic rule that says we must help...like a doctor who's vowed to care for the patient before them. Sure, we want to help in any capacity that we can, but, an instructor is there to teach the MA and the like. Having said that, do what YOUR heart directs you, the decision you make, while difficult, will make all of the difference in someone's life. Nonetheless, there's a saying...If the wife isn't happy, nobody else will be either!! Both, your wife and this female student have solid reasons, and experiences that must be taken in consideration. I don't envy the situation that you're in! I sound cold, but I'm not.

Congrats; well done!! Feels good, huh?

I too, for you and your daughter, hope that the school stays open. The easy part of owning a school is the teaching part. The hard part about owning a school is keeping it open. Sure, low attendance can cause a school to close, especially if the school is the full time job for the owner, but the desire of the owner must be there for everything to fall in its proper place. Hang in there, and for those students still there, please let the owner/CI know just how much you all appreciate all of the hard work that he's doing; it'll make the instructor feel that much better, and that what he's trying to do isn't in vain.

If I understand your question...Kancho is In-House at the Hombu, while I'm only In-House at the Hombu once per quarter, Annual Testing Cycle, or whenever it's necessary. Greg lives where the Hombu is, and I now live in Houston, TX, and before TX, I lived in Owasso, OK; it's been that way for close to 20 years. Yet, my less In-House ratio has been like that since Dai-Soke passed away in 2010. Before his passing, I was flying back and forth quite a lot; at Dai-Soke's discretion, even when I was elected to Kaicho. Yes, that did answer my question. Now at your own dojo (if you're still running one), do you have a good amount of instructors to run your dojo classes for you? At the moment, I don't own my own dojo ever since this past February when I sold my dojo in Tulsa, OK to my highest ranking student so that I could move to Houston, TX to help care of my sister. I was close to signing a new lease here in Houston, TX but this unfortunate relapse has forced me to step away from that opportunity, at least until the doctor can figure out why the relapse in the first place.

Solid post!! Something for me to truly consider; thank you!!

Thank you, I do feel that I am getting somewhere now and hope that I can stick at this style and succeed. As for the last bit of your post, I seriously ache today, my legs and hips are screaming at me! With any luck, I will be able to get my daughter involved in the club as well, she wants to learn and I think it would do her the world of good. In time, you'll get through all of the ache and pains, but for those times when you do ache, remember this...the pain reminds you that you're still alive. I hope you can get your daughter interested and involved; so much positive comes from training together.

Neither did mine, I just felt guilty enough to feel the need to explain my absence every time I wasn't there. There is always a need to feel superior in absentia to those who are merely shirking due to hangovers, laziness or sport on the TV. Yeah, me too. But whenever I tried to, he'd either ignore me or shrug his shoulders or, my favorite..."You here now, get in line!"

I believe you're doing a great job of learning a new style; you're adapting quite well. That 1 on 1 session with your Sensei was quite valuable; priceless. How to dot the I's and cross the t's for you in the new style through that 1 on 1; THAT, that right there, that was your Aha moment. Don't, and you're not, discard what you learnt from Shotokan, unless you must. You're absorbing that which benefits YOU!! Continue to do so, respecting both styles and what they provide you. Train hard, and train well!!

Will I, doing as your post suggests, diminish the office for which I was elected to?? Dai-Soke was on the floor and not leaving explanations with anyone to perform FOR HIM, and while I've seen what you're speaking about from other governing bodies, I'm dedicated to what I saw and learnt from Dai-Soke; he was both large and in charge WHILE still being large and in charge on the floor AT THE SAME TIME. Still, your post is solid, and to be considered!!

For me not being on the floor, that'll take some serious getting use to. I wasn't left in charge by Dai-Soke, I was elected to be the current Kaicho. Before Dai-Soke's strokes, he was large and in charge, even when I was Kaicho; his right hand man, so to speak. You're post is solid; speaks many truths that I need to seriously consider. Doesn't my favorite saying still carry weight..."Proof is on the floor!"??

If I understand your question...Kancho is In-House at the Hombu, while I'm only In-House at the Hombu once per quarter, Annual Testing Cycle, or whenever it's necessary. Greg lives where the Hombu is, and I now live in Houston, TX, and before TX, I lived in Owasso, OK; it's been that way for close to 20 years. Yet, my less In-House ratio has been like that since Dai-Soke passed away in 2010. Before his passing, I was flying back and forth quite a lot; at Dai-Soke's discretion, even when I was elected to Kaicho.

Yes, I noticed that, as well, when I was editing the video--it's one of those things you can't see when you're doing it, but the video doesn't lie. It may have been a subconscious adjustment due to my height, or to avoid bending my bad knee, but I'll be looking out for it now! The height? Well, that requires proper adjustment to force your opponent more prone while keeping your posture proper. The bad knee? Well, that can't be avoided because you're trying to protect an injury from being aggravated unnecessarily.

Wow...great topic...great responses, thus far. I've none to tell because my Sensei never asked me why I missed a class...ever; he never asked anyone...ever!! You were either there or you weren't; your MA betterment was YOUR responsibility, and not his.

Nice drill! In the video, Noah, you're more bent over while applying than your Sensei is when he applies; your Sensei is more erect in his posture. Just pointing that out because posture is important.

Yes, what to you STILL expect from the leader of your governing body? What do you think that the student body expects from the leader of your governing body? Can the leader of your governing body be expected to reach expectations of his/her position? Can the leader of your governing body be respected if he/she is physically restricted from doing certain, if not most, or drastically, not being able to execute on the floor anymore? Many questions...I know...I apologize! Most, if not all, leaders of a governing body is the most Senior Dan Rank of the style in which the governing body directs, already or Ranked up through the directions of the By-Laws; the constitutional laws of the governing body. Time measures all things. The days and the nights, the length and duration of those times between sun-up and sun-down, the breath of the existence of life in itself, both human and nature, the length and the width of that which is connected to one point to/fro another point. Yes, much more is under the control of Time. We are born, then we die; at their given time, no sooner and no later. Things happen within ones life within the time frame that is our life, nonetheless, time announces, unceremoniously, when these are to take place, therefore, nothing can prevent it no matter how hard one tries. We, MAists, when we die, the floor dies with us. In this topic, I'm not speaking about physical death, but instead, I'm referring to the time when ones not able to return to the floor for reasons beyond their control. Dai-Soke passed away in 2010, but not until after he suffered two debilitating strokes within months of each other that year. He finally made it back to the floor, but not in the manner that he's accustom too: He was wheelchair bound, but he returned nonetheless. But not in the capacity that he once was a master of all he surveyed, yet, he came back to the Hombu...his home...when time allowed. In a short time after he had returned to the Hombu, he suffered his second stroke, and that second stroke took life from him; he passed away, but not before his eyes were able to gaze upon that which he adored: His students, his friends, his beloved Hombu, and his closest friend...the floor...HIS dojo!! Had he not been taken away from us with that second stroke, could he have returned to the daily administrative duties that that position demands for the sake of the student body, and the Hombu/SKKA?!? We'll never truly know now, will we?! His eyes were still alive, yet his spirit had been splintered because of what he had endured in the first stroke. Tears speak in volumes, and when he returned to the Hombu, his voice was broken, yet strong, but his words told us all that his time upon the floor, and at the Hombu was over; time delivered its final blow, not once, but twice. My time upon the Hombu floor, as well as its offices, might be reaching an end. I've not physically improved from the medical problems that I've been dealt earlier this year, and I've had a second bout return this past Sunday, and the prognosis doesn't seem so bright. But I'm a fighter and I will fight it and fight it and fight it. My medical problems prevent me from the floor...from teaching...I love teaching...I love my students...I love the student body...I love my friends and co-workers at the Hombu...I love those I've shared the floor with, no matter where that floor might've been...I love everyone here at KF!! Again, my medical problems are not terminal, but chronic. I don't know if I can meet expectations of my position as Kaicho of the Hombu/SKKA. Am I suppose to only administrate, and to never return to the floor to teach Shindokan?? Has time caught up to me, in which, time has won this battle?? I'll win the war, God willing!! Your thoughts, please!!

I use to quite religiously follow Sumo at one time, but I've not followed Sumo as I once did before since the days that my administrative duties increased at the Hombu/SKKA. I love the 6 second fight methodology; the theatrics, the formality, and the honor of Sumo. Thank you so very much, Danielle, for sharing the article and videos with us here at KF...thank you!!

Whew...I'm glad that I'm of the half that WAS TESTED for my Hachidan.

Sorry for that...and YES you're hired!!

If you don't, well, you'll be sorry and wish you had. EDITS: Spelling and fixing the quote box.

I've been wearing gi pants as normal clothes forever and a day; comfortable and convenient.

Century MA Supply Company out of Oklahoma City, OK offers a "Student Uniform" with an unbelievable low price...$10.00 or lower, but you have to have a Wholesale/Commercial account with them first. Sometimes, Century will have clearance sells quite often with those same price points. And no, I'm not a spokesman for Century MA Supply Company, I sound like one, but I've been a Wholesale/Commercial account customer ever since they came into the MA supply picture a long time ago.

You're in luck. Century MA Supply Company out of Oklahoma City, OK has gi pants that come with at least 1 pocket. I also believe that AWMA out of Philadelphia, PA also has gi pants that come with at least 1 pocket. In addition, Century MA Supply Company also has "gi" pants that are Jeans with about 4 pockets with a built in gusset like a normal gi has, and, Chuck Norris modeled them for Century MA Supply Company in their catalog when they first hit the market.

Yeah, I too am curious and hopefully someone here has experience with both. Got my fingers crossed!!