sensei8

Good topic; thanks for starting it! Owning my own dojo since 1978, I've always been conscious of where other schools of the MA were in relationship of my own dojo. I love to put my dojo in the center of the other schools of the MA in my 25 mile radius ratio because there's nothing more accelerating than putting yourself on point. Being in the MA epic center, many had to pass my dojo to get to the other schools of MA. However, not always being centralized got me in the eye of any future students because of this important ratio: Dojo to student's house/work. This ratio does present a different difficulty because I can't know where everyone works or lives. In the San Fernando Valley, I was one of the first to use Billboard ads for the MA, and for using ads on the RTD buses. I was in Van Nuys, CA; central to the San Fernando Valley. People that lived in Burbank, CA, for example, might not ever leave the Burbank area because someone who lives and works in Burbank, CA, can do their shopping, dinning, and entertainment right there. And Burbank, CA had their share of schools of the MA. Get the attention, and you get the students interest!! In Houston, TX, I pass 1 school when I drive to Pearland, TX, but when I drop my son off at work in Pearland, TX, I pass 5 schools...my ears perked quick. I'd place my dojo right in the middle of them all!!

Very solid post, Alex!! The OODA that you speak about sounds quite similar to... Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan Carry plan out I've used this my entire MA life; makes since to me, so does the OODA!!

Yes, the big part of the MA is about self-improvement!! I didn't say that the MA isn't for EVERYONE, I said that the MA wasn't for the person who just can't learn to multi-task AT ALL. Why? My attacker isn't going to only do ONE THING and one thing only. If that was the case, multi-tasking isn't such a big deal, imho. If I execute one technique to defend against my attackers one attack, and we both do nothing else, just that over and over; then multi-tasking is of no value!! Imho!!

Thank you for sharing that, JR 137!!

Solid posts, thus far! Thank you JR 137 and Kanku65!! To answer my own question... I wear the belt I wear for MYSELF; after all, I earned it!! I've not the time, nor the inclination to impress someone else!! For me, to do that, would disrespect my Sensei, and it would disrespect my fellow MAists, and it would disrespect myself; not now...not today...not ever! For 37 years now, I've not sought rank; not after I earned my Sandan!! Up to, and including Sandan, I earnestly sought out for rank!!

Only an insecure MAist would take offense to what you're doing. Any tool that can reach a student, no matter the vocation, that helps a student reach their AHA moments, that tool is a good thing. What you do, and how you do it to reach your students is spot on. It's not cultural insensitive to reach your students!! I take it as a compliment to the MA world because you thought enough respect for what we do to use our most basic measuring stick: Rank. So, teach on, and teach on well!! Say hi to your students from us here at KF!!

Solid post!! Loved the bold type above!!

In a fight, you've got to think every second! Attacks come at you slow! Attacks come at you fast! Attacks change their intended course ! However these attacks come towards you, you better believe by the stars above, that these attacks will come UNTIL they're stopped by either of your own doing or your at the discretion of your hell-bent attacker; they will come. Do you do this or do you do that? What if this or what if that might happen? The game of chess is at foot!! How one responds determines a many of possibilities, this I'm quite sure of. Your attacker(s) will give you very little time to relax, very little time to ponder, very little of anything.] Up, down, in, out, left, right, angling, transitioning, backwards, forwards, and staying your ground; with a determined attacker(s), often times an end isn't as near as one wishes and hopes for. Both your defense as well as you offenses will become beleaguered with the furious intentions of your attacker. In a constant barrage where you must be doing something to survive to the next moment, and that next moment isn't far from occurring. Once, you're deflecting, then you're attacking, then you're pressing, then your transitioning, then you're grasping, the end never seems to occur, then you're wrestling, and then you're regrouping. The play doesn't seem to ever have an intermission!! If you ever want to test your multi-tasking skills, engage in a fight for your life!! Multi-tasking IS the MA! Multi-tasking demands a guile if it's ever going to succeed; if you're ever going to survive!! However, if you can't multi-task, then the MA ISN'T FOR YOU!!

Most MA styles utilize a ranking system; an hierarchy that is readily recognized by nearly just about anyone with a quick glance. To some observers of a MA belt, they revere the wearer, and with others, envy sets in quicker than quick dry concrete. Those who wear MA belts, forget a lot of things, like importance, context, and/or content that's surrounding the MA belt! The belt is last; knowledge is first!! This brings me to a defining question... Do you wear it for you, or for someone else?

Without seeing it for myself, it sounds like you're NOT finishing the stance. And when you do "finish", as you know it, you'll plant your feet shortly thereafter. Albeit, your Zenkutsu dachi step is too short, and possibly not the width that is required. Also, how's your posture? Are you just transitioning or are you engaging your hips in a technique while stepping into Zenkutsu dachi? Something's to think about. What does your Sensei thinks/advise??

Jesse, from what I've seen of him, is a black belt that CAN teach! He has the ability to capture, as well as keep, the attention of the room while he's on the floor. He carries that confidence, not the smug confidence, that he belongs on the floor, and those in the room, want him on the floor. He's quite affable, quick with a smile, believable, challenges those he's training, knowledgeable, etcetera...in short, yeah, he's got skills!!

If I was a KM practitioner, I suppose that I wouldn't want to learn the kata, per say, like a karateka student has too; just would want to learn those application sections found within said kata that appeal to my interests, and expand from there.

Individually, yes. As a group is different. Our beach training is pretty much the entire school coming out, and our CI running a full class, adapted for the water and sand. Afterward, we get changed and have a pavilion picnic. We bring our families along; they watch the workout and eat with us afterward. It's a great time. I'd post a pic, but I don't have any yet. I can't copy a pic from our honbu's page, so here's a link to one... http://www.seido.com/photo-galleries/2014/2014-0803-beach-training# If you've never tried throwing roundhouse kicks in 14 oz gi pants that are soaking wet, standing in water that's about knee deep, you should try it. It's a different experience. Many groups today will wear their gi's while training at the beach in the fashion that Oyama did back in his days. I've never have had the pleasure to train at the beach, and believe that it might be a soul cleansing moment. Nor have I ever had the opportunity to do any waterfall training, which would be accelerating. Enjoyed the pics, JR 137; thank you for sharing them!! Where were this pics taken?? The Santa Monica beach in LA was always available and convenient for us/me to train there; just over the Hollywood Hills in Southern California. But the waterfall training, well, I've no idea where a waterfall is in Southern California, let alone the entire California state, of which I'm sure one exists...I was never proactive in finding a freezing experience. Always was willing to find opportunities where I could wash my gi afterwards.

I agree because the MA is personal; no need to advertise. Yeah, we look like LARPers when we wear Gis in public. Unless you're going to Comicon as Ryu. Plus Gi's are not cheap. Work out clothing outside the Dojo, maybe an old pair of Gi pants, thats cool, but I wouldn't do a jacket or belt. At least, thats my take. Love it...and lol on the Comicon as Ryu!!

OK...sign me up, please!!

I agree because the MA is personal; no need to advertise.

However...seeing that this is hypothetical... Nothing that has ever been seen!! Karate, BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling, TKD; a mixture of these, but not conclusive. Resistive training!! Minus anything that I feel is ineffective!! There'd be NO sports form!! Bo, Nunchaku, Jo, pool stick, baseball bat, 2X4, and sledgehammer!! No uniform and NO RANKS!! I do not hit, it hits all by itself!!

Well...if there was no MA at all, I'd have no reason to create one in the first place. There has to be a need, and if there's no need, then there's no reason to create. In this parallel Universe, absolute opposites of our current Universe, there's no violence, and if there's no violence, then there's no need to create a need because there's no MA. Then I'm stuck with..."What's a martial arts??" I'm just saying!!

Some solid posts, all. Let us not forget to pay attention to the gluteal muscles [um...our rear end]. Tight gluteal muscles will affect a great deal of many other things if not worked.

To the bold type above... First thing is that, I don't hit/strike a moving target, for the most, especially if it's Kyusho jitsu related because the hit/miss ratio doesn't favor me. Intercepting a moving target that's in my direct line of my target requisitioning doesn't need a static target. Why? I have skills...you know...knowledge, experience, and speed, just to mention a few of my skills. I pause my opponents moving by slowing them down by that which I'm doing. Basically, I get in my opponents way!!

Solid post!! To the bold type above... Time in rank, as I was taught by Soke and Dai-Soke, has very little meaning in a time frame; students aren't judged by how long it's been since last testing cycle before they petition to attend a testing cycle. Quality is what students MUST bring to the tenure's time frame. Time in grade is subjected to the governing body. Even if a Sensei signs off on a student, the Hombu, alas the governing body, has the final approval if time in grade has been quality spent, and was that quality spent quality enriched. Date A to Date B have so little concerns; it's the smallest piece in the deciding puzzle. We don't look at a students Hard Card file and/or the Sensei's report about each student submitted for testing cycles to see when was that student last tested. No we're looking for quality achieved during that minimal time in grade since last petition. The Hombu, from time to time, will send an instructor from the Hombu to observe if quality has been achieved; is that/those student(s) improving, getting better than previous. If a student, for example, is a Nidan petitioning to test for Sandan, and it's only been a year, and not the minimum of two years, then there has to be extended circumstances involved to warrant further considerations. Time in grade/Tenure are important, but it's at the bottom of our check list!!

Do practitioner of the MA have any advantage because they're some type of Medical Doctor?? I wonder that because they study the anatomy quite seriously. In that, a Medical Doctor knows where and how to strike, manipulate, push, poke, hit or etc. to get that desired intent. Well, I would!! I'd use anything I knew in order to survive an attack because...All's fair in love and war!! Let the discussions begin!

I completely agree with you, Noah. What I see, is that more practitioners put much more value on that piece of paper. Both from where and whom the piece of paper came from. It's the listing of these type of certs as part of their resume that just make me drop my head, and shake my head, and deeply sigh. Consumers can be impressed with a long, yet meaningless resume. Makes the consumer feel comfortable in their decision when it comes to spending money. Proof is on the floor; undeniable. Proof on a piece of paper; deniable!!

I agree with how can anyone truly master something that's complex. IMO it's not that they've mastered it completely; they've mastered it relative to most others. Solid post; put quite concisely!!

Tigerclaw, Possibly, the link below might give you what you're looking for... http://sdssmartialartsoffairfield.com/