sensei8

Shows the different methodologies and ideologies. You teach it at the beginner level, whereas, we don't until the intermediate level. I suppose what I'm referring to is the what you speak towards in your last sentence. I suppose also that Soke had no trust in teaching this to beginners; Shindokan just might behind the 8-ball on this one!!

Intriguing idea; hopefully, it'll be a success!! So, your Sensei is helping you! That's good! Is that enough? There are so many things to consider; from the mundane to the extreme. Anything I might say is of course, my opinion!! So...you'll need... *A venue *Insurance *Volunteers *An Arbitrator *Advertisement *Format *Financials *Trophies/Medals/Certificates/Etc. *Set-up/Tear-down *Misc. You don't need a sanctioning body. If you found one, would they be willing to sanction you?!? You can be your own sanctioning body, especially if the tournaments locally and not nationally. As far as holding a local small MA tournament is concerned, I don't think you'll need to involve your local/state Athletic Commission. However, I'd check with your local AND state to make sure, and then go from there. There was a time when the Athletic Commission was quite involved, but more so for boxing, than for the MA. I'd check first!! Running a tournament can be as easy as 1-2-3 or as difficult as well as consuming as a difficult calculus problem. Just how simple do you want it to be? OR...just how elaborate to you want it to be? How small or how big? Keeping it local or making it a National powerhouse, like The Battle Of Atlanta/NASKA/Etc!! What are your time parameters? Needless to say, there are some important things to consider in holding a tournament!! What advice has your Sensei offered thus far? Good luck, and please keep us up to date??

Solid post!!

Thanks! I was curious because I have been giving the opportunity to test for my Sandan rank next month. I had reservations at first because it has only been a little over 14 months since I tested and earned my Nidan rank. He asked me if I was ready, and I asked him that same question! His reply was that he wouldn't give me the opportunity unless he knew I was! I hear a lot of stories about people not being given the opportunity to test for 3-5 years between dan grades, so I just wanted to see what path other martial artists around these parts had to travel. As a side note, last week, we had a visitor in class. After class, he and our CI were talking about their training. The visitor mentioned that he was a Marine stationed in Okinawa (same as my CI), and they began sharing stories about the "old school" training. I wish I could have gone there to train at some point. It sounded like something out of a movie! If your Sensei believes that you're ready for your Sandan testing cycle, then go for it. Now, you can deny the opportunity because that's your choice to do so, and any Sensei wouldn't take it as an insult because it's your journey. Just explain WHY briefly, out of respect!! I went through Shodan to Sandan one year after another, and only because I was more than ready, having been a JBB for 5 years!! After Sandan, my tenure was to the letter, and then some!! So the tenure is important as long as it's kept in the proper context, and not treated like candy. While tenures are serious, the governing body can do whatever they want to do, and that is that!! Some governing bodies keep to the letter of their law concerning tenure; it's a very serious matter to them, and they'll not ignore the tenure standards that they've founded.

Another excellent tutorial, Alex; as always!! Personally, this choke isn't for the beginner student, and I'm not saying that what you're teaching is for the beginner, because to many things can go wrong, especially in your first variation, whereas you're trying to get your left arm to transition to and through to the opponents left elbow into the choking position. Your thoughts, please! I believe that if a beginner student was to try any of your variations, and understand, they're excellent and effective variations, all of them, but to try these by an unknowing beginning student can be a disaster. Shindokan is taught to respect the choke! The game of cat and mouse is ALWAYS at hand!! Shindokan teaches a plethora of chokes at all levels, but we reserve this choke for intermediate students.

It doesn't have to be, but, it is. I believe that white will remain that for quite a long time to come because it is "traditional" to do so. It's easier to go a long with what's normal, than to buck against traditions. Having said that, if it's your school, then do whatever you want to do!! Sure, a governing body MIGHT say something about it, but, most governing bodies stay out of school business.

The question isn't whether or not teaching Japanese terms is necessary, because it's not, but whether it's worth the trouble. To answer that, you have to decide how beneficial it is and how hard it is. What do you gain? In my opinion, it's one of the things that separates most martial arts training from things like boxing and wrestling. You're teaching more than a collection of techniques and strategy. You're introducing students to a new philosophy and culture. Learning Japanese terms helps them connect to the material and to feel more a part of the dojo. It enriches the experience. How hard is it to learn? It's harder for some than others, but that's true about anything, from a reverse punch to a complex kata to whatever. If a student has trouble with something, you work them through it. If that doesn't work, maybe you make allowances, but you don't drop it from the curriculum. And if you do decide not to teach Japanese terms, how far do you take it? Do you not make them learn the name of the style? Do you not teach the names of the kata? Do you not teach your students what a dojo is or a gi or a sensei? I'm fine with a kid in a martial arts studio, wearing a uniform, learning Orange Belt Form #1 of the American Family Self Defense System from Mister Kevin, but I doubt what's being taught would be a very traditional, Japanese style. Solid post!!

The two links supplied by Wastelander and RAM18 do hit the nail quite square!! What Montana speaks towards is true, as well!! Thank you, Wastelander, RAM18, and Montana!! If you want to find out for yourselves what the differences are, visit Japan and Okinawa to see for yourself. Not an affordable option for many!! Shindokan is pure Okinawa!! Saitou Sensei [soke] was born and raised in Okinawa; trained in Okinawa-te and Shuri-te. However, Saitou Sensei wanted to go outside of the traditional box, and this included tameshiwara [the art of breaking]. He, and Takahashi Sensei (Dai-Soke) were formidable proponents of tameshiwara; they excelled in it. And, tameshiwara to them was NOT SPORT!! To them, it wasn't a waste of energy or time! Tameshiwara compliments the Makiwara; one couldn't be without the other!! If this was Saitou Sensei's believe, then it was ours as well, being students of Soke and Dai-Soke, naturally. Shindokan is deeply embedded in the Okinawan terminologies, and while I use a ton of Japanese terms here at KF, more for the familiarity of the terms because I believe they are easier to grasp without having to look on the web for the definition. On the floor, I use, we use, the Okinawan terms, but I/we also use the Japanese terms; this too is Shindokan because this is what Soke wanted, and I doubt that it'll ever change.

I believe that any method will vary because most gi's are put through the ringer, and then some!! What's worked for me: *Wash/Dry the gi just as soon as I got home. *Hung the gi up. Not fold/roll it up!! ***Proper selections of the washer and driers temperatures made a world of differences!! Gentle washing cycle and the like; same with the drier!! I've also found that my gi lasted longer if I hung it out to dry instead of machine driers. *I rarely ironed my gi because if I error one way or another, then I might have a gi that's been burned/scorched by the iron; and again, temperatures mean everything. *I found that my gi would last long if I took care of it. This includes, reading the tag; the tag contains proper way of washing/drying. Take care of your uniform, it'll take care of you!!

They might have what you're looking for... http://www.customworkshop.biz/nunchakus.html

I believe that for this remake to be successful would take an actor of epic proportions; Al Pacino is a hard act to follow!! If they were to cast a solid leading actor that could own and capture the rawness for the role, I'd consider to watch it. But, if they cast someone that's not seasoned for this type of role, I'd not waste my time and money!! This is me!!

Tenures within the MA are well known, albeit, they vary from style to style and so on and so forth. To earn a Shodan in one year causes many to quickly label the source a McDojo...fair enough, I suppose. Therefore, with that being said,... Would anyone here say that the Shodan's earned by Joe Lewis and Mike Stone were products of a McDojo?

Solid post!!

Does anybody think that it puts an unnecessary burden upon our students to require them to learn a foreign language??

Now, that's cool...Congrats; well deserved!!

What is your explanation for this move Bob? What did your Soke and Dai Soke teach? (I have to say, watching this kata for the first time, this is a very weird movement!) I don't have a better explanation, only assumptions!! I believe that the hops were added because of having an obsessive need for uniformity: to reach the start of the Embusen/performance line!! Surely, as intelligent as one is, a way to reach the same start/end of the Embusen could've been achieved other than adding three bunny hops. Soke and Dai-Soke offered up their interpretations of the three bunny hops "could" be used to escape wrist holds and from freeing oneself from a full-nelson hold!! I just don't buy that either!! For me, it's like saying I can escape a wrist hold and a full-nelson by sneezing, and those movements of a sneeze would be effective. I also don't believe that any kata is gender specific. This is one explanation that's been floating around for as long as I can remember. Chinte is believed to be a kata for females...I doubt that! Why? It would be like saying, this technique and that technique is for females, OR males, only!! Why are women mostly found executing Chinte in tournaments? I've no idea! Possibly because a male karateka doesn't want to be seen doing a kata that has not just one bunny hop, but three. It attacks the male ego, I suppose. Do you think it was a case of "my teacher hopped so I must hop"? And no-one know how it got started. To the ignorant (i.e. me!) if it was to get back to the start point it seems bizarre not have just made it a more purposeful step or single jump rather than bunny hops back.. Yeah, I do think that, respectfully, of course!! I think it's in the kata, and practitioners DO exactly what they're taught, and if the 3 bunny hops are in your curriculum, you have to execute exactly that without any ambiguity, especially during a testing cycle. I double triple dare anyone to not do the bunny hops during a testing cycle! It might set a new precedence!! If the MA is suppose to evolve, and I believe that it is a must, then the three bunny hops is one of the areas that I'd change!!

If theirs any type of Auto grading and Auto failing, I surely hope that there's no testing fee attached! If so, OUCH, and someone please show me the closest exit!!

To the bold type above... That's a very important point; I wholeheartedly concur!!

Welcome back; glad that you've returned!! Exciting and interesting few years; thanks for sharing the experience!! I'd love to hear more in more detail, if you're up to it!!

Another excellent tutorial, Alex...top notch!! How do your students address not keeping their feet locked around that one leg, especially when their one arm is still under their opponents head, when they're just learning this??

Kendall's young; he'll learn as he gets older! Besides, he's a very lucky young man...he's got Vicky and you...great parents!!

And don't forget the GUSSETT! That's the large diamond shape found in the crouch area of the pants...very important!!

I believe that even a size 9 wouldn't help a student with a 52" waist, and that that size would have really long pant legs overall! In that, one could get two size 6 gi's and sew them together...and I've seen this done before. Or have a custom made gi! Either won't be cheap cost wise!!

What is your explanation for this move Bob? What did your Soke and Dai Soke teach? (I have to say, watching this kata for the first time, this is a very weird movement!) I don't have a better explanation, only assumptions!! I believe that the hops were added because of having an obsessive need for uniformity: to reach the start of the Embusen/performance line!! Surely, as intelligent as one is, a way to reach the same start/end of the Embusen could've been achieved other than adding three bunny hops. Soke and Dai-Soke offered up their interpretations of the three bunny hops "could" be used to escape wrist holds and from freeing oneself from a full-nelson hold!! I just don't buy that either!! For me, it's like saying I can escape a wrist hold and a full-nelson by sneezing, and those movements of a sneeze would be effective. I also don't believe that any kata is gender specific. This is one explanation that's been floating around for as long as I can remember. Chinte is believed to be a kata for females...I doubt that! Why? It would be like saying, this technique and that technique is for females, OR males, only!! Why are women mostly found executing Chinte in tournaments? I've no idea! Possibly because a male karateka doesn't want to be seen doing a kata that has not just one bunny hop, but three. It attacks the male ego, I suppose.

Happy Birthday, Alex...and many more!! Now, blow out the candles, and make a big wish!!