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The ultimate aim is a personal issue! And what Funakoshi speaks about is just as important as, Karate has no first attack, along with the other 18 percepts. Are these modern or not? That's for the individual to determine. It's a choice to accept them and adopt them, as it is to reject it, and shun away from it. I respect them all, the percepts, but the individual will have to decide their validity across the board, and no one can force ones beliefs. Imho!!

You shouldn't have any concerns if you belong to a governing body. If you don't...square one again...for a little bit; knowledge and the like will surface quickly once you step on the floor!

Another fantastic tutorial, Alex!! Always good to see Mike and you on the mat!! I use the guillotine cautiously because the parameters aren't always there, and if ones not careful, the choke can be "turned-off" by a few simple movements. Yet, the opponent can't keep that profile for long because it invites other elements that won't favor my opponent: Patience, as in anything, needs to be meted out. Yes, we use the option that Mike shown; another of my favorite, and that's because it, for us, is in the manner of Tuite.

How the MAist ACTS as a "Master"/"Grandmaster"/ETC, speaks in volumes; volumes to hard to ignore, good or bad. I believe, that those who have "Titles", no matter what they might be, and for those who aren't swelled in their heads because they have a "Title", that they deserve our respect because of what it took for them to reach/achieve said "Title", i.e., time on the floor, and things like that. Grandmaster Young Ik Suh comes to my mind; an awesome TKD practitioner, that I've ever seen. Humble on and off the floor, but certainly, deadly if need be!! I only spent one high school year on his floor, and it was an honor to have done so; it was my loss, that I left his dojang!! Imho, he deserves my respect, and I'd have no problem addressing him as Grandmaster, because, he was. Imagine that...a Shindokan Karateka praising an TKDist...but again, it's easy to imagine if you knew him. My own Sensei, and our Soke, had tremendous respect for GM Suh!! Those that demand respect because they've a "Title", can hold their breath until we do...at least then, they'll have the record for one holding their breath!!

Way to go Kendall; awesome! Thank you, Brian for that update. But wait...NO VIDEO... Why do you think he was passive? Maybe it was just a camp and not a competition?! GO KENDALL...GO KENNETH!!

YES...The Army aspect you mention, in that, all of the Armed Services, for that fact.

Solid post!!

Solid post!!

Why would some call, Secrets of the systems?? I don't believe in "Secrets" of any MA. Why? Students need to be informed, and in the information, ways to protect oneself shouldn't be kept "Secrets" from the student body. Or are the Secrets to keep ones opponent unaware...uninformed??!! Chinese martial arts traditionally have been plagued with secrets ever since the Chinese brought their Kung Fu to the west. It is s sort of play on words. Not to be taken so seriously..What I show is more of the inner working on how I teach.. I thought so, but the affirmation in what you say, speaks in volumes. What was true yesteryear, shouldn't be true today. Secrets were just that, and these secrets were well guarded by those who swore to protect them. Nowadays, that's not so strong, because in todays world, instructors have decided to make their students as aware as they can.

At first, it was for self-perseverance; protection!! Secondly, as a child, up to 12 years old, it was for rank. Thirdly, it was for the love of Shindokan; at 12 years old, I no longer desired rank!! Fourthly, at 17 years old, my desire to teach Shindokan was my driving force. Fifthly, at 21 years old, I opened my first dojo; my students, then...now...and in the future, is the main reason as to why I continue to perfect that which can never be perfected. Within, my strongest desire to continue these many, many years was to please one man: Yoshinobu Takahashi, my Sensei, Dai-Soke!! I never wanted to please anybody more than him; his slight smile, at times, was an affirmation that I was on the right track across the board. His teachings, not just the martial art part, but EVERYTHING that made me the MAist...the man...the husband...the friend...the brother...the son...the person that I am today. I owe him everything!! Are my reasons good enough? That's not up to me to decide; that's up to my students...my children...my wife...my friends...my relatives...my fellow MAists...and for those I've yet to meet.

Congrats; well done!! A milestone in your MA journey!!

Solid post!!

Nice video, thanks for sharing. Why would some call, Secrets of the systems?? I don't believe in "Secrets" of any MA. Why? Students need to be informed, and in the information, ways to protect oneself shouldn't be kept "Secrets" from the student body. Or are the Secrets to keep ones opponent unaware...uninformed??!!

I appreciate the thoughts spoken about, and unearthed in the many points made in this video; thanks for sharing the video, Brain. Within the walls of any dojo/dojang/gym/etc., one can see how camaraderie begins, and more importantly, how it can remain. That camaraderie is birthed by how one helps, as well as, how one is helped whilst on the floor. Fellow practitioners are drawn to that quite willingly, and on their own through the plethora of events that arise while learning the MA, that's to include those who teach the MA, as well. One can see that type of camaraderie in varying groups. It's the things shared together; the battles that have been both won and loss together. To be thrown into the thickest of the thickest muck, yet to come out clean and renewed as one. For an example, let us look at LEO's, for just a moment. Their camaraderie is birthed in the academy, then reinforced with their Training Officer, and onto when they're patrolling on their own. Their camaraderie will not be challenged, nor will it be taken lightly; not now...not ever. The Three Musketeer motto..."One for all, and all for one" speaks soundly and true with LEO's. When one officer cries out on the radio..."Officer needs help...CODE 3", all available rush to the scene from all directions, and those who aren't available, trust me, they'll be available sooner than later to aide the distressed officer. It's a tightly woven group that's not easy to enter, and not easily forgotten. Trust is earned, and earned trust strengthens the camaraderie even more so. Unwritten, yet written in the hearts of the LEO. Same with sporting teams, same with corporate teams, same with any group that values what they stand for because, as a team, as a group, they are valued with one another, and they've fought the good fight TOGETHER. They know what it takes, and they know what it took to achieve that which isn't easy to achieve: TRUST!! An outsider can't truly understand that type of camaraderie of a LEO, or of a Martial Artist because they've not, as of yet, EXPERIENCED all of what's involved each and everyday. Imho!! I'll leave it at that, for now!!

Great responses, all!! I'd just like to add to these excellent replies, the longer ones been involved in one style, the more difficult it is to make those required changes, and accepting the new methodologies and ideologies of the new style. Not impossible, just difficult in the short and long of it all. Good news for you is that you've not years in Shotokan, just mere months. Therefore, changing from Shotokan to Goju won't be such a big deal; you'll have no preconceived notions about either. Good luck with Goju...train hard!!

Great responses, thus far!! Having the OP behind me, please understand that just because Kyusho Jitsu, imho, isn't an exacting science, it surely doesn't mean that one shouldn't apply them at all. No! It means, that one has to know the who, what, where, when, how, and why per the circumstances of the moment. Kyusho Jitsu is akin to touching ones hand to a flame; either you'll jerk your hand away from the flame, or you'll gauge the heat of the flame. Therefore, experience speaks towards many parameters, in that, effective confidence can dictate quite a lot about the results. The more inexperienced the practitioner, the more unsure, on the other hand, the more experienced the practitioner, the more sure. Over confidence will kill you in a split second!! Like in a game of chess, you had better be thinking 3-4 moves ahead in complete totality!!

Nice video...nice transitions...nice drills!! Thank you for sharing.

Everything has a place, and a place for everything; this too, applies to Kata. Whether the technique(s) are fast or slow, purposeful focus needs to be applied accordingly to each technique/movement. Each technique must end before the next one begins! Transitional blends have to do/be just that.

Shindokan Saitou-ryu: 50+ years TKD: 1 Year [While I was in high school] Shindokan: My mom enrolled me when I was 7 at one of the local dojo's that was closest to our house. TKD: I wanted to learn how to kick above the waist. Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

Excellent tutorial, Alex!! Thank you for sharing it!!

I totally enjoyed the interview. I love his humble way; a rarity not often seen. His conversation was laid back yet full of knowledge, and what he said about tapping being a time to learn, and not a time to concentrate on the tap itself. Thank you, Alex for sharing this, and thank Henry for his time!!

Interesting news; thanks for sharing it, Patrick!!

So sad; sorry to hear of the loss for the entire Wado and JKF family. Prayers to his family, friends, and students during this time. How often did he visit the USA??

Most of our celebrations of this type are way over the top, so is it the same when our Hombu does same type celebration. For us, the highlight at the Hombu was when our Soke and Dai-Soke run their demo together. Both have big parties that seem to last the entire week. Special guests will conduct seminars during the week, at no charge! Birthdays during the week will get a special Kanji drawn by Soke. The Hombu has a PR department that specializes in things of this nature, and they can be quite elaborate, to say the least. The more the years, the more the hoopla and all. It's an important thing to celebrate as a family, and not as dojo AND students, but, again, as a family!!

To all fathers here... Happy Fathers Day to you!!