sensei8

Excellent tutorial, as always!! Can't control what you can't grab!! You're poor gi top; it's been someone's lunch, Alex!

It might be, but to eliminate possibilities, I'd encourage you to see your doctor to see for sure. Good luck, and please keep us up to date. Is there anything else that you might share with us MA wise, so that we can go from there. Please visit a doctor!!

Two more days...April 6, 2015...opening day...sorry, but I don't care who the Yankees are playing just as long as the Yankees are playing!! Curious and excited at the same time because legends retired, as it's meant to be, to open the roster for new talent. MISS YOU JETER/MO!! GO YANKEES!!

Another gem within the Shotokan Kata Syllabus. Much again, is upheld that the Bunkai offers so many possibilities, that, it might take a lifetime to discover the effective possibilities that await the practitioner. Unlike Chinte that has those darn hops at the end, Jion, too, doesn't seem to start and end at the same point amongst the Embusen. Palm heel strikes/hammer fists are, imho, unique and special to Jion. Many escapes are found as well, including some direct counter-strikes. Yes, what I've just typed are things of my own interpretations. Funny thing, I suppose, is that I'm NOT a Shotokan practitioner by trade, but Shindokan; the foremost is Japanese and the latter is Okinawa; two different worlds, yet so similar in many observations. I love Kata; a valuable and endless training tool, therefore, I don't train only in Shindokan Kata's; that to me limits me...NOT COOL!!

The Kata that we're discussing is a nice one, as all are, imho. Why? The Bunkai/applications are up for US to interpret through Oyo, and sky's the limit per ones imagination. This Kata addresses many techniques that can be effective BUT nothing's overlooked as possibilities. Within this Kata, there's an overwhelming treasure trove of possibilities at each and every step; Bunkai heaven. Then, this Kata has a warm-up for Unsu; the big jumping turn, whereas Kanku Dai has a much smaller version. So many possibilities, and so many things to discover; might take a lifetime to uncover them all.

My wife and I have this already worked out. She screms hysterically, and I fight. Good plan!!

Solid post!!

Sorry to hear about Kris Bryant being sent down to the minors. Possibly, could this be the results of him being brought up too soon to the Majors?!? Good news, I suppose, is at least he's still in MLB, not in the Show, but still in MLB. Hopefully, he'll get his chance again when the time is right!! GO YANKEES!!

Solid post!! I understand the context as well as the content of what you're saying, and in that, it's personal to you, as it should be. We've never taken away the belt itself because that's personal property, and to do so, imho, is akin to stealing...NOT ON MY WATCH!! The taken of "belt/rank" is an Administrative event, and therefore, the "rank/belt" is taken away ON PAPER!! Once the notice/action has been approved by all interested departments, and all the proper signatures have been acquired, and the student has been properly notified, and all appeals, if any, have been exhausted, that said students CI will present said student with a new belt that reflects any and all Administrative actions. All necessary documentations will be added to said students hard-file immediately. The knowledge, is, imho, eternal!! I can no longer take that, as I can no longer take the wind out of the air!!

Generally speaking...If one passes each and every testing cycle at their determined dates/times, and no double/triple grading's, and nothing is out of the ordinary and so on and so forth... We're looking at somewhere near 17-20 years to obtain a Godan, and I'm being quite liberal with my calculations. Perfect testing cycles, meaning that the candidate passed each testing cycle the first time, is not common. Why? I've not meet a perfect student yet!! Mistakes occur often during ANY testing cycle, and to be perfect for 17-20 years is unheard of, imho.

The only reason that I can assume as to why the quite often testing cycles is, and this is far fetched, if the dojo is new, the CI might want to fill the floor with multiple rankings as to appear that the dojo's been in existence much longer than the actual time. I SUPPOSE!! I can't, for the love of myself, understand why one would run testing cycles so often. Now, there's no written rule that says how often a testing cycle should be conducted, and even if there was a rule, imho, the dojo can do whatever it wants to!! Your testing criteria seems solid across the board. What threw me off slightly was when the 12th Kyu grade is "Red and white"! That usually denotes the rank of Hachidan, and not 12th Kyu. Albeit, without an actual picture, I've no idea what the "Red and white" is for 12th Kyu. All in all, I've don't remember having ever seen grades go as you've described...unusual!! I'd be curious to know what the pass/fail ratio is!!

No, I've not been able to locate a recent study beside the 2011 one that I stumbled upon. I'm still searching, although!!

This is me saying goodbye to my short lived ninja skills...

Congrats; well deserved!!

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

That is cool! Maybe he'll have a good chance of making the roster!They're sending him down to the minors for a little while for contractual reasons (If he misses something like 12 games this season, they'll control him for another entire year later on). But the consensus is that the day that's up (April 17th, I believe), he'll be brought up to the majors. Sad thing is, he's in the NL and the only stadium close to me is Fenway, so unless we get a Cubs/Red Sox World Series, I won't be seeing him play in person. Ouch and Drats!!

15 year old testing for Godan??!!?? That, I just don't understand why this would be permitted. Imho, the age alone is one thing, but the tenure is abated severly...again, imho!! Seems to me, and forgive me, all, but if legitimate ranks were important at one time, they're not that way anymore. Reasons like this is why, imho, ranking in general is mocked at!! And I take offense to the implications and being lumped in because I've worked my tail off to earn the ranks I've earned.

Good to hear that you sought out a medical profession for help, and that the visit was a productive one. What type of exercises were prescribed, if any??

Ditto!!

Ah...no...it's not normal. Especially, with your double and triple grading, and how often testing cycles were conducted...not normal at all!! Do you have prior experience in another form of the MA? If not, the double not normal!!

Proof is on the...screen. Nice!!

I agree. Interesting breakdown of other activities for MA practitioners as well. Being 2011, I wonder if the numbers stayed the same, lessened, or increased, and if so, just how much a 4 year difference made, if any.

And I thought that I acquired some new skill sets, if only for a moment...rats...now I'll be plain....again!!

Whoa...What I'm seeing is that you're "Receiving" the attacks....while it's WC, I see so much Okinawa Karate in WC...or is it vise versa!! In Shindokan, we do not block any attack...we receive/deflect!! Nice tutorial, as always!!

From what I'm reading here, and from what Ninja_ninjanurse has posted, I, too, think it might be worth the look!! Having said that, look at many classes of all different ages and ranks to get a gest of the style and instructor(s). Look forward to read what you find out!!