sensei8

My motivations were not malicious!! My goals were not malicious!! To spread knowledge across the great divide!! Why are seminars done to begin with?? Well, my intents are always good, and not bad, and I can't speak towards their reason(s) intelligently.

Please... http://www.karateforums.com/my-martial-arts-background-in-a-nutshell-vt41080.html?highlight=nutshell

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Solid post!! Aren't we humans a curious creation? We've got to know about everything, and this is good for us!! Interesting points, and the link supported that.

Solid post!! To the bolded type above... I agree, even though it can be frustrating.

Looking forward to your report WHEN you pass, and I've confidence that will!!

Solid post!! You're points are keen, and exacting. That defense mechanism is proven through and through, and I suppose, all that I can do is wish that it wasn't so to what I've experienced. I suppose, the more noted the MA instructor is, the wider the doors become more inviting. Having said that, I'm well noted in the local area that I just moved from, but even that, the doors were one-way, and not always in my favor!!

If one would dot a map of the world, from a MA aspect, one might see that some of the lands are bare, while other lands, and for the most part, would be riddled; it would be akin to a measles outbreak. Nonetheless, MA styles, and their practitioners, instead of being close to our MA brothers and sisters, we're estranged from one another...willingly. Our MA closeness to our fellow MAist is foreboding; we're more seen as enemies than as tightknit brothers and sisters. That, imho, is how it was meant to be from the beginning, the tightknit relationships, but we've turned our backs upon one another. We shy away from one another, instead of seeking out one another so that we can learn from one another. Fear, I believe, has made us this way. Fear that someone will take what we have, and abuse that which we once shared in the kindred spirit of our betterment. Even within the intimate inner circle that shapes the styles and/or the governing body, we quickly turn to ourselves, and not to each other. Shindokan history is marred ever since our Soke and Dai-Soke passed away; we literally tore ourselves in asunder for various reasons; therefore, our fullness wasn't our anymore. That, fortunately was then, but not now!! Practitioners from the same style, but not the same dojo, under the same governing body, are suspicious of one another to a fault. They might allow you this and that, but it'll be measured out in small micro portions, if at all. Suspicious feelings are the architect of many walls; and some walls are so dense, nothing can penetrate, if at all. Time! Time, is said, to heal all wounds. But, that depends! Time can also fester, and make the wound inoperative. Over time!! Over time!! Finding just the right medicine can be a difficult search; quite impossible to overcome. Try to breach the distance from differing style to differing style: that, my friend, can be a daunting process. Many speak about being eclectic, but putting that desire into a functional process is another thing. Yes, many styles have successfully made that transition, yet, there are more unwilling than not. You want tomatoes? Well, you better go to the tomatoes vendor, and not to the banana vendor. I've more success in visiting Shindokan dojo's than I do, for example, from wanting to visit a TKD dojang. Even if I'm well known from that TKD dojang, their floor is off limits to me!! This, I've seen it for myself with my own eyes when styles visiting other differing styles, propaganda isn't a thing of the past; it's alive and well...STILL! The last time I tried to visit an opposing style of the MA, I was shot down. They knew my credentials, yet, when the subject of me doing a seminar at their school came up, I was denied. Reason given: "We're TKD, and you're not!!" This was an ATA school, and again, we had known each other for over 11 years...their floor was forbidden. So much for being eclectic! So much for exchanging ideas and the like for the betterment of all concerned! So much for being an understanding compromise! So much for sharing! So much for the fullness! So much for the open-floor policy! So much for...well...nothing!! The lack of trust will never die. I've conducted seminars outside of the Shindokan circle, but I was approached by the interested school. Initiate a seminar by myself; I'm treated like I was the host of some plague...and this is from schools that had invited me to their school to conduct a seminar many times. It's the old saying..."Don't call us, we'll call you!", and this can be, and is, at times, quite frustrating to no end. The fullness isn't ours...anymore. Judgment between opposing styles of the MA are rendered unkindly before having experienced any negative vibes from the visiting style/Instructor!! Judge lest you be judged, but I don't judge...my floor has always been open to every style and every practitioner with reservation!! Shindokan, on its own, is incomplete; so is every other style of the MA, and that's why I extend that olive branch. However, UNTIL/UNLESS actions of the visiting instructor warrants otherwise. Start teaching things or ways that I feel are harmful to my students, I'll ask that that instructor to never return. We're suppose to be MAists, and we are, but, in the scope of bipartisanship between styles/governing bodies, I fear wholeheartedly that it'll never improve for the sake of ones MA betterment. We MAists, as well as the style and/or governing body, are more akin like two ships that pass through the night; never acknowledging the other. Not a nod, and rarely a handshake. Imho...based on my experiences!! Any thoughts?

Oh yes, the WC Wooden Dummy is more than just a collections of wood; it's a vital training tool for not just WC practitioners and the like. But, in the essence of Shindokan, there lies this unusual apparatus that beckons for us to taste it, and when we tasted it, we knew it was good!! Shindokan's close range principles can be found within the Wooden Dummy, and I sincerely believe that if our Soke hadn't introduced it into the very fiber of our close range techniques that are starving for those founded tactics, Shindokan wouldn't be that quagmire that also birthed our brand of Tuite!! I will forever thank that that which only earns a quizzical glance, if at best from MAists, both near and far to this most dynamic training tool. Shindokan will forever owe its extraordinary brand of Tuite that seeps out from its pores the understanding of our close range principles and the like. Whereas one shrinks away from the inner circle of close range tactics and the like, Shindokan practitioners bath in its importance and in its beauty. It's easy to understand why many MA practitioners shy away from any close range techniques...it takes nerves of steel, and a little bravery, and a tad of being nuts, to get, and then stay close to an attacker/opponent whose only purpose is to hurt you with the resolve of intent. No, Shindokanists are quite intimate with the WC Wooden Dummy!!

First of all, welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! You've made the first move; you're wanting to learn Karate. From that wanting, now you've got to find a dojo in your area. Not just any dojo, but one that will provide you all of your MA needs. And to do that, you're going to need to visit every dojo in your local area, and more than once. Where do you live? What style of Karate are you interested in? Why do you want to learn Karate? From your answers, hopefully we can help you find what you're seeking!!

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Good find; this should help in finding a school in London!!

First of all, welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! You've made the first move; you're wanting to learn Karate. From that wanting, now you've got to find a dojo in your area. Not just any dojo, but one that will provide you all of your MA needs. And to do that, you're going to need to visit every dojo in your local area, and more than once. Where do you live? What style of Karate are you interested in? Why do you want to learn Karate? From your answers, hopefully we can help you find what you're seeking!!

One's core shouldn't ever be forgotten. Hence, becoming eclectic has it's benefits to the style, therefore, to the practitioner. This can be freely seen when schools are adding things like...BJJ...TKD...and so on and so forth Keep looking up; that's where answers/solutions can be found!! However, remember, and often...K.I.S.S., wisdom that's as deep as the ocean.

Again, nice tutorial; always solid! Thank you for sharing!! Internal aspect of the MA can be overlooked because it can be a confusing element to grasp for any level of the practitioner of any MA. Having said that, I believe that the internal aspect is beneficial across the board, and can, elevate the other principles of any given MA.

Well done video; great tutorial, as always!!

Solid post!! And...thank you!!

Solid post!! Many great points, and with each point, one has to carefully weigh the many possibilities that it presents for the individual's betterment. When the Master is gone, the entire student body rears up in wonderment towards the style and Hombu and for themselves; is there a future and how will I fit into the new Masters theme?! If the passing of the torch burns bright, then hope lives in the student body. However, if the passing of the torch burns dimly or seems that it's been snuffed out, then fear envelopes the student body. When I was nominated to be the new Kaicho, there was no riff at all. Why? Dai-Soke was large and in charge; he had everyone's back. So did I, but many wondered! When I was elected, I was coming to my own, with the mentorship of Dai-Soke, and all riffs were squelched. When Dai-Soke passed away, ripples of doubt rolled through the student body, but, in short time, I calmed the storm within the student body because I was protecting them and providing them a solid and new landscape to bask in the sun. The new landscape can be quite vaulting for the student body. This is to be understood with any types of changes, but on the horizon, the new landscape starts to be shaped, but as a family, and not all of the celebrations belong to the new leader. I humble myself before the entire student body, because without their support, I walk alone!! Those who have challenged me have found a renew faith in my leadership. While I was mentored by Dai-Soke, I've strived to carve out my own landscape, to separate myself from Dai-Soke because after all, I'm not him, nor do I want to be him, as a leader. As a MAist, well, I strive to be him; he was phenomenal...I'm not!! The new landscape can present itself as a wide and rolling beauty, but it can turn scorched beyond all believe in just a blink of an eye. I ask the student body...What can I do for you today?? Their landscape is my landscape, and if they're taking care of, then so am I.

No, I'm not in that area, but the card is shaping up quite well. Enjoy the event and enjoy the New Orleans cuisine and atmosphere.

Thank you sir, means a lot to me!! I've passed the well wishes of everyone here at KF to my sister; she thanks each of you!! I've reassumed my duties and responsibilities as Kaicho [President] of the SKKA, effectively February 18, 2015. The move is done; uneventful, well, as uneventful as a move of this personal magnitude can be. I'll be visiting ALL Shindokan dojo's each quarter, as my duties and responsibilities demand that of me as Kaicho, especially as the annual testing at the Hombu nears.

The CI makes the decisions!! No one...students and instructors alike should give an ultimatums. That's the fastest way to be shown the door!! The situation you've described is an unprofessional one! One that shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, and particularly, the CI. I believe, from what you've posted, that an apology is warranted by said student. Allow the CI to be the CI!! Allow the CI to counsel said student, and, if necessary to do so, discipline said student. Your job, as an instructor, is to TEACH!! First and foremost!! As a student of the CI, your job is to LEARN!! Separate the two because they are separate issues, and they need to be nourished. But if you had given me an ultimatum, I would've called you on the carpet in my office, and our discussion would've been about who gives the ultimatums in my dojo, and we would've reached an undeniable understanding about that. THEN, we would've, together, discussed the possible things that we could've done to help said student, but, the final decision would've been mine!! I don't envy your position concerning the situation, and I wish you best, and I believe that you'll overcome this with distinguished professionalism. You've got my support!! Having said that, the CI is the CI...bottom line, and you're not the CI. If you're going to allow this said student to dictate your emotions, then leaving the dojo might be the better thing to do for all concerned. But if you leave the dojo, do so of your own choosing. And if you leave the dojo, that said student wins...and you lose!!

Both, were birthed from Kyokushin. That Karate style was founded by Mas Oyama!! They're known as "Knock Down Karate", and for good reasons. Look at Oyama's history, and it can give you an idea about what the methodologies as well as ideologies are for them. The two styles that your wanting to know about, are the apples of Kyokushin, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Google all three, but start with Kyokushin, then the other two. YouTube has a monster library on them all!! This Is Karate by Mas Oyama, is known as the bible of the founding style. It's a large and thick book, but it's a well of information for anyone wanting to taste the style. Neither of them are for everyone, and a lot of students can't measure up to the physicality on their floors, so drop out rates can be alarming to read. But, once you taste it, students will testify to the effectiveness of the them all.

Solid post!! And you're absolutely correct when you say.... That line is often so clouded by many different instructors. Some mean well, but others violate the most sacred maxim of all...TEACH at all times!! It's a very thin and well defined line that many trip over. Separate the teacher from the friend. On the floor...TEACHER!! Off the floor...friend!! DON'T mix them up together because it can turn a professional relationship on a wicked down spiral. An instructors inner circle needs to be guarded closely by the instructor. One violation is not acceptable by any means. Students might misconstrue the instructors intents...and this will spill onto the floor. The floor is to sacred of a place to allow misguided assumptions. Guard that inner circle, and allow those in who can be trusted and that are mature enough to handle the inner circle relationships between student and instructor. DON'T GO TO A STUDENTS HOUSE!! And if you do, keep it professional, and don't visit solo; bring another instructor. That will keep things professional!! DON'T ALLOW STUDENTS TO VISIT YOUR HOME!! Anything a student might want to discuss can WAIT until the instructor is in-house at the dojo/Hombu. No exceptions!! These two bolded rules above are what our Soke and Dai-Soke lived, and me, as their student, adopted their beliefs. Their inner circle was teeny tiny, and without ambiguity!! On another note, being tough on students doesn't mean that you have to be mean/cruel!! If you're mean/cruel to your students, then you're making personal attacks...THAT'S WRONG!! I've expelled instructors for being cruel/mean on purpose. Misguided compassion by an instructor can be counseled, therefore, corrected, and can benefit all, but when an instructor is just cruel/mean, well, it's time to show them the door. "But that instructor is also your student!" Big deal!! NO EXCEPTIONS means that!! I've no compassion for a student/instructor of mine that can't be that consummate professional on and off the floor!! Imho!!

It does mean a lot, Bob! Glad you've enjoyed the thread. I think this was Brian's brainchild and it's been an excellent accountability tool. Thank you, Alex!! This is Brian's idea? Now, that's very cool!! I do agree that this forum is an excellent accountability tool for the MAist...after all, we are accountable for our training!!

YES!! This is dear and close to my heart!! Nice tutorial; as always. Thank you for sharing it. I was hoping that you'd do a Wooden Dummy video; and now you have...thanks!! The Wooden Dummy is a crucial training tool for us in Shindokan because it intensifies our close range fighting. And I will say, I don't know of many, if any, Karate styles that use the Wooden Dummy to the extensiveness that we do.

Happy birthday, Devin...and many more!!

Thank you, all; your words mean the world to me!!