sensei8

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!!

First of all....Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Respect is earned!! That being said, what have you done to earn their respect? If respect is what you're looking for from students. Respect is important for all concerned. However, whenver I hear an instructor of mine worry about respect over the importance of teaching what's expected of them, I pull them off the floor until they get their priorities back in line with mine: TEACH!! The rest is just stuff!! Having said that, if you're mean and cruel and demand something you've not yet earned, then you'll never receive that which is so important to attain. Are you consistent in your teachings? Are you consistent in how you're treating ALL RANKS? Are you consistent in how your treat ALL STUDENTS? Bottom line is: Are you consistent? If not, or if you've answered "no" to even one above, then you'll not receive their respect...until you are consistent!! BE CONSISTENT!! Are you asking students to do things that you can't or refuse to do yourself? If so, the battle before its even begun is over. If you're honest, fair, and you challenge them ALL OF THE TIME, you'll earn their respect. But only in time!! That belt wrapped around your waist doesn't make your students respect you as a person and/or as an instructor. Sure, they respect what that BB wrapped around your waist signifies, but what's wrapped around your heart? It's the teddy bear found within that anger Kodiak Bear; that is something that student see, and relate to, and respect. When you bark at them on the floor to maintain order, don't bark to just bark; that's old, and gets opposite results. "Please...thank you", these words go further than one might imagine. It's, imho, not how loud you get to maintain the order on the floor, but it's what you say and/or do when you are loud. Raising your voice is only an issue when your words are a personal attack to whom you're directing to; perception is reality to THAT person...no matter the intent. Was your Sensei respected? If so, then watch him, or remember how he was, to learn pointers, then do that, but ONLY while STILL being yourself. Is it tricky to do so? No...it's not!! Remember this, not all black belts can, or should, teach!! If you're one who can't teach or shouldn't, then no matter what you do, you never will!! You can be their friend and/or be that nice guy, but your first job is to TEACH!! After teaching, the rest is just stuff!! Respect comes to those who least expect it!! Again, a true karate teacher guides people and receives respect for what the dedication towards their own improvement and getting their students to achieve their own goals.

Solid post!! And my sincerest hello to your grandmother; 100 years old, and still going strong. God bless her; you're a very lucky grandson!!

Then, as it seems very important to you, give it a month to see if things improve!!

Speaking about my own experience... I believe that gi's, depending on the manufacture/material, heavyweight gi's don't shrink more than a lightweight; shrink ratio's are nominal across the board. I've not ever seen a heavyweight poly cotton gi. That doesn't mean anything, I've just not looked that hard, nor have I any request on my inventory. I usually make the crease with my fingers. Then I'll spray some water on the crease and iron. When that doesn't work, I let the local dry-cleaner perform their magic.

Solid post!! We; you and I, seem to have a very similar mindset across the board concerning about the "when" and "why" we're on the floor. It is said that if one was to only do Niahanchi Shodan, and only that, their life wouldn't be a wasted effort! I wholeheartedly concur!!

Devin, Your school is that lost gem, training without the burden of the next dollar!! Some might say that you'll be swallowed up by the corporate dojo's, but I believe that while the corporate entities try to swallow schools like yours up, they'll end up choking in the long run. I bow to you and yours!!

Welcome to KF; glad you're here!!

I suppose that, for the practitioner, ones own landscape has more of an immediate presence than the overall landscape that we all share. Outside of our immediate landscape, we take more of a casual observation in that, and not because we're uninterested, but we're not as impacted by it directly as we would be if it was our immediate landscape. We take either a noted observation or we not. I become saddened when the landscape outside of the Shindokan circle because one's loss of a MA friend and/or Master does make a profound difference to said individual and/or the masses!! But when the landscape changes inside the Shindokan circle, I'm devastated even more so; this is a natural occurrence. When Parker or Nishiyama or Oyama or Bruce or any number of noted MA Masters passed away, my landscape changes, but not directly. Their contributions on and off the floor can NOT be taken lightly, and I never have. I rejoice in what they've accomplished, but sadden that the landscape for us all, is ever so changed one way or another. When Soke Saitou of the Shindokan passed away, the landscape of the entire student body took a direct hit!! However, when Dai-Soke of the Shindokan passed away, the landscape took a dynamic and frightful blast directly to the continued existence of the Shindokan Hombu!! And, as a personal note, Soke's passing hurt to levels we can't express. Yet, for me, Dai-Soke's passing hit me in ways I hadn't even experienced before; my landscape was torn to an asunder that literally took my breath away! A void that will never be filled!! We look here, there, and everywhere at the landscape of the MA, and we see how it's changed from the times of the Masters of Old, to where it's changing right now, and we foresee how it might change in the future because CHANGE in the MA landscape is inevitable, and it's not about "if", but more like "when", and that day is just over the horizon. However, the landscape, no matter the history, will remain greener as we approach the future, unexpected, yet prepared!! I've opened up this topic concentrating on the MA Master; people. However, and I believe that this merits consideration... Just how devastating would the MA landscape be if a noted STYLE of the MA became extinct?? No more Shotokan...No more TKD...No more Judo...No more BJJ...No more JKD...No more [fill in the blank]!!

When is it better to change dojos? When it no longer serves your needs!!

Thank you for your book review, Alex!! A very definitive book review. Covered quite a lot that I believe that will interest many readers, both MAists and non-MAists. I, too, have very little exposure to Kali, and I'd like a different book to explain things that this book has, whereas other books don't. Did the context of the author surprise you?

The center line is a big deal with WC, and it shows largely with your videos; dynamic!! Just another great tutorial. Your students are lucky to have you as their Sifu!!

Thanks, Patrick!! It was good!

No, it really wasn't a rant, I was just trying to keep my tone light; I can get overly compassionate at times. And no, I wasn't aiming my post to you or anyone. In 50 years, I've seen all levels of MAist take what is meant to be an idea, and take it literal, and that causes those type of MA to forget that each and everything in a syllabus starts and end with a technique. Bunkai, flow drills, and the like, are training tools that do have merit, imho, but these can only exist if the techniques, the core techniques, are trained and not forgotten when Bunkai this and Bunkai that is misunderstood and therefore, ineffective per the practitioner. Learn but don't become blinded by forgetting the root techniques, which make up many drills, and thusly, kata, and so and so forth. With any drill, the emphasis is training!!

What will the landscape look like when every single most noted Master of the MA have stood up and walked away from their chairs? Two things are guaranteed to everyone...To be born and to die!! Death is no respecter of persons!! Many well noted MA Masters have passed away. Oyama and Nishiyama and Parker and Funakoshi and Itosu and Gibu and Jhoon Rhee and Jo Bang Lee and so on and so forth; the list is quite extensive. Legends of the MA, one and all. Many created the current landscape that we share in because of what they've done for all of us, no matter the rank. However, there are still a many well noted MA Masters that are still with us and quite active. Kanazawa, to name one, is with us. Just what will the landscape be when all of the most noted MA Masters have passed away be like? Will the landscape change? Will the landscape of the MA drastically change or will it change gradually? Will the landscape benefit the MA and/or us without having them to actively guide us? Change is inevitable, and the MA landscape as we now know it will, in time, change, and those who forged what we enjoy now, will be a hopefully newer and brighter landscape to gaze upon with welcoming heart and eyes. The landscaping of the MA is changing. Are we prepared for it?!?! Hopefully, the Senior Dan ranks of your style will preserve what the most noted MA Master forged!! Your thoughts, please!

OK... Last Friday's return to the floor wasn't without trepidation, for some reason. I tired quite faster than normal, and I had to pace myself, and I've not paced myself like that since my days as a kyu practitioner. I started out as usual and my body quickly reminded me that I've just be cleared to return to the floor but to only do what I can tolerate. I pushed, and my body pushed right back...and it won! I, at times, was more of a spectator than the CI while on the floor. So, whew...one day at a time. And Bob, "You're not that young man anymore...cool it!!" I say to myself!!

Thanks, John!! Sorry, to everyone, for the long drawn out explanation(s); wasn't my intent. I suppose the post should've been short and sweet to just say... "I'm moving to Houston, TX next week!!" and left it like that. I sometimes say more than what's necessary. "Do you know what time it is?" Instead of saying..."Yes!", I will instead say..."Yes, I do. It's 5pm!"....sorry, all!!