sensei8

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!!

Auto failing? To me, that sounds bizarre!! Just as bizarre as Auto Grading is! The two are an oxymoron, to me!! Auto Grading? Auto Failing? Why bother with a ranking structure at all? Dan grading every 6 months? Not today! Not tomorrow! Not in the future! Not ever!!

I sincerely believe that any pricing structure would be dependent on what the economic profile of the area surrounding the school is! Whereas, $100 per month might be appropriate in one place, and just over the hill, $10 a month is more appropriate there!! Charge $100 at where $10 is more appropriate, the long term survival for that school would be at risk. Charge $10 where $100 is more appropriate, that school might be overwhelmed with students, OR...no one will show up because they fear that the quality of that said school might be poor. Consumers/customers can be finicky!! Gauge incorrectly can break a school before it has a change to understand the area in which their school is located.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! As it's been already mentioned, Century MA Supply, would be worth looking into it!!

Good luck at the tournament!! Your list is excellent; great variety through and through...I wouldn't, if I was you, change a thing!!

I had heard that the hops were added to ensure that you ended at the same spot were you began...I don't buy that either!!

Great effort, Kendall!! I'm very proud of you!! I was worn out just watching them, and I was yelling practically the same things you were at about the same time. 3rd place isn't 1st place but quite respectable!! Match 2 WAS tough, but he hung in there! Mistakes in all his matches? Yeah, but from what I saw, he stayed and drove when he needed to. I believe that Kendall has a keen idea of what he wants to do, and sets out to do it. He got pretty upset at the end, and I would've too. GO KENDALL!!

Please don't misunderstand me. The weapons shouldn't clink, but until I become perfect, I might rarely have it happen to me from time to time. It's not the end of the world and mistakes are just that...mistakes...accidents...no matter how long one's been on the floor!! We were never crucified when it happened to us by Soke and/or Dai-Soke, although we were told to not let it happen "ON PURPOSE", unless it's part of the technique and/or Kata, and yes, we're suppose to master and control any and all Kobudo weapons!! YES!! But, things happen and the world won't end!! Whenever I judge, I don't really take any deductions if their weapon clinks. However, drop the weapon, major deductions. The greatest sin, imho, between the two...clink or drop...dropping is the greatest of the two sins. Imho!!

I agree! Albeit, the reasons and the arguments are those of the governing body/CI/ETC, and once that decision has been made, nothing can be done!!

Solid post!!

I've taken each and every Kata taught in Shindokan and added the following Kobudo weapons to them, more for fun, than a requirement: Bo Nunchaku Sai Kama Tonfa The weapons seem to fit well in the Kata's!! All my Dai-Soke told me once when I showed him..."OK!!", then walked away. I interpreted it that he wasn't to happy/pleased...he acted as though I committed a sacrilege!! He once barked at me when I took a Bo and started moving it around like a nunchaku. Well, it's my journey, I told him, and then I shrugged my shoulders to him!!

Sorry, I just don't agree with Ian's interpretation of the Chinte Hops. However, that's the beauty of Oyo: it's your OWN interpretation, therefore, it's Ian's interpretation!! Having said that, I've not agreed with any interpretations of the Chinto Hops!! Explanations pale, imho, to these Hops, imho. What Ian did by backing up was more agreeable, thus, it made much more since and kept it more compacted. Imho!! And no, I don't have a better explanation, because I don't even like what our Soke and Dai-Soke spoke towards the Hops either!! It's, the Hops, are so strange, imho!!

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! I believe that the clinking together, as you describe, is normal, therefore not intentional. That's what happens when items made of similar materials come into contact with one another. It's not embarrassing, imho, when your weapons clink together!! Imho, what's embarrassing, and dangerous, is when one can't control their weapon(s)!

Yeah, I knew the scoring procedures, I just got excited because the video ended before the flag calls!! He's, your Sensei, quite solid.

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

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

I have to agree with you here, Brian!! I wanted them to do what hasn't been done for the franchise...win the WS!! The Royals had a monstrous season, dominated, imho, the playoffs, and kept the Giants at bay by the WS going 7 games!! I'm a Yankee fan, and I don't mind telling you that once the Yankees were history, I jumped on the Royals bandwagon because it had been a long, long time since the WS for them!! GO YANKEES!!

Super congrats to your cousin...made it to the SHOW!! Can I ask, his name?? I mean, that's really cool!!