sensei8

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Hopefully, your continued MA journey will last far much longer than your first one did. And with you and your son being involved together, that new spark will brightly light up your Darkness. In time, that Darkness will fade to light, and then to the ebb tide of a bright hue that can't be denied. Welcome back to the MA, and I pray for you and your sons MA journey. Train hard, and train well!! I look forward to your future posts!!

A beginner, by its definition, in Shindokan usually averages out to be about 2 years, and that's on a table of 6 years to Shodan. Some are less and some are more; depending on testing cycle pass/fail ratios and the like. I despite putting a number on this because of the wide hairy-scary parameters that surround this type of thing. After all, to me, rank levels are subjective and unimportant to the overall improvement in ones MA betterment...imho.

Both! General level of strength and conditioning are as equally important as it is to focusing on the specificity as well. Jumping jacks and push-ups are general levels, but isometric drills that target specific areas, like forearms and legs, are specific tools that are dependent with increasing ones MA betterment. No...less!! I believe that these two separate drills work hand in hand with one another quite well because one can't be without the other. Specificity in targeting different things is how one addresses ones MA needs. Speed by itself isn't enough, and on the same hand, power by itself isn't enough either. Having them both available to and at the target are more desirable to a MAists betterment!! Imho!!

You've every right to be proud!! I wish him all of the success. Tell him...I'm in his corner!! He'll be nervous, as to be expected, remind him that his Sensei once was a 10th Kyu too...relax...and let the testing cycle take care of itself. He can mess up, it's not the end of the world, and he can still pass, even if he makes a few boo boo's!! Good luck. Oh yeah, remember to take your camera...Kodak moment if I've ever heard of one!! Please let us know how he does!!

Our Hombu retains the seals on its premises! Security to them is tight; very, very few of the hierarchy have access to the seals! Our seals were made by hand by Soke!! He would make a complete new set every 3 years. How he made them, can be found in our Densho Scrolls. He made two new sets a year before he passed away...these seals are kept in a bank lock-box!! Sets consist of 5 total seals; that's how many will sit on a certificate. All certs come from the Hombu once all testing results have been received and verified; average return time: 1 week. That's good, a few years ago, the average return time was 1 month!

To the bold type above... Slow and steady; not rushing into: Learning at all times!!

Solid post!! I've used them for as long as I can remember. Do your kicks completely...up...out...back...down, however, at the out part, hold the kick before going back. After you use them, take them off and do those same kicks; in time, you'll notice the difference.

I've no comment, as I haven't seen/read anything about the incident. Inasmuch, it's Nike's call, and they've that right!!

Solid post!!

Solid post!!

After 50 years, I'm still a beginner; my journey's not ended!!

This might be just me, but I've always considered grappling, and after all, MA in general, as a catch-as-catch-can experiment; either it will or it won't. Still, another great tutorial, Alex!! Solid!! Thank you for sharing it!!

The one thing I refuse to do, is.... Babysit my students, both kids and adults alike!! If they decide to not practice, then that's on them. If they decide to not condition themselves, then that's on them. If they decide to not exercise, then that's on them. I'm also not going to lose any sleep over it either. This, which I'm speaking towards is if they're not going to do anything to increase their own MA betterment on their own!! Well, that's on them!! However, when a student steps upon my floor, well, that's a different thing all together; I will challenge my students, thusly, myself as a side note, without reservation and/or ambiguity whatsoever...kids and adults alike!! A typical class will consist of: 5 minutes of limbering up 10 minutes of wind and reaction-time exercises 1 - 2 and 1/2 hours of Shindokan techniques 10 minutes of strengthening exercises 5 minutes of limbering up Limbering up is getting lose; we typically do about 14 different limbering up techniques, i.e., neck twisting, arm swings, leg lifts, and leg stretching. Wind and reaction-time is a well known tactic...skipping jump rope. We'll usually do about 3 other tactics. Strengthening exercises will comprise usually of rabbit-hopping and push-ups, to name just a few. Students will go into our weight room, usually the adults, before and/or after their classes. So, if my students have the mind to improve their MA betterment on their own, my hats off to them, and for those students who don't care to, well, that's fine too. My duty ends at the door; once they leave, they're on their own.

Not losing rank? Do you mean, that if, you, being a JKA/WF ranked, will lose your JKA ranking because you want to learn Kendo? If so, I'd say...NO!! Rank is forever, imho!! This might mean that you will be a White belt in Kendo, but still maintain your JKA ranking. This also means that when you're on the Kendo floor, you'll wear a white belt, and wear it proudly!! The two, Kendo and JKA aren't the same, nor are they under the same governing body!!

Journeying into Kumite (sparring) will generate a very wide opinion as well as concerns, especially when we speak about children engaged in the MA. The JKA, makes no exceptions from it's rules, and they state... "NOTE: Other karate organizations often allow children as young as six or seven years old start kumite (sparring). But at the JKA, so as to avoid the possibility of injury, no sparring is allowed until the child is ten years old and in the fifth grade." For the sake of our discussion here, I would like us to focus on the bold type above. Let it be known that the bold type was added by myself, and isn't how this note can be found on the JKA website. In Shindokan, our children participate and train in Kumite practically from day one. I was training in Kumite shortly after my third month, as a 10th Kyu. Many different Kumite training aspects were brought to me when I was only 7 years old: 1-steps were first, but we graduated early into Jiyu-Ippon under the guidance of Soke and/or Dai-Soke shortly thereafter. Soke was adamant about application! "Movements should never be wasted. Students must understand that application, and without understanding its core, all movements are wasted." What's YOUR opinion about the bold type above?

As it's been previously mentioned, dojo criteria might differ per that dojo's CI. This link might give you a JKA snapshot, even though it covers 10th Kyu to Judan... http://jka.or.jp/en/karate/dan_rank.html

Nice tutorial/explanation!! Thank you for sharing!!

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

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

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

Solid post!!

Auto-Grading? Now, I've heard it all!! Grading because you show up to class? Forget it!! Whomever thought this up should be ashamed!! And rightfully so!! Achieving grade by just showing up is a slap in the face of any serious minded practitioner. Can't perform up to expectations...don't worry about it...you'll pass because you've not missed any classes. We'll worry about your MA betterment much later. Better yet, just award the black belt at their first class! That will eliminate having to keep track of their class attendance, just as long as they're paid up and current on their dues!! This ever comes to Shindokan...I QUIT!! Come to class...train hard...test....and if you don't pass...repeat the first two before you can be allowed to number three...if you're lucky enough!!

Solid post!!

Where does a 1000 pound gorilla want to sit? Wherever he/she wants to!! Beat his legs to death by angling in and out, and let him commit to his attacks. Want to fell a tall tree? Then, chop away until it's toppled!! 10" difference isn't nothing to sneeze at, but, relax and don't allow the initial shock overwhelm you. Keep you guards up, and kick his legs at every chance you have. Then work on combo's out of the leg kicks! When that gorilla starts to force his/her sitting place, it's best to not be there!! Good luck, let us know how it went! If nothing else, this will be a learning experience for you, and hopefully, for him as well!!

Let your movements, no matter what they might or might not be, compliment one another, but do not waste movements/energy!!