sensei8

No, I don't think he would've because he knew my feelings on the subject and respected my reasons.

Solid post!! Aggression can be counter-productive; one doesn't need to be aggressive to be effective.

Solid post!! I believe that we're drawn to something so challenging because we're always wanting to challenge ourselves in many venues; it's within our nature, I suppose.

Imho, He's breaking one of the biggest maxims for instructors! He's dead wrong, and should be ashamed of himself, and if he continues, he shouldn't be teaching anybody anything!! Your relationship with him is simple...Student, you...Instructor, him!! Nothing more, and nothing should be inappropriately added to that relationship. His hands should be minimal in contact with you, and by that I mean, correcting posture, hands, and so on. That contact should be always kept to a minimum, and only when it involves teaching/correcting. If he was my Junior, I'd have a strong conversation with him and set him straight QUICK. Therefore, it's going to be up to you to be the responsible one and set him straight IMMEDIATELY, but in a professional manner. He's accountable, therefore, you must make him accountable immediately. Remind him that you're there to learn the MA, and nothing more. If he's unwilling to be the consummate professional, then quit, and find someone else who's better. Remind him that he's a family...a wife...kids...well known and respected in the community. AND...it's not worth it for him to throw it all away by being unprofessional. Tell him to use the head that's on his shoulder, and nothing else. After all, he's the distraction!! You're there to learn the MA, and he's there to teach THE MA...nothing else!! It's not flattering, it's an insult to you and to his dojo, and to his family!! Teach him the word...NO!!

I'm sure that this was evident to happen sooner or later. Please check it out... http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mma/ufc-champ-ronda-rousey-in-2015-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-issue/ar-AA9an2X?srcref=rss I'm sure that this will help the MMA industry because SI is main stream, and well known and accepted by all, not just men.

If you want anything of value from the MA, then you have to endure anything that's taxing. Shugyo is how I've endured all these years, and I've had times in my journey were I wanted to pack it in and learn something that's not so vexing. But, each time I'd contemplate other alternatives, I'd hear Dai-Soke yelling..."Shugyo!!", over and over. After all, he was right when he said..."It's you, not me!!" Or, one of his favorite..."I already know how to do it...do you!?!" Therefore, I endure, still, not because he made me, but because I pushed through. There are things that will tax you to no end, but that's when the mettle meats the floor. Repetitions are important to anything, and the MA is no exception. Muscle memory depends on it, now and forever. Endure that which tries you!! "I don't want to go tonight!" or.... "I don't feel like practicing today!" These are true for work, play, and training, but when you endure, you're very glad that you did.

Well. I sincerely wish them much success for them both/all in their new endeavor!!

what he said. It seems that if you are truly comfortable and not challenged your doing it wrong. My wife thinks its fun because I rarely miss I can't argue with that, either!!

I don't understand that description.

Solid post!! I, do what Soke and Dai-Soke did, have students start with the knee up on their partners stomach/hip, and then they try to stay there. Then, same start, but then transition into position appropriately. Trail and errors...just got to love them! Oh, I had my issue with this as well when I was once a beginner and/or a new intermediate student. EXPERIENCE can't always be trumped!!

Thanks for the review, Danielle!! Quite well written, both the book and your review. The details, as already mentioned, make the difference across the board. I will check into buying this book for the authors point of views on the subject.

I appreciate your answer; I thank you!! Our new students, and sometimes the newly earned intermediate students tend to "ride" when they're not suppose to, but they do out of desperation and unsureness and lack of experience.

When I was 7 years old, 1964, I was bullied at school in Canoga Park, CA each and everyday. A group of 6th graders would catch me in the restroom and knock me around, then steal my lunch money. I'd come home after school and raid the refrigerator. Didn't take my mom long to ask me a ton of questions. One question lead to another, and before I knew it, I was enrolled in a local karate school. I've just celebrated my 50th year in Shindokan Saitou-ryu.

Heheheheheheheheheeheheheheheheheheeheheee.....don't you just love it!! GO COWBOYS!!

Glad to see that things worked out across the board!!

Great topic!! In Shindokan, our emphasis is always toward our close range tactics, as this includes our brand of Tuite. Our pushing hand drills help increase immediate awareness, thereby, increasing our sensitivity to our opponents reactions and the like. All Kakie drills begin with a crossed arm position, in Shindokan, and remain that way until ones defense is penetrated through "slipping" through to desired target. To us, Kakie can be quite very soft and yielding in nature...to feel it...to absorb it...then to manipulate it through the softness of positions. Our drills aren't, in nature, repetitive in going back and forth. It's essential to deflect blows with very little movement by reflecting the posture itself through the center line by controlling it. We also believe that Kakie teaches us to depend on sensory input, and not in the visual. Sometimes one can be just too close to see what's happening, hence, the eyes can deceive, but the sensory inputs know for sure. Therefore, staying in contact is important to the sensory interpretations. Reactions are dependent on their being no gaps within the close ranges within space management. Kakie, allows no reactionary gaps to confuse and/or lie to the fooled senses. One of our most vital tools for training Kakie is the WC Wooden Dummy! It'll expose mistakes in your movements and transitions quickly, and without any reservation. Please feel free to ask any questions, etc.; hopefully I can help.

Yeah, it's akin to walking only on the heels; awkward.

Solid post!!

Solid post!! Over the many years, faces have come and gone, and I don't fault them if they're no longer on their MA journey: things happen!! I suppose within this thread, I'm more directing it towards those who are having doubts for whatever reason(s) while training in their selected MA. Those have to fight the good fight, but sometimes the fight just isn't there. "Sensei, the classes are getting so hard. I love the MA, but, man, it's more than I bargained for. What should I do?" If you love it, then endure that which IS the MA. Complaining about something that's not in your control will not make the MA much easier. It is what it is!! Can you endure? It's a test of ones mettle!! Endure!! I suppose every school of the MA should have that word large and in charge on a prominent wall. Even that, might not encourage!!

Things wanted, and things desired, will require much of those who pursue it with a fever!! Things of this magnitude don't come easy; therefore, the MA isn't suppose to be easy at any level. Will you continue or will you falter at the first sign of trepidation?? Are you a quitter? If not, then prepare to endure!! *Are the exercises to hard? Then prepare to endure!! *Is Kihon (basics) to hard?? The prepare to endure!! *Is Kata (forms) to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is Kumite (sparring) to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is the Dojo Kun to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is Tameshiwara to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is Tuite to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is the grappling to hard?? Then prepare to endure!! *Is the class to long?? Then prepare to endure!! *Are you afraid of injury?? Then prepare to endure!! *Are you afraid of testing cycles?? Then prepare to endure!! *Are you afraid of Kyusho Jitsu?? Then prepare to endure!! *Are you afraid to practice A LOT?? Then prepare to endure!! *ETC.... This list just scratches the many, many things that a MA will face on and off the floor!! If you're ready to face them one at a time, and without any undue fears, then prepare to endure!! I face them, both the known as well as the unknown, but I do not face them because I want to, but because I must, so that I will endure!! Your thoughts, please!!

I thank you for your kind words; they mean everything to me!!

You have to work through it! Don't allow it to dictate your mindset! You see, you must experience the technique, and that, imho, is important to do because as long as your flinching, you've not experienced the technique. Once you've experienced the technique, then you can begin to understand the technique. Once you begin to understand the technique you'll stop flinching. However, everything takes time!! Understand the leading principles in karate.... Mizu No Kokoro...Mind like the moon Tsuki No Kokoro...Mind like the water Embrace them in their totality!! Aggression is a good thing, just as long as you can respect the aforementioned principles. Unchecked aggression isn't a good thing!!

Excellent tutorial, as always, Alex!! Great discussion between the three of you!! How do you help a beginning and/or intermediate student over come the overwhelming feeling of being literally thrown off the training partner when they first set their right knee on or near the stomach/hip at the onslaught of the transitioning?? Soke and Dai-Soke would love to throw you literally off them just as the right knee came in contact with their stomach/hip. And if you managed to not get thrown off, they'd transition to end up on your back.

I don't think that there are any pros and cons; just different methodologies of how things are executed. What works for one, and not for others, isn't a good or bad thing. Imho!!

If you were the CI, and you announced to your students that you were no longer going to teach, using the Japanese terminologies... How do you think they'd respond? Favorably or disenchanted? A sigh of relief or a sigh of dismay? After all, this is NOT Japan, unless your dojo is actually in Japan, in which I retract my question all together. Using the Japanese terms makes the Karate being trained in, no matter the style, more original....YES or NO? I do it, the Japanese terms, because I don't know any better; it's been so much grained in me, that to not to, seems alien and foreign to me. Fellow American practitioners have accused me of showing off, with the Japanese terms and functional fluency, and I'm not because I don't do it to show off, I do it because of whom were my two biggest influences...Soke and Dai-Soke. I've tried to NOT use the terms, and I can, but the weirdest thing is that it is unnatural for me, and some how and some way, the normal flow of the Japanese terms reappear without me forcing it. What's one to do??