sensei8

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??

Congrats on the bronze!! Beyond the medal, you're richer by having gone through the experience, and that's priceless, imho!! Next year, knowing what you now know, you'll do much better.

I could be mistaken, but I don't think even that is true, which I agree is kind of surprising. For example, when you sign up at the US Taekwondo Union ("USA Taekwondo") website, when it asks for your club name on the signup webpage, you're allowed to put "Not-Affiliated" for your school -- i.e., you're not affiliated with any taekwondo club or school. In principle, you could just be any ol' fighter who's agreeing to fight by WTF rules; there's nothing on the signup sheet that asks, "Do you even practice taekwondo?" I don't think they care, as long as you're fighting by WTF rules. That's what makes it possible for them to welcome fighters from literally any taekwondo style. I could be mistaken about that; I'm just inferring that from the signup webpage. But if you think about it, it makes sense. There are so many different styles of taekwondo, how would one even decide what constitutes "taekwondo" vs. "karate" as long as the fighter is obeying the WTF sparring rules? If I'm not mistaken, then really any martial artist can -in principle - fight in a WTF tournament. Would they do well? I would guess probably not since the rules are geared toward awarding points for a certain type of kicking. But hey...in the unlikely event that you were a Kung Fu guy who learned how to WTF spar, I think you'd actually be allowed in! Interesting!! If this is true, and had been true during my tournament days, 1964-1993, I would've jumped at it in a heartbeat. In my days, many TKD practitioners entered open tournaments in droves, and I welcomed them because they offered something not often thought about by karateka's...a kicking arsenal unlike Karate.

Solid post, in which I wholeheartedly agree with!! In Shindokan, what Danielle speaks towards in her first paragraph above, is the only way we transition at all; it's the smoothness of movement without any resistance and this is to include, but not limited to, sliding, slide-stepping, and shifting. That ability to use the ball of the foot makes the transition all the more appealing within the close range within the space managements.

Possibly the point of my post was misinterpreted. I wasn't critiquing your use of the word for this topic, not at all. My point was more I don't see my instructor as replaceable, but likewise I don't think that I will always have to study under him so in a sense he is. If that makes sense? He's not interchangeable but he's also not necessarily permanent. Yes, it makes perfect sense to me, and I wholeheartedly agree with your premise!!

Glad you did what you did...thank you! As Patrick said, it does speak a lot about you!!

No one in this thread has expressed that sentiment. I would encourage everyone to assume best faith. Thank you. Patrick Solid post!!

How about when GM Young Ik Suh became disenchanted with teaching? He delved in different businesses, including a restaurant. Who replaced who??

I must've missed that one. I thought all members, of either governing body, had to be practitioners of TKD!!

Well, I might check it out. I lost interest in the Scorpion King after the first two, but...I might check this one out. Thanks, Patrick!!

Nice review...nice article, John!! Thank you!! Nice to see that the book doesn't just skim the surface about Shaolin Kung-Fu, but delves deeply so that the reader can acquire much more intimate knowledge, both as a practitioner, and/or as a avid reader. I've read many books that only achieve a sort of stick people understanding of the subject, and that left me bored and uneducated on the subject. Often times the title was the only interesting thing about it. This book, imho, isn't like that! Thank the Lord!!

Interesting news...Thanks for sharing it, Danielle!! Will these rival groups get along on and off the competition floor?? I hope so, and I'm on the fence on my pessimistic doubts because governing bodies don't like to play and share things. The IOC will have to be large and in charge all of the time.

New styles have birthed the perception of effectiveness. Without the advent of it, how else is the new effectiveness to be understood outside of the founder!?!? When one looks at the origin of the MA, and how it came from one place to another, and so on and so forth, one see's, for example, how a simple reverse punch has been changed from style to style. Shindokan is not, and will never be the end-all, and neither is yours, but it'll be just another stepping stone to understanding a different way to execute it.

I loved Dai-Soke, but my MA betterment is way much more important than any kind of relationship that we might've or might not have had on or off the floor!! Therefore, my MA betterment comes before relationships!! Had he not have helped me to increase my MA betterment, I would've replaced him immediately. It's my betterment, and it's my journey ALONE!! Sounds cruel...sounds quite unloyal?? Right?! Guess who taught me this cruel and unloyal mindset? My Dai-Soke!! "If I don't nourish you, then you must find someone who will!!" ~ Dai-Soke I'm thankful that he nourished me for over 4 decades!! But, others, haven't been so fortunate!!

Replaceable is just a word, therefore, I'm not inclined to defend it, one way or another!!

There are many techniques within any MA style, some are effective, while others are ineffective. Those techniques that are effective across the board will pass the test!! Albeit, those techniques that are ineffective across the board will remain that way no matter how much one waters it down. I'm a firm believer that there are many styles of the MA that have genius written in their effectiveness by the founder, and in that, their techniques WORK; they're quite effective through and through. In that, the styles not at fault, but it's the practitioner who's at fault. How so? For some reason, that practitioner can't pull it off to save their soul. Our Soke believed in the perception of effectiveness in any given technique because what's effective to one practitioner isn't always effective for another. In short, I believe he was strictly implying that each and every technique is effective until it's not! Inasmuch, ineffective techniques are no longer ineffective when they become effective...for that practitioner, and possibly, if only for that moment. To be either, is solely dependent upon the practitioner!! The perception of effectiveness can't be denied!! If I don't like what you're doing, but it works for you...whose perception is askew? Perception is reality to the person; therefore, it's reality to the perceiver!! However, please don't be fooled into false securities; either the technique works or it doesn't. Examine it and test it and research it and take it apart and put it back together to see if there's true mettle in it. Your thoughts, please!!

I agree!! I'll get the drinks!!

Solid post, indeed!!

For whatever the one reason that might entertain even the thought, it'll be yours!! And if you are entertaining it, are you serious about it or are you just getting it off your chest?? Do you need a pause, if only for a moment to think about it more rationally, if it's only possible?? This one person has been that constant beacon of reason to your training/learning. Your challenged! Your betterment is improving daily!! Your journey remains!! However, things happen!! Some beyond your control, but they do happen!! So I ask you... Is your Instructor REPLACEABLE?? I could never imagine my life without Dai-Soke, but I've had to do just that!! No, imho, he was NOT replaceable!! Not in even the most slightest shape, way, and/or form!! Let our discussion begin!!

I believe that the answer is both wide reaching, but surprising as well, for one reason or another. Your school of the MA isn't a school if the floor is empty, and when the floor is empty, nothing can be provided. Prospective students are have to be drawn to you; the meet and greet has to happen, and for that to happen, something has to attract them. So... >Is it because of your reputation? >Is it because your curriculum challenges them? >Is it because your school is close to where they work/live? >Is it because your schools prices are more affordable than your competitors? >Is it because your school caters to a particular consumer? (Kids/Women Only) >Is it because the CI is famous? >Is it because your school is teaching a specialty? >Is it because your school is a Black Belt School? >Is it because your school is deeply involved in the tournament scene? >ETC... I mean, really, why do you think that your students come to your school? I suppose that can be either an easy question or a difficult question. It could be that there are many reasons, and not just one, why students come to your school because different people have different needs. Even then, I believe that there might be one dominate reason as to why the core of your student body attends. I was just wondering out loud!! What do you think??

Dallas?! DFW. I live in Arlington. Really COOL!!

OK...Now I've got to google it!!