sensei8

Thank you so much, andym!!

The good fight is on!! Thank you so much, devil dog!!

Thank you so much, jaypo!!

Thank you so much, Noah!!

Your kind words have not been taking lightly; they mean the world to me!! Thank you, Hawkmoom!!

Ditto!! Happy Birthday, Brian!!

Ditto!! And many more!! Happy Birthday, Heidi!!

This is truly sad news!! My prayers go out to his family and friends!! He's one of the very few reporters on ESPN that I truly looked forward in watching his segments on ESPN; a true master at work!! His interviewing skills, imho, were unmatched on any given topic, including MMA!! Thanks, Patrick, for providing the links, and for letting us know!! He will be missed!!

There you go; the rest is, as they say, up to you!!

Ditto!!

Time heals all MA ailments; time on the floor is time well spent! In time, your balance will be solid! In time, stances will solidify! In time, kata becomes natural! In time!! Learn that time is on your side!! Not one Senior Dan started solid on the floor, they faced quite similar things that you are right now! Question everything, but do it with respect!! Having said that trust must be earned by every rank!! The higher the rank, the harder one must work to earn trust and respect! Trust your Sensei's grading decision through and through! To do otherwise is a from of disrespect, and I don't know many Instructors that appreciate their grading decisions being questioned by any rank, particularly beginners!! Your Sensei passed your on your merits and the like, and as in any test, you can still pass without making a 100% on the testing cycle!! DON'T ASK TO BE DOWN GRADED...and if you do, you'll deeply regret having done so!! As others have stated, we're individuals, and in that, the learning curve is easier for some, and difficult for others You passed! Congrats! Now practice until the wheels fall off, and then some! Nothing in the MA is suppose to be easy, and if it was, everyone would be doing it.

Ditto!!

Any new videos, Brian??

Solid post!! Verbal threats need to be reported to the police, and they shouldn't be taken lightly, imho!!

Thank you, Wado Heretic!!

Thanks, Danielle!! And no, it's not easy at all! When all of this is behind me, I'll spend some time with Greg at the Hombu to shake the rust off and see if the floor will accept me back!

Ditto!!

Great tutorial, as always, Alex!! Thank you for sharing!! I believe all of us who've been on the grappling mats have struggled one way or another with being static; it's the unknown familiarity of it all! Took me some time because I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Solid post!!

He did. I'm just not sure when he did so. I don't think he got started with BJJ until the 1980s, but may have had his Judo black belt before then. Didn't Lee also do some training with Judo Gene LeBelle? I don't know when Chuck got either of his grappling black belts, but his bios aren't given into stating dates, which is fine with me. And yes, I believe anybody who's anybody have trained with Gene, including Bruce.

This is the year, 2015, that I've had to step down, even though it's a temporary setback!!

Often all I can do is offer that shoulder to cry upon and that ear to listen; being there for them whenever they might need it. If my help isn't enough, then I refer them to licensed professionals!! Often, I wish I can be of much more help, and that can be frustrating for all concerned. I can only offer very little in this area because I've never suffered this myself!! And often, I'm reminded my those licensed professionals that only others who have experienced this, and have rallied over it, are much more equipped to help them. I don't take what they're going through lightly!! That wouldn't help them, and I want to help them anyway that I can.

Bring on the Packers!! What a game the Lions played; I thought the Lions were going to win...but that was not to be. Great game! Now on the road to Green Bay with a 12-4 record against the Cowboys' 13-4 with momentum. The Cowboys will have to do much better on January 11th than they did against the Lions! I'm optimistic for a win in Lambeau, and the stats of both teams do favor both teams; Packers have won 8 straight home games and the Cowboys have won 8 straight away games...stats can be misleading!! Good luck to both teams!! GO COWBOYS!!

Sounds great and very doable from every aspect. You'll enjoy Shotokan, even though it'll test your mettle and soundness, and that's a good thing!! Please keep us updated!! Enjoy the journey!!

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words; means everything to me!! What I'm battling isn't a terminal disease/illness, but only a chronic issue one. One I've battled for quite some time, but its morphed into a different phase, and nonetheless, the pain is unbearable at times, and the pain is more on than off. When the pain hits me, it takes all of the Shugyo I can muster to endure it, but for the most part, I'm reduced to tears. Medicine I've been taken before no longer works, my body laughs at my medicine. This Tuesday, my doctor will hopefully prescribe something to lessen the attacks and pain...hopefully!! I've not slept in my bed since the onslaught and I average about 4 hours at best! I miss my bed; I sleep in my recliner, and that by itself sucks!! One more thing...I'm NOT retiring!! I'm taking a break, hopefully a small break, while my doctor and I put all of our ducks in a row. Retirement isn't even a consideration, nor is it in my vocabulary anymore; tried that once and it sucked. I will return to the floor...you can take that to the bank!! Doctor told me that this will pass, and this temporary moment allows me to concentrate on my recovery!! I'll teach again!! Greg's just keeping my seat warm for me!! One day at a time!!