sensei8

If you're watching these, then you're either a Bruce Lee fan and/or you want some sparring tips from Bruce. Either way, I don't think you'll go away without trying some of his tips. Not all of the clips concern sparring, just concentrate on the clips that are sparring appropriate... Some sparring combo's and the like that you might utilize yourself the next time you're sparring. The first lower feint, with Chuck, is my all time favorite!! Why? It's so Shindokan like!!

Only way, imho, to learn how to properly react during sparring so that you're not backing up so much is to stand your ground...Intercept your opponents attacks by learning how to transition to either side and deliver your counter FASTER/BEFORE your opponent can. Each time you find yourself backing up...stop...TRY IT AGAIN!! The more you don't back up, the more you won't; muscle memory! The only time one should backup, imho, is when it's part of your plan... Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan CARRY IT OUT!! Backing up can suck your opponent into your trap; that's when it's advantageous for you to do so.

Absolutely!!

Congrats on being appointed to the board of instructors. You're about to enter the lions mouth by being part of the hierarchy. Be very careful, and log everything for your protection, and if the anyone wants conversations, make sure you email everything; time stamps are valuable on the "cover yourself" areas.

Solid post!!

I totally agree with you. I have trained at a dojo for a couple of weeks and they happened to have a time of all students and instructors wore pink. Due to them trying to raise as much as possible for breast cancer awareness If I remember, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many events with the purpose of raising money and raising awareness through October.

Your Kobudo journey will be met with mixed feelings; both good and bad. However, your journey, if one's honest with themselves, will be more rewarding. And like with any MA journey, one will be challenged at every turn in ones training, but it's those challenges that will mold and shape their betterment. Kobudo isn't like karate-do, and it's not suppose to be. Enjoy it, train hard, and embrace each weapon as an extension of your body!! Respect each weapon every time said weapon is wielded by the Kobudo practitioner.

I do understand the context as to why!! EGO kills the MA spirit!! The color of the belt, imho, shouldn't mean anything tangible to the MAist. You train to learn an effective means to defend yourself with, and if rank becomes the motivator, well, your journey is at risk of ending before it even started. I've seen the Pink belt before, but its context was to fight against breast cancer. Either way, I'd wear the pink with pride!!

Yes, it maybe the Sensei's job to tell you when you're ready for the next testing cycle, however, it's your journey, and not your Sensei's. If you feel that you're not ready, respectfully refuse to test UNTIL YOU FEEL that you're ready. Any instructor complete in their totality will not have a problem with your refusal to not test as suggested. I've never been forced nor have I ever forced one of my students to test if they felt that they weren't quite ready. Yes, students will refuse until they feel that they're ready, and when they're feel that they're ready, and end up failing for one reason or another. Calling out corrections is the job of the Sensei/CI, however, there's an appropriate way of dong that without demoralizing a student. One of the things that need to be consistent in calling out corrections is to not attack the student personally, instead of addressing the corrections that need to be done and how...in a professional manner! Choice which one increases your MA betterment!! Hang in there, you'll be fine!!

If I had a camera...but I don't...I guess I'll just enjoy everyone else's video's. Keep them coming in, please!!

While I'm not a BJJ practitioner through the formal training, I found your article spot on solid across the board. Covered quite a lot of information that sends a written video of what one might be wondering when and before they step onto the mat...EXCELLENT ARTICLE!! I thank you for it!!

Loved that...thanks...I needed that!!

I've very little tolerance for things like this. I'd show him the door immediately and tell him that he's no longer wanted here again, now and forever!! Disrespect me, so easily, now! What's to say that he won't do it again? Just who does he think that he is? He's assuming a position that he doesn't possess!! Fool me once, same on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!! Nope, he'd be gone faster that he could say..."But..."

I'm not a TSD practitioner, however, welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

I believe that #2, Brian, is dead-on. That's how most karateka's learn to "walk" the stance, or it's what I learnt and what I teach.

I must FIRST learn what goes where and when and how and why and so on and so forth; solo training, the core of the kata because that's how it's presented to most students...the 'A' before the 'B' or the '1' before the '2'. Then, the supplemental training begins when I've a partner to execute live training so I can NOW see the where and when and how and why and so on and so forth. Learn the steps first! Then, supplement that knowledge with someone who can throw the monkey wrench into the entire kata.

actually Surprisingly enough you can do shiko dachi to help prevent being tackled in a fight. Which is common in some situations As it is a stable stance, and if you scoot back when you are low then you can avoid the tackle but also send them to the ground. It CAN be assumed as a possible interpretation of Shiko-dachi's application, and it's effectiveness, MIGHT be at question...maybe!

I'm not sure I agree with this. At least I think that partner work and Kata study should be one and the same. Even the bookish Funakoshi said that karate must not be a wholly intellectual pursuit. We can learn fighting without kata, but we cannot learn kata without fighting. I agree with sensei8's statement. Why? Its not about intellectual pursuits. Its that the truth of karate is hidden in the kata. Its the playbook, the map, and through training and working it over and over, its secrets unravel. You don't have to know kata or karate for that matter to know how to fight, but you cannot know karate without its kata. As sensei8 said in that quote knowing kata doesnt mean you know how to fight, thats what partner training is for. Goju ryu without its kata isn't goju ryu. As in Shindokan Saitou-ryu, its in its blood, its the the very essence. I still believe that the supplemental element of kata is important. I learn the kata, but now I want to see the kata come alive. To do that, I need a partner!! Studying the kata is the Bunkai/Oyo; therefore, without a partner to bring me that supplemental aspect alive, then I'm just learning how to swim on dry land. Imho, one needs kihon, THEN kata, THEN kumite...over and over and over and over..........until the end of time!! Live training, as the supplemental, imho, is key in ones MA journey. A two-legged chair sure doesn't stand quite well at all!!

I'm not sure I agree with this. At least I think that partner work and Kata study should be one and the same. Even the bookish Funakoshi said that karate must not be a wholly intellectual pursuit. We can learn fighting without kata, but we cannot learn kata without fighting. I can appreciate what you're saying; I respect that!!

Solid post!! I do like what you say about team kata and its application portions, and having the kata announced at the time of stepping on the mat, and then see how they apply their Bunkai on the cuff.

Solid post!! I believe that how "Kata" is viewed by ones instructor speaks a lot about how Kata is trained, how it's appreciated, and how it's devalued across the board. The knowledge passed onto the students comes from the instructor!!

To the bold type above... I'm a firm believer that the main reason(s) that techniques don't "work" isn't the fault of the technique(s), but more of the fault belongs to the practitioner not being well versed in said techniques. Imho!!

Just keep it fun! By that I mean, don't bore them with to much technical stuff. Stuff that usually goes over an adults head! The younger the kids, the shorter the class duration, and the smaller the amount of what's being taught that day/night. Kids don't sit well for to long; ants in the pants isn't conducive to learning. As far as kata is concerned, I use the method of self-defense techniques OVER the aspect of Bunkai because a lot of kids haven't grasped the concept of Bunkai...yet! As far as the number of kata's kids should or shouldn't learn is that I'd say, keep the kata's to the rank. After all, I was a 13 year old kid when I received my JBB, and that means I had learnt 11 kata's by then. Lastly, be a kid on the floor with the kids, and not some stuffy gi on the floor. The younger the kids, the more I play; after all, my wife says I'm the oldest kid she knows! Thanks, honey...I love you too!!

Nice videos, all!!

That was another treasure trove of an article, Alex...SOLID...the word 'solid', in this case, lacks to do the article justice. Thanks for it, Alex!! I loved how you gave us a peek into the BJJ world from the aspect of what a BJJ white belt should expect once they're on the mat for the first time. An immeasurable amount of value stands right before the reader; from paragraph to paragraph. Yes, your feelings towards traditional MA is quite well known here at KF. At times, I've been offended by some of the things you've touted concerning traditional MA, therefore, the traditional MAist. Having said that, you made me understand more deeply through this article of yours as to the reason(s) as to why, and for that, I thank you. I can't help feel that you spoke towards how BJJ was above all other styles of the MA; that' s how I perceived it. That's my problem for me just being narrow minded and reading things into things that aren't even there. Hopefully, you, and others here, can see what I'm saying, even though I've said it in a halting and stumbling way. I tend to cringe when I perceive that I'm being told that style 'A' is above the rest of the alphabets; as though 'B' through 'Z' and back is a waste of time. Overall, Alex, a very super solid article, one I personally thank you for!!