sensei8

Danielle beat me to it...it's all in the hips. But for the hips to work, all of the body is involved in said technique. For example, if the posture is askew, the hips will suffer, therefore, the power will be arrested....so on and so forth. Btw, the rest of Danielle's post is quite solid!!

I particularly enjoyed seeing the similarities to Shindokan's joint traps and manipulations, again, very nice!!

Nice applications, thank you for sharing!! I see a lot of similarities in your applications with Shindokan's brand of Tuite. I also see many Wing Chun dummy apps as well, in that, they transition quite well.

Anyone?? What keeps you up at night?? Student and/or Instructor?? OR... Maybe I'm the only one that doesn't get a full night sleep.

To the bold type above, That is true, both! However, as a MAist, I don't subscribe to that mindset because proof is on the floor, and I'll allow my MA to speak for itself. I just don't need a website to define or defend my MA. I've never had one, and while I'd love to join the modern world, I'm not biting at the bit to rush out and have one for myself in any capacity. It's a personal choice!! I don't believe that I'm being defensive on this issue. On the contrary. I believe I've been quite forthcoming on this issue. "If you were a real club, you wouldn't need one." wasn't something I posted, but, I support what it's saying. In that, I wholeheartedly agree when you ask, "Why not have both?"; I support that as well!! Have I left an impression that I'm concerned and/or worried about my student body? If I have, I apologize because that was never my intent. If I don't have any new students knocking down my door, then I don't; I'm complete in my totality as a MAist!! Yes, I'd like to see the Hombu come out of the stone age, but, whether it does or not, I've other fish to fry that I believe that are more important than having a website or not. Sure, I'm in business to make a profit, and having new students helps me meet my bottom line. However, I've been operating the Kyuodan Dojo ever since the late 1970's, and my current active student body is well over 300. Word of mouth and demonstrations and the like have served me well all of these years; without the aide of having a website or the like. As I've stated, I support ALL who have a website and I support ALL that don't have a website because it's a personal choice. Very interesting; I truly like that, and I'll send that information to the necessary departments within our Hombu for them to add to their creative research!! I can respect that!! Why does it make you a little uncomfortable? I can imagine that there are quite a lot of small businesses that don't have website exposure for their own personal reason(s), but I don't believe that there's a reason to be uncomfortable with them, but of course, I'm speaking on my own behalf. I believe that the Hombu SHOULD be involved in every aspect of creating a website; after all, it's what we'd be paying them for. This is the overall consensus of the hierarchy. We don't have any desire to tell any web designer how to do what we'd be paying for. However, since we'd be paying for them to produce exactly what WE want, then we'd tell them what we want and we'd expect them to produce it. Nonetheless, we're in our own way because the hierarchy isn't going forward until we can be in full agreement 100%. If a website doesn't happen on my watch, then the next Kiacho can accomplish what we weren't able to. Solid post...through and through!! I hope that Shindokan will be around for many long years to come whether we have a website or not. We're not the largest and we're not the smallest, but I believe in what Soke created and in what he stood for in many things, including his marketing decisions. They've served him quite well for a very long time! As far as my own dojo, Kyuodan Dojo, I'm not concerned in any shape, way, and/or form.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. I'm of the opinion that no one under the age of 18 years old should ever be awarded a black belt in any martial art. Even more so, no Dan level above Junior Black Belt whatsoever - no Shodan, and most especially, no Nidan and above should ever be awarded to any student under the age of 18 years old. The word Dan means "man" and the word Sho means "first." The etymology is meant to be "first man" - in other words, there's a traditional reason for this belief. In Japan, a young female/male becomes an adult at the age of 16 years old. According to Japanese ethos, 16 years of age is the youngest one could be mature enough to be an adult; therefore, this is why they don't give black belts to children. This might explain why many - not all - martial arts cultures have adopted Japan's methodology of restricting children black belts. It seems to me that other cultures found throughout the world have extended the Japanese ethos to reach up to 18 years of age. The rank of black belt requires a certain physical skill level, but it also requires a certain level of emotional maturity. Children are just that - children - and they can't demonstrate the level of emotional maturity required to be considered a black belt. For me, black belt requires much more than physical abilities. I'm not of the opinion that if a student under 18 years old can do the syllabus just as well as a student that's over the age of 18, that child student should be awarded said black belt. For me, it goes beyond performing the techniques. The motor functions and concentrations of a child can't be matched to those of an adult without standards suffering. Therefore, the quality of the rank diminishes expeditiously. How much maturity is required for a full-fledged black belt? Much more than a child can possess! Maturity is determined by either the Sensei or the governing body, and in that, maturity isn't determined by anyone else. Not the student, not the parent(s)/guardian(s), not by the drive-by audience, and not by anyone else. For example, children under a certain age can't drive a car per state laws. A child can't enter into a binding written agreement with an adult. A child can't move out on their own unless a judge orders it to be so, but even in that, a child will be remanded to the Department of Human Services until a judge determines otherwise. Black belt is often viewed by many martial artists and governing bodies as the holy grail of all martial arts ranks. When, after all, it's just cloth and/or a symbol. Or is it? A sacred thing to posses, but it's not an ordinary symbol, nor is it an ordinary piece of cloth to posses. What the Yudansha brings to the table is more than some can come to terms with. Junior Black Belt To me, this isn't the same thing as a child receiving Shodan (a full-fledged black belt). This is when a child has demonstrated the required technical skills for the rank of black belt. However, because children under the age of 18 years old aren't capable of the level of maturity of an adult, they're awarded a Junior Black Belt (JBB). As a JBB, the student can't earn Shodan or above per the reasons stated in the previous paragraph. It isn't fair! Trust me, I know, and I can feel your disappointment. I was a JBB myself for five long and trying years. I earned my JBB at 13 years of age. I had to battle with the rejection(s). To me, I was being rejected because I wasn't 18 years of age - age discrimination of a sort. It took me just over a year to accept the JBB and its limited expressions as well as its varied exceptions. Finally, I understood the reasons explained to me by Soke, Saitou Sensei and Dai-Soke, Takahashi Sensei, but that doesn't mean that I had to like it. That first year or so, I detested everything about being a JBB. Besides, what could I do? Nothing! The JBB was what Soke allowed and what Dai-Soke enforced! In the remaining years leading up to my 18th birthday, I became more and more accepting of my JBB. Mainly because I wasn't the only student thrust into that world; I wasn't alone. I had company on the floor. We became a very tight group; there was an undeniable camaraderie amongst us. We weren't to be denied anything, except full-fledged black belt status. Because I was a child, I did childish things from time to time, while on the floor, even with my JBB wrapped around my waist. We were taught to use discipline, courtesy and respect - on and off the floor at all times. However, I horse-played on the floor, and I was rambunctious to a fault. Sometimes my shenanigans got me my share of grief. The floor is sacred, and I disrespected it. No excuses! I learned a lot on the floor; things that would serve me better when I became an adult and when I became a Shodan. The older I was, the more mature I became. But I'm a slow learner at times. The ways of Soke and Dai-Soke eventually became our ways; therefore, they became my ways as well. I support and enforce the directions of Soke concerning the JBB and all it stands for through his teachings. "Children aren't adults. Adults aren't children." - Soke Saitou Sensei We must understand this. Karate-do is for all students, however, with much responsibility comes much expectation. Therefore, maturity seems to be the key with many martial artists, while others say that ability is key! In Shindokan, we use the JBB and all of its trappings. However, we don't use Junior Green Belt or Junior Brown Belt or Junior Yellow belt, and the other spectrum of colors found in a rainbow. Students, under the age of 18 years old, stand shoulder to shoulder in the Kyu status with adults. Within the Kyu system, children are viewed as equals with adults when rank becomes the factor to be considered. Within Shindokan, reaching Dan status is saved for the adult students alone! When I was a JBB, my techniques were equivalent to other adults of Shodan status, but I wasn't given that equivalent respect based on my tender age. Kyu or Dan students are not equal, and this doesn't breach compatibility, but it does breach a moral obligation to ones young student. Treating them with indifference because they're not an adult doesn't seem proper, nor does it seem ethical! Now, I/we can argue for all eternity for and against styles that are proponents of the JBB, but when all of the smoke and dust has cleared away, the final authority rests in the breast of the Soke type and/or with the Hombu. After that, the rest seems to be quite mute. When one wants tomatoes, guess what? One will have to go to the tomato vendor. Within the martial arts, the same appears to be just as true. You want to learn this style from this instructor? Well, you'll have to accept their rules and regulations! I suppose that this can be a small price to pay. As Kaicho of the Shindokan Karate-do and Kobudo Association, I can vote to abolish the JBB, but a change of that magnitude within our by-laws would require a majority of the votes. Mine is just one vote, and one vote isn't a majority. I don't see it ever happening because within the Shindokan circle, some are quite loyal to Soke/Dai-Soke. Having said that, when it concerns the by-laws, the entire lot couldn't agree on if it was day time or not, even though they'd all be standing outside at noon. The simplest thing becomes the most difficult to embrace. Conclusion I'm slowly approaching my 50th year in the martial arts - this October of 2014. I've seen a lot, I've learned a lot, I've taught a lot, I've accepted a lot, and I've refused a lot. I've developed my own keen understandings based on the two most important martial artists in my life: Soke Fuyuhiko Saitou and Dai-Soke Yoshinobu Takahashi. Their teachings across the board were invaluable to me, and without either of them, I'd be nothing more than that speck that's found on the top of bird droppings. I've also gleaned quite a lot over the many, many years from other martial artists that I've had the honor to share the floor with, including those whom are outside the Shindokan circle. As a MAist, I've read my share of martial arts theories, methodologies and ideologies, either discovered in a book or buried in some forgotten article. Some, I've adopted, while others, I've discarded. I've developed my own opinions over time. My own opinions, as well as my own beliefs, have fueled some debates in and outside of KarateForums.com. Some informative, while others not so informative; depending on whom you ask. I'm accountable for everything I do, say and/or think. I must always be honest with myself, as well as with my fellow martial artist. I've got to look in the mirror. Sometimes, what I see doesn't quite reflect favorably. It's okay to have an opinion, but it's not okay to vex another when my opinion hastens one's betterment. 1 Corinthians 10:23 states, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." Some of my opinions are just that: my opinion. It doesn't mean I'm right, and it doesn't mean I'm wrong. Either way, respect for my fellow martial artist should be greater than my own opinion. Their beliefs are their way, and in that, it should be respected above all things because their way just might be the right way, after all. Matthew 7:3 states, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" I could be wrong! If I'm wrong, I'll be the first to admit it! As of now, I'm still a proponent against child black belts, and I still enforce the reality of the JBB. Both beliefs have served me quite well all of these many years, and like an old comfortable pair of slippers, the newness of a new pair might not be as comfortable as the old pair. Change is inevitable, and I'm not against change because change has served in my life.

While I don't have a website for my dojo: Kyuodan Dojo, many instructors from my circa don't have a website either. GM Allen W. Tackett, Kudan in Seidokan under Master Toma, doesn't have a website, nor does he have many video's for others to check out. He has a video of him executing Kusanku, a staple of a kata for Seidokan. For example!!

An outstanding interview through and through. Thank you for sharing!!

I wholeheartedly agree with everyone...RUN AWAY QUICKLY!!

Thanks, Alex!! Windows Movie Maker....I'll have to check that out...you've given me a lot to think about, thanks!!

Interesting comment...aren't there times where that just isn't appropriate? One example from my own training is that the Gedan Barai I learn in Karate has a completely different setup then the low block I learned in TKD. In a Kyokushin class, should I do a TKD low block in line or in kata? Of course not... I do like your overall viewpoint, though. Techniques learned (wherever they are learned) should always be evaluated to make sure they are worthwhile to use on the floor... Excellent points!! To the bold type above... No. Not if an understanding of discovery already exists! In my dojo, it's encouraged! The core is Shindokan, and if someone can bring something to the topic of said class, and it's not Shindokan, I/we want to explore it together. As the CI, I maintain the flow so that the teaching resources remain on task/topic. Our core style's not neglected in this process; if anything else, it's elevated.

Thank you for the link. I, too love watching Sumo; rawness at its best, imho!!

You're welcome, tallgeese!! Flip? Hhmmm!! Go Pro? Hhmmm!! I'll take a look at them. Thanks!! I'm learning that edit software isn't cheap...have you found it to be that same??

Learn something other than Shindokan...bring it on the floor. We're all there to learn, and don't care from where it comes from. The day Shindokan becomes all that and a bag of chips, is the day that I stop cross training. Until then, I'll continue to cross train!! Shindokan MUST be tested at all times and if techniques that aren't of Shindokan teach us across the board, then I welcome it on the floor. Even during formal classes!! I'd never say..."Keep that where you learnt it!!"

I'm on the fence with this one. For me, it's the good, bad, and the ugly all rolled into one. >Price for such armor will be quite out of reach for most. >I'm claustrophobic, so that won't work for me. I'd be fighting to get the armor off more than keeping it on. >Protection has to start with the individual and not with the equipment. I loved that the video showed one in armor and one not; this welcomes injuries when the one in armor forgets that the other isn't wearing any armor. I don't know...I think I'll pass on the idea, for myself.

YES!! Solid post, thank you for it!!

Yes, Bob, I do recall. Some of our one-steps cover these kinds of movements, and we try to focus on this kind of movement in DT so that we can get to a more advantageous position to detain someone. In grappling, we have to be very careful about when we make space, so that it doesn't get taken advantage of.Very good discussion, and a nice article! To the bold type above... Valid point because that type of space management, is not properly cared for, will create unintended openings to be capitalized by a keen opponent. It's a different animal concerning Close Range Space Management is concerned.

What keeps you up at night?? For me, I'm always worried about the future of Shindokan; with all that is Shindokan!! We've gone through some unsettled history; past and present, which might affect our future. I believe that the SKKA is solid and its infrastructure is intact...now...under my watch. But, I'm not going to lie, history has a tendency of repeating itself no matter what's in place to secure its existence for many years to still come. I'm confident that our By-Laws and the like, as well as our Legal Team, have put in place many levels of protection to thwart off any type of indiscretion. However, whatever has been created for the good, can be destroyed for the bad. People are involved; people are fallible, and seeing that the current hierarchy won't live forever, our successors could re-write history by amending any and all official decrements and the like for whatever their reason(s) might or might not be. Time will tell!! While I've confidence now, and in the future for Shindokan's well-being, a part of me is leery and feels unsettled; it's the unknown that seems to trouble keep me awake at times.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. Soke Fuyuhiko Saitou Sensei founded Shindokan Saitou-ryu in 1950. Then Soke founded the Shindokan Hombu, early in 1957. Shortly thereafter, during that same year, he founded the Shindokan Karate-do and Kobudo Association (SKKA). Also in 1957, Soke appointed Yoshinobu Takahashi Sensei as SKKA's first Kaicho (President). As one might expect and understand, the various media access that we all currently share, and what we all take for granted nowadays, wasn't even available to Soke back then. The Infancy of Many Possibilities! Back in the 1950s and 1960s, print media, telephones and television, as limited as they were, did serve a purpose. Their purpose was to inform and entertain the masses. To avail oneself to that media was, and still is, a costly endeavor - one that not everyone, especially small businesses, could/can afford. This includes martial arts schools, interested in attracting potential students. Print ads, like phone books, newspapers and magazines, charged per inches. Today's print costs vary. Television network commercials charged per air time. An ad during the Super Bowl can cost up to $4 Million dollars for a 30 second spot. I've not seen a martial arts school advertise during any Super Bowl, nor do I imagine that I will ever will. Billboards charged per the size of the billboard. Billboard rentals have been around since 1867, and by the 1960s, they've been making a dent into landscapes all over the globe. Still, a costly way to attract new students! Then, there were other low risk possibilities, like bus stop bench backs, bus interior signage, local business maps, school book cover distribution, banner ads, yard signage, your school's name on the back of student's gi, etc. These can all take a big chunk out of a small business' advertisement budget, if one even exists. Inflation surely can't be sneezed at, because the business cost of something back in the 1960s isn't close to what it is now. For example, a Corvette back in the 1960s went for about $4,500, and now, a Corvette is about $60,000. The dreaded expectance of any advertisement is that inflation will always challenge any business, small and large. If you took $100 from 1960 and converted it to the equivalent amount in 2014, you would have $805.21! Nothing against the 1950s, 1960s or 1970s; after all, I'm a product of the long ago era; the baby boomer generation. But let's be honest, the technologies in my youthful days pale against what's available for today's martial arts school. The Advent of the Internet! Then, there's the internet. Wait - there wasn't any internet back when Soke opened the Hombu. Or, at least, not like we know it. The internet has turned out to be a hallmark gem of advertising. With just one broad stroke of a key from one's computer keyboard, you can reach far and into countless homes and businesses faster than any other form of advertisement known! Nowadays, a lot of martial arts schools have websites. But, just because your school has one, that doesn't mean you're school is teaching effective martial arts. Of course, it also doesn't mean that you're school is not. That's not to be known via one's website - you have to visit the school of choice to reach that conclusion. That said, I can't argue that the internet isn't an influential way for those who might inquire. A website is not a requirement for any school, nor should it be. Nor will having a website guarantee that your school will be successful. I can only imagine that there are more schools that operate a website than those that don't. Small, medium or large schools can have all of the website exposure they can afford, but for those of us who choose not to enter this world, for whatever reason, we're lampooned for not being found on the wide world web. Either your teaching is strong or it's not. All of the advertisement in the world might bring students to the shadow of your school's door. Odds seem to favor that. However, all of the advertisements in the world just won't keep the student from leaving for good. As Kaicho, I've tried, and I'm still trying to usher our Hombu out of the Stone Age, but each of us within Hombu hierarchy has a different vision as to what our website should be. What should the context be? What font should be used? What background color should it have? What tabs should be included in the navigation? What this or what that? Until we're 100% in agreement, the website will not move beyond the idea/creation stage. It's sad! It appears that we, as a group, couldn't agree on something as easy as what's needed in making something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If so, I would've starved to death by now - figuratively and literally!! Still, and beyond all of that, I don't care if we/I have a website and/or any type of advertisement ever because it's not that important to us/me! These things are just decorations - bells and whistles - but by themselves, they're incomplete. Conclusion Soke believed in two undeniable ways to advertise: word-of-mouth and demonstrations. "If our karate-do is strong enough," he then believed that any type of advertisement "just wasn't that terribly necessary or important enough" when it came to obtaining students - past, present and/or future! However one finally decides to advertise, and the ways to advertise are quite unlimited, isn't important; that decision is up to the individual school. What's important for Shindokan is that our karate-do is strong! It's for certain: the Shindokan Hombu drastically lacks media exposure. But because of Soke's vision, leadership and beliefs, we haven't suffered for not having the type of media exposure that so many feel are needed and required. Soke's means of reaching the masses was all he knew and his cash flow was dismal, and because of these factors, he chooses to go low-key with his advertisement. All he's ever done through his entire martial arts career, as far as advertisement was concerned, was through word-of-mouth and demonstrations. It had been a proven means - he trusted the methods he had created. They served him quite well - forever! I suppose it can be true to say, "sometimes one can't teach an old dog new tricks!" This is true whenever I think about Soke! I believe that one should decide if the school's media exposure is a private one or a professional one. Once that's been established, then how one manages either will make a world of difference, both for the good or for the bad. After all, all business decisions, whether they're bad or good, will affect the overall wellness for the school and its student body. In my humble opinion, anyway. I could be wrong!

Solid post...solid points!! Fight or flight, at times, isn't always something to consider before an attack occurs because knowing just what the other's thinking is impossible. Being aggressive, is a choice, and the choice is up to said person because of perceptions. Perception is real to said person at that very moment.

First off, I'd like to welcome you to KF; glad that you're here!! Second off, solid post!! Thirdly, your Sensei, imho, is quite right on his feeling concerning this issue, more importantly for the beginning student than for the intermediate and above student. Possibly, it's important for the beginning student to keep their focus targeted under one instructor and in one style of the MA. Why? Learning anything, and the MA is included, is difficult for the advanced student, but even more so for the beginning student. Everything is so brand new, albeit, so alien across the board to grasp an understanding as to what in the world is happening on the floor. However, the decision, imho, is that of the student, and not the instructor. That's the beauty of the MA journey; it's for the individual, and this also means that any discovery is best left to the individual to reach by themselves after they've given everything a serious consideration.

It's the old saying... A black belt in one style/dojo is a green belt in another!! Standards, imho, are valid only within the style/school/governing body. There's such a wide variety, pin-pointing to an overall standard is impossible. Why? Because styles, schools, and governing bodies, at times, can't agree on the most basic of things let alone the complexity of rank standards. Everyone wants to the the Chief and no one wants to be the Indian...to use a well known saying.

I've heard it said before by many that grapplers can't jam techniques while on the ground, and to that I continue to say....grapplers are jamming techniques all day long, and you showed it by jamming the triangle effectively, as it should be. In Shindokan, our guard pass is quite similar at each of the phases that you demonstrated in your video. Btw, EXCELLENT video, as always. I do wish, at times that you'd show the application normal speed, either at the beginning or the end of your videos, even though your video is for learning the nuances of said application/technique. You're an excellent instructor, through and through. Btw, I think I've asked this of you before, but, what camera do you use? Thanks for sharing, Alex!!

Also, Brian, when you and I trained together, do you remember that I had you train with drill #4?? We used the pad from a Wavemaster to facilitate the drill. You caught onto it quite fast, which didn't surprise me because your "Aha" light came on quickly, and stayed on. I was impressed!!

I noticed this as I finished reading your drills, and I agree with you completely. When I train with in DT sessions, I always teach not to go backwards. Too much bad can happen. Very good article, Bob, I enjoyed reading it. I like the details on the use of space. In DT club, we tell the students that there are two things we do with space; we make it, or we take it away. I see the same with your words here. Excellent stuff, Bob! Thanks, Brian!! And yes, we have to be the one to manage the space and not our opponent. If we allow the opponent to manage any given space, then we're fighting their game, and not ours.