sensei8

With only about 1 more month to play in their 162 game season, it’s getting gritty down to the wire. My Yankees find themselves in 3rd place in the American League behind the Blue Jays and the Red Sox; we’re nipping at the heels of Toronto and Boston but it’ll not be easy to surpass them. Here’s what’s happening as far as the playoffs are concerned, according to Yahoo Sports… MLB playoff picture: National League Division leaders: NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers (81-50) NL East: Philadelphia Phillies (76-54) NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers/San Diego Padres (74-57) Wild-card teams: Wild card No. 1: Chicago Cubs (76-55) Wild card No. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers/San Diego Padres (74-57) Wild card No. 3: New York Mets (69-61) MLB playoff picture: American League Division leaders: AL Central: Detroit Tigers (78-54) AL East: Toronto Blue Jays (76-55) AL West: Houston Astros (72-59) Wild card teams: Wild card No. 1: Boston Red Sox (71-60) Wild card No. 2: New York Yankees (70-60) Wild card No. 3: Seattle Mariners (70-61) Red October looks promising for my Yankees however, nothing’s guaranteed for my boys in pinstripes. How’s your team faring as we near Red October?!?

No comments?!? No discussions?! All opinions welcomed!!

In addition, in Shindokan, we move when the attacker moves. We don’t wait for the attack to reach us because, in our opinion, that’s not the proper way to control the fight. >A+B= Ineffective/A waits for B to reach A >AXB=Effectiveness/A moves whenever B moves

Yes, I believe that Miguel would have master contacts in Japan. It’d be worth the phone call, that’s for sure. You’re welcome about the belt reminder!!

Key factors about Shindokan: 1) We never block an attack 2) We want to get behind our attackers 3) We want to be very close to our attacker 4) We don’t back up Today, I briefly want to address key factor #1: We never block an attack; we deflect said attack. Dai-Soke describes how we execute our Uke, deflection, in an interesting analysis. He says the Shindokan Deflection is similar to catching a football. A) Position Your Body Correctly!! Poor body position will greatly affect your effectiveness. Therefore, one’s focus should be towards improving your position. Your position should be facing directly towards your attacker. Why?? Shortest answer: Shortest path between two points is a straight line; anything else is unnecessary. B) Position Your Hands Correctly!! With your arms in front of you at a 45 degree angle network. Network for us means that your upper body and hands are in agreement. Whether you’re in a front facing, half-front facing, or side facing posture. In short, your position and hands should not be like you’re playing a game of Twister. C) Catch The Attack!! Hand usages are not arbitrary nor are they suggestions. Rather they’re directives towards to either accepting said deflection or seizing said attack. When deflecting, ones directing said attacking force where you want it to finish. Therefore you’re hands aide you to catch said attack. When thereafter, you seize the attack immediately either by with your hand(s) or your arm(s) or with your hand(s) and arm(s). Our strong desire is to not use our hands to seize said attack because a free hand is unlimited, while a engaged hand is limited; we hate to seize ourselves while we’re trying to seize said attacker. D) Tuck The Attack!! To control our attacker during a close range attack, we must tuck the attack like a football player would after they catch/receive the football. A football player doesn’t want that football to get away because if they do, either a incompletion or fumble will result. Well, once we deflect, we want to control, and to control we must tuck said attack into me, not away from me but making said attack a part of my body so my attacker doesn’t get away from me. All of those factors take minuscule amounts of time to execute. Our goal in any Uke for us is the setup that helps us to get behind our attacker. Shortly, I’ll briefly address key factor #2 about Shindokan: Getting Behind Our Attacker.

Humans has been attempting to replace humans one way or another. Whether it’s practical or fantasy, you see it a lot in movies and such. Some of this desire is to make life much easier for us humans. Granted , that sounds good to me but I love to work and do things for myself. Interested if in the far future that we’ll have robots that are like Data from Star Trek: Next Generation?!? I’m old school because, well, I’m old!!

The first World Humanoid Robot Games began Friday last week in Beijing at the 12,000-seater National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics ROBOTS…yes…ROBOTS…but not just ordinary robots, but humanoid robots, has finally concluded. More than 500 humanoid robots in 280 teams from 16 countries, including the U.S., Germany and Japan have wrapped up 3 days in its very first games, like Olympic type games, but not without any technical difficulties. Games like soccer, track and field, tennis, boxing, and more. Rock-N-Sockem Robots has come to fruition. It was only a matter of time!!

Pre-Season game #2 is a done deal for my wife’s Raiders with a pre-season record of 0-1-1. Yesterday we went to the one and only 2025 pre-season game as the Raiders hosted the 49ers; red shirts were everywhere. Both teams battled back and forth with 1 TD each along with the rest being field goals. Stadium was nearly sold-out. For a second there, I surrendered to another tie game. BUT Nnnnoooooooooooo!! With a 49ers interception with under a minute to play, the 49ers began their drive. However, 3 plays later, the 49ers were driving…backwards!! The tie I was hoping for, after all, a tie is better than a lose…I suppose, was not to be. With 3 seconds, if my memory serves me well, the 49ers split the uprights with a 58 yard field goal for the ‘W’. Final score: 49ers 22…Raiders 19 It was a great game!! GO COWBOYS!! (Cowboys lost their 2nd pre-season game yesterday to the Ravens: 31-13…we got smashed) [I’d tried to post some photos I took with my phone but I STILL don’t know how to do that…sorry…I’m not tech savvy at all]

Ouch!! Tell us what you really think!!

Miguel Da Luz - founder of the Okinawa Traditional Karate Liaison Bureau (OTKLB). Miguel has lived in Okinawa a long time…20 years or more. Miguel would be the main contact between you and any given Okinawa Master; I’d say his list of Okinawa Master is the who’s who of Okinawa Masters. If you are a black belt holder, it is recommended that you bring both black and white belts: you should wear a white belt first. If sensei urges you to wear your black belt, only then you can wear it. Good luck!! (EDIT: Auto Spell hates me)

Congrats, Revario; well deserved!!

I’m going to figure out how to do the Taxi/Wolf whistle. I have to become it’s been on my bucket list for far too long long. Btw, I love the name Wolf Whistle much more than Taxi; sounds pretty cool to me.

One of my most frustrating things that I deeply regret at 67 years old is… I STILL can’t do the taxi whistle!! Whether it’s the two-finger or 4-finger or without fingers in my mouth, all I get is a headache and a sore jaw and lips. I use to be able the hand-cupped whistle whenever I was a teen, but no more. I’ve watched a countless YouTube videos to learn how to do the loud taxi whistle with no success. I can regular whistle without a problem; I can whistle a tune. How am I going to hail a taxi if I can’t do the loud whistle?!? No, buying a whistle isn’t an option. Can you do the loud taxi whistle?!? What non-martial arts regrets do you have?!?

First let me say that I believe that by the time that one earns a black belt, that practitioner possesses within them the power to inflict upon another human being a great amount of suffering. After all, we martial artists are not learning how to bake, no, we’re taught to be very effective in defending family, friends, the innocents, and of course, ourselves in a timely manner. Earning a black belt should not be treated as though it’s some kind of trophy to brag about, but remaining humble through respect, reverence and honor. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely", and this is true if the earning of black belt is misunderstood and misused. Earning a black belt can get in your head, and therefore, it can begin to corrupt the practitioner. “With great power comes great responsibilities”; power is to not be used for wrong and should not be exploited at will. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked". We martial arts instructors have both the privilege as well as the responsibility towards our Student Body, of which, we shouldn’t ever take that what we’ve been entrusted with lightly. As a black belt, our moral compass demands that our responsibility is directly proportionate to our power. Where there is great power there is great responsibility, where there is less power there is less responsibility, and where there is no power there can be no responsibility. No matter the rank, responsibility exists!! Imho.

You’re more right than wrong!!

Thank the Lord that the pre-season W-L doesn’t count…WHEW!! Why?? My Cowboys lost to the hosting Rams…31-21. CO COWBOYS!!

I do admit that my usage of “stay in your lane” was uncalled for. I surely could’ve said something much more positive. I took a cheap shot and I do regret that. Forgive me. I was taught that students should not earn a Shodan until the age of 18 years old. Primary reason was that those students under the age of 18 years old were not mature enough to handle the responsibilities of earning a Shodan. Whether or not if this mindset is right or wrong, imho, is something that will never satisfy either side of that discussion…It is what it is. I greatly took offense to not being allowed to earn my Shodan because of my age. As a JBB, we were strongly encouraged to train as though we were adults because that’s how he trained everyone. In training his JBB’s, he didn’t see age, no.. he saw a black belt and trained accordingly. Dai-Soke continued training us very hard and because of that, I earned my Sandan before I should have. Why?? As Dai-Soke put it…”You’re ready; you’ve been ready.” Because of how Dai-Soke approached how he taught his JBB’s, is how I trained all of my JBB’s. Dai-Soke believed that obtaining knowledge and experience isn’t reserved for adult students only. Heck NO!! Dai-Soke never restricted our learning curve whatsoever, and because of that, neither did I. I respect you; I always have, and I always will!! I pray that I’ve not lost any respect that you might’ve once had for me because of my poor choice of words.

After talking to all parties involved and lathering the necessary information, and I believe there’s enough evidence that a falsehood has occurred, all parties would be dismissed from the tournament, all involved matches where the guilty has been assigned to would be reassigned, and the guilty would be receive a lifetime banishment would be imposed immediately for cause. Of course, if there wasn’t enough evidence to justify said accusation, then nothing would be done. I’d then speak with whomever had initiated the enquirer, explain my findings, and thank them for their time .Any tournament wherever I was its arbitrator never verified rank. If said competitor isn’t a black belt, for example, and they want to sign up to the appropriate black belt division, and run the risk of getting their lunch handed to them, then so be it. However, if a case of rank abuse is proven, that competitor will be removed, affected matches reassigned, and a lifetime banishment would be imposed immediately for cause. Most, if not all, tournaments don’t verify rank, who they trained with, or said dojo was legitimate; tournaments put their competitors on a honor system…innocent until proven guilty. Local tournaments, unfortunately, are the breeding grounds for what the OP is talking about. Proof is on the floor!! I’ve removed competitors from the floor if after watching them I don’t feel that they’re what they are claiming to be. Integrity is everything!! I’ve not either the time and/or the inclination for those who don’t posses one iota of integrity. That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?!?

It’s very true that the pre-season games shouldn’t be taken seriously because those games don’t count as far as standings are concerned. Those games are more for the coaches than us fans. I don’t watch pre-season games either but when your wife is a die-hard Raiders fan and says that we’re going to watch a Raiders pre-season game, then guess what I’m gonna do? Exactly!! I’m going to watch the Raiders pre-season games whether I like it or not. Remember, a happy wife, is a happy life. Speaking about Raiders pre-season games, my wife, Linda, our son, Nathan, and myself are going to Allegiant Stadium here in Las Vegas, NV next Saturday to watch live the Raiders VS 49ers pre-season game. Why?? Because my wife wants to finally see a live Raiders game and pre-season game tickets here are far more affordable than regular game tickets. I’d rather see the Raiders VS Cowboys regular season game live in October but, sheesh, lowest ticket for that game is $500 per ticket…ah…NO…I don’t think so. So, Raiders VS 46ers pre-season game is a done deal. Linda had the nerve to try to get me to wear a Raiders Tropical Black and Silver sun hat to the game. I told her that will never happen!! I’m gonna wear my Cowboy hard hat, so poo-poo!! GO COWBOYS!!

Raiders VS Seahawks pre-season game ending in a 23-23 tie. Not a bad game on both sides of the ball. Raiders demonstrated that they just might have a better season this year as opposed to previous seasons. Maybe!! My Cowboys will be traveling to California for their first pre-season against the Rams August 9, 2025. I can only hope that my Cowboys will demonstrate the same strength as my wife’s Raiders did yesterday. Maybe!!

Perhaps ESPN is taking over the world like Disney. ESPN will start streaming WWE Raw and all PLE in 2026; Netflix honeymoon with WWE is apparently short lived.

That’s sure does sound like an unfavorable situation. Sorry you have to endure that, and nobody should. I don’t envy the situation you are in. There are those who bend to the will of others. As though the statement of, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, applies to MA training…and imho, that statement does NOT apply to MA training. Short of it all, if you’re not happy, go somewhere else. Learning will be affected drastically by staying where you’re not happy. Here’s the bad news. That sensei doesn’t have to get on the same page with you across the board. As the student, you have to get on the page with that sensei across the board. You came to him, he didn’t come to you. As crazy as this sounds, it is what it is in a lot of MA schools. That school is a business, you’re the customer. If you’re not satisfied with the service that that school is providing, voice your concerns to that sensei, but no not whine. That still might be a waste of time, from what you’ve described about that sensei. No sensei is THAT good where you have to be unhappy in your training and put up with a one-sided relationship. Rank gets in the way of everything, especially for those who put rank above all things. Those who think that they’re all that and a bag of chips are a lost cause. The reality for those that put rank above all things lack a lot of important things, like self-esteem, to begin with. They lack a billion tons of humbleness across the board!! Being humble escapes them in the Nth degree. Just because someone’s a human being doesn’t mean that they know how to be a human being!! That’ll not solve anything!! Learning will still be greatly affected; not a good way to learn. Remember, you’re the student, but I hear what you’re saying. If this is where you want to be, then try your best to work it out. Grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Every MA school is going to have pros and cons, there’s no avoiding them. How you deal with these issues tells a lot about one’s character. Does the sensei in question lack integrity?!? If so, dump him fast!! If his integrity is solid and intact, then decide whether you should stay or leave his school. I’ll compromise with a student, but that has its limits. If the student is worth my effort, that student tries and is respectful, then I’ll compromise, but only to a point!! If the student isn’t worth my time, doesn’t put forth any effort and is disrespectful, I’ll kick that student to the curb in a flash. I’d NEVER EVER compromise my integrity for anyone…that’ll never ever happen!! Imho!!

Let me add or reiterate these words from a Army Captain who fought in WW2, that might make better sense… “The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.” Ronald Speirs, Lieutenant Colonel, Army, Retired