sensei8

Congrats to everyone at your dojo, aurik. Thank you for sharing the pictures. I believe that Zach is right on course, and that he'll do just fine. ZACH...you hang in there; train hard and train well!!

I understand your plight to the Nth degree, and having said that, you've a solid Kyu understanding already. My concern is that without training under the watchful eye of an instructor, your techniques will stymie because they won't mature, and maturing in one's techniques is paramount to one's effectiveness. Imho!!

No, it's out on Netflix now. I've got the first two episodes down, and so far, so good. Chozen is a lot of fun so far.Sounds good to me. Thank you. Brian!! My son, Nathan, tells me today that he has already watched the entire new season. Better late than never.

I thought that the N E W season did NOT start until early 2023

Every day in every Martial Arts school worldwide there’s not one student and/or one Chief Instructor and their teaching staff that haven’t ever uttered the most depraving words know to humanity regarding to the learning and/or teaching the Martial Arts to themselves and/or to those in the sound of their voice…IMPOSSIBLE!! Oh, whatever it is, if it’s involving the Martial Arts, it has a nagging and nasty habit in making everything Martial Arts seem quite impossible to achieve, as though one’s abilities, in any regard, has a shelf life of its own that’s about to expire or has already expired. However!! But!! These words negate any possibilities before they ever can achieve any positive altitude. “You’ve got what it takes. But…” “There’s nothing that you can’t achieve. However…” Oftentimes, and with malicious intent, these words can destroy right down to the core of anyone. Say what you mean and mean what you say. IM-POSSIBLE!! I'm Possible!! They say it’s impossible!! HA!! I say to that…I’m Possible!! They say that it’s impossible to pass the Testing Cycle…HA…I’m Possible!! They say that it’s impossible to own/operate a MA school and/or be its CI…HA…I’m Possible!! They say that it’s impossible to train in the MA…HA…I’m Possible!! They say that it’s impossible to earn a Black Belt or any other rank…HA…I’m Possible!! Impossible!?! HA!! To all of the doubters...I’m Possible!!

Operation London Bridges!! Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned over the U.K. for 70 years, dies at 96. Her family was at her bedside. Charles is now King Charles III. My sincerest prayers and condolences to her family as well as to the people of the U.K. this sad and mournful time. RIP Queen Elizabeth II!!

And we've missed your viewpoints across the board as well. Whatever time allows you to share your viewpoints here at KF, I will take it.

Got to follow the methodology and ideology of the style one's training in. I respect that. Strange that hips are not trained in post-Shodan because no hips are akin to having no power. Imho!!

The gi's that I've seen Century MA Supplies sell that have pockets were actually tailored in such a way that they could be worn in and out of the dojo; they looked just like a pair of jeans with pockets and a built-in gusseted crotch. What Century has now is a 10oz Middleweight Brushed Cotton Traditional Waist WITH SIDE POCKETS priced at $74. No back pockets, just side pockets. They've also Krav Maga, Bruce Leet Uniform, and Little Ninja Uniform that all have side pockets. It appears that the jeans Century once carried are no longer available, and for the trivia interested, Check Norris modeled them for Century's Catalog. AWMA's ProForce pants line have SIDE POCKETS, no back pockets. Priced around $30 to $60

Even while just practicing said Kata, the Kata needs to come alive, and not having the mundaneness of just going through its actions. Returning its liveliness as well as its hip engagement will make the world of difference in said Kata. Run throughs that lack its hips and liveliness are fine for a run through, but after that, it's time then to brush off all of its cobwebs and execute said Kata as though one's life depended on it.

Congratulations to you and your Nidan friend on being brave enough to open your own school. While all of the authority belongs to the CI, so does the responsibility, and never taken lightly. Student Body before the needs of the CI. The CI is ready to the CI when THAT CI decides to, no matter what anypne might say, especially any Governing Body. That's one of the reasons that my Soke separated himself from the powers that be in Okinawa because he wanted to call his own shots. I waited until I was a Sandan before I opened my dojo, and with that I became the CI, which was funny because I was the ONLY instructor for some time. Chief? Chief of what? Of myself? Just tickles me to this day. You both as well as your Student Body will be fine. In time, the school and the Student Body will grow, and I believe that both are very fortunate to have your both as their CI.

Well deserved, Alex, for sure!!

I wholeheartedly agree with Brian. If you've any aspirations of one day being a CI of your own dojo, you're on the right track. Even if you've no aspirations of ever owning/operating your own dojo, you're still on the right track. You've the abilities to still teach, and the only thing separating you from teaching the more advanced classes is, you got it, more knowledge and experience, of which you will achieve in its appropriate time. Keep doing what you're doing. From what I've read is that you've the heart of a teacher, and having that true heart is quite important because you have to want to be on that floor day/night in and day/night out with that same fire and vigor in order to catch the desires of the Student Body. If teaching appeals to you because not everyone can teach. Train hard and train well. You got this.

I don't want anyone's approval, but I'd appreciate support without having to fit into their expectations first, and if I don't fit into their expectations as they want, then to that person, I'M NOT ENOUGH!! The very end of that quote is where people feed those around them that no matter what one does, it's NOT ENOUGH!! NO!! I'M ENOUGH!! Not because someone said so, but because I SAID SO!! I'm not on this planet to please anyone, especially everyone, so my trying to please some of the people in any capacity to feed their ego is not healthy. I'M ENOUGH!! I walked in a dojo, and that's NOT ENOUGH!?! I still continue to walk into a dojo, and that's NOT ENOUGH!?! I train in a dojo, but because I've hit a plateau, everything before I hit that plateau, I'm NOT ENOUGH!?! I'm just a student, and that's NOT ENOUGH!?! Yesterday, today, and tomorrow I'M ENOUGH!! Before I decided to train in the MA, I'M ENOUGH!! When, and if, I ever stop training in the MA, I'M ENOUGH!! No matter the results of any Testing Cycle, I'M ENOUGH!! If I decide to not attend a Testing Cycle, I'M ENOUGH!! I'm a Senior Dan practitioner of the MA, guess what, I'M ENOUGH without it. I can't sing, but I'M ENOUGH!! I'm not a doctor, but I'M ENOUGH!! I can't draw, but I'M ENOUGH!! I'm not a CEO, but I'M ENOUGH!! I'm not a lot of things, but I'm ENOUGH!! All I can do is my best, and if my best isn't the best, well, I'M STILL ENOUGH!!

Yes, I agree with Brian...it's great to see your contributions again, Zaine!!

More than often, MAists have been served on a very cold plate one big fat misunderstanding both on and off the floor. MAists are pushed and probed that they need more than themselves. Much of the blame lays upon the mighty dollar. That mighty dollar can be thrusted into any vessel and then decorated in such a way that that vessel looks not only inviting but swallowed as though that bobble is a must have and a must be at any cost. Including integrity. Rank is the evilness that it truly is, and because of that, I place rank as the most wanted thing in any MA school. It’s not an illusion. It’s a real thing that keeps harping itself anyway that it can. Labels can be a great thing until that great thing becomes more of an obsession to possess than what it really is. Labels can also be something to hide behind, but alas, the floor reveals the truth but only if one can be perfectly honest with themselves. For as long as I can remember, I’m always encouraging my students to believe in themselves on and off the floor. Testing Cycles, relating to Ranks, will always take care of themselves, so as a student, they just need to not worry about any Testing Cycle; they’re just not that important. If you never become a black belt, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never earn a MA Honorific Shogo Title, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never earn another rank and/or title; YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never win any tournaments, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never become a part of the Hierarchy in you styles Governing Body, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never become a Chief Instructor, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never open your own MA school, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If your never receive another promotion, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! If you never ever earn anything beyond what you’ve already honestly earned in the MA, YOU ARE ENOUGH…LIKE YOU ARE!! You do not need all of those labels; YOU ARE ENOUGH!! Being yourself should always be enough. Without getting to religious, God made YOU, and guess what?? YOU ARE ENOUGH!! He made you; you’re His child, so guess what?? YOU ARE ENOUGH…LIKE YOU ARE!! Things come to those who diligently, patiently, and strive for, however, if it never happens again, YOU ARE ENOUGH!! I believe that once a person embraces the fact that without whatever it is that one's searching for that that person IS ENOUGH, the person will be able to much more effective as a person, and even as a MAist. Sure, it’s easy for someone like me to embrace that which I’m sharing with you because I’ve been blessed greatly during my 55 years on the floor, but as hard as it might be to believe, without all of that stuff, I’M ENOUGH!! Imho.

Well, I still remember Karate Chess or was it Chess Karate. Anyhow, I obviously don't have one shred of imagination and/or creativity whatsoever to be able to come up with an effective way of competition that eliminates any current scoring platform. Perhaps, just perhaps, the only point that can be awarded without any ambiguity would be when said opponent is felled to the ground by said technique. Knocking someone to the ground is not only visual, but also definitive.

Per the webmaster, I'm not authorized to view. How rude.

Then, Tsutomu Oshima has to be JCVDs Shotokan lineage. Solid lineage!!

Sounds to me like you're new gi purchase is a smashing success all the way around. I've never purchased any gi's from the company you mention, but they sound like at least worthy of a look at. Enjoy the new gi!!

This might help to answer some of your questions. Check it out... https://web.archive.org/web/20060405094621/http://www.jeanclaudevandamme.net/articles.htm

I believe that it would catch on like a brush fire. Put a table up at a tournament, small or big, and you just might be spending your days counting your million dollars. After all, the inventor of the Pet Rock, laughed all the way to the bank.

Thank you so very much, Zaine for your support and thoughts during this fight. Often times I think about my KF family and what we've all been through, whether it be good or bad, and how we band together supporting one another sincerely. Doing our best for one another, doing what's morally right for one another. A supportive word does go a long way, and is as important as medicine can be. In my lowest times up moments, and I've had tons of them these past two years, you, my KF family have helped me pull up my bootstraps, and have reminded me that 7 times down, 8 times up is not just a catch phrase, but that it has teeth. Thank you, Zaine!! Thank you all!!

Over the decades I've seen pockets come and go. Century MA Supplies once had blue jeans that had a built-in gusset and pockets. For your reasons, I do think pockets in the gi pants is a functional purpose. Imho, tradition seems to trump pockets in gi pants because they buck culture designs of the gi pants. I say...POCKETS...or at least POCKET!!

Thank you, Brian for your friendship, support and love!!