sensei8

Sounds great!! Please, keep us updated!! Will Do. First class is tomorrow. Good luck!!

Speak for yourself! Everybody learns at different paces. I totally agree - in fact, it's the difficulty or struggle that in my opinion helps develop the humility found in a true master! Solid post!!

I'm sure that many of us, if not all of us, at one time or another, whether they want to admit to it or not, have done that exact same thing!!

Now, that's funny...loved it...thanks for it!!

Nice article, thank you for it!! It's a general description of Kyusho jitsu, imho!! Your last paragraph, "The Reality", seems to approach pressure points as a naysayer of its effectiveness. There, you've lost faith and when you lose faith, then you've lost the altercation before its even started. "The successful use of pressure point attacks should be treated as extra credit, rather than the end goal or you can end up in deeper water when you try to use them." I'm a proponent of Kyusho jitsu, and its effectiveness. I believe in it. That means, if I want a altercation to end with a pressure point, I WILL END the altercation with the pressure point of my choice!! Now, I understand that not all pressure points are easier to manipulate than others, but nonetheless, these pressure points are medically proven to exist, and these points can be easily researched in many medical books and the like; these pressure points are there. One has to find them. If a point can't be manipulated, there are reasons as to why, but, imho, I believe that the core problem isn't if said points are effective or exist, but that the practitioner is why success isn't easily ready. If one doesn't study, train, and/or understand why a point isn't able to submit to any given manipulation, then the battle of the pressure point is already lost before given any chance to succeed. When one point doesn't work, find another one, quick, or resort to something else, quick. You point out valid reasons as to why a point might not be given, but not all valid reasons can be applied to each and every point. Some points will surrender regardless to what prohibits other points; they are there!! I use points equally in and out of the dojo with great success. Why? Because I know exactly what I'm doing in the area of Kyusho jitsu. Why? Because I've trained and studied and been taught how to effectively apply each and every point to what it's meant to be for close to 50 years. However, some points aren't designed to end an altercation, but only to set-up for follow-up techniques that will end said altercation. Release points are not the same thing as debilitating points, and these are not the same as control points either; they're not suppose to be!!

Very well said, Heidi, very well said!!

First of all...welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! You're going to hate my answer, but... The pros and cons...are going to vary from practitioner to another. I'm not a Shotokan karateka, therefore, you can find many that are here at KF, and I don't doubt that they'll be here shortly to help you. I've shared the floor with a many Shotokan karateka's and I find them affable and effective in the execution of their MA. I tend to address those who train in Shotokan as quick and direct in their manner as well as in their MA. Personally, I enjoy sharing the floor with them! No matter what style of the MA that you look into, you'll see, hear, read, a wide myriad of opinions, and that's to be expected because MAists are compassionate about their style and the styles of others. The way to find out is to visit the local dojo's of those styles that interest you to see things for yourself. Visit more than once, and visit different classes, and of course, ask for a trial lesson to get a tiny taste of what they have to offer. Deeply consider what it is that you're looking for and see if they meet your expectations!! Good luck, and please, let us know what you decide! Thanks!

Sounds great!! Please, keep us updated!!

Congrats on your promotion...well deserved!!

Your M.I. will do just fine with evaluating and charting everyone's progress before, during, and after each and every testing cycle. From what you've posted about your M.I., he sounds like his head is not in the clouds, but where it needs to be.

I agree with yamesu... Speak with your instructor. Nonetheless, what you train in at home is your business, but what you wear in his/her dojo, that's for your instructor to say.

Glad to hear that you and your son were at the even!! Glad to know that you support him in the manner that you do, not all parents show that level of involvement. Sorry to hear that he didn't medal, but the experience will never be forgotten easily. His time to medal will be there, when that time is at hand, and no sooner!! The environment at these type of events, for me, can be quite magical for all who attend, and not just for the competitors alone. Thank you for sharing this with us!!

We all know...our kicks can reach further than our punches in order to attack or defend. So, I can see why Olympic style of sparring is the way it is; more kicks than punches. GM Young Ik Suh was very able to punch and grapple and so on and so forth, a TKD GM to be reckoned with!!

Imho...LEAVE THE HEADGEAR ON!! Concussions and the like are nothing to sneeze at. Even the NFL is looking at improving the helmet to reduce the number of concussions that infect that sport.

I've never meet a business that didn't want to make a profit. Even non-profit want to make a profit. There's nothing wrong with a MA school wanting to make a profit because that's why they opened up their doors...to make profit!! How a school of the MA makes its profit, well, that's another thing. Some are well intended and others are not!!

And when pressure points don't work...one better have a reliable back up, and quick!! Here's my broken record... If a pressure point doesn't work...the most reliable culprit is the practitioner. These pressure points are verified my medical science, and not by the MA in general. Can't manipulate the darn thing, then go back to the floor until you can consistently...it's there...find it!! Still can't, then don't try that point ever again!!

I don't think that I can top Shizentai's story...a classic and unforgettable story...one that's got me laughing tell I want to puke...LOVED IT... What I did was more dumb, than awkward, however, in the aftermath of it, I felt quite awkward for having done something so, well, stupid... http://www.karateforums.com/the-day-i-knocked-myself-out-vt36200.html?highlight=head+roof After 50 years, I've had my share of awkward and aha and stupid and then some moments. Some I vividly remember, and others, well, I'd rather forget them.

Loved them!!

Training in both, full-time, would be difficult for most. I suppose the question might also be... Do I NOT start Kung-fu? Adding things from other styles of the MA can never harm because ones MA betterment needs effectiveness added to it. Good luck with it, and at least, go to a free lesson, if they offer it.

Our testing cycle is every three months, and just because they are every three months, that doesn't mean that anyone will be invited to attend; parameters aren't always satisfied!!

For me, a small red keeps blinking. Secret? Hhhmmm!! Nidan Melbourne makes a point... If within your style this kata is legit, then COOL!! However, if your style says the kata is legit, then it's legit!!

Pain thresholds can prevent immediate activities when ones manipulated. The other thing is, and this can be the biggest culprit, not fully knowing how to apply. Medicine is medicine and I don't think that can be disputed. Everyone reacts differently to any manipulation, however, if applied correctly, the ratio is increased. I've heard..."Lucky; that's how pp work", well, I'd say the person that says that or agrees with that, doesn't truly understand Kyusho Jitsu or how to effective apply the most simplest manipulations, imho.

A very well written article, Heidi; you hit the important aspects of Shu Ha Ri. Not all MA who compassionately are taught Shu Ha Ri really get to the core of it, but, I feel that you hit the nail dead on its head. Not to technically involved but enough so that the concept is understood!!

Don't Forget that BMI is not that good at telling us our fat %. As it is rather Inaccurate. Often athletes will receive a high BMI due to the muscle that they have built up. Even though they look healthy, but according to the BMI they are overweight. With Weight Classes don't be pedantic about going down or up more than 1 division. Your reach does NOT affect your weight at all. For me I am 110 kg and 5'8" and my ideal weight is approx 80 kg but I may not get there completely due to what my genetics decide. Solid post!! I think I was trying to say that the Rock, by his high BMI, is considered Obese, and the Rock, is far from that! Still, I do thank you for your post...solid, indeed!!

I agree that promotion through rank should in general be based on progression through a syllabus, but... The point of a karate syllabus is not to teach you moves or dances. The point of a karate syllabus is to teach you how to fight. To promote someone who can do the moves but cannot fight to an appropriate level is demeaning to the school and the art. To withhold rank from a person who can fight above the level of his rank but whose techniques against air is not right because you are effectively holding them back instead of pushing them forward. Now what should happen is that a point of equilibrium is reached where sloppy technique starts to become a hindrance in his fighting and at that point the students rank should be frozen until he makes progress. At that point making the student focus on and develop his basics should lead to clear improvements in the areas in his fighting that are lacking. When that happens he can progress. This will only work if the teacher understands combat and the relationship between fighting and form. So ultimately rank in my view is about grading against yourself but going towards a well defined and understood objective goal of applying martial arts to violent conflict (or sport combat if that's what you want). After that is achieved (post Dan/senior Dan) it's about politics and thus is relative to others, but that side of things is far outside my interest. One final note on syllabus. If the aim of karate is learning to fight (and it really is), then holding someone back from ranking because they can't do certain things is the same as the teacher saying "I can only teach you one way and if it doesn't fit you I can't teach you." Nidan above mentioned not being able to head kick. We'll to me the solution would be to identify what part head kicks play in fighting and provide an alternative that fits the same niche. The same goes for disability (obviously this has limits). There is more than one way to fight and it is the student who gets hurt if the teacher can't or won't adapt to them rather than the other way around. That's a solid post!! You know, I often wish that I was NEVER a Senior Dan...EVER because it's very lonely, even within the Shindokan circle...especially!! It's hard to explain, in words, what I'm feeling right now, one would have to experience it firsthand for themselves.