sensei8

No matter the style, no matter the practitioner, sometimes, the end of ones time on the floor ends, for one reason or another. I'm speaking about those who've been on the floor for 30 or 40 or 50 solid years. Then, WHAM. They're forced off the floor for one horrific reason or another!! My end is NOT at hand, at this time!! But when one has to walk away from the floor, what's for the MAist to do? Walking away, isn't a thing that one wants to think about, especially after having been on the floor for so long. Practitioners like this knows every inch of the hardwood, they know every smell, every nook and cranny of the floor. Quitting isn't in the paragraph of any long time resident of the floor. They've bleed, cried, and sweated buckets trying to answer that old question..."What's next?" Does one write, host, teach on the side, fish, bowl, golf, garden, rock on the porch, punt, or kick?? Age creeps up uninvited, and what once was polished, now needs polishing, more now than ever. The creaking is no longer that loose floor board in the corner, but it's ones aged knees instead. Does one fight on, or does on finally have to admit to a more lesser schedule, or bow off the floor all together for the last time?? Your thoughts, please!!

So much so that I bought it. Thanks!!

I'd say...yeah, a great example!!

First of all, welcome to KF, glad you're here!! I believe that it would almost be impossible to generate a list of "McDojo's" because they're not going to be listed that way in any know phone book/directory that I'm aware of. Imho, the only way to know for yourself is to visit said schools of the MA and begin your own list for you to refer to.

Not if one is punching properly, as you've mentioned. The MMA gloves look like a shorter version of what Bruce wore in Enter The Dragon. After the movie aired, one could buy a glove just like that. I did. What I didn't like was that the glove was thick all over. However, I couldn't fully close either fist completely, and I didn't like that at all. I'd be aware of that as well with the MMA gloves. Hopefully, modern technology has fixed that. It isn't so much the punching you have to worry about with the fingers, as it is the blocking. Many styles, and many people, in general, do a lot of open-handed blocking. That is what leaves the fingers vulnerable to injury while wearing open-handed gloves. I've seen the Bruce Lee gloves, and thought they were very interesting, but seemed like you probably couldn't make a proper fist. Modern MMA gloves don't have that problem, if they fit properly and are made properly. Solid post!!

Prehapse it's just my school? I'll double check, but Id like the idea of being able to throw more hand techniques to the head, makes it more realistic. I will say this, sometimes when we have more beginner competitors, I've heard judges tell both sides to use basic techniques. Could it possibly be a case of this? I concur with this, as well!!

Personally? I've not. My Soke, founded Shindokan Saitou-ryu in 1950 while he was living in Nanjo, Okinawa.

Congrats and well deserved!!

Not if one is punching properly, as you've mentioned. The MMA gloves look like a shorter version of what Bruce wore in Enter The Dragon. After the movie aired, one could buy a glove just like that. I did. What I didn't like was that the glove was thick all over. However, I couldn't fully close either fist completely, and I didn't like that at all. I'd be aware of that as well with the MMA gloves. Hopefully, modern technology has fixed that.

Solid post!! Generally speaking, for the most part, Sandan is the desired requirement at most governing bodies; it is at our Hombu. I didn't open my first dojo UNTIL I was a Sandan. However, I've seen a few dojo's being run by Ikkyu's. How do they test? Up to a certain point, they're own instructor runs said testing cycle for the Ikkyu's. I've even seen a dojo in Weatherford, TX that was ran by an Nikyu. There's no law that regulates this, so I suppose, anyone at any rank can open them a dojo/dojang/etc!! In this, I also suppose that it's all about the consumer be aware.

While my son, Nathan isn't involved in any MA, he's a special needs adult who can hoop with the best of them. Him being a special needs individual, it's opened my eyes for quite along time. I've not many special needs students, but they're the apple of the dojo's eyes!! Not all BB's can teach, and not all BB's can teach kids, and not all BB's can teach special needs kids/adults!! Patience at all times!! Learn the diagnose before trying to teach. If it's not possible, then have a liaison on the floor, if necessary as a last resort. Give certain special needs students "discipline", you'll be in for a wake up call...fast!! My wife's a teacher at elementary school, and she can attest to that; she's the bruises!! PATIENCE; big criteria, imho.

I respectfully step away from the conversation because as I've said before, the business of the Hombu is THAT Hombu's business alone!! I bow to his reasons, and I bow to the content of his letter!!

Before class? Sure, but how soon before class? If class is about to start, NO, I'll be leading the warm-ups, and for me, that'll suffice. If there's time before class, sure. I'll hit the bags or the WC Dummy or skip rope or jumping jacks and the like, or something to get the blood flowing.

Huh? There are tournaments, nowadays, that limit hand techniques to the head? Modern times are strange, to me. In my tournament days, I believe that those are used THE MOST in competitions. Each of these waza's are the bread and butter of tournament competitions and the like. Imho, they're the easiest waza's to launch off towards said targets. I've used them each with great success, and of them all, the reverse punch is money across the board. What helps is that one's got the speed to pull them off!! More difficult to land? Depends on the practitioner, imho.

Ditto!! Thanks for sharing it!!

Congrats to your son for making the WKU USA National Team!! Be well versed in the rules and regulations! First and foremost, imho. After that, if it were me, I'd not worry about anything else because even though the tournament is held in another country, to me, it's all the same. My kata's will be solid, and my kumite will be solid. Try to not let the air of excitement by being in another country effect your executions across the board. Do your best in every division that you compete in. After that, let the tournament take care of itself, have fun, and train hard.

To the bold type above... Years of experience?? I ask because most tournaments nowadays ask ones experience level and not belt color.

And the more training you do, the better you'll feel all around. However, like anything else, there will be the days when things don't go so, well, ok. Over the many years, you should have more good than bad days.

Cheesefrysamurai and andym...Solid posts!!

Seniors that promote themselves, imho, must have some very lonely conversations with themselves. The support of self and the approval of self lacks the validity of said promotions, imho. They've their reasons to do so, and for the life of me I can't understand, nor do I agree with their actions. But, that's my problem. They don't report to me, and they surely don't need my approval.

Reading the dialogue between you two, it reminded me of what our Hombu has endured ever since Soke and Dai-Soke passed away, respectively 2008 and 2010. I've aired this over the many years here at KF, and I did that because I needed fresh ideas and minds that were outside of the Shindokan circle, and it's a sensitive area, to say the least. I've refused many promotions from Dai-Soke for both personal as well as professional reasons. He understood my reasons and he respected my wishes without any ambiguity whatsoever. I feel that I'd like to say, and this might not be the situation at your Hombu, and it wasn't the situation at our Hombu either, but the successor doesn't have to be the highest rank. No!! I can't stand politics but you know what, they're there for a reason, and the reason is suppose to increase the betterment of the student body. To protect the student body!! When the student body is no longer more important than the hierarchy, then something has to be changed/fixed. Sorry, for putting myself in your conversation, and my intent was to let you know that I understand, and that I sympathize with the plight that you're all facing. I've been there before, and it was a roller-coaster of a ride, to say the least. What a Hombu does is no ones business except those of said Hombu!!

Being as this was posted about a year ago, ill give you an updated...as I became more versed in Shotokan, i've started to successfully be able to implement the techniques, it took a lot of work to get out my comfort zone, but it's been worth it. I've learned so much more, for both MMA striking and kickboxing, it's helped my left handed game (i'm a righty) significantly, and it's made me fall in love with martial arts all over again. What you said about the it taking awhile for the fruits of my work to be enjoyed, you were spot on it...it did take me a while, but it's been so worth it. My mind has been opened now to so many things now, it's been quite a great journey! This is what I'm talking about, I'm so very proud of your progress. The great thing about that is that, there's so much more ahead in your MA training. I'm glad that you see that the "blocking" is actually a deflection, no matter the core, imho!! I'm glad that I was able to help you; it's my honor!! Now, you go rock and roll and you train HARD!!

Cardio is critical, imho, and that's why I put some serious training in it. As I get older, I change, not the vehicle, but I change the gears, and a lot of that has to do with my doctor. Yes, I cheat on doctor order but I don't veer to far away. My running has been replaced with swimming/laps, walking on treadmills, rowing machines, jump roping, medicine balls, and stationary bikes. If the machine is able to increase the incline, the better. I also push around a big truck tire; lately it's killing me!! Maybe I need a smaller truck tire, if there's such a thing. Circuit training has been my friend for more years than I can remember. But, I've tailored that down a tad by shortening the time through not visiting as many machines at each and every "beep" I hear. I'll do 10, where I use to do 15 machines. I can't force my students to do cardio, they have to want it. Yeah, I nag them to death, but I won't make it mandatory. Why? They've a life outside of the dojo, and I respect that. Sometimes age gets in the way...sometimes.