sensei8

AWESOME points!!

I still just don't know. When there are rules and regulations and the like abound, politics aren't far away/behind. I pray I'm wrong!! Imho!!

As I understand it, in traditional Japanese budo there have been a number of ways to describe "attacker" and "defender" over time. Most Gendai arts today (Judo and Aikido for example) use "Tori" (short for torimi) and "Uke" (short for ukemi) to describe the one that accepts and the one that receives - and in that order. I know, basically the same thing..!! Because it is!!! Ultimately, the ones that accepts and manages the initial attack Tori(mi), turns the table on the bad guy who ends up "receiving it"... BIG TIME - thus - "Uke(mi)" Then in swordmanship you get "uchidachi" (stricking sword) and "uketachi" (receiving sword). Go back a bit further and you get "Teki" (lit Enemy) and "Ware" (lit your self). Point is, in pair work, attack and defence are one. And so are the mindsets - that's why the Japanese terminology is not so black and white. K. Solid post!!

Definitely. It's all about name recognition. It irks me so much to see a big, lighted "Karate" sign on some prominent store front, but once I investigate closely, it is an ATA (prominent McDojo in the US) or other TKD school or other such MA. Why do they do this? Because the public at large has no clue, but when they hear or see "karate", they think eastern martial arts. I wouldn't say that TKD and Karate have merged in large part in the US. Yes, there are many schools here that are a mix of TKD, Karate, and/or other arts. However, for the schools that are traditional MA, by and large they are their distinct art. They just like to confuse things by exploitation of the word "Karate", as you mention above. I agree that language / origins are important in understanding the background and concepts of a given art, and that applying terms like "Karate" to any empty-handed art can confound and befuddle original uses and intents of things! Solid post!!

Great article, thank you for it!! What gives us instructors the right to talk down to other MA styles to their students? NOTHING!! Imho, what's effective to one practitioner isn't always to another, and just because one doesn't agree with a styles methodology and/or ideology, doesn't mean that any given style isn't effective. I sincerely believe that the practitioner is what isn't effective for some reason(s) or not. But, exactly does our berating of another style to a student tell that student about us? That we're possibly insure, or that we're not complete in our totality as a MAist!?! I've heard all of my karate life from many karateka's how inferior TKD is! Well, I gave into that when I was young. Then, I met many TKD stylists on the open tournament floors and they gave me a what-for that I didn't like; effective. So much so, as a JBB, I enrolled into a TKD dojang in Burbank, CA under GM Young Ik Suh. Meeting him and training under him for 1 year, changed my opinion about TKD for the rest of my life. We judge often inappropriately because we don't want to understand that which is different from what we sincerely believe in; compassion, imho, misdirected in that type of regard. Imho!!

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Btw, which style of Karate did you return to?

Well, "harai" and "barai" are the same word--when you put a word that starts with an "h" sound as a suffix to another word in Japanese, it becomes a "b" sound. Calling it "gedan-harai" is actually just incorrect pronunciation, as far as I'm aware (although I'm not a linguist). The word "uke" is short for "ukeru," which means "to receive." Most commonly, that gets translated as "block," though. If we translate "gedan-barai" and "gedan-harai-uke," one means "low level sweep" and the other means "low level sweep receiver." I've only ever seen these words used to describe what we commonly call a "low block." Absolutely... Great description... Intriguing to think if we stopped using the term "block" for uke and started using "receiver/reception" (i.e. low reception), I wonder if that would help clear up some confusion about the use of an uke? For the bold type above... For beginner students, I don't think their minds can wrap around and/or away from the word "block" as easily as those more experienced can. The beginner could if the word "block" is NEVER used in their dojo!

It was a late find for me, glad I did find it though!! Yeah, the length almost made me not watch it due to time constraints in my schedule for the day, but I did.

It's not surprising to me that these two styles stances are so opposite. Why? Stances are one of the easiest things to change to make a style its own. Each of its founders where INDIVIDUALS who had their OWN ideas!!

Good to hear, hopefully things will be as you expected, or better. Having said that, I do want to say that no matter what the governing body says and/or appears to be, politics will be there in some form or another, and if you're not part of the administration of the AMASA, you'll be subjected to their politics. They might not be there that you can see, but they're there, and when that ugly head rears, it can be disappointing in more ways than one. I've not seen nor ever heard of a MA governing body that's without any politics!! Hopefully, IMASA will be that exception!!

Absolutely... this is great advice. I also agree that the #1 spot in Pinan Shodan that people have trouble with is the simultaneous/sequential middle block + front kick + body position + shuto uke. I find that where most of my students goof it up is actually the transition into it from the move before (foot-down cat stance + middle punch). The tanden/body shift and foot placement usually gets skewed, which results in the entire waza becoming skewed and performed incorrectly. You know, I never really had that trouble, wasn't even aware it caused folks a lot of trouble. I have always seen people struggle to transition from the left side to the right in the opening sequences. Incorrect stepping during the turn throws a lot of people off their initial line when turning. As to the original question, break down individual stances and work them individually, checking your distance and consistency on each. Doing so will show that there are small variations, perhaps between left and right stances etc. Do them as long "walking" drills. For us, the transition in the opening sequence is probably #2 in terms of trouble for students. I agree with how you described it, though: it's the mawate from the left to the right that throws beginners off. To the bold type above...it's the turning transitions, imho, that befuddles the beginning student...good call CredoTe.

I suppose that it's the...Can lead a horse to water, but can't make the horse drink the water. It's a mindset that the student wants to do, and when a student want to do something, well, they do it. On the other hand, if the student doesn't want to do something, they won't do it or they won't do it gladly and/or well!!

When the light finally turns on inside a student head that says..."Wow...I figured it out...yes" and you can see that in their face, and they can't wait to share it with you...a moment that can't ever be replaced! Btw, excellent thread, thank you for it!!

Again, Yes!! Especially when the student has figured it out on their own...magic. I tingle inside with joy for that student!!

Yes, because of those aha moments, it's their smiles that accompany those moments: Very satisfying!!

"I know 5 katas. I want to test for Green Belt". Really? Impressive! Problem with that, imho, is that students make the big mistake of assuming a position that they don't possess. Rank envy!!

Will you no longer be attending formal classes anymore? If not, hopefully you'll maintain the positive muscle memory that you've achieved thus far. Challenge yourself each and every day!!

Same in Shindokan.

The way it's meant to be!!

Thanks, Heidi; I'll pass this onto the appropriate teams at our Hombu.

Got to get me a camera!! Wastelander's post should be very helpful to you; he's pretty spot on!

Have done it my whole MA life. Having both Soke and Dai-Soke been born and raised in Okinawa, everyone in Shindokan knows this concept quite well; can't generate proper power without Gamaku...whipping ones hips drives the acceleration to and through target...if properly executed.

Absolutely!!

For the practitioner, that's true. However, for the instructor, his/her obligations are to teach effective applied knowledge about said style of the MA in which they are teaching. Outside of what your post intents, that's quite true; it's a personal journey, even for the instructor. Instructors are obligated to teach!! Imho. I agree, Bob. An instructor has to realize that his or her journey also becomes entwined with other journeys, and although it shouldn't be an instructor's job to "convert," they do need to guide, which is very important.An instructor doesn't have the privlege to be selfish in his or her journey. Very Solid post!! You didn't see me do it...but to the bold type above...I bowed to that wisdom!!

Solid post!!