sensei8

I've done it all...training, testing, teaching, etc...all while sick. However, if I was contagious, I stayed home so as to not infect anyone else. However, power naps helped me make through many days/nights. Being the CI does have it's advantages; other BB's can cover for me when necessary!! And yes, I've puked on the floor; once, on my Dai-Soke!!

First of all...Welcome to KF; Glad that you're here!! Solid post!!

Thanks for the info... Loss of revenue for NY; sad across the board!!

Thanks for the info...looks like it is worth the read!!

I can understand, and I repect his decision!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

Yes...Congrats; well done!!

First of all...Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! I'm not quite familiar with that area, sorry! Hopefully, you might Google what you're looking for, and then, prehaps you can let us know some choices, and in that, someone here can help you that's more familiar with that area. Good luck with your search!!

The definition of "Ultimate" will vary from MAist to MAist, therefore, to stive for that ultimate in ones MA journey is without consideration and appreciation. Imho.

Solid post!!

Why has your Sensei stopped practicing Kobudo??

Well... He's not penetrating the board; he's only striking the board. Grabbing another board, as though the board he's trying to break is the problem, and saying that the board "is new", isn't the problem. Imho, it's his entire approach to the task at hand. Striking the board faster than it can react is important, but he's not taking that into consideration; the board will bend before it breaks, if done correctly. Hitting his assistant(s) should NEVER happen and even moreso, hitting a bystander with pieces of said material should NEVER happen. Therefore, he didn't take the precautions before hand to protect those in attendance. His assistants aren't standing directly behind the material, and in that, they're not bracing for the technique at hand. Standing beside the material only provides much more give to the material. The assistants should stand behind the material at hand, and brace themselves and making sure that there holding said materials correctly. I'm sure that the grain of the boards are correct. If not, that will not help his mission either. Imagine trying to break plywood, well, it's almost impossible because striking against the grain of even one board is akin to trying to break plywood. Plywood has many layers of wood materials that criss-cross one another until the desired thickness is achieved. He's NOT focused!! In this demo, he's only proven what I posted earlier...boards DO HIT BACK!! Now, try speed breaking said boards and one will find a bunch of new problems to contend with, but first, understand and obey the laws of breaking before ever trying speed breaking.

I like it that rank isn't critical to you, and that training is even moreso; sounds great to me!!

I do appreciate the pro's about said toe kick; a kick that certainly has merits. Nor can I dispute that the conditioning of said kick is enough to give the most staunchest proponent of the MA to grimace at the mere thought of it. I'd not want to get hit by a karateka that is a master of this technique; that, too, doesn't appeal to me either!!

First of all, Welcome to KF; glad to have you here!! Congrats on you being graded to Green...feels good, huh?!

It's not often that I can say this but I am humbled by your post. I happen to agree with you but had a moment of "aha!" while reading. You're training along with your lifelong pursuit of being a martial artist is preparing you to fight all of life's battles. You live your life, as do many of us, becoming strong in mind and strong in spirit. And while there may be a day that your unable to perform, or even teach, a spinning back kick for instance, you will face all of life's challenges head on and be better for it because of your training! I understand that this may not be your point exactly, but it's my humble take on reading your post. Thank you ! You're welcome...and I thank you for your posts, as well. Many things in my life will fall under the category of "Used to be", but, imho, being a BB will never be one of them.

No, I do not believe in the ultimate style because we are fallable, and in that, something fallable can't achieve anything ultimate!! Imho!!

Nice article...thanks for sharing it. Tempo IS the punctuation to any kata/form. One can watch a kata/form being performed, and notice that, while said performers are doing the same named form/kata, there's a noted difference. That's the tempo. Speed it up or slow it down or mix it up at some certain points, there's the punctuation. Some MA styles punctuate on purpose because that's their stamp on said form/kata, while others do it only on purpose while performing on a competition mat. If said form/kata is boring, then tempo will bring it to life!! Own the form/kata; not vise versa. TEMPO!! RHYTHM!! These are the notes that punctuate the music!! While one may play the classical piano masterpieces flawlessly, it's those performers that play that same masterpiece differently, therefore, making said masterpiece their own. Ok...I'm going back to my karate corner, now!

...the difference between these two quotes is why I believe the sport side of karate should always take a back-seat, why I ultimately hope that karate is never in the olympics. For me it's not the technique differences, nor is it the politics, nor the awareness it raises about the art. For me it is the difference of mindset. Solid post...I whole heartedly concur!!

WHEN can one use the toe kick OUTSIDE of the dojo? Shindokan is an Okinawan MA created by an Okinawan MAist, but we don't use the toe kick, and this is why I ask the question above. Our Soke and Dai-Soke talked a lot about the toe kick but neither of them trained in the toe kick because, as Soke is fond of saying..."When I home or at the Hombu, I wear no shoes, but when I'm elsewhere, I wear shoes. I believe that my attacker will attack me when I'm wearing shoes. Then, I will not have time to stop to take my shoes off." I suppose it's better to have said weapon at ones disposal when needed, then to not have it at all whenever the need should arise. I train in an Okinawan MA, but I feel cheated somehow for not having learnt the toe kick from Dai-Soke. We don't train in tsumasaki geri. All of our kicks in Shindokan are directed from the waist/stomach and down. While the toe kick of old Okinawa was once widely used, today it's been turned into the roundhouse kicks we presently execute, even though there are still some Okinawan Karate styles that are still practicing said toe kick. Shindokan isn't one of them, and that saddens me. Every Shindokan kick that's executed in the roundhouse fashion is designed to disrupt an opponents base, and in that, we primarily use the top of the foot, to do so. However, we've not forgotten everything that's old Okinawa because we do train in boshi-ken, the thumb strike. Of course this doesn't strike me odd because, after all, Shindokan is 85% hands. Hhhmmmm....maybe there's a system to Soke's madness after all. EDITS: spelling errors

I agree!! It's possible that you've been blessed with your surroundings by refusing to associate with those that bring you down in their negativity...I concur wholeheartedly.

Again, to me, when I finally become inactive, if I do, then I can say that I use to be a MAist, but I'll always be a BB. When I stop teaching Shindokan, if I do, then I can say that I use to be a teacher of Shindokan, but I'll always be a BB. You know, knowledge and experience can never be taken away from me. In that, my BB can never be taken away from me. You can take away my teaching abilities. You can take away my dojo. You can take the Hombu away from me. You can even take my students away. But you can never take my knowledge and experience away from me, and in this, you can never take my BB away. And for those who are Kyu's, THAT knowledge and experience can never be taken away from you either. It's there within you; dormant, but it's there for whenever the rust is removed. Even in my inactivity, should it ever arise, I will train everyday because it's born within me to do so, and I don't know any other way to act day by day. The old saying that says..."There may be snow on the roof outside, but there's a fire still raging inside"...that shall I be!! My BB is forever, and as I've said before, there's no expiration date on my BB certificates. Only date found on any of my BB certificates, in one MA, is the date of issuance. Therefore, I believe that "YOUR" BB is forever, and in that, you'll never be a use to be BB. Imho.

Solid post!! What I see hard, or what becomes hard, is that some Sensei's don't want to talk about how things are affecting their student body. This is evident in your case by your Sensei becoming pushy, and then you were asked to not comeback. Like yourself, Sensei's that have that open door policy are excellent CI's all around, both on and off the floor. However, in the midst of the MA, there are those Sensei's who think that they're unapproachable; unaccountable to their student's, and they need to be weeded out, if possible. Not an easy thing!!

This is akin to one of Bruce Lee's quotes... "When my opponent contracts, I expand, and when he expands, I contract, and when there's an opportunity, 'I' do not hit, 'it' hits all by itself!!" Letting things become automatic; second nature, without thought. "Not to think, but to feel. It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you'll miss all that heavenly glory." That's akin to not being able to see the forest because of all the trees. Again, excellent post Justice, excellent!!