sensei8

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!!

Boards DO hit back!! Strike said material incorrectly, well, in this case, the board will "hit back" quite noticibly. Tameshiwara, as it's know in Japanese/Okinawan styles of the MA, tests ones mettle, but first it tests correct techniques without reservation, and THEN it tests ones mettle. Focus! Without it, you'll give, but the material won't! Aim WAY behind said material; therefore, don't hit "it", hit THROUGH it; penetrate!! Conditioning is important! Stiking inanimate objects that feel no pain, will require some time before hand with a makiwara or the like so that pain will be greatly reduced or eliminated. No matter what, those that are proponents of breaking, can't see their MA live without it. However, those who aren't proponents of breaking don't understand why MAists would waste their time in a fruitless thing. To me, it's not a waste of time. Enjoy it, and take your time to condition your striking area's.

The term...When in Rome...doesn't apply to terminologies like Oss, and the like, with all styles of the MA. Some do it, and others don't. Saying Oss doesn't make us more important than others that don't. Is there a fine line?

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

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

Same here Ditto!!

Great posts, thus far!! My first impression was that your kicks were getting through because those whom you were kicking at didn't have an idea of how to properly deflect/block as well as how to properly use footwork. But, that's to be expected from beginner students. Yes, go for full penetration but only with control. Control; on and off the floor!!

Mindsets [methodologies/ideologies]; that's the difference from one to another!! Imho!!

Nice article, thanks for sharing!

Imho... My first concern is that this Sensei said that you "might" be Shodan in a year and a half. I'm of the opinion that that's the unknown of the MA!! No matter how much experience one has, earning rank can't be put on any time table; it's presumptive, and it's not even alright to encourage any student in this manner. Having said that, being humble, for now seems like the best thing to do, as others have suggested. One other thing, you might not want to say..."this is how I was taught previously" because, to be honest, while that's important, it's not important. Why? That Sensei knows that already, and to remind him of that, isn't proper dojo etiquette, imho. Remember what you've been previously trained in, but you're on his floor, and you should strive to learn whatever he has to offer until you decide that what he has to offer is no longer of value to you. Hang in there, learn, and train, and if possible, add what he has to offer by adding it to your own MA betterment!!

"The end is always important!" FW character was purposeful...right to the end. Nice movie; strange at times, yet, specific at others, while the movie moved, for me, quite slow on occasion, it's message was understood. Thanks for the heads-up on it, Patrick.

Well, these ways of training Kata are just that to me, 6 ways; nothing new to me. In that, I don't train in kata by pretending that I'm angry because I believe that it's not conducive with any learning maxim; Mizu no kokoro and Tsuki no kokoro: Mind like the moon and mind like water, for example. Focus isn't being angry, imho.

Oh, please don't hate me for my question, please... How often will one use their taught MA skills? Moreover, how often will one be not wearing shoes if called upon to use said MA skills at the moments notice, so that they can use the toe-kick? Ok...I'll go back to my corner...bag over my head!

As all ready mentioned...it's ok if they compliment one another. How does one know if they do such a thing? By training in them; floor time!! Secondly, if they compliment one another, can said practitioner train in both without creating conflicts within ones one MA betterment. Overwhelming the senses can work against the learning curve in any MAist. Time, time, time, and more time; this is what's needed to create an effectively applied knowledge around the complimentary MA. It's not how many MA one trains in and/or knows, it's about how effective they are once they're applied in varying situations. Imho!!

What body you've done in conditioning your body, with the hammer and such, it's reflective of Takayuki Kubota Sensei who used small sledgehammers and the like to condition himself. I'd not recommend that because while the body can be conditioned through these hurtful methods, I'm sure that a doctor would severely advice against it. I love the old fashioned way to conditioning ones body by good old sparring; flesh against flesh, bone against bone, and mettle against mettle. In time, ones body will be conditioned. Then there's Morio Higaonna Sensei, of the IOGKF, who, over the many, many years, has conditionied his limbs by striking objects repeatedly until said limbs are callused in the status that it's in now. It's a personal choice, I suppose. But, trained wrongly, it's a dangerous choice, imho.

I've nothing to compare to in my own MA journey. However, what I've read and with some of the advice that you've already received from KF members, I do commend you on your MA journey. It's hard to be honest with others, but imho, it's even tougher to be honest with oneself. Do as you're doing; things will become more brighter for you and your MA betterment!!