sensei8

Congrats, and well done, and well deserved!!

Your hesitation is understandable and from what I can infer from what you say I don't think that he would refund you. Sit on it for a time and think about it and make sure to keep us updated.Yeah, I don't think you'll get a refund, and if you're under some type of a law binding contract, I'm sure that the contract spells it out concerning refunds and the like.

I understand what you're saying!! Thanks!!

Solid post!!

Solid post!!

Solid post!!

This... K. Yeah...well...the opening segment alone, of the video you've provided, would be enough for me to say...thanks, but no thanks. A picture, in this case a video, is worth a thousand "words". What was it you didn't like about it? K. The overall impression of ineffectiveness!!

Solid post!!

I concur!! Also,visit the school many, many times. Watch many different classes, like, the kids, the adults, then watch classes of differing ranks. You need an overview beyond one visit. Even after a free trial lesson, I'd still visit it as many times as it might take. Good luck in your search!!

This... K. Yeah...well...the opening segment alone, of the video you've provided, would be enough for me to say...thanks, but no thanks. A picture, in this case a video, is worth a thousand "words".

Great posts on the subject so far!! Kyokushinkai is known as a "hard" style. By that I mean, it's in your face. MA styles are either "soft" or "hard", and by and by, the aggressiveness of the style does cause a high student turnover rate for said reason...it's in your face. Let your fingers roam thru the web to learn more about the style, and in that, if you've a school nearby to where you live, I'd encourage you to visit it, not once, but many, many times to get a complete understanding. And if even possible, take a free trail lesson because nothing from the seats does the same as when ones on the floor!! It's a great style, imho, but it's not for everyone, as I've already mentioned. Good luck in your search!!

I would have to whole heartedly agree with this. Learning about any physical activity by reading is difficult. My favorite analogy is swimming. Let's say that I could not swim at all. If I read a book...can I now swim? If I read a book AND watch swimming on tv...can I now swim? No. I have to get in the pool. The more time in the pool? The stronger at swimming I will become. AFTER I am a STRONG swimmer...then and only then will a book from a GREAT swimmer even make a lick of sense. Solid post!! While there are a plethora of books that address the subject of sparring, I'd caution said practitioner to back up and/or support what one learns in a MA school under the supervision of a qualified instructor. I've read, and still have many said books, but I only read said books to get me to understand how other styles and/or noted practitioners addressed the subject of sparring. However, I never replaced what my Dai-Soke was teaching me; I only just supplemented his teaching with what I absorbed from the context of said books. It's like cross-training/exchanges, they don't replace our instructors teachings, but they add a different dimension to what we've already learnt and/or are currently learning.

What your Sensei has and is doing concerning rank is spot on, imho. Your Sensei is not worrying about rank because rank, imho, is mute when one compares it to the value of applied effective knowledge and experience.

Your Sensei's dojo, of course!! Fumio Demura refused rank advancements for many years. It wasn't until his Sensei reminded him that his students will pass him in rank, he therefore, with great tribulation, finally agreed.

If the person has done the time and pass the physical / theoretical exam legitimately then why don't they deserve your respect? Some people live and breathe the martial arts from an early age and can be both knowledgeable and physically competent enough to do it. Somewhat more common when the godan's parents or other family member is high ranked also and has been training them hard since day 1. Respect for a Godan under 30 years old, based on my example above? YES...wholeheartedly!! Respect for a Judan at mid-30's, no, never!!

Unfortunately not to full shodan. Everyone at my schools (including a couple of schools I train at because I am a good friend of the head instructors) get a shodan-ho before being promoted to shodan. That includes our adults. But he was told if he wishes to teach and work on his karate he is welcome to and may be promoted as a teacher. So my sensei would create another pathway for him. Still, Shodan-ho deserves my respect, and for what he's endured, and for what he's about to endure in his life, he's got it wholeheartedly from me. The pathway is just waiting for him to accept.

I think that's very admirable! I concur!!

The thing about this is that you run the possibility of overdoing it, and in that, you also run the risk of leaving a nice ugly discolored shine.

In a world of immediate satisfaction and gratification, anything in the MA is possible. When children can obtain a full-blown Shodan, I suppose they can achieve a Godan by the ages you speak about. Even a Judan at ones mid-30's is even possible. Having said that, it can take quite along time, many, many years of dedicated and serious training without any breaks to achieve Godan. Judan takes an even longer time, and in that, most Judan's are bestowed upon after a lifetime of dedicated and serious training. In that, they should be rare, and I mean rare. A mid-30 year old Judan should never happen, and if it does, I will not respect that said person. Besides, even Tenure doesn't guarantee any testing/awarding possibility. Let me be frank, it would be a slap in the face of any legitimate Judan. For example... 18 years old at Shodan, Tenure for 1 year 19 years old at Nidan, Tenure for 2 years 21 years old at Sandan, Tenure for 3 years 24 years old at Yondan, Tenure for 4 years 28 years old at Godan. The stars and the moon and the planets would have to be in perfect alignment all of the time, and sometimes they are, but, for the most part, they're not, in alignment, that is. Now, the catch is that said instructor has to honor said Tenure. Say the said instructor does honor the Tenure, well, now the testing candidate has to pass said Testing Cycle, providing that said testing candidate was approved to attend said Testing Cycle. To become a Godan by 28, is possible, however, Tenure will have to be approved at each and every Testing Cycle, AND, each Testing Cycle would have to receive a pass. I'm not an odds maker, but I'd say that those odds would be astronomical. It just doesn't always happen, especially in Shindokan. Now, it's possible, that a student's Tenure could be amended by the governing body. It happened to me, but only happened to me once. I was Nidan for only 1 year, and not the usual 2 year Tenure. That was because I was a JBB for 5 years, and I was more than ready per my Soke and Dai-Soke. Let's also remember that many governing bodies have age requirements for said Dan Ranks and if one has not reached said age for said Dan rank, well, Tenure and Testing Cycle approval will be mute. One more thing, everything I've listed and wrote about must happen at the prescribed minimums. Anything later, will throw a wrench into the entire thing. In closing, not all governing bodies utilize a similar Tenure durations, and not all governing bodies have strict rules and regulations for their Testing Cycles!!

Solid post!!

Yes, I've read it; I've read both volumes. Volume 1 covers Shuri-te and Shorin-ryu. Volume 2 covers Naha-te, Goju-ryu, and Other Styles Both are very nice books!! A must add to one MA library, imho!!

Zaine, Could you please tell us about this art/style. I could research it, and possibly I will, but, I'd rather hear about it from someone who's involved with it first. By the name alone, it seems quite interesting. Thank you!!

I too, concur wholeheartedly with everyone here. When the time is right, try out Kyokushinkai, but only when the time is right. Having said that, speak with the instructor of that school, and express what it is you want to do, and it's possible that you can join their "Open" sparring sessions, if experiencing the many kumite aspects offered by Kyokushinkai. At an "Open" kumite session, any style of the MA can participate at said dojo providing one first speaks with the CI, and it goes along way if you're an invited guest of a current student of said CI. It is said that he/she who rushes in finds themselves rushing right out.

As far as i know Sagi ashi datchi, kosa datchi, tettsui and dan tsuki are not even part of the syllibus? which seems a little strange to me. Presumably this is not the case in Goju (Goju kata, right?) thanks Jon First of all, Welcome to KF!! Secondly, there's no such thing as a dumb/stupid question, imho. To the bold type above... I believe that techniques should be taught to, at first, singularly, so that said techniques can be learnt properly. One can learn said techniques by just doing the kata, but, imho, that's akin to being blind. At sometime, those said learnt singular techniques must be learnt in combinations because a singular technique will not always be enough. But, not all techniques found within a syllabus are found within a styles kata's. Kata allows the expression of transitions, and in Oyo, one finds those techniques that aren't expressed in the kata syllabus/curriculum.

I would say (without getting into the debate of certain karate styles), go for Chito-Ryu. GKR is advertised as non-contact and may not be as effective as a self-defence art. Solid post!! Contact happens, and needs to happen to rid one of any fears involving said contact that's required in sparring. Sparring must be done if ones to know how to defend oneself, imho.