sensei8

The three K's...again!! Without either of them, it's not karate!! Kata training needs to be alive. Take the segments, and drill them live over and over again. Seek for the weaknesses that are in the Kata segments. Don't allow anything within the Kata work, unless it does work. This of course will change as one gains effective applied knowledge: what worked last time, now doesn't because I'm not a dolt; I got smarter over time. NOW FIX THAT! This will repeat until you die; it's never ending!! Kate ISN'T a memorized dance! Stop treating and training kata as though it is, and nothing more. Bruce's analysis of Kata is right and wrong, at the same time. Bruce was right when he said that kata is like swimming on dry land, but only at first, and that's because each new kata is unfamiliar ground. Bruce was wrong in his thought when kata is trained live, and with a purpose. Kata then no longer is that ineffectiveness because Bunkai/Oyo is so far away from the core of kata, and that said kata is brought alive when we battle the segments. Allowing nothing!!

Nice..I like it..Solid post!! Tradition VS Modern: I can have a traditional salad with its traditional ingredients, or, I could have a wrap, which has all of the traditional things inside.

Excellent topic, Brian! Thanks for it! Solid OP!! We have both. We've our share of pre-set one, two, and three steps per the individual ranks. From that, we've our share of random ones as well. Like Bunkai, we've also Oyo. The first, is pre-set, while the second, isn't. By increasing the tempo and transferring that to live free-style kumite. What's seen in step-sparring, should translate to free-style kumite. After all, step-sparring is the infant of free-style kumite, and it must be properly nourished all of the time. Then turn it ALIVE!! Fight back, no matter your role in the step-sparring. Find out what might or might not have a chance to work effectively if I do this instead of that, as it's prescribed to do so. Imho, GM Cho's views are accurate. Step-sparring lessens the fear of the unforeseen contact, but only so much. Fear will evaporate in time. The more one engages, the less one has to worry about a many things associated with Kumite. GM Cho's views on one-step is akin, imho, to hikken hisatsu (To Kill With One Blow). The goal isn't to kill but the goal is to make your one attack or your one counter-attack be meaningful. I'd rather end an attacker with just one technique, and not with a barrage of attacks. Therefore, I'd say that my views to GM Cho's are similar in an overall aspect. By training them ONE AT A TIME...OVER AND OVER!! Even when new things are discovered, and they are, unless one's not seeking/searching. Effective applied knowledge begets effective training, and in that, effectiveness is an overall consensus. Discard the ineffective!

I don't think that it's necessary either, but it is for him!! If what this Nidan believes is blind loyalty, I suppose, I beg to be as blind in my loyalty towards Dai-Soke. I progress in knowledge/experience because I desire to!! The things of Shindokan that I've still not learnt from Soke and Dai-Soke can be found in the scrolls. But, imho, we're only taking an educated guess as to how they're to be learnt and taught to myself and others of the Shindokan circle.

Brian, What I've posted here, is what I was referring to as the "CORE" of the style. Do not a vastly majority styles of the MA have the above list? I believe that they do, in that, we are, by the core itself, the same style. Please, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. Shindokan isn't TKD and TKD isn't BJJ and on and on and so forth. But, the "core" of techniques is in each style of the MA. Bruce Lee stated this..."I do not believe in styles! I don't believe in a Japanese way or a Chinese way. Unless people have 2 heads and four arms/legs, we have to use what we have to the best of our abilities."

Is it integrity? So let's say a youngster starts a Martial Art, passes his first testing, and then his instructor dies. Should he stay an orange belt for the rest of his life because "that's the last rank his instructor promoted him to do before he died..."??? To me, that just sounds kind of crazy. Now, does this instructor still seek out knowledge from other instructors, and simply choose not to take on new rank? If that is the case, then what is the difference, other than the number behind the dan? To the first bold type above...For that Nidan, I'd say that it's both loyalty and integrity!! Surely, you can respect his wishes and desires. Therefore, what was for him isn't for anybody else; it's a personal choice, as it must've been for this Nidan. To the second bold type above...I'm not quite sure if he's seeking out knowledge from other instructor's in and/or out of his core style, but, I'm sure he is constantly. Again, it's been HIS personal choice to continue as he has per rank. We don't have to like it and/or agree with it, but, that's fine too. I, too, didn't want to advance in any shape way, and/or form because Hachidan was the last rank I earned from Dai-Soke. But I finally did test for Kudan, and that was at the constant demands from my peers within the hierarchy. I've regretted it in every way and everyday!! "They" wanted it, not I!! It's HIS journey, for that, I will respect his desires!!

Thank you for not laughing at me, and thank you for the post...SOLID!! I got a kick out of the "Have medics on hand.". Mainly because I'm much older now, and I'll need a medic sometime during the frail, hopefully not, but the possibilities would be grave. Plus, Greg will need a medic, if you get my meaning. To do it, just to say I did it, isn't a valid reason. No. To test my mettle, for me, that's enough a valid reason to entertain the thought. Imho!! I jester, but in all seriousness, those who've done the 100 Man Kumite; I bow to them!! Those who haven't, I still bow to them because, imho, it wouldn't and doesn't define the MA nor the MAist!!

Nice...thank you for sharing it!! What I didn't like much was when one of the combatants grabbed the sword. Yes, he was wearing a glove, but if he hadn't worn the glove, would he have been so willing to do so? I don't think I would've. I'd grab anything else but a live blade because of the ramifications of doing so. A lot of MA train how to safely grab a knife, so be it, but is that the same thing with a live sword? I don't imagine it to be the same thing for some numerous reason(s).

hehe ! Back when I started MA (back in the '80 ...or something ) we would say it at the end of each and every lesson! This is not done in this dojo and as only a handful of us remember 'them days' we do wonder if we are to start at some point saying it again! the Kyokushin dojo kun: http://www.masutatsuoyama.com/en/home/dojokun.htm What I love about the Kun you've linked to is this... No rules; just a philosophical mindset!!

Combine Kempo with Jiu Jitsu; you've got Goshindo. Better yet... http://www.goshindosamurai.com/ Possibly, picture/video's are worth a thousand words/watches. Let us know how the training went!

Thats the story! To add (Hanshi) Steve Arneil was one of the fighters involved in that exercise! Back then there were only a few Kyokushin dojos & students that Sosai could pick form as it were. So teh ones that were selected all had to fight a few times for each round of 100 men, come the 3rd round of 100 many had already dropped out due to injury so the selection that were left had more fights to have. Regardless of the validity and facts real or not know 100 fights in a day is an outstanding achievement! Hanshi Arneil took on the 100 fight test and is the first person ever, after Sosai, to have done so and completed it in a day. Regardless of what may have been said or suggested by some sites about his condition and desire to go on etc etc Words taken directly from the man himself, the next day was spent in hospital recovering! A good site and page to read: http://www.masutatsuoyama.com/en/home/100mankumite.htm The most amazing thing is 'back in them days' punches to the face (full on face contact!) was allowed as was grappling and following through! Solid post!! Kyokushin has respectfully earned that label..."Knockdown" Karate. I've nothing but respect for Kyokushin across the board; it's proven itself to the world. I'd STILL love to do the 100 man kumite for personal reasons, but I suppose that I'm in the wrong style to do so and that I'm too old for it!! But what a rush!! Ooohhh...maybe I can do it at the Shindokan Hombu; I've plenty of BB's of varying ranks, and a good sprinkle of high Dans as well, to select from. Beside, Greg would love to have another reason to make my life very uncomfortable. Doing it under Kyokushin rules! But, would that be self-serving and not of value to do so as I'm suggesting? I don't think I could use the name..."100 Man Kumite", nor would I want to because that title belongs to Kyokushin?! Imho!!

Thank you Sensi8 for your nice compliment and very informative and detailed post. I will try as much as I can to follow your advice I really appreciate it Thank you!! Please take all that I say in its proper context; remembering this always...Your Sensei's advice is paramount over all...Imho!!

How long does it take? Who establishes it? You'd love my grandma's cooking; traditional!! Or you could love my cooking from a box; modern. If I was you, I'd eat grandma's cooking WAY before I'd eat mine. Again, labels have the ability to destroy the core of the MA!! Spot on! Labels! yes We say Martial Arts, and when we do images of Ancient warriors, Samurai, Shoguns, Kanji characters, Bushido code and maybe even Confucius and his quotes come to mind and with that we see honor, respect, humility and grey haired old masters all of this we associate with the far east. MMA on the other hand is new, its modern and stems from the western world, it has no such imagery or history, what we need to understand is it correctly uses the term Martial Arts in its name as it is a collection of these traditional systems put together into a new fighting system. ....but we still hear 'martial Arts' and when we do we get all that ancient imagery come racing back again! The mistake is ours for the assumption not there mistake for working with a new system, its ours they don't have a history like Karate or Judo. They have yet to make a history to look back upon, to generate such images and points from events past. MMA'ists who remembers 'Tank' Abbot or an easier one to recall Ken Shamrock? Honestly? Without looking them up on the web? Who watched them fight? MMA is new and will be the new kid in the MA world for a few more years yet! (This is nothing to do with respect or honor simply acceptance by the population/the masses of it as a Martial Art like karate and judo....) Solid post!! The problem isn't respect within the MA, it's the acceptance that boils over the still waters from every style of the MA. What kicks me in the shin each and every time is when the STYLE, and its practitioners speak as though their style is better because they're not of the traditional mindset. People are fallible!! Me and you!!

Don't forget that Oyama would've done a 4th day, alas a 400 man kumite, 100 per day, but nobody wanted to assist him. I guess Oyama wore them out!!

Practice what you've learnt, paying more attention to the things that you're struggling with. It is said, practice makes perfect. So, practice often concentrating on proper execution at all times. Practice slow and deliberate, so that you're aware of your body while executing said technique(s). Remember everything that you've been taught, not allowing bad muscle memory to creep itself in your practice. By all means, rest when it's required and necessary and when needed. Don't practice when tired because that gives birth to the bad muscle memory and your technique(s) will become ineffective because they're sloppy. Focus on what you're doing at all times. Don't try to be what you're not; a black belt with many, many years of knowledge and experience. Above all things, PRACTICE! But practice smartly and not carelessly. Proper diet is beneficial to the MAist, but always talk to your doctor before starting any diet. You don't want to practice right after a meal; wait at least 30 minutes or more. Food intake is good, but it also drags you while you're practicing. Even the simplest exercise will be beneficial to your MA betterment. Walking, jogging, running, bike riding, swimming, jumping jacks, and so on and so forth. Make sure that you limber up well before starting any physical activities. I love your heart! You ask a lot of questions about a lot of different things. That's good!! Things that interest you! That's good because it's your MA journey and you must be accountable for it. Train hard and train well!! You're going to be just fine!!

Isn't the Dojo Kun just wonderful!!

Solid post!!

Great advice I find I need a good 12 hours Do you GET the good 12 hours? I mean, you're extremely busy as it is.

The Olympic broadcasting service films and broadcasts everything. In the UK we generally have access to all sports and all matches. It's up to individual countries and networks to choose what they want to show and then put their own overlays and commentary on top. Do you think the blood and other injuries be something the American network would show? (can't remember which one of yours has the rights) Yes I do think that the USA network would show it, and at prime-time!! TKD was barely shown in the USA at the summer games. Doesn't the IOC have any say as to what is to be shown and how often? Or, the more popular the sport, the more it gets played? If the Olympics were to include MMA/UFC type events, I wouldn't watch it because it's shown on the USA networks quite a lot. **Real quick>When I say USA network, I'm speaking about ANY network found on any guide in America. NOT the network named USA Network.

From your post...I'd say that you'd not like MMA. And I'm with Wastelander and what he says about wrestling. Try it!! You might or might not like it; it's up to you.

This post makes me giggle... I can't believe that people are that fixated on the stripes on a belt, where someone wont respect someone for it, or tell them to "get out of my life". It's not the identifiers on said belts, it's the self-promotion that's the problem. That's what I don't respect; it's the self-aggrandizement of it all. And yes, I don't want to be around those types, which is my right. Imho!!

5 years old?! At that age, they're playing the MA, so, let them play because playing is also learning/teaching. I play with my students that are 5 years old, but we play karate. Let them play!! Who's it hurting? No one!!

Just running over this point and my earlier comments - a good Karate school/dojo will teach the Kata, then teach applications, also how they can vary and then drill them with a partner - ultimately drill them with a "not so compliant" partner so they can see if it works and if it works for them. The ideal for me is to pick one or some of these drills automatically if they were ever needed. Karate will get you to the same place as any other MA - you just have to stick with it - or get a good teacher. Solid post!!

First of all, glad that you're doing better!! To the bold type above... I would take you back!! You have a valid reason as to why you dropped off the radar; physical injury. As a dojo owner, I don't take students back after they've passed the beginner level. UNLESS, the reason(s) are similar to what you've posted here. If a student of mine, who's no longer a beginner, quits just to quit, I've no tolerance to those type of students. Imho, they've wasted their time and my time as well. I take the beginner back because they don't know better. They're still learning how to walk from that crawling stage. The MA is hard, darn hard!! So, beginners earn my sympathy, but it's limited. After that, I've no tolerance. Is that wrong of me? That's for me to decide, and not for the masses to decide because it's my dojo. You're back! Train hard and train well. But don't put the MA over your physical well being. Heal! Don't rush the healing! In time, when you're physically able, that's when you and the floor greet each other like friends are suppose to...a warm embrace!!