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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.

Solid post!!

Imho, There's no such thing as the best, especially when it concerns the MA. What works for you; this is the best, for YOU!! I could say Shindokan. I could say Shotokan. I could say BJJ. I could say Goju-ryu. I could say TKD. I could say Shorin-ryu. I could say JKD. I could say a plethora of styles of the MA. Each has their advantages, but they also have their disadvantages, depending on whom you talk to. Visit as many schools of the MA within your allowed drive time. Watch many different classes to get the feeling of its worth. Speak with many of these instructors to see if you'll fit together as student and instructor. Then once you find the school of your choice, train hard and train well. In that, I can only strongly advise that you should stay away from schools of the MA that don't do a lot of sparring. Why? In any self-defense situation, you're going to have to know how to engage and disengage. The only way to learn how to do this, is to spar A LOT with different students, and of different ranks. Timing, focus, transitions, balance, posture, power, and so on and so forth. Learn to lose the fear of contact because contact happens and it will happen in a self-defense situation. Good luck with your search. It's a lifetime journey, in and of itself.

I agree!! This is true. What I've seen is that these same MAists don't hesitate, for a moment, to speak against the traditions of others, and sometimes, even against their own. I concur!! In that, if something is still being practiced, then it can never be outdated, imho.

A very moving story, I thank you for sharing it!! Congrats to him for being awarded Shodan!! Well deserved!! I'm sad for him that he has to say goodbye to the MA. But perhaps, it's more of a, I'll see you soon!! I bow to him, now and always!! I bow to you and your dojo for being by him all these years through all of his trials and tribulations, and I'm sure that he held a special place in his heart for all of you.

What are traditions for? They're for all to understand that without traditions, even the most basic proponent of the MA, nothing can be appreciated, therefore, nothing of value can be learned as it should be. You compete? That's good! I did too, up until 1993. But, my karate-do ISN'T for competition, no matter the venue, not then, not now, and not ever!! While I did compete, I never lost sight of the traditions that my Soke and Dai-Soke held so tight and close to their hearts. To the day they both died, I feared them because their karate-do was two things. One: Traditional!! Two: Tenaciously abrupt!! Now, I can say that my karate-do is in concert with theirs because that's what they instilled in me, and of all things, I'm a traditional MAist, to and through. I'm a traditionalist! Please accept my traditional values because while they define me, they do not disappoint me, or my students!!

Thank you, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. It oozed effective traditions, imho.

Traditional MA, for nowadays, seems to no longer be respected, for one reason or another. Traditions based on way-back then were respected, but as we look at traditions that surround the MA in a whole, respect for the old-ways are scorned away. It seems that those that scorn said traditions, aren't respecting their core beliefs, both on and off the floor. Traditional MAists are placed on shelves just as only another type of antique; dusty, and with not much value outside. Trying to keep said traditions alive, imho, isn't a wasteful life because without traditions, then what can one hope for in and out of any MA. There are those who believe that traditions are ineffective, therefore, useless, without value for those who are serious minded MAists. Those who want to keep the traditions alive, are scorned as though they are still living in the past, accusatory tones that speak that those same traditionalists refuse to come to the modern age. Just because one's a traditionalist, it doesn't mean that their, for example, Karate-do, isn't effective in today's MA world. Change is important, and it must be embraced, in that, a traditional, for example, karateka's, techniques are as effective yesterday, as they are today, and as they'll be tomorrow. Methodologies surrounding ways of training might be old and outdated, but that method that was old, is still new today. Training in the three K's is laughed at, both inwardly as well as outwardly as methods that don't address todays attackers. This, imho, is nothing more than an assumption, and it drags me into said summation without cause. How I train today isn't much more different than yesterday. In that, my techniques are even more so effective because of my applied effective knowledge. Knowledge that's spanning over 49 years!! If it works, then why should it be criticized and lampooned by those who don't agree. Possibly, they are laughing at themselves because they don't understand, in that, they disagree with the ways of a traditionalist MA, thus, MAist. Traditions, whether they're agreed upon or laughed at, should be appreciated one way or another because without traditions, then there can be no future comprehensions and/or improvements in said betterment. Your thoughts, please!!

Came across this video... Hope you enjoyed it!!

None of my accomplishments ever meet my expectations. Not my high school, college, or graduate school graduations. Not the awards I earned in sports or professionally. I can say I am glad to have done the things I have, but no big deal. You should be proud, and I can tell that you truly are!!

See, that to me just sounds silly. Could you imagine the owner of a grocery store or a gas station going into a newly opened competitor and telling the owner they couldn't operate their business there because it was "their" territory? They'd be laughed at. Business competition is to be expected and is healthy for the marketplace. It's what keeps prices reasonable and quality high. I can't see how it would be different in the martial arts business. I can only imagine that those MA masters that came from Japan or Okinawa were trying to carry on said tradition of way-back then, so, possibly it was back that way for them at one time, and they tried it, with minimum success, to only find out that that wasn't going to fly here in the USA. My Soke, being born and raised in Okinawa, never once tried to be that way, and as I've mentioned before, wouldn't allow others from the old country to try it on him. I suppose that in the old days here in the USA, many business faced that very same thing, no matter the business. The strong-arm tactics here in the USA way back before my time, were felt from all business, and those who gave in, well, they paid for protection of some type. As silly as it might've sounded, it was reality, more than one could even imagine.

Congrats and well deserved. Feels good, huh?!