sensei8

Do you have a picture of it or a website that we can see what they look like, etc.? The word folding makes me think that the punching bad FOLDS. If that's true, well, I'd like to see that and how it folds.

I LOVE IT!! I still don't know how I missed this, but, I did and I apologize to Dobie1979 for having missed it. BUT... Very nice and one can see his judo background quite easily. How would some of you counter his leg scissor take downs/etc? He's very quick with them, imho.

There's a very small company of us that have graded through the ranks together, however, because a test is just that...a test, some of us would fail and some of us would pass. Therefore, Greg and I are separated by 6 months in total years; I started 6 months before he did. Greg and I are separated by 1 year in testing cycles; I passed my Hachidan 1 year before Greg because Greg failed but I finally passed mine. None of our small company never took it personal ONCE we matured as adults and then as MAists. Why? It's just a test and the test will always take care of itself one way or another. We've asked our Dai-Soke why we failed and his usual response was.... "You don't know? You should know because you were there and I saw the same things that you saw." Well, that bit of philosophy didn't sit well with me at first because I was still "childish" in both as an adult and as a MAist. Sure, if I truly didn't know why, he'd explain it to me, albeit, quite short. You fail... train harder...you fail again...train even harder...you fail again...you get the picture. The bottom line with any testing is that you... DON'T QUIT!!

No! Well, at least I don't. That would serve no purpose because words are just that...words. Some words have meaning and some words don't. Therefore, using Japanese words by an American while in a dojo setting or the like doesn't add anything of value to anything. To do it out of habit is one thing, but to do it just to show off and the like is another thing; a mistake to begin with. Same thing with one thinking that they must have affiliation with some governing body from Japan/Okinawa or wherever; it doesn't add anything of value to anything. Yes, my Hombu could seek affiliation with the aforementioned types, however, the Hombu ISN'T from their core, in that, we/they are foreign to one another; different methodologies/ideologies and the like, albeit, both with Okinawa roots. For me, that's just not enough!!

While the video does demonstrate the most basic of possible applications, Bunkai, the video does lack important elements, i.e., hip movements and footwork. Had just those two elements been utilized, much more would've been accomplished with very little effort, and yes, much more effectiveness. Yes, it was a learning/teaching video, thus the slowness and purposeful reasons, however, that would've been just an excuse. Yes, it was a demonstration of a possible bunkai, but not once was the application(s) done at full speed/power WITH the above elements utilized. Had it been so, the viewer might've seen the attackers relationship to the defender much more compact as well as seeing the defender keeping the compacted relationship with very little effort. This, imho, is also a problem with learning bunkai; the "liveness" of the application, not just the resisting, as mal103 alluded to, but in the willingness of allowing the "liveness" to BE much more alive. The video wouldn't have been shown at the Hombu because it would've been deemed as an incomplete demonstration, therefore ineffective.

Whatever the language might be, hopefully it's conducive with the MA one trains in, albeit, the language is pure MA.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Force should be tailored and/or trimmed down if my attacker is a female?

Thank you Patrick, Gareth, Brian, Alex, Danielle, and Devin!!

Congrats, and well deserved!!

As a LEO, and in your opinion...Are women capable of violence on a man? If so, then in defending myself, I've no problem of doing it without any reservation.

There are many women that are in prison because they were CONVICTED! Never underestimate your opponent...no matter the gender.

Tackett Sensei has a rule at his dojo... "Never ask any senior to spar. The senior can ask the junior." He's pretty serious with this rule. As I've said before...I've seen this throughout many dojo's, thus, from what I've seen for myself, I used it to create this hypothetical for us to discuss.

It appears that my hypothetical has reached up and bit me. Ask once...yes...ask twice...yes...ask however many times...yes...but...ask disrespectfully...no. Bully? Depends on how ones perception views it. In the hypothetical... 1) The Kyu's request to spar was granted. 2) They began to spar. 3) The Kyu left its middle totally opened, thus unprotected. 4) The Dan took advantage of said opening. 5) The Dan helped the Kyu up and made sure the Kyu wasn't injured. To me, this isn't bullying or teaching a "lesson"; it's two karateka's engaged in kumite.

Same with us, except, they're taught up to 5th Kyu, then followed up by the Niafanchi series.

If I remember right, but not 100% positive...Century MA designed gi tops with the female anatomy in mind. I also saw somewhere where it came also in pink. Again, I might be wrong.

I'd guess to substantiate your school as a "koryu." Why is that so important?

When I think of "Karate" I don't think of Japan and/or Okinawa and/or anywhere else. When I think of "Karate", I think not so far away. I think of Soke and Dai-Soke and then myself. I'm a student first of Dai-Soke, but the "Karate" that "I" do is mine; that's the evolution of Shindokan, however, my evolution isn't bounded to Shindokan, no, I've exposed myself to a wide plethora of MA styles because while Shindokan is a great form of "Karate", it's incomplete, therefore, I've taken the effectiveness from wherever I found. Yes, I teach Shindokan as it's meant to be taught, but "MY" Karate isn't only Shindokan.

We don't do it either. I also concur that it's a great way to show fellow students ones appreciation for whatever reasons. Heart felt appreciation can be delved out in so many different ways, and I believe that the applause isn't concentrated on one continent over an another. Is it culture? Or... is it just the way that one was raised and/or feels for what's just been witnessed?

I couldn't view the video because it's marked "Private".

And the importance of earning the status is...?

Sure they do...and all day and night long!! And as the video supports, it doesn't take quite a lot of power in those areas to cause enough discomfort to close the gap or get away. Thanks for sharing the video.

You're more than welcome!!

Solid post!!

lol