sensei8

I used the word "cheat" in the title of this topic to attract KF members, to draw them in, and not to subscribe to the act of cheating, as in breaking the rules and the like. Great responses thus far!!

What do YOU call it when a "MAists" knowledge is voided of experience? Your thoughts.

If the MA has a lesson, it's that character reigns preeminent in determining potential. Your thoughts.

Sometimes other things in ones life is much more important than karate/MA. You shouldn't ever feel guilty for doing things that are important to you. Karate/MA will be there waiting for you with open arms when the time is right. If you never return to Karate/MA, then there are worse things to worry about. Hang in there!!

For those who are practitioners of a grappling art, I'd like to pose a direct question... If you could eliminate all of the rules that govern the UFC, for example, what technique(s) would you use if you found yourself in??... 1>Guard 2>Half Guard 3>Mount 4>Rear Mount Rules exist to protect the practitioners, and not to destroy the effectiveness of said grappling art. Having said that, if, for once, we could be honest with ourselves, many different/"forbidden" techniques would and could bring a different light onto the venues and into the "street".

Call the police!!

Could you please extrapolate a little. I practice/train the Pinan's primarily, with the Heian's secondarily, but I've always gotten a personal kick out of the vast similarities there are between the Heian's and the Pinan's.

Attack the problem TOGETHER and never attack the person because to do so, starts the downward spiral that there is no return from.

I'm with everyone else...wear the white belt, then follow the leading's of your sensei.

Congrats on your tourney success!! Pretty soon, with your training and all, you'll get that Grand Championship trophy. Way to go!!

I wouldn't worry about it at all because when you start worrying about that, then you start imagining things that aren't correct and helpful. At our yearly testing cycle held every June/July at the Hombu, all testing results are posted at the entrance of the Hombu's main dojo on the very last day, always a Sunday. Our testing cycle's duration lasts 2 weeks, and all testing is completed by the last Friday. Then, at noon Sunday, all testing candidates that have passed are gathered in the Hombu's main dojo for our quite simple Promotions Ceremony. It is then they receive their new rank and/or certificate; not everyone receives a certificate because the Hombu doesn't award certificates to students earning 9th kyu thru 6th kyu. Sunday night, we hold a banquet for everyone, and that's when, if any, special promotions are conducted for those who are receiving any Shogo title and the like. So, patience is a virtue. Even though waiting patiently isn't good for ones nerves and/or fingernails.

Solid post!!

By whose definition are we? Being held to some measure is plausible in how one is gauged. To be knowledgeable or to be experienced or whatever other type is a barometer to some degree waits for one to garner one way or another. Each day, no each second, one gains some type of experience in whatever they're involved with/in. It's the quality over the quantity and it must be achieved where one gains substance all the time. We slip and we trip and we sometimes fall. It's how we learn and what we learn that differs one from another. Your thoughts please.

In the hopes of jump starting this topic... Is the school you own/teach at/learn from offer you substance or fluff? If so, either way, how so?

Reports: This means those, students and non-students, who report directly to you. Students report up the chain. Student to Kohai then to Assistant Sensei then to Sensei then to the Chief Instructor. Non-students, Hombu employees. They report to their immediate manager then to the Managing Supervisor then to the Assistant Director then to the Director then to Kancho then to Kaicho. Hopefully this will lend itself properly so that this topic can begin. If not, way to go Bob!!

No Danielle, that saying is SOLID!! I thank you for sharing it!! Teaching them the techniques and all is important, but equally as important is that we hopefully teach them to improve their betterment across the board.

That's a proud moment for me. Why? Well, that IS the evolution of my students. From 'nest' one must 'fly'!! That student isn't gone because that same student will be still be learning from me; this is a beautiful thing. No! I feel proud! Why? That student WILL evolve because they will have grown in their knowledge and the like, and in that, they'll add themselves into and beyond what I've taught them. For just over 3 decades I've not been peddling Shindokan, no, I've been teaching Shindokan. Again, it's the evolution of a student that is teaching in their own school. Shindokan isn't my product; it's theirs as well. I learnt from Dai-Soke and Dai-Soke learnt from Soke, and in that, my student has learnt from me...THEN...they add their betterment to Shindokan, and in that, Shindokan will evolve. If my Dai-Soke had told me that I couldn't do this or that concerning Shindokan, I would've went..."Whatever!! You don't own me and you don't own Shindokan. It's a free gift". Spread your wings and fly!!

I hear what you're saying, but... We're suppose to be teachers of the MA, and the key is teaching. I'm not saying that we must spend the rest of our lives correcting what parents should have done already. No. I'm to teach, and not just the MA because I believe that the it's worth it and that it won't be wasted time. Either the student gets it or not; however, I will have learned something for myself for MY betterment.

WARNING: Bad comparison coming... Imagine your about to go in for surgery. You're nervous. You're a little scared. Seconds turn into hours. Your nurse walks into your room to assist in wheeling you into surgery. You're now at the entrance doors leading into surgery...your nurse leans down...and with not a care in her voice she says... Your doctor was never tested ever while he was in med-school!! I'd be bolting!!

Yes it is!! Training alone is...well...lonely, inasmuch, it's akin to taking a very long walk by yourself; no stimulus.

Transitional movements and the like shouldn't be forced/muscled. And you're absolutely correct...muscling causes tension and tension prohibits free movements; transitions suffer. And when one moves this way and is meet with resistance, the natural instinct is to fight against said resistance, thus using the resistance for ones success. Pushing hand drills are all about "Working" with the resistance so that hidden opens are revealed. To be relaxed until tensions is required; but that tension must be controlled. Great topic Justice!!

Imho, it's a rarity. The more one on one with an instructor can't be denied; shouldn't be denied. The occasional one on one does help where corrections are vitally important in learning the most basic of techniques. Imho!!

Happy Birthday Alex!! And many more!!

Yellow belt. I vaguely remember mine. Good luck...relax...let the testing cycle take care of itself. You'll be greater than rain.

Water.