sensei8

Interesting how you frame your question. Depending on whom one asks, TKD and Karate are quite similar, especially when tournament sparring is concerned. To answer your question, I’m of the opinion that the karate black belt that’s a green belt in TKD, and it’s a closed tournament, I’d say that the karate black belt, to be fair to the green belt division, should enter the black belt division. Maybe it’s just me but for integrity sake, the karate black belt should speak to the arbitrator about this concern. But that might not be necessary especially if said tournament only asks for years of training experience, and therefore, places said competitor according to that criteria.

Seeing that it’s a TKD tournament, and that student has a green belt in TKD, I’d say that that student should wear a green belt, but at the same time, that student should inform the Arbitrator that they have a black belt in Judo, for integrity sake, and allow the Arbitrator to make the proper decision.

Absolutely!! I would’ve also banned him from said tournament that he tried to cheat. Earned a black belt, enter said tournament as a black belt. Anything else is cheating all across the board!! Cheating?!? Yes!! Why?!? Anyone who’s earned a black belt and enters a MA tournament in any other division other than black belt is cheating the under black belt competitors as well as the hosting tournament by cheating all concerned.

After what appeared to be a promising season for my wife’s Raiders and my Cowboys, reality reared its ugly head. Raiders lost again today against the hosting Commanders who had a commanding effort for the final score 41-24. As for now, the Raiders are 1-2-0. Raiders will host the 1-2-0 Bears on September 28, 2025. Cowboys lost again today against the hosting Bears who mauled the Cowboys relentlessly to the final score of 31-14. As for now, the Cowboys are 1-2-0. Cowboys will face the hosting Packers on September 28, 2025. Regular season just started but the Raiders and the Cowboys are not any better off no matter who they’ve added to their organization’s. GO COWBOYS!!

I just want to mention that this story is NOT true. I sincerely apologize for having not have taking the necessary time to find out if the story was or wasn’t true.

I’ve no idea one way or another if it’s fake news or not. If it’s fake news, then I’ve eggs in my face…deservingly so.

Either I never really cared one way or another or I’ve been living under a rock for a bit. I just found out that Elon Musk offered to buy the Las Vegas Raiders for $13B. Mark is still undecided if he wants to sell the Raiders. What are you waiting for Mark?!? You’re net worth is currently $2B, you’re 70 years old, and you live high on the hog…SELL SELL SELL…that’s just me!! If Musk buys the Raiders, the league as we know it will never be the same.

Fair enough…across the board.

Congrats to those that earned their promotion; well deserved!! Sorry for those who had not earned a promotion. Being demoted from 2nd Dan to low brown is quite harsh. Daughter or not, testing cycles should have all ties severed so as integrity remains!! If I had relatives as part of my student body, I’d sever said ties while on the floor no matter its contents; they’d be just a student to me and nothing more!! I’m sure your CI has cause for demoting that 2nd Dan. Your CI only owes any explanation to that 2nd Dan and no one else.

Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Raiders, and in that, there’s NFL Rules that owners must follow. Brady is also part of the FOX Broadcast team, which means that Brady gets access to coaches and players from all the other teams. After some complaining that this was an unfair advantage last year, that talk had mostly died down. During the Raiders VS Chargers MNF, you can see that Brady is not only at the game, which is what owners do, BUT he’s also seen in the coach’s box. Not just sitting with the coaches but he’s also wearing a headset. The NFL world got in a tizzy…Raiders were cheating…it’s not fair that Brady gets access to all other teams and can use it to help the Raiders. Did you see the game?!? Did it look like the Raiders had secret insight into anything?!? I mean, the Raiders lost across the board!! Raiders coach Pete Carroll said Tom is not helping coach the team, Brady was only listening in!! The NFL said that Brady didn’t break any rules!!

Congrats @Revario; well deserved!!

Not counting teaching as an instructor under the very watchful eyes of our Soke and Dai-Soke or for teaching at the college; because those students were provided. All I had to do was just show up for classes. When I opened my Kyuodan dojo as a Sandan, I passed out flyers anywhere and everywhere to advertise my upcoming grand opening. Had 2 classes for my grand opening; kids and adults. I signed up 75 students. So, I found my first STUDENTS, not student through my proactive advertising, of which, my prospective students found me and I found them.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!! What a way to have your season opener by having it televised. Raiders, 1-0, host the Chargers 1-0 in Las Vegas. One of these by the end of their game will be 1-1…and the other will be 2-0. This should be a barn burner. GO COWBOYS!!

Already?!? OUCH!!

That’s right!! It’s almost October and that means that the start of the NHL Regular Season is about to begin!! GO KNIGHTS!!

Here’s my thing about this subject. When rank becomes more important than knowledge and experience, that’s when it’s time to give up rank!! IMHO!!

Yes, Steelers vsJets was good. Chiefs looked horrible, which was a bit unexpected. Raiders could win division. Of course, this is only week #1.

My wife’s tickled pink because her Raiders defeated the Patriots while on the road: final score: Raiders 20 Patriots 13 Smith: 362 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Meyers: 8 REC, 97 yds Pola-Mao: 5 SOLO, 1 INT

One of my closest friends, Dwight, is a die-hard Seahawks fan; we tease each other endlessly all of the time in or out of season. After the Cowboys lost to the Eagles, he couldn’t resist himself to rub the Cowboys lost in. Then he said to me this… I laughed at that!! My response was… His reply… My reply… Of course this is always done in the good nature of fun between two very close friends!! I still chuckle at Dwight’s…”There are more cowgirl fans than Seahawk fans in the world“. Nice of him to admit that!!

Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dak!!

Without possessing any resolve in owns own training, just going through the motions lacks any resolve, reflects that on the street there will also be no resolve either. There’s a well known saying… ”How one trains is how one will fight.” Everything that one does on the floor also reflects on the street. Do ‘it’ as though your life depends on it. Anything less than a serious resolve is ineffective. Imho.

Great question!! At my very strict insistence, I was “formally assessed” for my Kudan. Even though I’ve always suspected that due to my being currently the Kaicho at that time, that my Kudan Testing Cycle was forthcoming one way or another whether I wanted it or not!! Our Testing Cycles only go up to Hachidan. My Kudan Testing Cycle, at my strictest insistence, had to be a Testing Cycle that would’ve made our Dai-Soke most proud of. If at any time during my Testing Cycle that I suspected that my Testing Cycle was a “give me”, I would’ve walked out the Testing Cycle; but they tried to kill me…I was never tested so hard before in my life.

I’m at the highest rank that I can ever achieve. With that, I’ll be at Hachidan for the rest of my life!! Yes…I know my current rank is Kudan. However, I earned Hachidan under Dai-Soke, which I embrace far more than my Kudan, which was earned under the SKKA Hierarchy, and under my very strong protest.

Shindokan has 10 Kyu and 10 Dan levels. Kyu minimum is 3 months to 1 year, depending on the Kyu level. Dan minimums matches said current Dan…Shodan minimum is 1 year…Godan minimum is 5 years…Nanadan minimum is 7 years. All Testing Cycle Candidates must petition the Hombu to be considered; minimum rank doesn’t guarantee approval!! I was a JBB for 5 long years!! That’s a very long time for a kid!!

Uke means to receive!! Our receiving at its core is having the ability to deflect at any given moment. Receiving skills are really valued, and that such force is put into receiving speaks for both our methodology and ideology itself. Never initiate the attack!! Receive first, and then go on the offense!! Attacking always comes last!! Yes, it is true, Uke means to block, literally meaning to block or prevent an attack!! In that, attacks are directionally deflected either into oneself or away from oneself. Receiving also means to catch or to accept!! How?? Destroy the force and take my attacker by surprise!! My attacker’s can’t advance so quickly!! Receiving is not just for stopping said attack!! The force received is redirected in my counterattack!! Receiving is the beginning of my counterattack!! The very skill of receiving lies in ending my opponent’s attack quickly!! It’s far more easier to attack than receiving!! Just receive!! No need to attack!! When my attacker moves, so I move!! What if he does this or that, what do I do?!? That uncertainty comes from the fact that one’s afraid!! Reading my opponent’s intent, well, that’s where the maturity in one’s techniques begins!! if one is able to properly receive your opponent’s attack, you should never have to back down!! Once your attacker’s in control over you, it’s over!! Imho, if one’s preoccupied in winning, there’s no possibility of receiving successfully!! You must remain calmly while receiving an opponent’s attack!! Receiving…It’s difficult at first, but it has to be done!! Like everything, it takes time!! The difficulty in receiving is that one’s not thinking deeply enough about receiving except in a more passing notion That’s dangerous!! Change the mindset, then receiving starts to improve!! With receiving, don’t just back down and take it, but rather, go forward and receive it actively!! The very style and mindset of the martial arts, is to advance forward while receiving!! To improve receiving skills, the attack needs to be improved as well!! Receiving is the strength to attack, and therefore they are inseparable. However, training in order to win, and training to not lose upon receiving, are completely different!! Facing the opponent without running away, while also ending the battle without hurting the opponent, that is the true spirit of the martial arts.