sensei8

Ours are 17x11

Many schools of the MA keep you so busy that you don't think about the quality, or the lack or importance, of what you're learning. You're doing this and that, up and down, forward and backward, in and out, over here and over there, nonetheless, you're not doing anything that's MA related; albeit, nothing substantial, hence ineffective. What's, imho, drastically missing is the context and intent and understanding of the word..."school"!! Webster defines "school" to be..."an organization that provides instruction". Schools of the MA that don't met the definition in both content/context are exasperating their students for the good of the "school" only and not for their students betterment. Schools of the MA are there for BOTH the students AND the school, not just for the school. Imho.

Define: noun/adjective 1> Promising success 2> Fortunate 3> Opportune 4> Favorable: An auspicious occasion 5> Prosperous Is it its lineage or its rank structure or its celebrations or its effectiveness or its... When all has been said and done, and the dust has finally settled around whichever style(s) you train in, I'd suspect that the auspiciousness is due to its student body in which they carry the solid believe, and with undeniable reasons, that they owe to the styles effectiveness. "If you can't do it better, then why do it"~Herbert Dow Your thoughts please.

A) A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that on can test it. B) Proposition set forth as an explanation of something, often as the basis fo further investigation. For our conversation here, I'd like to propose a hypothesis. The MA is a voluntary process or act, if you will, because we're, the human body, not born to do the MA. At best, we've adapted the MA and everything that it is to our frame. Therefore, 'I' do not hit; 'it' hits all by itself.~Bruce Lee. Still, the process of the MA remains a voluntary act, no matter howmuch training birthed the automatically honed reactions; the off-spring of an untold amount of training. It took, and it takes, countless years to "master" the MA, both in context as well as in content. And while we will never truly "master" the MA, with proper training in the methodologies and ideologies of the MA, we construct an amazingly effective weapon. We learn to harness it, nourish it, control it, express it, mold it, and when the time and moment demands of us, we unleash it. If "I" do it, then the process/act must be voluntary. Inasmuch, if "It" happens of its own volition, then the process/act must be involuntary. However, if the process/act doesn't occur because of my premeditated intents, the subconscious triggered by the summations of "why" and "because" could be a simple case of muscle memory. It's possible. Stranger things have happened. Whatever the hypothesis final rulings might or might not reveal, I believe this...If it works; leave it alone! If it's not broken; don't fix it! Imho. Your thoughts please.

I have found martial artists in general become a bit abrasive when they are of different styles and high in rank. They have so much time invested their style becomes like a religion, and people are trying to convert one another, sometimes not so pleasantly. Musicians are the opposite (I am a musician), they are fast friends, and want to join forces. Many other hobbies are the same, not as abrasive. This is unfortunate, but it is the nature of the game. I let the material speak for itself, and be as nice as possible. G Proof is on the floor!!

Ever notice how organizations will want your send in every Dan cert including your latest? I usually snicker at this because, if someone's a, for example, Godan, then they only send in their Godan cert... Shouldn't that be enough? After all, they'd have to have been Shodan then Nidan then Sandan then Yondan then finally, Godan. How could and why would it matter if said organization wants EVERY Dan cert?

I'll be darn; quite interesting and worth a trip to an office supply store. Thanks because I'll tell my students about it.

You're opening your school of MA. You're excited. You've nicely decorated it quite tastefully. You've all of the necessary training devices and the like. You've done this and that in preparation of your grand opening. Then you ponder over something longer than normally. Should you hang up every MA and the like platitude(s)? OR... Should you only hang up your latest MA and the like platitude(s)?

Without me looking on the web... What's Blu Tack? Does it stain the certs?

How do you care for your MA certs? I'll go first... 1>Do you frame it/them? 2>Do you laminate it/them? 3>Do you display it/them by hanging them on a given wall? 4>Do you hang them in a group or in a long line or in a pattern? 5>What other way(s) do you care for them? Since I can remember, I've laminated each and every one of them. Then, I'd affix them to a good size and nice looking cutting board. Then, I'd hang them in small groups; 5 per row. Why 5 per row? I like to multiply by fives I suppose. Your turn.

In Shindokan, every rank, Jukyu to Hachidan, is earned through testing cycles. Kudan and Judan; these two ranks are promoted upon said individual through the directions of our By-Laws. Certain positions, like Kaicho, are automatically promoted to Kudan, and only Soke types are permitted Judan; per our By-Laws. In our history. Only our Dai-Soke has been promoted to Kudan. Only our Soke, Dai-Soke, and San Dai-Soke have been promoted to Judan.

One day certs usually give you the "Rights" to be affiliated with that particular headquarters. Then they usually provide you with some "stuff", whatever they think you need to get started. Then they usually provide you a phone number to call if you have questions and/or concerns. Usually!?!

I'm the same way concerning weight classes. I don't like it for the same reasons as I've spoken about separating men and women. Imho, what are we truly preparing our students for and will they be truly prepared?

Please be very careful about believing what you see on the web because compliant actions make 'it' appear valid when in actuality, it's not. Approach it with kid gloves, so to speak. Unless and until I feel its effectiveness for myself, I doubt its validity for myself.

What else I see is that when a MA is on the worlds stage, that MA is deemed by the world as being more effective than those MA that aren't on the worlds stage. It's quite disheartening, imho.

Solid post!! My Hombu continually shoves their wanting to promote me to Kudan, and no matter what I tell them, they stop for the time being, but every year, just about the time when our annual testing cycle nears, they're back to shoving Kudan down my throat with different tactics and medicine, like I'll take it better. NO is NO!! If Dai-Soke was still alive, the Hombu wouldn't be pressuring over and over. Dai-Soke asked me once, I refused, and on his death bed, he told me that he understood my reasons and respected me for my decision. But the Hombu can be led in certain departments by idle minded dunderheads at times.

This is my concern. We learn the MA for many reasons, one being to be able to defend oneself. Having said that, sport or not, one better know how to protect oneself from whomever, whether it be a man or a woman. I don't care if there's hormone therapy or not because the MA is suppose to teach a plethora of tactics and the like so that one can protect themselves. I truly desire that they'd stop separating the women from the men. Otherwise, why are we teaching the MA to either sex. Learn how to stop the attack in the most effective and efficient way. Having the sexes compete against each other is about as close as it's going to be on the street. The defender can't choose their attacker and then say...."Wait, I'm a women and you're a man, you can't attack me, you can only attack another man." I do understand the reasons as to why the women and the men are separated in sport type competitions, and because I understand the rhyme and the reasons, I still have difficulty when MAists imply directly/indirectly that women are the weaker sex. NO!! If you're a women or a man in Shindokan you will be treated not as a women/man, but only as a STUDENT!! Women will mix it up with men everyday when they're on the floor. Shugyo...suck it up!! This applies to both sexes when they're on a Shindokan floor, especially my floor.

Gas for my car to ensure that I'll be at my dojo to teach. To help pay for someone's entrance fee at the next local open tournament. To eat somewhere after teaching all day/night. To give it to one of my students for whatever they need it for. WOW...the list could go on and on because I'm very resourceful when I put my mind to it. Btw, great topic!!

Yes...it's time for... BASEBALL I don't know about you Patrick, but I don't recognize the Yankees. I mean, one injury after another and it's only spring training. Teixeira is out for a bit. Well, at least MO'S back but the roster has to do their job so that Mo can close. GO YANKEES = this is my Yankee hat substitute heheehehee

Well, the Owasso Rams lost their round 2 of the Championship to the number 1 team by only 3 points, and that was after 3 OT. The one thing that frustrated us all was that the other team would hold the ball alot to wear down the clock. To bad there's no shot clock in high school basketball. That would've surely made a differece. OH WELL!! GO OWASSO RAMS!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Congrats!! Feels good huh?

I say...EAT THE SNICKERS BAR...YUMMY! Besides, Snicker bars are suppose to kill the craves and not make us feel guilty. Snickers, Reeses, or whatever, don't ever feel guilty for doing what makes you feel good. However, we shouldn't eat the whole box, and I'm speaking that to myself right now. GO SNICKERS!! = me drooling

Congrats on earning your Green Belt. Feels good huh?

An old military saying we had - if you have to use your rank to lead properly or gain respect, you have already failed. This is the same in martial arts. It is also why I do not have my students even wear rank in class. It divides IMO. It should be apparent who has more skill than who, it doesn't have to be formalized into rank worship. Showing respect to someone is free, I do so until they prove they deserve otherwise. G Yes...Yes...Yes...a very solid post!!