sensei8

What Kata did you learn? K. Jion and Hangetsu! Now working in Enpi (almost got it) and Kanku Dai (way off it)! I love them all...and the Bunkai...off the chart great!! Embrace them all, you'll not regret it.

Demos are such a powerful tool...on both sides of the equation.

"Jahse" is not a German word. Possibly this link will shade a lot of light on things... http://www.houseofdiscipline.com/pdf/Chapter2.pdf

Thanks for that! I looked for a website but all it'd give me was yellow pages and other directory entries! I wonder if its because I'm searching in the UK?!? No...I got the same thing myself and I live in the USA. Check out my post above for something that might help you.

From what I found out...Their primary style is Phase of Defense, which was created by Mr. Robinson. They teach MMA; in that three cores exist... Shotokan Muay Thai Jujitsu They also do Adult Level Bodyguard; take-downs, disarms, things of that nature. ps1 offers some solid advise; advise I'd not take lightly. Good luck with your search.

I wholeheartedly concur!! Learning curves vary from student to student. Demonstrate any said technique as many times as necessary until that student has their AHA moment; understand it first before exploring its many avenues.

A very solid post!!

I love it!! Why? It's the unknown and the challenges it offers across the board; I live for that!! New Kata...Bring it on!! I welcome it!!

I wouldn't offer any MA instructions to them...for now. The MA requires a great deal of discipline across the board. Therefore, these offenders lack a lot of discipline across the board. They've tried to buck the system, and it landed them right where they rightfully belong; incarcerated!! Could they learn discipline? Sure. However, it would be a long bumpy up hill climb that might not be worthy of the effort, but, breaking their current mindset would be quite difficult. If the youth offenders a gang banger; their loyalty is to the set they claim, and that would leave you nothing in their eyes. Their gang is their family, and you and your MA is nothing to them. They'll die to protect whatever they claim, and an instructor of the MA would more than likely not earn their respect and/or listen to that MA instructor over their gang. Their discipline is not negotiable. But for any offender to learn the MA will require discipline, and that type of discipline must be correlated to learning the MA and nothing else. Breaking their mindsets muscle memory would be almost impossible at first and at first is where you need to have them willing to learn and listen, and that discipline might not even exist with any youth offender. Would going old school to try to get their attention or the like work? No. You'll not have a student for sure; you'll have an angry opponent that will be hell-bent determined to get even at any cost, and to not even bother to learn the life lessons that you're trying to teach. I said at the beginning "for now", and I believe that. It would take an instructor of immense qualities to reach many, if not all offenders at the beginning. Patience, kindness, honesty, guidance, consistency, love, respect, determination, and understanding, to just name a few. These words and many other words can't be taken lightly by a MA instructor for a youth offender. Not all black belts can teach, not all black belt teachers can teach kids/adults, and not all black belt teachers of adults/kids can teach a youth offender the MA. Making the youth offender accountable across the board will be one the keys to reaching them; not lying will be paramount to the offender if the instructor is going to earn their trust and respect. Telling them exactly their expectations and consequences for not being accountable for their expectations from the start will go much further than barking orders and the like. A kind action will go much further than a kind word with an offender because action speaks louder than words. I'd teach youth offenders, but there would have to be an unequivocal understanding of expectations and accountability. I'm for helping and providing as many chances as one might need, but first the offender has to WANT that as well...no, more than me!! Do you want to teach the MA to youth offenders? Then watch the movie "The Gridiron Gang", make sure you watch the DVD special features to meet the true Sean Porter, and then read about Sean Porter and what he's done with youth offenders. Then if you still want to teach the MA to youth offenders, then do it without any reservations and/or any ambiguity; believe in your abilities and believe in those youth offenders who's life you'll change for the good.

Are either of you suggesting that Japanese karate has no bunkai in their kata/curriculum? That's so sad, if that's true. If so, then imho, Japanese kata is akin to the old saying..."swimming on dry land"; useless. If kata is taught, yet, no applications are taught, it would be best if they didn't even try to teach kata because they've not even a minimum of an idea concerning kata. And if Miyagi's students didn't learn Bunkai, then I don't know what they learnt, but, imho, it wasn't kata and it wasn't karate.

As I predicted...Ravens win Super Bowl 47 by 3 points with a final score of...34-31!! The Ravens had tons of momentum right up to when half of the stadium lights went out, but when the lights came back, the 49ers switched the momentum with 2 quick TD's and the Ravens went dead flat on both sides of the ball. But the fat lady hadn't sung yet, and the Ravens WON THE SUPER BOWL 47. I'm happy for the Ravens organization as well as for Ray Lewis on his final game of his starry career. WAY TO GO RAVENS!!

Welcome to KF!! I too would like to echo what Patrick posted. No matter if one's a MAist or not, they're input will always be welcomed and quite important here at KF. I look forward to your posts.

Thanks for the link; very right to the point.

If I was a McDojo, and I'm not, and I was accused of being one, I'd just laugh and continue doing what I've been doing because perception is reality to that person. They're here to stay, so, I'll just worry about my house.

I agree, Kata should be performed with intent! The difference between a martial artist and some one that just replicates the moves (not unlike a dancer) is intent! K. Solid posts...both of them!!

Within kata based systems (not just martial arts) the pedagogy of Shu,ha,ri is key. However, kata doesn't change - it can't as it is kata!? More correctly:- Shu=to Embrace the kata (and by Kata, it means kihon and all non Jiyu-kumite training drills) Ha= to Diverge Ri=to Discard However this does not mean that YOU change Kata, forms or systems... Rather, it means that by using drills and applications you have internalised methods and can perform outside of the box! ie you can react and perform instinctively - without having to think about it! I've been training for best part of 30 years - and i'm no where near that! K. Solid post!!

No, I've not made up my style, nor would I ever want to.

I was bullied quite a lot when I was in the first grade, and in that, I had my lunch money stolen from me each and everyday at school. My mom enrolled me in a local karate dojo; thus, I didn't choose the style, my mom did because the dojo was close enough to the house that I could either walk there or ride my bike.

Solid posts thus far all!! Thank you!!

Congrats and well deserved!!

Solid post and good luck in March; look forward in hearing your results!!

Solid post!! I believe that this thread is about sparring combinations.

This is some of the criteria that the WKF (World Karate Federation) uses when judging a kata performance. 1> The kata must be performed with competence and must demonstrate a clear understanding of the principles it contains. 2> The kata performance must have demonstrated correct focus of attention, use of power, good balance and proper breathing. 3> Consistency and correctness of stances. 4> Correct weight distribution according to the kihon being demonstrated. 5> Smooth and even transition (center remaining “weighted down”) between stances. 6> Correct tension in stance. 7> Feet edges firmly on floor. 8> Accuracy in techniques. 9> Correct and consistent kihon with the style being demonstrated. 10> Correct tension, focus, kime. 11> Show proper understanding of the kata bunkai. 12> Contrast in tension, breathing and movement. 13> An understanding of those techniques being demonstrated. 14> A realistic, rather than “theatrical ” demonstration of the Kata meaning. For discussion purposes only...Which criteria, if any, from the list above, do you not agree with and why? I'm not so keen with #7 and this is because of it's ambiguity. I was taught to do a reverse punch, for example, with the knife edge of the rear foot up but keeping the heel down & transferring the weight to the inside or instep. This is to: 1. Maximize hip rotation 2. Center the power/weight up the middle line of the body and the inside of the thigh & base That being said, no matter how one's been taught, and no matter how one may or may not agree with WTF's criteria, one will have to execute in said manner if one wants to compete within any WKF venue. I suppose that it's the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" kind of thing.

Someone walks into your school of the MA...By just looking at someone... Can you tell if that person is or isn't a MAist? If so, can you tell if this MAist is a black belt/equivalent or not? If so, can you tell by her/his posture or his/her aura or how he/she carries him/herself or by his/her conditioned hands/knuckles? What's the first thing about this someone that catches you eye?

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!