sensei8

Hi Sensei8, where were you 4 months ago when I posted the original question? That info is exactly what I was after, even if it doesn't align exactly to what my Sensei has given me. Thank you for the extra rank meanings, will help a lot I was right here... I'm glad that I was of some help to your quest.

Mine, too, Bob. But, the holidays do cause that. Next week, I should be back into it. My training, especially as of late, is like having a quiet conversation because Dai-Soke is no longer with us, especially on the floor. I feel his unexpected death has left me as an uncompleted puzzle; one that'll never be finished by his hands. I miss him so very much!! I understand how you feel, Bob. Just remember that when its really quiet, you just have to listen more closely.YES!! I needed that Brian...more than you might ever know...THANK YOU!!

Brian, you'll do just fine, however, you'll have many reminded "AHA" moments as you eliminate the rust. Clay...you'll be fine my friend...you'll be fine. I'd advise that you insure that your training partner will allow you to do resistive type training because there's nothing like having someone fight back during drills and the like.

I bow to each of you who've posted some great attributes!! Thank you hiddendragon98 for starting this topic/thread!! It's not the MA that's within us now, but it's the MA that still hasn't been discovered.

The Hombu has already begun to take photos, but, man oh man, it's the pictures of old Hombu history that's not replaceable unless Iwao forks them over, meanwhile, I'm not holding my breath on that happening anytime soon. I do like the emailing idea Heidi, I'll have our PR/Brand department look into that. This same department has contacted each of the Shindokan dojo's to send the Hombu any and everything that they can part from as well as any new stuff that they feel would be helpful. Again, thanks to all for some great idea's.

I've that book as well; it's a solid book to add to one's library/collection.

Congrats to you as well as those others who passed!!

It's a blast.

An invaluable tool that we use with Tuite is the wooden dummy, one's that are more often associated with Wing Chun. For us, the tool allows us to learn close up transitions and the like within the various area's of the wooden dummy. Checks, switches, traps, slips, to just name a few, helps us at every level. Footwork is essential with the wooden dummy, otherwise, one's just banging on wood without producing any fruition. I can't see our brand of Tuite without the aide of the wooden dummy.

Thanks MP!! Students of the MA and Tuite deserve it.

Solid post!! Another meaning is Dai means "Big" and Sho means "Small" Looking a swords, you've got DAIto meaning long sword and SHOto meaning short sword. Hence the word Daisho means big/little. Bassai Dai consists of 42 movements Bassai Sho consists of 26 movements Kanku Dai consists of 65 movements Kanku Sho consists of 20 movements Gojushiho-Dai & Gojushiho-Sho both consist of 54 movements This brings me to the amount of the movements aren't indicative of why one's small and the other's big. Applications/techniques/etc within said kata's might be the main reason as to why one's dai and the other's sho. Styles differ across the board in many, many things, and the reason(s) one's called Dai and the other Sho will be determined by ones governing body. If you would like yet another reason for sho being small and dai being large, in my branch of Shorin-Ryu our Passai Sho is very compact, utilizing tight pivots, dropping body weight and small forward motions, whereas our Passai Dai utilizes long lunging forward motions and sliding steps forward, generally taking up more space. That's what I meant when I posted...

MP, Everything you've described in your OP as well as in your follow up post about Tuite ISN'T the Shindokan brand of Tuite; never has been and never will be!! I've spoken about our brand of Tuite ever since I've been a KF member, and in that, I'm very confident about our brand of Tuite as taught to us by our Soke and Dai-Soke. Brian's the only KF member here that's tasted our brand of Tuite, even though it was only a small taste, and as I'm always saying, our brand of Tuite is best understood by experiencing it for oneself. In that, safety is paramount with the teaching of our brand without losing any of its value, first for the safety of our students, and secondly for the brand of our Tuite; it's solid across the board!! Unfortunately, our given venue here at KF doesn't truly allow me to give our brand its due just in the written word(s).

I agree! Any "master" who cannot learn from his students is not worth learning from-his cup and his head are way too full. Yeah, I should have said "Master Level" and not just "Master". Sometimes the word master gives people the creeps because of it's unintended perception from the word "master" alone. Shindokan is simple, therefore, I'm simple, both as man and as practitioner.

Great follow up posts all and I thank you all for them. I just don't want any MAist to think that I don't have problems from time to time just because of my rank. No! I'm human and I struggle in reaching the next level of betterment as anyone else. My betterment suffers one thing constantly...no Dai-Soke to guide me because I know, from reading our scrolls, there's so much more that our Dai-Soke hadn't taught to us within the Nanadan/Hachidan ranks.

Solid post!! Shindokan's brand of Tuite would have us, if need be, using one hand to control the wrist manipulation while using the other hand at the opponents elbow to aide in controlling of the opponents elbow keeping that elbow in check, but Alex was very, very solid with his post!! And I'm with MP on this one...Thanks, that would have taken a long time for me to type.

Solid post!! Another meaning is Dai means "Big" and Sho means "Small" Looking a swords, you've got DAIto meaning long sword and SHOto meaning short sword. Hence the word Daisho means big/little. Bassai Dai consists of 42 movements Bassai Sho consists of 26 movements Kanku Dai consists of 65 movements Kanku Sho consists of 20 movements Gojushiho-Dai & Gojushiho-Sho both consist of 54 movements This brings me to the amount of the movements aren't indicative of why one's small and the other's big. Applications/techniques/etc within said kata's might be the main reason as to why one's dai and the other's sho. Styles differ across the board in many, many things, and the reason(s) one's called Dai and the other Sho will be determined by ones governing body.

I believe that what you're going to find more than anything is that the naming of Dan ranks is going to be private to the style and/or the instructor, and in that, the name of the Dan ranks isn't going to be universal. I've heard TKD name the belt colors, i.e., white is spring beginner, etc. I've also heard Dan ranks being referred to as...Shodan=Courage, Nidan=Courtesy, Sandan=Integrity, Yondan=Humility, and Godan=Self-Control. Again, it'll vary so much across the board, imho. Shindokan doesn't have any official name for any of the kyu/dan ranks other than what they actually are. I'm curious to know what your Chief Instructor says Nidan means. Sorry I'm not of much help to your quest. Good luck.

Have fun!! Where is the tourney being held in the USA? Is it an open or closed tourney? I look forward to pictures from the tourney. Let us know how things went and the like.

tallgeese has provided great answers, I've nothing else to add except this... A lifetime!! Good luck and please keep us posted on how things are going.

Mine, too, Bob. But, the holidays do cause that. Next week, I should be back into it. My training, especially as of late, is like having a quiet conversation because Dai-Soke is no longer with us, especially on the floor. I feel his unexpected death has left me as an uncompleted puzzle; one that'll never be finished by his hands. I miss him so very much!!

To the bold above... To me that's a big red flag; time to seek another instructor/style/etc. Solid post Heidi!! I remember how aggravated my Dai-Soke was with me when I was a JBB and I wanted to take TKD. He kept asking me..."Why?" My answer was simple..."TKD has effective kicking and Shindokan doesn't kick effectively above the waist". He growled at first, but when he heard my reasons, he allowed me to learn TKD, and he was very supportive when he saw the results and how it benefited me as to the teachings of Shindokan. Remember, this was back in the early 1970's; styles/instructors were quite guarded about their methodologies/ideologies back then, more so then they are now.

You speak little, but when you do, it's gold; Solid post!!

Solid post!! Perceptions are real to that person, and how that person reacts to their perceptions means quite a lot, not only to that person, but to those who've experienced that persons perceptions and the like.

Solid post!! What you recite at the end of every class is what I think that the OP statement is speaking about. However, personal choices are so very important to any practitioner of any MA.

No, no, Bob! That's not what I was thinking at all! Its just something I always keep in the back of my mind when discussions of this nature arise. Its like reading Funakoshi's The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate, and then deciding that you have take everything Funakoshi said and adhere to it word for word in order to do Shotokan Karate. They are great principles, and each deserves its own amount of study and attention. But, I also think its important to not delve into the hero worship of every old master and feel it necessary to live as they did. I just don't think they are all that much better at life than I am. So, after reading and evaluating such precepts or ideologies, its important for everyone to compare and contrast each ideal or precept along with how they live and what they believe, and decide which fit their way of thinking, which don't, and which are worth considering in making one better. Hope that helps. I would never accuse you of forcing anything like that on any, Bob. But tuite, you did force that on me, rather abruptly, I might add..... (what a great time!) Solid post Brian!! Ahem, you had to experience Shindokan's brand of Tuite in order to appreciate it, and I loved forcing, I mean teaching/demonstrating, Tuite on you...heheheheeheheee, I'm sick that way...heheheheheheeee..ahem....excuse me.