sensei8

Great advice, and if I was to add anything it would be this...be consistent across the board. Good luck and have a lot of fun. Please let us know how it went.

Nice...and while his spinning hook kick takes awhile to get there...it's effective. Very nice techniques! Thanks Brian for sharing that.

And you do it very well!! Btw, if we don't train together next year, I'm going to beat Greg to death...LOL!!

As of late, my training is like having a quite conversation.

Deep stances...up-righted stances?!?!? Methodologies/ideologies will vary depending on whom one asks. Shindokan favors stances that are more up-righted/narrow: it's our way. The idea behind the narrow stance is mobility and speed, whereas the wider/deeper, where stability and straight ahead, deep lunging attacking capability is favored. What works for one isn't going to work for another; both style and practitioner. I, personally like both, I've trained them both, they have their uses across the board, and imho, neither are just for show.

Great topic seikokaistudent!! Great stories thus far; I've enjoyed them all!!

Thanks Bob. Its good to see you again. I hope you are doing well! If I recall right, the word uke actually means "to receive" rather than "to block." Just with this nuance in mind, it alters the way I see some applications happening that I was using blocking for. Thanks Brian, I'm doing great, and I hope your and yours are doing well!! Yeah....without getting into a lot of literal translations, you're dead on about Uke. To receive in Tuite allows use to continue the flow of the attack so that the attack can be used against the attacker. Don't want to stop the attack, just want to continue its natural flow as I redirect its path.

Thanks Patrick!! It's great to be part of this awesome community, first as a member, then as a KF staff member. Here's to another 11 and a half years!! At KF...the proof IS on the floor!!

Most Okinawan styles utilize the methodologies/ideologies that blocks are only deflections. Just thought I'd throw that out there because I don't block, I don't know how to block; I can only deflect an attack. Which is very funny to me because our deflections use the word...BLOCK...to describe it, i.e., downward block. Btw...great topic Brian!!

Imho, that's an assumption of a possibility, inasmuch, movements shouldn't be limited, thus restrictive.

Dead on and solid!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

I don't think anyone has been trying to "tear you down" but simply try to make you take a realistic view of things. Martial systems were never created willy-nilly; when your life depends on your training you don't take it lightly. If you can't answer these simple questions now the harder stuff will be virtually impossible. Solid post!!

Brian, Outside of your TKD circle, what have you noticed/observed/etc pertaining to other MA styles?

Sounds fine to me. Just listen to your body; don't overdue, long term injury just isn't worth it.

Most of every MA teaches escapes within their curriculum. You grab me, then I escape from you one way or another, the most advantages way possible; effective preferred. Separation degree's can be either short, medium, and long ranges. A short range keeps your attacker within your range. A medium range keeps your attack just outside of your immediate range. A long range keeps your attacker more than just outside of your range. In the short range, I've not placed my attacker so far away from me that I can't re-engage immediately if I need to. In the medium range I've placed my attacker far enough away from me that I'll have to make movements that will bring my attacker close to me. In the long range I've now made it where more than a few nominal movements will bring my attacker close to me. Imho, separation should be the only intent of any escape. Once my attacker places his/her hands upon me, I need to separate/escape from him/her asap. Once separation is achieved, get away from your attacker asap. The longer the range, the longer it'll take your attacker to re-engage with you. What will be your culpable means when/if you've escaped/separate from your attacker and you don't run away to a safe haven? If you hit more than what's necessary, then you might face jail or more. My job as a MA instructor is to teach the MA; in this case, self-defense/escape to the best of my abilities. My job as a MA instructor isn't to teach and/or be your ethics and morale mentor, that job is for the student and/or someone else, imho. Doing steps 1 to 4 aren't realistic because of the unknown parameters, and in that, treat the "steps" as only possibilities that one might use as individual technique(s), they're more valuable in that context. I intend to escape with whatever means available to me, and nothing else beyond that except if I'm forced to re-engage with my attacker. The intent of the escape is to do just that and nothing more than that!!

Well....my laptop died not too long ago, so, I'll not be able to Skype until either I get a new laptop or an external camera for my desktop computer. Sorry if you've tried to reach me via Skype and haven't been able to. It's not because I'm ignoring you. I'll see ya at Skype when I solve my little problem.

Evolving: "To undergo gradual change; develop" Dissolving: "To lose clarity or definition; fade away" Stagnant: "Not moving or flowing; motionless" For the sake of this topic/thread through discussion, I want you to honestly answer this question about YOUR style... Comparing to the founder of your style, is that style evolving or dissolving or stagnant? Between those three listed; either "it/one" is or "it/one" isn't; there's no middle ground and/or no political correct answer, imho. The founder of your style, before he/she passed away, names his/her successor...Just how solid is he/she across the board? I mean, just how good/great/amazing are/is, for example, Helio Grace named Rorion Gracie as his successor; he's a 9th Dan in BJJ. However, can Rorion effectively continue the visions of their brand of BJJ so that BJJ can evolve in the future?? Whomever* was the first successor of Shotokan under its founder; Gichin Funakoshi, was this karateka effective in continuing the visions of the brand of Shotokan so that Shotokan can evolve in the future? This applies to any founder and style you'd like to pick, still, the question above still stands. Mediocrity runs the gambit all around the world and the MA isn't immune from it no matter the genre, and in that, mediocre MA styles turn out mediocre instructors who turn out mediocre students. Does the ultimate responsibility lie in the sole lap of the chosen successor? Yes!! In that, I believe that the accountability should be shared with everyone within that said style of the MA. For example... Leadership: Those entrusted to carry on the legacy as well as the integrity of said style of the MA are in a higher rung in the "Ladder of Accountability", aka, the Chain of Command. The higher the rung, the more demanded of them, than those in the lower rungs. Can/is the leadership of your style effective in the leadership for the betterment of your style?? Higher Ranks: Senior ranks, 6th Dan to 8th Dan, are accountable of the student body learning the curriculum to the letter from black belts, 1st Dan to 5th Dan. 7th Dan and 8th Dan are accountable of ensuring that the black belts from 1st Dan to 6th Dan are teaching the curriculum to the exact letter of every student Kyu and Dan below 7th Dan. 9th Dan and 10th Dan are ultimately accountable for the entire student body, no matter the ranking level. No higher rank is excused and/or above the law of accountability concerning the curriculum and the like. Even more so, the successor must ensure that their brand EVOLVES throughout time. Black Belts: Those who have the honor bestowed upon them of a Yudansha (black belt) are accountable of the Kyu ranks from day one. Deviating from the vision, technically speaking, should be and must be encouraged as proper research is proven to be accurate and effective. Otherwise, the style starts to dissolve and/or stagnant in a downward spiral to it's own demise. However, the vision, growth speaking, aka the mission statement, should remain in tact of the founder of said style. Core of the student body: I'm not asking that the student core follow those entrusted in every aspect of ensuring the said style remains effectiveness throughout its existence, and this is to include but not limited to the curriculum and the like. Those over the Kyu ranks must teach in the line of the founder because it's been proven to be effective across the board. Act like a MAist and not like a dancer, impressing for the sake of the show. When others see you performing your style of the MA, you're representing that style of the MA. Everyone has one chance to make a positive impression on whomever is watching. Either they like what they see or they don't. If they do, then as a member of the student body, you've done your job admirably across the board. But if you don't, then as a member of the student body, you've not done your job. Which part of the student body do you want to be; solid or a joke? Eventually the best of the best and the cream of the crop will be gone. So what can you do? Make sure that you and your students are the best of best and the cream of the crop! Don't fail!! *Either the first successor of Shotokan was Gigo Funakoshi, Shigeru Egami, Isao Obata, or Masatoshi Nakayama, nothing, imho, specifically points to the exact first successor of Shotokan...so, pick one.

No matter ones rank, every practitioner of the MA goes through thimes where something within their journey has to be addressed and/or dealt with, whether it's training and/or MA betterment related. I must be dealt with, and it must be dealt with in a respectful time frame, prolonging it until tomorrow doesn't erase the issue; time waits for no one. However, that doesn't mean that it can be solved in one day; time in this case, is a welcomed friend, nonetheless, you've started the ball rolling by recognizing it and doing something about it. It's your MA journey. It's your training. Don't let someone sway you away from taking the necessary actions; either fix it or don't. You make the final decision. Others might tell you that what you're recognizing is meaningless, foolish, a waste of time, and/or unimportant. Perception is reality to "that" person. If the others are correct with their assumptions after all, then that's fine. Accept it and move on, but only when you're satisfied. Don't rush it!! If you rush to a snap decision, you might overlook some important detail(s). I believe that having a respectful since of urgency from time to time balances our MA betterment. However, being obsessive disrupts improvement because time must be allowed within any given learning curve. Just relax and train; let the training take care of itself but be accountable to it.

JusticeZero offers up some great idea's for you to consider. jimster93 I can respect that because school can be consuming across the board. Having said that, if one has time to watch tv or do non-school work on ones computer or play video games; one can always find the time to train. A few moments here and a few moment there will add up positively throughout any given week. Hang in there and good luck. Please let us know how things are going.

Solid post!!

There is value here. I wholeheartedly concur with MP here!!

Solid post!!

First of all...I'd like to welcome you to KarateForums.com!! A place for MAists for all styles of the MA to gather from all over central Minnesota and the like for the purpose of training exchanges and discussions across the board...Yeah...I think that sounds great. Wish I was in central Minnesota because I'd check it out!! Good luck with it and let us know how it goes!!

Instructors will differ in the way they delve out punishments to their students, in that, a student should determine if said punishment(s) are something that they don't want to be a part of whether it's short term or long term. I've my ways, but I believe that my ways are quite firm, yet quite positive. If not, then my students aren't obligated to stay, and in that, I won't hold anything against them. Students have to make their choices for themselves, and parents have to make choices for their children(s). Again, the summation of "why" is to the summation of "because"....on both sides of the fence...imho.