sensei8

Brian, You might recognize this quote... You should. It's your quote. You were replying to me about "digging". Most solid post I've ever seen my friend. It speaks in volumes to me.

Very nice pictures. Thank you for sharing them!!

Great topic Brian...great questions!! Many here won't like some and/or all of my answers, but anyhow, I'll speak to your questions. The summation to why is to the summation of because. This, imho, can be speaking to how one is taught across the board within the MA, and specifically within their style of the MA. Why am I doing this? Because of this/these said specific reason(s), and they must be in concert. For a karateka, Bunkai/Oyo Bunkai, when taught properly, and to be taught any/every aspect of Bunkai, the Sensei must understand every aspect of Bunkai, as well as having the importance about them when teaching Bunkai to all rank levels within the Sensei's charge. When Bunkai is taught properly by ones Sensei; discoveries are found within the multitude of applications providing that one's earnest to their quest of knowledge/understanding of said technique(s). How is this application better than others that I've/you've tried/taught/learnt? Simple, imho, the application is effective across the board. Not just once in a while, but there must be a consistency that will shine so bright in your eyes that the application(s) speak for themselves to YOU!! You will know! Working the techniques is much more paramount to a karateka than the movements that make up any said technique(s). Take any given technique(s): tear them down, analysis them, understand them, appreciate them, discard what is useless to YOU, and then slowly rebuild it/them so that you can effectively use them is a way(s) that you've never ever thought of before. "I do not hit, it hits all by itself!"~Bruce Lee. Stellar words, but meaningless if technique(s) and the like aren't understood. To understand requires more than mastering just the movements that make up any said technique(s). Albeit, the movements are important, but that's only from its surface, if someone's not willing to delve deep and deeper into each and every technique(s), then learn something else besides the MA.

Are there any other kinds of drills? Oh...sure there are, but imho, nothing else can give the best feedback than having your partner resist you in everything...vice versa.

For an instructor of the MA, yes, but for MAists who aren't an instructor, no. Imho.

Judging was AMAZING. Absolutely loved it. Judging the sparring matches was my favourite. Our dojo did good too. We only had 3 competitors and we brought home 2 1st place, 1 2nd place, and 1 4th place. Our green belt, Lorianne won 1st in both Kata and sparring. Super proud of her. Her father won 2nd in kata and 4th in sparring, and our little orange belt got herself a participation medal I can just imagine how crazy arbitration can be and I know I don't want that job, lol! I can't wait for the next one! Congrats to your dojo; looks like your dojo was very productive...CONGRATS!! Glad you enjoyed the judging part, and as Brian's already pointed it out...you'll be a career judge in no time.

Yes...yes, Good luck at the tourney.

I'm digging Brian...I'm digging, I've been digging for along time, and I'll keep digging.

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.