sensei8

Wow...that's a great question Clay, and seeing that I'm not a LEO, I'm not sure exactly how any LEO academy and/or any LEO Administration would reprogram a MAist to lessen his/her engrained MA training. "It's not I who hits..." comes to my mind. It's like one who wants to be a LEO might have to tone themselves down quite a lot so that one doesn't find themselves in any administrative and/or legality punishments. MAists are trained a certain way, and I'm only guessing, and LEO's are trained another certain way. A way that helps a LEO to control any situation within departmental policies, yet, controls the suspect within the most minimum force. LEO academies can train you "their way" but I don't see how "their way" will override all of your MA training. Alex and Brian are both LEO's and they'll be better to address your said concerns than I would. The monster amount of legalities that surround a LEO has to be staggering and quite debilitating in the course of a LEO's career. Good luck!!

Ditto!!

Again, great posts, and I thank you. Please keep them coming. For the most part, I suppose that I'm coming at this topic from an aspect of a business and not from a dojo aspect. Unless your school of the martial arts is not in a commercial space, then one could treat their school as a dojo and not as a business. But, if you're in a commercial space, I feel you're going to have to treat your school of the martial arts just like a business because bills have to be paid and money has to be earned to pay these bills. So I suppose, I've ran by dojo's as a business for quite a long time. Our Hombu has always ran it like a business; both businesses main commodity was the martial arts.

Congrats on your first tournament success; glad you had fun. Some great posts. I'm sure your sensei has explained to you about the Three K's...Kihon...Kata...Kumite. Very important to any karateka, imho. These three, imho, must be equal and not one more or less than the others. Kihon gives you the core foundation. Kata gives your the transitional foundation. Kumite gives you the application foundation. Karatekas can't be unbalanced in their training of either because it's like a chair with three legs. Take away one of the legs; it topples over quite easily. This is akin to your opponent owning you on the floor. No kumite is equal to having lost the battle before it's even began. How are you going to recognize any attack? Your not going to. You have to experience the varied attacks from every possible angle, and in that, you need to experience your mistakes during kumite. Kumite is akin to a fight; a safe fight, but none the less, a fight to hopefully prepare you for the real things. That's why you'll begin to experience the many various training stages of kumite. Each of these prepare you for the next level of kumite training. Timing, strategy, footwork...too name just a few...and in jiyu kumite, it's all about going at the defense and the offense full speed; however controlled. I love kata and it's important to karateka's. But no kihon, then there is no karate. No kumite, then there is no chance of knowing how to "fight". Live training is important. 1-3 step are fine, but just those isn't wise because while it prepares one for transitional movement and the like, a fight doesn't go that slow or that smooth for both. Can't know what it's like to hit a 90+ mph fastball unless you get in the batters box, get brushed away from the plate, conquering that fear, and then hitting the ball, hopefully over the fence. How can you know what to do against someone like me, with my experience/knowledge, with only kihon and kata? Imho, you're not going to know what to do, and I'll just run over you at will. Kumite over and over and over and over and over and over and....

Congrats Patrick...you went yard with KF...AWESOME!! 11 years and still going strong...only thing that will stop KF is if the internet goes out of business and I don't think that will ever happen. Congrats Patrick!!

AGREED! I feel its à topic dear to all Karateka's hearts we just need to watch the first lot of UFC matches to see that Karateka had no idea what grappling was all about. Solid post!!

Rank has it's privileges. In your dojo, this goes beyond the obi wrapped around your students waists. You experience this every day in your personal and professional life. If you've eaten at the same restaurant for years, the staff will recognize you as a repeat customer and will give you better service. If you bought your car/truck at the local dealership, they will often be more accommodating when you bring it in for service or repairs then if you bought it a a competitor's location. If you travel frequently and you use loyalty programs at hotels, rental car facilities and airlines. When you reach the SuperTraveler status you'll be offered first class upgrades and a special phone line for customer service. It pays to be loyal to any business to show your support and obtain a higher status as a customer. Your dojo is no exception. The longer your students have been at your dojo, the more valuable they become. Longevity in your dojo should be greatly respected and greatly rewarded. First of all, you students should be more appreciated as a long time students because they understand the nuts and bolts of your dojo. They can be quite helpful to new students' first time on the floor. They'll know where to line up before class; they;ll know the system quite well. Secondly, these loyal students have proven themselves over the many years. They work through every aching pain, trail and tribulation that a student goes through willingly day after day, and class after class. These students understand that things happen, and in that, they champion through every negative situation. Thirdly, these loyal students have spent a lot of money in your dojo. It goes far more than financials, it's about the time and resources they've spent on your floor. These loyal students don't want to leave you. Regardless of the length of time they've spent in your dojo, they are already an asset to you and your dojo. You should want to ensure them that they and your dojo both benefit from the partnership. That's why rank is important. If you've proven to them that your dojo is going to stay and work through the good times as well as the difficult times, they will reward you by remaining at your dojo, and in that, you should develop a commitment to your loyal students by rewarding them some special way. Maybe the privilege in the form of better equipment. A better locker for them. A place up front for them to park their car/truck for the month or forever. If you charge testing fees, maybe you can lower their testing fees or eliminate them altogether. Even, lowering their monthly tuition would mean everything to that loyal student. Just do something and make it mean something that is special because your student is special to you and your dojo. The MA industry is similar to the military when it comes to rewarding their service by recognizing a higher level of privilege to those who have reached a higher rank. Remember, longevity, experience and loyalty will provide your dojo with a higher status with your students, and vice-versa. Rank does have its privileges, especially where everybody knows your name.

Fair questions Montana. Let me see if I can answer them. Brand Management is managing ones Brand in such a way that it becomes a household name. For example, Wal-Mart is a Brand, and in that, Wal-Mart is a household name; everyone knows it quite well. McDonalds, BestBuy, Blockbuster, Target, RadioShack, Lowes, IHOP, GM, MicroSoft, and on and on and on. Every company within the top 100 or 500 Companies have mastered Brand Management. Each of these companies within each of their stores has Brand Manager employees who's only job is to make sure that their Brand is everywhere inside of the big-box for the consumer to see at every corner while their shopping. Within our own industry...Century Martial Arts has mastered Brand Management. UFC has mastered Brand Management. TapOut has mastered Brand Management. Black Belt Magazine has mastered Brand Management. From the top 100/500 Companies, and all the way to the mom and pop shops in your own town have mastered in some way Brand Management, especially if they've been in business for some time now. In your small town, everyone knows them, and that's, up to some point, Brand Management. Brand Management doesn't have to be expensive. Top 100/500 Companies wouldn't be where they are now if they worried about the cost of it beyond it's controllable. No, they'd be hurting for certain. They set the cost to run Brand Management in such a way that that alone helps their bottom line. As far as #8 is concerned. Shindokan is nothing OUTSIDE of our own immediate circle. Nobody here at KF knew Shindokan existed until I joined. I didn't join KF to tell every member here that we existed. No, I joined because I needed an escape away from the Shindokan circle or I was going to self-implode without an outside vent. In a small way, but not on purpose, I've been doing Brand Management here at KF because I talk about almost everything that is Shindokan and our Hombu and the like, and that's my vent. I feel that outside of the Shindokan circle, we've no meaningful purpose. Outside of that circle, what is our purpose?!? However, it's possible that we don't need a noticeable purpose outside of our circle. We love our students, our student body loves Shindokan, and in that we have purpose within our circle. But, for 48+ years I've heard this..."I never heard of Shindokan!!" As a practitioner of Shindokan, it doesn't bother me at all...so what?! But, as Kaicho, it's starting to bother me a little bit. To list a few...Shotokan, Goju-ryu, BJJ, MMA, TKD, Judo, Ninja, and JKD. These are well known, and in that, nobody ever says judgmentally to them..."I never heard of you before!!" It's not that they've never heard of Shindokan, that doesn't bother me at all. I know it exists and so does our student body, but it's the judgmental tone of which they ask/state their question. That bothers me. Well, then some serious Brand Management would solve that. Would it really solve that? I'm not sure. I know...Boo-hoo poor me!! Possibly I misworded #8 by using such a blanket statement.

I can't find any fault with what Alex and Ueshirokarate both have pointed out; both have solid points. Preference I suppose.

Thank you Montana and Zaine for your posts, and imho, they were both very solid posts. Is greed the driving reason for tuition being so high? Greed might not be the right word. After all, the reasons for earning a handsome bottom line shouldn't be a bad thing. Look at a MAIA magazine and one can see that some schools make 100K or more, and each of these schools charge a handsome fee for tuition. I've seen one school charge $300 per month for one student and that school uses contracts...OUCH!! I'd have a hard time sleeping at night if I charged that much.

I think we all agree with the notion of training a grappling style. Heck, the founder of Matsubayashi was ranked in Judo. That said, many students are challenged to just dedicate enough time to learn one type of martial arts. This is why I think sharing our experiences and knowledge is invaluable to such students. Your suggestion of an unwilling uke is spot on. As an instructor, this should be you. Of course as the instructor, you need to be doubly skilled and not only be an unwilling uke but one that uses control. You should know exactly what level your students are at and only push them slightly beyond what they can handle. Again...another quite SOLID post!!

No. When I say to rush, I mean for you to close the distance as quickly as you can, but maintain balance and control at all times. But, if you're throwing multiple combos while closing the distance, then by all means it wouldn't hurt at all. Gotta be doing something while closing the distance. Timing needs to be defined and mastered, after that, it's all down time, imho. I also suggest that you start training your footwork to the inside/outside so that it becomes as natural as possible. Let your opponent do all the work for you. By that I mean, create a tempting open in your defense and allow your opponent to attack you first, and then, move to the outside/inside at the very last moment, and then POINT!!

Only thing I can suggest is this. FEAR dictates a lot of things with any MAist. By that I mean, a MAist will do whatever ones comfortable with. A brain fog might make one try full contact until the punch/kick/etc drives the fog away and allows the brain to think clearly once again. If one doesn't like to get hit, then don't entertain the idea of wanting to do full-contact and/or semi full-contact. However, if one loves the rush from getting/giving hits, then by all means, satisfy your interests. I love contact and I will get my turn!

In the past I've said this before...don't succumb to the grappler's attacks; don't be overwhelmed by it because it's not the style that's overwhelming imho, no, it's the practitioners use of the style that can be overwhelming. I still believe that Alex is dead on...learn to grapple effectively or one will be in a world of trouble once the fight goes to the ground. Make the ground ones best friend in case one becomes horizontal.

From my experience, if you train true karate there is a technique to counter every grappling attack. In my opinion, this is why kata is so darn important. It has within it, every technique you would ever need. The challenge in my view is to remove the mickey mouse bunkai and figure out exactly how these techniques apply or don't apply to a given attack. The intent of the thread really wasn't about my training, I think I have a decent foundation in grappling between my judo and bjj experiences. Once again, my primary concern is teaching with the scope of the style of the school in which you teach. I believe that if it isn't your own style and you are under the direction of others, it is not ok to bring techniques in from outside the style. However, it is being a true martial artist to study other styles and how to apply the techniques in your system to counter potential opponents. That was quite a SOLID post!!

Don't hate my obvious answer to your question, but, ask your instructor. Having said that. If your jab/reverse combo is working for you, then do it. >Backfist/side kick combo >Any block that sets up your reverse punch or a kick >Double backfist strikes >Front snap kick/reverse punch [but, lunge into the front snap kick to close the distance to the inside/outside for the reverse punch] >KIAI while executing anything [beginners tend to react to a piercing kial] because a loud kiai also draws the attention of the judges. Sometimes the kiai IS the point because, while the judge might not have seen it, a judge might award the point for the kiai because something must have happened and the judge doesn't want to appear like he/she didn't see anything, so, they'll award a point off your kiai alone. I've seen it happen many, many times over the decades. >Rush them with your jab/reverse punch and I'm sure that your opponent will turn and run to the safety of the outside of the ring providing your rush is balanced/controlled and overwhelming. Then while your opponent is running away...attack and KIAI. A single technique can win many points. Ask Joe Lewis [Karateka not the boxer], he was famous for winning many of his tournaments with a single sidekick that his opponents couldn't stop...and his opponents knew the sidekick was coming. If your opponents can't stop it, then POINT. Bottom line...I'd tell you if I was your instructor...as you being an 8th kyu/beginner experience and you'll be facing similar experience, that being said, they might not be of any concern to you. Use what works, and kumite with as many different 8th kyus in your school leading up to the tournament. Good luck and please let us know how the tournament was.

I too think that it's a personal preference more than a dictated methodology. Tell Superfoot Wallace that his chambered roundhouse is telegraphed and he'll answer with his foot. Opponents of his will tell you that no matter what, they couldn't stop it and it [Wallace's roundhouse kick] was quite effective. Tell me that my unchambered roundhouse kick is ineffective and my opponents would tell you that it's quite effective. I throw both roundhouse types and nothing dictates as to which one I might throw, short of what my opponents are doing at that particular time. Imho, an unchambered roundhouse is still a roundhouse because the path seen still has the parameters. Those who are skilled in the MA won't look silly and won't be so ineffective. For me, both the pros and cons exist effectively for both types; it's what works for me.

Imho... Prices for lessons/tuition is astronomically high. $120 and up for classes is the average in the 50 mile radius of where I live. There are very, very few schools that charge nothing or no more than $40, but those are either in a church or the YMCA. I've never understood why the majority of MA schools charge so much per month for classes to learn the MA. If it's a commercial space, well, that's not cheap and while rent can be negotiated to a point, it's still an uncontrollable. Pay what the landlord wants or teach outside. Lowest rent in my own town is $1200 per month. Well, 10 students at $120 per month pays the rent. But then you'll need another 10 students at $120 per month to pay the utilities. Wait, then you'll need another 10 students at $120 per month to pay for advertisements/office supplies/mail/etc. Then you'll need another 10 students at $120 per month to pay for insurance/etc. Then you'll need another 20 students at $120 per month to give you a small salary and hopefully medical insurance. When is enough money enough. I've always said...the MA is a want, and it's not a need...imho. It takes money to make money and that equals a drastic need for more and more students to keep head above water. But man, the rent is so high per month....How can one have a school of the MA and a house/apt at the same time. I know...I don't need to feed my family either. Why is tuition so high? Is the demand for MA lessons so high that it justifies the high prices for lessons? I don't know...I'm just asking.

When I say "Our" in the subject title, I'm referring to the Shindokan Hombu. Having said that, I echo the same mistakes in running my own dojo, but not to the extreme as our Hombu does. Some of our mistakes:[in no particular order] 1. No advertisements 2. No contracts 3. No testing fees 4. Being stuck in the past 5. No website 6. No Brand Management 7. No phone book presence 8. No meaningful purpose outside of our immediate circle The Hombu business model scares me to death. Our Soke and our Dai-Soke didn't believe in any of the stuff listed above. They only believed in word-of-mouth, and it's worked as far as our student body totals count because it's huge. However, we're virtually unknown in the MA world...and it's starting to really bother me for some reason. Having said that, the Hombu has solicited outside assistance to help us break out of the past, but to no avail. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make the horse drink. We start with great intentions, but then we revert right back into the mindsets of our Soke and Dai-Soke. We've been accused of running our Hombu as a business, and that's good. Why? Our Hombu IS a business!! That's what our Soke and Dai-Soke intended and that's what we're committed to. The Hombu is a business that teaches Shindokan, first and foremost. Do you know what a style without any outside followers is? It's a style that's on a long and lonely walk. We're insignificant! Those that are slow to reinvent their business are fast to kill their business. Well, back to my walk...

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

The deadliest? Imho, there's no such thing, it's an illusion at best, imho. Why? We're humans first, and MAists second, but, we're flawed from the start, and what is deadly and what isn't, imho, is an oxymoron. Today's effectiveness is tomorrow's ineffectiveness because, as humans, we're not that consistent, even though we do try wholeheartedly. Deadliest and MA, imho, are again, oxymoron's at best.

Exactly!! We've our opinions, and you are seeking them out, which is good, but the only opinion(s) that count are those of your teacher, imho.

Live and with an unwilling uke; these are how Shindokanists practice againt Judo/BJJ like attacks...over and over and over and..., in anyway possible. I want my uke to try to kill me, otherwise, a compliant uke won't reveal my weaknesses, on the same hand, a fighting uke will, imho. We try to train with those practitioner types, Judo/BJJ, outside of the dojo's/Hombu as much as we can. To know your opponent means to understand your opponent and their vices and the like.

Imho...whatever the caveman did...that could be the oldest MA...maybe.