sensei8

Yes...Rest in peace!! My prayers to his family, friends, and students!! This only made me miss my Dai-Soke even more!

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc...After this, therefore because of this...maybe?!

Purest and the like are illusions, imho. I agree with Brian!! If I was to say...Shindokan is the purest form of karate, I'd be wrong because it's only my opinion, and opinions aren't fact.

1 Have you ever trained with a different style of martial arts? Yes, both formally and informally. 2 Have you ever trained in another country? Yes. 3 Have you ever trained outdoors? Yes, but not in a public park. 4 Have you ever trained so hard you couldn't stand? Many, many, many, many...times 5 Have you ever had dreams about training? Y..y..y.e.s...embarrassingly so 6 Have you ever been knocked unconscious during training? Yes...and it sucks. Don't move when Dai-Soke says...."Don't move!!" 7 Have you ever intentionally lost a fight? Real...no. In the dojo...everyday!! 8 Have you ever run from a fight? Removed myself from an unsafe circumstances...Yes...and I'm not ashamed to admit it. 9 Have you ever cried during training? Yes, but not as an adult. 10 Have you ever saved your own life with martial arts? Yes...I use to work part-time as a bouncer many many years ago. 11 Have you ever saved another person's? Yes...same answer as #10. Interesting topic.

That's what the courts are for, imho, and I wouldn't take the law in my hands.

Heidi, On more thing...our Hombu is going to put on two half-day seminars for all of our students, kids and adults/parents, based on your article the day before our testing cycle begins. Greg, Hombu's Chief Instructor, will be conducting both of the seminars; Greg's phenomenal in this field. We'll make every effort to ensure that you're given 100% of the credit, both written and spoken, because it's appropriate and it's necessary. I thank you for your permission.

Thanks Heidi!! I've copied it and I've sent it to the necessary department(s) at our Hombu, for them to put their special touches for this years annual testing cycle.

It's amazing what one can do when one has to no matter the apparent and/or seemed constraints. Then later..."How'd I even do that?"

What drives me batty is whenever someone says to me while I'm teaching kumite..."Ease up", and I'm going as easy as I can; any easier I'd be barely moving...Sheech. And don't be a Godan or above and say that to me over and over because I'm just going to bulldoze right over you then, then, you can say that to me.

I think that trapping as a "range" certainly does exist as the "in-fighting" range. This is the range were elbows, knees and headbutts come in handy. It is tough to headbutt somebody from kicking range.(unless you are E. Honda) Yes, you may have to use other tools to get the fight to this range, but once there, the combatant who is the aggressor wants to keep it here. Headbutts, knees and elbows are better "fight enders" than punches and kicks IMHO, therefore i believe that if a combatant is proficient in establishing the fight in this range, he or she has a distinct advantage. Solid post!!

Interesting math computations and all involved in tameshiwara. The story about your dad Danielle...

Happy Birthday Clay!!

My Shindokan Karate-do Hachidan came 15 years before my Shindokan Kobudo Hachidan did.

I concur with wastelander and Danielle!!

Any Shindokan karateka testing for Godan-Hachidan must go to the Hombu no matter their Sensei. In that, until their deaths, Soke AND Dai-Soke were always in attendance at the annual testing cycle and AT the table. Therefore, those had to pass the muster in front of them both!! Shindokan dojo's are required to submit their testing results from 6th kyu to Yondan to the Hombu, fail or pass, and then, the different departments at the Hombu would sign off before submitting final approval for all testing candidates who've passed to Soke AND Dai-Soke. Those who didn't pass, their paperwork would be inserted into the master file held at the Hombu. This was to grant or deny candidate applications. Yes, the Hombu had to give permission for any and all testing candidates, even if the testing cycle was conducted at any Shindokan dojo, and not at the Hombu. Then Soke and Dai-Soke would approve them, and then the Administrative Department would bring their signature Inkans and certificates to Soke and Dai-Soke. These Inkans are kept in lock and key, and only 3 people have access to these Inkans: Hugh, our Legal Lead Counsel, Greg, and I, and all three have to sign them out/in with the Hombu Executive Secretary. Who's affixing Soke and Dai-Soke Inkans since their death? The Hombu!! When I say the Hombu, I mean Greg and I are.

Solid post!!

Scohen-san, that is really good advice, I second/agree in what Scohen said, OSU!!! I concur!!

There you go!! Btw, I'd like to welcome you both to KF!!

Solid post!!

If I drop a hammer on my foot, wisdom tells me that I shouldn't do that and that's because I've the knowledge that when I did that before...it hurt a lot. Without wisdom being a part of my knowledge, my poor foot is in a heap of trouble. I don't think the two can be separated without one suffering the consequences.

Proper use of ones hips along with proper execution of any said technique, that equals power, not chi...imho. In the Uraken Uchi, the striking hand is kept open until just before contacting said target. If the striking hand is closed throughout, then the effectiveness is arrested. A tensed weapon doesn't flow to any said target like an open weapon does; being relaxed is beneficial. Your instructor left the hand open and then closed it before contacting said target because that's the proper methodology of all te techniques. Try doing any te technique with a closed/tensed weapon, one would see that it's quite ineffective. However, do any te technique with the weapon relaxed/open, one would see it's quite effective over the former alternative.

Clay, thanks for the video links...great stuff. I'm of the opinion that something which I practice for as long as I've been practicing it, 'it' surely is something that I'll use outside of the dojo. It's natural with me, and it's natural, or will be in time, with every Shindokan practitioner. Trapping is crucially important to our Tuite. It opens/closes so many things before us.

Great advice from everyone here. Both, Greg and I appreciate them so much. I've emailed all of your suggestions to each of the Department heads for their consideration. All of the Department heads are still chewing on this situation. However, this is now an official amendment to both the certificates as well as to our By-Laws. We've tabled it to May 31st to come up with the most advantages alternative.