sensei8

As prophetic and simple as Bruce Lee had stated in hushed matter-of-fact, I'd like to address this famous quote of Bruce's with a tongue-in-cheek overtones, if I may. A board doesn't hit back because it can't; I just broke it, I killed it. It [the board] just lies on the ground in several pieces. What was once a solid piece of timber, is now no more than a heap of splinters. Now, apply that same force, or more than that to effect the distruction of any said tameshiwara object(s) to flesh and bone, or for that fact, to me; I won't be hitting back either/anytime soon. As incorrect applied technique(s) will loudly attest; boards will and do hit back with defined cause. Besides, I just want to give boards and the like their deserved due, credit, and/or respect so they'll feel not so...ahem...not so broken.

90% by word of mouth, just as I had learned from my Soke and Dai-Soke. I've done demos, flyers, sign-up baskets, part of parades, volunteering in my community, yard/corner signs, newspapers, and coupon booklets to name just a few. It took me quite some time to build up that type of student base. One of the biggest puzzles is to not charge an arm and a leg, after all, imho, it's just karate. The MA is a want, not a need, imho.

>Is 54 years of age to old to start a dojo? >Would prospective students not want to join a new dojo because of the Chief Instructors advancing age? The desire to restart another Kyuodan Dojo is pawing at me...and I can't shake it...and I've tried. I've had the honor of starting three Kyuodan Dojo's in the past, and I've been blessed to teach the most amazing students throughout the years. Kyuodan Dojo #1: California, 1978-1994, 416 active students, I moved to Texas to be close to and care for my mom who was quite sick. Kyuodan Dojo #2: Texas, 1994-1999, 175 active students, mom passed away, and I moved to Oklahoma at the invite of my sister. Kyuodan Dojo #3: Oklahoma, 1999-2010, 321 active students, promoted to Kaicho of the Shindokan Karate-Do Association/Shindokan Hombu. Each Kyuodan Dojo was passed onto my most senior students. Each Kyuodan Dojo was under the protective umbrella of the Association/Hombu, and I visited those dojos quite often in both formal and personal occasions. While our Hombu has gone through a lot of positive changes for the betterment of every student of Shindokan, and in that, my duties as Kaicho has my plate full, but, not so much that I can't devote my desires and the like to a new group of prospective Shindokan students. What to do?

Submit a request to be evaluated by the Chief Instructor. However, Kodakmint is absolutely correct...wear the white belt and let your rank speak for itself. Your Chief Instructor will either do one of two things: leave you at 10th kyu or increase you to a deserving rank. If Shodan isn't realized for the moment, train until the wheels fall off and then some, but not for the rank, but for your MA betterment. IMHO!!

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm a firm believer that ALL ranks should be pushed beyond their own expectations and often. However, I've seen the black belts, at all levels, become proponents of being quite content to not strive for the unexpected, yet rewarding, push to better their MA across the board. I'm humble, some times to a fault, but when my Dai-Soke has pulled me down from my own pedestal, it was because he could see I wasn't pushing myself, and in that, I became satisfied with my 'current' techniques, and this frosted my Dai-Soke for two simple reasons... "As human beings; we're not perfect, neither is our karate-do, therefore, we must strive to constantly improve, no matter the degree."~Dai-Soke Takahashi Any instructor of the martial arts must be able to discern the lackadaisical efforts of their students; and black belts tread into these dangerous waters more than kyu students. Greg and I push each other unforgivingly so, and we're the highest ranking Shindokanists.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised no one else has addressed this yet. Have you seen the Karate Kid? Remember "painting the fence?" A seemingly mindless task helped the main character master martial arts techniques. While board breaks may seem like a "waste of time," they are a true test of one's ability to focus their technique. Consider a front kick. Poorly delivered, it can still make a pretty loud slap against a pad. But, that same kick may break toes if done improperly on a board. I am a strong advocate of board breaking as it helps students learn the importance of proper technique, which translates into conserving energy during a street fight. One strong, clean technique in a vital area should be all you need to stun your opponent to get away. solid post!!

Congrat and well deserved!!

I think my thread has either taken a left turn or has been highjacked. I believed that is my fault. I wanted for us to discuss words that are overused in MA.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

WELCOME TO KF!!!!!!!!

I wholeheartedly agree here!! You'll be fine!! Work it in small segments to get all of its important elements done right. Hang in there!!

I believe that that's the exact reason as to why some modified it. I also believe that they modified it to attach their styles name and brand label to it. Any change hopefully were effective across the board and not just empty movements for the sake of being different from Nakamori Sensei. I've yet to see any modification come close to the crispness and effectiveness across the board to Kakamori Sensei. Hense, Nakamori Sensei's version is quite difficult...rhythm and the like are important.

For safety sake, I hope we don't see many of the quite devastating techniques of the martial arts in venues as Strikeforce, the UFC, and the like. Sometimes in my opinion, referees and the like don't intervene quite fast enough, and I understand why they wait, in the hopes that the fighter will be able to fight out of a doomed situation, but any delay to stop the fight can just add to some serious and fatal outcomes. It's a fine line to gamble with, imho.

To each of you who post in this thread/topic, I've an enormous amount of respect for each and everyone of you across the board for your dedication and determination to training seriously and to make an e-log record of your health, training, and fitness for all here at KF to see. And in that, you're able to trace back to see where you once were and to where you are now. OSU!!

It's a tough situation that you find yourself in, with you being a teen. Decisions, final ones that is, is left up to your mother and you're already aware of the given parameters of your situation. I trust you'll find the school of martial arts near enough for you to attend because of your desire, dedication, and determination to continue within the martial arts. I wish you much success in your search as well as in your martial arts journey. Sometimes, favorable solutions reveal themselves in the most unexpected ways...the martial arts is in you and you'll be just fine. Keep us informed, please.

Very nice videos there MP...I enjoyed them both...thanks for sharing them.

Sorry MP...I don't have any specific context, just a general question and then I hope that the KF members bring the thread more to a theme...sorry for the general context.

MP, Yeah...that girl with the bow/arrow was WOW. I'd hate to have to get in the way of her arrows...unless I had some wall between us. WOWWY!! Btw, thanks for that video.

Back peddling no more than 2-3 steps is acceptable for a Shindokan practitioner, but no more than that, because those 2-3 steps are going to be built into a Tai Sabaki movement, and in that, how it is going to be related to Ashi Sabaki and Te Sabaki as our Tuite unfolds. Trusting to move off line at any given angle takes quite a lot of many things, and nerve is one of them. Especially when ones not moving in any direction(s) until the very last second so as to force one opponent to commit to their attacking line(s). Creating cutting lines takes even more nerve and a lot of skill because not only is one waiting until the very last second, but ones cutting into the attack at a very close proximity to one opponents direction(s). I still believe in never back peddling and I won't unless it opens lines and the like to my advantage. In Shindokan, I want to occupy the space that my opponent surrendered willingly to me.

I know that you're trying to get a new perspective and all; I'd do the very same thing if it was me. I'm no doctor, nor do I even assume that I know much about being a doctor and all, and anything that I might say and/or any advice that I might offer, please take it even lesser than a grain of salt. Having said that, please consult with a doctor asap. Good luck!

Yet, I thought for sure that Dai-Soke would actually want to kill us when we trained lazily. He drove us so mercilessly not because he was mean spirited, but because he wanted us to recognize the frailty of our human spirit, and then to overcome its endless whining. After awhile, we did welcome both training and death equally, and we learned to appreciate it across the board because we weren't afraid of it. Classes were long, even at 10th kyu, but classes were even longer at Nanadan/Hachidan...3.5 hours long, even more so, we found ourselves unaware of the time; it slipped by faster than we could ever imagine. We wanted to be his sponge, and absorb each and everything that we could because we understood and recognized that we still had such a long, long journey ahead of us...an ever ending journey, and we welcomed it with baited breath. I will always love him and I will always miss him and I will always cherish him in every shape, way, and/or form.

Great points across the board everyone...great topic.

This is where scenario training comes in handy. Set up a situation where you don't know when your partner will attack you or with what.I concur...solid post!!