sensei8

Solid post!!

Solid post!!

I very much agree with this. There's enough information in just one kata to allow for a ton of training. I would probably chose Kanku dai, Bassai Dai, or Unsu. I could also base an entire curriculum around those exclusively. Solid post!!

Great replies thus far...thank you all. Please feel free to add your own question(s).

Pertaining to the martial arts.... What makes you cry? What makes you smile? What makes you say "WOW"? What makes you pause? What makes you angry? What makes you laugh? What makes you think? What makes you try? What makes you surrender? What makes you respect? Please feel free to add your own questions to mine.

It's widely accepted that... "Discernment is a term used to describe the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event. Typically, it is used to describe the activity of going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing. As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, and be of good judgement; especially so with regard to subject matter often overlooked by others." Could wisdom be part of knowledge? Knowledge/experience is considered by many MAists that rank is nothing without knowledge/experience, and in that, rank by itself is an empty shell. Value of ones knowledge must be valuable to those who are subjected to it, and in that, there must be quality of what's presented. Pertaining to the subject of the MA... *Does only a black belt have those abilities? *Does only a Sensei have those abilities? *Do only high ranking MAists have those abilities? *Do those under black belt have those abilities? How do you discern knowledge? Any thoughts?

How do you explain the varying Dan degrees of YOUR CORE STYLE to a layperson? ~Do you try to explain each separate Dan degree? ~Do you try to explain Dan degrees in groups...[1-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9, 10]? ~How much better is a 3rd Dan over a 2nd Dan, for example, or an 8th Dan over a 6/7th Dan? Sometimes, trying to explain the Dan degrees in a positive means is hard enough to explain it to other MAists of different core styles, and/or different dojo's, but can be pretty difficult to get a layperson to grasp the differences between Dan degrees. Any thoughts?

It's the 'excessive' back peddling that drives me batty. To me, 'excessive' back peddling is anything more than 2-3 steps backwards as an answer to any attack, imho. Many Shindokan counters to a blitz/lunge/clinch/etc violate the rules of many competition venues. Rules, for safety sake, negate effective techniques, and I respect the rules. However, arts are deemed inferior to others unfairly due to these rules, imho. "Many exponents/practitioners of varied MA have tried and failed repeatedly at many counters in many MMA events." I've heard/read that before. Please allow me to submit a plausible reason to consider...Yes, it's true, but it might've been attempted by those less experienced/less knowledgeable than those of the MMA fighters and the like. Rules favor some over others, imho.

...one counter against an overwhelming force? Whom defines it as an "Overwhelming force"? Imho, the one whom the overwhelming force is directed at. Do we face the overwhelming force with an equal overwhelming force of our own? Do we run away and hide from an overwhelming force, when the moment to flee reveals itself? Do we just accept the overwhelming force, and hope that all will be well at the end? I believe that each of us will have different answers, but, that's ok because we're different as individuals. Hopefully we know our limitations just as well as we know ourselves. When the battle is brought to you; what will you do? Any thoughts?

Technique(s) without practice returns to us empty/void. Not just any practice, but meaningful practice. "Have you been practicing?" I've asked this question of my students countless amount of times. I already know the answer to my question before I've even posed it because I can see their answer(s) from their movements, which are presented to me more as an exhibition than as an effective movement(s) of totality. Practice has its levels, and they vary across the board. Warm up, geared up, and thought up [discovery]. Yet, to not practice seriously can only invite defeat across the board. "Don't practice just to do the technique(s), but to bring 'it' to life. To show any marked improvement requires total self in each and every technique(s). Understand what it is that you're doing/learning/improving. That what you're engaged in is not to be taken lightly; now and forever." I continue to reach out to my students on a lesson of meaningful practice. For that brief moment, I believe that my students have purposefully forgotten why they must practice, and because I'm seeing a moment of lapse in their attention to every important detail, I sternly remind them that I'm seeing their hearts aren't on the floor and I require them to bring their heart and a earnest effort on my floor. If not, go home until you can show yourselves, your fellow students, our dojo, and myself that you're not here for just a season, but for a true reason. Don't practice empty technique(s)!! Any thoughts?

We use words of the martial arts like... >Technique(s) >Knowledge >Effective/Effectiveness >Experience... So much, we lose 'its' meaning. What other words are used so often and so lackadaisical that they begin to lose their meaning? Any thoughts?

Just the other day, my daughter, Krystal, and her boyfriend, Jason, came into the living room where I was watching TV. Out of the blue, Jason makes this compassionate statement... "I know who could beat Bruce Lee!" "Who?" I asked. "Ip Man, Bruce Lee's teacher." says Jason. "What facts do you have to support this belief?" I asked. "Ip Man was faster than Bruce Lee. In the movie, you did see the movie, right?" he pauses for a brief moment. "Yes, I saw it." I answered. "In the movie, Ip Man fought 10 karate men and they were crushed by Ip Man, and those 10 karate guys couldn't even stop him." was Jason's response. "I believe that any historical facts covered in that movie might've been embellished at best for any entertainment purposes. Any opinions aren't factual, therefore, unfounded. But, you're entitled to have your opinion(s), and I respect that. Possibly, we'll never know if Ip Man could've or couldn't have beaten Bruce Lee." was my reply. Jason walks away murmuring to himself. So, I would like to ask this... Could Ip Man beat Bruce Lee?? My short answer...I don't know. Every instructor of the martial arts wants their student(s) to surpass their own abilities. Any thoughts?

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

First of all...I agree with MP's post. Secondly... Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan Carry it out

Forget about test. Forget about the pass/fail. Both have taken care of themselves; they always have and they always will....it's the training that one should be concerned with...IMHO. Still...it's a great topic and I thank you for it. Also, welcome to KF!!

1. Yes, I've failed more than my share of Dan exams...more than I care to remember. 2. Yes. I've failed more than my share of Kyu exams...more than I care to remember. 3. Yes. I know many. Nobody within the Shindokan family has been spared their share of exam failures. 4. My standards and the standards of the Hombu are quite high across the board. Without boring anyone with reading the entire Hombu's 2011 Testing Cycle Report, which is quite lengthy... 8.7% Passed [6.3% were Kyu and 2.4% were Dan] out of 212 testing candidates approved to conduct in that years cycle. Scores of Shindokan candidates weren't approved to attend that years cycle for one reason or another, and in that, 738 applied to be tested at the Hombu that year, out of the thousands of Shindokan karateka's.

You might find these tidbit helpful... http://www.gojukai.com.au/Japan_Karate_do_College.html Not sure if this helps you out or not.

In Shindokan, we attack the throat on a normal basis with varied techniques, so, one might imagine how often a technique is a little stiffer than normal during kumite. I've been hit so many times in the throat, I've become numb to the emotions surrounding it. Still, it's not fun and it is scary but that's the reality of a Shindokan karateka.

Training for this is difficult across the board. It'll be missing the reality of what happens on the street. This means this...when everyone "knows" what's taking place during these drills before they even happen...effectiveness takes the back seat quite quickly. False securities are birthed, and take the place of sensibilities.

I don't imagine the world without Chinese martial arts. No, it's just that MMA and the like are the rages of the pages and people like to see a good "fight", imho.

Congrats and well deserved!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Don't succumb; adapt. ~Don't accept the attack ~Don't receive the attack ~Don't surrender to the attack ~Counter attack immediately There are many styles of the martial arts that are 'masters' of the ground. A practitioner who's not versed on the ground are taken aback when first encountered. The most understood technique is the "back-peddle". When attacked, many back-peddle instead of engaging effective footwork. It's during the back-peddle that the attacker, and not the defender, whose favored because of a willing to surrender and/or receive and/or accept the attack in which the defender holds on for the ride, and hoping for the best. That's not effective defending imho. Be that defender whose actively engaging an effective and punishing counter attack. Don't have that deer-in-the-headlight mindset when attacked/rushed/grabbed/. Have a controlled counter attack! Mizu no kokoro and tsuki no kokoro are effective mindsets for every martial arts to fertilize and believe in, otherwise, the fights already lost before it's even began; being calm is critical. It's not easy at first, but it does become not only easier, but it becomes natural; without thought. >Can't fight on the ground; stay standing at all costs >If tackled; get up fast >Once in the "clinch", your survival success rate is tragically diminished To counter a martial artist who's solid on the ground... ^Do various "Take Down" resistance drills ^Do grip strengthening exercises ^Do short range attack [punch, kick, strike, etc] drills Learn/know what to do before it's to late. Grappling isn't for everyone, so, defend effectively or to the ground you'll go, and you don't want to be there against one who's well versed in that skill-set. Hit with the force of thunder, and slip with the power of lightening!

Now, I'm experiencing a splinter within the Shindokan Hombu. I feel as though I've disgraced my Dai-Soke!! I realize that the world of the martial arts isn't a bed of roses, but had I given in to the constant barrage of wanting to return to a Soke type, possibly, none of the negativity within the Hombu would've happened.

Maybe so, but do you think he should be able to profit from it? I don't!No.