sensei8

I agree; and if not for fun, it'll be a little stressful for me at times this season.

I'm still confused as to why Posada isn't behind the plate, but he's now a designated hitter. Now, he's 9th in the batting order, but, as Posada put it, it's his fault why he's batting 9th. GO YANKEES!!

Yes. It's no more different than any other test except that there is much more material to test for as you go up in rank. Also, the expectations are much higher than before, in as much as, the difficulty level increases across the board. Be supportive. After that, there's nothing that a kohai can do. I sought out those that already possessed said rank. Mostly, I sought out my Dai-Soke, and in that, he'd furnish me with my training partners to assist me with all of the materials of said testing cycle. Final week leading up to a particular testing cycle, my Dai-Soke would put be through the paces...I call it....Hell Week...nonetheless, very vitally important. I never worried about whether I might pass or fail; I let the test take care of itself. For me, worrying about whether I'd pass or fail meant that I cared more about rank than I cared about knowledge.

For me, Century has a fantastic price for low-end student uniforms once you open a wholesale account with them.

Within the Shindokan syllabus/curriculum there is no certain training for curling the toes back. Our Soke and Dai-Soke never actually taught us the how to over the why to, and in that, just do it. Otherwise, be subjected to what happens to ones toes when one doesn't remember to do just that: CURL YOUR TOES BACK!! The only exercise I can ever remember doing for curling my toes back was while I was sitting or laying down, I ever so slowly extended my leg forward, I'd just curl my toes backwards as far as I could, and then I'd hold it for as long as I could plus one. I also would kick the ground with the ball of my foot over and over, and as hard as possible while standing still on either leg. These two little drills helped me a lot. Muscle memory also brings my toes way back and out of harms way.

wow. Five boards with anything is good but with your toes?!? Ditto...and...OUCHY!!

Transitional movement is transitional movement no matter the style of the MA, imho. However, is THAT transitional movement smooth or is it jerky or is it overly loaded with a lot of bothersome sine wave or is it short, yet quick or is it arrested by self?! I find no transitional movement better than another per styles. While Kung-fu has its own properties within any said movement, that lends itself to be a proponent of fluidity, it's transitional movement is for THAT individual. Transitional movement must be understood firstly, appreciated secondly, and believed in thirdly before one can start to master it. Transitional movement is akin to a baby learning to walk; and before one can walk, and walk effectively, one must first master crawling. Within transitional movements, the nomenclature would be preparation, movement, targeting, distance, and recovery. Not of the many movements, but the execution of each INDIVIDUAL movement, and in that, fluidity begins. Transitional movement belongs to every martial art as it belongs to each martial artist. It's not just the transitional movement(s), but it's what one does with it at that moment; effectiveness or the lack thereof.

Yes, you're right, both the Shorin-ryu school and the Kempo school is CLOSED, my apology for not catching this before I posted it. Take a look at this to see if this might be a possibility for you... http://columbiakarateacademy.com/staff.aspx

20K posts!! Brain, while Patrick is the "Soke" of this community, you're certainly deserving of being called "Grandmaster" of this community. With all of my respect...I bow to you, and I'm so thankful to be able to converse with you because you bring that certain something to each and every post. For the ability of being able to call you friend, for me, this means everything to me. CONGRATS!!

For me, it interest me to watch it or to read it or to listen to it because, it just simply does that...it interests me across the board because whatever it might be, I deem it worthy of my time because of it's effectiveness as far as I'm concerned. I'm turned off from watching it or reading it or listening to it if "IT" is ineffective as far as I'm concerned. If it has merit as far as I'm concerned across the board, I'll pay it attention, and then go from there. Whether it'll be in just for the information and/or to be for me to further research it's premises across the board. All forms of media attract me, in that, I'm not more attracted to one over another because each provides me what I'm needing at that moment. Video= The lower the quality of the video, the more I'm not watching it. Audio= The lower the quality of the audio, the more I'm not listening to it. Print= The more one babbles incoherently, the more I'm not reading it. For all three=I'm turned off quickly if either venue uses said venue to speak a lot about themselves while they place themselves on a pedestal...I don't care about that, I only care about effective knowledge as far as I'm concerned/interested in.

What's in a name? That's a great question. My style, Shindokan, means...The House of the Heart Way. It's funny how names translate for the most part, but they are what they are no matter our feelings towards them. Our Soke spoke of how Shindokan is a last means to any situation, albeit, in our house, there is only one way, and that way is dictated by our heart as to whether we attack/defend. However, our Soke also doesn't believe in the Shotokan maxim that says...there is no first strike in Karate. We understand and appreciate this maxim, but, it invites a possible attack that we may not be able to defend; and in that, we strike first shall the moment arise. MasterPain, RIGHT ON THE MONEY, I love your simplistic humor, however right to the point of the matter!!

There's a Kempo and Shorin-Ryu dojo's in Columbia....sounds like it's time to let your fingers walk in the yellow pages. I wish you best!!

Thus so far, the Yankees have done this... 20 Wins 17 Loses .541 Percentage 2.0 Games behind the first place Rays 13-10 Home Record 7-7 Road Record 8-6 Record against the East 8-9 Record against the Central 4-2 Record against the West Lost 4 in a row 3-7 Record in the last 10 games Not bad and not good; just mediocre with a lot of baseball to still play. GO YANKEES!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

For me, sometimes I was allowed a weeks break in taking from taking the trash out, and for me, that was major. My brother, who's 7 years older than me, hated that, but oh well. Sometimes, I'd be allowed to stay up an extra hour at bedtime, which, I loved that.

We are in the process of going forward without our San Dai-Soke. We'll be opening a new Hombu, and in that, we'll have new By-laws, electing some new Hombu administration's, creating and authorizing new inkan stamps...the whole shooting match...everything will be different/new. In that, 98% of our administration will continue in their previous role's and responsibilities. Our new Hombu will ONLY have a Kaicho [President] as its top spot instead of San Dai-Soke. And that's fine because the purpose of having a San Dai-Soke at this point is mute. San Dai-Soke is in Okinawa, and Kaicho will be here in the USA. Will everything be completed before our next testing cycle in June/July 2011? Possibly not. The By-Laws are in the hands of our Legal Team, and that might take some time to perfect. We've no Densho scrolls and the like because our San Dai-Soke has them, and he's not taking them out of Okinawa. Anyhow...small update...it's coming together slowly but surely. Those students that were signed up at our old Hombu for lessons have been sprinkled between three Shindokan dojo's that were in close proximity to our old Hombu. So, they're continuing in their lessons.

Shotokan seems to be working just fine in the octagon for Lyoto Machida, but, the style of Karate isn't more important that the experience of the practitioner

Ask the Chief Instructor of the school that you're planning to visiting before showing up and assuming. At my dojo and our Hombu it is like this: **Visiting...Wear your Yudansha BUT ask permission FIRST from the Chief Instructor. Why? Courtesy/Respect/Etc. **Becoming a student...wear a white belt. Why? All new students wear a white belt no matter your experience. **Student Transfer...wear a white belt at first until the Chief Instructor evaluates you, then, wear the belt you've been evaluated to, and if you've continued training, you'll possibly wear your current belt depending on the Chief Instructor

You all can now see what my life has turned into as of late!! Someone HELP!!

Was that that much of a problem in the area your dojo is in? I thought that this was something from yesteryear's, and in that, it's rare, if at all. We take people's signs all the time. Like Ninja Vikings.I'm scratching my head on this quite hard because I don't get it. Could you please extrapolate for me?

22 years of age...that's not too old to start anything, especially the martial arts...I'd say...GO FOR IT!!

Congrats, and it's well deserved.

To answer this question might take a time machine, albeit, it's a difficult question to answer because there is conflicting information out there, no matter where one may look. So, this poll is for discussion purposes only, for I believe we'll never truly know it's true answer, no matter the source of said information.

When I say...On My Own...I'm not referring to a life of solitude and/or that I'm alone and/or I've no one to train with and/or to learn from. After all, no matter the rank, we're all students EVERYDAY!! No, I'm surrounded, and I'm glad that I am. If I decide to train or to teach or to learn or whatever else, then it is I who decides, not anybody else, for I do "IT" On My Own!!