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Martial Arts instructors that are worth their salt will have to utter these words from time to time..."You've failed!" to one or more students during a testing cycle. I've done it more times than I can count, and yes, I'm sure that you've done it as well. Because our testing and awards ceremonies are conducted on separate days, I'm fortunate to invite the testing candidate(s), and their parents, if the testing candidates are minors, into my office a few hours before the awards ceremonies. In my office, I'll conduct a private "failed" interview in a serious and professional tone because this is a serious situation, and my students as well as their parents, deserve that. This interview is a 6 step interview: *I thank the candidates, and their parent(s), for their attending both the testing cycle as well as this interview. *Then, I'll give them their grades for Kihon, then Kata, then Kumite, and if necessary...then Tuite, then Kyusho Jitsu, then Tameshiwara, then Weapons, then Essays, and then their Final Grade. This is where I'll inform them that they've failed this testing cycle. *I'll then point out to them the areas of concern and how they can go about turning these low scores into passing scores. The only way that I know how to do this is by one thing...PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! *I'll then point out to them their areas of success and how well they did in each of those area's. *I'll then open the floor for any and all questions/comments they and/or their parent(s) might have; professionalism must be adhered to by all during this stage without any ambiguity whatsoever. *I'll close out the interview by thanking them again and I'll also encourage them to continue with training and lessons. This can be an emotional interview across the board, however, it's a necessary interview. A student can be lost to irrational feelings, as well as a new sense of worthlessness envelopes them. Here's where a bad instructor will lose students quite quickly, and where a good instructor will retain a student(s) that have failed their testing cycle. Tests, unfortunately, only have two outcomes: Pass or fail. This applies to tests and not to their mortal coil. Students are to important across the board, and in that, the student is always before the martial arts; this is how it should be for every student, every day, and every time. How do inform your student(s) who've failed their rank tests?

If I'm studying, then I'm learning, and if I've studied, then I'm done!?! Then by it's own logic, aren't I'm now becoming stagnate? Let the discussions begin!!

What I've learned from my Sensei was nearly everything about Shindokan from A to Z and back. I say nearly because I know for a fact that there was a lot of Shindokan to still learn from him even though I'm a Hachidan. By his movements alone, We/I knew that all of his highest ranked students were still no match for him across the board. We were toyed with by him at best, and we could tell that if he wanted to, he'd dispatch of us without any care at all. A student can feel that from ones Sensei, and I certainly felt it from him. So, as far as my journey in the MA is concerned, my Sensei layed out a solid foundation for which I could effectively build upon from anything and everything that was available to me in the MA world. I could sense what was effective for me and what wasn't, this was essential to my MA growth; I'm experienced, and in that, I'm far from a wide-eyed wet-behind-the-ear MAist. I was maturing in my MA journey, and this is because of what my Sensei had birthed in me. My Sensei, our Dai-Soke, was very fond of always reminding us of this... "What of Shindokan don't you understand? It's mine, and not yours. Be the proponent that I'm not." I was vexed about this statement for some time until I finally realized what he was saying to us...to me. That was...Shindokan, of what I do know is mine and not my students BECAUSE each of us Shindokanists must walk upright during our OWN journey with our heads held up proudly, and not ashamed. I'm complete in my totality as a MAist, yet, I'm still learning everyday, and in that, even though I'm one of my Sensei's student's, I'm my own MAist across the board. I'm the extension of what Shindokan is and what Shindokan isn't. Shindokan was his gift for me; now it was up to me to expound beyond Shindokan, to be always searching for that perfection that I'll never find because I'm a fallible human. Not because my Sensei failed by some shadow of the imagination. It's up to me to be that exclamation point at the end of his sentence...hopefully I've done it and that I'll continue to do so in his absence. I follow him, alas, I've followed him, but, not so blindly did I follow him so that I couldn't find my MA path, and my MA path was of my own making!!

Happy Birthday George....and many more!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

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

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

Police gone bad; what to do? If at all possible....RUN and HIDE!! An ambush is hard to concretely defend against especially when the ambushers are the police...more weapons and more tactics are going to be on the side of the police. This is a real rough thing to answer, imho.

Simulating Guns don't have real bullets. In your self-defense, be right or be very wrong!!

If at all possible; walk away. But if walking away isn't possible; bring to bear all that you have to survive. After that...that's up to the police, district attorney, your lawyer, and a judge.

I would be amiss if I didn't at least say...Before engaging on any diet, consult with your doctor first. Then and only then, proceed forward, but always yielding your doctors instructions and advise. I've been on a many diets over the many years. Some good and some not so good. Some on the approval of my doctor and some not. Whenever I followed my doctors advise, all was great. I don't have to tell you what can happen when you try diets of your own device...disaster!!

Kata is the soul of karate, and in that, Bunkai is the heart of kata. Without kata, karate is dead, lifeless. Kata, after all of these many years, is still hated by those who think kata is useless. Useless?!? No, even an empty cup is quite useful, just sitting there on some counter-top; it's just patiently waiting for its time to be called into service. Kata, Kihon, Kumite...The three K's, separately important, yet, once called together, they can be a force to be reckoned with. IMHO!!

I'm still wondering just how hard the WWE superstar is going to hit when it's for real. Will he/she hit as hard as they can or will the ring habits cause him/her to throw a working punch? Brock proved to be an exception. Just wondering!

"Students of Martial Arts from all over the world will come here to study under Grand Masters and professors." That's an assumption, imho. An assumption that any student of the MA should be aware of right from the start. Personally, most "professors" don't have a minimum of an idea about the MA, and any experience with the MA has probably been learned them from some textbook(s), and not from a dojo/dojang. The journey into the MA takes a lifetime, and in that, who wants to go to some college for a lifetime? GM's and the like might do all they can do to avoid it as well.

As an old saying goes..."An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!" Imho, this old saying can't be totally ignored when it comes to protecting yourself. I've seen the worse as well as the best when it comes to smacking the tar out of a heavy bag. In that, I'd never forget to wear the proper protection when training on a heavy bag. Ok, I'll go back to my corner and behave myself. Good luck and train HARD!!

Here's a belated CONGRATS!! It's well deserved!!

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone in advance for their input in this discussion. Secondly, I'd like to bow to each and everyone who is now, and who was a beginner in any martial arts because without being a beginner first, you'll have never became an experienced martial artist. This topic is specifically for any and all Mudansha, ones without dan; the beginners of the martial arts. However, those martial artists that possess a Yudansha, person who holds a dan grade, it’s their experience that will be immeasurable in this topic for any beginner. Degree turns are measured counter-clockwise, so turning 270 degrees would be the same as turning clockwise 90 degrees. So, then why does the 270 degree turn exist? The answer to this will be almost impossible to imagine due the many methodologies as well as the many ideologies preached by the infinity of different styles of the martial arts. Within Shindokan, stance attitude affects the quality of any turn, but with the 270 degree turn, it’s vitally important to know a few tips. This big turn, for any beginner is not only difficult for them at first, it also becomes easier with constant practice; and we’re all familiar with an old saying… ”Practice makes perfect!” 1) The deeper the stance, the more difficult it is to turn. 2) Each single movement within the 270 degree turn should follow one another without any stopped-hesitation [head then shoulder then hips then knee then to stop] as one complete movement. 3) Control the excessive sine wave movements at all times. Having said that… *Do you find the 270 degree turn easy/difficult for you to learn? *Do you consider the 270 degree turn an effective/ineffective tool in the martial arts? *Do you consider the 270 degree turn an effective/ineffective tool only used in Kata? *Do you think that the only time you’ll ever use the 270 degree turn is in Kata? Let the discussion begin....

Well...I've an XBox 360, first time having an XBox. I've always enjoyed the PS format over any other. Having said that, I wish that I had purchased a PS3 because there are a lot of FPS games out there, that I love as well as their sequels, that can only be found on the PS3 format, like SOCOM and MGS, two of my favorites. So, I have to get rid of my XBox 360 and get the PS3. MGS:Rising will have an XBox format that's coming out around this November, I'm still coming back to PS, PS3 that is.

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!