sensei8

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!!

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.

Before one can earn a Yudansha, one must first earn a plethora's of Mudansha, ones without dan, and for that... What did you do to celebrate? My family and I enjoyed many different activities. We'd either go to the beach or to a movie or out to eat or bowling or miniture golfing or hiking or whatever else we loved. One time, for my 3rd kyu, my dad took us all out to Colorado River for a week to water ski and camp, that wasn't really new to us because we went every summer when I was growing up, but...that's when my dad taught me to slalom ski and that was a blast. Ok...it's your turn....

For those who are holders of a Yudansha, Black Belt, upon receiving yours; What did you do to celebrate? As a JBB, my mom and dad took me out to eat pizza and to a movie and I got a new bike. My dad also built me a very cool looking belt display. As a Yudansha: I celebrated by taking a trip on a 2 week vacation in Hawaii. Ok....it's your turn...

Things are going fine across the board!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Congrats!!

Tenure is important, but only to a point and it's only a part of the testing/ranking formula. I tested once from nidan to sandan with only a tenure of 1 year. Key was that I was a junior black belt for 6 years. I tested for shodan when I turned 18 years old. Then I tenured for just over 1 year before I tested for nidan. Then I was invited to my sandan testing cycle with only 1 year of tenure as a nidan by my sensei, who was the Kaicho of our Hombu and haichidan/hanshi; my testing cycle for my sandan was approved by our Soke. I was informed by my Kaicho that I was more than ready for sandan, and I felt ready for my sandan. After all, I was a JBB for 6 years, and my Kaicho didn't want me to just sit idle as a JBB, so, slowly but surely, I'd learn and learn and learn and learn and so on and so forth. Was I ready....oh yeah!! After my sandan, I not only was meeting my following tenure's from Yondan and up, but I was living in some of my tenure's, which didn't bother me, I'd test when I received an invitation to test. Some I passed and some I didn't. Sometimes I'd petition for a testing cycle and I was denied with no explanations as to why because our Hombu never explained themselves, and I was fine with that as well.

A very nice and solid performance of Gojushiho Sho. If you only received 4th place, I'd like to see the kata's of those who placed 3rd-1st....sheech. I'll look it over again this weekend and I'll provide you some feedback then, if that will be ok with you. Again...a very excellent job.

Alex, thanks for sharing the video...that video was FUNNY, but oh so true. I've meet BOTH of these types many, many times...all I can say...."Good grief Charlie Brown." ROFL

man Geo, that's so ignorant on his part that it drives me nuts. a friend of mine faced a similar situation when we went to a BJJ studio and was informed all his years in TKD was worthless. This guy had ridiculous power and thighs like tree trunks. Anyway he came to train with us, which is how we met, and his Judo game became ridiculous really fast. Having that background in TKD, plus the ability to keep himself off the mat, he was an absolute beast. the guy would do all sorts of feinted kicks and windmill looking kicks that came in so damn fast it was more than a little intimidating getting in close enough without blindly rushing. then once you were inside his Judo game was all sorts of tight. i can't think of any MA that can't be taught to be extremely effective. The fact that his TKD dojo made heavy use of spar and kumite, and they regularly competed made his ability to fight leaps and bounds better than anyone we'd ever seen join our dojo as a white belt. I just don't get where folks get off talking like that. Its funny how it is expected that respect runs rampant in the Martial Arts, and then we hear about stories like these... Daisho, I'm sorry to hear you free class ended up being in the tank. But on the other hand, it has to be gratifying to know what the quality of the training you have received in the past is like. I don't get it either Brian...it perplexes me to no end. I avoid all of that stuff because imho, it doesn't belong in the MA. That's why, for me...Proof is on the floor!!