sensei8

Practice PATIENCE! Keep practicing correctly, listen to what your instructor says to you; and before long, you'll be scaring your hanging bag to death.

Yes, by all means, build up the core. Meanwhile, get a chest protector and the like that will protect your ribs. Oh yeah, becoming the worlds best blocker won't hurt either.

A grappling art, like say, BJJ.

A size 8 might fit you, but, you're going to have to hem UP the pants A LOT!! No, the reason that Tokon doesn't sell the white belt is more than likely that the white belt comes WITH the gi you'd be buying; this is industry wide. Besides, with all of your training, you'll be getting a smaller gi because you'll have lost the weight before you know it.

I echo Danielle's congrats and question to ya'.

I was taught/I teach those last two shutos as attacks. However, I've practiced and have seen varies Bunkai over the many years. I've never heard of the blind/in the dark theory, but, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

You say one dimensional as though it's a bad thing. How else can a conversation be started unless one asks a question? There, imho, are no such things as absolute, especially when it comes to the martial arts. Sorry...Bruce Lee quote warning... A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.~Bruce Lee

Very solid post sir!!

How to motivate yourself? Never be satisfied...at anything!! I can always do better!! How to gain confidence? I'm always looking for the edge, then when I find it, I jump off the edge!! How muscle memories makes your training effective? That's a tricky one there. Are my muscle memories good/bad? Bad muscle memories can be very difficult to correct across the board. Whereas, good muscle memories can be improved upon. But, that very thin line between bad or good muscle memories can be a defined line or a fuzzy line either way. The faster one can recognize the bad muscle memories AND THEN correct it, the better one will be off. It takes time and a keen experienced eye to spot the bad muscle memories, and sometimes, it comes from the least expected source. How to control yourself? Emotional content!! Mizu No Kokoro AND Tsuki No Kokoro!!

Thanks! The same to you, Patrick and KarateGeorge!!! For me, Thanksgiving gives me permission to eat and eat and eat....self control is saved for another day.....heheheheeheee

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!

Motivating parents to become more involved in their kids' martial arts isn't going to happen, no matter what pitch you use because parents will be involved ONLY if THEY want to. Sure, we instructors can get the parents involved during class, like holding a shield or a blocker or a focus pad but I still don't see the parents getting involved at home. Why? With some parents life/work comes first to them, and this means when they're not doing either, their resting/watching tv. Parents want US to teach, and in that, they use the excuse that whatever they do to help, it might contridict what we're teaching. I had a lot of parents that were involved because THEY WANTED TO, and in that, it wasn't anything that I said or did. I'd pitch one reason after another, but for those parents that didn't want to be involved in their kids training, well, I'd be meet with one excuse after another OR, they'd agree to in order to appease me in my presence, but just as soon as they're out the door, they're back to NOT helping at all. Now, I did require A parent/relative to attend every testing cycle, AND I also required A parent/relative to come inside the dojo to drop off/pick up their kid(s) at the beginning/end of class. Getting parents motivated to pay, is about all one can expect, yes, we can hope until the wheels fall off, and we can threaten them until the wheels fall off, we can pitch them all the positive reasons in the world until the wheels fall off, but in the long run, it's going to up to the parents if they want to become actively involved in thier kids training. It's not up to the instructor, it's not up to the kids, it's not up to any relatives, no, it's entirely up to the parents and to be honest with you, parents are selfish across the board. IMHO!!

In your opinion... When grappling, how viable are groin strikes?

Against a zombie, which would be more preferred? To assume the side control/back/mount position; aka, being on the top? OR... To assume the guard position; aka being on the bottom?

Congrats to your son on his promotion!! Way to be there for him mom; I bow to you in respect!!

Great replies thus far...thank you all...keep them coming. For me, it's the technique(s) that felled my opponent in the first place because it's vital for me to create any margin of seperation between my opponent and myself, no matter how insignigicant it might be. What technique(s) I use after I've felled my opponent is an inconsequential problem compared to the other issue; a threatening opponent. A prostrated opponent, for the time being, is less of a threat.

Great replies thus far...thank you all...keep them coming. For me, experience is a matter of paramount importance to the martial artist!!

Happy half birthday to you, happy half birthday to you, [sING IT WITH ME] happy half birthday to KF, happy half birthday to you....and many more!!

Ev, Although that the post was long, imho, it was well worth the read; nicely done, and in that, I enjoyed it a lot!! You're very lucky to have found Sensei Wah!! You're very lucky to have found Shihan White!! In return, they're both very lucky to have you as their student!! The lessons that you're learning from them is much more than technique based. While techniques in the martial arts are vitally important to learn, and in that, techniques in themselves are nothing more than tangables that come and go. Whereas, the unwanted area of philosophy within the martial arts isn't right up there with most practitioners because they're more concerned with the techniques, and if they show any philosophical importance, then they're shuned against. What you received from your Shihan and Sensei is a vital lesson to have been learnt, and one that is important to share with your fellow martial artists. In what your Shihan was imparting upon you is what Bruce Lee said so frankly and so right on... "Emotional content; NOT anger!!" In the movie, "Enter The Dragon", Bruce is teaching a lesson, one not just about technique, but, also about the philosophy of the martial arts. Their exchange illustrates how we over think the most simplistic of things... Lee: [a student approaches Lee; both bow] Kick me. [student looks confused] Lee: Kick me. [student attempts kick] Lee: What was that? An Exhibition? We need emotional content. Now try again! [student tries again] Lee: I said "emotional content." Not anger! Now try again! [student tries again and succeeds] Lee: That's it! How did it feel? [student thinks; Lee smacks his head] Lee: Don't think. FEEL. It's like a finger pointing at the moon. [Looks at student who is looking at the finger; smacks student again] Lee: Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory! This is what I am a proponent of, and it's something that I was taught, and mostly every karateka is taught, and what I"ve imparted to my own students.... MIZU NO KOKORO: Mind Like Water TSUKI NO KOKOO: Mind Like Moon Study it, understand it, apply it, and embrace it!! Ask your Sensei/Shihan about these philosophies; I'm sure they'll just reinforce what I'm telling you here. Any action fueled by anger returns voided! Yet, if you don't allow your mind to have that calmness, then you've already lost before the battle really began. Your mind must reflect CALMLY upon the waters: no ripples, no waves, and certainly no swells. Also, your mind must reflect the moon undisturbed: no clouds; because any cloud can start as a tiny cloud, but before one knows it, the cloud becomes more clouds and the storm within them is about to release all of its fury. RELAX! RELAX! RELAX! That "water" as well as the "moon" are negitively influenced and stimulated by what's going on in ones life. Whether it be with problems at home, or your work, or wherever and whatever, it will blow up in ones face before you know it if it's allowed to. Dojo Kun says...LEAVE IT AT THE DOOR!! Can't make that anymore clearer. While ones not calm, the calmer of the two will have a far greater advantage. EMOTIONAL CONTENT; NOT ANGER MIZU NO KOKORO TSUKI NO KOKORO Ok, I'll go back to my corner now...for the time being.

Edit: This topic was meant to be a poll. I couldn't remember how to make it so, until Patrick re-educated me on how to do make a poll. Please feel free to pick your poll choice, even though you might have already posted already your opinions. Thank you for your understanding!

Edit: This topic was meant to be a poll. I couldn't remember how to make it so, until Patrick re-educated me on how to do make a poll. Please feel free to pick your poll choice, even though you might have already posted already your opinions. Thank you for your understanding!

Muy thoughts is that you are a very smart man, Bob-sensei. I knew a white belt who went into a sparring competition and came out with a silver medal. I agree the black belt can be defeated and I have a feeling that attitude can be the black belt's undoing! When I begin to sparr for the first time i will not develop the attidude that i am invincible. not even if i become a black belt. Don't say "if", believe in yourself at all times, and in that, say...WHEN!!

Congrats to you, and good luck to Nevinyrral as well!!

Very solid Kata/Bunkai across the board!! Thanks for sharing it!! Seeing that Bunkai is the interpretation of the practitioner; yours can't be argued with. Why? No matter, imho, what one thinks, it's [bunkai] YOURS and YOURS alone. Imho, your version of Unshu was solid across the board. Your Bunkai of Unshu was also solid across the board due to what I've already explained. Did the Bunkai demonstrate effectiveness in its interpretation? Not at all times, but that's ok. Why? IT'S THE INTERPRETATION OF THAT PRACTITIONER!! That's the bueaty of Bunkai. For an example; I can see a type of bueaty in a painting that no one else can see. Does that validate/invalidate that painting? Bunkai doesn't have an exclamation point. The content as well as the context changes from moment to moment. Nothing in Bunkai is written in stone, and in that, my way was never my Dai-Soke's way because it was MY Bunkai, and mine alone. Sure, my Dai-Soke taught the Bunkai per the curriculum as well as his different interpretations, but after that, the Bunkai I train is MINE!! In that, Bunkai IS patent pending, but that doesn't mean that it can't be improved upon through interpretation(s). Nothings perfect!!