sensei8

Bruce Lee wrote: I take this on how one takes a break from a project, no matter what it might be, and then return with fresh eyes. Over thinking does happen with everyone. Same in the MA. We train, and while we're training, we try to perfect whatever it might be, and we try and try with no satisfaction in sight, and our frustration doesn't allow us to see the nose on our own face; it's always been there, but we only see the solution with fresh eyes. Bruce Lee wrote: Watching a technique is not the same thing as executing a technique. Like what I do whenever I watch any MA movie, I can't enjoy said MA movie because I'm too busy treating the MA techniques within said MA movie as though it's a Testing Cycle. To both of these, let it flow, and quite over thinking the darn thing; "I" do not hit, "It" hits all by itself. We might over think as to why the sun comes out when it does, more than enjoying that the sun came out in the first place.

Congrats GojuRyu Bahrain; well deserved!!

It's a heavyweight GI, but it's the most comfortable GI i own. I try not.to.wear it a lot since I want it lasting as long as possible How'd you find that Gi manufacturer?? Are they in the USA or Japan or somewhere else?? Are they affordable?? Would you recommend them for beginners?? I got it from my Sensei, and that's my issue I cannot find it anywhere online. Can your Sensei tell you where he got it from?? Are you the only one of his students that got one? I'm not sure he even remembers, lol. Yes I'm the only one that got it as it was his old uniform top. I've several friends as well as connections in Okinawa, so, I'll reach out and ask them about it.

It's a heavyweight GI, but it's the most comfortable GI i own. I try not.to.wear it a lot since I want it lasting as long as possible How'd you find that Gi manufacturer?? Are they in the USA or Japan or somewhere else?? Are they affordable?? Would you recommend them for beginners?? I got it from my Sensei, and that's my issue I cannot find it anywhere online. Can your Sensei tell you where he got it from?? Are you the only one of his students that got one?

Noah, your patch design and all, from what I can tell, look quite solid across the board; looks very nice. I've been using PVC patches for as long as I can remember. I've tried other types of patches, but for one reason or another, I never stayed with them. The PVC patches seem to last through the wears and tears of training and the like. Yeah, that of course depends on the individual across the board. Imho, patches, especially PVC's are worth the investment. After all of the trails and tribulations, I finally found a manufacturer that meet my criteria's. In this area, quality is above all things. After that, affordability. I'd send in a rough drawing, and they'd work with me until we reached the final draft. The manufacturer I use now, and have been for a very long time, they've from day one, always sent me a sample product so that I could handle it, but I'd not get that sample until I authorized the final drawing. After that, if I was cool with what it looked like in my hands, I'd place an order; the more I ordered, the more I saved. Beyond the price costs of said patch to put on owns gi, there's the marketing of that patches design. I could now use that patch to transfer it to practically anything, and I mean anything. Pens, hats, t-shirts, car decals, jackets, training equipment, business cards, drink koozie's, so on and so forth. For those schools of the MA that don't believe in putting patches on their gi or anything on their gi, that's cool; to each their own. My dojo has always been my business, and any business needs to advertise beyond word of mouth, which is still the best advertising. In the beginning, any patch manufacturing company I used, the treads would not sustain after 6 months. Then I found PVC, and I've not looked back ever since. That's me.

It's a heavyweight GI, but it's the most comfortable GI i own. I try not.to.wear it a lot since I want it lasting as long as possible How'd you find that Gi manufacturer?? Are they in the USA or Japan or somewhere else?? Are they affordable?? Would you recommend them for beginners??

Nope, I can't say that I've ever heard of that Gi. Can you tell us anything about it at all??

Congrats, Zach; well deserved!!

Welcome to KF, Questor; glad that you're here!!

There's far to many pedestals in the MA for ones ego to stand upon. A MA should feel complete enough by being oneself without the labels and adorations pinned to ones chest. “Honestly expressing yourself...it is very difficult to do. I mean it is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky and be flooded with a cocky feeling and then feel like pretty cool...or I can make all kind of phony things, you see what I mean, blinded by it or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself...now that, my friend, is very hard to do.” ― Bruce Lee

It's about $234 for two trackers and everything you need to use them. Oh ok, that seems quite reasonable. Might have to give it a try; many of my Student Body might enjoy this one way or another. Thank you, Patrick. If you want to trial might be worth getting in contact with them. I got sent 8 trackers for free to test for 2 months. Then if we want to keep them we can sign up to a 12 month contract. On the club subscription I get to access all the students' data plus I can set up training programs in the class though I've not yet been able to trial that due to COVID. Apparently I can stream a live score board of sorts to a big screen so students can see how they perform in real-time. That's a great idea, and that's what I'll do. Thank you, Danielle!!

Not one single time ever did my rank show up to protect me; I, and I alone showed up to protect my loved ones, friends, innocents, and myself without any resolve. Me. myself, and I; not my rank and not my title...just me and that which us within me that's clothed with knowledge and experience. Rank has no bearing, just myself and what I bring to the fight.

De-escalation is most preferred, but when that's no longer an option, then it's time to resort to physically engage ones opponent without resolve. This has its place, and what has to be applied whenever necessary... "He who hesitates, hesitates horizontally." ~ Ed Parker

One of the best, if not the best, April Fools events that's ever been done; I LOVED it wholeheartedly!! Thank you, Noah; you're a genius!!

As part of my wife's, Linda, birthday yesterday, we went to see Godzilla VS Kong last night on the XD screen. It was AMAZING start to finish; the twist in the film answered a ton of questions for me. It's on HBOmax, but this movie deserves a big screen, the larger the better. I won't tell you who won!!

Season 4 is being filmed right now; was renewed long before season 3 hit our screens. The 51st All-Valley Karate Tournament with LaRusso’s Miyagi-do and Lawrence’s Eagle Fang dojos teaming up against Kreese’s Cobra Kai. Perhaps the violence might simmer down because Hiro Koda and Jahnel Curfman both say they’re no longer involved in the project. Time will tell.

Yes it is; my anxiety needs a hug from time to time. This is great news! Do your current doctors perhaps have some recommendations, or can make referrals to doctors in Vegas, to get you set up with them prior to moving there? No, unfortunately. Everyone of my doctors whenever I first asked them for references, they would just tell me that they can't offer me any referrals outside of Texas because they concentrate on their immediate county. I even spoke to my social workers, and they told me the same thing...but they did give me a $100 American Express card.

Brian, I think it's time for you to enter the next CrossFit event. This is my way of saying....YOU ROCK in your consistent workouts!! Keep at it!!

It's about $234 for two trackers and everything you need to use them. Oh ok, that seems quite reasonable. Might have to give it a try; many of my Student Body might enjoy this one way or another. Thank you, Patrick.

Yes, rank is for sale worldwide in one way or another; business 101. Having said that, it's dead wrong for anyone to sell any rank that throws ones integrity into the trash for the sake of profit. I've owned and operated my dojo for a very long time, and while my dojo IS a business, and any business must meet and exceed its monthly obligations, and earning a profit is the name of the business game, I've never sold my integrity and any rank; no business is worth selling ones integrity for anything. I'd close my dojo first super duper fast, and find me something else to do...like feed the ducks at the cities park pond.

I appreciate it, I plan charging an extremely small fee or donation for people I know. The goal is to teach them what I learned and I insist they train at other places so they feel like what they are learning is of value to them. This clears my conscious of knowing that no one is getting ripped off. Another thing is that today, I had an incident with a random person. Both were walking, we cam close, he stepped on my shoes, I looked on instincts alone, he started going off on profanity and I stood my ground letting him know if he wants to make a move that I am here and he walked away cursing. Today I was able to apply psychology of not being able to look like a victim and get pushed around. This was in a rough area which is where my boxing gym I train at is and this stuff never really happened all that much until Covid. Now afterwards I was pretty shook up, boxing workout helped but I was pretty livid and this is where breath work came in handy. But it also opened my eyes that in my dojo I wish to incorporate profanity training. This revolves around real life situation with an assailant screaming and yelling with profanity, tons of top martial artist get shook up and this incident opened my eyes to not just skill, conditioning and fighting but also psychology of combat and becoming immune to someone yelling and screaming the nastiest words in the loudest tone. This can be scene with UFC star Conor McGregor who used to resort to these tactics early in his career. The Diaz brothers of the early UFC era also did possess this type of edge to them that would fluster athlete based fighters. Today, I realized that I still have ways to go in street psychology. Some folks can and have a knack to say things bizarre or acting in a way that throws the opponent off. I am not sure if I have the affinity for it. My thing is, I for some reason can raise my voice extremely loud and in a very hostile manner like some steroid freak hopped up on street drugs despite having a meek appearance. For my students, I have to discover what they possess that they can use as a psychological weapon to make themselves more formidable but today was extremely eye opening. Sorry for the rant but long story short, I now have to add psychology to the mix of my three original criteria. Solid post!! The bold quotes above are quite telling about you as well as your teaching abilities and concerns for your Student Body.

Imho, rank should never ever be for sale, no matter the reason(s), no matter who. That act robs the integrity that seems to be hanging on by the most thinnest thread of honor. The summation of "why" is to the summation of "because".

Today I had my Radiation Treatment Consultation at 830am. Doctor this morning was very pleased with how well I was responding to the treatments thus far. So pleased that the Radiation can be put off until I move to Las Vegas on April 26th. That means that I need to find all of my doctors asap when I get to Vegas. It's never a good idea to start and stop Radiation Treatments if they can't be finished completely. I was informed that my treatments will last 8 weeks, 5 days a week. I'm to continue receiving my shot of Leuprolid every 3 months, and ON TIME with no exceptions. There's no worry about my numbers going back up just as long as I keep the shots up, and begin the radiation treatments. The Bicalutamide pill us still on the back burner for now. The Radiation doctor will concur with my Oncologist as to her suggested plans. She wants me to make sure that I get my records before I move.

A black belt is one who accepts the honest truth that first and foremost, they're a student of the MA. After that, that that black belt treats rank with very little concern whatsoever. Character...Integrity. These are the staples of what a black belt is. Yes, I agree that a black belt should possess the effective and necessary skills across the board. Yet, it goes much further than that. Knowledge and experience are important embraces of that black belt. Having said that, what a black belt is in one school, doesn't hold any water at another school. As far as teaching is concerned, and let me state this once again, and I believe that it bears to be repeated over and over...Not all black belts can teach. The black belt better have every iota of control in and off the floor. What's tangible about a black belt?? Not much in the wrong hands!!

Integrity!! Anything short of that is deplorable. Promoting oneself is despicable. To promote oneself, no matter the reason(s), speaks that rank is far superior than anything else that truly matters. For those Masters that have self-promoted themselves have tainted the heart of the MA through and through. Not an honorable message to make past, present, and future. I've told this before here some time ago. There's a Karateka who at Nidan, where his Sensei passed away. Ever since then, he retained Nidan, and didn't seek any promotions for any reason(s) from anyone, no matter the pressure from others. His knowledge and experience are far superior than his Nidan. When he was once asked about this, he simply stated that his Nidan was his last promotion from his Sensei, therefore, he went further to say that he IS Nidan, and that's that. I'd have nothing to do with anyone who's ever self-promoted, no matter whom that individual was. INTEGRITY!! Imho.