sensei8

Aaarrgghhhhh...I call out to anyone here at KF who's a computer genius/wizard for help. I just discovered that I've lost EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT that I had stored in one of my computers. It has/had Microsoft Office 2007. Today, I went to continue writing my karate memoirs, which was in the DOCUMENT FILE, amongst many, many, MANY personal/important documents, but, a note from my computer says that the fileS are corrupt!! Then my computer asks me what Microsoft Office I have, like it doesn't know that, so I click on the appropriate link and I find myself staring at a 2010 version that I can BUY for over $200. Even if I update to a current version, would that bring back EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT?? OR... Should I go to a computer wizard shop in the hopes that they might be able to recover them, or at least print them all out? HELP!! If you're asking me..."Why didn't you update ALONG time ago?" My answer is..."It [Microsoft Office] wasn't broke, so I didn't ever see a need to "fix" it."

LOL...Seeing that this forum is for discussing things concerning the martial arts...I create most of my topics/thread, like this one, for the sake of us to discuss 'it' amongst ourselves; to have a friendly and informative conversation. Nothing more, nothing less. Our system has had only one Menkyo Kaiden: Our Dai-Soke. It was awarded to him by our Soke, shortly after Soke retired and just before Soke's death in 2008. This Menkyo Kaiden was over 60 years in the making; Dai-Soke became Soke's student in 1940.

First of all...great topic!! I did when I was a child. If I may quote from the bible... "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."`KJV As an adult, to answer your questions...I never have and I never will!! Not when I was part of the general student body! Not when I was a member of the Board of Regents! Not when I was Kaicho! Not when I was the Chief Instructor of our Hombu!! The word I've always accompanied with those of any hierarchy, including ours, is just simple RESPECT across the board. In my own dojo, I was always BOB, just plain old BOB. Formality has its place within its proper context and/or its proper content!! To me, this is nothing more than another form of RESPECT!! I've only one Master, and He lives on High!! Yes, I use Soke or Dai-Soke or Kaicho or Kancho, but whether it's in a forum, such as this, or it's in a Shindokan dojo, and/or in any normal conversation, I suppose, it's just become a natural thing for me. Especially in any forum, again, such as this is, but that's mainly for two reasons. One: RESPECT!! Two: It sure is much easier to type in the manner of which I do, than to type out that persons official title(s). No!! I behave correctly because of the way my parents raised me; that's first and foremost over anything my Dai-Soke and/or anybody else in the martial arts world has tried to instill in me. I'm the worse follower in the world. I respect my Soke/Dai-Soke, but I'm not theirs to do with as they see fit. I question everything, not because I'm disobedient, no, but because I want to see/know for myself firsthand. For every argument and/or disagreement that I've ever had with my karateka "Seniors", I could've of filled one volume after another after another. Because I'm consistent in my ways, my karateka "Seniors" have learned to respect this part of my character, and in that, they've trusted me without question. I suppose I've earned the right of being a thorn in their sides. Again...NOPE!! If I end up doing a push-up...cool...push-ups are part of training and building up my body, so, shoot, give them to me. That's not punishment to me. And again, I say "YES SIR!" because that's how I was raised. Before I became a "Senior", they were better than me, only as a karateka, NOT as a person!! Not one Shindokan "Senior" has ever demanded me, or anyone else for that fact, to treat them in a "God-like fashion"; our Soke/Dai-Soke wouldn't have allowed it because they didn't act all God-like. I've seen others, not of the Shindokan Hombu, act in this fashion you speak of, but, whenever I see that, I excuse myself immediately because there's only one God, and they're NOT!! They put there pants on just like I do. When any "Senior" speaks, I listen until I discover that they start to walk/talk like they're all this and a bag of chips in their style(s), and guess what to all the "SENIORS"...nobody is unbeatable...NOBODY!! Everyone of them...each and everyone of them. It's our way. We don't shun and/or belittle any Shindokanist...no matter kyu/dan. Funny thing...Ever since our Soke and Dai-Soke have passed away...I've more seniority than anybody in Shindokan, including our new San Dai-Soke...and I'm about laid back as a long sunny day with a cool glass of tea. I'm nobody special and I'm surely not better than anyone, and I mean ANYONE!!

Who has the right to select an Menkyo Kaiden? Someone in the Sokeship line ONLY? Administration ONLY? Executive ONLY? Student body via an election ONLY? Just who has/hasn't the right? Is this right absolute? I suppose that one might be asking....What is a Menkyo Kaiden? http://www.shotokanryukaseha.com/other_languages/budo_themes/themes_2004/7_menkyo_kaiden.htm Would the selection of said candidate be based on a personal choice or a professional choice?

SOLID POST!! In your situation, it was the case that you were starting to do things [techniques, etc] wrong UNTIL Lindsey Sensei brought you back to the right path, and it's made all of the difference for you. Again...SOLID POST!!

When the wheel was invented, it went through it's many changes UNTIL it reached it's current style, and in that, anything added to it will only improve it's tread footprints. So is the martial arts. Each and everyone of us has had more AHA MOMENTS than Carter has Liver Pills. So true is what ninjanurse has said... Have you finally realized that you've been doing said technique(s) wrong for an x-amount of years? Or...is it that you've, after all this time, only been refining/tuning said technique(s) into the shape of your desire? Not always is an instructor to be credited for this realization because the practitioner does the discovery while training away from the dojo/dojang. Sure, the instructor has jarred open the door to discovery by this suggestion or that suggestion, but it's left up to the student to finally open the door wide to its unlimited possibilities. My Dai-Soke helped me to find the door ajar through his instructions as well as his guidance, but it was always left to me to force the door wide up through my own discoveries as I matured as a martial artist. But, then the door would be slammed shut again because I was not ready to learn/accept what my Dai-Soke was now teaching me. Not because the said technique(s) was wrong. No! It was right, but it was now being reshaped into something better across the board. Then again and again and again, until my Dai-Soke jarred open the door again for me to find the new discoveries awaiting me through my desire and through my endless training, but I've never been satisfied with my martial arts. Therefore, I endure, I survive, I seek, I fumble, I believe...I KEEP TRAINING...I KEEP TRAINING...I KEEP TRAINING!! IF ONE EVER REACHES THE MOMENT IN THEIR TRAINING WHEN ONE IS SATISFIED WITH ANY SAID TECHNIQUE(S); THAT'S WHEN IT'S TIME TO QUIT TRAINING AND IT'S ALSO THE TIME TO QUIT THE MARTIAL ARTS!! I re-ask this: Was the who, what, where, when, why, and how of any said technique(s) that you did WRONG? OR... Were you just starting to mature across the board as a martial artist? EDITS: Spelling errors

It is always unfortunate that the black belt practitioner is deeply intertwined with the politics of any said organization, whether it's by design or not. Forget the politics and/or ones devotion to said style and/or to said organization; we're martial artists first and foremost. The organization, as important or not, is nothing more than just a building without its student body; black belt or not.

Those are the million dollar questions, and in that, there are a million different answers. In any system that propagates the kyu/dan ranking, the Yudansha is everything. The Yudansha is the end of one beginning, and it's the beginning of the never ending journey. Yes AND no!! Again, in any system that propagates the kyu/dan ranking, and depending on what side of the political fence one stands on, the Yudansha opens some doors, while sometimes it closes doors. For the Yudansha to help a follower of the kyu/dan rankings, it's the only way to the next rank, and depending on how many ranks decorate ones Yudansha, some things are required, and in that, yes, the Yudansha does help. To teach: Sandan might be required. To administer: Godan might be required. To oversee a region: Hachidan might be required. To train: Nothing is required other than a constant desire for betterment of oneself and of one's martial arts. To train, one doesn't need any type of decoration, for decorations can sometimes fuel the ego, and ego has no place in the martial arts; it can destroy the betterment of self. A Yudansha guarantee's NOTHING, but it might require EVERYTHING. Albeit, the Yudansha is just a belt to some, yet, to others, it's one's very soul, heart, and breath. Maturity in the martial arts requires no belt, no matter the color and/or the decorations upon it; only knowledge. No matter the style of the martial arts; politics will exists. One who plays the political game better than the rest, weaves his/her Yudansha like a cobra that's only seeking its prey for a means that defies all reasoning's. In my countless years, I've been on both sides of the political fence; part of the student body, as well as part of the administration; have held several key positions. However, I never played the evil side of the politics, and this was my choice, one I've never regretted for one second. On the political side, I've always looked out for the student body, no matter kyu/dan they held or didn't hold. I fought and won many political battles, very few I lost for one reason or another. I've stood face to face with the political machine, and I've fought toe to toe because I've never agreed with everything that my Soke/Dai-Soke/Hombu fought for, in that, I always spoke my own mind no matter if it was popular or not... Student body Soke/Dai-Soke Hombu In that order without any exceptions and/or any reservations! Now, my Hombu has left the entire student body to fend for themselves. Once we had a home, and then, we have no home. Did politics play a role in this? I've no idea, nobody does because our San Dai-Soke only says that this was "the desire of his father" [Our Dai-Soke] before he passed away. I say that our San Dai-Soke must have misunderstood his father's meaning because the student body always came first to our Dai-Soke. The administration elected our San Dai-Soke into office; it's ended up being our demise. My Yudansha has meaning and value to me; but that depends on the context as well as the content of the moment at hand. Still, I've never needed any organization to train, and this is what I eagerly do each and everyday. So much for the value of our Yudansha's and how much it [Yudansha] helped us in the long run. I'm extremely sensitive these days when it comes to organizational politics. All of my days;, yesterday/today/tommorw,I have eagerly placed my Yundansha at the foot of Him who is more than worthy!!

Sorry...but THAT'S FUNNY!! ROFL!! The visual is killing me...LOL!!

This isn't funny to me; it should be a crime.

Imho, my style practices Kyusho-Jitsu in its relationship with Tuite, and the one thing that I've noticed over the many years, is that it's a hit-and-miss relationship. Some points are 100% hits and some other hits aren't, depending on both the practitioner as well as the person who receives said hits. Pain thresholds can make or break Kyusho-Jitsu! The intensity at which a stimulus begins to evoke pain varies from individual to individual and for a given individual over time. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. Try it....you might like it.

In the martial arts; one must first learn the varied types of footwork, then understand the varied types of footwork, and then effectively apply the varied types of footwork. Tai sabaki is related to ashi sabaki and te sabaki, to name just a few. No proper footwork simply means that one can't effectively move to point 'B' from point 'A'; stuck in a quagmire. Every type of martial arts depends on proper footwork. Footwork or shifting should be smooth, sharp, without back motion. We say that the footwork should be hidden, so as the feet move underneath the body and the torso should not show any change. So, to answer your question...footwork means everything to me because it meant everything to our Soke first!! Tuite is Shindokan and without effective footwork; Tuite doesn't and can't exist, and in that Shindokan wouldn't exist.

I too agree with everyone here that depending on the instructor; you'd be able to wear shoes while training once you've explained your situation. The wearing of shoes for the born-in-the-wool traditional instructor might not be an option no matter what the excuse presented. For that type of instructor, the wearing of shoes will be forbidden. Therefore, search for an instructor that would allow, I would, the wearing of shoes while on the floor, and then ask that instructor what type of shoe would he/she allow...then after that...it's all about some serious training. Good luck and please, keep us informed.

E-Bay

Welcome to KF!!!!!

Merchandise can be replaced...the employee that was killed by the thief(s) can't be. Many years ago in Tulsa, a bagger chased the thief's outside of the store after they had stolen some beer. Thief's went to the side of the store and the bagger followed. Just as soon as the bagger rounded the corner...shots rang out and the bagger was killed...over some beer. Let the thief's go.

Congrats!! Believe in yourself....you'll do great!!

Very solid post!! I've no problem with McDojo's as a whole. Sure, they do some things that I don't like, but, I'm sure that I do things that would bother them. Having said that, the only "school" of the martial arts that I can't stand are those ran by "fake black belts". A "fake black belt" is one who's never had a lesson or not very many lessons, you can decide what "many" means. Then they buy a black belt and open a school under a guise to "rip off" some innocent students, and again, you can decide what "rip off" means. A legitimate black belt earned from a "McDojo" is STILL a legitimate black belt, and you can decide what a "McDojo" and "legitimate" is . Again, your post here is very solid across the board, and I personally thank you for posting it...SOLID!! Now...let's just train hard!!

Yeah, that's his problem, imho. Showboating has it's place, but not in a martial arts venue. Shouldn't we respect our opponent whether one wins or losses? Yes, imho!! Forget for a moment that it's in a martial arts venue; it's still an act of unsportsmanship, imho!!

The summation of why is to the summation of because. The only opinion that will ever matter to me is my Dai-Soke. Beyond that, it's all blah, blah, blah. I've dedicated my life to him for well over 45 years, and I still do, even after his death last year. However, I serve only one master, and it's not my Dai-Soke, and it's not the martial arts/"Budo". No, that belongs to my lord and savior Jesus Christ!!

Who truly has the correct answer for every possible question? I've not meet that person yet, and I know I'm not him. Let's forget the government because they're having a hard enough time governing themselves, imho. Nothing, imho, can stifle ones martial arts journey. I'm just spit-balling here, but possibly an organization like MASE., for example, would only protect those who hold legitimate ranks from legitimate organizations like the JKA and/or the SKIF. Possibly an organization that could be there to act as a means of being a non-bias voice for our students. Again, I don't have all of the answers. I'm just one person.

As anyone could fear. This could end up being a polictal nightmare. In a perfect world it would be nice to have but the end result could just make things worse. Isn't that just an assumption? It hasn't been tried, and in that, there's no way of truly knowing if "it" will work or not.

Let's forget the belt. It's being tromped upon by those groups that have never earned any belt, let alone a black belt. What they do in the name of money should be illegal in some way or another. Call it what you would want to, but I want those who are fakes and liars stopped at any effective legal means in the name of the martial arts. I don't want government intervention no more than anyone else, but something has to be done to erase these fake black belts from condemning innocent students to a fate of believing in a false securities concerning their abilities. Whatever ASE does, it seems to work in that field, and I don't see the ASE has ever been accused of anything inappropriate for there own liberties and self-aggrandizement. ASE is also an non-profit organization. Who pays for the testing and the like? The mechanic's do. Who keeps the records? ASE does. Who creates the testing questions? Master Mechanics from different automotive/truck fields, and these Master Mechanics have been chosen to a ASE board for that purpose only. I've no idea if a MASE certification would work. I've no idea on how one would create an organization with the martial arts in mind. I've no idea how one could get a room full of well known and respected masters to agree on anything except that they don't agree on the 1, 2, 3... and/or the A, B, C. Style A and style B will never agree because of their own methodology and because of their own agenda; to them, that's more important than the whole. Is it better for the one or is it better for the multitude? As long as we just turn our heads away and act like it doesn't matter that the false black belts commit their acts of dishonesty, and that's what a fake black belt does, then they will continue going unchecked and free to abuse innocent students in all four corners of the world. I didn't say it was a good idea. I just provided an idea for us here at KF to discuss among ourselves in it's possibility as well as it's impossibility. If someone can ever come up with a working model that will benefit the true martial artists as well as the martial arts itself in a whole, well, I'd be interested to try it.

National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a professional certification group that certifies professionals in the automotive repair and service industry. It is an independent, non-profit organization created in 1972 in response to consumers need to distinguish between incompetent and competent automotive technicians. The organization aims to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through the testing and certification of repair and service professionals. Testing is done twice a year for the written version.~Wikipedia The Official ASE website says... http://www.ase.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ASE_Resource_Center1/About_ASE2/ASE_Profile/ASE_Profile.htm You'll notice that any and all candidates for ASE testing must meet certain prerequisite's first.... "Upon passing at least one exam and after providing proof of two years of relevant work experience, the test taker becomes ASE certified. Certification, however, is not for life. To remain certified, those with ASE credentials must be retested every five years." Possibly one day, those of us in the field of martial arts would have something like ASE, but MASE, so that all of the "fake" black belts in the world wouldn't be able to infect any student of the martial arts. Like shade tree mechanics of old, that were replaced by the ASE certified mechanic, perhaps the shade tree "black belt" would be replaced by those certified instructors of the martial arts in their style of expertise. If subjecting to the government through MASE to rid us of those "fake black belts", then I'm for it. Something, and/or someone needs to stop them before the word black belt means absolutely NOTHING. I fear that the time is near us, if not already at our door step. Let the discussion begin...

Well said! Ditto!!