sensei8

OUCH....Dallas Cowboys...1-7!! The only saving grace is that the Bills have a worse record of 0-8. Well, there's always next year! How about them fighting JETS!! AWESOMENESS!! Tough loses for the Chiefs and the Dolphins...sorry Patrick and Brian. 6 real closes games...congrats to the winners of those real close games! 3 blow-out games...congrats to the winners of those dominate games! Congrats to the other winning teams!! MNF...Bengals (2-5) hosting the Steelers (5-2)...the Bengals have lost 4 straight games...so, my prediction for this game will be...21-7 for a Steeler win. This weeks bye teams: Broncos, Titans, Rams, 49ers, Redskins, Jaguars Next weeks bye teams: Packs, Raiders, Saints, Chargers GO COWBOYS!!!!

"Teaching martial arts" can be a very difficult task for both the writer as well as the reader because not all black belts can teach!!

In your opinion...The martial arts PLUS a controlled environment EQUALS...what?

Funny thing about the back/L stance is that, for the most part, I've primarily seen said stance used only in one venue time after time...KATA!! In Kumite, I've rarely seen this said stance. Front and side stance seem to be the stance of choice. We don't see the cat or diagonal side or hour glass or the many other unseen stances used in Kumite. Now, the weight distribution to the rear in the back/L stance can limit mobility. However, imho, lack of experience ISN'T the true reason of it's limited use in Kumite. The true reason is more than likely a choice of "comfortability" preference. Nonetheless, the back/L stance is an effective stance when it's used in its proper context. Obvious to me, Kumite isn't the proper context for most practitioners.

Thanks Bob! But I don't actually have any students atm... would love to have my own class/school in the future but with all the studying for uni and other things I don't really have time for my own training let alone have time to teach others. These are just some teaching ideas and methods based on my own learning and experiences which I occasionally get to inflict on others at the school I train at and that I'll work on with sparring partners if they're less experienced. Well, then your fellow TKD practitioners are luck to have you to train with and have fun with!! However, when, and if, the day comes to you and you open your own dojang, those future students will be very luck to have you as their instructor!!

You're welcome Patrick!!

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

Welcome to KF!!!!!

That's new to me; never seen them before. Interesting and I'm only wondering just how difficult, if at all, it would be to take off after a sweat dripping workout, to take off. The price of it isn't that much! I might have to get one myself.

Whenever I judge kata, and this comes up, and it does quite often, I laugh to myself, and then I just judge their kata. To me, the name they shout out doesn't sway me one way or another to dock any points, because to that practitioner, it is what they say it is to that practitioner.

SOLID post!!

Great article!! I was biting when I was 10 years old, and it scarred me, the fear that is, the bite was minor. But, whenever I'm around dogs that I don't know, I DO PANIC. Whenever a dog owner says, "Don't worry, she/he won't bite you", but, I wonder if the dog knows that she/he won't bite me. So, I keep my distance until the dog gets to know me, but even then, I'm very respectful of the dogs TEETH and I won't put my hands near the dogs head in the fear I might startle the dog. I love dogs, the ones I know, and I've owned many dogs. I guess it's the unknown with strange dogs that scare me to death. Your advise is solid! Hopefully, I can put your advise into action one day. Thanks for the article!

DWx, Let me just say this one thing to you...SOLID!! An absolute solid article, great read. Your students are lucky to have you as their instructor!!

I think I will order one just to test it out. My wife is most likely going to kill me for order another martial arts test piece but oh well LOL!!! Did you look at Sensei8 backcatcher idea. Those look pretty good also. Just not sure how well they breath. I'd imagine that they breath very well, after all, a MLB catcher is behind the plate for 9 innings, some innings long, some short.

That one looks similar in design as to my first MLB catcher protector link.

Well I thank you for the feedback. I actually received my Nidan April of 2007 and my Sandan in 2009, the intent of this paper is to add legitimacy to it because I do not actively participate in any major organization. There is no one to turn it into because I did it out of self-motivation. It gives me the opportunity to receive peer feedback. If the responses were "you are so far off it's not even funny", then I would have a lot of work to do clearly. The plan was a "what do you know about karate from personal experience" for Shodan Paper. "What do you know about other people's views on karate" for my Nidan Paper. My next big project is a 30+ page paper on the Dan/Kyu System - exploring its effectiveness and postulating if there is a better rank structure and award system used by other organizations. Well, I feel dumb for not have read the paragraph by your picture at your blog. Peer feedback; makes sense. Now I understand why it was a Nidan paper and why you have presented it to the KF members...PEER FEEDBACK. Again, it was a very well written paper and it still edified your knowledge base at your Shodan level back then. I'm quite sure that your knowledge base has increased, otherwise, you'd not be a Sandan right now. Well, I'll excuse myself for the moment so that I can wipe off "Dork" from my forehead, sheech, I'm so dumb at times!!

Very solid post!!

Well, it wasn't in the cards for the Rangers! Giants WIN the WORLD SERIES by winning game #5 by a score of 3-1. The 3 run homer by Renteria in the top of the 7th inning sealed it for the Giants. Why the Rangers didn't walk the always a threat Renteria to load the bases for the least of a threat Rowland...but, that's not what Washington did...result a 3 run yard...oh well. CONGRATS TO THE GIANTS!! GO YANKEES!!

Guess what? If the Rangers don't win the World Series, Ranger catcher Bengie Molina will STILL get a World Series ring. Why? He played with the Giants before being traded to the Rangers on July 1, 2010. Plus, he'll get a ring for the Rangers winning the pennant if they don't win the World Series, and again, either way he'll get TWO RINGS!! I agree with John Shea of SFGATE.com when he wrote..."Bengie Molina's charmed life..."

Absolutely!!

You know, if been looking at the chest protectors that are being worn by the MLB catchers. They look unbinding. They aren't bulky. They take an 100 mph fastball with ease. The only problem is the ribs aren't protected at all, that I can see. Although the chest protectors worn by Bengie Molina of the Texas Rangers appears to have some rib protection. What do you think? They cost around $35 - $89. http://cgi.ebay.com/WILSON-A3320-MLB-CATCHERS-CHEST-PROTECTOR-INT-BLACK-/300461837892?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0 http://www.rawlingsgear.com/baseball/baseball-protective/xrdcp.html http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2010/10/19/23/20101020-005555-pic-641235771.embedded.prod_affiliate.77.jpg

So often the basics of the martial arts are relagated to be inferior to advanced techniques. Why? The basics seem to not be sufficient enough for the martial artists palete. No, they want to use only the most effective advanced technique at hand. What have the basics ever done to any practitioner for that practitioner to hold them in such a discarded light? Seeking out for the advanced techniques is appropriate, imho, just as long as the basics aren't ignored. My Dai-Soke was quite fond of reminding us all the time..."Advanced techniques are incomplete without the basics. Learn the advanced techniques, but not at the risk of the basics" Building bridges that lead up to the what's considered advanced must set upon the foundation of the basic techniques of any and all martial arts. One can't climb Mt. Everest without having to have acclimated oneself at the lower altitudes first. Same thing in the martial arts, imho. I've always felt that the white belt was the most important rank of them all because without the white belt, black belt can never ever have been achieved. Therefore, without a solid foundation of the basics, advanced techniques can't ever be effectively learnt. Many, many times conversations regarding techniques seem to circle around what effective techniques are the advanced ones. So much so, that one forgets to mention the basics because they've summized the ineffectiveness of basics, and in that, they'd rather execute advanced techniques no matter what. Then, when one observes a local tournament of the martial arts, nearly if not all of the practitioners in attendance don't throw not one advanced technique. Why? Because they're way to busy throwing the reverse punch, the jab, the front kick, the side kick, the downward block, and/or the rising forearm block...BASIC TECHNIQUES!! Why? Imho, it's because the basic ARE effective in it's simplest form, and the other funny truth about the basics being effective is because they WORK just fine! And if a black belt of any rank would truely think about it, and if that black belt could be honest with themselves, then that black belt would realize that they've been perfecting their basics much, much more longer than the ellusive advanced techniques that are at their disposal. So, before you discard the basics techniques within your styles curriculum over the advanced techniques, please remember this... In every advanced technique there lies an effective basic technique. Even more so; no basic techniques equals one thing...no advanced techniques!! Your thoughts?

As a paper, it's fine. I'd say that this paper edifies your level of knowledge of someone having 13 years experience, and in that, of someone who's a Shodan seeking after their Nidan. Very nicely written! In that, submit it for approval for your Nidan grading. Good luck, please let us know if there's anything else we can help you with, and by all means, please let us know how you do.

Yes, the Kata's shown in your link are very extremely difficult for someone with only 6 months under their belt. Each and every Kata shown on your link are black belt level, as a matter of fact, the Kata Unsu, shown several times in your link, is usually reserved for 4th degree black belts, and this rank CAN, but not exactly always, span a time of 10 years minimum of CONSTANT training under a credible and certified instructor of a minimum dan ranking of 6th degree black belt. 6 months of training Kata should be doing Heian/Pinan Shodan at best...

You can learn the order of the movements in a Kata from a book/DVD, but, you'll not be able to explore and/or understand the who, what, when, where, how, and why of the Kata. You'll not understand the Bunkai of said Kata. You'll not know if you're doing any part of said Kata correctly. You'll not understand how and why the hips are so important. In general, imho, you'll only be able to imitate the movements, and Kata is so much more than that. To most beginners, a block is just that...a block, but, that's not always the case. A credible and knowledgeable instructor is needed across the board, not just for Kata. Why do you move the way that you do? You won't have the TRUE answer to that by yourself.