sensei8

Welcome back to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

I concur with your post. I've seen this type happen in a countless amount of dojo's across the USA. Yes, student instructors who are Sankyu - Ikkyu start to learn the ins and outs of teaching and assisting for the reasons that you've already mentioned, BUT, none of my Sankyu's - Ikkyu's are ever left unsupervised, AND, none of my Sankyu's - Ikkyu's instruct/assist more than they receive instructions themselves. Our Sankyu - Ikkyu student instructors ratio is: [Average 288 minimum hours of class per year, and that consists of 3 classes per week, and each class is 2 hours.] 72:18 For every 72 hours of class time, the Sankyu's are only teaching/assisting 6 hours per month. For a total of 18 teaching hours in 3 months. 144:40 For every 144 hours of class time, the Nikyu's are only teaching 8 hours per month. For a total of 40 teaching/assisting hours in 6 months. 288:120 For every 288 hours of class time, the Ikkyu's are only teaching 10 hours per month. For a total of 120 teaching/assisting hours in 12 months/1 year. Again, all of the teaching that's done by the student instructors are always under the direct supervision of a Sandan and above. This is a mixed ratio, by that I mean, the hours are a combination of TEACHING AND ASSISTING. The ratio for Sankyu - Ikkyu teaching and assisting under the direct supervision of Kaicho/Chief Instructor is: 120:100 For every 120 hours of teaching/assisting time, the Sankyu's - Ikkyu's are under my direct supervision for 100 hours per year. The remaining 20 hours are under the direct supervision of a Sandan and above. Why don't I supervise all 120 hours? To give our student instructors some time under my Sandan's and above. For every one of those 120 hours per year of those student instructors teaching and assisting are video taped for the Instruction Team to review/critic/approve/disapprove/suggest, and for our records as well. Each of those 120 hours that have been taped per year are availible for those student instructors to review whenever they're not in class or teaching or assisting.

Excellent! Self-defense skills aren't just against a human attacker, as evident in this story. Way to go!

This I understand, but, I'm referring to schools who don't care if their students can or can't do anything effective/correctly, no matter thier rank, just as long as the student pays their money.

Yeah, let me clarify this some. We absolutely encourge every kyu ranked student to go to their Sempai for any and all kind of assistance. What that rule is stating has some ambiquity, therefore, ask any and all black belts for the final word on anything that's Shindokan. Having now seen the ambiquity in this statement; I'll change it properly so that there's no amiquity whatsoever, and I'll change it immediately. Thanks for bringing this is our attention.

Oh to have Bill Gates' loose change!

SOLID!

But not the type of sparring where you'll see them just flop and thrash about with no feeling and meaning. Neither are blocking and everything scores and the techniques are very bad and very repetitive over and over again!

Of course I'd help him if he wanted/needed my help. But, I don't think he'd ever need it because, for one thing, he can fight, and I mean he can fight. For two, I'd just love to see him do his thing. I'm sick that way!

A very solid post!

Well...this... http://shine.yahoo.com/event/haven/tour-a-50-million-hamptons-house-of-fun-1810666/ I'll take two please....NOT! Because I don't have $50 Million, but, if I did...WOW!

Interesting topic! Many of our 'traditions' reflect what's found in your OP. Here are the basic etiquettes and the like within the Shindokan Hombu that should be followed, accepted, and embraced: 1) There are seniors and there are juniors. Nobody is equal in the dojo. 2) If there was no Sensei, there would be no group, he/she is the glue that holds the group together and sets the general tone. He/she sets the training schedule. He/she has gone through all of the hardships that the student has gone through or will go through. Thus, all etiquettes focus on the Sensei, and their Sensei(s). 3) The dojo is the "way-place". This is the room or the building or the spot where the knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. This place will always be special. It is a place where life changes take place. Thus the place itself deserves reverence. With that, I give you the class structure, rituals and displays of respect within the Shindokan Hombu. [in no particular order, and not all are listed] * We bow when entering/exiting the Hombu's main [dojo] training area, as well as with the two other smaller training areas. * We bow in/out of class. * We line up in order of rank. * We bow to all Yudansha's. * Junior grades must bow to senior grades first. * Always treat the dojo, your instructor (sensei), senior students (senpai), peers, and junior students (kohai) with respect. * We clean the Hombu's main and smaller training areas after each and every training session. NO MATTER THE RANK! * No shoes are to be ever worn in the Hombu. * No unnecessary talking allowed. * No food or drink may be consumed anywhere inside the Hombu. * No smoking is ever allowed in the Hombu. * There is no horseplay in the Hombu. * The use of bad language and/or inappropriate behaviour will lead to expulsion from the Hombu. * If you arrive late for class kneel down at the side where you can be seen and wait for the SOD (Sensei On Duty) to say you can join, at which point you first bow, and then line up in the back of the class at the end of the line. NO MATTER THE RANK! * We never adjust our gis and belts facing an instructor or higher rank. * We always give way to higher ranks. If a lower rank bumps into a higher rank, the lower rank will always excuse themselves to the higher rank, and then move out of the way immediately. Also, if a higher rank wants the floor, the lower rank must surrender the training area to that higher rank. * We don't ever ask a senior ranking * We keep our gi's clean at all times. * We keep our finger/toe nails clean and trimmed at all times. * We never wash our obi's. * No jewellery to be worn during training. If you cannot remove a ring, cover it with tape to protect your fellow karateka from injury. * If one must leave the Hombu during training, permission must be given by the SOD before one can leave. It is disrespectful to walk out while training is still in session. * Discard chewing gums and similar items before coming to practice. * Direct all training related questions to the black belts and/or to Dai-Soke, Kaicho/Chief Instructor, Kancho, and the members of the Board of Regents. Only they are qualified to teach Shindokan. * Do not cross your arms or place your hands on your hips…it is considered belligerent behavior. When sitting, sit in seiza or with legs crossed…it is considered rude to show the bottoms of your feet. * It is the senior belts’ responsibility to lead in keeping the dojo clean. If you see a senior belt doing some form of work, offer them the opportunity to do it for them. * When using the training equipment, handle it with care. When finished with it, return it to its proper place. * If someone above your rank asks you to spar, you cannot turn them down. If they ask you to spar, it is that they are taking an interest in your progress and it would be an insult to refuse. On the other hand, don't ask someone above your rank to spar. This could be interpreted as a challenge. Be careful what one asks for because one may not like the answer. I'm not sure that's I've answered your question directly, but, nonetheless, there they are! I've always felt the the Shindokan Hombu had more class structure, rituals and displays of respect than most others. Irregardless, these were established by our Soke, and some things were added and/or subtracted from the above over the years for one reason or another by Dai-Soke, the Executive Team, the Administrative Team, the Instruction Team, and/or the Board of Regents.

To those here at KF and across the world who's live was touched in one way or another by GM Van Lenten, I'm so sorry to hear about his passing. From one martial artist to another, I deeply bow to GM Van Lenten!

I've faced a few burnouts in my life as an instructor/student of the martial arts. All I do is forge through until I defeat the burnout. I don't go fishing or watch a movie or take a walk or do something other than the martial arts; I just keep teaching/training. Please don't hate me and/or think less of me with what I'm about to say. Once I was so burned out that I didn't want to teach any kyu ranked students. I was fortunate enough to have a very solid base of assistant instructors under me so that they could teach the kyu ranked students during my burnout. While I was experiencing this burnout, I only wanted to teach Dan ranked students, and the higher the Dan rank the more I was drawn to teach them. This burnout lasted about a month and a half. I was so ashamed of myself because my students mean the world to me, all of them, and I shuned my kyu students on the floor temporarily. I'd still talk to them and laughed with them and the like, but I didn't teach any kyu ranked students during this burnout. My kyu students had no idea that I was experiencing burnout because I was talking to them and laughed with them and the like during this burnout. Still, I felt that I let them down tremendously by not making myself more available to them on the floor during this burnout. Then one day, I was ok and the burnout was over! Having someone I trust to talk to really helped me to defeat the burnouts.

Can someone say...RIGHT ON!

I'd like to think so! In sparring, I will get a turn too!

10,000 kicks: useless or not? Useless if done incorrectly, AND, not useless if done correctly!

A very excellent post!

Congrats and very well deserved!

I don't think that it's fake. Here's why for the following reasons: 1) The pallet appears to be old 2) The pallet appears to be weather worn 3) Each slate aren't that thick Imho, those stomps, in those type of shoes are solid. More solid than that pallet. Each individual slate that's broken in this video aren't that hard to break. Having said that, if he had done this with a Chep (blue pallets) pallet, well, that would've been really impressive because Chep pallets are amazingly strong. Here's a regular wooden pallet... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wooden_pallet_with_glove.jpg Here's a Chep pallet... http://www.chep.com/getattachment/eadea852-828b-455a-b1ad-361945dc032a/B0806B-Wood-Pallet.aspx

For me, I find nothing more therapeutic than sparring!

Imho, character development should come primarily from the parents. Everything that a child comes in contact with, either builds or tear downs a childs character develpment. MA has many credible things, including character development, BUT, the MA is primarily for self-defense. Schools of the MA that have 'life skills' interwoven into the fabric of its curriculum are fine, but if the life skills are handled so freely and not taken serious, disaster awaits just over the next hill. The MA schools' job is to teach the martial arts. The parents' job is to parent said children. If the martial arts positively impacts the childs' charater development, then it's quite possible that that's a side effect of the martial arts. For example: A) Adults play an active and important role in shaping the development of children's character. B) Character develops from within the child on the basis of the child's own thinking and experiences. C) Given an adequate family environment, children will be disposed to be concerned about others as well as themselves. Surely, the atmosphere at the MA school is condusive of positive learning as the aboved actions permeates through and through. The MA isn't more important, nor does it offer the cornerstone of development; no more than any other program(s) that one can find. Campbell and Bond (1982) state there are four major questions to be addressed when focusing on character development: 1) What is good character? 2) What causes or prevents it? 3) How can it be measured so that efforts at improvement can have corrective feedback? 4) How can it best be developed? Are these questions found in the local MA school? Possibly; but not guaranteed! A parent needs to be careful as to who influences their child, and this applies to MA schools. That black belt doesn't walk on water, and is as fallible as the next person. Marketing tools list the positives of the MA, but, again, the MA isn't the only thing or the best or anything cosmic when it comes to improving character development. We can quote the tenets of the martial arts, and while they're valuable, they're dependant on a having someone who's properly motivated in the betterment of the martial artists. The martial arts, as wonderful as it is, it's just a thing! We must be careful how we wield this weapon, because it takes only one mistake to bring it all tumbling down. As instructors of the martial arts, we speak either life [positive things] or we speak death [negative things] to our students; I choose to speak only life to my students. Again, imho, it's the job of the parents primarily, not the MA and the like, to teach thier kids positve character development. We're hopefully a positve side effect WHILE we're teaching the martial arts!

Let's say that your walking somewhere, and when you suddenly come upon your Martial Arts Instructor involved in a fight. Would you or wouldn't you immediately jump in to help your instructor? OR Would you or wouldn't you just stand there and watch to see if your instructor could truly take care of him/herself? Myself, as bad as this might sound, I'd probably just stand there and watch to see if my instructor can or can't take care of him/herself if he/she absolutely had to. After all, it's my instructor and I've already a pretty good inclination that he/she can take care of him/herself, at least this is the preception that I have. As far as I'm concerned, he/she are..."latty dotty I know karate, if you mess with me, I'll break your body!" So, would ya' or wouldn't ya'?