sensei8

All I know is that there are a lot of blindspots that surround any vehicle. Therefore, a driver better turn their head before they have an accident. My wife WAS a mirror driver UNTIL she learned the hard way; turn your head while making lane changes and the like. Peripheral has its positive merits within the martial arts, although other visual abilities had better assist in order to see the whole picture.

All of us understood what our Dai-Soke was telling us; DON'T BE COMPLACENT! Just as there's no way we can ever master anything because we're imperfect, we can only strive to be great in our karate, but, we don't want to be just good. All I know is that good is less than great.

I surrender that the reason(s) that some styles do or don't turn their head prior to any turn is possibly due to methodologies. In any kata video that I watch, no matter the circa, I'm of two opinions. One; they're turning their head prior to any turn because it's their styles methodology. Two; they're simply demonstrating the waza's along the embusen for references,. Methodologies are just that within each of the styles of karate; methods of doing many things. Kihon translates to kata and kata translates to kumite. The Shindokan methodology teaches one to turn the head and if one doesn't turn their head during kumite, they run the risk of losing their head. Peripheral assited kumite is not only risky, but, at the same time, it's dangerious. Imagine what it must be like to drive any vehicle by using only ones peripheral vision; it's an accident waiting to happen. Blindsides are called that for a good reason; they're not safe! In Shindokan, we don't kumite at a comfortable distance. No, we kumite at very close-up proximities; the closer the better. Therefore, our Soke taught all Shindokan karateka's to TURN THEIR HEAD ALL THE TIME! Hence, the Shindokan methodology. Turning my head does add a move, but that's truly not such a big deal in the scheme of things. No more, imho, than it is to adding the move of swallowing when one's eating, imho. As what I've offered is the Shindokan methodology, well, so is the same thing as to what Chitsu is offering. Both of us are from seperate methodologies, in which, we're both proponents of. Still, I think I'll keep looking before I leap, and this means I'll turn my head!

Novelty items...don't ya' just love 'em?

Still, I see both japanese/okinawan practitioners CHOOSE to not turn their head prior to any turn. Eye movement is fine, but that's not the same thing as seeing the danger head on. Rule of recognition? I don't believe that to be so because it's prudent and smart in the first place to be able to see our opponent first before we can hit them or before we can block their attacks. Those martial artists that choose to not turn their head prior to any turn leave me with the impression that they're either lazy and/or they just don't care one way or another. Even if the nomenclature of said kata directs to "look", then the action follows, they don't do it. Are they just interpretating the kata? Possible, that's fine, kata allows and invites interpretation, but, imho, that type of interpretation can only entertain a dangerous perception. The Shindokan's testing syllabus has always stated that it's an automatic failure of any grading testing cycle if they don't turn their heads while performing any and all kata. Too strict? No, not at all!

My Dai-Soke, Takahashi Sensei, drilled something in our heads over and over... "Your karate has to be great, not good!" Good isn't, well, good enough. Whereas, great still makes one to want to reach even higher than ones own expectations. As we improve, so does our satisfaction. Satisfaction over ones karate/martial arts invites complacency, and that's unacceptable to me. Being great doesn't end our continued search for being greater. To be honest with ourselves is important, so, at your present level.... Is your karate/martial arts great, or is it good? Either way, keep training!

I was recently invited to judge a tameshiwara (The Art of Breaking) competition, but, I quickly turned the invitation down. Whether my reason had sound merits to it or not, I still declined it! In the days that are upon us now, it's no longer quality in tameshiwara, but it's quantity. It's not unusual to see stacks of concrete slabs higher than an house. If the competitor has to climb a ladder to get to the top of the stack; that's way overkill for me. I'm not fooled by a stack of 20, 30, or 40 slabs of concrete because I'm of the opinion that the weight of the crumbling slabs will cause the entire thing to break, aka, the domino effect. Now, take the spacers out and try those towering stacks, I'm sure that the stack will laugh right back at the competitor. For example... Tameshiwara should be simple because I'm not going to judge on the basis of how high ones stack is. No! It's the quality of the techniques that's used in any said tameshiwara. Solid techniques will always win, over flash, to me that is. So, Hulk SMASH isn't for me!

That's a fair question, but... No! Imho, no matter where the venue may or may not be, this is insignificant because the quality of the instructions is by far more important than the surroundings. Some of the greatest schools of the martial arts can be found in the most least likely location. The Shindokan Hombu where I teach is a free standing 3 story building in a commercial zone.

Yes I do! I'll keep them to myself. Cool?

Nope! I know about him, and that is to only say that I've read about him, but, I've no personal experience with him.

Every kata/form has them: turns! Whether it's a 45 degree turn, or a 90 degree turn, or a 180 degree turn, or a 270 degree turn; kata/forms have them abundantly. It would be very difficult to get from one point in the kata/form to another without any turns. What seems to be missing is one crucial and vital element of any turn in any kata/form is...the head turning PRIOR to the actual turn. Having said that. I do admit, that the head turning before any turn is a methodology of Shindokan. Therefore, turning the head prior to any turn may not be a methodology of the style that you're teaching/learning. That's fine and I surrender to that! Nonetheless, is the head turn prior to any turn taught in your style? Here's why I ask. I suspect that the head turn prior to any turn is taught, but the practitioner CHOOSES to NOT turn. If this is true, then this practitoner is leaping before looking. Yes, our peripheral vision allows us the ability to see the direction in which one is planning to go without actually looking head directly that way. I seriously doubt that the kata/forms are teaching us to do exactly that: turn peripherally. Teaching students to fully turn their head prior to any turn is a good idea, especially if their beginners. Even then, I'd want my students, no matter the level of their experience, to look danger head-on directly. To not fully turn our heads prior to any turn is akin to not fully turning our head prior to a lane change when your driving. One has to be aware of the blindspots, and in that, turning our head fully before we do a lane change is not only smart; it's safe. Well, same thing when we are performing kata/forms. As great as our peripheral vision is, it's greater to stare directly in the direction that our opponent is attacking from. Peripherally blocking can change so quickly, and in that, what appears to be, actually turns out to not be after all. Point of the topic is this. Nobody turns their head prior to any turn in their kata/form, and this, imho, leads to one creating bad habits, and once bad habits become ingrained in ones muscle memory; habits can be hard to break. Go to You Tube or any other video source, and you'll see for yourself just how many practitioners independantly and/or collectively DON'T turn their head prior to any turn. If that is ones methodology to not turn their head prior to any turn, I may not agree with it, but it's their way, just as it is Shindokan's way to fully turn our head before any turn. I'd perfer to take my chances with turning my head completely prior to any turn, than to the alternative; imho, my odds might seem to favor turning my head completely prior to any and all turns. Your thoughts?

Don't forget....ISKA! What does it mean to be a world champion? I don't know! Personally, I've never aspired to be one! I'm sure it must be cool, but, as in everything else, I'm sure that there are downsides to deal with.

GO FOR IT! If the opportunity appears to be a viable one; then you'd be crazy to pass it up. When opportunity knocks; then answer it!

Very solid post Ev, very solid! Osu!

I'm very sorry to have read that you faced that yourself at all, and in that, I completely concur with you in every shape, way, and/or form.

May the force be with the squirrel!

Why would you assume that? I find it extremely interesting. It's always nice to read about a true renaissance man. I was hoping to read some comments from BJJ/MMA about Josh; that's all.

I'm on facebook, but right now, I'm hating it. Not because facebook is bad. No! It's because I'm the biggest computer idiot in the world! It's a wonder I can even turn the darn thing on.

My family and I are going to see Toy Story 3 in the next two weeks at one of the last surviving drive-ins. Prince of Persia is playing with Toy Story 3. It should be fun!

I enjoy watching all kinds of tricking; impressive entertainment. I've never tried one, and I'm not going to try one, but again, they'rer fun to watch, and I'll leave it at that. On the other hand, I love to do all kinds of weapons tricking. For one, I warm up with said weapon tricking before I teach or compete. For two, ITS FUN. For three, I try to out do my last weapons trick!

Well...obviously Josh isn't as interesting to BJJ/MMA practitioners after all.

Interesting, and it truly doesn't surprise me. See what I learn when I crawl out of the rock I've been under all these years.

Do you think this trend is common in martial arts schools? Yes I do! How common? More than we might be willing to admit to ourselves as well as others. Is it inappropriate to use english endings? Imho, not only is it inappropriate, but, it makes us look/appear pretty silly. But, I suppose it's no different than someone who speaks Spanglish. Possibly we're on the cusp of another new language; Japlish. Still, nobody outside the confined walls of our dojo will ever know! Should we learn the Japanese/Korean/Chinese ones? Only if one wants to for whatever the reason(s) may or may not be. However, if one is going to be conversing to them in their native tongue, then one must learn the rules involved in speaking to them in their native tongue. Even then, the Japanese have a name for non-Japanese who can speak and understand the language: hen gaijin , or "crazy foreigners." Just what ARE the correct endings? The answer to this question isn't that simple. Japanese, for example, is a language that's to itself and of itself. Furthermore, the japanese language to us can appear to be as far away as the east is from the west; worlds apart. Conjugated useages in the japanese language can be very difficult to learn and even more difficult to understand. In Japanese, conjugations can themselves be conjugated, and the results can be conjugated again, and so one irregularity can propagate into many obscure compound conjugations, but basically these verbs only have one irregular “base” conjugation each. Japlish might catch on one day, but then again, it might not. If it does, we of the dojo/dojang class might be the only ones who will ever understand it.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!! Many of us instructors here would love to have a student like yourself. I enjoyed your intro and I bow to you in respect! Keep training!!

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