sensei8

Predictibility in the martial arts? Well, as a saying goes..."It's not over until the fat lady sings"!! The only certain thing about the martial arts is the spelling of martial arts.

Can women fight? Yes they can!!

Grandiose!! That's how I'd describe, as of late, the Executive Team of the Shindokan Hombu. I'd even say that the Shindokan Hombu's Executive Team was suffering from grandiose delusions. Here's why, imho. Speaking with the current Kancho last night, the Hombu is wanting me to reassume my previous Hombu duties as Chief Instructor of the Hombu. Why? "Because you're the highest ranking in Shindokan!" I hung up the phone! Kancho calls me back almost immediately and asked me to hear him out before I hang up on him again. With reservation, I listened. Here's his swiss cheese of an arguement... 1) Soke passed away 2 years ago....(Yeah) 2) Dai-Soke just passed away....(Yeah) 3) Newly elected San Dai-Soke isn't Judan....(Why?) 4) Newly elected Kaicho isn't Kudan....(Again...why?) Dumb reasons, imho!! I'm retired and that's that! Yes, Soke and Dai-Soke are no longer with us and yes, they were both Judan. But, to me, they were more than rank and title; they always have been and they always will be to me. Don't start a conversation with me with the words..."Rank"...and..."Title" because those things have nothing to do with the worth of the martial artist; no, it's knowledge that's paramount, and it's to the betterment that's paramount to me as well. Why hasn't the new San Dai-Soke, who's the son of our late Dai-Soke, assumed/accepted the rank of Judan, as it's written within the By-Laws? No, Soke's don't have to be the highest ranking in the ryu, but, that specific title per our By-Laws as written requires that the "Soke" must hold a Judan...automatically! When our Soke retired shortly before his death, our then Kaicho became the new Dai-Soke and the only Menkyo Kaiden, and in that, our Dai-Soke was promoted from Kudan to Judan by the outgoing Soke according to our By-Laws! Then, I was promoted from the Director of the Board of Regents to Kaicho, but, I refused anything that smelled like a rank promotion because I didn't want it! I've never wanted Kudan, I never sought out for it, and as a matter of fact, I've never sought out for any Yudansha rank after Sandan for personal reasons. I sought out for Sandan because Sandan is the accepted rank required to open a dojo under the Shindokan Chartership. On another note, I cherish my Hanshi title much more than my two Hachidan's because titles like, Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi are very extremely rare and in that, one can't test for those. Those titles are bestowed upon by the Hombu ONLY!! My refusal of Kudan infuriated our Dai-Soke because it went againt his wishes, that he finally came to accept, understand, and respect, and it was against the By-Laws. The new Kaicho per our By-Laws is to be promoted to Kudan. Our new Kaicho is Hachidan currently, yet, he's refused the Kudan promotion for his own personal reasons. It appears that I've started something by refusing what's been ordained in our By-Laws. Sorry! The Hombu DOESN'T need to do anything. The Executive Team is solid. The new San Dai-Soke, the new Kaicho/Chief Instructor, and the new Kancho [btw, this administrative title isn't required a rank promotion; only Soke and Kaicho] are solid individuals who are also great leaders, and more importantly, they're very extremely solid karateka's across the board. The Hombu and the student body is in great hands under these three, albeit, temporarily confused. The only reason I'm the so-called highest ranking is because the new appointees, Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Forsythe, have refused their new rank promotions, Judan and Kudan respectively, and therefore, I'm the highest ranking Shindokanist, by...6 months: I started learning Shindokan under Takahashi Sensei 6 months before Mr. Forsythe did, and by some freak thing or two, I was also promoted to Hachidan in Shindokan Karate-do 6 months before Mr. Forsythe. Yes, these are facts, but, again, they're dumb reasons...sorry...illadvised reasons. What's grandiose about the whole thing is that the Executive Team is looking at rank and it's supposed importantance. STOP IT!! I'm happy to be Kaiso [senior Advisor] and I'M RETIRED!! Imho, what the Hombu needs to do is LEAD and not look to rank...EVER!! I don't want to be the highest ranking of anything...IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME!! Our conversation ended with me...yes...hanging up on Kancho again because our conversation wasn't making any progress, and/or any sense to me. The Hombu can do what they want to do, but, it better not include me in any grandiose plans. Aaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I'm completly disappointed in my Hombu!

This Hanshi struck this aluminum bat 3 times before it finally bent or broke.

I've always wondered what is it with the color "RED". For example, red is the hardest of all in the rainbow to work with in model building. It'll do everything and anything except what it's designed to do, and that is cover an area.

Aluminum bat? Why not!? After all, the shin has more surface and the like than a baseball, so I can see the possibilities of it. Still...OUCH!! Oh yeah...SHUGYO!!

20-17 for a Bear win...penalties killed the Packers! GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL...I hear ya'...I hear ya'!!

The body isn't as nimble as the head. The head goes..."You missed me, you missed me, now you got to kiss me". While the body goes..."Umph...I think I can, I think I can". Or something like that. Many times we easily move our head out of harms way, to only have our body suffer the attack.

I concur with Brian...absolutely!!

Daily exercise programs while at home...being that you're new to karate, I'd say your daily exercise while at home should be the three K's...Kihon, Kata, and Kumite. Yes, you can still do Kumite drills alone...hence...heavy bag/Wavemaster. Run through ALL of your Kihon! Then, run through all of your Kata! Then, abuse your heavy bag, Kumite that thing until the stuffing falls out! But be careful that you're adhering to doing your Kihon, Kata, and Kumite CORRECTLY! Be cognitive while your training/practicing at all times. If you don't, you'll run the risk of creating bad muscle memories that your sensei will have to correct again and again and again and...

Who just wants to be 'good'? I want to be the 'best'! However, being the 'best', imho, is nothing more than an illusion. It's understood that if one wants to be the 'best' at whatever, then by all means, train with the 'best', whomever that might be.

Yeah, the full article causes one to take a slight pause, not just the 4th paragraph. Thanks for the article Jay!

I accept that, however, being 'stronger' IS one being 'better'.

Actions are easy to take, but it's the responsibility of those actions that aren't that easy to accept, nor are they easy to own unless one is honest with others and themselves first.

Your first board won't be your last board. Before you know it, while on your journey, you'll have amassed a forest worth of wood at your feet. A signal of your many small, but important, victories along the path of your martial arts journey. Congrats and way to go!! Welcome to the world of Tameshiwara.

I was confusingly surprised that the Cowboy FINALLY won. Even though the win was over the Texans, a win is a win! What's up with the Chief's? 3-0 Congrats to the Chief's and to Brian!! Whatever thier doing...keep doing it!! Surprising loses and wins these past 3 weeks! Packers VS Bears...Monday Night Football...I'm going to pick Bears...Score 27-20 GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!

There's only one word that comes to my mind...AWESOME!! Business 101 would call this...Established Goodwill!! Thanks for all you do to make this community the success that it is because without your positive managing skills and the like, this milestone wouldn't have been possible. Congrats Patrick!!

That's a very important and valid point!

Learn from your mistakes so that you'll not repeat them. Cherish the things that you've learnt from your mistakes, hopefully, they've made you a better person.

Good luck to you!!

I don't agree with the practice of kids ages 6-12 wearing a full fledged black belt, but it's there way and I can't prevent it, nor do I want to. Our JBB's aren't full fleged black belts in the sense that adults are, both of thier curriculums/testings leading up to the JBB/Yudansha are different across the board.

A very valid 2 cents, imho!!

As I've stated before...McDojo's are here to stay no matter what we may or may not think about them. I'd rather spend my efforts in things that are more to my martial arts betterment than trying to shut down McDojo's. Consumers decide, not us of the martial arts world!

Then, by some of the posts, my style and myself are WRONG because we, Shindokan, issues JBB to those karateka's that are between the ages of 13 - 17, even before our reasons are truly understood, and/or, respected by the masses. It's just our way, but, it appears to me that that's not acceptable to those outside of the Shindokan Hombu! It's all good!