sensei8

Just please, to whomever this might be directed to, don't wrongly judge us who were once a JBB as well as those who've awarded the JBB, please! Possibly the martial arts is in a quagmire; a Catch-22 if I ever saw one in the martial arts!

In StrangeBacon's signature, this quote can be found..."Does the river dwell on how long it will take to become the ocean..." - Sensei Bruce Payne Profound words! A martial artist could learn a lot from what's being said by Sensei Bruce Payne. No, the river doesn't dwell because it knows that when the time is right, it'll become the ocean. Meanwhile, the river is just a river, and it's in no rush. The river is quite content in being just a river. For a martial artist shouldn't dwell on how long it will take to become a black belt. Just know that when the time is right, that will pass. Meanwhile, the martial artist is just a martial artist that's in no particular rush. The martial artist should be quite content in being a martial artist first and foremost. Thoughts?

First of all...Welcome to KF!! This too is a solid post!!

A very solid post! I couldn't have said it any better...and I didn't!

Sure, it was an honor that was being bestowed upon you. It's pretty cool that they thought enough about you to even consider you as well as asking you for your help. I think, by what you've described, and I don't know you and/or your background and the like, I honestly believe that what you actually did was absolutely your best decision. Have you allowed an opportunity to pass you by? No! Because of your decision, you'll be considered again in the very near future. If nothing else, your decision will be respected my those that matter; your Instructor and the parents. The parents might've, and I mean might've, been ok with it considering your experience and knowledge level, but why rock the boat of some of the parents. It's best to leave that alone. You did right, imho, and you need to be commended for it because I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision for you to make at the last second.

This is exactly what's in the Shindokan Articles and By-Laws; age requirements! That's what's happened to countless hundreds and thousands of Shindokan karateka's that were in between the ages of 13-17; adult Yudansha MUST be at the minimum age of 18 years old at the time of the testing cycle. We who were and those that are under the age requirements of the Yudansha were, and are, subjected to, and I'll say it, an unfair practice. But, in order for changes, like the age requirements, within the Articles AND the By-Laws to happen, a majority vote MUST be obtained. No majority vote, no change(s). I tried for many many years to make these changes when I was part of the Board of Regents, when I was the Chief Instructor of the Hombu, and when I was Kaicho, but, the petition vote never passed. As a dojo owner, and then later on as Chief Instructor of the Hombu, I was subjected to those Articles and By-Laws, therefore, I could only promote students that are under 18 years of age, but, as old as 13 years old to the Junior Black Belt because of the AGE REQUIREMENTS as set forth. My hands were tied and I couldn't, and I wouldn't, go against what was in the Articles and the By-Laws. I'm at a loss as to what I could've done when I was a kid, but, even more, I'm at a loss as to what else I could've done period beyond what I've fought for and against these many, many, many years! Then why teach women any martial art at all? If the women have already lost, and this is how I'm perceiving this, against a "6 ft plus guy who is twice her weight", then why even teach them the martial arts? I once told a pair of kumite boys to stop hitting like girls. Well, I got quite a tongue lashing from ever mom that was there, and deservingly so! So, I'm at a loss when I read something that's similar to the aboved quote.

I've been called Sensei Push & Pull because I'm door challenged as to what I'm suppose to do to open/close any door. That's why my students placed signs on every door, on both sides, at my old dojo and at the Hombu to give me a fighting chance. Sure enough, even with those little signs to aide me, I'll push when I should've pulled and vice versa.

Check it out... http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810004780/video/20590246/20100628/147/20590246-100-flash-s.109962388-,20590246-1000-flash-s.109962396-,20590246-700-wmv-s.109962398-,20590246-300-flash-s.109962390-,20590246-1000-wmv-s.109962401-,20590246-700-flash-s.109962392-,20590249-2700-qtv-s.109962406-,20590249-6800-qtv-s.109962408-,20590249-10300-qtv-s.109962409-

Well...almost invisible... http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/56/almost-invisible-mirrored-tree-house-built-in-sweden.html

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eating pickles while I'm eating some popcorn is...well...to die for...YUMMYVILLE! =drolling

Does the beard define you...OR...does your face define you? My beard, whether I have one or not at that moment, is just a thing! Yet, I, because of my beard, depending on whether it's neatly kept or not, becomes unwillingly subjective to stereotyping, therefore, I'm stereotyped based on appearance and the lack thereof. I wear glasses whenever I read, but, whenever I meet someone while I'm reading, and I take my reading glasses off to engage this person in a conversation, that person is momentarily taken aback because they assumed I needed my glasses all of the time. So, it's not who I am that defines me, no, it's what I do, or don't do, that defines me.

Omedetou gozaimasu...Congratulations!

The Shindokan belt ranking system is comprised of the following: White (Jukyu) White with black stripe (Kukyu) Yellow (Hachikyu) Orange (Nanakyu) Green (Rokyu) Blue (Gokyu) Purple (Yonkyu) Brown (Sankyu) Brown with white stripe (Nikyu) Brown with black stripe (Ikkyu) Black (Shodan - Judan)

Yes, good luck judjohns!

Believe it or not, I've not yet seen it. There are so many movies out to see and to choose from. Sooner or later I'll see it.

ABSOLUTELY!!

Man just loves to compete no matter the contest; whether it's an external or internal expression.

Hate is such a strong word; SCARED might be more on the money, imho, and I'm neither, I don't hate BJJ nor am I scared of it. Why? BJJ is just another effective form of the martial arts...wait...it's another PROVEN effective form of the martial arts. Everyone is another strong word. Everyone must include me, and I'm not threatened by BJJ, or any form of the martial arts at all. Therefore, not everyone is threatened by BJJ. BJJ is what it is, a proven effective form of the martial arts. These words, "Beat" and "Whatever", are strong words. Whatever means anything and everything. Confidence is one thing, but, over confidence is another! Is BJJ superior, no, not in my opinion. Why? "Unless a human being will have 3 arms and 4 legs, we will have a different form of fighting."~Bruce Lee. Therefore, unless a human being will have 3 arms and 4 legs, THAT style of the martial arts might beat whatever. To conclude to oneself that another form of the martial arts is superior to the style that 'I' practice, is to say that another form of the martial arts is superior to 'me'. That type of belief, imho, automatically traps oneself into including themselves as well. Styles aren't equal; hence the word "Style"! I don't concur with those who propagate...you defeat the practitioner, you defeat the style. Should a practitioner be defeated, then that practitioner alone was defeated; not the style. It's possible that that practitioners interpretation of their practiced style is different than that of the founder of said style.

Nothing ventured is nothing gained, as the saying goes. Cliff, it sounds like a viable venture to me. GO FOR IT! Define the "Lifetime Membership" in a little more detail, please!

You numbed your own foot and then cut into it?! WOW! You da' man! Sorry, I've no advice to help you with your problem, other than, go see a doctor asap before your original injury becomes a possible permanent one! You numbed your own foot and then cut into it?!

Absolutely! If you didn't purchase the equipment from me/my dojo, then don't expect me/my dojo to return it/exchange it for you. Why? Because I didn't sell it to you in the first place AND I don't work for that supplier, therefore, I'm not under any obligation to do so for any reason.

On the T-Shirt thingy...it's just a T-Shirt!!

I concur! MLB would have to make it not a choice, but a rule. If I remember right, the HANS device in NASCAR wasn't mandatory before 2001. Dale Earnhardt made it a choice of his to not wear the HANS device because it was uncomfortable for him, and Dale considered the device ineffective. Now, the HANS device IS mandatory.

Stop...stop...wait...please...you're killing me...wait until I get my bib on; I'm drolling all over myself reading all about all of these great combo's. Ok...I'm ready...hit me with more combo's!