sensei8

I was! It was an honor! Also, what better way to understand, appreciate, and believe in any technique then by being on the receiving end by one's own Sensei? Baptized by fire in this case! I loved it!

I believe that this was happening back then because of the very extremely limited knowledge of Americans about the Martial Arts, including rank/titles. An unknowing American population was very naive about things like this and were quick to believe rank/title from those who perpetrated such things. Oh what a tangled web...

I pay $130 NZD a year to train under a 5th dan teacher lol.What's the U.S. dollar conversion of this?

Lupin1, You're absolutely correct about what you said about Okinawan practitioners kicking stomach or lower at very close range. I believe that WuChildNZ is saying that he CAN kick high if he wants to. I'm in an Okinawan style and we only kick stomach and lower, but, I can kick high if I want to, yet, I'd rather not.

Here's another interesting link... http://ksksydney.homestead.com/files/Kata.htm

I've got a question. As the title of this thread asks..."What are the OFFICIAL KATA'S OF SHOTOKAN?", what/whom is the "OFFICIAL" governing body of Shotokan? Is it the JKA? Is it the SKIF? Is it the WKSF? Is it the JKS? Is it the JSKA? Is it the ISKF? Is it the TSKF? OR...? I'm just asking? I don't know because I'm not Shotokan! Even under the umbrella of one of the many Shotokan Hombu's around the world; nothing can guarantee that the individual Dojo's will not vary/alter their own Hombu's official kata list for kyu/dan ranks. Unless their Hombu won't certify said ranks as an encouragement to remain strict in following their Hombu's official kata list for promotions.

WOW! OUCH! MAN! WHAT! HUH! That's about all I have to say about the Cowboys lose to the Vikings. I love the Cowboys, but...., again in a pressure very important game, they folded under the pressure of getting a win. This game was all Vikings and they deserved to win this game because they wanted it more than my Cowboys. I'm happy for the Vikings and I can't believe what I'm about to say...GO VIKINGS!!!! Now it's time for me to cheer on the Vikings to win the Super Bowl. There's only one thing in the way...the SAINTS and this will not be an easy game for the Vikings to win...in the Superdome. I'd like to see Farve get to the Super Bowl and to win it as well! As far as my beloved Cowboys...there's next year and we will see what we see then. GO COWBOYS AND GO VIKINGS!!!!

I've always said this...It's hard to tell anything of great value about any school of the martial arts from a website. Therefore, VISIT THE SCHOOL MANY, MANY TIMES!!!!!! Then come to an educated decision. Now, I'll say this although. This school is affiliated with Kanazawa Sensei and with his SKIF...that speaks in volumes by itself...still...visit the school over and over to see if it's in concert with Kanazawa Sensei and with what it is that you're searching for in a Shotokan/Martial Arts school/instructor. Good luck!

Yes! I'm not good at anything outside of the martial arts! Everything else that I've done and that I do, are nothing more than a dabble and/or a mere whim. 1) God 2) My wife 3) My kids 4) My family [relatives] 5) My friends These brings me the greatest happiness. This type of happiness is paramount in my life, but, the martial arts brings me a different type of happiness that can't be found from the list above [#2 - #5]!

tallgeese is absolutely correct...

Failure of imagination is a general term used to describe circumstances wherein something that was possible to predict or foresee was, in fact, not predicted or foreseen. Success in any self-defense strategy and/or tactics are dependent on one to test its ability to have or haven’t ever been tried or considered. The "what-ifs" are both a variable and viable to be possible and in that, the "what-ifs" shouldn't be discarded as the impossible. The effectiveness of any technique(s) in the martial arts is owned by the individual and not by the masses. What works for one doesn't always work for someone else; therefore, the "what-ifs" aren't about any said technique(s) failure/success, but to itself one way or another. Every martial artist is always searching for the most effective ends to any mean in every possible scenario to self-defense strategies and/or tactics. To keep our imagination arrested only invites us to accept defeat before any and all possibilities can be considered and tried before it's discarded completely. Even then, the 'what-ifs' are constant and they must be revisited repeatedly and repeatedly because it's possible that we've failed to imagine everything...and everything is quite alot to research and ponder and wonder and figure and test its pulse and on and on! The summation of 'why' is to the summation of 'because' and in this, failing to imagine any and all possibilities isn't the reason why any martial art exists. Why should I do this? Because it's effective! Why shouldn't I do this? Because it's not effective! Application to see the 'why' of any and every technique possible helps to discover that 'it' does/doesn't work 'because', and now 'because' is unfolding, the 'why' continues to ask for the foreseen to be revealed, or at least, it should've been thought of. Should someone say, "Oh, that's ridiculous!", then this is exactly why the untried technique(s) and strategies and tactics aren't allowed to be tried to see if the unforeseen/foreseen has merits enough to be tried and/or to succeed. I don't study Shindokan and believe in it because my Dai-Soke said so, no, I've tested it and I've tested it and I'm still testing it because the unforeseen are infinity. Just because someone like my Dai-Soke said so isn't enough for me to believe 'it' because of an immeasurable imagination, therefore, 'I' doesn't exist anymore. Imagination is one thing but over thinking 'it' can strip away its true purpose and that true purpose is to find the most effective strategy/strategies and/or tactic/tactics. There is a time when one must say..."It is finished" but then our failure of imagination insists itself to ask..."Or is it?” We must foresee and prevent the unimaginable from near and afar, thus, our strategies and/or tactics must clearly be realized in every possibility. Your thoughts?!

Trace makes some nice knee pads. In my opinion, these knee pads made by Trace aren't bulky at all.

Surely 5 stars takes up more room than IX? We use roman numerals for ours. Yeah, you're right, but, it's different/unique. The stars aren't that big, still, you're right.

For 45 years, I've used version #2 from the video above provided by Kuma. My belt crosses in the back but I don't care because it's just a belt.

Great tip! Thanks Joe! I've not received a call like this yet, and if I do I'll now know what to do.

I want a big...Big...BIg...BIG flatscreen TV...the bigger the better! The Yankees and the Cowboys and the Lakers will look AWESOMELYFANTASTICLYGREAT. Ok...back to earth Bob...back to earth!

Yes it is! I got the red board! Thanks!

This kick is also one of my most favorite compact kicks because it is just that: Compact! Everything about it shouts COMPACT! The amount of torgue that can be generated with this kick is quite explosive. I don't use any special stance or skip/jump or nothing other than whatever stance I'm in or about to be in at the time. I always turn my head because that's the methodology of my style and I can't see myself doing it blind. Chuck's spinning back kick works for him! I've seen Chuck use that very kick in many of his UFC fights and while Chuck's mainly a puncher...he can kick.

I was blessed this year! One of my most favorite gifts was a complete chess set package from Manopoulos. It's a Poseidon chess set and brass chess board. This beautiful brass and nickel plated chess set from Manopoulos is based on Poseidon the god of the sea along with other ancient Greek goddesses, hero's, and creatures. Poseidon of Melos is the king and Athena the queen. I love chess [i'm no slouch either] and now I'll look good...even when I lose.

Absolutely!!!!

Yeah...I'll be watching it....nice entertainment and it's an excuse for me to eat popcorn.....heheheehehehe. Jaden Smith is proving himself as a pretty good actor and Jackie Chan was a good choice in this role. And I'm like DWx...the chopstick bit was FUNNY! A nice family film!

First of all, I'm not a practitioner of Shuai jiao at all. What I've read about Shuai jiao lends me to conclude that it has the capability of being effective as to every question you pose in your OP. After all, Shuai jiao continues to be taught in the police and military academies of China. So...yeah....I wouldn't doubt its effectiveness.

I think that a Aikido practioner would say that their art is effective against multiple attackers as evident by observing an Aikido "master" in action. Having said that, I'm not an Aikido "master"/practitioner. But I can see that Aikido has effective techniques with their multiple attacker scenarios. Moving this way and that way, causing attackers to run into themselves, twisting and tying attackers up amoungst themselves, and allowing the attackers to use their own energies against themselves. Now, I've only one question to KF members on this subject... How many multiple attackers are we referring to? In Shindokan we have many effective techniques against 2-5 attackers and in reality the odds of successfully defending against multiple attackers greatly goes down as we go from 2 attackers to 3-5 attackers, but, anything more than that...like a crowd...I'M GOING TO Rrrrruuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnn faster that the Flash. Capt. Kirk of Star Trek can say that he doesn't believe in the no win scenario, but, I believe in the no win scenario because there's a time when one must recognize one's way over their head and flee for safety sake. If one can't run for whatever reason....well...do your best! Still, I think Aikido has some very effective techniques against multiple attackers, BUT, getting knocked down to the ground is another thing against multiple attackers. If one gets knocked down, one better get up fast or be very skilled on the ground or be prepared for a bad day. >What about the multiple attackers RUSHING to attack at the same time? >What about the multiple attackers RUSHING to attack at the same time and the attackers have WEAPONS? Sometimes empty hand effectiveness against mutiple attackers become ineffective based on different parameters. Train in every possible scenario against multiple attackers daily. Failure to imagine! That's what will defeat the unprepared.

I've mentioned this before in another similar thread here at KF, and that is this. Anybody in the ATA please correct me if I'm wrong on the following.... I like what the ATA does for their black belts....ROMAN NUMERALS for 1st - 4th degree, and after that, A STAR/STARS (1 star = 5th degree, 2 stars = 6th degree...5 stars = 9th degree) It's simple and it doesn't crowd the belt!

In Shindokan, we use "dan bars" as rank identifiers. Our Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi holders will drop the rank identifiers and do the following: Renshi = 1 gold bar on both ends Kyoshi = 2 gold bars on both ends Hanshi = 3 gold bars on both ends