sensei8

"The warning signs recently placed on each side of the Dragon just do not get the attention of some truck drivers." This is from that link Patrick, very interesting info, thanks for it, I enjoyed it. Funny thing about those signs...these signs are HUGE and they're bright ORANGE, with large lettering! That would tip me off that maybe I shouldn't continue. Here's a link of those signs... http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_trucks.html

Personally, I don't call any martial artist...."Master"! I have never called my Soke or my Dai-Soke "Master"! I call them by their name, or by "Sir", or by "Sensei", but, never "Master". I'm aware that within the Shindokan By-Laws, Godan and above is at the "Master" level, but, I've not meet a Shindokan Master yet. I'm a Shindokan Hachidan, but, I don't want to be called "Master" in any shape, way, and/or form. How can I, being imperfect, have mastered anything, I'm flawed at the core. I'm a student of the martial arts and in that, I'm still seeking that one perfect technique...still!

Yepper! She belongs to Shitoryu shito-kai.

I've made many Homemade Nunchaku's for one reason or another. Some went well for me and others went bad for me. I'd buy some dowel, a small length of chain, and two eye-screws; then I'd assemble them. They weren't the best....or the safest....but...they served a purpose for me. I know of two times while I was in high school and I performed a martial arts demo in a talent show which included Kata, Weapons, and Tuite. Now, I can speak of some authority when I say what I'm about to say. Homemade nunchaku's are best kept AT HOME where nobody can be at risk. During one of my high school talent show demo's I was performing a Kata and when I was executing a forward strike and that's when the wheels fell off. At the apex of that technique, the nunchaku came apart. I was left with one end of the nunchaku while the other end went flying into/towards the audience. I paused just long enough to wait for the scream of pain from the audience but it never came, therefore, I continued on for the show must go on...I didn't miss a beat. I waited for the scream because I couldn't tell or see where the flying independent piece went because the stage lights were so bright that I couldn't see beyond the stage. Well, that's how my Homemade Weapon experience went. So, has anyone ever made a Homemade martial arts weapon(s)? How did it go? BTW, after my display of non-carpentry skills, I never used a Homemade martial arts weapon outside of my garage.

This is very solid advice and in that, it should be considered! I myself have never thought that I was able, for one reason or another, to pursue another martial art outside and seperate and concurrent with/from Shindokan. I took TKD for one year while in high school after I was already a junior BB, but, that vexed me because both of these arts required of me much more than I possess.

Congrats and very solid!

For me, Karate-Do is a way for me to attain personal knowledge; betterment of myself, not just studying how to fight. Karate made its transition from jutsu to do somewhere around the beginning of the 20th century. Still, I guess I'm a romantic at heart, and in that, I practice the jutsu while I balance it with the do. I believe that they [jutsu/do] can be practiced at the same time; side by side. For me, to not train both to be in concert with one another is like having my body walking down the street without my heart.

For your wife and your daughter as to their iodine sensitivity: dispose of the salmon! Did he come to your house to give you this gift? If so, well, Japanese etiquette considers it unpolite to go to someone's house without a gift; the salmon in this case. I'm sure you didn't take it right away, but, you did eventually and this is good. Why? If you had took the salmon right away, it would've indicated to this gentleman that you didn't value it much, if at all. Your gift to him was the parking space, therefore, he gave the best gift he had at the time. Salmon is a good gift to give/get! You've gracefully accepted the salmon as well as having thanked him for his gift, and the salmon is now in your freezer. It's your freezer and now it's your salmon to do with as you desire. Face has been saved! This is important!

Here's another strange road; located in Deals Gap, NC. It's only 11 miles long, but, it's a wild and exciting 11 miles, 11 miles in which it contains 318 curves, in which a motorist and/or motorcycles have to be aware of large trucks because these large trucks will cross into ones lane due to the very many hairpin curves. [Pics/Videos at this site will demonstrate this]. Well...please see it for yourselves...here's a link to the Dragon's Tail... http://www.tailofthedragon.com/ Here's a Wikipedia article.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina

To the laymen...I simply say "Tonfa" because many laymen know it as that.

Enter The Dragon

She is just plain really really good. Yes she is...I would've scored her a 9.9 on that Kata. Very solid across the board!

I truly respect your tenacity in learning the martial arts. I've no advice worth mentioning other than...just be careful.

Now that's just way to cool!

According to one of my best friends, Wes, who plays darts all of the time: To score a Shanghai you have to hit a triple, a double and single of the number that is in play! That's accuracy! I'm lucky if I can even hit the dartboard at all let alone the side of a barn, but, a Shanghai, well, some have it and I sure don't!

I'm looking forward to: Splinter Cell: Conviction Red Dead Redemption Heavy Rain Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (I'm a BIG MGS fan!) Gran Turismo 5 Max Payne 3 I was a bit sad to see no new Call Of Duty or SOCOM! Thanks for the link Patrick!

Fantastic article! Thanks for it Patrick. For me...as stated in the opening paragraph of that article..."An unforgettable gameplay experience...", this is what I look forward to and this is what I'm looking for in a video game and this includes but isn't limited to just great graphics and a rocking sound. The more difficult it is to win, the better for me. I love a great game of chess, but, if I can win at will, then where's the challenge. A video game of chess might have great graphics and the like in its most simplistic layout/program, but, if the game of chess within its program is difficult to win....well...then that's what I want... In a video game....I WANT A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE!

LOL...Now that's funny!!!!!!!!!!!

Within the Shindokan Hombu/Association, rank/titles are importantly vital in that they serve a purpose but only in the formality that accompanies it per the context that it's used in. Outside of the Shindokan Hombu/Association, rank/titles are subjective to the proponent of the individual's own value base. Whenever I'm a guest/visitor at someone's Dojo/Dojang/school/headquarters I give them the respect that's due to them, as well as to their rank/title/office. I'm Hanshi, I'm Kaicho, and I'm the Chief Instructor of the Shindokan Hombu/Association, but, I'm a student first and foremost within the martial arts and I'm still learning from day to day...with no end in sight. Therefore, the title of "student" is far more important to me than anything in and out of the Shindokan context/content. Having said that, I'm only a student and this is how I like to be refered to. As a matter of fact, I'm Bob, nothing more and nothing less. Within the confinements of what is known as the Shindokan Hombu/Association, I'm still just Bob, with the exceptions of when formality is called upon and when formality arises in its proper context/content in the Shindokan Hombu/Association; then and only then am I Kaicho, Hanshi, Chief Instructor.

From my family and I; we wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year!

Are the duration(s) of the pauses set by the creator of said Kata or by the practitioner or a combination of both?

One of my 13 year old Brown Belts came up to me just as class ended. Here's the conversation.... Me: Hello sir. Student: Hi Sensei Bob. Me: How's everything going with you and your family? Student: Fine. Student: You know what I figured out? Me: No, what? Student: You can't mess up with spelling your name. Me: Huh? I can't? How do you mean? Student: Well... Student: You spell BOB, B-O-B, right? Me: Yeah. Student: You got it made sir because you can't spell it wrong. Me: Ok, how's that? Student: You can spell it forwards, backwards, and upside down and no matter what you still get BOB. Plus, its only got 3 letters. Nobody can mess that up. Me: [laughing] You know what? Student: No, what? Me: You're absolutely correct! [laughing] Student: Yeah [laughing]. Student: Sir, maybe they had you in mind sir when they came up with BOB sir! [laughing a little more louder] Me: Yeah...You just might be right. [laughing a little more louder myself] Simple, to the point, I can't mess it up and you know what? My students know me way to well, lol!!!!

Here's an excellent example of the TYPES of pauses that are found in Kata/Form as performed by Nao Morooka, Female Japan Karate Champion... Nao Morooka displays with such perfection: the music of Kata, the drama of Kata, the concert of Kata, the theatrics of Kata, and the pauses found in Kata/Form. Very Solid!

Kata is important and vital as far as the three K's of Karate is concerned. For any style of the martial arts that practice Kata/Form, one thing seems to be quite evident: THE PAUSE. What pause? The pause that seperates one technique(s) from another technique(s) that composes the Kata/Form. Within any said Kata/Form there is a tempo, a rhythm, and/or a flow. Pauses within any said Kata/Form is akin to the varying rests that are found in any piece of music. These rests add to the bueaty of that piece of music. A built up to the crescendo as well as a calming down in the decrescendo; without the different dynamic music quotations in a piece of music, well, the music would be monotone. Kata/Form is the music of any said martial art. Kata/Forms are sometimes referred to as a dance. One can't dance if the music doesn't come alive. A Kata/Form without the music isn't a bueaty to behold; monotonic Kata/Form is movement that's asleep from boredom. The pauses found become as much as a part of the drama, or the play, that's on display as the Kata/Form itself. As in any good play, theatrics must be present to be enjoyed and to be shared and to be experienced, but, not for just the practitioner of the martial arts, but, also for the spectator as well. A pause is delivered in a play as the visual cue within the drama of the play. A pause in a play causes the audience to wonder what's going to happen next. For example, the snapping turn of the head in a Kata/Form speaks loud in visual volumes. Another example, the facial gestures in a Kata/Form create chills in the audience. For a play to be performed well, all of the players must be know their roles and in knowing their roles, body language that's appreciated and understood must be included within the script. The conductor taps his/her baton to signal the orchrestra that it's time to sit up, backs straight, and play your music great. The director of the play shouts out for all of the actors/actresses that something is about to begin with...Lights, camera, sound, and action! Questions: A) Why are the pauses, in Kata/Form, where they are/aren't? B) Why are the pauses, in Kata/Form, as long as they are/aren't? C) Why are the pauses, in Kata/Form, as often as they are/aren't? D) What do the pauses, in Kata/Form, depict? E) Are the pauses, in Kata/Form, important? F) Should there be more/less pauses, in Kata/Form? G) Why are Kata's/Forms performed the way they are? H) Was this how the originator of said Kata/Form created it? Your thoughts?

I concur with this! Solid product and solid customer service. Imho, the Kanji won't be wrong from Eoshin Panther.