sensei8

In the Shindokan, there are NO SUBJECTIVE selections whatsoever. Every Testing Cycle candidate has to apply to the Hombu/SKKA through their CI, first and foremost. The CI then must sign-off on each and every Testing Cycle Petition by and before the date of the upcoming Testing Cycle as set forth by the SKKA/Hombu. Then, once the SKKA/Hombu receives said signed off Testing Cycle Petitions in hand, they are then forwarded to many departments, including its highest department, Administration, in order to determine if said Testing Cycle candidate qualifies for consideration for ANY Testing Cycle. No, no CI can conduct a Testing Cycle in their own dojo without the explicit written permission of the SKKA/Homu as long as that CI/dojo is a card carrying network dojo with the umbrella of the SKKA/Hombu. Any Testing Cycle candidate that's been denied consideration, the CI must file a Testing Cycle Waiver to the SKKA/Hombu. That waiver states by the CI the reason(s) why said Testing Cycle candidate shouldn't be considered. At the discretion of the SKKA/Hombu, the SKKA/Hombu will formally contact said CI enquiring about said student(s) as to why a Petition wasn't forwared to the SKKA/Hombu for consideration. That CI better have a solid cause as to why said proper paperwork wasn't forwarded properly in a timely manner. The SKKA/Hombu carries each and every students Hard Card in a very secure room that very very few have access to, and at all times, two must be present in the Hard Card Room. The Hard Card carries to the Nth degree information about said student. The SKKA/Hombu knows everything and anything about that students history within the SKKA/Hombu...and I mean everything, no rock is left unturned about any and all Testing Cycle candidates. The SKKA can and will deny any and all candidates that do not meet the SKKA/Hombu extremely strict protocol. A CI and/or student can file an Appeal of Consideration, but very very rarely does see the daylight of round 1 of arbitration, and there are 3 rounds that any and all Appeal's go through. Why all of this?? Integrity!! Integrity that goes way beyond the scope of any Testing Cycle. The integrity of the SKKA/Hombu and its CI's aren't for sale in any shape, way, and form. Testing Cycles, and the like, are just an infinitesimal part of Shindokan/SKKA/Hombu; there's so much more important things for both the Student Body and the SKKA/Hombu to consider other than if a student ever attends any Testing Cycle. Rank is WAY WAY WAY WAY UNDER knowledge and experience.

DRUM ROLL, ALL... Good luck to all that have been nominated in the 19th annual KarateForums.com Awards 2020!

Patrick, I'm quite excited for the upcoming changes here at KF, that Patrick has just laid out for all to see, across the board. Change is inevitable, and in that regards, is a great thing for us all here at KF. 20 years, in this venue, is astonishing...that milestone that benefits every KF member one way or another. How about that KF!?!?! Rock solid as the day is long!! Thank you, Patrick for everything that you do for KF and its members!!

Congrats, stonecrusher69; well deserved!!

Welcome to KF, SLK59; glad that you're here!!

Weird looking at near empty to empty stands this year for the NFL. My team, The Cowboys are doing great, if going backwards is a great thing. Well, my Cowboys are stacking up...that entire wrong direction...3-7. Their win against the Vikings was almost another game for the 'L' column. I'm glad they found the 'W' side, but I was on the edge of my seat wondering and wondering as to the outcome. The entire NFC East records are dismal beyond dismal. The first place Eagles are touting a record of 3-6, while the remaining teams in that division are 3-7, with the Cowboys proudly holding last place. Looking at the rest of the NFL teams' records sends shivers down my spine because whomever wins the NFC East would be fortunate and miraculous to get by round 1 of the playoffs. ::SMH:: ::Face Palm:: Injuries are an expected occurrences in the NFL, and when one of the injured is the starting QB early in the season, the game of playing QB shuffle begins, but with fingers crossed. First Prescott out with an ankle, then Dalton out with the Covid-19, then Rush took over QB duties, and walked us into multiple losses. Dark clouds turned from gloomy to head-in-the-sand. Remaining schedule for the Cowboys isn't something to smile about. Washington, Ravens, Bengals, 49ers, Eagles, and Giants, in that order. While those teams share the bottom of the standings in their respective divisions, except the 6-4 Ravens, not one of those teams have nothing to lose and everything to gain by handing the Cowboys many more in the 'L' column. Do I have faith in the Cowboys to turn things around and end the 2020 seasons with their heads held high? But of course, after all, I'm a Cowboy fan for life. I'm just disgruntled just a tad bit, which might be expected when you experience your team fumble when they shouldn't, but, that's to be expected from time to time to time to time to, well, HOW ABOUT THEM COYBOYS. As optimistic that this season is shaping out to be, I have to hope and pray that this season ends 9-7...and then I work up!! HOW ABOUT THEM COWBOYS!?!?

It sure is; thank you, Patrick.

I rarely think much about instructors who teach under those kind of guidelines because how else is a beginning student suppose to earn that type of experience. Well, not all instructors have the patience to teach beginners, and taking experienced students presents other problems, like, retraining bad muscle memories, which can be more frustrating than teaching new students.

Thank you so much, Danielle!!

...and increases ones waist line.

In Synchronized Kata, yes. That's because they're all doing the same Kata at the same time for one total score. That's the only time I've ever seen more than one of the floor at one time. I've never seen, in any capacity, where in the Individual Divisions where two competitors are on the floor at the same time executing the same Kata. I mean, I've not ever seen that in all of the years where I was active as a competitor or judge or Arbitrator. Well, it's a big world, and I've not been to every Karate tournament held.

Yes, you're more than welcome. As Brian says, it's great that you're sharing your experiences with us, thank you. I never stop training. Virus or not; training for me is a daily thing.

You're right because timing factors might also include, bowing in/out, walking in/out of the floor, and waiting for scores to be revealed.

Thank you both, Brian and Colin for your kind and insightful words; they mean everything!!

10lbs is a respectful weight that will benefit you across the board. Not to light and not to heavy; just right. Going up weight, imho, is more of a personal preference, and not a requirement, even if insisted by the CI. Students ask me for my input on a plethora of subjects all of the time, but things like that, well, I leave that up to the students. IF I say anything, it's to remind them to not rush and or push training; baby steps, that's the MA.

Today marks the 19 and a ½ year anniversary of the launch of KarateForums.com. Patrick has asked me to address the community, as a senior member of the staff. I see this as a great honor and a privilege to be able to address this great community on this day! Being online for 19 and a ½ years is quite the milestone, and it brings to my mind one of the most important qualities all martial artists must accept: Proof is on the floor. February 23, 2008 That's the date that I joined KarateForums.com; I've never looked back to that moment with any regret, whatsoever. I have Brian, bushido_man96, to thank for that moment, and without his tenacity in bringing KarateForums.com to my mind, I might've never kicked open these unknown doors. Like a shooting star that streaks across the nighttime sky, and then fizzles away before it's too late to appreciate just what might've been, I, too, during my very early days here at KF, nearly disappeared in a blink. But, if not for the interventions of Patrick, and of his staff way back then, I wouldn't be here today to have this distinctive honor to speak about KF, its staff, and its countless members. Thank you, everyone, for opening up my eyes some 12 years ago. KarateForums.com quickly became that safe haven for me to escape from the closed bubble known as Shindokan Saitou-ryu; but more importantly, the SKKA, the martial art and governing body that I've trained in for these past 56 years, thus far. However, eating, sleeping, breathing, and drinking Shindokan for those 5.6 decades has been my deepest and sincerest privilege, especially under the watchful eyes of our taskmasters Soke Saitou and Dai-Soke Takahashi. Bubbles stand up against the forces of nature and, oftentimes, the bubble surrenders to the unyielding pressures brought up against it. Albeit, the pressures of being part of the SKKA hierarchy for nearly 30 years, a pressure release valve was needed quite desperately... KarateForums.com was, and still is, that escape vent. I came to not only need that escape from the SKKA, I depended on that release back then, and still do now, from all that KarateForums.com could only provide me away from that bubble. As I battle against a new personal challenge, KarateForums.com as well as its members stand toe-to-toe with me as I fight this that is within me. Their compassionate support as well as their words of comfort mean everything to me, and these aren't idle words, for I mean them with all of my heart and soul. This too is the means of what "the proof is on the floor" means within the gates of KarateForums.com; no one is alone and no one stands alone. Not with family, and KarateForums.com is family. A plethora of knowledge and experience, in and out, as well as away from the martial arts, seeps from the pores of each and every KarateForums.com member. Their topics constantly challenge all of us, as we are so willingly passionate with each other to engage from one conversation to another. This helps each member to find that which they either seek for and/or that which they desire to share which they're so very heartfelt about, whether it be about the martial arts and/or the world outside of the martial arts. Everyone is always welcomed with open arms. These expressions that I gladly speak towards here are the areas where KF excels. Proof is on the floor. Time and time again, KF has exhibited that particular thing with unwavering distinctions. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. Happy 19 and a ½ years to KarateForums.com.

Thank you, Brian. I got the shot in my left hip because that's the only way that that nurse has ever done it, even though she looked on the records to see how it was administered last time, records show that it was in my left arm. I will post the Scan appointments just as soon as I find out.

You might want to put a note inside your refrigerator that reads.Are you hungry or bored? Have a Merry Hibernation DWx But I know how to ignore my own note hanging in the frig, if need be.

Why do so many TKD tournaments insist on running two people doing forms at the same time? As a judge' date=' I'd much rather focus my full attention on one competitor's entire form, and judge accordingly, as opposed to having to watch one for a few techniques, and then the other for a few techniques, and have to make a decision. As a competitor, I'd much rather be the sole focus of all the judges that I'm performing in front of, rather than having to wonder about how much of my form they actually watched. Does anyone have any idea why it's done this way?[/quote'] I've heard, don't know if it's true of not, they judge 2 at a time for expediency. I mean, Testing Cycles are done in groups; expediency. Otherwise, be prepared for a very long and trying day for all concerned. Who wants to go to an event that takes f o r e v e r ?? Fast way to lose competitors and spectators for the next time.

Solid post!!

Good news, Dmitriy. Train hard and train well. Agreed! Perseverance is not easily attained, nor often appreciated until much later on. Keep that in mind as you train.Nor is it honored and/or rewarded properly.

That's awesome that you're pulling so many into Zoom classes! Very, very cool. Where there's a will, there's a way.

UPDATE: Today, November 20, 2020 [i got a kick out of the triple 20's] Lab work at 10am Oncologist at 1030am So, here's what the Oncologist told/explained to me.... > PSA DROPPED from 30 to 1.6 [That's not a typo] > Cancer is NOT aggressive > Continue with the shot of LEUPROLID every 3 months > Bone and CT Scans in January 2021 > After scans in January 2021, Oncologist will prescribe a DIFFERENT pill to take orally 1X daily; unsure of what that pill is until after the scan results. Doctor was behind schedule for 45 minutes to an hour. Doctor walks in the exam room, and she does her Fonzie impression...I reciprocate. She apologizes to me for not getting right back to me, but she understands why I had to cancel my November 6th scans, of which she tells me that missing appointments are to be expected and understood, from time to time, just for me to not make that a habit...which I won't, God willing. Doctors need to tend to the patient, and not to the financial side, which I prefer. She lays out her treatment plans for me, and is so excited that the PSA number dropped so low, and she is confident that it's not a temporary drop. She wants to get those scans done asap. I won't know until next week when those appointments will be for. Have you ever had a shot in your hip before?? Me neither. Well, let me tell you. First I had to wait for 30 minutes before they could give me that injection. Why?? They store that shot inside of a freezer, so before they can give me that shot, it has to reach room temperature. Then the shot!! No pain, however, there's always a however, mere seconds after the shot was administered in my left hip, very sharp hot pain got my attention. For the next 15 minutes, that sensation came and went every 30 seconds. One of the longest 15 minutes in my life. I was so very glad when that was all over and the up and down pain subsided. Last time I got that shot, it was given into my left arm. I got to tell you, I prefer the left arm over the left hip anytime. WOW!! I went over to see my social worker, which is in the same area along with Urology and Oncology departments, and plans are in the work to find me some possible Grants to offset costs of treatments, but no guarantee. Contacted the billing department via a phone call, and set up an affordable payment plan. I finally left the hospital at 130pm. Once I receive the appointments for the Scans, I'll give an update.

Good news, Dmitriy. Train hard and train well.

Sounds great there, Patrick. After all, some is better than none. On the heals of that idiom, there’s, no pain, no gain.