sensei8

Activities: God is first in my life above everything else, then my family's after that...well...then it's...Shindokan Karate-Do, Martial Arts, camping, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing (water/snow), basketball, baseball, bowling, and fishing. These are the main activities that I enjoy the most! Interests: THE NEW YORK YANKEES, Creature Bleachers, Mo' the greatest closer in baseball...EVER, Reading, Chess, modeling, Piano, Guitar (Bass more than other types of Guitar), NASCAR, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, but, wow, I'm interested in alot of things, but, this will suffice for now. Favorite Music: Guns N' Roses, Meat Loaf, Elvis, Beatles...Country, Rock/Roll, Blues, Gospel...sheech...I like all types of music, but, if I eliminate "peeling-paint-off-the-walls" Heavy Metal and Rap with swearing words, then, I love all genre of music except those two I've just mentioned. Favorite TV Shows: This list could go on forever...Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hells Kitchen, Black Gold, American Idol, The Amazing Race, Ice Road Truckers, Deadliest Catch, Pawn Stars, The Apprentice, Repo...well...mostly everything on the History Channel and on the Discovery Channel. I love TMC and old TV shows like Adam-12, Ironside, Dragnet, Marcus Welby M.D., The A-Team, Hawaii Five-O and on and on and on. Whew...that's enough for now! Favorite Movies: Bat-21, Enter The Dragon, Stalag 17, The Rookie, Apollo 13, any and all old Japanese movies...well...this list is very long also. There are just way to many movies to list, but, my all time favorite movie is Bat-21 because this is based on a true story about Lt. Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton. The film stars Gene Hackman as Lt. Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton, the downed navigator (EWO) officer, and Danny Glover as Captain Bartholomew Clark, an Air Force FAC pilot who flies a Cessna Skymaster. The film is loosely based on the real-life rescue of Lt. Col. Hambleton by U.S. Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris and team member Nguyen Van Kiet, a South Vietnamese SEAL. Favorite Books: The Bible, any Martial Art Book!!!, Who Moved My Cheese, most business/management books, most political biographies, most history books, most Cival War books, all Chess books, factual war books based on stratagies/battles, most sports history books, and any book by: Louis L'Amour, James Clavell, Dean Koontz, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, J. K. Rowling, and Stephen Coonts to just name a few.

ROFLMBBO!!!! Every team must have someone cheer for the team that's not going to win, therefore, the Phillies have Brian! GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!! [bTW, this is only meant as fun Brian!]

I hear you on the loooooooooooooong season! Hang there! I've only one thing to say about LJ...BENCH HIM!!!!!!! If he gets in the face of the head coach who benches him, then BENCH HIM LONGER!

WOW! Hhhmmmm! OK! [bTW, these are good comments!] Because it's a training TOOL! Imho, valuable training tools/methodologies. Allow me to address each of the following: It's not useless. It's a training methodology. It's akin to Ikken hissatsu...To Kill With One Blow. To hit to end. You've not seen this in a bar fight because neither of the combatants understand Ikken hissatsu nor can neither of the combatants hit with that much completeness. Neither have I gotten into a fight with a piece of wood and as Bruce said to O'Hara..."Boards don't hit back!" AGAIN...it a training methodology that many hate but many more train in it because it's just a tool. Refine the steel to make it harder prevents it from becoming/remaining brittle. Another training tool/methodology and it has its merits as well as its value. Another training tool/methodology in preparing one for the street. This is how my style, Shindokan, is. Full contact at all times, including in training. BUT, as a baby must learn how to crawl and everthing in between before one starts to run, so must a Karateka/Martial Artist. All of the methodologies that you've presented are not only vital and important to the development of the Karateka/Martial Artist but their essential. I'd not take away a proven tool. Yes, it's proven because before one can swim, one must first stand in the water! Bottom line, if someone doesn't like them, then don't train in them. Instead, find someone who would allow 'you' to beat them to death for the realism.

I might seem uncaring and unfeeling with what I'm about to say, but, let my uncaring and my unfeeling preface my compassion. I've been there and in that, I understand what you're going through...and so has/does every other martial artist. Only thing I can do is to encourage a student to continue in the martial arts. By this, I'm not going to do cartwheels or beg. I'm just going to outline the pros of the martial arts. After that, if a student wants to quit, then quit. I've not much sympathy for those who just want to quit to quit. I'm not going to get many to support my feeling on this, but, that's cool. The student came to me to learn the martial arts, I didn't come to the student. I understand why students want to quit because the martial arts isn't for everybody. Now, when a student gets a bad instructor, then by all means quit and look for a good instructor. Having said that... Their black/brown belts for a reason. Don't worry about them! You're a 6th Kyu for a reason. Don't worry about that! Be content with the 6th Kyu and be excited that you're about to test for 5th Kyu. Before you became a 6th Kyu you were a 10th/9th Kyu and when you were that white belt watching the 6th Kyu's, you probably thought to yourself quitely the very same thing about those 6th/5th Kyu's, but, you made it to 6th Kyu and now you're ready to test for 5th Kyu. Stand tall and be proud of yourself. It's suppose to be hard! It's suppose to be difficult! It's suppose to be impossible! But, you made it to 6th Kyu and before you were a 6th Kyu you said the same things to yourself when you were 9th Kyu and then when you were a 8th Kyu...but...now you're 6th Kyu and darn proud of yourself and you should be. Be a 6th Kyu getting ready to test for 5th Kyu and let the brown belts and the black belts be what they are; advanced to you, but, that's cool because in the martial arts, there will always be someone better/higher rank than you. When you were/are helping a lower rank than yourself with whatever, didn't you feel good to be helping them through their difficulties at hand? Sure you were because what they were struggling through was easy for you and you remember how hard it was for you when you were where they are now. SAME THING! Whenever one sees something new, the first reaction is..."I CAN'T DO THAT!" and/or "I'll NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT!" But before you knew it, you were able to do exactly that and very well. Just keep driving and training and practicing HARD and with great purpose! Don't just go through the motions but experience and feel and discover those motions! When you fall down, get right up, dust yourself off, and continue with the training/practicing! Bruce Lee put it well... "Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick." This is you, this is me, this is every martial artist. You will understand in time, but, even then, you'll continue to seek perfection in yourself as well as your martial art. Patience is a virtue, and in this virtue, you'll find yourself in your complete totality. Now, burnout is something totally different because that happens from time to time with everybody, martial artists included. I've reached burnout many times over 4 decades of training in the martial arts, but, having a supportive student base and a supportive/driving Sensei has helped me work through the burnout to rekindle the flame within. Burnout wise, list the pros and cons about your martial arts training/experience; if after listing the pros and cons step away from the list. If your con list is longer than the pro list, well, analysis it carefully to see what might've created the cons, after that, make the list one more time. Then if the cons outweigh the pros, well, there's no use in pursuing the martial arts. Gook luck!

I use very minimal physical disciplinary measures. The only time that I use it will be when a student, children AND adults, especially a new student, is late to class. In that, one of my Sempai's will quietly intercept that student and remind them of the dojo Kun as well as their duties and responsibilities to themself, to the Hombu, and to their fellow students. The student will then do push-ups in a corner that's away from the class in progress while the Sempai watches. Students that have been there awhile already know what to do when they're late and they just drop down and start pushing before being bowed into class. More often than not, speaking with the student(s)/parents in the privacy of my office is more effective. Very rarely will I have to scold a entire class verbally during class, but, it does happen. Counseling should be done in private and not in front of the entire class because I wouldn't want to be disciplined publicly, therefore, I don't do it to others. I've always lived by this philosophy...DON'T ATTACK THE PERSON; ATTACK THE PROBLEM! If I attack the person with "You", then I make it a personal attack to the student, but, if I attack the problem, then the student knows that I'm not happy, but, together, we address the problem and then solve the problem together. NEVER DO I EVER PHYSICALLY DISCIPLINE ANY STUDENT!

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. Did you do a double Tony Romo threw NO INTERCEPTIONS against the Falcons. Cowboy's walk away with a win over the aforementioned Falcons by a score of 37-21 at home. Romo's numbers weren't a dream or a look back to yesterdays. No! Romo's stats were facts: 21 Completions, 29 Attempts, 311 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, and NO INTERCEPTIONS. Well, these stats made me shut my doubting mouth...this week, that is! Even the sun shines on a dog's rearend once in a while. Let's see if this is the beginning of the rebirth of the Romo of old when he was once solid, or is this just some fluke. For the Cowboys and the Cowboys fans I hope and pray that this isn't just some fluke to toy with us. If so, then off with Romo's head I say!! In Week #8, the Cowboys will host the Seahawks who are 2-4 overall and 0-2 on the road. Still, I'll keep my fingers crossed and my legs and my toes and my arms and my eyes for a Romo repeat of today and the big win. Some great games this week #7 in the NFL but with the great there must be the not-so-great: Green Bay 31 Cleveland 3 *Poor Browns. I feel for them! OUCHY! San Francisco 21 Houston 24 *Pretty good game and I was glad for the Texans...again! San Diego 37 Kansas City 7 *Man! Can't the Chiefs catch a break...ever? Minnesota 17 Pittsburgh 27 *Favre finally lost with the Vikings, but, hey, nobody's perfect. Indianapolis 42 St. Louis 6 *St. Louis is now having a hard time remembering what a win looks like! New England 35 Tampa Bay 7 *A trip to England is what everyone needs, and coming off a hugh win last week. Buffalo 20 Carolina 9 *Poor Panthers make mistakes look easy. Another tough lost to the Panthers. NY Jets 38 Oakland 0 *There's a reason why the Raiders are the WORST in the NFL. Chicago 10 Cincinnati 45 *Bengals are HOT! In spite of last weeks lost to Houston, the Bengals improved their record; 5-2. Atlanta 21 Dallas 37 *WHEW! New Orleans 46 Miami 34 *Can someone say...UNDEFEATED...STILL! Way to go Saints! Arizona 24 NY Giants 17 *Defense! Defense! Defense! That's exactly what beat the Giants. ^^This weeks Bye were for: Denver (6-0), Detroit (1-5), Tennessee (0-6), Seattle (2-4), Jacksonville (3-3), Baltimore (3-3) ^^^Undefeated teams STILL: Colts (6-0), Broncos (6-0), and Saints (6-0)^^^ MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: <---Redskins will be hosting the Eagles---> Washington (2-4) Streak=Lost 2 Philadelphia (3-2) Road (1-1) Streak=Lost 1 **I'm expecting a back and forth game of...high expectations. I don't know whose expectations are high, but, I might or might not watch this game. I don't care what the score will be, but, for fun, Washington over Philidelphia 14-7...or not! GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!

The defending World Series Champions: The Philadelphia Phillies are primed and ready. The New York Yankees are primed and ready. Both teams are gunning for the other, but, in the end, only one will be the 105th World Series Champions. The last time that the Phillies and the Yankees meet in the World Series was in the 1950 Fall Classic; Yankees swept that encounter 4-0, that was then, this is now! History just might repeat itself again when the New York Yankees emerge triumphant over the deshelved Phillies. But, hey, what else am I suppose to say? After all, I'm a die-hard Yankee fan! Let the chips fall where they may because when it's all over and when all has been said and when all has been lost....the New York Yankees will be World Series Champions....again...their 27th World Series Ring, and once again taking their rightful place at the top of the mountain; as the most dominating club in MLB! This World Series, imho, won't be a repeat of the 2001 or 2003 World Series in which the Yankees lost both repectfully to the Diamondbacks and then the Marlins. No, it'll be a battle from start to finish between these two clubs, and in that, the 2009 World Series Championship series will go 4-3, YANKEES WIN! YANKEES WIN! YANKEES WIN! The New York Yankees have played in 40 of the 105 Series through 2009 and have won 26 World Series championships through 2008, the most of any Major League franchise and exactly one quarter of all World Series titles won to date. The Phillies want to repeat as Champions, but, there's something in their way of accomplishing this amazing feat, and, it's the Yankees who want to re-establish their dynasty in MLB, proving once again to the naysayers that the New York Yankees are truly America's Team! Dynasty? Yes, DYNASTY! The New York Yankees appeared in their first World Series in 1921, and became frequent participants thereafter. Over a period of 45 years, 1920 to 1964, the Yankees played in the World Series 29 times. This period reached its apex between 1949 and 1964, when the Yankees reached the World Series 14 times in sixteen years (missing only 1954 and 1959), winning nine. From 1949 to 1953, the Yankees won the World Series five years in a row; no other franchise has won more than three consecutively. Am I excited? OH YEAH!!!! GO YANKEES!!!!!!!

YANKEES WIN! YANKEES WIN! YANKEES WIN the 2009 ALCS Championship! Beating the Angels 5-2. Andy Pettite was awesome! Mo was awesome! A-Rod was awesome! The entire Yankee roster was...AWESOME! Phillies! You want the Yankees? You wanted the Yankees in the World Series? Well, you've got the Yankees this Wednesday in the bronx at Yankee Stadium, be careful about what you ask for because you WILL regret it. The Phillies are well rested and that's good because their going to need the rest. Why are the Phillies going to need the rest? Pppppplllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee....THE NEW YORK YANKEES are coming and their HOT and ON FIRE!!!!!!!! GO YANKEES!!!!!!

Yes, This is a great question! The Mas Oyama 3 book series "What Is Karate?", "This Is Karate", and "Advanced Karate". Why these books as per the OP? These books are very similar to Shindokan Karate-Do as it was founded by Soke Fuyuhiko Saitou Sensei. Simplistically as I can put it...Shindokan Karate-Do is an extremely demanding full-contact Karate from Okinawa that utilizes full power kicking, punching and striking techniques during sparring matches and training sessions. Tuite is at the most absolute core of Shindokan!

ALCS Game #6's winner was....RAIN! Rain, rain, go away...you're interupting BASEBALL...BAD RAIN!

I thank you, and I would also like to thank each and everyone of you!

Shogun WON that match, and it's as plain as the nose on my face! Bad judging was in Machida's corner and I'm a fan of Machida. Shogun WON 3 out of 5 rounds as far as I could see and as far as I'm concerned. Shogun was by far the major aggressor, he defended better, and he did far more damage. Shogun's corner didn't lose him this fight; that is just a ridiculous arguement to make, imho. Yes, Shoguns corner could've pushed him some way and/or some how so that he'd fight as though his life depended on it, but, they didn't push him. Still, imho, Shogun was robbed plain and simple, and the judges involved need to be fired. No, imho, what this is about is money and hype, the UFC wants more of both, therefore, money and hype...they both feed off of each other. White's already promised a rematch just as soon as he can arrange it....MONEY/HYPE, these are what fuels the engine of the UFC, which, is fastly becoming the sister of the WWE with all of its taunting, poor sportsmanship, heels/babyfaces, and pre-determined winners. Right now I'm not sure who's at blame mostly, if blame is a proper word. The judges for not being able to see the obvious from ringside, OR, White for setting this up to play out as it did for a even bigger PPV rating. Am I alone in my feelings? I don't think that I am. I personally can't wait until the UFC or some other MMA organization goes back to the early days of MMA/UFC. No weight divisions, step-ladder format, and very few rules! Speaking of the WWE, "To be the man, you have to beat the man!" Shogun didn't beat Machida. Bottom line. Fat lady's singing. Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night all. I love a GREAT fight; in that, I don't care who wins just as long as it's one against one. But, it's not one against one any longer because there's the two fighters, the judges, and the promoter(s); how fair does any MMA fighter really have? MMA fighters need each other! MMA fighters need the judges! MMA fighters need the promoter(s)! But at what cost? At who's cost? At any cost? Will I watch UFC 105, 106...so on and so on? Yeah, but my patience is getting thin!

This link... Here are Nine Hachidan IAIDO Masters. Their interpretations of the techniques/forms are simply breathtaking, beautiful, powerful, and without any contestation. I hope that you will enjoy these Masters as I did! Even though it's just a video; I was in awe! I bow to these Iaido Masters!

Nice workout as well!!

Well...Angels won in game #5 of the ALCS against the Yankees; 7-6. It's all good because the series returns to the Bronx. GO YANKEES!!!!!

Today A will beat B, but tomorrow, B will beat A. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose; you can't win all the time, it's just part of life and it's also a part of the martial arts. There is no way to truly know whose better because of what I said in my opening sentence, and in that, what works today doesn't always work tomorrow. I've never beat my brother in chess....EVER! I'm no slouch at chess and that's because I've played chess serious ever since I was in high school. He's 7 years older than I. He does calculus for fun. He's a ASE certified Master Mechanic in everything. In chess, he's won numerious chess tournaments at all levels. His beaten every chess computer he's ever played. Often, he'll play against 12 or more players at the same time...and beat them all. He's never joined FIDE nor has he ever been rated, in which I'm sure he'd rate as a chess master. Point I'm making poorly is this. SKILL/KNOWLEDGE must be one of the main factors as to why I've never won one chess game against my brother. Or, I suck compared to his genius and brilliant chess abilities. I mean, he's beaten me over and over when he just had...King, Knight, Rook, and one pawn and I had everything. Besides, when all is said and done in the martial arts....proof is on the floor!

Another twisted question from yours truly. When does the right of self-defense turn into committing moral turpitude?

Nice workout there!

Brian, I love how you say "interesting arguements..." concerning Bill James, AND I concur, but, for stats, he's a stat freak...and a Red Sox. As far as Mo pitching extra innings...I'll just let the stats that I already posted speak for themselfs... "Well, Mo can do more than 1 inning! In last nights ALCS game #4, Mo went 2 and 1/3 innings. Mo, in his longest outing of the season, allowed one hit and struck out two from the 8th inning through the 10th inning in Game 2 of the ALCS Saturday night. It was Mo's longest postseason outing since he threw 3 innings and was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox. Mo is regularly used for 2 innings in the postseason; he has 12 career 2-inning saves in October."

Oh BOY! The Phillies beat the Dodgers 10-4 in the NLCS game #5. Now, the Phillies say..."We want the Yankees!" Sheech, be careful what you ask for Phillies because you might get more than you can handle...but being fair and all that I am...the Yankees might get clobbered by the defending World Series Champions. Anything's possible in baseball! I see a Yank/Philly World Series going ALL 7 games! Play ball....oh yeah....GO YANKEES!

Now that's funny! And...I know what you're talking about!

You're absolutely right Brian, the Dodger's pitching and bats aren't as good as the defending champion Phillies. Not even close. And I was so hoping for a Yankee VS Dodgers World Series. Well, Mo can do more than 1 inning! In last nights ALCS game #4, Mo went 2 and 1/3 innings. Mo, in his longest outing of the season, allowed one hit and struck out two from the 8th inning through the 10th inning in Game 2 of the ALCS Saturday night. It was Mo's longest postseason outing since he threw 3 innings and was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox. Mo is regularly used for 2 innings in the postseason; he has 12 career 2-inning saves in October. Mo's ERA in this post season is now already the best in history among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings - from 0.74 to 0.72! Girardi can do anything he wants because he's the manager. Possibly Girardi always had planned to use Mo for that one inning. Possibly Girardi was scared when Mo did the overthrow to 3rd base and didn't want to take a chance for another mistake. Possibly Girardi was upset over the overthrow to 3rd base and took Mo out because he can. I'd like to think that Mo was only going to be in for that one inning, Either way, it's all good! Without relief pitchers, the starting pitchers roster would have to be 3 times deeper than it is now. Without relief pitchers, pitching careers would be real short. I'm glad we have relief pitchers because once a starting pitchers arm is useless, we can bring in relief to protect an ailing arm. Most managers don't like their starting pitchers to throw more than necessary and in that, the manager keeps a close watch on pitch counts. GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!

YANKEES WIN OVER THE ANGELS...10-1 in game #4 of the ALCS. A-Rod had one great game; he was on fire. One more win for the Yankees, then, it's on to the fall classic against the Phillies. GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's my right! Someone breaks into your house while you're home. What would you rather have? A telephone to call the police or a gun? Me, I'd rather have a gun. Yes, I can call the police, then the police will come, then the police will fill out a report, then the police will treat it as a crime scene, and then the poice will take photos....of my dead body. I hate guns because they kill IN THE WRONG HANDS, but, I'm going to defend myself and my family. But God help me if after I defend myself and my family and I've killed the intruder/attacker; I better have PROOF that I acted in self-defense and some witnesses to back up the facts. I'll get arrested for using deadly force. HUH? WHY? It's the job and resposibility of the police officer to do just that after the use of deadly force. I can claim self-defense to the arresting officer(s), but, the police officer(s) job isn't to assume, the police officer(s) job is to arrest me, take a police report, and book me for the crime. It's up to the courts to sort out all of the facts and evidence before passing judgement. If all of the facts and the evidence prove without any shadow of a doubt that it was indeed an act of self-defense, then the courts/judge will find me innocent of all charges. If not, then I'll be in prison for sometime! What if I didn't have a gun and I used my martial arts skills? Same thing will happen as above with one exception. There won't be any tangible weapon like a gun, knife, and/or the like to book as evidence; just you! It's my right! After the ordeal's over and knowing that my family and I are ok; then, it was a priviledge to PROTECT my family and me!