sensei8

Welcome back to KF, BradLee; glad that you're back!!

No phone calls from Urgent Care. Was feeling pretty good yesterday, but this morning I can't sit back without level 5 pain in my tailbone.

Let me just say that labels strip the core from the style, and the separation of the style's places one over another as far as methodology and ideology is concerned. I've been training in an Okinawan style for over 5 decades. Yet, I've also crossed trained for over 4 decades because one style doesn't answer every situation. So, Japanese way or Chinese way or Korean way or Okinawa way or this way or that way have no more meanings for me to embrace. Karate is Karate and to me, it's no longer Japanese or Okinawa. For me, it's a Martial Art and Martial Arts are a plethora of combative arts...combative way of expressing oneself honestly without being combative towards a label in order to define a MA. Again, I teach an Okinawan style, but I am not handcuffed to it no more than any other MA is handcuffed to me. I no longer want to be confined, yet to be allowed to continue in my MA growth...to increase my MA betterment without any labels. Am I ashamed of my Okinawan core?? Not at all. I'm very proud of my Okinawan core more and more each day. Albeit I'll not be stapled to it or by it because that limits my growth across the board as a MAis. Karate is Karate; no more and no less. “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” ― Bruce Lee Imho!!

I went to Urgent Care, had some X-Rays done. The preliminary findings are that I've NOT fractured/broken my tailbone; just bruised it. Waiting for final findings from a Radiation Doctor to know for sure one way or another.

Feel out of my tub Saturday night when one of the grab handles gave away sending me out and down on the bathroom floor!! Tore down the shower rod, shower curtain, and toilet storage trying not to fall!! Bruised up my tailbone!! Real graceful!!

UPDATE: My Radiation Therapy with Dr. Becker is scheduled now for May 23, 2022, at 8:30am every Monday-Friday for 28 sessions!!

Solid post!! Owning and operating a dojo IS a business, and students ARE customers, and on the business side, both must be treated accordingly. The business and its customers must be cared for; neither can care for themselves. Recognizing the differences make and break any business. There are business decisions and there are dojo decisions...both must be treated differently. I've seen dojos care more for dojo decisions than for business decisions, and that was that dojo's undoing. Not all black belts can teach, and not all black belts can run a business. Wearing multiple hats is essential to the overall betterment of any business, like a MA school.

Interesting question, which I'm quite sure will have varying answers. So, I'll just answer with what I teach based off what I've been taught... Torso remains straight. The appearance of twisting of the torso is due to the engaging/engaged/disengaging hips.

Survey the competition, the other MA schools, in both your immediate areas as well as the neighboring areas for a starting idea. Whatever the median yearly household income for your area is, I'd certainly wouldn't ignore that vital factor. Forever and a day, my dojo was located in Van Nuys, CA. So, before I even hung up my shingle, I did some serious research. The average median family income in 1978 was roughly $21,020 with a population under 100,000 with a median age of 28. While I deeply respected the moderate diversity that is the San Fernando Valley, I cared nothing about the demographics that made up Van Nuys because I'm there to teach students the MA, and I don't care what the ethnicity of my student(s) are. I do care about foot/car traffic; location, location!! I want to know what schools and how many, as well as what type of businesses surrounded my dojo. There were 4,917 families headed by single parents or 21.3%, considered high for both the city and the county. Educating myself about Van Nuys from the business aspect, after all, I was raised and schooled in Van Nuys, but knowing The Valley as a kid is not the same as knowing The Valley as a business owner/operator. After some time, I opted to charge both a flat fee and a variable pricing. For example, I learned that in Van Nuys between 1973 - 1975, Van Nuys average median family income was $22,350; $1,332 higher than 1978. Therefore, to avoid moving my price structure up and down like some crazy yoyo due to how the average median family income acted, I charged $25 per month. As time rolled forward, my price structure settled around the neighborhood of $50 per month, with the highest of $100 per month. Van Nuys population nowadays are somewhere near 136,443 residents in the 8.99-square-mile Van Nuys neighborhood—or 11,542 people per square mile. The median age rests comfortable between 28 and 35. More schools and businesses, however, the average median family income tops any of my research because if I charge Beverly Hills prices in The Valley, or more importantly where my dojo rests, I'm sure that the demand of my services would demise quicker than a burp. All in all, no matter what a MA school price structure might be, if one can't teach, then price structures are mute. Research is paramount before one can hang up their shingle. Imho.

Now that was a very uplifting update across the board. Congrats of you earning your Green Belt. Seems that you've found a new home. Thank you for sharing!!

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

Happy Mother's Day!! Happy Mother's Day to Kara!! Be safe and have fun!!

Apparently so.

I'm eclectic. As a traditionalist MAist, I always keep my options way wide open because change is inevitable on and off the floor. Personally speaking, I don't have time to worry about what this topic is discussing because I'm complete in my totality as a MAist and as a human being. My traditional core is primary, while the other methodologies and ideologies are respected, and intertwined with my traditional core. Effectiveness and open-mindedness are the properties of the practitioner, whether that practitioner is mature in their techniques define effectiveness and/or mindedness, that IS a very cold dish to serve. Techniques without it being mature, is the furthest thing from being effect. Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro are the not the ramblings of yesteryear whatsoever. This mindset requires maturity, the same maturity that techniques crave for. Hence Shu Ha Ri needs to be willing to allow it to run its courses over and over and over. Well, I have to worry about MY MA betterment, and not the rest of the MA world as to if IT will or if IT won't. My MA betterment is all I can forge forward with, and not another's. Because of that, I decline to answer the provided poll.

Most, if not every business, worries to some degree the flow of customers across the board. There are many tables of concern to track, and that's a normal concern of any business. This day last year, we had X customers...This day last month, we had X customers...This day last quarter, we had X customers. These concerns, while important with the P&L and other tracking tools, shouldn't drive said CI/Owner/Operator to many sleepless nights. Right from the very moments the dojo doors opened, the CI/Owner/Operator needs to surrender to one undeniable fact of business...Customers come and go, no matter what. The faster that one can recognize that fact, the sooner the CI/Owner/Operator can do what they're supposed to do when one is running a MA school...and that one thing is...TEACH!! The floor is for teaching, the office is for fine-tuning the business. If done right, the two departments take care of each other. If done incorrect, one department suffers while the other department wanders around lost...trying to find the escape door. Students want to quit?? Then by all means, quit; the sooner the better. I'm not saying that the CI/Owner/Operator need not fix that which is broken because what is broken better be fixed one way or another, What I am saying is, don't lose sleep over it...TEACH!! When in whatever department the CI/Owner/Operator IS, then wear THAT HAT, not at the same time. Business adage...There's time for things to be done, but not all of the time; everything has its time, and every time has its place!! No matter what, one can only be at one place at one time putting out just ONE FIRE AT A TIME!!

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

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

Hold onto your reboot. The rage of the page being the reboot of the Karate Kid franchise having not just 1 season or 2 seasons or 3 season or 4 season, but now Kobra Kai Season 5. Yes!! Season 5!! September 9, 2022!! Check out the unfolding story on UPROXX, as well as the anticipated Season 5 Trailer... https://uproxx.com/tv/cobra-kai-season-5-release-date-trailer/ Another Trailer... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cobra+kai+season+5&view=detail&mid=092B77D910E3849E8B11092B77D910E3849E8B11&FORM=VIRE

Welcome to KF, Ravman; glad that you're here!! Our beloved DWx might be in your neck of the woods, Ravman.

Makes me wonder if the T12 and/or L4 are typos as well!! Makes me a bit shook up, to say the least. Something to pin down with Dr. Goodman at my next follow-up.

UPDATE: Dr. Goodman was there today, but instead of him, he sent in his PAC, Ralph. That's fine. After all, Ralph works for Dr. Goodman. I asked about my blood work results. My PSA has dropped once again, which is great, this time my PSA went from 0.09 to 0.06. I'll take it. Any decrease is a win for me. Ralph showed me my Chart. It has NO RED MARKS whatsoever. That's great too. Why is that great? RED MARKS on a Chart are concerned issues that need to be addressed. Things are looking good in my follow-up!! Now, comes what I must address. When I went to see visit my Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Michael Becker a few weeks ago, I was informed that for the 28 weeks of Radiation Therapy, Dr. Becker was going to concentrate on my prostate. Then a week after that, Dr. Becker was going to concentrate for 3-5 days on my spine at my T12, L4, and L2. L2!! That I wasn't expecting at all. I ask Ralph, how can Dr. Becker know I have a L2...What L2?? Can only diagnose the spine through a CT scan type, and I've only seen Dr. Becker twice, and the first time, I did NO CT scans. Since I've been in Las Vegas, I've only done 2 CT scans for Dr. Goodman, not Dr. Becker. At each follow-up with Dr. Goodman, I always verify that my only concerns are with my T12 and L4. Dr. Goodman has never ever mentioned L2...Houston never mentioned L2, just T12 and L4. If the PSA is going down, then how's that possible if L2 is a "NEW" diagnose. But the PSA is still going down...can't have the PSA going down and have a new diagnose at L2. If the L2 IS a new diagnose, then Dr. Goodman needs to explain to me why he's never ever told me about L2!! Ralph's quite understanding in my firm tone. Ralph tells me he's going to investigate about the L2. Don't ever sugarcoat me ever. I may not like what the doctor(s) tell me, but never sugarcoat the truth with me!! Ralph returns after conversing with Dr. Goodman, and tells me that one of Dr. Goodman's nurse will contact me with their findings about this L2. I accept that, and I go schedule my other appointments. While waiting to schedule my appointments, Ralph comes to where I'm sitting, bend down to tell me that the L2 is a...TYPO!! A typo!! Thanks for scaring the heck out of me. I insist the Dr. Becker be advised of Dr. Goodman's findings regarding to my L2...to NOT concentrate on my L2 with a Lazer beam; to not mess with the L2..PLEASE!! WHEW!! Appointments: June 28, 2022 for a follow-up August 3, 2022 for my next Treatment Shot Bone Density (DEXA) CT scan TBD ASAP!! It's been 2 weeks, at least since my last Image CT Scan, so I should be hearing from Dr. Becker's office to inform me when my Radiation Therapy begins. The sooner the better.

Congrats to Kara and you on your beautiful son, Patrick James!! You both look absolutely fantastic in the first picture, and in the second picture, well, Patrick James looks raring to go...hold that Tiger!!

Just how does nowadays self-defense classes prepare the student for the reality of a determined attack?? Better to have learned something than to have not learned anything?? For me, the honest answer to these questions are the reasons why I've not taught self-defense classes in quite a very long time. Takes far more than a weekend to become effective with what's taught at any given self-defense. For the most, and it depends on the student first, and the CI second, self-defense classes foster false security because how it is outside of the safety of the dojo/dojang is not how it is on the outside; an attacker doesn't just stand there doing nothing. Getting back to Danielle's question... That sounds about right. A student with that to work with, and DOES PRACTICE seriously, that student just might become effective at the moment of truth. Teaching basic defense against grabs isn't that basic. Reactions are NOT in general terms when it comes to grabs because even basic grab defense can't be applied the same against any given attacker expecting the same reaction across the board. Got to start somewhere, so one might as well start there. While I've my opinions about self-defense classes, I can't and will not ever discourage a person from wanting to learn something that might save them against an determined attacked. How one carries themselves in the public can thwart a supposed attack; by not appearing like a victim to others can dissuade the possibility. Act like a victim, then there's a greater chance that you'll become THAT victim. Train hard and train well!!

Now that is interesting! I look both proud and happy all at the same time! You've every reason to be both!!

Congrats, DarthPenguin; well deserved!!