sensei8

Lakers are leading the Finals... 2-0 over Orlando. Go Lakers!!!!!!!

Me neither...and I still suck at it! My tears are because...I'M GETTING OLD....ER...EST...MOST! AARP...here I come!

Having read this statement many times emitting from more than one Hombu/Federation/Association, it sounds to me like someone's let the authority go right to their head(s). As Brian's stated quite well... I'm of the opinion, once a Shodan, for example, always a Shodan. Way beyond that, once knowledge/experience obtained, knowledge/experience irrefutable! Bow/Heel/Kneel...These times no longer exist, in that, one can't take away what's no longer their's!

13 times and then...BONK...turns into...OUCH...as on the 14th practice run they've hit you dead on your fingers. Do 13 practice runs when I'm at the testing table and this student will be sent home...test over...fail!

"In the event of violation/termination, all certifications must be returned to the XYZ Organization." Can an organization take 'your' certificate(s) away from 'you'? AND/OR... Can an organization reduce 'your' rank?

OUCH! This is what happens when one drops their hands and decides to block with their head! Crazy celebration at the end of the fight...nice and humble!

Good luck!

I concur that there's no Kata for the Shinai because, again, it's a training tool. Swordmanships use a bokken for drills as well as Kata until the bokken becomes live in Katana use. Therefore, I guess one could use a shinai when learning a new Katana Kata and/or new waza's. Have you asked your instructor as to why he gave you a Shinai? Nothing ventured is nothing gained. I'd thank him for it and then I'd ask him. I know that my Soke and my Dai-Soke use to walk around during class with a Shinai to adjust our Kihon and the like. They never struck us with the Shinai, thank God! But seeing them walk around with them sent many unpleasurable thoughts through my mind when I was a kid. I behaved!

Some time ago, I was teaching a seminar at the Shindokan Hombu during our annual testing cycle. The required attire WASN'T our Gi's; street clothes was the only attire allowed. Well, during one of the drills that I was leading, I was demonstrating how to press-close up to an attacker to limit his movements. I was teaching the class the finer points of Tuite in close quarters while pressing an attacker into a corner, thus how to use the building to aide in the Tuite. I instructed my training partner...MY Sensei, to do something different this time. What was different...do WHATEVER he wants to to get me off of him while I'm pressing him into the corner. Wrong thing to do! Things were going just fine and dandy until I said..."Get out!" I had him too! Key word here...'had'! I wasn't paying alot of attention to him, dumb...I know! I pressed him and just as I pressed close...WHAM...WHAM...WHAM directly into my right shin bone as fast as he could. HE WAS WEARING STEEL TOE BOOTS!!!!!!!! OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was 13 years ago and I've still got the INDENTATION to prove it! Did I let me out? Yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss! Did I continue to press him? Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Class was rolling in laughter with my Sensei leading the ha-ha. My Sensei says to me, "You said I do whatever...I do!" He had planned it from the night before when he and I went over the materials for that seminar. He knew I'd do something to drive a point home to the students at sometime during the seminar, so he decided to wear steel toe boots in case I did, well, I did. Dirty rat! He still laughs whenever he sees my dent or I talk about it. Shin kicks WORK!

Oh my word, people really do this. I thought the author was just kidding or something, I mean, I read this around 1975. Sheech! Knot riddle boards are almost impossible to break. Seems lately at a local name brand supplier, I find more knots than not. Makes testing/demos more difficult to get when all one finds is knots after knots. Besides, who wants to break a board that's cost a small fortune to break and then throw it away? Not me because I'm extremely thrifty...cheap!

That's about one of the best on-line mags I've ever seen! Solid! Even though I'm primarily Karate, I've some TKD background, still, I know a great magazine when I see one! Thanks for sharing! AWESOME!

Great replies...thanks...please keep them coming!

To Kumite or not to Kumite; that is the question. Whether/While its up to the individual; I subscribe to that as well! Unless... ...One is wanting to know how to defend themselfs. One can't learn how to defend themselfs by doing just Kata. One can't learn how to defend themselfs by doing just Kihon. One can't learn how to defend themselfs unless someone attacks them. By engaging in every aspect of Kumite drills, including Jiyu, one will start to understand and know what it's like to have someone trying to remove their head. IMHO, without Kumite, you're in a world of trouble! Is someone able to box by just doing shadow-boxing? NO! I've never seen a shadow try to remove another boxers head. I subscribe to that! And I'm going to be the individual who gives his students the whole pie, not just a piece. The surgeon that wanted to protect his hands, I understand his reasons, but does anyone truly think that this surgeon is truly able to defend himself against a live target? I doubt it sincerely! If after I explain to the student the pro's and con's of doing and not doing Kumite and the student decides that he/she still doesn't want to do Kumite, then I'll explain to the student that they need to excercise their rightful options, including, don't do any martial arts. I subscribe to that as well! We are there to help our students and this includes to not provide a false sense of securities. This, imho, is what will happen if students of the martial arts don't engage in live sparring! I'm not going to lecture my students, but, I'm going to properly educate them across the board. We're to teach our student the most EFFECTIVE way to defend themselfs, and imho, sparring is as paramount as learning how to fly IN an airplane in order to become an airline pilot. I've never understood why anybody would take up any martial arts for any other reason than for self-defense. Karate is great for exercise and the like, but, that's not what the martial arts is about...learning how to properly and effectively defend oneself is the martial arts after one peels away this label and that label. Everything from the outside when a laymen looks at Karate speaks in volumes that Karate is self-defense. One doesn't want to spar, then quit the martial arts, because sparring is vital and essential, imho. Want to join Karate for exercise? That's not Karate! You'll exercise and Karate provides a dynamic excercise, but, meanwhile, one's going to also learn how to defend oneself, whether one wants to or not. If one doesn't want to learn how to defend themselfs, then quit Karate and find another means...but....in this Dojo, we spar! Through Karate, one learns how to avoid a fight, but, when the attacker is determined to do one harm, one will be extremely grateful that one learned how to defend oneself, after all is said and done, that person will be so glad that one sparred until the wheels fell off and then kept going. Sparring against live "targets" are essential, imho! Everything in Karate; the movements, the combinations, the drills, the Kihon, and the Kata screams outloud...SELF-DEFENSE/MARTIAL ARTS!

SOLID!

Yes, it's unusual for a Okinawan based style to start with Pinan Shodan because Pinan Nidan is usually the first Kata learnt to most Okinawan styles. My style, Shindokan, also starts with Pinan Shodan, but, my Soke had originally started teaching Pinan Nidan first, but, he changed it so that Pinan Shodan was taught first. Why? He felt that Shodan was more easier than Nidan. Again, as far as how long before whatever, should be left to the sensei and nobody else!

Nope! Just as soon as I heard the meaning...I didn't believe in it. Delayed? Death Touch? In the same sentence? OXYMORON! Anything delayed in the martial arts means, imho, it just didn't work and/or it won't work; therefore, I'll label it as "Delayed"! As far as "Death Touch" goes, it's a gimmick to make it sound...important/cool/amazing! Hhhhmmmmm?!?

Well, I once read in a martial arts magazine some time ago in which the author said that one could place either a brick or a board in a oven for a short time in order to weaken the material. I DON'T THINK SO! The author even went on to warn his readers to keep an eye on the boards that are in the oven in case the board catches on fire. He also warned his readers to use a oven mitt when removing the materials from the oven; both warnings are pretty good ideas! HELP!

Here's a thought though maybe. If you consider that here in the UK at least, when Karate was being introduced in the 60's, in many cases it was in Judo clubs? WNM I concede to both...now that I think about them both!

My only suggestion, because I'm the furthest thing from a carpenter, is to put into it what makes you happy. I would imagine that you'd want one that's different from anything else seen. I once saw a cool one before...it was in the shape of the ATA Songahm Star, it wasn't a cheesy one either, it was sharp! Sorry I couldn't provide you what you're looking for!

What type of Martial Arts books do you enjoy the most? For me, it's books that deal with alot of martial arts/styles history...the older the history the better. This topic, imho, ISN'T like "Sticky: Martial arts research library" that's at the very top of this forum because that topic asks for book titles. I'm asking for BOOK TOPICS!

Good luck with that! "No disrespect intended"...as long as respect is afforded to the conversation and each other! Just because someone is a shihan and the like, it doesn't mean that this person is mature enough to handle such a comment [How about asking your shihan to get over his need to hear a loud kiai?]!! Nonethelessl, I wouldn't be surprised if the shihan quoted an over-stated..."Shut-up and just train" comment!

Nothing ventured is nothing gained. I, too, don't forsee any problems from what you've described/explained. As most have already said...talk to your current instructor and let him know what's going on. A mature instructor won't have a problem with this in any shape, way, and/or form, imho! Good luck!

"Can you keep up with me or not?"

"You're a what?"

I'm a Karateka and I'd like to think that I too am liberated from 'rank' because I don't EVER put rank before knowledge! Rank has its purpose, yet, I learned along time ago that 'rank' must be PUT IN ITS PLACE! When rank is as or more important than knowledge, it's time to walk away, until that practitioner CAN put rank in its place! Over the years I've suspended/expelled students of mine who became "ruled" by rank; knowledge wasn't that important to them any more!