sensei8

DING! DING! DING! DING! "Johnny, what do we have for the winner?" ninjanurse, you hit the nail right on the head! SOLID! We can only show them how to properly execute/practice the side kick, but, it's up to the students to practice as they've been shown/told to by their instructor. As long as students practice poorly, then we'll have these half side/half round kicks until the end of time. Each and every class, I/you, can tell who's been practicing as well as who's been practicing correctly. On the other hand, I/you can tell who's NOT been practicing correctly in mere seconds of observing them. I/you ask them...."Have you been practicing?"..."Yes Maam/Sir!"..."Yeah, nice try, but, would you like to try that answer again because from where I'm standing, and I'm standing right here, I can tell you've NOT been practicing and you've NOT been practicing correctly!" Drives me to drink a diet soda....and....I hate diet soda's...yuck!

I too, remember this story. Brian's right, it was a very nice story. Again, Kyle was telling the martial arts world, experienced and laymen both...what handicap!?!

Does anyone here at KF know, read about, and/or seen a report on tv about any Deaf Instructor's? I've not ever heard, read, and/or seen any report on tv like this. A deaf black belt is one thing, but, a deaf instructor MIGHT be another thing! Or is it? What problems would there be for a Deaf Instructor? Would a Deaf Instructor need an interpreter/translator? Would the students obey the instructors commands through a interpreter/translator? Would having an interpreter/translator on the floor at the same time with the instructor confuse the students? (The interpreter/translator would have to be on the floor beside the instructor) I'm wondering out loud!

While Shodan has the distinguished honor of being 1:10,000, any Nidan thru Hachidan similar figures/estimates would be staggering...or at least they should be. "Recognized" would have to be the key. And even with that, "recognized" would have to be understood/agreeded upon first, but, I don't see that happening in today's martial arts politics. Any available figure/estimates would be a puffed-up amount. Why? An especially acute problem is the large number of high-ranking black belts whose only achievement has come through self-promotion of rank. Having said that, any figure/estimate would only be an half-hearted assumption, at best.

Brian, I've thought about just that solution, but, I've got to go from thinking about it to actually doing it. Kind of the "out of sight, out of mind" thing for me. Two minutes later...I'll forget what it was that I was going to get/do! Maybe I should go ahead and get that AARP card after all. Hehehehehhehehheheehehe

Yepper...it would be expensive! But, man by its very own nature is such a curious creature first, price second.

Thank you for sharing that! Very solid!

Hopefully this isn't off topic! I'm hoping that NASA does go back to the Moon just to see if all of the stuff left there is still there and in what condition. Yeah, the other reasons for going back to the moon would be great too.

ROFLMBBO

For me, Tonfa training at the beginning wasn't fun because of my hands always being sweaty. The sweat acts like brakes on the toifa, therefore, it's hard to spin in any direction. You'll get it, and just like you've already said..."Practice, practice, practice!"

I don't care how it's chambered, I don't care where it's chambered at, and I don't care the position of the body during the chamber. All I care about is how long the practitioner intends to stay in the chamber! To long, I'm there before one can utter..."Boo"! Shindokan stylists drill to jam all the time. One of the drills calls for #A to deliver any kick towards our partner...#B advances forward as quick as one can to catch the kicking leg IN its chambering postition. He who takes to long, meditates horizontally~Ed Parker

Most laymen only know a Uke as a block, nevertheless, as one becomes more experienced with the martial arts, then, the laymen starts to realize that the Uke DOES mean "to receive". Block...receive...call it what one likes, just as long at "IT" doesn't hit me!

Welcome to physical activity! Any martial arts has plenty of activity, this is for certain! Tallgeese has, as always, hits it right on the head!

It means what it's intended to mean. "Kill With One Blow"!!! I interpret it to mean that I will strike, kick, block, punch...EVERYTHING...100%...as hard as I can EVERYTIME! To give 100% in everything that I do that is of the Martial Arts...in EVERYTHING that is/belongs to my Shindokan/Martial Arts training!

For me, the term "Master" means nothing outside of its formal context! "Master" has its place in the martial arts and shouldn't be taken outside of its intended context. The term "Master" and the term "Rank/Title" both have meaning ONLY inside of its proper context. Even the Japanese use the term "Master", but, I believe that they're more intune of how to properly use it than us Westerners are. Just don't let it get ones head any bigger!

It was more than a pleasure to share this with everyone here at KF. More importantly, I'd be amiss if I didn't say one other thing. While earning a black belt is fantastic in its own right, we musn't ever forget those who've earned belts below the black belt, because those too are without a doubt...TRUE MARTIAL ARTISTS as well. No matter what one's mental/physical condition may or might not be! I've said this over and over...the most important belt in all of any martial arts is the....white belt! Without the white belt, the other belts are meaningless and unreachable!

As an instructor of the martial arts, I've been witness to many wonderful as well as inspirational moments. Moments that can't be denied as anything short of AWESOME, as these precious moments tug at my heart-strings and cause my eyes to tear up, and say to God, "Thank you!" I've been priviledged to have instructed many students that had either a physical or mental disability. Students that are blind, students that are wheelchair users, students that are missing a limb, students that have down syndrome, and students that are deaf. These students have enriched my life tremendously one way or another. Yet, these students weren't disabled in their heart; for their hearts are full of life, drive, and determination. I bow to them, those whom I've personally known and to those that I've only had the pleasure to read about; each of them are champions, each of them are true Martial Artists. Their roads aren't smoothly paved, their roads aren't without problems, their roads aren't layed with roses, and their roads have many pot-holes...but...we're doing alright. Wait...you thought I was talking about the...no...I'm not talking about any mental or physical disabled martial artists, no, I'm talking about us. Those of us who pity and/or treat these outstanding martial artists any differently from whom they truly are, people. Those are the truly "handicapped" amoungst us! Some brief examples of these outstanding Martial Artists: 1) George Sanchez, 47, is blind, and after passing his test this month, he is also something that defines his character much more: a karate black belt. Sanchez, who lost his sight at 3, said the path to the black belt was difficult, but he has had help along the way from instructors. George is a Martial Artist! 2) Leon Lacabanne, 34, has accomplished something quite difficult. He's become a black belt of Karate, the highest belt rating of the art. And he didn't begin with Karate until after he became legally blind. Leon is a Martial Artist! 3) Bradley Schneider was born with Down syndrome, but that hasn't stopped his passion for martial arts, and now he's earned the highest honor; he has earned a black belt. Just because Schneider has Down syndrome doesn't mean he has special needs. Bradley says this about being a special needs person, "Focus on what you are doing, that, my friend, is special." Bradley is a Martial Artist! 4) Alistair Anderson is a deaf karate black belt. Something which makes this achievement even more outstanding is the fact that Alistair has learning difficulties and suffers from a condition termed dyspraxic tendencies - affecting the ability to co-ordinate movements. Alistair is a Martial Artist! 5) Jessica Cox, 25, a bilateral congenital limb deficiency doesn't stop Ms. Cox from achieving and surpassing her goals. Jessica Cox has One Pilot's License, Two Black Belts in Tae Kwon Do, and...Zero Arms. Jessica started Tae Kwon Do when she was ten, earning her first black belt at fourteen in the International Tae Kwon Do Federation. She rejoined American Tae Kwon Do Association in college and earned a second black belt. Jessica is a Martial Artist! 6) Erik Kondo, was left a paraplegic in a 1984 motorcycle crash, his life was changed from that moment on. Since then, Erik helped to deliver his second child in the front seat of his car, and, Erik earned his black belt in Small Circle Jujitsu. It was a long six year journey to black belt, but, Eric will tell you that other than helping in the delivery of his second child, earning his black belt is right up there as being very memorable. Erik is a Martial Artist! When I see these types of stories, I just can't help but to ask..."What Handicap?"

What? Am I suppose to argue with you? Especially after you've made some GREAT FANTASTIC points? Sheech, not me! BTW...LOL...I'm just funning with you Brian! Excellent points...again! I just can't do all of tricks that these whippersnappers can do, so I wouldn't even try. If I do try, then, they'll have to come up with a brand new division for me called..."Fall Down Go Boom" division. Therefore, I'll stick with "traditional" divisions, more my speed....slow and firm on the ground.

I hear ya' and I agree with ya'. Shame though!

In TKD, how does a practitioner avoid having the chamber take so long? My style of Karate, Shindokan, is taught that jamming a kick at its chambering is most ideal because of how long it takes a practitioner to leave the chambered position. This is when I usually jam a TKD stylist, at the chamber, for that very reason. As a matter of fact, it's not just the TKD stylist that's guilty of this.

Simply stated, it means "hold, break, leave" which are the levels of learning of a person. Shu, the practitioner tries to obey the rules. Ha, the practitioner tries to break free from the old rules. Ri, the practitioner tries to leave/depart from the rules. That's as basic as I can put it. Strictly speaking, the term is used to describe the developmental progression and understanding of a (specific) art form - through the use of kata. The word "Kata" should not be singularly viewed along the lines of the solo performance style "Karate" kata (ie Kanku-dai etc) but rather, as a set or form used as teaching tool to impart the core principles of the art. Most Kenjutsu schools for example have both solo and paired kata, as do Jujutsu schools. Even outside MA, the tea ceremony is a Kata. Kata with a capital "K" is core to the pedagogy of many tradition Japanese art forms, and very hard for us here in the west to understand (beyond the obvious performance / shape and form) as to how it really works. "Shu-ha-ri" describes the stages of this "Kata" and so therefore the art form in itself. Literally, "shu-ha-ri" means to embrace the Kata, to diverge from the Kata, and to discard the kata. In "Shu" students will follow diligently the footsteps of their instructor and fully embrace the Kata/art form faithfully as it is represented to him by his instructor - without question. "Ha" –is only achieved after many years in "Shu" when student will enter into the "ha" or divergence stage. This is where individual creative expression will start to develop but, the core principles of the art and correct form remain sacrosanct. "Ri" to discard – To arrive at “Ri” a student must have fully internalised the “shu” and “ha” stages of kata training. Ultimately this means that one has trained in the art to the extent that the Kata itself ceases to exist (in its external form). The core principles found/practiced within, become instinctive, to the point where an exponent can use his skills spontaneously and automatically in free thinking way as opposed to “set” into a form. WNM I agree with you. I wasn't doing a thesis, therefore, I was just stating it in the most simple and basic terms as I could in order to answer furry_Homeboy's question.

ABSOLUTELY! I couldn't have said it any better...and I didn't. Very solid isshinryu5toforever, very solid. Had I kept the dojo, I wouldn't have raised the prices! Why? Because the pricing restructure I did was only done to the tuition and testing fees, and these areas are the bulk of revenue for most dojo's. What I did on my retail side were completly seperate from tuition/testing fees. Besides, if I just went and raised the prices back up to pre-economic downturn, I would've felt like a greedy thief and I couldn't have slept much, if at all. A gas station makes no money at the pumps. A gas station makes its money in the garage. The pumps brings the customer in, but, the garage keeps the customer. So does a dojo; it doesn't make much from its retail side, but, a dojo makes its money from the floor of the dojo. Hence, the retail brings in the students, but, the floor keeps the students. Even though most students come in, not for supplies, but, to learn the martial arts.

Thank you and BINGO on your post! That's why I'll be open way after they've closed their doors.

Could I? Yes! Would I? No! I wouldn't return back to the original pricing structure. Why? As I stated back then, I brought the pricing structure as low as I could per my accountants advice, and at its lowest price, I was still able to remain viable. Therefore, I wouldn't have brought the prices back up TO THE ORIGINAL PRICING STRUCTURE; I'd feel like a thief! Before I would've brought up the prices, I would've relocated the dojo to the church first. That's me! Let's do a hypothetical. My church option doesn't exist. To raise the prices back up, there has to be a great reason(s) to justify it with my students/customers. And the only reason(s) that I can come up with are these: 1) Rent increase 2) Utility increse Uncontrollables are called that for one reason; they're out of your control. Rent I can negotiate, but, once the landlord sets the new rent prices, I've got to pay the new rent rate or move. Utility rate increases, well...one can't negotiate with them much if at all. Pay the utility rate increases or teach in the dark! Even at that, any and all increases must be done both small and slow!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_sc/us_sci_moon_video