sensei8

I can understand from your OP as to why you'd hate the Nunchakus and love the Bo as well as you discovering the opposite of said weapons. I believe that every practitoner of Kobudo/Weapons of any Martial Arts has a particular weapon of choice. I prefer the Bo over any other, yet, for my maturity to exceed my wants/desires, I must LOVE each and every weapon in order to "master" any said weapon. Otherwise, I'm not a complete Kobudoist, I'm just a Kobudo practitioner who excels in some, but, not the plethoria at my disposal. One must be able to excel in each and every weapon in their style, to excel at one or two and ignore the rest because of a personal preference is to be incomplete by its definition.

Nope! I've never shopped from there. I've only purchased from Century and AWMA, Sorry! If you try it, let us know some of the pros/cons of the store.

Nope, XMA can't show off with flashy moves, but they could if they knew the weapon. Also, Tonfa isn't that easy to incorporate into an XMA routine, but they could if they knew the weapon. Nonetheless, every weapon of the Martial Arts can be incorporated into any XMA routine. Why? It's not because of the lack of the weapon that doesn't fit into an XMA routine. It's the lack of the practitioner who weilds any given Martial Arts weapon; maturity in any given weapon must be reached first before one can demonstrate the weapons true bueaty and effectiveness.

As a Okinawan stylist who's deeply encroached in the art of Kobudo, I agree with the translation of "old martial way of Okinawa". With that being said...on a more personal note...Kobudo to me is nothing more than an extension of my body; nothing more, therefore, nothing less.

Cocobolo Hardwood!!!! Nothing more solid for weapons in the Martial Arts! Cocobolo can be brittle depending on the dense rating; higher the rating the harder the wood. Cocobolo is also a very bueatiful wood when polished! My personal Nunchaku's are made from Cocobolo; they take a beating and keep on ticking. When I demonstrate the power generated from a Nunchaku I use several cinder blocks side by side, and with the Nunchaku's made from Cocobolo; I shatter the cinder blocks with ease instead of the opposite.

For the love of...IT'S JUST A BELT! Your sensei should be ashamed of himself. My Soke was and my Dai-Soke is extremely old school, right from Okinawa. They're strict...but to this extreme...it's uncalled for. The American flag means everything to me...but...it's just a flag! The bible means everything to me...but...it's just a book. It's not what's on the surface that's important to me, it's the content/context of what these are IN ME! What's your rank have to do with you being abused by your sensei? It's a disgrace! IT'S JUST A BELT! Important as it might be...it's not what the Martial Arts is about! OMG!

In not knowing exactly where to post this; I posted in the General Chat section, I hope this was correct! As stated in the KF User Guidelines, and I'm quoting... "2. While member post count has meaning, it should not be taken too seriously. Attempts to artificially increase your post count are prohibited. This includes the mass creation of short or meaningless posts. When participating in game threads such as "Word Association Game" or "What song are you listening to right now?", please do not post consecutive replies within a short period of time." On this note, I'm posting this more for fun/entertainment than for anything else. This post isn't meant to offend any member in any shape, way, and/or form. On the contrary, it's meant as my way of acknowedging those KF members who have, imho, improved on the betterment of the KF/Martial Arts, although this is left up to Patrick and the moderators as to that actual summation. Although, the KF User Guidelines states the above without any ambiquity whatsoever, I wanted to "Rank" those KF members as one would "Rank" as in Karate/Martial Arts based on the amount of posts. ***(This is of my own opinion AND is just for fun! Subject to change! These "Ranks" are of my own for this fun-post, as it should never be taken seriously nor should my "Rank" in this fun-post ever replace KF's "Ranking" requirements now and/or in the future!) Here goes...(Please enjoy) Judan: (10th Degree Black Belt) Patrick (16, 772 Posts) (Soke) bushido_man96 (15, 770 Posts) (Hanshi) Kudan - Shichidan: (9th Degree Black Belt - 7th Degree Black Belt) None Listed at this time Rokudan: (6th Degree Black Belt) SaiFightsMS (6,322 Posts) (Kyoshi) Godan: (5th Degree Black Belt) None listed at this time Yondan: (4th Degree Black Belt) (Sensei) PunchPressQueen75 (4,570 Posts) aefibird (4,415 Posts) ninjanurse (4,092 Posts) Sandan: (3rd Degree Black Belt) (Sensei) PSBN Doug (3,758 Posts) monkeygirl (3,674 Posts) kicker (3,649 Posts) Drunken Monkey (3,559 Posts) KickChick 3,282 Posts) G95champ (3,067 Posts) Nidan: (2nd Degree Black Belt) (Sensei) 47MartialMan (2,822 Posts) White Warlock (2,662 Posts) SevenStar (2,631 Posts) ZeRo (2,571 Posts) Treebranch (2,279 Posts) Red J (2,277 Posts) Goju_boi (2,129 Posts) gheinisch (2,119 Posts) battousai16 (2,069 Posts) Shotokan-kez (2,059 Posts) Shorinryu Sensei (2,045 Posts) Shodan: (1st Degree Black Belt) (Sensei) Sohan (1,986 Posts) cathal (1,941 Posts) iamrushman (1,923 Posts) cross (1,900 Posts) Shorin Ryuu (1,862 Posts) TJS (1,843 Posts) ShotokanKid (1,818 Posts) elbows_and_knees (1,795 Posts) ps1 (1,792 Posts) Menjo (1,786 Posts) delta1 (1,780 Posts) Sam (1,748 Posts) joesteph (1,710 Posts) lordtariel (1,709 Posts) tallgeese (1,704 Posts) Pacificshore (1,694 Posts) isshinryu5toforever (1,685 Posts) patusai (1,639 Posts) DWx (1,606 Posts) ZR440 (1,597 Posts) Jack (1,591 Posts) Aodhan (1,443 Posts) italian_guy (1,433 Posts) Kensai (1,415 Posts) KarateK (1,407 Posts) ramymensa (1,394 Posts) GoldDragon (1,363 Posts) Jiffy (1,343 Posts) tommarker (1,325 Posts) GrrrArg (1,300 Posts) Karateka_latino (1,295 Posts) JerryLove (1,274 Posts) thaiboxerken (1,270 Posts) y2_sub (1,201 Posts) Kirves (1,182 Posts) P.A.L (1,182 Posts) moobrack (1,167 Posts) BKJ1216 (1,145 Posts) baronbvp (1,134 Posts) jaymac (1,131 Posts) Sasori_Te (1,116 Posts) June1 (1,090 Posts) NightOwl (1,080 Posts) krzychicano (1,066 Posts) Angus (1,064 Posts) kchenault (1,049 Posts) Bon (1,047 Posts) white owl (1,044 Posts) pineapple (1,039 Posts) YODA (1,033 Posts) Master Jules (1,029 Posts) granmasterchen (1,027 Posts) Icetuete (1,025 Posts) Adonis (1,024 Posts) marie curie (1,021 Posts) LeaF (1,012 Posts) Shodan Ho: (Pre/Junior Black Belt) Valithor (997 Posts) Tiger1962 (985 Posts) The BB of C (969 Posts) ncole_91 (963 Posts) parkerlineage (948 Posts) UseoForce (938 Posts) Martial_Artist (935 Posts) Kajukenbopr (935 Posts) Kickbutt (910 Posts) NewEnglands_KyoSa (907 Posts) AndrewGreen (905 Posts) shotochem (901 Posts) The rest of us KF members are on a deserving/rewarding journey as we gain knowledge from one another, including those who at KF have lead us in our journeys...and continue to do so...thanks to all....I bow to all as a sign of sincere respect from me to you!

Yes...yes...yes...and even more yes'. I forgot about the WHIP, and you're right...it was insane! Gggggggggoooooooooooooooo Yankee's!!!!!!!!!

"Kara" might have many meanings depending on its intent/expression. I will forever think of "Kara" as having only one definition in my Martial Art walk, that being.... "I come to you with only Karate, empty hands, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.""---Ed Parker

Powerful article. I had goose-pimples upon goose-pimples, I've only one word...WOW! I lied...WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing that article Killer Miller...I thank you so very much!!!!!!!!!

For me, Ikken hissatsu means to execute each and every technique with every part of ones being as fast/hard as one can. Don't execute any technique without putting oneself into each and every technique with the force and the fire of hell itself. I don't train to just go through motions because this is a waste of time! I perform/execute each and every technique as though my life depended on it, even during training, because one day, my technique might depend on the way I train. I believe that the way one trains is the way one fights. One can be lackadasical while someone else can allow Ikken hissatsu to embody ones entire being...in everything that's of the Martial Arts. To me...it means that I DO believe in that one strike will/can end the altercation. To believe any other way is to have already cast a shadow of doubt; one's already lost! I can't/won't subscribe to that mind-set because I can't afford it.

While Pinan CAN mean, depending on the style/organization, "Peaceful Mind", Pinan can ALSO mean "Safe From Harm". Every Heian is taught in numerical order; Shodan to Godan, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Therefore, why do you think that most Okinawan styles/organizations have chosen to teach Pinan Nidan BEFORE Pinan Shodan? I ask this because, my style is of Okinawan origin, therefore, our syllabus teaches Pinan in numerical order; 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The arguement that Pinan Nidan is easier than Pinan Shodan, imho, is poppycock, and therefore, it's of the styles choice as to what order Pinan's should be taught. What certain styles call Pinan Shodan is what others call Heian Nidan, and vice-versa. I understand their reasoning for this, but I don't subscribe to the believe that Pinan Nidan is easier than Pinan Shodan, imho.

I prefer open handed strikes as a preference, yet, this preference is fueled by my styles methodologies. I'm of habit/muscle memory as I find my hand more open than closed. Which is best for me? Open by far. My open hand allows me to engage at will with Tuite. Yes, I control the hand and tell them [my hands] what to do. But in the believe of Tuite, I find my hand more open than I do closed. What is the target? That might determine whether my hand is open/closed. What is the striking surface? That might determine as to what target is to be struck, but more importantly, what's the situation at hand. It's not 'I' who hits, but, 'it' hits all by itself!

Well, nobody said that change was for the best...at all times. For me, the discussions about vertical/horizontal/three-quarter fist relationship is just that...a discussion that's based on fact/fiction. Fact/fiction? How's that? Imho, it's fact to its believers while at the same time it's fiction to its unbelievers depending on what methodologies that a practitioner trusts/believes. Just as its fact/fiction to those of the methodologies as to which knuckles are better to strike with. Bottom line for me is this...if it works FOR YOU with no severe side-effects, then use it, train it, and believe in it.

I bow to you Killer Miller! I bow to you for having shared the floor with a Karateka of his caliber! I only knew Nishiyama Sensei from afar through print/videos/etc, but, I never shared the floor with him...that would've been an honor! I'm a Karateka...birthed from a fantastic Sensei myself, yet, my Martial Arts journey is incomplete for not having to have attended any of Nishiyama's seminars. You're exceptionally fortunate to have known/trained with Nishiyama Sensei as you have! Oss! Thank you so much for the videos...they will always hold a special place in my heart...thank you!

I was telling one of my students about Bradley and she asks me..."Will Bradley be able to earn ranks as a black belt?" My answer..."Yes, and why not! Besides ranks unimportant, knowledge is paramount." She just nodded her head up and down. I think that it's a possibility within TKD politics for handicap students to earn rank at the appropriate time. Anybody in TKD know this to be true or not of WTF/ITF/ATA or any other TKD governing body? In my style, Bradley would be just as eligible for rank as any practitioner, just as long as the requirements/tenure were satisfied first. As Kaicho, I'd personally sponsor a student with a handicap just as long as the requirements/tenure were satisfied. Besides, let him bask in the fruits of his accomplishments for awhile; worry about rank at a later time when it's proper, not sooner.

Yepper.......and they can have all of the politics they want, I'll pass! I've had many things cross my desk as Kaicho, and in that, I've denied much because politics don't belong in the Martial Arts, imho!

This, imho, is what the Martial Arts is all about...reaching goals once believed to be unattainable. Earning a black belt is hard enough, but, compounded with a handicap, it's thought to be impossible. Check out this link; I'm sure it'll bless you as it did me....hopefully I'm not posting something that's already been done here at KF, if so, I'm sorry, but, something worth mentioning is worth mentioning more than one time, imho. http://cbs4.com/local/karate.black.belt.2.916154.html Congrats Bradley Schneider!

I second that opinion! Politics are interwoven into anything that's man-made...Martial Arts and Politics...that's the biggest oxymoron that I've ever heard...they, Martial Arts/Politics, imho, just don't mix.

I've only one thing to say about this topic...Good Grief! It's true; the longer one lives, the longer one will have heard just about everything!

This Kata seems to be shorter than any of the Taikyoku's. I even dare to say that the Futatsu is even more basic than of the Taikyoku series. I'd use it after Ten No Kata and before any of the Taikyoku's. Even though Ten No Kata and Taikyoku are very similar, except for the embusen. Thanks for sharing the video!

>Open your hand with your fingers extended and touching together. >Arch the hand backward, forcing the palm side of the knuckles forward. >Fold the thumb into the palm, bending the top of the thumb downward. >Curve the tips of your fingers in slightly while keeping the hand arched backward. >Move your striking hand, palm up, near the opposite-side shoulder. >Strike across your body, straightening your elbow as you go. >Twist your wrist immediately before contact, so that the palm faces down. The padded edge below the pinky is the striking surface. >Keep your other hand as a fist at your side. Pull back on this hand in the opposite direction of your strike to gain power. I don't understand this part of the question because it appears to me that I'm being asked if my style's shuto is better/why. I don't want to engage in this debate/justification other than to say...the summation of 'why' is the summation of 'because'. I typically throw it the way I've described in my styles syllabus above. Why? Again, I'm being asked if my shuto the way I throw it is better/why. I don't want to engage in this debate/justification other than to say...the summation of 'why' is the summation of 'because'. I use the shuto in tameshiwara quite often. The one thing that I see alot from all ranks is that the practitioner isn't obeying the syllabus of the shuto. The practitioner knows how to execute it as well as how to teach others how to exectue the shuto. But, doing the shuto properly in tameshiwara is lost to most practitioners. Mostly what I see is the angled position of the knife hand in relationship to the material. In this relationship I see the wrist being struck. Last I checked, the wrist bone isn't one of the places to strike with...unless pain is fun. I also see that practioners practice and teach to keep the fingers tight but again, this isn't being demonstrated. Fingers are either loose, apart, and/or held tightly from start to finish. In conclusion, I see practitioners of tameshiwara not focusing as well as not penetrating through the material. One can't break by just hitting the material, but, one must explode through the material; this is again, taught/practiced but not demonstrated. Other than the shuto being used in Kihon/Kumite drills, I don't see the shuto being used at all in any Jiyu Ippon Kumite (free style) and this includes in both striking/blocking in Kumite. Most practitioners would rather slap at and/or avoid the oncoming attack rather than execute a text book shuto; a shuto the way it's meant to be within one's style. Show me someone who uses/utilizes any type of shuto in Kumite on a regular basis, then I subscribe that this practitioner is involved in Kihon/Kumite drills, not free-style Kumite.

Absolutely! Powerful point! I stand corrected!

Yes, one could, but, it's just a push, this still leaves an avenue of escape by just walking/running away from the situation. If one's not allowed to leave, well, that's for another conversation, imho. As an instructor of the Martial Arts I'm obligated to teach my students how to properly/effectively defend themselves, INCLUDING, walking away. A push by itself doesn't warrant a Martial Artist to escalate the situation to where the Martial Artist finds themself in jail, and then the court/judge is going to have no choice but to levy proportional fines/jail times when the Martial Artist "chooses" by one's own actions to not walk away. Especially when the court/judge asks..."When the opportunity presented itself; why didn't you just walk/run away?" A minority of jurisdictions require a victim to "retreat to the wall" if it's safe to do so, before using any force. "Retreat to the wall" is generally construed to mean taking any reasonable and apparent avenue of exit. However, even minority jurisdictions don't require retreat under three circumstances. There's no duty to retreat from one’s own home, if one is being or has been robbed or raped, or if the victim is a police-officer making a lawful arrest. Or, how about this. Your student doesn't just walk away because you as the instructor didn't teach this type of methodology in self-defense, your student defends him/herself based on what you taught him/her. Now, you're defending yourself in a court of law because of what/how you taught. Why? In addition to it being necessary for a Martial Arts student to be aware of how the law works, it is necessary for the instructor/sensei to be aware of his/her role as well. In the law there is a theory known as respondeat superior. This is a term meaning "let the employer be liable." It allows a person who takes legal action against another to sue the defendant's master/employer. The theory behind this is that the individual who caused the harm would not likely have caused it had he not been fulfilling some duty for or performing some skill learned from the master/employer. Under the Theory of Agency, the principal is liable for unlawful acts which he causes to be done through an agent. There are three possible ways in which a martial arts instructor might be held liable as the principal for the unlawful acts of his students, as agents. First, if the instructor appears to ratify or approve of unlawful conduct, he may be held liable for the commission of such acts. Thus, a dojo which encourages the use of excessive force, or lethal force in inappropriate situations may be seen to ratify and approve of unlawful conduct. Similarly, an instructor who continues to teach a student who has abused his knowledge may be held responsible, if not liable, for subsequent torts. An instructor may be held liable for having entrusted a student with ‘an extremely dangerous instrumentality’. "[W]hen an instrumentality passes from the control of a person, his responsibility for injuries inflicted by it ceases. However, when an injury is caused by an exceptionally dangerous instrumentality, or one which may be dangerous if improperly used, a former owner or possessor may ... be charged with responsibility for [its] use...." The implications for instructors who teach potentially lethal techniques is clear. An instructor may be liable for harm to the student or other parties as a result of negligent instruction. Anyone who holds himself out as an expert capable of giving instruction is expected to conform to the standards of his professional community. Thus, any instructor who, by his own negligence, fails to provide, teach and require adequate safe-guards and supervision, may be liable for any resulting injury. No matter what you're answer might be, courts uphold the law, therefore, imho, Martial Artists are held accountable for our actions moreso than a laymen when these actions speak against a reasonable response in the eyes of the court. We can laugh at the tenets/maxims of the Martial Arts all that we want and excuse our actions all we want, but, Funakoshi Sensei had it right when he said..."There is no first strike in Karate." I'd bet my money that the court would rule, although the Martial Artist was pushed first, and being pushed can be viewed as an assult, the Martial Artist "choose" to assult the victim first with greater bodily harm. Yes, your attacker will now be the victim instead of you. While the principles of self-defense at tort law are similar to those at criminal law, the mode of analysis, and areas of emphasis differ. In general, self-defense is valid when a person has reasonable grounds to believe that he is about to be attacked. Under these circumstances, he may only use such force as is reasonably necessary to protect against the potential injury. Since only reasonable ground are required, a genuine mistake with respect to the attack will still support the right to self-defense. Once the attack or tort has ended, so does the right to self-defense. Yes, you were pushed, but, that's all that is was, just a push. Retaliation is never permitted.

Isn't it interesting to see just how many different ways there is to do a side kick? It's kind of cool! After all, imho, it's just a side kick and there's no reason to make a mountain out of a mole-hill...Up, Out, Back, and Down...that's a side kick...or...any kick for that matter.