sensei8

Pro-Wrestiling is preceived assumptions! Could the movements truly hurt? Yes. Would the movements be effective? Yes. Would've, could've, and should've are all possibles.

Sounds like what I'm reading here is akin to shunning. Works for me! Lessons must be taught in the martial arts, not just physical ones!

I'm not going to beat you up, and you're absolutely correct when you say its just a theory. Here's my theory/opinion based on your observation(s)... All 4 of your "phases" are infinite. Huh? Learning, understanding, applying/fighting, and mastery/perfection are REACCURING in the practitioner each and every time when the practitioner is faced with a "new" technique(s). When is it "new"? When something has never been experienced before! One never truly goes from one rung to another and stay there, therefore, each rung must be revisited as things are learnt no matter the rank/experience. Even within that, the 4 phases are constant with no end because one can't truly master anything in the martial arts. Why? One reason is that we're flawed humans, therefore, we're not perfect. Two, mastering something is no more than an illusion, therefore, mastery/perfection don't exist. Master/Expert are nothing more than labels attached, but, these labels assume alot about "us" as humans. I'm a Hachidan/Hanshi and blah blah, but I'm NO master and I'm NO expert because my learning curve changes from moment to moment as well as from discovery to discovery. This is my path in the martial arts!

First of all...great post! I thank you for it! It's not important to me! Why? Because after all of the many differences, it's still just the martial arts. Distinctions are nothing more than labels, imho! We can be compassionate about the distinctions but we shouldn't allow this to blind us to what it is that we all are doing...the martial arts! I don't care about the semantics because semantics are just that. They [semantics] muddle a conversation about the martial arts, therefore, they serve no valuable purpose. Am I guilty of it? Yes, from time to time, but, aren't we all from time to time! Let us not be worried about this and that because the this and that will take care of itself...just train!

This reminds us all...one can't judge a book by its cover!

Listed below are my picks of winners: Lesnar St. Pierre Fitch Bisping Akiyama Coleman Danzig O'Brien Kim Dollaway Grice Hopefully the way I've listed the winners of UFC 100 is appropriate.

Congrats on your Sandan testing. I realize it's your normal job to come up with more professional looking certs for Yudansha's and upper Kyu's...but...doesn't your organization have certs for your sensei/judging panel to sign already? Who came up with those? Those who came up with them before, couldn't they translate the kanji for you? Doesn't your sensei/judging panel already have a Sandan cert for you already?

Kanazawa Sensei has a great DVD out called "KANAZAWA MASTERING KARATE: TE-WAZA", this is an excellent DVD. This DVD is produced by Rising Sun Productions and it's found almost anywhere.

My bad! I wasn't trying to sound all Zen and that. I was just getting a little tired of reading and hearing the argument of what's better and all of that. Just shut up and train! I also like Funakoshi Sensei's answer to why he practiced Karate...to get better! A cheeseburger is better! No, a hamburger is better! SHUT UP...just be happy you're even eating at all! I know...it's the preference thing...that's fine...but...eat the darn thing and let's just move on for the love of cheeseburger/hamburger lovers across the world over.

MOVE THE WEAPON AROUND YOUR HEAD! NOT... MOVE YOUR HEAD AROUND YOUR WEAPON! What's the importance of this basic in Kobudo training? It never ceases to amazes me how often this rule is ignored/violated. It's violated/ignored in class, at tournaments, and during testing. Why? LACK OF PRACTICE! Lack of confidence! Respect of the weapon is what's needed, not being in fear of said weapon! Moving ones head around the weapon unbalances the practitioner, changes posture, and changes the center-line; these spell disaster for the Kobudo practitioner. Transitional changes with a weapon are then compromised by moving ones head around the weapon. What other things could happen by moving ones head around the weapon?

This martial arts versus that martial arts have been debated for as long as I can remember. Nothing's ever solved, imho, with these types of discussions for one reason or another. Both sides of the fence are just as compassionate as the other, therefore, only argumentations can only ensue from these type(s) of conversations. The missing the forest for the trees seems to become prevalent with these type of arguments. Conclusion...just be happy that you're even training in an effective martial arts at all!!!! Your thoughts?!?

When I was just a kid, my parents had me go through a series of urethal dilation to stem off my bed-wetting...QUACKS...every single one of them! The dilation is one of the most barbaric things to put any child/person through. WHY? It's done in the doctors office, you're put under anesthesia, something that resembles a long knitting needle is inserted into the male organ, thus, dilation is achieved somehow. Then, they bring you out of anesthesia and before you're allowed to leave the doctors office you've got to urinate...this is where the screaming and crying begins. Why? The dilation causes so much pain and so much blood when you first urinate after dilation, it's inhuman! It usually takes about 3-4 more visits to the bathroom at home before the pain/blood stops. The urethal dilation done at the hospital is 10 times worse as far as the pain and the blood is concerned. I'd never do this to my two sons and I pray that they never do it to their sons. After all of the pain/blood I endured as a child...the urethal dilation DIDN'T WORK!!! Please seek out other alternatives to cure bed-wetting if you're entertaining urethal dilation because it's beyond pain...and it doesn't work!!!!

Nobody's surprised that politics have raised its ugly head in tournaments! No matter where one might look in the martial arts, politics are evident. No instructor should EVER judge their own student, no matter the division! This destroys the integrity of the tournament. If one of my students were in a ring that I was one of the judges, I'd excuse myself to conserve the integrity of the tournament!

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Nothing improves anything without practice...tons of practice! Some good ideas have been covered in this thread and they can't be argued with, but, without practice nothing is achieved.

It's going to be difficult to write about Te waza's in general terms with any effectiveness without having the general knowledge. It'll show up in your writing, imho. Te waza can be such a broad topic, and in your writing, it'll show up as rambling. One must experience Te waza in order to write about Te waza...this can't be avoided. Good luck with your writings.

WOW! What a question! The martial arts is all I've ever known and it's all that I'm truly passionate about. To answer the question at hand... I'd be BORED out of my skull! I just don't truly know what I'd be doing if it weren't for the martial arts. Having said that... I would've been a police officer if I wasn't a martial artist. Yes, I know that as a police officer I would've been able to do both. That's fine, but, I would've dedicated my life to law enforcement and I would've done some self-defense as part of being a police officer.

I know I'm late with this, but, I've been a little busy... LAKERS WIN! LAKERS WIN! LAKERS WIN! With that win...that gives the Lakers...LAKERS WIN...LAKERS WIN...sorry...with that win the Lakers have won 15 NBA Championships...LAKERS WIN...LAKERS WIN!!!!! Ok...now...GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yet, without the human factor, the martial arts is nothing. What? It couldn't have been created without the human factor being directly involved with its totality. Music, for example, is nothing UNLESS there's a human factor involved in its totality! Therefore, without the human factor, the martial arts is just a thing; nothing by itself. Add the human factor, well, that's a different matter. Why? The human factor adds life to 'it' and when that happens, the summation of why is to the summation of because! 'It' can't be independent from the artists if there is no human factor in its totality. 'It' just is! IMHO!

One of the Board of Regents brought something to my attention this afternoon. The testing room will be packed! "Huh?" was my response. "Think about it. It's not everyday that someone tests for a Hachidan, let alone a Hachidan in Kobudo. More importantly, it's not everyday that someone gets to watch the Kaicho/Hombu Chief Instructor TEST! The room will be packed" says the member of the Board of Regents. "Do I get a percentage of the door?" was all I could say at that time.

With your permission...I could show your cert to my Dai-Soke for a complete interpretation.

My belt...my rank...Doesn't make me who I am as both a person and a martial artist. No! My belt/rank; are nothing more than platitudes! What's inside of me}heart, mind, and soul} this makes me who I am as a person and a martial artist. You want my certs? You want my belt? You want my rank? Here they are...you can have them. But...my knowledge/experience is MINE! The DMV can take my drivers license and all of its priviledges away, but, guess what? They can't take away my driving knowledge/experience. I'll get a bus pass!

Our interpretations of Kata are only limited by our imaginations, but, are they effective?!?!

I was a Jr. Black Belt, 14 years old. I was in my Dai-Soke's office, which was allowed, but what I did wasn't allowed...ever...when out of nowhere I did the stupidest thing... I saw it hanging, I was tempted, and I was by myself...three wrong things for a curious kid, as I was, to be... I committed the biggest sin in a Dojo...or at least in my Dai-Soke's Dojo... I couldn't resist it....it begged of me to do it... I put on my Dai-Soke's belt.... AND I WAS CAUGHT RED-HANDED!!!! My Dai-Soke wasn't happy, this is to say the least, he was furious! "What are you doing?" yells my Dai-Soke I jumped out of my skin from fear alone...what should I do? What should I say? I was stuck with my mouth wide open and I was shaking... "I said, What are you doing?" my Dai-Soke yells even louder I stammered...no...I nearly wet myself... "I was pretending to be you!" was my answer... "What? GET IT OFF Nnnnnooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!" This was followed by some words in Japanese that I still don't know what my Dai-Soke was saying, but, I'm sure it wasn't good...for me that is. I was suspended for 2 months! Harsh? No! I knew better, but, sheech, I was just a kid, a curious dumb kid! My Dai-Soke forgave me! I never EVER did that again!

Enjoy... http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-rcscantmiss061109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I didn't follow the NHL this year...sorry that I didn't. Congrats to the Penquins!!!!!