sensei8

One more rung up the ladder! Congrats!

Kiai's so low that only a dog can hear them have plagued us instructors for along time. The thing on the timid kiai's is this. Do your students truly understand the purpose of the kial? If they don't, then educate them on the purpose of and how to kiai. Once the student begins to understand the importance of the kiai, I believe that they'll kiai so loud that they'll strain their voicebox. Knowledge is paramount, this includes the kiai!!!!!!! As far as shyness goes, this is a real situation and shouldn't be ignored nor should the student be made fun of...unless you don't want your student to escape their shell of insecurity. Greatest tool for any instructor with shy students is this...are you ready?...here it comes....PATIENCE!

What about shin spurs? How does one avoid them and the like? I've ran 5 miles per day/5 days a week, weather permitting [Rain is for a duck and snow/ice is for penquins...I'm neither!] for as long as I can remember. I use to run at night until I almost got ran over...twice...in one week, now, I'll stick with a nice morning run...I can see the cars and they can see me.

Well, I could never do this with my Lego's. I was good to connect the darn things, let alone make something like Mr. Wright has/does! AMAZING!

Can God create or can God really create? Awesome! Humans are just infinitesimal in the vast that's been made by God! Imagine what's beyond the reach of the Hubble? Boggles the mind, well, my mind that is!

Now that was cool! Thanks for sharing that with us!

LOL!! A few moments? Can someone say...this is a difference of where did JusticeZero sleep that night?! The couch or in his bed....most of us men would've ended up in the dog house...with a couch/bed! Congrats JusticeZero!

Sorry! About what?

My intent is not to argue! Legitimacy can become meaningless when I, for example, start to certify my students in Shindokan TaeKwonDo or just TKD under the Shindokan banner whilst my TKD rank isn't high enough in TKD to certify/rank in TKD, eventhough my Shindokan rank is more than enough to certify/rank ONLY in Shindokan, not TKD. It seems that I'd be passing out oxymoron certs; oil and water just don't mix.

Yes I did and Yes I have seen this happen!

Acts of self-promoting has caused many a rifts inside the martial arts. I'm sure Kano and Funakoshi have turned over in their graves more than once.

An instructors class? I can't imagine any organization not having one! It's a no-brainer, imho. This, an instructors class, keeps all of the instructors on the same page as the Chief Instructor/Hombu.

Anyone that finds themself in a similar situation, then I'd suggest to this person. Approach this situation with kid gloves. While they're in a Catch-22, it's their money, thier training, and they just want all instructors to be on the same page as the Chief Instructor; that's not much to ask for! If the instructor at question just can't get on the same page as the Chief Instructor, then, it's time for that instructor to open his own school, or, it's time for that student to find a school free of baggage, just as you did.

ROFLMBBO

I see an astronaut telling NASA...."I don't think so! You first!"

Cute! Someone had nothing else to do during their day.

Thanks for these Patrick! I got a real big kick out of them. I salute the employers who allowed their employee's to do this. Very creative....very!!!!

Happy Memorial Day to every vet, both past/present, and for those vets in the future...THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICES FOR THEY SHALL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN...EVER...OR TAKEN LIGHTLY...EVER!!!!! I love you and I thank you for you and your families will always be in my prayers!

What about lunch suggestions for an all day test? For me, I will eat a small cup of cottage cheese with 1 piece of a peach.

Nope, sorry, I've never heard about him. Which means nothing because we all live in a real big world.

Chonan IS a beginner's Kata, its a power Kata, not too many movements make up either Chonan or Chonan Shodan; it's usually taught to White, Yellow, and/or Orange Belts. Akira Kitagawa, Shorin-Ryu; Kitagawa Sensei is credited with the Chonan Kata's as he was taught the Chonan Kata series by Master Itosu. Did Master Itosu create the Chonan Kata seriers? The verdict is still out on this, depending on whom one talks to. Kitagawa Sensei had trained in Shuri-te under Master Matsumura and Master Itosu. Kitagawa Sensei's methods were considered cruel in todays Dojo's; students often trained on ice barefoot and Kitagawa Sensei's student would say that sparring/training on the ice was a battle of life and death. It was very common for Kitagawa Sensei's students to be found smashing their fists/feet/arms/shins into trees until the bark fell off the trees, still, the fallen bark wasn't a signal to stop....one would wait for the signal to stop way into the darkness. Well, this is what I know of Kitagawa Sensei as told us of the Shindokan Karate-Do by our Soke, Fuyuhiko Saitou Sensei. How did my Soke know of Kitagawa Sensei? That was never expressed by my Soke Saitou Sensei. As to its meaning...well..."First born son" is widely recognized, but, again, it depends on which Karate camp one speaks to.

As the black belt surrounds ones waist; so does the virtue of the black belt surrounds the practitioner!

I'm a firm believer in Tameshiwara, yet, this should have no bearing in ones martial arts abilities at all...ever! You said it all in your title of this topic...Gathering Drive from Disappointment! Drive leads to success! Besides, boards don't hit back...unless you do it wrong!

An acceptable time? That varies...doesn't it? Are we asking for the next rank test? Are we asking for knowing the embusen? Are we asking for knowing the steps from start to finish? Is my student handicapped in any way? 1 year...1 month...1 day...1 week...1 semester? What is an acceptable time for a student to go from, ie Heian Shodan to Heian Nidan? When the students practiced it 300...500...1000? Why is that enough or isn't enough? Is the kata being taught understood? Understood partially? Understood completely? When can someone ever completely understand anything in the martial arts, especially kata? Is the kata being performed done perfectly? Is perfect enough? Is the student a natural at kata? Is the student a kata champion? Is that enough, to be kata champion? Has the student reached a new zenith in the kata? Is the acceptable way the same for all students across the board? Or are there other parameters that need to be considered from one student to another? What does the sensei say? What does the organization say? What does the grandmaster say? Has Bunkai been considered? Has Oyo Bunkai been considered? Has knowing the history of the said Kata been considered? What does the syllabus say? Does the syllabus about the Kata matter? Nothing can be etched into stone, this is for sure! Therefore, my answer is this...Whenever I determine that my student is ready for learning the next Kata! Not my Hombu! Not my Dai-Soke! Not nobody but myself! When the time is right...that time/moment will present itself in its own time/moment...not until then. Is this vague? No...it's my way for what I've determined as to be appropriate for all of my students. My students are here to learn how to defend themselves in the most effective way possible...not to worry about when they get to learn the next kata for the next testing cycle! Never rush...this is what I tell my students...rushing can only invite failure...let time present itself when time is ready to do so! Time will take care of itself, therefore, shut up and just train...on the present and previous kata's! I'm still training in kata...day after day...and I've been doing this for over 4 decades...this journey never satisfies itself...it's never pleased with my efforts....there's always something to discover/reveal on my path...no matter! An acceptable time? What's that? Since when did time become the Sensei?

Brian, In these two video's, I didn't see when, if at all, the hips opened up for the power curve...did you? Seemed more like the power was derived from the momentum of the leg/body as well as to the weight of the leg. Other than that, I saw that the hook/spin return happened way after impact. Thanks for those videos!