sensei8

Nope, not yet.

Welcome to KF, ChpsahoySE; glad that you're here!!

We've 10 Dan Ranks. NO honorary Dan Ranks. We've Junior Black Belts reserved for students ages 13-18. ALL ranks are subjected to Testing Cycles up to and including Hachidan. Kudan is reserved for the current Kaicho. Judan is reserved for only Soke types; of which, we've abolished in recent years back.

Feedback from an experienced instructor is vitally important across the board. Without proper feedback, bad muscle memories set in, and once set in, it can be very difficult to correct. In short, how is one to know if one's doing something wrong and the like without proper feedback?! Train at home all you can, after all, correct practice is everything...and crucial for any noted improvements in ones own MA journey. Train hard and train well.

That's great news; thanks, Ken for that info.

We're staying home on Halloween; not even passing out candy this year. I really like your Halloween plans, Patrick; drive-in movies are always fun.

For the most, slowly response, in an overall sense. I had a telephone appointment with my Urology department on October 9, 2020. They asked me several questions mostly trying to gauge how I was feeling, and all. They fielded some of my questions and concerns, which eased some of my feelings of being in the dark. I've now a Social Worker assigned to me. The main goal will be applying at every possible means for Grants that concentrate on Prostate Cancer Grants. These Grants will help paying for my treatments; I've every faith that this will be successful. When we speak towards response times, my social worker was scheduled to call me back later this past Friday; I waited all day but to no avail. No call today either!! I wasn't given a phone number for me to call back because that was to be given to me on the callback. Things like this heighten my overwhelming feelings; loneliness is frightening. I do understand that I'm not the only patient under their care.

Welcome to KF, Bullduawg; glad that you're here!!

We've only one junior rank, and that is JBB.

Nowadays in the world we all live in with the Covid-19 pandemic, MA schools are needing to reinvent themselves to survive and succeed. This is where on-line grading just might be the most appropriate and responsible thing for MA schools to embrace. I am seriously considering on-line grading, being remote versus on-location grading; still tossing the idea around. Those students that still don't want to return to the floor during this pandemic, just might be receiving class and on-line grading remotely. Change is inevitable, aka, Who Moved My Cheese; change or die, in a business sense.

Alan Armstrong wrote: No!! I dictate the teaching methods and attitudes in class...in my dojo, no one else. The style or the system, to me, are just a tangible thing that made the core...the building blocks...the foundation...but never the end of its own means. Imho.

Solid post!! Knowledge and experience is forever, and can't be taken away by any outside source.

Thank you for the encouragement! I really didn't want to put it this way to Zach, because while he is halfway (rank-wise) to shodan, he still has at least 2-3 more years before he's eligible to test for shodan-sho (junior shodan), and he won't be able to test for full shodan for 5-6 years after that (due to minimum age requirements). I'm going to have to do what I can to keep him motivated as the time between gradings increase. As for me, I'm feeling that in many ways I'm halfway to shodan myself. I've now been training here for about 2 years, and I've probably got another 1.5-2 years before I'm eligible to test for shodan. I've now learned most of the material for shodan, except seisan kata and bunkai. Looking back, I can see/feel how my speed, power, and technique have improved, but unfortunately my CV conditioning has not. I really need to take the next 1.5 years to work on that so that doesn't hold me back. I'm finding you guys to be a big source of encouragement as I post each of my updates. Thank you all I'd not give Zach the halfway talk, either; that talk was meant for you, and you alone. Training is NOT for rank; training is for knowledge and experience. I'm sure that Zack's aware of the ranking structure because most dojo's have the ranking structure hanging on any given wall, which is a constant reminder. If Zach, through his CI and yourself, embraces that training is for the knowledge and experience, and not for just the earning of rank, he'll be much more well rounded as a MAist. Train hard and train well!!

I can relate and agree with him, especially in his opening statement; solid video!!

Muscle memory, in general?? Yes. Muscle memory in Kumite?? No. Two different mindsets. In Kata, no one's really trying to kill you. In Kumite, someone is trying to kill you. Both have flows and timing and reactions and this and that, but Kata has you winning all of the time, whereas Kumite doesn't have you win all of the time. Kata is a tool. Kumite is a tool. They each address different priorities, and have to be treated accordingly, and respectfully. Imho.

Rank is forever; abilities aren't forever. In that, earning higher Dan ranks are subjective across the board. A Dan rank isn't always transferable, of which, a Dan rank is only meaningful within said new school and/or Governing Body. Ken nailed that answer, so if I may, I'll use it... "Depends on the syllabus and the other organization's rules for such things." Ken nailed that one too... "Depends on the syllabus and the other organization's rules for such things." I've solid experience with this particular question, of which I covered here in detail here at KF, because after the passing of our Soke and Dai-Soke, our Governing Body known as the SKKA slowly dissolved into nothing, especially after I stepped down from being its Kaicho. Too many wanted to be in charge of the SKKA, and no one wanted to be anything less than the one in charge. Splintering rose as though it was the new rage of the page. This meant that these new splinters had to be born into a new Governing Body. I still carry the entire catalog of Archives, including the entire Rank Hard Cards, which were left to me in Dai-Soke's will. These newly founded Governing Bodies slowly sprouted, but were their ranks valid anymore?? Rank is forever!! So, they can create something from nothing, and seeing that rank is forever, these GB's can establish ranking protocols because of the backing of their knowledge and experience, of which I'd never dispute. They can hold their own Testing Cycles and promote in-house all they want; it's their student body. Therefore, seeing that they're teaching Shindokan still, they can continue the teaching, methodology, and ideology of Shindokan unabated. However, I own the brandings that made up the SKKA, including the By-Laws, the Densho Scrolls, and Logo's; everything due to the will left by Dai-Soke. Which means, I maintain complete proprietary rights to the SKKA. My own dojo is under my umbrella, lock stock and barrels. Any Shindokan practitioners rank/title is under my umbrella, but only up to the dissolvement of the SKKA and the like, and I'd not cast any aspersions whatsoever. Once again, Ken's answer was solid here. Aside and away, you've several choices... >One, remain current Dan rank forever, which is fine because knowledge and experience is far more important than rank. >Two, join another GB, and accept their final rulings over you and your current Dan rank. >Three, don a white belt proudly under a totally new umbrella; new style...new school/CI...new everything. >Four, walk into the sunset being complete in your totality.

Simply stating...Knowledge and experience and patience. Even then, not all black belts can teach.

Solid post!! NERVES!! They do in student after student during a Testing Cycle. No, RW is right, failing students doesn't make said school more legit. While my fail rate is what it is, it's the students darn nerves that do them in each and every time. I mean, man, forget the darn Testing Cycle....just execute IT and be done with it. That's why I always say..."Don't sweat the Testing Cycle because it'll take care of itself." The Testing Cycle doesn't need the students help to make it any more difficult; it's difficult enough all by itself.

Congrats Zack for earning Gokyu; a milestone rank. Gokyu is like what Wednesday is considered...hump day...middle of the week...half way to Saturday. In that, Gokyu is hump day...middle of the Kyu system...half way to Shodan. aurik, you're training is exciting to read about each time; it makes me so proud of you and Zack across the board. It also allows me to think WAY back to where you both are at in your training. Memories in ones MA journey are priceless and they should never be forgotten. I smile each and every time you share the struggles that you both are experiencing on your MA journeys because I've been where you both are, as so has so many other MAists in their own MA journey; if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and not everyone's doing the MA. Knowledge and experience should always take precedence over rank, and you both are deeply involved in the knowledge and experience each and every time you both step onto the floor to train hard and to train well. By your post, aurik, rank doesn't have precedence over knowledge and experience; always be proud of your rank because it took a lot of blood, sweat, tears...and a ton of hard work to EARN said ranks. Proud of you both!! Train hard, and train well!!

Solid post!! Congrats on completing your first Covid19 Testing Cycle; I respect greatly how you conducted it across the board. Congrats on your students with both their grading as well as enduring what we're all living through in this pandemic.

Your welcome, Danielle. A label by another name is just another label; context is everything, and you have that context, Danielle.

As already pointed out, grading integrity is as strong as the CI. Schools that pass to pass for the sake of money over effectiveness of the individual are solid reason to reconsider ones involvement with said school, and quickly. That is why every one of my students must first submit a formal request for said Testing Cycle, of which I'll either invite/approve or not invite/disapprove said candidates application to said Testing Cycle. Even IF, said student is invited/approve to said Testing Cycle, not one thing is guaranteed in any Testing Cycle; earn it, and I'm quite the taskmaster and strict whenever it comes to any Testing Cycle. Students came to me to learn, and not for me to sell them anything; they'll either earn it or not!! I don't believe in meeting said expectations; I believe in exceeding expectations. There MUST be a noted improvement across the board; I fail far more than I pass. "Why invite if you know that student will fail?" I didn't know that said student was going to fail, that responsibility is up to said student; there's an untold reasons why a student fails. The Testing Cycle will take care of itself, not the student. Imho!!

As well as effectiveness.

Solid post. In perhaps, with this idea that back in the Wild West yesterdays whenever the Chief was taken out, the Chief followers scattered in retreat. So, take care of that gangs leader or its strongest of the threats, the followers tuck their tails as they run away.

Are Kata copyrighted?? No!! I believe that the widely practiced Kata's are of public domain, therefore anyone can practice any Kata, and no one owns Kata. The copyright would be on the video itself. Any specific performance of the Kata, not the Kata itself. In that regards, Kata CAN be modified, if desired by whomever, whether it be a CI and/or a Governing Body and/or a practitioner and/or a group and/or etc. In Shindokan, we use/teach the Pinan series, for example, as well as many other Kata's found in Okinawa Karate, of which our Kata's weren't created by our Soke, just everything else found in Shindokan was. I'd not ever consider to modify and/or copyright and/or trademark a Kata because who am I to do so on a training tool that has legitimate lineage and the like, which has proven effectiveness across the board. So, yeah, modify/variate any Kata to ones heart content. Imho!!