sensei8

The systemic bias is an human flaw because any biased approach creates the birth of limitations for both the style and for the practitioner. Blinder wearing MAists only see what they want to see, and this sets in motion the limitations of which oftentimes handcuffs the style and the practitioner. Imho!!

Any methods of learning should be entertained as to the many possibilities. Question was asked...IS IT OK WITH YOU...and for me, it's not ok, FOR ME. I'm thirsty for that human contact of training in the MA because to many unnoticed questions that are unanswered.

Well, usually I'm quite thorough with my investigations no matter the topic. Especially when my life depends on it. Seems that I dropped the wrecking ball...right on my head and foot. I'm suppose to have my 4th LEUPROLID shot this Friday on May 28th, 2021...suppose to. That, as well as, the Radiation treatments will have to be put on the back burner for a very quick pause. The medical insurance I once HAD when I lived in Texas, Molina, which pretty much paid for 90% of my medical bills for my treatments, isn't accepted in Nevada; Molina is only accepted in about 10 states; Nevada is not one of those states that accept Molina. So I left a great treatment plan and medical insurance in Texas, for what ended up being the unknown in Nevada. For 3 exhausting weeks, my wife and I searched for medical insurance, but to no avail. One phone call turned into another phone call, which turned into another suggested place to call. One application turned into one denial after another. I burned up my phone and laptop in the vigilant search for medical insurance. Adding me to my wife's medical insurance from her new job would cost us over $1K per month. I've always said, money over patient care!! Doctors have said since day one, I will die one day, but NOT from prostate cancer!! I was starting to see that prognosis is reverse. One turn down...one denial...one refusal...one dashed hope after another. I was quite overwhelmed, and the corner of not having any medical insurance that I was painting myself in was getting smaller my the day. I spoke with my Oncologist, and we had set a plan. I can, even though not highly recommended, delay treatment for a quite very short time. I needed to get my medical records asap, but that's what it is, and I also needed an appointment for a Medical Oncologist asap. At each failed attempt to secure medical insurance, I was starting to see a dismal short future for me without any hope. My roller-coaster ride that I was on caused me to bawl and bawl. At each and every dark turn, I'd drop to my knees and cry out loud for God's help. Medicaid denied me! SSDI is a long and winding road; a road that I needed instant assistance. I'm to young for Medicare. I was running out of places to turn to for any assistance. Social Workers that were sympathetic and heartfelt, and I appreciated their shoulder for me to cry upon. One Cancer Center can give me a price for a consultation of $10K...for just consultation. 3 weeks!! 3 sadden weeks!! 3 unproductive weeks!! Friday might be here, but Sunday's coming!! God answered our prayers!! Nevada Health Link Marketplace!! I qualify with my 2-3 Life Changing Events, Tax Credits, and with Gods blessings!! Yesterday night, my wife, Linda and I FINALLY secured Medical Insurance as well as Dental Insurance, and with our Tax Credits, my monthly cost is ZERO, and my co-pay is very low. The new Medical Insurance will bein on July 1st!! However, this is all depending on our Income Verification; which I don't foresee any difficulties. Everything is in God's hands!! So, now I wait for final approval, and then the Medical Insurance Cards, and then, visiting a new Oncologist so that my treatments can resume; the sooner the better!! Thank you, God!!

It's part of the fun... The best part! Oh yes indeed for sure!!

Sorry, Patrick!!

The next stage never ends. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Official?? Not in an all over general terms. Each style of the MA has their "official" Sai Kata's, and then there's the Governing Bodies "official" Sai Kata's, and then there's the CI/Dojo "official" Sai Kata's....or for anything, and not just the Sai. Many Dojo's CI allow their students at the brown belt, at the earliest, to choose a weapon to "create" their own weapons Kata. That is the means of gauging the maturity and understanding of the students acquiring knowledge and experience; maturity, being the key words here. To be for sure, the Sai Kata's have there origins, and I don't dispute that history whatsoever. Splintering off this way and that way, and over time, that which was clear and understood, has now slowly become blurred as to what's the correct answer for the correct question in anything the MA. Can it be that we'll never be satisfied with anything in the MA; we'll agree to disagree no matter what MA wise!!??

Oh yes indeed! It's very counterproductive when parents try to teach their children what I'm teaching their children. What's worse in this regards is that the parent is terrible at teaching what I'm teaching; thanks parents, but I got this, not you...not at all...not even close!! And yes indeed as well. Give the kid a break because there's not one student of any age anywhere on planet earth that gets it 100% correct; that's a delusion that needs to be forgotten. Another reminder parents...you're on the sidelines in any Testing Cycle, so if the foot's not perfect, them let ME worry about that, please and thank you!! Didn't the parent bring their child to YOU/ME/US for MA training??

Solid post!!

Solid post!! How the relevancy's used.

Congrats to your promotion, nunopicado; welcome back!! Please take care of your back; train at your pace, and by all means, don't overdue it.

I'm a blunt jerk when it comes to the spoiled parents, and I don't apologize for it. If parents just don't get it, I'll explain it to them in my professional way. My favorite saying is... "That's ok, your son/daughter gets it, which is really good because he/she is my student, and not you!!" As far as anything else a parent is confused about, I'll remind them that we all already had a nice long conversation in my office regarding many things, especially rank and the Testing Cycle and all before they joined. I invite or I don't invite, and parents have no say in that; I don't need and/or want their advice concerning MY students...yes that's their child, and I don't argue that, but anything and everything on my floor is under my total authority. They fail...practice more. They pass...they practiced a lot. If John and Mary Parent don't agree, then go somewhere else, as soon as possible! My dojo, my rules!! I've very little tolerance of parents who know better, but decide to play the "I forgot" card with me.

Judo!! Many fights end up on the ground, and if the ground is alien, then stay on your feet as long as you can. What do you mean to stay on my feet? Fight someone who lives on the ground, then, leave quietly because the grounds man/woman will get you on the ground!!

That's how it should be; confident women!! I spar the MAist in front of me, and not the man/woman. No favors, because that shortchanges the student(s) live training...I'm easy to all of my students, to a degree, but I will turn up the burners for reactions; can bring out the necessary confidence. Turn over enough rocks, that which one's seeking is revealed whether it's liked or not.

For me, it being relevant isn't relevant anymore whenever it comes to my martial art betterment. I train in Shindokan, more importantly, the MA because I want to, and not for any other reasons. If anything needs to be relevant, is my MA journey, and not the style of said MA. How can something be deemed irrelevant when it's still inside of ones heart of hearts...how can it be dead within me if it's alive to me...it's not dead, and if it's dead inside of me...who wrote the death certificate...anyone ever conduct an autopsy...anyone knows that when something is dead, that the next of kin must be notified...I'm the next of kin, and nobody notified me at all!! It's relevant to me, and if it's not to others, then they train their way and I'll train mine.

Congrats for the double promotion!! One is hard enough, but 2 is difficult across the board, doable, but the line can be quite thin some how and way in the long run.

Congrats to you and all for your promotions!! Hard work pays off in the long way. Training hard, training sincere, training for the knowledge always have their rewards.

I noticed my name's not listed above. lol

Very good stuff; can you please add something else, other than the video link, to the conversation. Thank you!!

Well, I've really no idea why Bruce added this Buddhist Eightfold Path to the Tao of JKD, other than his upbringing and all. This surely falls under the category of take what is useful and discard the rest, for me. For me, this excerpt does nothing much for my MA betterment. I suppose not everything ever written is to be understood and/or applied.

20 years is indeed a milestone, and can't be anything less than landmark; one I'm so proud to be part of. Joined: 23 Feb 2008 I've never ever once looked back in any regrets whatsoever. My beginnings here at KF were almost my endings. I've been very fortunate to have exchanged many things here at KF with many outstanding KF members. I've tried my very best to be that transparent with everyone, and not just here at KF; this is just how I am. KF came to me at a time when I needed it the most. I had been part of the SKKA hierarchy for quite some time, when Brain, bushido_man96, invited me to give KF a try. I did, just that because I saw KF as a place that I desperately needed to be a part of. You see, life is so lonely when you're part of the SKKA hierarchy, no matter how many are in the Student Body, and no matter how close I am to Soke and Dai-Soke. Egg shells can replace security in a heartbeat, whether one wants it to or not. The SKKA WAS everything to me in every shape, way, and/or form. However, the SKKA bubble is a very fragile thing, as is every MA Governing Body because ones own heart is often used as a stepping stone to the next rung in the hierarchy, and the SKKA was no exception. I was once the Kaicho, President, of the SKKA, the highest administrative position, and I can tell you without any reservation, that that position is the loneliest of them all. I climbed up the hierarchy slowly but surely, but that fragile bubble remained as a daily pressure cooker. I thought the bubble would pop at anytime, and sooner than later. Nonetheless, that proverbial needle never relaxed, but instead, day after day, that needle was going to burst the SKKA bubble. Then KF quickly became that escape from the SKKA bubble. I once again could breathe in and out painlessly, and not hyperventilating. So. I kept coming back, and I still keep coming back to KF because KF and its members are that proof that is on the floor, and I need them, more than they need me. Patrick exercised mentoring me for some reason, of which, I will never take his friendship, understanding, and leadership lightly. Neither would I take lightly that which the KF Staff has given me. Thank you all!! I have many KF members to thank in every shape, way, and/or form for all that you've each given to me. Some to the point, and some not so much to the point, but either way, I need that frankness daily. Brian, bushido_man96, became one of my closest friends here and away from KF; I own him a thanks that I might not be able to ever repay. Thank you, Brian!! We trained once, wish we had trained together more because Brian's a very solid MAist through and through!! I was able to have lunch with Ken, Bulltahr, and my wife, and we talked MA shop, and other things, as well!! Thank you, Ken!! I've enjoyed far more than I haven't while being here at KF, and God willing, I pray that I can enjoy even more here at KF, in any shape, way, and/or form. I'm no one special, just Bob who loves his family, yes, KF and it's members are part of my family, tries to do his best, and loves the MA with all of his heart and soul. Congrats KF for 20 years, and here's to 20 more years, God willing. Thank you all...I love you all!!

Congrats, Zaine; well deserved!!

Once a MAist, always a MAist. Take the dojo away and all it provides, the MAist still remains. Take the training away, the MAist remains; knowledge and experience might get rusty, but the MAist remains. Should all MA is forsaken, the MAist is still somewhere inside. After all, the MAist label is still just that, a label. I've no desire to live by any label, nor do I desire to be placed into any label by others. I'm complete in my totality as a MAist, and not because others say so. By getting on the floor and train your heart out, as though there's no tomorrow by yourself if need be. Train with other MAists that you know and trust in a plethora of topic that keep that effectiveness alive. If you train seriously, then the needed connection to Karate IS STILL THERE AND ALIVE!!

Sandan's are the bare minimum to run/open their own dojo(s), imho, however, they better know how to teach. Otherwise the dojo will run them instead of the CI running the dojo. Not one of my Sandan's need my approval to open/run a dojo as a CI. Why? That's not my place in the first place because said dojo isn't in my name as the owner; it's not my dojo. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. Trials and tribulations, as well as the unknown are part of running any business, no matter how large or small. I believe that from what you've told us, you're more than ready to take the opportunity. If I, as a Sandan, had not taken the necessary steps to open my own dojo back then, I would've not done it at all. I never needed anyone's approval to do anything whenever it came to my dojo whatsoever. That has made all of the differences. I've never opened a branch, but just a single dojo because I didn't want to serve my Student Body in any part-time capacity; that's not fair to my Student Body. Business is business! Separate the dojo from the business; both deserve that. If one suffers, than the other suffers one way or another. I've made a living in running and operating my own dojo for over 40 years, and I've never looked back. As many have stated....you got this!!

Unsu or Naifanchi