sensei8

Welcome back, ramymensa; glad to have you back!! Solid post, as well.

For me, paragraph 4 is all about the we just get in our own way; we oftentimes, just can't help ourselves...or don't want to help ourselves. Paragraph 5 goes back to the saddest truth, and that is...being honest with ourselves is far more difficult, than one might grasp on. Yin/Yang are in everything.

Wado Heretic gave solid history and facts, this is to be for sure!! Quite depending, Yin/Yang is in everything, Karate as well. How it's applied, how it's lived, how it's interpreted, and how it's understood vary as the wind. However, the core of Yin/Yang remains nonetheless. I believe that every MA style have Yin/Yang universally tenets past, present, future within them. While one might not want to acknowledge it or not, their methodology' as well as ideology depend on Yin/Yang, and not one is without nor is it owned. How we move have the Yin/Moon and the Yang/Sun. Depending on the situation, I will move with the precept that my effectiveness can't be acceptive until proven effective or ineffective. I might deflect with Yin, and counter with Yang, or vice versa; not every target has to be addressed with only Yin or only Yang. Shindokan is both Yin/Yang in everything that we do; only the situation dictates that which of the two we must apply. I subscribe that Yin/Yang is within every single MA one way or another; otherwise, nothing exists that's effective. Which side of the hill one stands one means a lot for that moment. Can't stand in both places at one time, either the sun hits you directly on the Yang side or it doesn't on the Yin side, the sun still shines...somewhere. Any Yin, soft/negative/etc in Karate? Yes; undoubtfully...every Karate. The practitioner determines it's own Yin, time and time again, but for cause. Sure, some Karate styles claims to Yin and not Yang, however, no MA can't have the Yin without the Yang; virtually impossible. Imho.

I wholeheartedly agree!!

Did Lab work this morning. Lab work must always been completed prior to any Scan. So it makes since, somehow and someway, to do Lab today because I've Bone Scan and CT Scan on February 9, 2021, starting at 8am. Then, Lab again, on the same day that I visit my Oncologist on February 19, 2021. No Lab that day either, due to a schedule oversight; Lab BEFORE any Scan, and not same day. I was told that the Lab helps with the Scan parameters and such. I should be getting another shot of LEUPROLID the same day, February 19, 2021, because it's been 3 months since my last shot back on November 20, 2020. I hope that that shot is administered to my arm and NOT to my hip; that shot in the hip is NOT fun at all.

Congrats, Himokiri Karate; well deserved!!

Solid post!! Welcome back, odsouza; glad that you're back. Look forward to reading your posts.

To know ones enemy, is to know oneself. If I only know myself, then I am limited. Breaking free from limitations enables me to experience and understand that which is not just Shindokan. Therefore, the shackles that are of Shindokan are broken for all time because I'm learning my enemy far better, and therefore, I can be far more prepared for whatever my enemy is capable of. For example, TKD practitioners are well known for their high kicks. In my early tournament days, I wasn't able to defeat a TKD practitioner much because I'd never been exposed to the effectiveness of their kicking arsenal; I walked into them as though I was wearing a blindfold. Drove me absolutely nuts. So what did I do? As a Shindokan JBB, I joined a TKD Dojang, against my Soke and Dai-Soke's wishes, for a solid year earning a Green Belt. Shindokan kicks are stomach down, yet with my learning TKD as well as their evasive and surprising kicks, I was understanding more about their methodology and ideology; I was learning to know my enemy better. There's not much a TKD practitioner can surprise me with; I got in their heads as much as they got into mine. That's why I began, and continue, to cross-train to this day.

Interesting. How does this affect the curriculum? e.g. maybe you need pinan shodan for yellow, pinan nidan for orange, pinan sandan for green, pinan godan for blue, pinan yondan for purple (just a hypothetical). So now it'd be "pinan shodan, nidan and sandan for green"? We shifted ever so slightly. Since Yellow, Orange, Blue, and Purple were dropped all together, Kata's were moved to the experience levels; beginning, intermediate, and advanced accordingly. Curriculums changes really are quite easy, for the most part. Kata order is unchanged, in that, move this way or that way into their appropriate experience levels. Beginners: Pinan Shodan and Nidan Intermediate: Pinan Sandan, Yondan and Godan Advanced: Naifanchi Shodan, Nidan and Sandan

They're both vitally important to any MA school; not just for the student, but for the CI and the school itself. I've had them both ever since I opened my dojo back in the late 1970's; I've never looked back. Schedules swim from this and that for all involved, and for so many different reason(s). For the fulltime MA school, private lesson are quite doable, however, for a part-time MA school, that can be quite challenging. Time is time and it can't be changed; either one has the time or one doesn't.

So, if it's not a new style, could it be a new methodology and ideology, instead?? That could be less difficult than trying to legitimize a new style. Change is inevitable in discovering new training ideas; the rage of the training page landscape is never static as new training methods and ideas are birthed quite often. With anything, whatever 'it' is, it must be proved under some microscope somewhere and somehow.

CI is the Chief Instructor...the top dog of the dojo. If you can't teach beginners, then teaching intermediate and advanced levels will be a near impossibility. Like I say all of the time...Not all black belts can teach. That's why most instructors learn the ins and outs of teaching from ones own CI before they try to teach anyone anything. For the most part, Sandan (3rd degree black belt) level is the unwritten rule of the thumb for any CI opening their own dojo. That Sandan/CI has been under the watchful eye of their very own CI so that they can learn how to teach. It's during that period, that the prospective future CI learns the ropes about teaching and they also find out if they can teach or not. Having said that, anyone can open a dojo and teach, even a very new style; nothing or no one can stop them. Students aren't blind to the capabilities of their CI pretty darn quick.

Himokiri Karate wrote: Maintaining integrity across the board at all times. Without established integrity there's no style, no CI, no effectiveness, no nothing. With established integrity, then there's no disrespecting a current lineage, if not disrespecting a current lineage is important. In short, lineage doesn't administrate in any shape, way, and/or form, and having said that, TEACH, that's the main focus of any CI. Everything else can sit on the back burner until that, whatever that might be, needs to be addressed. Integrity first rule...teaching second rule...remembering rule #1. Himokiri Karate wrote: A Free Trail lesson, but not free lessons beyond that. You've an overhead, no matter how insignificant that overhead is. The most Free Trail Lessons that I'd ever give would be 3. After that, pay to learn. If you treat you and your dojo and your style as a cheap free ride, what will students and prospective students have an impression of the package?! Again, integrity. Pay to play!! Himokiri Karate wrote: That's your soul decision to make. EFFECTIVENESS is what should be taught by the CI and what should be learned by the Student Body. Imho.

This is possibly one of the single, most difficult things for a human to do; to view something just as it is, and not as to it's meaning(s) to me and my beliefs. We all come with biases and beliefs, built up from our teaching, our learning, and our experiences with life. It can be difficult to separate these things from how we evaluate and see things. On the other end of this, is the fact that we, as people, tend to generate things from ourselves based on our own desires, thoughts, biases, beliefs, and as the collective results of our experiences. With this in mind, we expect things to be viewed a certain way already within our mind's eye. Being able to see and reflect on something as it is, can, indeed, be a challenge. Solid post; said so far better than what I said on the topic at hand.

To me, this relates quite well to another quote of Bruce Lee... “Honestly expressing yourself...it is very difficult to do. I mean it is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky and be flooded with a cocky feeling and then feel like pretty cool...or I can make all kind of phony things, you see what I mean, blinded by it or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself...now that, my friend, is very hard to do.” ~ Bruce Lee That's the essence of anyone, and not just MAists. We see things through not of our own understandings but that which separates us from that which we've what we know...experience and knowledge. One can't look for reality in fighting with preconceived notions or through the eyes of a MAist or a boxer or a wrestler. To truly see what is taking place, you must look for what is real with the unfettered or unbiased mind. HONESTLY!! If you look through the eyes of a Karate practitioner or a TKD practitioner, or any other MA practitioner, you will only see things only in the terms of a Karate practitioner or a TKD practitioner or any other MA practitioner; one will not see the unbiased picture. Yes, be careful, because perception is reality to THAT person. What I see is not what anyone else sees, nor should they. Being honest with oneself is very hard to do.

Naihanchi is a Kata that expands in and through for all MA styles, and it's tenets can't be ignored, and it shall live forever in a commonality of MAists for a very long, long time. It had been once said that if one only trained in the Niahanchi kata's, one wouldn't be wasting their life!!

I truly believe that Daniel and Julie will only have that connection through Miyagi, and no romantic connections whatsoever; Daniel and Amanda are a very strong, union, and love for one another. Even in watching Daniel and Ali reunion, there was that unspoken love for one another, but that was then, and now, they've both separate lives and new responsibilities in a new spouse and children. They're live long close friends, and memories cherished, and not for a season, but for a reason.

Out of curiosity, I'd check it out. Whether I watch the entire thing or not, well, depends on how the story is told, and how fairy-tale it is, if at all. Anyone starts flying, I'd turn it off. I don't doubt the swordsmanship of Miyamoto Musashi who had 60 documented fights in his lifetime. However, 60 is not 400, and to me, 400 is quite far-fetched, and come to find out, there's actually 588 that he fights against. Miyamoto Musashi does take few rests while his attackers regroup for their next assault.

If you can teach, yes. Otherwise, no. Who am I to say if you can teach or not?? A prospective student, but as a student, and as a customer, I am the one who decides who I want teaching me anything, especially the MA. I'd watch no less than 3 classes of each level; beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Teaching ability is everything across the board...demeanor, communication, and effectiveness on and off the floor.

Solid post!! Founders and the like chose what they consider effective to their methodology and ideology. Our Soke chose the Kata's from Okinawa-te and Shuri-te, and then made changes as he felt necessary, no matter how minor or not.

Brian, I like your choses of who could play whom. Maybe The Rock as Bolo. I do agree with your views on the story line being more between the protagonists. However, not to much because after all, what's a MA movie without much MA?!? Mortal Kombat. huh?? I can see that, I just pray that I don't ever see it for real. Wait, wait, wait, ETD had Lee jump up into a tree from the ground...both movies had fantasy elements.

Bob. That's it. Bob. Just Bob. Plain Bob. When it's formal, just Sensei. No Sensei Bob or Sensei Mitcham. When Soke and Dai-Soke were alive, it was Mitcham Sensei...which was quite funny to hear them say my last name...often because of that, it would be just Sensei, or quite a lot of pointing and gesturing. Great thing about the name Bob is that no matter how you spell it...forwards...backwards...upside down...sideways...it's still Bob. I think my parents were trying to tell me something.

Thank you, Brian!! Just tired of having one door after another slammed in my face!!

Karate, imho, doesn't need to be recognized by MMA and/or the like. Neither Karate or MMA need recognition from either because neither are subjected to one another. In short, recognize or don't recognize Karate; in their own rights, they are complete in their totality, it's the practitioner that needs the recognition overall. Once again, Imho.

Ikken Hissatsu...To Kill With One Blow. This, as I was taught, is that all is focused is at and through said target. Scattered brain, is that focus that's not centered on and through said given target. In short, every technique should be performed with full intent and conviction; total resolve, and if not, then the opponent has already won. Reaching an end. Finalization. "I'm the Master, not the student." So on and so forth. These statement demonstrate that the accomplishments, like rank, are far more important than knowledge and experience. It's the doing, and not the end result that excites and drives me. WHAT ELSE IS THERE?? I prefer that over, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE. Seems quite closed mind through and through. To and through the target is filled plethora of possibilities...there's more to this and that, then what one's just reached, like a reverse punch, in that, there's far more than what's at any given end point of the reverse punch. Scratching the surface, is doing something, however, reaching FAR for what's beyond the surface is more important than just the act. My I dare to say, that to me, that's Shu Ha Ri,