sensei8

I busted a gut whenever I read…”I will fall asleep if I meditate that long.” As far as just how long one should meditate is left up to that person. Meditate as long as your heart leads you.

5th Dan!! Milestone!! CONGRATS; well deserved!! I greatly enjoyed reading your OP and I thank you for sharing it with us!! Made me think back to when I earned my 5th Dan; what a hard fought battle that Testing Cycle was, but well worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears. Earning one’s 5th Dan means many various things to many people. Opportunities abound for those who earn a 5th Dan of which have to be seriously considered while continuing on their MA journey. Is 5th Dan a Master of said art?? Maybe…Maybe not. That’s not what should be in the foremost thing in their mind. My Sensei’s Sensei always said that, “Only others can say that someone is a Master, and not the one that has earned a 5th Dan”. I know your integrity and I greatly respect you wholeheartedly. I know just how hard you’ve trained in TKD and I can’t be even more proud of what you’ve earned these many, many years. CONGRATULATIONS ON EARNING YOUR 5TH DAN!! What is the name of the new form?? I agree with you, Brian, don’t wait 11 years for your 6th Dan…maybe 5 or 6.

Congratulations, JazzKicker on earning your 4th Dan, especially after 30 years as a 3rd Dan; milestone, for sure!!

First steps can always be difficult. My congrats for you taking that first step to improve your health. With any diet, I encourage you to share your diet plans with your doctor. Your doctor might be be able to fine tune your new diet. Worth a try. Good luck!!

If I may… Gohon Kumite is 5-Step Sparring and Sanbon Kumite is 3-Step Sparring.

Did you pass?? Congrats to your school on how well you all did at the National Instructor Seminar!!

Very interesting!! Sounds good to me because change is inevitable, and MLB isn’t an exception to that, and I’m glad for that. Let’s see what we see at that time.

We “meditate” 5 minutes before and after class!! It was our way because it was our founders way, and that tradition stayed with us whenever we ran our own dojo’s. Sometimes, habits are difficult to break!! Because it was our way, it’s not wrong for us.

Our Senior Testing Cycles take 2-3 DAYS to complete due to the amount of material, both physical and written, that’s required. Kyu Testing Cycles can take many different hours depending in the kyu being tested. Dan Testing Cycles can take 1-2 days to complete. Both of our founders were from Okinawa and migrated to the USA. Whenever it came to certain things, they were extremely strict to the Nth degree…and beyond. Why? I believe that they perhaps didn’t trust us whatsoever, so they made us go over EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING, from Jukyu up to Hachidan. Yes, Hachidan rank didn’t escape the grueling Testing Cycle at all It was their baby and their house. When in Rome, might apply.

Look who STILL wants to coach football?? Bill Belichick!! Belichick speaks with the UNC Tar Heels about the Head Coach position!! Belichick interviewed the other day and Belichick’s interest is “high and genuine”. However, his age and lack of college experience might stand in his way of obtaining the Head Coach of the Tar Heels!! If I’m a team, I’d hire Belichick…period!! So, this is your opportunity Jerry Jones to speak to Belichick and give him whatever he wants so he can coach the Cowboys out of mediocrity and back where they deserve…Super Bowl Champs!! Unless, you enjoy where the Cowboys are at and will more than likely remain there?!? GO COWBOYS!!

One thing that we’ve not touched on much, or not at all is that we, the CI, might the reason(s) for why the student isn’t engaging on the floor. Perhaps what we’re teaching doesn’t seem to have much relevance for said student(s). At first things being taught were relevant until what was being taught wasn’t relevant anymore. Maybe whoever is teaching, CI or an instructor, are boring the tar out of said student. Kids need stimulation when they’re learning and if a student is so darn uninterested in who’s teaching, they lose any remaining drive. Maybe what’s being taught is difficult for the student, and if the CI isn’t sensitive to that whatsoever, why should the student even care anymore?!? Maybe the training load is way too much. It should be quality over quantity. It can be easy to overload the training from our perspective but having a consistent training pace that’s more beneficial for the students. 2-3 and not having 10 things to do is more beneficial for the students. Is the atmosphere negative?? Is the CI supportive of the what’s happening in their Student Body?? Negative energy can be such a discouraging experience and no one wants to continue in that atmosphere. Oftentimes, personal issues can cast a cloud over the student like mental health or difficulties at home. This can make wanting to learn anything more challenging. What if the student has never found the love of wanting to learn?? What if the student has never felt the need to challenge themselves?? That seed has to have fermented first for any roots to ever thrive in the first place. Not all grounds take to being fertilized no matter what. Before the CI passes the fault to the student, first look into the mirror first honestly. That can be quite difficult to do. Inmo!!

In my opinion, the Raiders should’ve went for the FG instead of going for either better field position for a TD or a FG which ended up the Raiders coughing up the ball. Sure the Raiders snuffed a FG not long ago, but FG kickers usually don’t flub a FG back to back. Bad play calling from someone either in the booth or on the field.

That’s the risk one might have to take no matter the outcome. First time a student disrupts class, that student is removed from the class, while put on notice that any further disruptions of the class will result in being removed from the Student Body. Of course, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified immediately of both the violation(s) and disciplinary action(s).

Raiders Head Coach, Antonio Pierce, just might be the next coach to be fired. Missed FG and a fumble did the Raiders in for their 8th straight loss this season. At one brief moment, the Raiders led the game over the Chiefs with the score being Raiders 17 and Chiefs 16. Then Chiefs score with a FG…Raiders 17 and Chiefs 19, and that’s where the score stayed. Opportunity #1 for the Raiders to go ahead and possibly win the game and end their losing streak: >Raiders missed a FG because the kicker dragged his foot on the grass causing the ball to go wide!! Opportunity #2 for the Raiders to go ahead and possibly win the game and end their losing streak: >Raiders FUMBLE the ball on the Chiefs 32 yard line with 11 seconds remaining in the game. Final Score Raiders 17 and Chiefs 19. Raiders are their worse enemy!! Instead of going to do a FG with 15 seconds remaining at the Chiefs 32 yard line, the Raiders opt to go on 3rd down and FUMBLE the ball!! A Raider win would’ve possibly been the upset of the season. Unfortunately, the Raiders can’t get out of their own way whenever it counts!!

As with anything, if one is forced, the person in question will begin to hate the MA. Give that person what they want, and for cause, let them go. The sooner the better for all concerned.

Anything after Sandan!! Anything before that was an unnerving grind for me!! Please don’t misunderstand me, I loved everything to the Nth degree during those times. I’d never trade those years for anything!! Nonetheless, even to this day I’m ashamed of the mind set that I laboriously grinded through. Why?? I despise rank chasing because rank, imho, is not why anyone should be on the floor. Seeking knowledge and experience through improving one’s MA betterment and integrity is far more noble than chasing rank, and that’s exactly what I did…I chased rank; it consumed me!! I chased rank like some obsessed fiend. Yet, right after I earned my Sandan, I completely surrendered my worthless mind set of chasing rank. I was only 20 years old when I earned my Sandan. I chased after earning my Sandan because I believed that once I earned my Sandan, I could open my own dojo…which is exactly what I did despite anything else. I knew way back as a JBB that all I wanted to do was to teach and own my own dojo. I was a JBB for 5 long grueling years, however, in my twisted mind, I believed that I needed to earn my Sandan at any cost and at any risk. So, I would only want to relive those years after I earned my Sandan, and not before.

I thought that the Tag-Team competition was a very interesting concept. I’d love to see it in a real tournament.

The coach isn’t always at fault!! The head coach answers to those who are in a higher pay rate. The motto of WE WIN TOGETHER AND WE LOSE TOGETHER sounds good until accountability is required.

Congratulations, JazzKicker; well deserved!!

On another note… The Raiders, my wife’s favorite team of all, lost to the Broncos at home 29-19, their 7th straight loss, which will soon be 8 straight losses when they play against the hosting Chiefs. Raiders are saying after their most disappointing loss that they’re dealing with QB uncertainty after losing Minshew with a season-ending collarbone injury. Wait!! Raiders signed Minshew to a 2-year contract that I believe that the Raiders wasted a lot of money. Minshew has not been the diamond QB, just like Prescott. First Raiders play yesterday against the Broncos, Minshew drops the football, which to me was an omen of how that game was going to end…with another loss!! Get rid of Minshew!! Yes, he’s out for the rest of the season, but either trade him or make him the 3rd string QB. Minshew is not the only problem!! Perhaps the Raiders Head Coach needs to be fired!! Something’s seriously wrong with the Raiders because I don’t believe that the Raiders are that bad of a team!! Raiders stall badly in the Red Zone consistently!! Poor Raiders!! On the Cowboys… Cowboys need to fired McCarthy and hire Belichick!! Problem with that is that Belichick wants to be both the Head Coach AND the GM. Jones has been the GM of the Cowboys ever since he bought the Cowboys, and I don’t see Jones relinquishing the GM spot to anyone, including Belichick!! Oh yeah, fire Dak!! That won’t happen because Jones loves him!! Jones must love losing more than winning. What’s a NFL team have to do??

Yes, very happy to see the Knights come alive in the 2nd quarter with those 5 goals on the ice to beat the Canadians 6-2. Crosby is such a great player overall. Yes, big milestone for the future HOFer. GO KNIGHTS!!

Poor bird!! MLB, for good reasons, will shut the game down whenever there’s lightning in the area!! But, snow, sure let’s keep playing as though it’s the NFL.

No. I’m still Type 1 diabetic. But my numbers are decreasing/diminishing slowly. Returning back to being a Pre-Diabetic is promising according to my doctors.

I do remember the Sleet Bowl between the Cowboys VS Dolphins back in ‘93. Lett’s tried but in those conditions I can’t blame him for the Dolphin win. You list some CRAZY SNOW CONDITION games that still blow my mind!! I remember that Tuck Game…what a player(s)/teams won’t do to win a game. I can remember that there have been about half-a-dozen MLB games games that have been played during a snowstorm!! Crazy pro players…one and all!

That game was insane!! Saw one fan wearing only shorts…YIKES!! I was impressed how the grounds crew staff kept the field so orderly with leaf blowers!! I remember the Snowball game in 2017 with the Colts and Bills. 17 inches of snow…give me a beak!! Glad to see Browns with the win because they’re struggling a lot and my heart goes out to the teams that have the job of being the spoiler team for the top teams. Just gotta love the underdog!! GO COWBOYS (Even though they are out of the playoffs)