sensei8

I really enjoy following your posts here quite a lot, Brian!! Keep it up; your a beast!!

You have to be happy wherever you train. Otherwise, the learning is suffered through an through; students must concentrate on learning and not why the CI isn't at least affable at all. Go where you'll be the happiest across the board!! After all, it's your journey...and your money.

Brown is normally 3rd Kyu - 1st Kyu. I've not trained in two Okinawan styles simultaneously, just cross trained via seminars and/or just visiting; I've only trained in one Okinawan style these past 55 years. As Wastelander points out, especially at first, they'll bleed together, and Goju will try to take over because of that muscle memory. Oh, it can be done, but that discipline is already ingrained in you.

Thank you so very much, Mo!!

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

Congrats to all!! Thank you for your votes for me; I'm deeply honored as well as humbled to have earned your votes.

Thank you all for your support across the board!! Somehow I feel it's my fault, somehow and someway; not a second goes by that I blame myself. Maybe if I stayed true to the previous mission, the mission that birthed this thread, but I failed in maintaining that mission goal, even though I'm back on the right track in that regard. I just don't know anymore.

My PCP has used the word Prostate Cancer so much that Wednesday, I guess I just don't know. I know my Prostate numbers are 29, where as 9 months ago they were 21...I've no idea what that means. Don't know if someone with that type of cancer would go to the Urologist first or to somewhere the cancer is immediately dealt with.

Sparring reviews that I film are reviewed on split screen of the most recent sparring sessions to one of that students archived sparring sessions for comparison; to illustrate many things, but to also show progress as well as digressions, if any.

I don't find the value with challenges of this type because once fatigue sets in, and it will set in, no matter the degree, bad starts to creep in. Often times, bad muscle memory starts confusing the intent with the content across the board. It's not the quantity but the quality of the technique(s), punches, in this case. Perhaps it's akin to when one's at the gym lifting weights, and it's not the weight that's important, but it's the amount of reps that's important. Just not my cup of tea of a challenge.

Thank you Alan and Brian!! This terrifying news was told to me by my PCP last Wednesday afternoon. Waiting to see a Urologist, hopefully sooner than later; this time of the year, doctor appointments are quite scarce. PCP is very adamant about me getting to a Urologist ASAP; but it might be 2-3 weeks, and that seems like forever and a day away. No matter what, the gym is an even more vital to saving my life; have to get the Prostate PSA numbers way down. There's no QUIT in me!! Sure, I get depressed, and you can bet the farm on it, that when I heard the news, I broke down and bawled and bawled; I was overwhelmed to the Nth degree.

Nothing wrong with that. Things come up, and at times, it's better to wait another testing cycle, that way you can be sure you are fully prepared.I wholeheartedly agree with Brian here. Any and all Testing Cycle's will always take care of themselves...whenever that might be. Test when YOU can, and not when the CI says; just be sure to communicate with your CI any schedule conflicts so that you're all on the same page. Never rush to test; there's always more Testing Cycles around the corner.

The video option is a good idea, too. I've done that before with forms, but not with sparring. What I found was that you can tell a student over and over again what it is they're doing, but in their mind, they have a certain way they see it. When you show it to them on video, then it kind of clicks with them, as they get to see it themselves. I think the benefits this could have on sparring strategies would be awesome. In sparring class, we encourage the students to try out new tactics, different techniques, and the like in order to get used to different things, get out of their comfort zones, and broaden their repertoire. Seeing things on video would be helpful in this. This would probably take more time, for sure, but would be worthwhile to do periodically. What I choose to do is to run a split screen for them to observe. On the right, is me doing said technique(s), and on the left is my student doing that same said technique(s). First, the student observes themselves executing said technique(s) in full screen mode. Then the student observes me executing said technique(s) in same full screen mode. Then, for me this is key, is that once I sync screens so that they can run split screen and at the same time side by side, the student can really become awakened as to what they're doing versus what I'm doing. No, my intent isn't to have my students to be exact copycats of myself, that would be wrong of me, but to discover where they might make those those necessary corrections in which they can be more consistent in their effectiveness. The sync split screen has jogged many students minds more then any other teaching tool that's at my disposal.

I've a new battle to win.... Prostate Cancer!!

Sure...why not?? After all, the street is the proving ground for what we've learned from over the many years of training, perhaps from a dojo, for example. Albeit, the responsibility belongs to the individual. If what's been taught/learned in the dojo, and the like, aren't effective anywhere else, then they'll not be effective in the street whatsoever. Imho!!

I'm with you, Bob! It seems I'm running into layoff after layoff, stymying my ability to improve. But, we've got to just keep plugging away at it. After all, like Martial Arts, it's about the journey, and we have to keep walking that path!I wholeheartedly agree with you!! My life depends on it, and after seeing my PCP yesterday, even more so.

No doubt there. I've struggled and struggled with consistent training these past ten years or so, and it isn't going to get any easier as I go along. I think a lot of people get like this, and feel like if they can't train regularly, then they just won't do it. I hate to see this, and as an instructor that struggles with consistency as well, I would hope other instructors would find it in their hearts to be willing to work with individuals that run into this.In that regard, if one's still stepping on the floor after many years, no matter how irregular, than that student is still considered long term. There are full time and part time students, nonetheless, they're still considered long term.

Kanazawa Sensei will be sorely missed!! His impact on Karate, namely Shotokan, and the MA in general was felt worldwide. His lineage is undeniable with his teachers being Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama. I, too, would like to offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends and his students around the world. RIP, Kanazawa Sensei!!

My chest cold is finally GONE; back to the gym Monday!! The beast in me has to be released because it's time to renew myself once again; I did it before, I'll do it again.

Excellent posts so far. For the most part, we do a plethora of Kumite, anywhere from Ippon Kumite to Jiyu Ippon Kumite. At no time are students left of there own devices to fend for themselves on the floor. We break things down...tear things down...then, we rebuild it so that students have a clear and concise understanding of what is up or down or inside or outside, and we don't leave said subject until I'm satisfied that they do understand. I love to drill my students as though there's no tomorrow, including Kumite. For me, and the way I was taught, get out there, and spar until the wheels fall off, and then some. Students never spar the same sparring partner because it can become quite stale and dead. I've used video for as long as I can remember, and yes, this is a great and valuable tools for the students; they see their mistakes, and they're gently guided towards them understanding by my Instructors and/or myself.

To do this, as the CI, can be quite daunting, and of no great concern at the same time. Daunting because spotting a long term student is akin to predicting an earthquake before it happens. Of no great concern because as a CI, I don't care one way or another if a student becomes long term or not; that responsibility belongs to the practitioner to decide within themselves one way or another. Long term students train for themselves and oftentimes, they train for themselves beyond their own surface of interests. I don't feel that either way is wrong, at all. We all train for our own different reasons, and while we do not require others to approve of our reasons, we do expect that our reasons are respected. When they train for themselves, they just want to train no matter what; sick or not or whatever, they show up, and on time, to train seriously. Maybe they get excited over a new technique or Kata or whatever, but they always find the spark to train, and for a serious purpose. They don't consider how long it might take to learn the new technique or Kata or whatever, and that's because time means nothing to that student. When they train for more than themselves, perhaps they have aspiration deeper than we CI can ever imagine. Like they want to go very deep into the history of their core art and/or the MA in general. Maybe they desire to teach the MA, and to carry one their core art in any positive way that they can think of, and to hopefully pass the knowledge and experience. Seems that long term students also want to help train not only with other MAists, but to offer themselves available to their fellow dojo mates in whatever problem they might be having; sometimes more than one set of eyes can see what one set of eyes can't. A long term student wants to go beyond the confinements and restrictions of their own core art; to cross-train as often and as much possible. To absorb that which is effective to them, beyond their core art, which does have the ability to trap one with limitations. The long term student isn't persuade away from their MA journey; they train long term because no matter how long, they are going to always be a student of the MA. I never expected, nor desire, to become that long term student, it just manifested itself in me over time. I never missed a day at the dojo, except during Little League and High School baseball seasons, and whenever I was on the floor I train seriously. In time, I helped anyone and everyone that I believed needed my help with a technique or Kata or Kumite....no matter what I felt that I could offer them some help. I feel in love with my core style, and then I feel in love with the MA in general, and 55 years later, I'm still in love with my core style as well as the MA in general. When I do spot a long term student of mine, I do not give them any special attention; all of my students get my all everyday every time. No special favors and no special expectations. Do I keep an eye on them?? Do I encourage them to teach?? NO!! All of my students are treated the same, and in that, perhaps, that's an ingredient in making a long term student. Your thoughts, please.

How was everyone's Thanksgiving this year?? Mine was blessed, with all of its trimmings that one can hope for. It was just the 3 of us; my wife, Linda, and our son, Nathan, and myself. We watched the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and yes, the balloons flew, but quite near to the ground because of the wind. Then we watched the Bills literally smashed my beloved Cowboys 26-15...boo hoo. Then we went to the movies where we saw Ford v Ferrari.

3 weeks today...Chest cold STILL remains. I've taking all of my prescribed medicines, and the chest cold refuses to surrender; it's quite stubborn. Yet, the gym beckons me like a harbor beckons a ship. But, in the fear of getting bronchitis or pneumonia, the gym still has to be in my thoughts, and not in my reality. In the immortal words of Ebenezer Scrooge... Bah humbug!!

It is said that those that don't believe in hypnosis are the easiest ones to become hypnotised.Hypnosis can be very entertaining Yes, that was entertaining.

I don't believe in hypnosis in any shape, way, and/or form; simply a form of entertainment, like magic and the like. Science says that a person hypnosis themselves, and that another person can not hypnotize another person. The fact is, however, according to science, that hypnosis is a genuine psychological phenomenon that has valid uses in clinical practice. With that being said, I still don't believe in hypnosis whatsoever. Perhaps my mind is closed, and I accept that, and hopefully my not believing in the power of hypnosis prevents me from it. As far as no-touch, and a possible correlation and/or causation between hypnosis and no-touch are the driving force(s) for said entertainment show. I've no idea as to the why and/or because people support and/or believe the reality of either. Maybe, they just need something to believe in so bad, that they become proponents of either one, no matter what others might believe....like me...I do not believe in either. In the context of this topic, I do not believe in Chi either; I've not seen where Chi is effective and/or real in my 55 years in the MA. Albeit, I lack the faith in all three phenomena's, and even though, as a Christian, I sincerely believe that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, but not when it comes to hypnosis, no-touch, and Chi. I do believe that if I was to be a staunch proponent of hypnosis, no-touch, and Chi, and I was to teach either of them to my students at my dojo, I'd quickly have zero students, and my dojo would close...forever. As far as animals, I believe that fear creates the hypnosis appearance, and not the exact causation in certain animals. The higher one animal is on the food chain, the easier it can strike fear in other animals, in which they become on that days menu. Fear can freeze anyone, humans including, and that fear in humans is no different than what animals experience in the wild. Imho!!