sensei8

I'd just like to add here, not every school advertises whatsoever, and this includes the internet, for whatever their reason(s) might be, even in today's modern world we all live in. Beat the street because the school you're searching for, isn't always located in that most obvious places one thinks to looks. Hopefully, you'll find a great school that'll meet what you're wanting in the MA.

Not for anything, Noah, but where was the 3rd video shot?? Thanks!!

Anything that can increase the betterment of the MAist can only be a positive. We promote and teach the close range techniques, the closer the better, and our goal is to get behind our opponent, as often as possible. If it's not feasible enough to get behind our opponent, then remaining up close and personal is quite acceptable. Cut the distance by remaining in the close range proximity with our opponent that is where most MAist shy away from due to the uncomfortable feeling that that type of combat. We describe this our brand of close range techniques as it being akin to being claustrophobic. It's just not for everyone, and most assuredly, what Noah is offering here is quite worth to explore....taste as see if it's good for your MA betterment. Surely, it can't hurt to try, you just might like it.

Congrats, Alex, on reaching that milestone here at KF!! You've meant a lot to many people here, MAist as well as non-MAists, with your thoughtful and caring posts these many years...including myself; thank you for helping us to understand. I feel quite fortunate to have been able to share these many years together, both as a member and as a fellow KF Staffer. I've learned a lot from you across the board, and consider you my friend, both in and out of the MA. Here's to another 10 years here at KF!!

To every mom, near and far, I'd love to wish you all a safe and fantastic Happy Mother's Day!!

Welcome to KF, msloman32l glad that you're here!! I hope that you're able to find the necessary info for that period of time in Okinawa. All of my knowledge of Okinawa especially for that time period is extensive, however, are secondhand through my Soke and Dai-Soke, of which they were both born, raised, and trained in the culture of Okinawa as well as in Karate before moving to the USA back in the late 1950's.

Welcome to KF, gatlancap; glad that you're here!! Where do you find god talented instructors?? By visiting each and every MA school, more than one time, and perhaps, that diamond in the rough might arise. Even then, that might not be easy, nor simple as one might imagine.

I don't use speed or power to hit you, I just hit you without being concerned one way or another. Science and theories aside, the proof is in the pudding through its results; effective or not, no in between. These legends found what worked for them, and that's their given right. Bruce, Oyama, and whomever they might be, I will not strip them of their accomplishments, no matter how they might appear. I respect them, one and all!!

Congrats, Fat Cobra; well deserved!!

Yeah, I agree with that!! Thanks Alan!!

Like Mr. Williams informed Mr. Han in Hans study... Han: We are all ready to win, just as we are born knowing only life. It is defeat that you must learn to prepare for. Williams: Don't waste my time with it. When it comes, I won't even notice. Han: Oh? How so? Williams: I'll be too busy looking gooood. Williams is a man after my own fighting heart. However, as a MAist, I was taught that I should defuse the situation to the best of my ability before it gets out of hand. What is out of hand?? When I'm forced to put my hands on whomever that might be at the exact moment. The situation isn't a situation until it becomes a situation!! Who's first, second, then third?? First: That which presents the most threat!! Second: That which presents the most threat after I dispatch with the first threat!! Third: That which is remaining!! However, depending on how I dispatch with the first most notaboe threat to me, the other two might flee. Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan Carry that plan out

Maybe you're a by far better runner than swimming; lending into your strengths and not your weaknesses. Therefore, you might be a far better at sparring, than at the forms. The forms are either appealing or they're not, which sways the judges, whereas, in sparring, a point is a point within those parameters of which you earn that point or you don't...different judges mindset. In the forms, the judges are looking at so many elements of said form to reach their score....that's not so important with the judges in sparring...hit or be hit whereas the judges are looking for a clean and decisive point. So, are you better at forms or at sparring?! Imho!!

Happy Birthday to you.....Happy Birthday to you....SING IT WITH ME...Happy Birthday dear Mo...Happy Birthday to you...and many more!!

Solid post!!

Yes, welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

Fighting, if ever, rarely duplicates forms. Sure, during fighting, the techniques of said form are present, but even then, they don't duplicate said form. Why?? Applications!! Applications aren't used often when fighting, except the surface techniques; kick, punch, strike, and block from their basic cores. The applications aren't always awakened in the practitioner for a many reasons: Fear, nervousness, uncertainty, believe, effectiveness, lack of conformity, and so on and so forth. Anything and everything is dependent on the practitioner and NOT the style!! If forms don't duplicate fighting, then fighting don't duplicate forms; we humans just aren't built that way. In our mind, our fighting is fighting, and forms are forms; they are of separate mindsets. I mean look at kicking, for example, kicks in forms are focused and crisp, whereas in fighting kicks are sloppy and an afterthought...that's seen in tournaments, and even worse of all places, in the dojo/dojang/school of MA. We don't stand or move or turn or like anything found in said form when we fight. The forms birth fighting, but side by side, one doesn't look the same as the other. Even watching Senior Dan's, their fighting doesn't imitate their forms and vise versa. Perhaps, one doesn't compliment the other as it should!! Imho!!

Solid OP, through and through; thank you for sharing that, it meant a lot to me!! What do you want to know?? What state and city do you live in?? Wanting to pass it on to your son is most admirable and a dream for you both!! Allow your son to share your MA journey through and through; but do not push him into it. Allow him to want to do it, just as you are wanting to do it. Even though you and your dad weren't close, his obi, patch, and certificate are the tangible connections that are close to the heart. Train hard and train well!!

The Dojo is the melting pot for courtesy, and without it, there's no social awareness; just four walls and a floor and a roof...nothing else!! Imho!!

My wife is a school teacher for kindergarten to 3rd grade, and she tells me that the age of the child is the length of their attention span. So, a 5 year old has an attention span for about 6 minutes!! I'm 61 years old...sometimes, I've the attention span of 61 seconds, and not 61 minutes!!

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Asarro!! Welcome to KF, Asarro; glad that you're here!!

If one's going to do something, they might as well do it right; courtesy is doing it right!! No since in being downright rude!! Courtesy was taught to me by my Sensei and his Sensei, but all that they really did was reinforce that which my mom and dad taught me. What the Martial Arts, Karate in this regards, teaches goes beyond the walls of the dojo; Karate, to me, is life!! A way of life, not just at the dojo, but wherever I might travel, so does the maxims that which have been instilled into me. A life without courtesy, imho, is an incomplete life, both as a human being, but also as a Karateka/Martial Artist!! If one can't extend sincere courtesy across the board in everything that they do in and out of Karate/Martial Arts, then that individual is taking a very long and lonely walk by themselves. Courtesy doesn't have to be associated with Karate whatsoever, however, then why learn it...do it...practice it...teach it?!?! I've banned students because they didn't have the minimum idea about courtesy. I've spanked my children for not being courteous to others, no matter the age!! Courtesy IS the best offense/defense; it can defuse a situation, and it can also give you that necessary pause before you have to take care of business. Humbleness is courtesy, and this has been the staple for the Martial Arts for quite a very long time.

For me, I stay engaged with that which it is that I'm dealing with. That for me triggers me to focus much more across the board. Ever see the movie with Kevin Costner where he's a MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium; For The Love of the Game?? In this movie, Billy Chapel, Mr. Costner's character, working on achieving a perfect game. To settle himself while he's pitching, he does one thing to harness his focus...he speaks to himself, but not just about each batter, and with the Yankee fans, but to himself, in which he says...a repeated line...his trick for concentration...he utters to himself....Clear the mechanism. He then takes care of business on the mound!! While I might not utter those exact words to myself often times, I do trigger my focus sharply by speaking to myself, but when the time awakens, I am focused at the Nth degree because that is me. After all, I've been at this for quite some time, in which when focused is demanded, it'll be there wholeheartedly!! Spoiler alert: Btw, Costner's character does pitch a perfect game.

Happy Birthday to you....Happy Birthday to you...SING IT WITH ME...HJappy Birthday to you, Noah, Happy Birthday to you....and many more!!

As close as their egos will allow!! Imho!!

Welcome to KF, Littleford65, glad that you're here!!