sensei8

Burnouts looks and feels different from person to person, so this might be difficult to pin point. I've been teaching ever since I was 13 years old, I'm 61 years old presently...I've owned and operated my own successful dojo's ever since 1977, when I was a 21 year old Sandan. Yes, I've experienced a few burnouts over the years for one reason or another. Yet, I never abandoned my Student Body; that would be selfish of me to have ever done that. I might've not ran a certain class due to burnout, for some given time frame, but I was there for my Student Body in one capacity or another. Burnouts look differently person to person!! Lack of drive/desire!! You'd rather be anywhere else but on the floor. When going to the dentist for a root canal seems far more inviting than being on the floor teaching some or all students. You think the Student Body dreads the class, wait, so do instructors, and then some. If class is a lesson on boredom, one better fix it, and super duper fast. Nothing worse than a bored out of their skull class. This two-way street gets crowded in a real hurry. Seeing that change is inevitable, then tweak the curriculum in order to steer the drowning ship away from the jagged rocks. This change is beneficial for both the Student Body as well as the Instructor too. My fix of each time I hit burnout, was to not teach the same class(es) each and every day/night. Of course, I was the CI, AND, I had a plethora of Instructors to run classes for the time being. So, when teaching the beginners was dragging me down, I would stop running those classes, even tough I'd be in the class assisting or observing. Same thing with black belts, when I was burned out teaching them, I'd run the advanced or intermediate Kyu classes; and trust me, teaching Godan and above isn't all ice cream and cake. So, I'd teach the lower Dan ranks for awhile. But I was either assisting or observing...but I was there!! Stay away; take a break from teaching and/or from the dojo all together!! Burnouts aren't fun to watch, and not fair for the Student Body; they deserve much better always!! Fresh air AWAY from the floor/dojo are the best cure for burnout!! Take a vacation from teaching!! TIME!! Don't rush to end the burnout or it will never go away. You'll know when the time is right, and no one has the right to tell you to shut up and teach; that's a destructive formula. How will you know the time has come to teach, as you were meant to, and that the burnout has run its course?? YOU'LL WANT TO BE WHERE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BE BEFORE!! That unquenchable desire to teach once again. However...Not all black belts can teach!! If you can teach, then teach!! If you can't teach, then don't teach!! Speak with your CI!! Communication is everything; express you thoughts with your CI honestly and openly!!

Welcome back to KF, twistkick kid; glad that you've returned!!

"Punch'em in the face" is what I always say! But what happens when both fighters receive the same advice? Then he whom makes effective contact first, just might end up victories.

Welcome to KF, norse_dragon; glad that you're here!! Personally, I've never purchased any Sai's from any of those referenced in the OP or in Bulltahr's post, for no particular reason(s). I buy most of my Sai's mainly from Century, also for no particular reason(s); they serve me well across the board. As far as the points being sharpened, it's not new for me because I first saw Sai with sharpened points back in the mid 1970's. I've also seen what those types of Sai's can do to the practitioner should a mistake occur...not good at all.

In the blink of an eye...in a Tyson way...in the time it takes to make a minute sandwich...before one can say, before one can say...this fight, or whatever it was suppose to be, was over; not a bad way to earn a hefty $9M. An exhibition?? Depends on which fighter or fan you ask. Mayweather is still undefeated, still has the hand speed, still knows a thing or two about entertaining the fans, and still knows how to make a real fast buck. I remember way back then when I purchased a Tyson PPV for $50, and how I sat in my easy chair surrounded my all of the things that one can have for food and soda...settled in for my first and only Tyson PPV...and WHAM POW SOCK...the fight was OVER DONE FINISHED. WHAT!?!?!?! I paid $50, I mean I threw away $50. I felt I was robbed of my hard earned $50. Mayweather must've been late for something else on his calendar that was far much more pressing that he had to get to or he found Tenshin not worth his effort. Mayweather showed class when he said that Tenshin was still undefeated. For me, this fight wasn't even a fight. To be a fight, both have to be fighting, and I mean fighting, and not one of the fighters being a punching bag for the other.

For those MAists that have/had the honor and privilege of making their living from the MA, and from the MA ONLY, in one capacity or another, this thread/topic is directed to you. We are a unique bred that can be easily considered a global rarity among the landscape of commerce through its enterprise and bravery. Dotted from corner to corner, sea to sea, and to and fro stand the plethora of MA schools that aren't full-time operations; whereas the largest majority of MA school owners/operators are part-time. What separates the full-time school of the MA from the part-time school of MA is availability!! The full-time school is open for business for 12 hours or more, six days a week. On the other hand, the part-time school is open in the evening for 5 hours during the weekday, and 4-12 hours on Saturday. Part-time MA school owners hold down a full-time job during the day, and then operate their school at night. Neither school type is better than the other; preferences are decided upon through ones circumstance(s). Then there are the MAist that are employed by a MA Governing Body. They work in the day in either a specificity role or in a general role conducting that Governing Bodies daily operations. No matter if they own and operate a full-time or part-time MA school and/or they work full-time/part-time for a MA Governing Body, those Human Resources outside of the MA consider, for the most part, those MA entities are not real jobs; hobbies, at best. Advised by fortune 500 companies to job seekers to only attach to a resume relevant employment history, and not hobbies, except where a employment application is suggested. So, for those here at KF that earn a living through the MA... How'd you feel if what you do/did is only considered as nothing more than a hobby, and not a real job?? I'm a full-time MA school owner/operator since 1977, AS WELL as an owner/operator of my own MA Retail business since 1985, AS WELL as a Jr. Executive in a MA Governing Body ever since 1984, AS WELL as a Sr. Executive in a MA Governing Body ever since 2008. Every Fortune 500 company I've applied to has dashed my aspirations with the suddenness of a bulldozer, in which my employment history, as far as anything having to do with the MA, is labeled as a hobby, and not a real job or business.

This link might provide you what you're looking for... http://www.sokyokushin.it/page.php?4

My News Years Resolutions for 2019: 1) Finish my memoir, which I began writing in 2010...FINALLY!! 2) Reach my weight loss goal, which started back in October 2016...FINALLY!!

Yeah, my 2018 New Years resolutions weren't all that difficult; all 3 resolutions were reached with a great big yawn, yet important to some degree. Here's to 2019!!

Alan, I agree with you 100% on this one. The bone is the frame work behind each and every technique the we can ever create and imagine. Without the bone utilized as it is and/or can be, there's nothing we can do. Imho!!

OK, I just never heard the name Bone spinning vs Bone clashing.

To one and all, Happy Holidays; be safe!! Don't forget to leave some cookies and milk out for Santa!!

Congrats, JazzKicker; well deserved!!

I wonder myself. Any info in this regards to preface your OP, Alan??

I wonder myself. Any info in this regards to preface your OP, Alan??

Is Jake Mace reliable?? I don't know!! It's a personal preference; in which one might wonder if a car is reliable. Personally, I've no knowledge about Jake Mace whatsoever one way or another.

Yeah!! Afterwards, I could still see the outline quite well for quite some time!! Even our SKKA patch wasn't big enough to completely cover the area where the embroidery was, no matter how I washed the top or how many times I washed my top. Tried ironing it out, but that didn't help at all.

YAHOO....Wrestling season has started!!!!! Great post, Brian!! Sounds like they hit the mats running, with not much rust to speak of...a hiccup here and there but all in all, a great start to their season. With you helping them on their mat work and all, they'll be shaking the rust off before you know it!! Rock on Kenneth and Kendall, rock on!!

Solid post!!

That is a good thing, Brian because you've been spared that type of unfortunate events, both on and off the floor. For the events that I've been exposed to at the SKKA/Hombu have been unsettling quite a lot.

I wholeheartedly agree with Brian!!

OhioShodan85, Have you come any closer to reaching a decision as of yet!? It's not an easy one to make, nor is it one to take lightly. Wish you much luck!!

I could careless anyone's political affiliation, especially Soke and Dai-Soke's, because I'm there to learn first, and whenever it's appropriate, teach the MA!! Politics do not belong on the floor whatsoever at any time. In such a way, I do not allow discussions of any degree about politics, religions, and/or sports because how heated those type of discussions can be...especially on my floor. MA is the only thing that's being taught, discussed, learned, and trained on my floor, and I still control the tone of any conversations held!!

Allow the test or competition to take care of itself!! What happens is going to happen!! All one can do is their very best at THAT very moment, and should the worse occur, it's never the end of the world. Take a very deep breath...then execute!! If you mess up you mess up!! As far as Testing Cycles are concerned, you'll never score a 100% ever, it's not possible because no ones perfect. As far as competitions are concerned, well. you can get all 10's, but that shouldn't happen either, ever, but it does. The reason I don't experience performance anxiety anymore, and haven't for a very, very long time is because no matter what the outcome, the world doesn't end based on what I do or don't do because whatever I'm about to do will take care of itself. Just breathe!!

Directly?? No!! Indirectly?? Yes!! By directly, I speak for my own dojo!! By indirectly, I speak towards our Governing Body, the SKKA. NO!! The fault belongs to the guilty party(s) all alone, and not with the innocent. Directly....I'd expel that/those found guilty party(s) immediately with cause!! Indirectly, our SKKA has expelled a handful of it's membership of varying responsibilities, knowledge and experience with cause immediately once guilt was established in a court of law. Having said that... It's never fair to deal out unwarranted punishment(s) to the proven innocent, especially by and through association. Albeit, guilty by association occurs all of the time in history, past, present, and future to the innocent because we are fallible human beings who jump to our own conclusion with no basis whatsoever!! Just because someone's a human being, it doesn't mean that that someone knows how to act like a human being!! Those carried out punishments towards the proven innocent are despicable acts. Students that are associated with the guilty party(s) deserve their honor and privilege across the board. Punish the proven guilty, but spare the proven innocent!! If an unjust act is leveled on the proven innocent, and there's no changing their minds, then dust off yourself and remember...7 times down, 8 times up!! What's fair is fair and what's unfair is unfair, oftentimes there's nothing that can be done to right the wrong of others once their minds are up. Imho!!