sensei8

When you've darkened the door of the dojo/dojang/etc for one last time, what will your most regretful and happiest memories be??

No, not even in the slightest!!

Imagine me taking a puzzle box, then I teach you what to expect the picture to be, then I take the box lid off, and I then dump the puzzle pieces onto the floor, and there a quite a lot of pieces, much more than one expected as one look down upon the scattered and tattered mess at your feet. Now, put the puzzle together, as best as you can. Do you do all of the work, or do we build it together, over time?? No, we do it together, however, you have to do most of the homework so that you can understand all there is to understand concerning building a puzzle because no puzzle's the same. While putting some order in all of these pieces, you discover a many pieces are missing. From time to time, I add the missing pieces, and you reach your AHA moments as to where this missing piece should fit, remembering to not force it, but let it be natural, for every piece has a place and a place for it. As time has gone by, the picture begins to take form and shape. We're still working together to make all of the pieces fit, and not forced upon. We don't rush it, and we most certainly look it over, time and time again. Will we both see the same exacting picture, as I described it at the onslaught of the journey?? Maybe, but I doubt it because we're different across the board, and how we reach the end differs, however, we reached the end together with the same results...a puzzle in its own making, which shall never be complete. This hopefully illustrates that ever Kata is an entire system...the beginning of ones puzzle building journey, but most assuredly, not the end.

Solid post!! At the SKKA, we don't the physical but at the effectiveness of said technique, no matter the technique.

When the CI and/or the Governing Body succumbs to the pressure from the Student Body, then anarchy sets in, therefore, what they once stood for, no longer exists...I don't want any part of that. As the Kaicho of the SKKA, I will not allow the Student Body to run the SKKA; that's MY responsibility, and I have to protect the ENTIRE Student Body, not just one or the few. If those think that I'll bow to their will, they really don't know me, but they will shortly thereafter. Don't sweep it under the rug, fight for what you believe because your MA journey is yours alone, but choose the right fight, and fight the good fight!!

Not the way that we do it!! The initial is known, but after that, it's not, hence, the battle isn't known by either student, nor is the outcome. And yes, that's the MA...performing a specific action is expected...TECHNIQUES, whatever that might be at that particular moment. Please don't group all of us traditional MAist together on the same cloth and/or with the same broad brush stroke!! I was raised, and am still, a traditional MAist, but the manner of which we/I was/were trained by Soke and Dai-Soke, is very much realistic and practical. Why?? Our lives depend on it each and every time!! The MA is an ongoing testing ground, in which I'm still an active participant of because NOTHING is written in stone...NOTHING!! Therefore, it's up to the student to take what they've been and/or being taught, and greatly expand upon it because, once again, their live depends on it. What the student is taught is how to give that door of opportunity that swift kick to get that door opened, but that student must be willing to have the guts to first go through the open door, and then to bust that door wide open with their own testing grounds. Students are given the tools, but how the student uses them is up to that student, traditional or not!! I'm a Senior Dan, but what I've given to my students is the free will to expand what it is that they've learned from me. But they have to have the guts to accept it or discard it for their MA betterment. I've given them all of the puzzle pieces but it's up to them to put them all together so that their picture becomes much more clearer to them, not for me, but for them!!

Fair or not fair, the Testing Cycle is what it is. If it's believed to be an unfair test, than what's one to do?!? I suppose that one could address the unfairness with ones CI and/or ones Governing Body, but exactly what does one hope for from a formal complaint?!? The CI and/or the Governing Body aren't going to budge one iota when the Testing Cycle is the issue because for what I've experienced, is that that type of complaint isn't treated kindly because it questions their authority as well as their knowledge. After all, we came to them, not vice versa. If we don't like anything, then we can just go somewhere else. Of course, we at the SKKA never have to worry about this and/or that because both females and males are required to do the exact same things.

As an Okinawa MA style, we're more upright in our Oi-Zuki than our Karate counterparts. Nonetheless, our force is earned from the body moving forward as we close the distance, in which, things are only awkward when ones a beginner.

Yes!! Why?? It's part of the methodology, and the starting point of the syllabus/curriculum. Any system has to have a starting point to be considered as well as for it to grow. However, the effectiveness must be harshly tested thoroughly and without any ambiguity whatsoever. Imho. How? I can practice blocking a mid section front kick and countering with a punch as many times as I like. Then tell myself I've proven that application to be effective. Then it all falls apart the first time a real attacker kicks from a different angle or throws a punch first or is stronger and faster than me. If we take kata literally, we can't possibly test their effectiveness. Kata is orderly, violence is not. How?? Resistive training!!!!! Just short of killing/injuring/maiming ones dojo mate. Yes, Kata is orderly, and that's good; wouldn't want it any other way. If one doesn't take Kata literal, then there's no real reason to take Bunkai literal, nor is there any real reason to take the MA literal, and in that end, there's no real reason to shadow the doors of any MA school!! Do you drill off what's in Kata?? Those drills are literal assumptions, at best. Oyo is the exclamation point of Bunkai, just as Kata is the exclamation point of Kihon and/or Kumite, and vice versa. What one drills in the dojo should be no different against an attacker.

You seem to be in a Catch-22; darn if you do, and darn if you don't. Equality should be considered, however, the field should also be of equality as well. The fact that females are not as strong as males shouldn't be weighed whatsoever because the MA isn't based on gender, but on knowledge and experience, i.e., either the practitioner is or isn't effective. Our Testing Cycle isn't gender based, but rank based, and yes, I hate that terminology, as if rank has meaning, which it doesn't. The bottom line is that the CI and/or the Governing Body has ruled as to the policies and procedures, in which, the SOP must be adhered to, or one can go somewhere else, which is another Catch-22.

Yes!! Why?? It's part of the methodology, and the starting point of the syllabus/curriculum. Any system has to have a starting point to be considered as well as for it to grow. However, the effectiveness must be harshly tested thoroughly and without any ambiguity whatsoever. Imho.

In any splitting up of any MA school, I believe that the students suffer the most for a wide variety of reasons. It's never a peaceful transition across the board. The dust will eventually settle, and what remains will either add to or take away or do nothing for the Student Body, as well as the school itself. Hurt feelings are often hard and slow to mend.

It was just a joke. It was analogy of looking around and trying to spot the weird guy and not seeing one, only to realize YOU’RE the weird one. It’s happened to me a few times, where I’m sitting there in a group and wondering “what’s the matter with these guys” when it dawns on my that they’re all probably saying “what’s the matter with HIM (me)?” I tend to look at things from an odd angle and get a chuckle out of it. I knew it was a joke, and I didn't take it personal at all. I've just never personally encountered face to face; just on line or read about it or someone told me about one.

For myself, I'd not be overly concerned with if any MA style is real, but is said MA style effective, and is that effectiveness doable for said practitioner. As far as the 15th Dan...that's his right as the founder, no matter what my professional and personal feelings might be.

What I teach my students, and what the SKKA require to teach, are two different things. The SKKA has a set of 3 required Bunkai for each and every movement found in said Kata, and they are staunch proponents of Oyo. This is fine because any "tool" has to have a starting methodology to it. What I strongly teach my students is to NOT look at what the SKKA core has provided as the end of any means, as students tend to do; the gospel truth from the Governing Body. Albeit, to look at each and every Bunkai way beyond what the SKKA has given us as a starting point, because that's what the SKKA is giving them, a starting point of reference. The literal or the developed or the practical of Bunkai are not to be the bondage of its possibility. For every challenge is opportunity, and with every opportunity comes learning. This, to me, is the summation of 'why' is to the summation of 'because' of any approach to Bunkai. We don't believe, therefore we don't teach the literal because to us, the word "block" isn't what we do, which is we receive. To us literal proponents haven't matured away from the illusion that literal Bunkai offers. To each their own!! I respect that!!

As I've said, I'm happy with that principle. It's just that in my club, we've been assured otherwise. I think everyone else in the club is under the illusion that when it closes, they'll be able to simply join another club, keeping their rank and practicing the exact same karate as they practice now. I imagine there's going to be quite a few unhappy people when they realize. One will only know the possible outcome once its been decided by the CI; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Just this past Thursday night, 15 minutes before the store closing, a student of mine was robbed at gun point at work. He's a Store Manager of a well known retail brand. This is he's 3rd time in being robbed in his 19 years in retail. The robbers didn't get much, and no one was seriously injured. 2 guys brandishing a shotgun and a very large pistol came into his store, they were wearing hooded sweatshirts, sunglasses, and baseball type caps. At that time, there were 5 customers, 2 clerks, and him, and they were forced to lay face down, except him because he's the Store Manager and only a member of management can open the register without a sale. The robbers were violent in both language and physical. At the end, and this covered only about 5 minutes, if that, but the robber with the shotgun watched over all but him, while the other robber with the big gun escorted him behind the cash wrap to retrieve all of the cash out of the 3 registers...$150.00 in total. But, right before the robber that was with my student, instead of ordering him to lay down, the robber hit him right in the head. The trauma was severe enough that 1 of the clerks quit, and my student is contemplating to quit as well. He had many opportunities to disarm the robber who hit him, but with others in the store, and with there being 2 robbers, and because it's against company policy to take matters in your own hands, he did nothing. He's taking a few weeks away from the dojo to clear his mind, and seek some professional help, but he feels he's failed as a MAist...and he's not, but there's no telling him that, at this moment. My student's a Yondan!!

That my dojo was a business; first and foremost. It's always been a business, but at first, I didn't treat it as such for one reason or another. Through trials and tribulations I learned the truth... Take the school for granted will only get you taken to bankruptcy court!!

To Chunmonchek and JR... Huh??

Is that really self-motivation, or is it a realistic lack of time? If you’re sitting on the couch and making up excuses or just plain-old don’t feel like going, then yeah, lack of motivation. But if you’re at work, kids’ wrestling tourney, etc., I wouldn’t call that a lack of motivation. I’d call that higher priorities. I wholeheartedly concur!!

Yes!! One can learn Kodudo on-line and/or from a book. I'm just on the side of the fence that are proponents of having the experienced watchful eye of a qualified instructor in order to catch the mistakes right off the bat instead of when it counts and/or when the bad habit is deeply engrained.

At the SKKA, we've never ever said that our Governing Body was the best!! Why?? Because it's not!! Never has been and never will be because nothing and no one is perfect nor complete; flawed to the core. BUT, we're super duper far, way far, very far away from being the worse. Any Governing Body of the MA says that they're the best, well, show me the best, and I'll show you the worse.

Solid post!!

I've this nagging rule... If you've experience on the floor, and you ask me if YOUR rank will transfer, guess what I'm going to say?!?!? NO!! If you're not in the SKKA, then you're a white belt, ESPECIALLY if you ask me about your rank!! Why?? To me, to even ask me that, tells me that rank is more important than knowledge and experience. So, get to the end of the line, and train hard and train well!!

I'm in agreement with this. Students come and go. I've always respected a student that told me that they were leaving, why they were leaving and/or what they were planning on doing. What we do is not for everyone... I agree with both here because manners are everything!!