BDPulver

Some brought up good points. Training can fall under many disciplines and whatnot. I'm under the IWKA (for isshinryu). Even though I have the rank of nidan they only have me on file as a shodan cause I havent paid my dues for the next rank. But, even if he teaches jujitsu and he still incorporate karate techniques into it to make stronger. So I wouldnt worry bout the affilation unless you also want to be recognized.

LOL, unfortunately you just worded it how i would word but to isshinryu philosphy

theres an old series from the mid 80s I think it was called way of the ninja or something but it was by a bob parker??? I'll have to look it up again. I've been tryin gto find something like it myself, either mystery, fiction, sci fi but theres hardly anything out there.

hmm....choose other now. My friends consider me the yoda of our style cause I come up with anology's to training (plus being disabled, i can only do so much now ). but where to begin. Somewhere around here I did a story but its fun talking bout it. I was 8 when I was first introduced to the MA by tv. it was @ 1978 and use to be a program called black belt theatre. I would watch the show, which was also my introduction to kung fu flicks, and at the end or during it there would be 2 black belts doing some form of demo defense. I would practice this usually with my sister (who didnt like it ). So, bout a little later tried TKD for a short time but hated it. didnt like the teacher and he was brutal on kids by forcing them into splits. So I kept trying to practice everything i was taught. At this time, I had my very own bully. I laugh at it now but back then I learned fear. Would always try to take alternate routes and what not to avoid him. I think what it was that got my mom's attention was she went out and followed me one day cause I was always late coming home. when she noticed what was going on she never really asked me but for my 14th bday she asked if I wanted to take classes again. One i wasnt a athlete growing up, tried baseball but stunk at it, couldnt make the football league, didnt have the cordination for soccer. Mainly I fenced or did nerd stuff even though i look like your typical nerd. I was a big boy, and most thought i did play sports. alot of times i spent either fencing or in the library reading books. so, after finding my new school which i didnt know about existing in town i started going there. Oh yeah I use to have a severe temper which i think was the other reason my mom wanted me to find something. so for me it was self confidence, my mom was for discipline. after a couple years, I wasnt afraid of the bully anymore but he still wanted to fight me and I never did. when I left for the army and did my stint in there and came home he thought he start all over on me. I basically stood my ground told him to grow up and walked away with him screaming some form of jibberish. but, the tide kinda turned. this guy opened up a so called MMA gym even though it was his version and he tried to challenge anyone in the local or adjoining area that he could win. My teacher warned me against him which I didnt adhere too. I was told I would be excepted in again when I grew up more or less. so after a while of finding myself and having a long talk with my sensei I came back. I then moved to another state hoping to open my own school which I found is harder then I thought. I've had students but most want that instant black belt or MMA type training which I was more traditional. So I went into reclusion. studied by myself. occasstionally i would teach my daughter a more or two but continued to study and train the definition of isshinryu. Now that I'm somewhat disabled and moving back home I feel I have come full circle with my training and ready to give my knowlegde to help my kyoshi at what i can.

besides most with either Jet Li or chuck my favorite is the 38th chamber (all 3 now )

Ours is to the front of class and agree. Best thing you can have is the mirror

wow, um......just gonna let it slide also not worth the arguement and derailing of the thread. but with wolverine uskf....Happy Holidays !!!!

Congrats

I'm a long time fan of ninja movies and was surprised to see my favorite asain actor in it. Sho Kusugi who was the original ninja star during my time of the ninja craze flicks of the 80's. It was very good in my opinion and the script was pretty well laid out from watching it. There's a new one coming out here with ninja that is set in the old west. So now I need to question hollywood on why??? LOL

hehe, Its no biggie. When I got my brown we have 3 lvls of brown. I had mine for roughly 4 yrs before I was ready for shodan. But keep up the work and you'll make it for sure.

Now your journey begins. Congrats

Congrats young one

having a 10 yr daughter which I addore. I make it a habit to always wear a seat belt. Alot of times she reminds me even if we havent left the parking lot yet. She was in one accident with me and all I can say is thank god for it. The car cut in front of us and didnt have enough time to stop. And reaction of my hand on her was so fast she told me to let go that she was fine just scared. After that she always wears them and reminds everyone to buckle up cause she remembers that accident also.

wow, havent been feeling well and so im kinda catching up. Dont fret it though. When I first started isshinryu my sensei was 3rd dan this was back in 84. I'm still under him and he has reached 8th dan. We do 8 katas, 2 pihans, 6 original weapon katas (unless i'm missing 1 from my memory) and 3 or 4 non original weapon katas that where added after Tatsou died. The one thing I remember our Hanshi telling us at a black belt seminar is what Tatsou told him and thats not to stay hold of his original teachings but if you see something that looks like it might belong with isshinryu. Practice it, refine it, work with it with others and see if it can be added. Its how we got kama added not long ago. Most everyone has gave good opinions and responses but I'll add mine even if a bit late All martial arts whether it be TKD, Karate, MMA (which i have come across some single minded ppl here recently), kung fu...whatever it is you fancy. Is a growing art. It can only blossom if you let it like the cherry blossom. You will flourish and grow strong. Like sensei8, I'm a strong proponent as well towards kata. Knowing the moves and possible different meanings to them. Also, I'm strong believer on knowing your kihon's (basics). Without kihon we would have no kata and with no kata we have no martial art. I remember some classes where we would drill nothing but kihon and then others where it was 1 more 2 kata during class. So, in a way you are kinda like how i was when i first started with a young sensei but if you stick with it not only will you grow but you can watch him grow also. Which as a student and a teacher makes one feel the gratitude the art has to offer.

It was probably around 1977 or 78. I was bout 7-8 at the time we lived in an apt for the first time so cable was new to me (use to live out in the sticks and had to use rabbit ears and aluminum foil). there was a program on every sat afternoon I think it was called black belt theatre or something like that and during the show there was always 2 black or 3 black belts demostrating techniques. Use to sit there and practice what I saw. My mom saw I loved it, dad wanted to watch wrestling. Guess who won

i had one design i drew out cause it means alot, 3 things that i like. Celtic, american indian and martial and its all been combined in one as a tattoo that is on my right bicep that I show off proudly. other then that, I draw when I am able keep the pictures. I think more of a reminder of what I couldve become when I left the army.

Yup

I remember a story I was told by another while training. He asked me if I noticed sensei's belt turning white? I of course responded yes and kinda mentioned why he doesnt replace it. He told me me he had that belt since he was promoted to shodan. he is was a yon dan at this time. thats when he told me this story. Way back, a young student approached a master to study martial arts. The master gave him a white belt and told him do not wash this belt at all or all the wisdom and experience you have learned will wash away. so every day the student trained. He noticed the belt getting darker and darker until it was so dark it looked black. The student approached the master and asked if he was a master now. The master looked at him and said your journey just now starts. So the student starts training again, many years go by and the belt starts turning white again. The student never approaches the master bout it this time but the master approaches him. You are now ready to show other students what you know but remember this you will always be a beginner. With that the student took the next step on the journey to master. my sensei is a kyoshi now but displays that belt with pride cause of the long journey it took him so he could do the next journey.

But then what step are we truly on Lupin1 I remember getting my shodan. My sensai told me this is just the beginning on a bigger step. Its true black belt should be viewed as the stepping stone but do you truly know the basics (kihon)?? I know our hanshi would come up with new things he found out what shimabuku might have meant. He is one of the last ones that trained with Tatsou before he died also. I can see the interpretation of what beginner might mean especially in a dictionary but also beginner to one self is a point of view of ones aspect. Like I said, I been studying MA for 30+yrs. I look at everything as a whole cause I know I dont know everything and always want to learn as a beginner so for me beginner does mean learning as if I'm learning it for the first time.

well in a term, beginner is just a word really. I've done MA for 30yrs and I am always learning something new in it and of myself. So technically I am still a beginner even though I have my black belt. But then what is a black belt? is just a color of a belt? a belt to hold your pants up? I like this conversation

I'm sure you'll get it. I'm just intrigued by how other schools do there testing. kinda a fascination of mine to say the least. good luck next time. Brian

Good luck blade96. brian

As I said I apoligize first if I seemed to harsh. I can understand how you feel. I felt the same way when I first started taking up MA. My purpose was to learn how to defend myself, had the typical bully always harassing me. Mom even followed once to find out why I was always late alot of times. found that out much later. My dad was a lover not a fighter so wasnt going to learn from him (as much as I love my dad its the truth). I think it was when I hit brown I was in high school. I would still get harassed from this guy and finally had a enough. my senior year in HS and was on the last rank of brown. I put my foot down, the dude followed me all through town also. I stopped right in front of my recruiter (was going into the army) and they watched to see what was going to happen. I pretty much told him to leave me alone and to get on with our lives. He wanted me to him and I wouldnt. He would call me coward along with other words but I stood my ground. Even his friends (if you want to call them that ) that scared cause they knew I took karate also. and Me being calm, unmoving, trying like hard to show no emotion was making them a tad bit itchy that this might be a bad idea. After about 20mins one of the police officers I knew was walking a beat and asked me if I was alright said yup, Hank was just leaving right?. Well Hank looked at him realized I wasnt worth it at that time and drove away. Was told I wouldve been beaten to a pulp but after the cop talk to the recruiters, he realized hank might actually have a contest against me. He even told my sensei who congratulated me on not using voilence to end a situation. I've been in numerious confrontations but have always been able to use words as my weapon. It might work sometimes and there might be that one time it wont but I know instinct will take over.

Our dojo ( which I will be going back too soon ) has two dressing rooms. for as long as I can remember we always had females along with males. Generally it depends on what I'll be doing after class. Or how I arrived. Never arrived with my top on, that was usually in my bag with my weapons. Generally I'd have a t shirt or hoodie with me. If I was going to meet some friends after class then I would pack my pants in the bag as well. But as for getting into a fight. Never had. always was able to talk my way out of said confrontatoins to the point where the other person realized it might be a mistake.

I'm 6'1" and bit overwieght. Normally I just look at the size charts and try to jugde what would fit me best, so far I found 7 to 8 but have to have them hem'd up. and on the height thing, when I was going through basic at ft. benning they where looking for recruits for the old guard, you had to be 5'10" to 6'2 (or i think 3" ). Which elimanated alot of the guys I was with. I still wish I went.