evergrey

Thank you thank you.

OSU Well my white belt senses have been tingling for a while now... Today I got called into the office, and one of the instructors at my dojo affixed a black stripe to my belt! I am now a 10th kyu. Woot! It's interesting because we have official ranking days, but then sometimes someone will walk into the dojo with a new belt color all of a sudden, completely independent of the ranking days. I've come to the conclusion that we are ALWAYS being tested! Have to admit, I was having a very hard day yesterday because of a bunch of personal stuff, and that little stripe made me feel a lot better. Yay! http://www.niceboots.org/~evergrey/Kyokushin/1110/1ststripe.jpg OSU!

Try practicing your side kicks slowly? 5 seconds to chamber and throw the kick, 5 seconds to retract it. It will help improve your balance greatly, and your technique, and it will stretch your hips instead of yanking on the sockets. Also do this a couple of times before class, to stretch a bit. But doing stretching after class is also important, so that your muscles, which are damaged a bit when you work out, do not knit together tighter, but instead heal stretched and allow for more range of moment, instead of less!

Hello and welcome! What would you like help with?

Oh, I cuss like a sailor in certain circles. But I would not cuss like that in front of Shihan. It is a boundary of his, and as I and all his students represent his dojo in the way we live our lives, it is out of respect for him that I am not always out of control every where. In certain circles it is okay. More and more, however, in public... I prefer to have a little more class these days anyway.

Bob, will you take a hug as a consolation prize? *huuuuuug* If you are ever in the bay area, I am quite certain that you would be welcome as a guest at my dojo! An honored one, who I am proud to call my friend! OSU!

I'm actually not really sure! Maybe it's Kyokushin School of the Tiger. Maybe its Pleasant Hill School of Kyokushin. Maybe it's Wah Dojo. I keep hearing and seeing different things. I just think of it as home. Style: Kyokushin Area: Concord/Pleasant Hill, California Sensei: Shihan Gary White, 7th dan. Sensei Tyrone Wah, 4th dan. And my own sensei, whom I am the only student of, Michael Dunn, 2nd dan.

Thank you, thank you.

Haha, OSU Bob, if that book were about me, the smaller title might read: "how is it that she is still alive?" Beginner's luck I guess, haha! And thank you, I am really glad too. I think it was painful, but I'll admit I was so shocked that he tried it that I don't remember if it hurt! I yelled a lot of rude things at that horse, and I'm glad Sensei was there but not Shihan, because I'm sure I would have gotten in big trouble for some of the things that came out of my mouth! OSU!

OSU, Sensei, thank you so much! You are the best EVER! And thank you also, KarateGeorge and Bridge! OSU!

*sniff sniff* Death is as sacred as life, and this young lady passed on with great dignity and grace! OSU!

And update on my end: I elbow blocked a horse's back hoof the other day. He bucked and tried to double-barrel my head. I'm pretty sure it saved my life, or at least saved me from serious injury. There was an impressive "CRACK" sound, but all I ended up with was some light bruising. Elbows are awesome! But it's good to remember just how hard and tough they are- they can take a flying kick from the hardened hoof of a 1,000 pound animal. It's good to bear that in mind when sparring with your dojomates! OSU!

Haha, we block! We would still prefer to not get hit. We just like to try to condition our bodies to soak the strikes we DON'T manage to avoid! As for going on the attack in a knife fight... better to get away if you can. My sensei was once attacked by two guys whilst delivering pizzas, when he was younger. One of them had a knife. He managed to not get himself stabbed, and the guys did eventually run off. He ended up with a dislocated shoulder that developed calcifications in the joint. The injury eventually required surgery. Always get yourself out of a confrontation WITHOUT taking it to physical violence if you can! Just try to be ready if you don't have any other choice. ;}

I know he didn't want to remove kata, no! It just wasn't his strong point. But he had people doing them every day. So. :} I think they are good. I think kumite is good. I think drilling is good. Even the dreaded tons and tons of "on the knuckle" push-ups are good. And all of it must be PRACTICED! OSU! Oh gods I am turning into my Shihan! *waits for red mustache to sprout*

Thank you so much, joesteph.

One of the biggest reasons to spar in class is to learn, not to win. Of course, one should always be giving 110% effort, but also respect the instructors of the sensei when they're told to use 50% power. It sounds like this guy hasn't learned yet to leave his ego at the door. He felt that he'd lost face. I do not believe that what you did was improper. You could have purposefully injured him. A sweep and a gentle fall is not really a humiliation- it's an opportunity to learn. If he is getting swept so readily, he clearly needs to learn how to defend against sweeps. You fight how you train- if it's something he needs to learn, then he needs to experience it. I'd also suggest seeing if sweeps and falls can be worked on in one of the upcoming classes. I don't think you should feel the need to avoid sweeping him. Heck, my sensei throws me around all the time. Another thing is that he asked you to spar. You out-rank him, correct? If that is the case, then he was technically issuing a challenge to you! Perhaps he thought that he would win, and was upset that you handled him like that. Certainly an ego issue there. Perhaps it might be a good idea to quietly take your sensei aside and ask him for your advice on the best way to handle it. Don't couch it in terms of him settling the issue for you- just ask him how he'd advise you handle it. Mention that you are concerned about how people may respond to you as an authority figure at such a young age, and that you want to handle it in the most mature way possible. Remember that the people in your dojo are friends and family. Form a united front, support one another, and you will all be stronger for it. Remember that if you defeat someone and humiliate them, you may earn an enemy for life. If you defeat someone and allow them to save face, treating them with dignity and respect, you may gain an ally for life. But you should also not let anyone bully you, and this young man needs to learn some humility and respect your rank as well as your abilities. I would suggest discussing the matter quietly, not outing him in public in front of the other students, and treating him well. Soften the blows of his defeat by complimenting something he did well. After you sweep him and yame is called, tell him "good fight!" or after class if he did something well, say "your yoko geri was really good- you popped it perfectly!" I think it is good to match energy for energy. If a lower rank wants to flail at you hard, sometimes it is up to you to demonstrate to them that doing such a thing won't always gain them the advantage. There will always be someone out there who is bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled than you are. This is an important lesson to learn. Confidence is good. Arrogance can get you killed. If he cannot control the level of his power, then perhaps say something like "hey, let's ease up a bit so the lower ranks can see and understand what we're doing!" Then again, if you outrank him, you have every right to give him the order to cut back on his power. Chain of command! Even if you do not, you are within your rights to set a boundary and tell him he needs to ease up. Not because you can't handle it, but because he needs to respect the instructions of his sensei and learn control. The first great accomplishment is to learn how to quickly and effectively injure or kill your opponent. The next, greater accomplishment is to KNOW how to effectively injure or kill your opponent, and NOT do so. We are warriors, not thugs. Living the martial way is not only a strength- it is also a responsibility! Even though you know that the real issue is him feeling ashamed that you swept him so readily, you could say, "you know, thank you very much for bringing up your concern, that's a really good point! Let's see about focusing on teaching everyone about sweeps and falls. I'd hate for one of our students to get hurt because they don't know how to execute or receive that properly!" Often people don't mean as much offense as they inadvertently manage to give. What most people really, truly want is to be understood and accepted. Do not retreat, stand up for yourself, but have compassion and be willing to be forgiving. Be the better man (unless you are a woman, then be the better woman, haha!) and take the high ground. You might make a friend. And if you do not, he will find it hard to find fault in you anyway. Even if you cannot win his respect, others will note your behavior and respect you more for it. I hope that is helpful. OSU!

Wow, gosh, thank you so much, I'm honored! OSU!

I only tell you what I have been told by those who trained with him.

Oh yes, we have plenty of katas we must practice, and that are required for ranking. I totally see the use and importance of kata!

OSU, We do kata, but rarely spend much time on it in class. Our Shihan was trained by Mas Oyama, and Mas Oyama's student and friend. We still kind of do things old school. Oyama, apparently, wasn't the best at kata, and the kata they did changed often, though there was always a reason for the changes. What Oyama WAS good at was fighting, haha!

But make sure you know when the children's classes are scheduled, versus the adult's classes!

Truth!

PS, meh, not sure if it is the greatest, but- You can see where he is pointing his knee, and that he turns his other foot so that he is balanced and can use the strength of his body. I'm not sure if this is the best example, but pay attention to the way he has his knee in front of him. Never mind the rest for now, eh? Also when doing a side kick, be sure to have your big toe pointing up, and your little toes pointing down. This will help you get your foot in the right position. 'Course I'm coming at it from a Kyokushin standpoint.

OSU, With a roundhouse, you point your knee at your opponent, and then kick. The way the hips turn will make it a roundhouse every time. With a side kick, your knee is not pointed at your opponent, but in front of you. Think about aiming with your back pocket, because the way your hip turns when you throw that kick, your back pocket will be aiming at him. I'm not sure if this helps, but hopefully?

cejames- it is an accomplishment that I found meaning in! If you wonder what practical application my style may hold, you're welcome to come out and watch a class at the only kyokushin dojo in the east bay- it isn't hard to find! Most of the time we drill and spar with contact. But once a month, we break stuff.