Wastelander

Your best bet is finding or booking a seminar with someone. My teacher, Ulf Karlsson, Shihan, teaches pretty regularly throughout Europe, as well as when he goes to Okinawa, and I periodically teach it across the US. If you search on social media, you can find small groups of people practicing it here and there, as well. Aside from that, you can use reference videos to get started. Ulf Karlsson has put out a good reference video of the solo kata, showing it from multiple angles: He also has a video giving a nice overview of many different applications for the kata: And one that he did in preparation for a seminar we did about a decade ago: For a bit of a closer look, here is an example application from a seminar I taught several years ago: And a couple Waza Wednesday videos my late Sensei and I did on the subject:

It just so happens that I am one of the few people in the world teaching KishimotoDi, so I can actually answer your questions! KishimotoDi is much softer than both Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu, and doesn't use hip rotation to generate power, instead relying on twisting at the waist, sinking and rising in the stance, and stepping into the techniques. It doesn't have any ties to Goju-Ryu, at all, from an historical or curriculum point of view, but it does share 3 of its 4 kata with Shorin-Ryu; Naihanchi, Passai, and Kusanku. Of course, the versions practiced in KishimotoDi are notably distinct from modern Shorin-Ryu. Yes, although most of the tuidi-waza are techniques of opportunity, rather than something you actively seek out, and there is certainly less of it in KishimotoDi than in something like Motobu Udundi. Motobu Udundi is, as the name says, the "palace hand," practiced by the royal family and their close relatives, such as the Motobu family. While it does feature some of the same techniques as KishimotoDi, Motobu Udundi is based more on classical dances, and is more about the study of how to manipulate the body than about practicality, in my opinion. KishimotoDi is much more of a "get in, get rid of the bad guy, and get out" kind of system. "Todi" Sakugawa --> "Bushi" Tachimura --> Kishimoto Soko --> Higa Seitoku (founder of the Bugeikan) --> Higa Kiyohiko (current head of the Bugeikan) My KishimotoDi instructor, Ulf Karlsson, is the first non-Okinawan to be granted a Shihan license in the art, and has been training directly with Higa Kiyohiko. Noteably, this style is so small and niche that it didn't even have a name registered until 2011 (they just called it "Kishimoto's material," or "Kishimoto's Shuri-Te" before that), when Ulf and a few others suggested to Higa Sensei that the art was dying out, and that registering its name could help with preservation efforts. The four kata are: Tachimura no Naihanchi, Nidanbu, Tachimura no Passai, and Tachimura no Kusanku It only has 4 kata because that is the way karate used to be trained and taught--a smaller selection of kata, studied in greater depth. Many of the past Okinawan masters even wrote about this, saying that it was normal for karateka to only know a handful of kata, and that they would study each kata for years before moving on to the next one. Think about how many kata some of the notable masters taught. Matsumura Sokon taught Naihanchi, Passai, Kusanku, and Gojushiho. Uechi Kanbun only taught Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu before creating five more kata for his students. Motobu Choki only taught Naihanchi, Seisan, Passai, Wanshu, and Jitte, before he created Shirokuma. KishimotoDi has three overarching principles: issun hasureru (avoid by a sun/inch), taigii ichi (body and technique as one), and kobo ittai (simultaneous attack and defense). These are present in the way that all of the kata are applied. Naihanchi introduces fundamental mechanics, such as rotation and sinking/rising, fundamental footwork, primarily using kosa-dachi to avoid and enter against an attack, and basic 90 and 45 degree angles, along with tekko-gamae (steel turtle posture, aka meotode-gamae, husband and wife hands posture). It is also very throw-heavy. The rest of the kata build on these fundamentals, and explore finer angles, but they are all interconnected. Tachimura no Passai introduces sagurite-gamae (searching hands posture), and Tachimura no Kusanku introduces hotate-gamae (standing sail posture). Nidanbu was specifically designed to help connect Tachimura no Naihanchi to the other two koryu kata, so it shows variations of some techniques that sort of blend different kata together. Not at the moment, but I'm open to travel, and Ulf Karlsson is planning on a US/Mexico trip either next year or 2026, which I'm sure he'd be happy to extend to Canada. I'm also going to be teaching an online seminar on Tachimura no Naihanchi this saturday.

It's been a long time in the making, and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition! Thanks for all the work you do behind the scenes, Patrick!

There's an ebb and flow to discussion forums, in my experience. There are a lot of beginner questions and conversations, and over time they mature as the martial artists involved mature and grow, until new beginners start to come in, and a lot of the same conversations come up. The thing about that is that we get to see how the folks who've stuck around have evolved over time thanks to those discussions. It makes for a great community, as well!

I wouldn't say that it's vital, but it DEFINITELY makes things easier. As Montana said, parents will pay for their kids to do things that they won't pay for themselves to do, even if they are interested--the kids come first, and people generally see more benefit for kids training in martial arts, as well. If you think about it, most adults who train just want some exercise they enjoy, and maybe some self-defense skills. When it comes to their kids, though, they see all the other benefits: discipline, motor skills, coordination, balance, confidence, cultural exposure, competition, etc. Now, I do believe you can get adults to recognize all of those benefits for themselves, and run a successful program without young children, but I think it is MUCH harder. It's also impacted by the demographics in your area, which is outside of your control unless you can afford to move your program to a different area with better demographics. You can market it perfectly, but if the adults just don't have the funds, or have to work too much to have the time, it's not going to work out. That takes some serious market research, but it's definitely beneficial.

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words! It's been a wonderful journey, and I've been able to make some great friends along the way! I look forward to continuing on for another 10!

Torii USA is a solid choice, and handmade in Phoenix, AZ: https://www.toriiusa.com/tonfa.html

That is certainly an interesting way of looking at things. I haven't heard any of the Japanese or Okinawan instructors I've been involved with use "making" in place of "doing," but they tended to say the word "practice," more often than not. I do think there is something poetic about "making karate," though. Thanks for sharing!

Welcome to the forums!

I don't have them up right now, but I have usually hung them up in my office or bedroom. I don't have a college degree, and while I have a couple professional certifications, I don't have those hung up--I have either hung them up at work or I keep them in a safe. I think it's less about importance and more about the "vibe." When I have the certificates hung up, I generally have them accompanied by artwork and weapons to create a martial arts display wall, of sorts. IT certifications just don't fit that vibe

So, I was reluctant to post a link to their site but, hey, if they are legit, they will appreciate my due diligence. If they are bogus, then I won't train there anyway. So, here is the website to their school (is it OK to post that?): http://clerouxkaratedojo.com/HOME.html You will see that the first parts of the site are in French. Please persist "an English version follows". The "patriarch" is Hanshi Cleroux. He is purportedly a 10th Dan. The head instructor is also a 10th Dan while another instructor is a 9th Dan. This dojo seems heavily intertwined with the "Canadian Karate Association" which has a facebook page but no website that I could find. The dojo and the Association seem to be very closely related. I can find no reference to either of these entities other than through the other. So, only the Cleroux dojo seems to mention the Canadian Karate Association and only the Cleroux dojo seems to mention the Canadian Karate Association. Anyway, I am eager to hear what those with more knowledge than I seem to think about this. If it is legit, I am indeed fortunate to live so close to them and to potentially benefit from their instruction. Well, provided his bio on the website is true, he was ranked legitimately to 9th Dan in Chito-Ryu, although some of his intermediate dan ranks were done a bit oddly--sort of a break in his lineage. It also looks like his 10th Dan was an honorary thing from the government, which is weird. I can't speak to the politics involved, because it's certainly possible there was some pay-to-play or quid-pro-quo going on, but there's no evidence to say one way or the other. It is definitely unusual for a single dojo to have two 10th Dans and a 9th Dan, unless it is the headquarters dojo of a major organization/style. For example, the Shorinkan on Okinawa has two 10th Dans, and a few 9th Dans, I believe, but it's also the largest Shorin-Ryu organization in the world.

Welcome to the forums!

Thank you, everyone! It still feels surreal. Bob asked if I was going to start wearing a Renshi belt, but I don't think I will. For those who aren't familiar, there are a few different styles of Renshi belt. Goju Kai uses a half-red/half-white belt, which they've trademarked, so everyone else has a black backing on it to avoid legal issues. On Okinawa, more often than not, they just put one stripe on each end of the belt to denote Renshi, then two for Kyoshi, and three for Hanshi. Some styles will use a black and red panel belt for Renshi, as well. They're neat, but unless someone gifts me one, I'll probably just keep wearing plain black belts until they wear out.

Congratulations, again, on your well-deserved promotion! Sorry I wasn't able to be there, this time around!

Haisai, everyone! On Monday, my friends and fellow INKKS co-founding members stopped by for a visit on their way home from this past weekend's seminar event, and presented me with not only a back-dated Sandan certificate for when I should have originally tested (that test was canceled on me just 3 weeks prior to the date for political reasons), but also a certificate for my promotion to Yondan, and a Renshi title, which came as a complete surprise! After my Sandan test was canceled, with both my Sensei and the dojo's Shihan having passed away, I actually figured I would just stay a Nidan forever. After pressure from several friends in the martial arts community, I eventually reached out to Iain Abernethy, and developed a grading syllabus for my Sandan, although schedules, life events, and health issues meant we never went through the evaluation process. Last summer, Nathan Ogden, Shihan, offered to evaluate me for my Sandan, and I finally agreed in the fall. It was after that evaluation that he said he was grading me to Yondan, as I was due my Sandan in 2019, making me eligible for Yondan in 2023, and he felt that my knowledge and skill were at that level. It was a complete shock, and still feels surreal. Being given a Shogo title, on top of that, was even more of a shock. I'm honored, but it feels strange to be just one dan grade below my late Sensei, and with the same title. I'll be doing all I can to live up to that.

That's your concern, not your students. But does the fact that you're seeking rank from a particular organization while your students are being denied the ability to do the same not bother you at all? Technically, I wasn't seeking rank--I was told I was at 3rd Dan level, and would be taking my test on a given date. I also didn't intend to seek additional rank while remaining in the organization, I simply intended to continue supporting the organization with my membership. I have been quite clear with my students about my independent status, and no one has had any issues with it, but had I remained with the organization as I had originally intended, I would have also given students the option to test with the organization, and taught them accordingly, if they wanted to do so. I would not have denied them that, but knowing what I know, now, about the higher-ups in the organization, they might have denied my students out of spite, anyway, which is inappropriate. Doesn't seem as bad as the self-promotions that are more likely in independant dojo owners. Just because something is less bad than something else doesn't mean it isn't still a problem. We're talking about "traditional martial arts." There are non-traditional martial arts that are designed to evolve, that are focused on "the streets," that train in the uses of knives, firearms, extendable batons, etc in addition to hand-to-hand. As long as students know that that's what they're getting, versus "traditional" Japanese/Okinawan/Korean martial arts - hey, no problem. Karate was never intended to be written in stone, or preserved in amber, never to be changed. The founders of all the major styles of karate were quite clear on that, and yet it's become the norm, despite their wisdom on the matter. There's no reason traditional martial arts can't evolve. Even within an organization, your rank can carry different weight from dojo to dojo, because different instructors hold their students to different standards. My late Sensei's requirements for 1st Dan were equivalent to the organization's requirements for 5th Dan, except for the lower age and time-in-grade aspects. Some schools in the organization don't do any kumite, some do point kumite, some do knockdown, some do MMA. It's easy to say that your rank certificate is better than someone else's because of the organization stamp on it, but the reality is that your instructor has more to do with it than the organization, and you're the one who has to back it up. If you are in the IOGKF and get your 1st Dan, but you've never done kumite or worked bunkai, and you go to another IOGKF dojo that requires a lot of kumite and bunkai work, they might honor your piece of paper, but you'll still be put in lower ranked classes to catch you up, because you aren't up to the instructor's standard. People in general are aware that you get what you pay for. The shodan exam at my ISKF dojo is $80. I'd gladly pay that, and still be a shodan at any ISKF, SKIF, ITKF, or most other Shotokan dojos worldwide, than pay $20 at an independent Shotokan dojo and not have that. Except that paying more doesn't actually get you a better certification than paying less. In fact, I would argue that the higher the cost of the rank exam, the lower the legitimacy of the organization tends to be. There are some solid organizations out there that charge nothing, or next to nothing, for rank certifications, but there are a plethora of good-ol'-boys organizations trading money for rank and charging an arm and a leg. I know of several people who've paid thousands of dollars to be ranked as 8th, 9th, or 10th Dans in various organizations. Your argument also suggests that larger organizations are more legitimate than smaller ones, because your certificate is recognized in more places, but that simply doesn't hold up, IMO. Often, the less legitimate organizations are also larger than more legitimate ones, because people love rank and are willing to pay to get it, even if they haven't earned it. For example, the Bugeikan is a perfectly legitimate organization, headquartered on Okinawa, and run with integrity, but there are, MAYBE, 200 members, worldwide, so even if you earn a legitimate certificate from the Bugeikan, the chances of you finding another Bugeikan school somewhere are slim to none. Does that make the certificate worthless? In contrast, there are several sketchy American martial arts organizations that sell ranks to the highest bidder which have thousands of members, and you're much more likely to find a member dojo if you relocate that will recognize your certificate. Does that make the certificate worth more than the one from the smaller, legitimate organization?

I've definitely found that organizations die out, more often than not, when their founder dies, and those that don't almost always take a preservationist approach that can completely kill a style. It always reminds me of the famous Japanese poet, Basho Matsuo, and his quote, "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." Far too many people are interested in following the footsteps, and far too few are interested in seeking what their predecessors sought. It's easy to copy and preserve an art--that's the Shu phase of Shu-Ha-Ri--but it's far harder to push for its continued development and evolution. Being part of an historical legacy is nice, but in my opinion, you're part of that legacy whether there is an organization or not, because that's what your lineage is. I know that's not how a lot of people see it, though. It's easy to take the "no organization, no legitimacy," approach, unfortunately.

All of the cons listed are the kancho's concerns, not the students'. The students want what they've earned to be recognized and have meaning anywhere in the world they go, not just the 1500 sq feet surrounded by four walls and a roof in the middle of Smalltown, USA. I saw somewhere else (either in another forum or on Reddit), a guy who earned 4th Dan in an independent TSD dojang, being told he'd have to start from white belt in a WTSDA dojang. IMO, owners of independent dojos should be required to warn prospective students of this. Otherwise, being independent and not disclosing this is pure selfishness. I don't entirely agree. The cons are the kancho's concerns in the sense that they are responsible for how the organization is run, but they are absolutely concerns for the students the moment they begin to affect the students--the only difference is that the students have no power to correct it, and simply have to suffer with whatever the kancho decides. For example, the political machinations and scheming can result in, as happened to me, being denied a rank exam simply for wanting your school to be independent while you personally remain in the organization. Friends trading ranks can result in the students of those people being harassed about their instructors being frauds. Locking down an exact curriculum stifles creativity and the evolution of the art, which impacts everyone training in it. High costs can result in students dropping out and putting both the organization and its individual schools at risk of shutting down, and then we could lose a great deal of knowledge.

I'm generally of the opinion that instructors should not date students, the exception being if they began dating before the student became a student. There is an uneven power dynamic between an instructor and student, making consent difficult to legitimately obtain, just as there would be between a supervisor and employee. Besides that, it can also make for an awkward and uncomfortable dojo atmosphere if the instructor is hitting on students, or if they break up and the student continues to train.

Welcome back!

Starting up is always difficult. Personally, my thoughts are that you aren't actually competing with those schools, because they offer something different than you offer. It's like if a dance school said it was competing with a gymnastics school--there is absolutely crossover, but in the end, they teach to different goals, and there are going to be people out there who have goals your school can help them achieve better than those other schools. Of course, there are some things that tend to be a necessity--childrens' classes, for example, are almost always required to bring in the funds to keep the doors open and lights on. You can absolutely still market your school for the discipline, exercise, and coordination benefits that it brings to everyone, including kids, because those are just natural parts of learning a martial art. The difference is that you can also highlight your self-defense focus, especially for women and children, because people definitely want that. You can also highlight the cultural aspects of training in a traditional art, because there are people who think that is cool. You can highlight the fact that you aren't running a for-profit school, because there are people who prefer to support non-profits when given the option. Don't try to compete; just show people the benefits of what you teach.

I'm hoping to lose at least 20lbs, get comfortable with a new version of Gojushiho to replace my existing version, attend at least two seminar events in person, and get the International Neoclassical Karate Kobudo Society fully operational, ideally with at least one seminar event scheduled for the year.

Thank you, all, and congratulations to all the winners!

I would consider things like this to be kata, because they are partnered drills converted into solo drills. Personally, I extract sequences from kata to develop drills, so I wouldn't necessarily consider my drills to be kata. Sort of a "all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares" situation, if that makes sense?

I did consider posting it in the Instructors/School Owners forum, but decided against it because I, personally, had quite a bit of experience with the pros and cons of organization membership as a mudansha in Shuri-Ryu, Judo, and Shorin-Ryu. I did get to experience things differently as a yudansha and instructor, of course, but I hope to hear the perspectives of everyone, regardless of rank or position. It sounds like you're pretty well situated with your karate organization! Is there anything you think they should do differently that would make things better? I think I can guess that the kobudo organization should be more supportive of its member instructors in allowing for promotions?