Chunmonchek

My goal has been to not have to pay more to teach than any of my students has to pay to learn. So far, I've met my goals. And in my best years, I've had some surplus $ to help fund travel to teach at our branch dojos in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and England. That said, I don't have any objections to people making profit teaching.

The Martial Arts...where just about anyone can strap on a black belt and have people bow to them and kiss their butt...all the while asking them for money for the privilege...

When I started training with my teacher, I wanted to take off my black belt and put on a white belt (I had dan rank from a different lineage of Okinawan Goju). My teacher wouldn't let me, forcing me to "rise to the occasion"...i.e...to keep up with "his" blackbelts and convert. He did the same for at least 6 others from my old lineage and many from other Okinawan Goju lineages...some just couldn't cut it and left. Over 35 years later and I'm still hanging in there ...

I think that I'm in agreement with this. My current view: Kihon is kihon, training modalities are training modalities...and fighting is fighting. Accordingly, I would employ the martial movement, structure, training and intent of a "block" when actually fighting, which may or may not resemble kihon.

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...

A former Sensei tried to justify his messing around with one of our female students by telling his wife that in feudal Japan it was common for a Samurai's wife to gift the Samurai with a young concubine...it didn't go over to well with the wife nor us students...

I try to get my guys to undermine my techniques all the time. I encourage them to doubt and question everything and anything I do. I only ask that they be vocal and voice their opinion to ME rather than someone else when I’m not there. Frankly, I love having people like you in my class. I find they stick with me the most and obviously really understand the method to my madness. If you like getting answers to the questions you ask, you’d love being in my class. That said, my personal opinion is that one should always be skeptical. I’m teaching you a science, not a religious dogma. I’ve found those that get most upset when people have questions are the ones that don’t have the answers.... Too true. As Sensei8 points out... Solid Post! I totally agree!

I wouldn't find you a difficult, much less a nightmare, student. My teacher has always encouraged questions/inquiry at the appropriate time, as do I. When I first started training with my teacher I already had over 15 years in the arts. I only asked him questions that I thought I knew the answer to. This way I was not merely getting an answer to a discrete question, but affirmation that I was on the right track. So I would advise you to ask questions until you have enough proficiency in your training to do likewise.

Congratulations on your promotion! The most difficult"test" for me, and the one I stressed most over, was when I presented my first generation of Brown Belts to my teacher for their Shodan grading.

I have no experience in TSD, but have some training in Tae Kwon Do and Shotokan from back in the early 80's, as well as substantial experience training with Shotokan Sensei. I have over 45 years in Goju, 38 of which are in Okinawan Goju (Jundokan and Shoreikan lineage). The biggest differences, in my experience/opinion are, off the top of my head, and in no particular order of importance: 1. TKD tends to be long range, Shotokan long to medium range, and Goju close and grappling range. 2. Power generation in Okinawan Goju is very different than TKD and Shotokan. See items 3, 4 and 5 below. 3. Focus on Goju's Sanchin/Tenshoa internal training (what many refer to as the breathing kata, but there's much more to it than that). 4. Goju has better root in its stances. 5. Being a close quarter system, Goju tends to use both hands simultaneously (squared off stance), while my TKD and Shotokan training did not. 6. Focus on Goju hand strength/articulation for tearing and gauging. 7. No emphasis on Sport Karate (at least for us). 8. Very specific training focused upon cultivating a martial body/armor. 9. Used more low-line attacks and locks. Of course due to my experience I am highly biased toward Okinawan Goju Ryu. That said, my above views are based upon the differences that one would experience in the first year of training (at least how we train and teach). Caveat: there are differences (some very significant) between what we train and teach, and what others in Goju do. PS. Don't despair, while Mr. Miyagi had no real Karate experience, at least (1) the screenwriter of the Karate Kid does...and (2) Mr. Miyagi did know the Fonz!!!

Agreed! I'm a firm believer that to improve in the martial arts, you need to be pressure tested in some way. For us, two-man training is a must. Two-man with a skilled and temperate Senior is even better.

My Obi is a symbol of my personal relationship with my teacher. It's the heaviest piece of cloth that I own... Whenever I tie it around my waist I feel the "weight" of maintaining my art...of preserving my teacher's martial legacy...of properly training my juniors so that one day they will "feel" the "weight" of sharing and preserving our lineage... and ...of properly and honorably representing my teacher and our organization... So many these days do not understand giri...

Agreed. My understanding, which could be flawed, is that its Japanese street/thug slang. We don't use it, and I never heard it in Okinawa...

Are you in the London area? If so and want to try something different, I can recommend an instructor that runs great adult and childrens classes. Best of luck in your journey, Chris

OneKickWonder, One thing to consider/be aware of is that there are different types of "Goju"...primarily, Okinawan Goju, Japanese Goju and American Goju, all with different "flavor". And even the various Okinawan Goju lineages have different "tastes". If your training includes Southern Chinese Martial Arts, I would think that Okinawan Goju would appeal to you. I've been around a bit, and have settled on training Okinawan Goju Ryu and Matayoshi Kobudo...but then again...horses for courses...

Teach what you want, how you want. Call your dojo/kwoon/school/studio/academy whatever you want. Get the prior approvals of your current/past instructors...or not. Anything else smacks of hubris... Just my .02.

Wearing a white belt is not a mark of dishonor or punishment. To me, and to most experienced karateka, it represents sho shin --beginner's mind -- which every karateka should maintain, no matter what their rank. Think about it — You're just in town, temporarily, visiting a school that YOU contacted, and you don't know them and they don't know you, and you asked to work out in THEIR dojo, and they're being generous and gracious, in saying yes, you can work out with us. Same style or not, you were not promoted by them -- wear a white belt. If you're a 5th dan, let what you do in class make that clear to all -- why would displaying, to total strangers, your rank, with a piece of cloth, matter so much to you? If you had no belt to wear (you lost it, for example) would you not take the class, even if they said it's fine to not wear one? Would that deter you? if so, ego is the answer. Rank is only relevant/relative within a dojo, usually, and maybe sometimes in its associated/branch dojos. If I never wore a belt for the rest of my days, I would still enjoy training as much as ever. Would you? I hope so! Osu! I'm with Brooklyn. I've more than 40 years in, and still would not hesitate to put on a white belt to train. Bottom line is "My house, my rules; Your house, your rules". I've trained in a bunch of different arts, have trained in Okinawa, and was prepared to wear whatever. In my dojo, I will let any visiting yudansha wear their rank. Training on my floor with my org's patch on your dogi is another story. Frankly, I've never cared much where I stood in line, as long as I had a place in the line. All the best, Chris p.s. @Brooklyn-Good to see another Goju practitioner! Perhaps we know some of the same people?

Welcome and thank you for your Service. Chris

Without getting into the morass of what is, and what is not, "traditional", I would say that there may be more "traditional" martial arts available, and more practitioners of "traditional" martial arts now, than ever before. It just feels like the numbers are declining in relation to the "non-traditional" schools, gyms, etc. For better or worse, I believe there are more qualified senior practitioners of "traditional" martial arts throughout the world, and more information available to "traditional" martial artists, than ever before. Just ask anyone who was searching in the 60's or 70's, when training in the arts was far from mainstream. IMHO, it's not a question of declining numbers, but of being overshadowed by "mainstream" martial arts/sports.

Robert, Welcome from another Goju practitioner. Chris

On my formal "go to organizational events" obi, I have my organization name on one end and my Chinese name on the other, both in Chinese. More importantly, I've plenty of "blood, sweat and tears" on all of my obi.

Muscles work by contraction. Simply, all you have to do is to use only the muscles absolutely necessary for the action. In other words, inhibit (not fire) the antagonistic muscles. Therein lies the rub...how that's done.

We're all experienced to one degree or another. In the 70's, I'd ask what belt are you? In the 80's, after I thought I knew more, I'd ask, how many years have you trained? In the 90's I figured out some had x years of experience, and others had one year experienced x times, and stopped asking.

Maybe start here... http://www.sijundokan.com/student_manual_4.php As you are training Jundokan/Miyazato lineage, I would also suggest that you look for terminology lists for IOGKF. Good luck, Chris

Is there anything that you are looking for specifically? While there is a great amount of commonality in terminology, there is still a fair amount that may by Kan, Dojo or lineage specific. What lineage of Oki Goju do you train? Chris