Nidan Melbourne

To be honest with you I didn't learn the Bunkai until i was a Shodan-Ho, and I was 16 at the time. I trained at a club from 9th Kyu up to being awarded my Shodan-Ho, we weren't taught the bunkai nor the applications until then. Now I did grade as a Junior, as there was no Senior Grading the year that I was eligible. Did I have no clue to as their application? Yes and No. Even if we weren't taught the Dojo Version of the explanation until later. We were encouraged to explain it ourselves and how it works for ourselves. It was explained to us at the time; that they wanted us to use our brains to see our level of understanding prior to being taught the the dojo explanation. Bunkai and being a Black Belt in the Real World Now something that I think we overlook is that Kata and Bunkai isn't everything that we learn. Along with Violence all about Adult on Adult Violence. Now do I expect a Child to be able to fight evenly against a much Larger Adult? NO BUT I do expect them to have the intelligence to know how to respond in turn, and use their size to their advantage. Just like when we teach our seniors to do the same even if strength is more evenly matched as adults. I know full well how easy it is to knock someone out or to injure someone, but if it came to someone who is faster than myself who can use their brains to their advantage then i'm in trouble. It is something that I teach my juniors, to use that to their advantage - even using techniques that is frowned upon in the dojo to help them survive. Being under 18 and a Black Belt? Like i said i don't mind people being a Black Belt and under the age of 18. Because I believe that we teach a Martial Art to help teach us how to defend ourselves. Yes it is a typically "Adult" issue, but when you look at things that is prevalent in youth; they experience something similar. But we as adults call it "Bullying" and we degrade the violence in it that it actually is. Obviously to the extent of the violence greatly varies; but when you look at many outcomes they are exactly the same. But the difference is that adult violence someone gets arrested and charged vs. kids where "bullying" occurs and the perptrator is found yet at most an expulsion occurs. I don't know about everyone else, but I know that I got into several fights. I think 3 of those I used my verbal ninjitsu to prevent a physical fight, but countless more when I physically had to use skills that i learnt. And the reactions I had were off the routines i came up with myself prior to being shown what the dojo explanations were.

I can understand some reluctance to award a Black Belt to Minors. Something that needs to be reinforced in class, is that it isn't a "Force Field" that is going to protect them in different situations. Every respectable club should have standards for each rank, including each BB Rank. Now as anyone here would know; we all start our journey at different ages and stages of life. IMHO we are also quick to forget and compare where we were in our training at Shodan against our own students at the same time. Now as an Instructor, I look at students attempting their Shodan and compare to myself. And I look at how they can progress and be better than I was at the same time. When I sit down at gradings I look at: Technical Ability Knowledge of Kihon, Kata and Kumite Bunkai Self-Defence Routines Physical Ability How you do the above Strength, Endurance etc Knowledge Does the Candidate demonstrate their knowledge of how and when to exploit attackers Verbal How you communicate with Instructors and Candidates Verbal Skills for De-Escalation Inter-Personal Skills Values Presentation How does the Candidates values Shine during intense situations? How does the Candidates resolve their values where potentially violent situations arise. I've commented on most of your points above. There is one thing that I do disagree with it your post; is "Stay in your lane". It may be because I am closer to a Shodan in Rank than your decades of experience and current grade. Something that I was encouraged to do well after being awarded my BB was to question and ask the difficult questions. Question why

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I've had a few times where I had to physically defend myself where my Verbal Ninjitsu didn't work. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to go through the legal system having to prove Self-Defence. As each time I did it was on security camera where the entire incident was on 2 two different cameras, and had multiple witnesses to it. Both times, I did have to move and react with intent to defend myself. Each time I did react, I continued to verbalise that continuing to put me in fear and attacking will led to someone getting hurt or possibly die. From a lot of cases that i've heard about where self-defence was used and the perpertrator passed away, where the trauma was either from some concussive force unleashed something else or some form of trauma to the skull and brain.

I'm sure thats just local (US wise) in relation to First Class? I'm sure you wouldn't want to fork out the $20k (AUD) before extras are factored in to have me fly from Melbourne. But if the club was to pay that (including other fees payable), i'd make my time there worthwhile and same for the club. For me as an instructor; with that cost alone you should get me for at least for a week. But I also do suggest to the club, to organise my travel there with 2 or 3 clubs to split the costs of me being there. Although when I do seminars, i dislike the usage of Guest Instructors; because I can use the participants to help demonstrate for me. And if i did need assistants, it means I have overdone it in terms of what I want to teach or have too many people in the session.

So far to date; i regret not formally having gone for my 3rd dan when I had the chance. As I worry that with whats going on that I may not have the chance.

I do Zoom Sessions here and there; so similar to how many of us would have trained during COVID. Which I preferred over sending a video in and waiting for feedback. The hardest part to training solo is not having a parter to do a lot of the stuff and pressure test things. And working with others like yourself i'd love to do on a semi-regular basis if it was a financially viable situation for me to do so.

Was there much of a limit for airfare? Like in in terms of Economy/Business/First Class and then pricing for Return Flights? For instance flights for me economy from Melbourne to Las Vegas is around $1700 minimum. I have a few dojos that I have on my travel list both here in Australia and overseas. Some of which, I would do a road trip to go train at for a few days at each. - Yarrawonga - Albury - Canberra - All 3 are drivable from home, so would be a fun road trip. - I'd make a trip out of it and go up to Sydney for a few days. - Eudmundi (QLD) Where are you normally based? Is travelling to South America or Europe affordable to you if the CI travels that way to train?

Inviting them to come teach private? Possible; you would just need to take into account the costs for them to come travel your way for x amount of time. So airfare, accommodation, car hire, and general expenses. Group Situation? You're at least able to divvy up the overall costs between however many people that will attend. However if that person happens to be coming your way, and you ask if they can spare a few hours to help you out. And they say yes, then i'd offer to pay them for their time that they're sacrificing. But I wouldn't interfere if it was a Family Holiday.

I wasn't much of a fan of his; but respected the work that he did. My heart goes out to his family

That my friend is called a Pretzel

Rereading the posts here reminded me of something that my sensei once told me (he mentions it every now and again in class when teaching it). So his biggest gripe is with our Seeiunchin Bunkai; is that allegedly during a demonstration Goshi Yamaguchi performed a Support Middle Block to a Roundhouse Kick and broke his arm. Put continued on with the whole demonstration nonetheless. Now I don't know the validity of the story; and I'm not 100% sure if I have the correct Yamaguchi Off-spring correct. Also in my mind; Bunkai is a good starting point, but shouldn't be the end all of explaining kata.

@sensei8 you understood my (dodgy) question. Where you said that its taught from day 1. We introduced grappling to students earlier; but we have only a handful of instructors who have experience with groundwork. But I have the a lot of experience with sweeps, throws and takedowns. Along with teaching them to different ages.

Do you teach it at the same rank or generally within' a few ranks of them first learning it? When I teach kata, I mix it up with the juniors where I introduce applications and why the kata is the way it is. But at the same time, that there is more than 1 application/interpretation to the moves. We have the Taikyoku Kata first, so we don't have a formal bunkai for them. But I encourage the students to find uses for them.

You look so young in those two photos @Patrick. It would be funny one day to have a proper KF meet up somewhere in the world in the future.