Spartacus Maximus

This is not at all to dismiss, discredit or discourage training in martial arts. It is more about having a healthy aversion to violence and the importance of reserving it for only the worst threat of unavoidable physical harm. Having a good understanding of how easy it is to cause serious injuries to a human body and being conscious of its fragility should be something to consider. Particularly if one trains to develop the skills to do it effectively. Knowing this does not exclude the usefulness and perhaps the necessity of training for such skills.

What is most concerning is that many people who’ve never experienced violence with true intent to harm do not realize that even a poorly executed strike from an angry untrained person can have disastrous life-altering consequences. Whether it is intentional or not, all it takes is one bad fall to turn a knockout into something much worse. This is a very good reason why youths, especially teenage boys and young adult men ought to learn not to never take violence lightly, and the self-restraint/control to not be provoked or goaded into stupid fights over frivolous ego issues. Martial arts training just makes everything potentially worse and serious injuries much more likely.

@sensei8 Resilience like yours is admirable after everything you’ve had to endure(shared on KF). One of the most difficult things to imagine was how it must have been to lose so many friends and fellows at once in that awful freak accident.

Most people including trained martial artists who have never had the misfortune of physical confrontation often do not understand or appreciate how easily a human body can be damaged. Normal law-abiding people would much rather avoid all the legal, ethical and mental consequences of using force. All it takes to cripple or end a life is one strike or fall, even without intent. There are countless instances of people falling badly and getting very serious or fatal injuries that were not intentional. Most of these involve untrained people. Despite this, this is rarely discussed in martial arts schools. It is by far the best reason to avoid playing with MA outside the dojo/school or using it unless absolutely forced to defend oneself. Young men and teenagers (especially)who train would do well to listen and hear this warning. One bad judgment and a stupid fight(they are all stupid unless defending yours or another’s life/limb) can and will ruin your life, your future and perhaps your sanity. Am I prepared to deal with the authorities and the legal system? Do I really want to go through the mental consequences of having permanently crippled another human or caused their death? These are the questions to ponder. As a personal cautionary true story, I keep a newspaper article about a former classmate who has been disowned by his parents and serving 25 years. He had no training whatsoever but killed another fellow with one punch causing the other 18year old kid to fall and fracture his skull open on the pavement.

Europe would be the closest and least expensive, but going almost anywhere else would likely cost as much as going to where the CI lives and teaches most of the time. Sending videos is probably the best solution, but there are only a few things that can be evaluated without being present in person. trained intensively for just shy of ten years before life happened and being forced away. Although it is a project, lack of resources and a full time job make it impossible for the time being to open a branch dojo.

In all your martial arts training history, is there anything you regret or wished you had or could/should have done? For me it is finding and training under my teacher. Perhaps my understanding of Okinawan karate and martial arts would be greater had our paths crossed much earlier.

Does anyone else train this way for lack of better options? After much thought, it seems like sending videos of training is the best way to progress when doing it in person isn’t possible. Even if there are some parts of training that require in person evaluation, it would be better than nothing. Travelling one direction or the other to train might only be possible once every two years as it is quite far and expensive for myself.

As a student without a dojo, there is nobody else to share any costs with. Obviously the basic thing to do is covering the plane ticket, but there must be other things to do. The plan would be to invite the CI of the main dojo(my sensei), or one of the seniors. The CI already travels to teach in Latin America and Europe regularly. Basically, the goal is to keep training as well as setting up a shibu dojo in a region/country where Okinawan karate is virtually absent.

This topic is interesting. When there are no others to train with nearby and one’s instructor live too far away. for everyone, what is required for inviting the head of your style or high seniors to teach? Being a karate orphan can be challenging, especially when the hanshi and even the nearest senior is an 6~8 hour flight away.

The main reason for the inquiry is that there are quite a few of Miyahira’s direct students(9th and 10th dans) teaching out there who do not seem to be affiliated to the hombu in Okinawa. It would be interesting to have the input of someone who is with Shidokan.

It is much easier to learn what kata techniques mean and how they are applied at the same time than no having a clue until shodan. Ideally, one would start learning the bunkai and applications(basic oyo) soon after learning each kata. Longer kata might be split into shorter sequences for this. perhaps another reason why this changed is because karate was usually taught in private or very small groups. It’s a lot tougher to effectively teach/learn bunkai to 25 at a time than it is with 3~5 people.

Very interesting about the grappling in Okinawan styles. It is said that Ti, the native pre-todi martial arts had as many throws, locks and grappling techniques. Another native art called Tegumi is mostly grappling and has been called Okinawan Sumo. It also explains why every oyo bunkai for shorin ryu kata ends with some kind of throw, lock, and then strike combo.

Okinawa Shidokan was founded by Miyahira Katsuya to pass on Chibana’s karate. Miyahira taught many students who now teach outside Japan and Okinawa. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could share some insight about Shidokan in other countries. Are they all affiliated with the Hombu in Okinawa? How do they all relate to each other? Going by videos out there, there are quite a few 9th and 10th dans. Any information and opinions are appreciated, but please send a PM if the information could be sensitive. It would serve no good to inadvertently step on anyone’s toe or cause a stir.

Thinking back on past experiences, bunkai applications and practice was reserved for shodan and higher. This resulted in people reaching shodan with no idea of the purpose, meaning and use of kata. Much like learning swimming step by step, yet not knowing/understanding that it is meant to be done in water and never actually going in water. Never mind the frustration for students, it does not make for a very interesting or effective way to teach. When and why did this become the norm? This is in sharp contrast to personal experience where Okinawan and Japanese instructors would teach the meaning and application step by step for each part of kata from the very beginning.

Very interesting indeed. The particular stance of Motobu Naihanchi is different from most Okinawan styles, but shares the same emphasis on developing strength and stability in the lower body and twisting power for short range range techniques in front and left/right sides. Contemporary first-hand accounts tells of a time period before established ryuha, when both Naihanchi and Sanchin were taught/practiced in Shuri-te and Naha-te. Many of the known experts/teachers of that time were acquainted with each other and likely trained together or at least exchanged skills. Some even had solid friendships like Itosu and Azato. Then later at some point Shuri-te kept Naihanchi while Naha-te retained Sanchin. How, why and when is uncertain.