Spartacus Maximus

The time spent doing things that are unrelated and not specific to martial arts varies wildly from one instructor/dojo to another. It also depends on how much time there is for one session. Currently the sessions are 2 1/2hours to 3hrs on 4 evenings per week. Quite common for a dojo in Okinawa/Japan, but this is much longer than the average dojo elsewhere apparently. Moat of that time is spent doing karate things. Only about 20-30min is used for general training involving traditional weights and the usual body weight exercises(push-ups, etc…). Correct technique and how to do these is explicitly taught, but it is something emphasized as “out of dojo training”. It is expected that everyone practices this and kihon as much as possible, like “homework”

It takes a certain kind of dedication, commitment and perhaps obsession to maintain serious investment and interest in an activity that is not essential to a comfortable, happy living. Life always seems to find a way to frustrate most endeavours and priorities can change very quickly. It is all the more admirable when one can manage it because of the incredible self-discipline it takes to find and keep the balance between training martial arts(or whatever else) and everything essential to living comfortably such as a home, an income, good food and a stable safe place to live. With very few exceptions, most people have trouble with at least one of these things at some point during their lives.

@sensei8 Is the posture/stance explicitly taught as part of kata like the Uechiryu “woah, chill dude” one seen in so many of their kata? Or is it something more of a kumite/application thing taught separately? It is interesting that this does not seem to be the case with the other heavily Shuri-te influenced ryuha, mine included

@sensei8Does yours have the hands out in the same way as in Uechiryu? What about it is similar and what is different? The hypothesis of the OP is that the posture might have been something common to Okinawan martial arts, perhaps originating in the Chinese martial arts from the time long before the styles known as karate were named and “seperated” into the ryuha known post-WW2. Probably going as far back as Matsumura or earlier. It is interesting and maybe telling that the stance doesn’t seem to be known/used outside of Uechiryu, yet you are the second person from a Shorin/shurite style to say it exists. Having trained only in kobayashi shorin ryu(2 different lineages), this posture never was taught, demonstrated or practiced in any dojo.

It would be immensely helpful to illustrate if pictures could be found to compare what you describe from Matsumura seito with what is familiar from uechi ryu. In the M.S posture are the open hands held in exactly the same way or are there minor differences between that and what is seen in uechi ryu?

The open handed hands in front starting or ready position used in Okinawa uechi ryu karate makes a lot of sense for practical defensive use. Does anyone have an idea of where or how it came to be? Perhaps it is another feature of this style’s Chinese roots. None of the other Okinawan or Japanese martial arts have anything similar. Are there other martial arts in the world with something similar?

There was one Okinawan teacher who got rid of yakuza types who attempted to intimidate him thinking he was an easily scared old man. They would not so subtly remind everyone that the building where the dojo was and many other parts of the neighborhood was their turf, and therefore owed them something. They often showed up acting arrogant, threatening and belligerent demanding recognition and « respect ». Instead of cowering in fear, the 9th dan 70 something sensei invited the yakuza in and showed them his personal makiwara, which was basically a piece of iron/steel sheet. After striking it a few dozen times with his hands and then with his toes(similar to sokusen kick in uechiryu), he asked if any of the yakuza characters wanted to have a go. One tried to look tough not to loose face, but visibly winced and very obviously could not continue beyond a couple of halfhearted punches. The sensei asked if anyone else wanted to try, but they all looked at each other, gave a sheepish bow and left. They never bothered him afterwards, even ignoring him if they saw him.

without going into details(some of you out there may already have an idea why), articulating a specific word/sound as a kiai makes it less effective because it is no longer the burst of physical effort/exertion it should be. A long, drawn out shout also would be ineffective because it involves exhaling for longer than normal. is just a really simple concept that seems to have been lost in translation when East Asian martial arts spread out of their native territory. For some reason, like many things uninitiated Westerners seem to have construed it into some sort of mysterious esoteric, cultish thing. This all seems very strange and quite bizarre to anyone with the least bit of familiarity with how a human body works.

Chuck Norris used to be the face of Century MartyArts catalogue in the late 80´s and the 90´s. That catalogue was quite popular in many schools and they would hand it out to the students. As a 90´s student/fan, his movie career already passed, and was only discovered much later; after the television series he was known for later.

That’s awesome. Like so many martial arts fans, it’s inspiring to see an icon such as Chuck Norris still alive and well at an advanced age, even more so if the man in question is still training and maintains a high level of skill. Many martial artists can only hope and dream to reach that age and still be strong.

For the longest time mokuso was something that was done with only very limited or no explicit explanation as to its purpose. Nor did previous instructors ever really tell anyone what we were supposed to be doing for that 2-5 minutes before or after the training session. We were just meant to breathe and concentrate…and everyone did because that is what one is expected to do when training in a Japanese/Okinawan dojo. Finally and luckily an excellent Okinawan instructor explained that, mokuso, in his view had a more practical purpose rather than just spiritual or intellectual theory. The martial/training purpose is to practise natural abdominal breathing(diaphragm), focus the mind and train ourselves to become more aware and conscious of our environment. All very useful for anticipating an attack and avoiding or countering without having to think about it. This, he explained, was essential to developing instinctive techniques and when mastered to a high degree can appear like a « sixth sense »

only a few known by reputation, and one noteworthy known personally as a private instructor. Cannot give his name, but its fine to talk about some of his eccentricities.

Has anyone ever stopped to think about how self defense and use of force are most commonly taught in the martial arts? Perhaps it is more prevalent in classical martial arts. In personal experience, most of what is taught for self defense is too extreme for dealing with what people are likely to face. Here are some overlooked points in most situations in no specific order of importance: 1. It is incredibly easy to cause more damage than intended. Falling the wrong way from being struck or thrown can easily result in death and /or permanent injury regardless of any training. 2. Most of the violence one is likely to face will not be of predatory/criminal intent. 3. Treating every aggressive or violent encounter as if it were trench combat is neither smart nor sane. 4. The legal system, no matter where in the world will always assume everyone involved is at least partly at fault. Whatever the outcome, dealing with the law and trials are never a cheap or pleasant experience.

Perhaps the disappointment might be less important when there are less students. The matter of fact is that it is a normal thing to occur, even just for a fleeting moment. It does no good to dwell on it, especially when students and prospective students are abundant. That could hardly be considered coldness. It’s just how teaching works and, a wise instructor knows from the beginning that most students will probably quit well before the 4-5 years(average) required to even get to shodan(or equivalent). Never mind beyond that.

It is natural to feel great disappointment when one has spent the time, energy and dedication teaching someone a skill; seeing potential in them only for them to quit at the very time when their efforts begin to show results.

the best puzzle mats are the ones about 2,5cm thick and medium firm(yes, some makes/brands have different firmness). Floor mats that are too thick/soft will not react the same way. Something with minimal cushioning close to bare floor/ground. Mats that are too thick/soft will feel like standing on a bed mattress and may even increase the likelihood of foot, ankle or toe injuries.

The longer one trains in the same style and dojo the more lonely it gets. Things and priorities get in the way and life changes. It is only the smallest minority of almost obsessively dedicated individuals who manage to continue past shodan. It is even rarer for those who reached sandan or higher within the same dojo. Usually by that time everyone else who started around the same time have quit way before or soon after reaching shodan. For every 1 person continuing beyond shodan, there must be a crowd of people who left after reaching shodan. It would be interesting to ask a few sandan and above how many people who earned their grades at the same dojo at the same time are still actively training.

Every indoor training space will have a smooth, even surface and most of them have floors with hardwood, linoleum tiles or similar materials. Many will install the typical martial arts or gym mats over that. The only difference that comes to mind when considering the dojo floor, is that there may be more caution when doing things like throwing and falling, or being down on the floor. Knowing that any real life situation is highly likely to happen on uneven and unpadded ground, it makes sense to train on hard floors or outside whenever and wherever possible like the old timers did.

Unless the space has no other users(other renters) or were personally owned, it seems more practical and less of a hassle to have only things that can easily be taken down quickly and easily. It would be infuriating to have something really nice, only to have it lost or destroyed.

Worst ever seen was a senior student nearly take his ear off with a kama that wasn’t all that sharp

Worst ever was a severely sprained thumb from catching a hard kick directly on it instead of the forearm/wrist area like a block was supposed to be done. Misjudged distance and timing during drill. Took dam near 3 months before the pain/sensitivity got back to normal.

What makes the difference is the type and strength of bond an instructor has with the students. In the modern day, it is surely not a common occurrence for a martial arts instructor to feel personally and strongly responsible for a student’s misuse of what they teach.

A dojo’s decor and aesthetics ought to reflect the instructor and whatever system is taught. It would make little sense for a traditional TKD dojang, for instance, to have Judo related items if the instructor does not practise or teach Judo. Many martial artists appreciate and admire the skills of others who train in different disciplines from their own, but it is better to stay relevant to one’s system. Space is vital for a training place, so a minimalist approach is preferable, personally. Walls would be bare, except maybe some portraits of the instructors from my lineage going back to the founder. The entire floor space would be for training and equipment, no decorations, because clutter is distracting and space can be expensive.

One issue with using belts is that it has become so familiar that people expect it. Even the average nobody who knows nothing about martial arts except what popular culture and media says will be aware that martial arts=belts. This is so ingrained that it has become practically impossible to run a school without using belts in some form. Perhaps maybe you might teach a small group without using belts at all, but the second it turns into a formally established school/dojo, people will start wanting and expecting belts or at least some outward marker or progress and rank. In this karateka’s humble opinion, three or four belts is ideal(ex: white, blue, green, brown). Time in grade are minimum guidelines before being considered for the next level; and depend individual efforts. just like in school. Progress is always personal and never automatic. One look at schools will show precisely why the average students-customer seems convinced that skills and knowledge can be bought, consumed and instantly effortlessly acquired like they would at a fast-food store. If that is how people think and behave concerning school, we should not be surprised when they hold the same mentality about martial arts, or music lessons, or whatever else they think can be gotten just by throwing down a wad of cash

It would not be a surprise knowing how common dishonest practices are in the martial arts world. As you have said more than once, martial arts schools are businesses, and no matter what they sell or provide things if it can happen then it probably does.