Spartacus Maximus

Teachers, whatever they teach should only teach what they themselves have thoroughly learned. This ought to be obvious, but in martial arts there countless instructors who, for different reasons, attempt to teach things that haven’t become familiar enough with. At the same time, a good teacher is an honest one who can not only admit not knowing; but is also able to refer interested students to an instructor who does know and is capable of teaching. Having said that, it is necessary to understand the difference between competitive sparring to win a match and sparring as a learning exercise to test and train effective techniques so that they become useable to defend oneself from felonious unprovoked assault. There is no reason for me to forbid students from competing. Even if I do not and cannot teach the sporting aspect of karate, it would be my duty as a competent instructor to be well enough informed and recommend someone who is capable in that area to those who want to go in that direction.

Mine would also be specific to a particular ryuha: Takahara, Sakugawa, Matsumura, Itosu, Chibana

Even between consenting adults, it would be ethically wrong and a stupid decision from a strictly business or administrative perspective. One only has to imagine the potential repercussions on the school’s training atmosphere when other students find out. Imagine the accusations of favouritism and all the headaches when the couple would fight or have disagreements(all couples do that eventually). Is it really wise for an instructor to bring such personal things into the school? There are a few things that don’t belong in a training place and romance is definitely one of them.

If you wanted to teach a traditional martial art, focussed solely on self-defense, how would you deal with being in an area where all the other martial arts studios being highly commercialized, sporting/competition-oriented ventures? YOU: A) Never participated in, nor trained for competitions. B) Were trained by instructors whose teachings focused on self-defense. C) All your training was either done wherever your martial art comes from, and/or by highly competent, reputable instructors native to that area/country. D) The only training and teaching methods you know are those of your instructor and his predecessors. EVERY other place you have visited in your area is: A) Affiliated with a large chain of schools B) Focusing only or heavily on sport/competition C) Aimed at mostly or only children/youth D) Very obviously commercial and for-profit Given that to the average potential student(or their parent/guardian) there is no difference between what you have to offer and everyone else, how do you compete with these big, powerful(with means and money) for potential students?

The six feet/two meters during the pandemic was based mostly on the distance at which airborne viruses can infect another person via sneezing or coughing. Under normal circumstances, there are quite a few places where people might consider six feet/two meters too far for interacting with strangers. As some have remarked here, people don’t consciously think about it. When someone is too close or too far, we just feel it and react. There is always something that makes us think “why is this person standing way over there, do I smell funny?” or “ That person is getting way to close just to ask directions “

Much of this does indeed depend and vary from one individual or situation to the next. But this is a cultural/ social trait. Most people never really think about this explicitly , but there is a “comfortable distance” as to what is culturally acceptable. For simplicity of argument, let us imagine a situation where everyone involved is wearing reasonably clean ordinary everyday attire(neither formal/business/uniform, nor anything that might identify someone as belonging to any specific social group). How close would people expect to get before thinking “ this person might have intentions different from what they appear”? How are things where you live? How would the situation be different if it was daytime with other people around or when it’s dark outside and hardly anyone there?

This concept is not often discussed in detail when the subject of self-defense and human aggression or violence. Social distance is how close strangers get to each other to speak or communicate without one party feeling uncomfortable within a given society. It is complicated by the fact it varies from one culture to the next. Even smaller subgroups within a bigger society will have different rules. In general, it has been said that societies and cultures from the northern half of the world tend to stay further apart when talking to strangers, and those who live in the southern half tend to get much closer. Knowing the acceptable distance at which people normally socialize can be helpful when training or teaching appropriate defensive actions to wherever one may be. It helps identify potentially dangerous situations quicker if for instance, you know it isn’t normal where you live that a

Does anyone have experiences using one of the dozens of electrical muscle stimulation devices with straps/pads? These are the ones that make muscles work with small electric impulses, with or without gel pads. The technology has been around since at least the 60’s or 70’s and Bruce Lee, among many others, was known to have used them. Now, it is much more common and advanced. There is a huge variety available reasonably cheap for anyone to buy. What do you think of these devices and his do you use them if you do? Are the results significant? Should they be used together with regular free-weight/body weight/ machine training?

This is a request for help and ideas on what would be fair to charge prospective students. Profit is not the goal here, but to make just enough to keep the place open. The place is part of a community centre/all purpose recreation complex. Renting a gym at that place twice a week cost $32/hr. 2hrs every Saturday and Sunday would be $256/month to keep it open and accessible. Assuming this cost must be shared equally among students, what amount would be fair? This will be in addition to another amount for monthly membership and maybe a token contribution for shared dojo equipment such as striking bags, kick shields etc.

My particular case is that life happened and due to unforeseen circumstances, training with my teacher more than once a year is no longer practical. Going to him would involve costly and long air travel( 15hrs!). He is the grandmaster of a Hombu dojo(there are several as per the last wishes of the founder). Several of his peers and students( 7th to 9th dans) head their own branch dojos or organizations in places much closer to where I reside. Each of theses are recognized and, as far as I can gather they regularly have opportunities to train together. The only things I don’t know is their personal views and relationships to each other.

The key is training. Ranks and testing don’t really matter to those who train for themselves and their own personal advancement in martial arts. Not testing for rank doesn’t mean that one doesn’t continue to improve.

credible to whom? Should have been added to the original question. Proof is on the floor is a non-argument. What makes an instructor credible to the average potential student whose only knowledge/experience comes from the media? Consider someone who has never trained. Certain points or traits might look good and impressive, yet to an experienced martial artist might be of no importance.

What in your opinion and experience gives a martial arts instructor credibility? What is it about an instructor that makes the average potential student think: “this is who I want to learn from” ?

To everyone in general and Sensei8 in particular, let’s say you have been graded up to 2dan under the head of a traditional Okinawan karate association, a 9th or 10th Dan. That governing body has different different associations that are run by others of equal experience. All of whom were taught by the founder(who was taught by Chibana Chosin Is it possible to approach these other instructors to pursue your training without ruffling any feathers or stepping on any toes if that is the only way to continue because life happened and it is no longer possible to train under your original instructor more than once a year?

Has any one reached out to different associations or groups within their own martial arts lineage to train together?

Do you or does anyone you know teach for free or almost free such as not making any personal profit? For example if any money generated is spent to maintain the school running(rent, basic utilities), buy training equipment, etc. This is obviously less than ideal for anyone who wants to make their teaching primary income. But there must be others like myself who would be happy just to have a place to train themselves and share martial arts with others. Outdoor public places like parks are not an option because eventually, any decent training will require at least basic equipment or training tools that might not be practical to carry or use outdoors every time. Weather is also constantly an issue if it means not having access for months. If you are or if you know such a teacher, what kind of location(assuming it is indoors and isn’t your own building)do you teach from and how did you find it? What sort of agreement (rent, membership, exchange of services etc) is there with the owner party for having access and using it? Maybe it’s somewhere uncommon or unexpected that is different from the obvious places one might look such as public sports gyms or community centre. Anyone’s ideas and experiences are most welcome. Hopefully someone out there has thought of some type of place to run a school that I have never did before.

The exact wording is different, but in the first movie Mr Miyagi says something like “trust the quality of what you know, not the quantity”. This perfectly describes the idea of karate as it was in pre-war Okinawa. When an expert knew two or three complete forms but in the finest detail.

For those of this forum who started training in martial arts in their youth or even in your childhood, how have you adapted or tailored your personal practise/training to your age? It would make sense to assume that once a practitioner reaches their 30’s or 40’s, it requires some sort of change as a 40 year old must train differently than someone in their 20’s, even if the person has been training since their childhood or teens. There are things to take into account such as recovery time and other important fact that affect the body as someone continues to train past their physical peak.Certainly there are exercises and methods that must change with the person’s age. How else did/do the old timers keep it up after decades? it would be interesting to know what others experiences are like.If you have been training since your teens or 20’s, what if anything have you tweaked in your training to keep it up into your 30’s, 40’s or beyond? It is highly doubtful that, my Okinawan instructor in his mid 70’s, trains exactly the same way as he did when he was I his 20’s or 30’s. The reason for my inquiry is that I have been trying to get back into regular training solo, after being out-of-condition due to a nearly two year illness which left me nearly unable to do any kind of physical effort. Essentially stuck to a bed for most of that time. Recovery is still ongoing, but from a medical point of view, there should be no problems provided the intensity is slow and gradual.

This question is for everyone, but especially for anyone who has tried and tested the idea. What type of wood would be best to build an outdoor makiiwara board and post(round type). Hard types like maple or oak or soft types such as cedar or pine? it also seems obvious that weather will determine how long these would last, which probably not as long as it might in the semi-tropical climate of Okinawa. Construction will have to be adapted to a northern temperate climate with a long cold snowy winter and much rainfall in Spring and Fall and a relatively short but very hot summer.

People quit karate and a lot of other things they might have been doing for years because life happens and other things become priorities at different points in their lives. It is no small fit to continue for years or a lifetime and only a very determined, stubborn and lucky few manage to balance their entire life around it. Jobs, love, mariage; careers opportunities. Take your pick. It really is really hard to do and takes a cast iron will with top notch self organizing skills.

As far as discussing training the only of any value was with family. A distant relative but still close enough to trust and his involvement with Chinese martial arts was quite similar to mine. Both of us began or got involved in martial arts around the same age. Him in Chuan fa, mostly Hung Gar; and I in Japanese and later Okinawan karate. Never met often, but whenever he was around, we talked about martial arts. If there is one thing I can take away from this is that those who don’t train don’t know and cannot ever understand. The ones who do may have something to share or worth listening to, but always, always let them mention the subject first. Everyone and anyone else will just be dumbfounded by what they cannot understand and respond with ignorance and stupidity or awkward silence. If you want to go through that, good luck. I’m not loooking for students and Life’s too short to try to convince anybody I haven’t gone completely in insane with what I love to do with any free time I can get.

Been there. Regraded in the same stile from zero and nothing up to second Dan so far. Different instructors, different standards and different organizations. Logically speaking re-grading for third dan should have been possible a while ago, but it’s the teacher’s judgement and up to him to say when. Also Covid-19 restrictions has caused a lot of plans in that perspective

That sounds really lonely. What experiences have lead you to that conclusion?It may seem lonely, but martial arts has always been something very personal Thant only those who train as seriously as I could possibly relate to. It didn’t take long that mentioning or discussing it with anyone else was just a waste of time and could even give people impressions that I do not need. I go as far as avoiding the subject, denying any involvement and even knowledge beyond what the average person thinks they know about martial arts. It isn’t too far from the truth that for the average person, the martial arts are either a children’s game or entertainment to show off and appear in cheap things shows or movies. At worst they’ll think you must be not right and ridiculed for it, or that you’re some kind of thug begging for the opportunity to beat someone up; worse still that your “fancy nancy” moves won’t work on them. I have no time to waste correcting that kind of idiotic thinking and not at all Interested in changing anyone’s mind or convincing them of the “good” it gives me. It’s none of their business, dagnamit!

Personal experience has taught me to avoid the subject of my training, keep to a strict minimum those who are aware of it and keep it completely secret from everyone and anyone else.

Pride always gets in the way, even when you make every effort to let it go. Somewhere in the back of our mind is that part of ourselves that’s keeps overestimating or overdoing what we do. Either to feel good about a skill we have convinced ourselves cannnot be further sharpened or to impress others who either are interested in others parts of our training or just aren’t impressed because they’ve seen better.