AmbientFire

I tried the first and last exercise out (was outside of dojo so no partner to train with at the time) and oh. boy. The last one ("like a stuck pick on a bench") exposed some serious weaknesses! I will definitely pay more attention to my legs, and stuck pigs!

Thank you for the advice!

Hi! Just started working regularly on Seienchin, and realized quite immediately my shiko dachi needs some work of the serious variety. I was wondering - are there exercises or stretches I can do (in addition to shiko dachi itself) that improve the depth of the stance, and the stability? I understand that a shiko dachi that's ballet-deep isn't necessary for karate (I'm not Billy Elliot, am I?), but I'd like to have the option of improving the stance. Thanks in advance!

You might also want to consult a physical therapist/orthopedic specialist/ a professional that can look at your body alignment when in motion. Knee problems are sometimes caused not because something is happening to your knees specifically but because of posture, angle of your feet when you walk and run, etc.

I guess the question I tend to ask myself is "how suited is MA to teaching character?" And I make a distinction between being disciplined enough to go through MA syllabi and, say, being mature not to use what you've learned unless needed. Or any other markers of maturity for that matter that may not be obviously MA. I wonder why students are expected to behave morally and ethically correct when classes very rarely address these issues? I am in no way against only awarding rank to those students that display character and skill, but am curious why such emphasis is placed on character when little time is granted towards cultivating it in class? And again, i do not think discipline is a valid measure for anything other than a willingness to endure in order to learn techniques. It seems to me like MA syllabi based on technical requirements are the only fair measure regardless of age until a goodly amount of class time is spent on learning and exploring character. Those are my thoughts on it ATM anyway.

First time poster, long time lurker. I was thinking about the different reasons to have a website and a fairly altruistic (or whatever you want to call it) reason comes to mind. I get that Mr. Sensei8 is a serious practitioner and instructor and that is something that should perhaps be shared for the sake of prospective students. "Proof is on the floor!" Is a healthy sentiment that I share, but guess what? Not all dojo do. I know I personally want all potential students to be able to engage in serious martial arts, but how can they do that if all they see and hear is McDojo? It was remarked that a real dojo doesn't need a website - well, perhaps a real student-to-be does. Students have to find you, and you can't afford to underestimate how incredibly hard it is for the uninitiated to distinguish between serious arts and quick money grabs. You can obviously afford it financially right now, but that's not the issue I'm addressing. It was also mentioned that a website isn't proof of good martial arts - all the more reason for serious martial artists to get on the ole internet and show the world what good martial arts look like. The bigger you make the presence of real martial arts, the harder it becomes for McDojo to sell their snake oil. Yes, you are running a business. But you are also teaching a living, breathing, thinking and feeling human being. That may not sound savvy, but it is worth a whole lot in my estimation.