JR 137

As I stated in another thread about a similar subject... Sometimes the person testing you isn't your Sensei. My shodan test in my former organization was under my Sensei. He left the organization about a week before my shodan test was scheduled. Had he stayed, I'd have tested for it under his teacher/head of the organization. When I test for shodan in Seido, it will be under Tadashi Nakamura, not my teacher.

I know it sounds stupid, but I never needed motivation to keep going in the MA. There were, and will always be times I feel like no matter how hard I try, I'm not improving. But not once have I told myself I'd be letting someone else down by leaving. The dojo was there long before I was and will continue after I'm gone (not that I plan on leaving).

Well, this is just my opinion of course, but your sensei should have known what you were made of LONG before you tested for a black belt. I often wonder if there are instructors out there that never see their students...it sounds that way sometimes. Personally, and I told my students this often, "I know what you can do BETTER than you do." Being in the dojo 4 nights a week, usually taking more than 1 class, and teaching a few, he knew what I was and wasn't capable of. Perhaps it was more for me to find out what I was made of. I totally understand and respect the way your promotions came. I don't disagree with your way nor his. It's just different. Personally, I rather the long test. I enjoy being pushed to my limits and trying to outdo what I think I'm capable of. But I wouldn't feel cheated if I were handed a belt I earned without a formal test either. If I walked into my dojo today and my Sensei said "you've demonstrated everything necessary to earn this belt" and promoted me then and there, I'd wear the rank and proceed with business as usual, just as I would after a long drawn out test.

My shodan test lasted about 7 hours. There were 2 of us testing. We started with reading our paper, which was a 3 page or so introspective paper - what we've gained from karate, what we've given back, why we train, and what we envision our future to be. That was followed by a Q&A with our Sensei and the black belts assisting. Then was unofficial warmups- 100 of every kick, knee, elbow and other strikes each side against pads. We then proceeded to basically retake every promotional test we've taken. My Sensei had the syllabus in his hand, and I remember him saying about a half hour into it after warmups "just finished the white belt portion." And each subsequent belt after that. Each portion (not that there was any break in between) at a significantly higher level of intensity and held to a significantly higher standard of criticism. We finished with 30 rounds of sparring. Each round was 2 minutes, knockdown rules, but wearing foam dipped pads. We'd done bare knuckle sparring a bunch of times in class, and I honestly think we were hit harder because we were wearing pads. Each round was against a fresh adult black belt. No one carried you, but no one tried to outdo you either. There were no breaks. After the 30 rounds, we sparred each other for 3 minutes. The only break I remember was getting to drink some water while putting on our sparring gear. I drank less than half of my water bottle during the entire test. When assisting with black belt tests afterward, I was told the test is more formality than an actual test; you'll be promoted unless you give up, freeze, or do something disrespectful. The sparring was the most important part; my Sensei wanted us exhausted before sparring began to see if we'd be poised and keep our technique, keep control, keep our spirit, or become sloppy and just try to get by. It was a test of will and spirit. It was to see what you're made of when you're at your breaking point. No two black belt tests my Sensei conducted were alike. But they were all to see what the student was made of.

If you over do this one, it'll set you back a lot longer. Trust me.

I wasn't training when I had mine done. And I got an infection, which come complicated the recovery a little. Compression shorts and heat are your best friends. Ice after activity. No one can tell you when you'll be ready, as everyone's different. The norm is about a week until you feel pretty much normal, and 2 weeks until you're 100%. Everyone swells and bruises differently, and that'll really determine the length of recovery. Take it day by day. If you feel good, try very light activity. If that goes well, increase the intensity. If you do too much too soon, you'll set yourself back.

Was the show Fight Quest? I haven't seen one about Okinawan karate. I've got to look for it if it is. Great show.

The Kyokushin branded gi was most likely Isami. I also recommend the compression shorts idea. I've tried Under Armour and Nike Pro Combat. I strongly prefer Nike, but everyone's different. Nike felt lighter, more cottony and breathed better, whereas Under Armour felt heavier, more synthetic, and didn't breathe as well. My Under Armour compression shorts fell apart at the seams rather quickly too. I actually called them about it, and they said to mail them in and they'd send me new ones (I told them I couldn't find any receipts, but they didn't care). As great as that sounded, I didn't feel right about sending them back. I've never had a problem with any of their other stuff though, so maybe I just got a bad batch. I've worn their t-shirts and other stuff during hard workouts without any issues. Not a single issue with Nike's shorts. Perhaps way too much information. Sorry.

Ok, last point and then I'm really done... He says MAists (including him) are invoking the power of the sun god. Where exactly in the bible is there any mention of a sun god? My copy doesn't have one. God is God, Satan is Satan. Where's this new (to me) diety that has supernatural powers that can be conjured up when called upon, intentionally or unintentionally? If he's a true follower of the bible, doesn't him giving power to a supernatural being that doesn't get any mention in the bible kind of contradict, well, everything? Perhaps my copy of the bible is edited. Perhaps my church edited the sun god out of everything too. All that scripture quoting of his, and not a single scripture mentioned the sun god that could also give humans super powers? Maybe I missed something. I'm admittedly not as well read on this matter. Then again, I might be one of them too. You know... There's no mafia according to the mafia, the holocaust was a lie according to Nazi sympathizers, and on and on. I think it was in the movie The Devil's Advocate where they said "the greatest trick the devil pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist." Now back to more important matters... What time does the dojo open tomorrow? Is my teacher back from his vacation? Or will a senior student run class?

Honestly, I think I kept watching it because I was waiting for a part that made it all come together and state his true case. It was as if he was going to drop a bomb, like a group of them were all forced to live in the woods, sacrifice animals or worse, paint themselves with the blood, and worship some diety. That part never came. If it did, or anything remotely close to it did, my feelings would have been very different. He was a guy who trained in body hardening methods, he obsessed about getting to the next level, and his teachers had stupid rituals. Stupid and cult aren't the same thing. Another issue I have with it is him saying he's serving a master. Master is a title, meaning the person has mastered the art (relative to others). It doesn't mean that person is YOUR master, as in subservience to him, unconditional devotion, etc. Last issue, for now anyway, is him saying the Sensei commanded everyone when to start, stop, what to do, etc. during class. Well, yeah. They were talking lessons. It's not a power trip thing, it's called instruction. Same as if someone was teaching a musical instrument, coaching a sport, or anything else.

I just watched it out of curiosity and boredom. I don't even know where to start... I guess I'll start with I give most of these religious people the benefit of the doubt. I think they're sincere and are trying to help people see the light. They're not con artists, charlatans, etc. They're generally good willed and intentioned people. But that's where it stops for me. In the video, I don't see good vs evil, God vs Satan, or anything close to that. I don't even see a cult. I see a guy who lost his family because of his selfish chasing of some childhood fantasy of being super human. I see a guy who looked for something else to blame for his chasing of that fantasy. I see a delusional guy who think there's mystical forces out there that can be channeled through the MA (and yoga, as they're against that too for the same reasons). I see a guy who was too weak to walk away, despite all of his "alarms going off" several times. I see a guy that did so much looking within, yet he couldn't see his family was falling apart because he was too fixated on obtaining something that didn't exist. Talk about delusional... A piece of wood with some inscriptions and horse hair doesn't have any mystical powers. Neither does 2 pieces of material that intersect at a right angle approximately 1/3 of the way down from the top. So the guy who promoted him to 5th dan held a Shaman stick during it. Big deal. They drank from the same tea pot at a different promotion. Lower ranks served the food to their seniors. Big deal. While he was teaching a class, people were sweating and moved around him as if they were in a trance. People running around a soccer field chasing each other while sweating can be interpreted the same way too, but we know better. The circle with a dot in it comes up everywhere in the MA, invoking the power of the Sun God. Circles show up everywhere. So do squares, triangles, etc. I'd love to ask him to look down his ring finger and ask him if his finger and wedding ring (his family reconciled) symbolize the Sun God too. Perhaps that's what's causing day to day marital differences. I'll accept that there was more at play than he put out there regarding his teachers, but at no point did he mention any consequences for leaving being said, implied, or observed. Having a tea ceremony, some candles and the lower ranks serving food to their seniors doesn't make a cult. Having a closed door promotion ceremony where the guy in charge holds a certain piece of wood doesn't make a cult. Having a guy who's got pictures and statues of Indian/Hindu gods doesn't make a cult. Circles regularly appearing in things doesn't make a cult. Cults brainwash, manipulate, and have consequences for leaving that makes it seem impossible to get out. The only thing keeping him there was his stupid idea that he could live out his childhood fantasy. Sorry, but evil forces at work are far easier to blame than his actual short comings and feelings of inadequacy. Hes no different than any other conspiracy theorist. The cult-like stuff is most likely in his head. I bet if you asked the people who have trained with him, they'd have a look of astonishment on their faces. Now that I thought no about it, how come none of his fellow students are involved in his film? Surely someone would have to agree and step forward.

It depends on what the person is teaching. I have no issues with him never being in a "street fight" if what he's teaching makes sense to me and it's been proven time and time again. The proof is on the floor. I've said it countless times before... Was Angelo Dundee a great boxer? Kevin Rooney? Was Phil Jackson a great NBA player (he did play for the Knicks, but he wasn't anyone special)? Bill Parcells, Bobby Knight, the list goes on and on. To be honest, very, very few highly successful athletes had a coaching career that amounted to much. Larry Bird is a very rare exception, and the jury's still out on Don Mattingly. I can't think of any hall of famer in any sport that had a hall of fame coaching career or even close to it. Bird was a great coach, but he didn't accomplish anything close to what he accomplished as a player. Had he not been Larry Bird, his coaching stint may well have been kind of forgettable. MA teachers are coaches IMO. We don't call them that and they have different methods, but the essence of what they both do isn't very far apart. And for the record, Charles Martin of Fighting Black Kings fame claims to have never been in a street fight. Anyone who knows who he is and has been around him for longer than a minute or two will tell you he doesn't lose any credibility because of it.

To the bold type above... Wesley's also a 2nd Dan in Hapkido, and yes, he's a 5th Dan in Shotokan!! Dolph Lundgren is a 3rd Dan in Kyokushin!! If my memory serves me correct, Dolph Lundgren was a late teen green belt when he won the European Kyokushin Open tournament against adult black belts.

"Martial arts" have existed since the first human beings roamed the earth. They had to defend themselves from predators and each other, and used tools to hunt. Actually, if you believe in evolution, they predate humans due to our hypothetical ancestors having the same necessities. The techniques and tools have evolved right alongside humans, and are still evolving, just as we are. The reason why karate or any other art technically isn't thousands of years old is solely because it didn't carry that particular label that someone decided to give it. Ti/te/toudi predates karate as we currently call it in Okinawa. Ti/Te/toudi (if there's a debatable beginning) has to be preceded by another "martial art." It's not as if no one ever defended themself and one day some guy decided "you know what would be really cool? If I learned how to best people up and/or kill them." The very first inhabitants on Okinawa, just like every other land, knew how to defend themselves, otherwise they'd have become extinct. I say this because people say martial arts were stared in China, Asia, India, etc. If they're debating formalized martial arts where techniques were systematized and teaching of them was standardized, then you can look for a beginning. But then again, throughout our history, the elders in a tribe taught the young how to hunt and defend themselves from day one, so it's really impossible to determine the exact date and location of martial arts. Karate as we know it is a blend of Chinese arts and Ti (before it was brought to Japan and had influences from there). Ti is a sort of formalized form of self defense that was evolved from more primitive forms, and on and on, descended from the first organisms we can identify as human-like. Trying to figure out exactly when something was started is only accurate when the name changes.

It's funny how people pick and choose who to blame and/or be mad at. Timothy McVeigh was a Christian fundamentalist. Do we blame Christians for the Oklahoma City bombing? Would anyone bat an eyelash if a Christian church and rec center of any denomination was to be built around the corner of the building? The 9/11 terrorists were Islamic extremists. Do we (as a society at large) blame Muslims for it? How did everyone react when Muslims wanted to build a mosque and cultural center around the corner of the World Trade Center? Ignorance is an interesting thing. A guy had a bad experience with some martial artists. Now they're/we're all bad. One thing I've learned, when you're arguing anything God related, you're never going to change someone's opinion/beliefs. It's an exercise in futility at best.

With an almost 3 year old and a 5 year old, my personal time is extremely limited. They (and my wife) are my favorite people in the world, so it's all about doing stuff with them. I've gotten into photography since the arrival of my first daughter. My father (who's into photography) gave me a good camera when he came to the hospital when she was born. Taking pictures of her the first few months, I wanted to take better pictures. I started reading up on the subject and slowly invested more in equipment. Like karate, I probably took it a lot further than most people think is sane. I just want to capture the moments the best way I can. Before the kids, I was into music and stereos. I still have my Bryston B60, Rega DAC, Audio Physic speakers and Pro-Ject turntable. I haven't sat down and listened to my music through the stereo in quite some time, but I fire it up every now and then with their Kidz Bops Kids music and dance around with them.

Just remembered... Wesley Snipes - Black belt, I think 5th dan in Shotokan He hosted that martial arts special when the movie Blade premiered, and I think he was awarded his 5th dan then. I know there's a lot of actors who've taken some MA training for movie roles, such as Jennifer Lopez took Krav Maga lessons for a movie about being married to an abusive man, but I think we should keep it limited to people who haven't trained for Hollywood roles or just as a form of exercise to keep fit.

I just found out today that Tom Araya, vocals and bass for Slayer, is an active nidan in Goju Ryu (his wife and children also train with him). It got me thinking it would be a good thread to see who else that's famous is also a martial artist. Off the top of my head... Ed O'Neil (aka Al Bundy) - Black belt - Rorion Gracie Jujitsu Bob Barker - Black belt - Chun Kuk Do (Chuck Norris's system and Norris's student) John Cusack - Kickboxing with Benny "the jet" Urquidez Who else trains or did? Please no obvious one like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc. And maybe this may come off the wrong way, but please no Billy Blanks's Tae Bo students.

Just looking at some previous posts of an old thread, perhaps this will change someone's view on spitting. My brother in law was a corrections officer, and now an NYS Trooper. According to him (and a few other LEOs I know), intentionally using ANY bodily fluid (including spitting) against another person can be considered assault with a deadly weapon. In jails/prisons, apparently it was getting too common for inmates to throw urine at officers. Since diseases can be transmitted through bodily fluids, this makes perfect sense. Im not sure how well the deadly weapon part would hold up in court in a spitting case at a civilian, but against an officer it's pretty routine for it to stick.

Keep in mind that there's many different ways of sparring. Free sparring (which I think everyone's getting at here), one step, coreographed, etc. If you're standing in front of (behind, etc.) a person and techniques are being exchanged, no matter how fast, slow, predetermined or not, it's a form of sparring. So unless the OP has never practiced any techniques against a partner in any way, basically doing 100% of his material against the air with no partner, he's sparred. I completely agree with the feelings of the thread though - why would you enter a tournament unprepared? Never doing the type of sparring beforehand makes about as much sense as performing a kata in a tournament you've never done before. I can picture it now... Sensei: Here's your gear, now get out there! Student: What am I supposed to do? Sensei: You'll figure it out. Kata time... Sensei: Do Kanku Student: What's that? Sensei: Don't think, just do!

Something I've wondered is what is my liability if an instructor of a different art/activity in my dojo gets sued? I.e. I let a BJJ guy teach on my off days/hours (they pay him, not me, but I'm getting a cut), he does something stupid and someone gets hurt, and he's held liable. I'm most likely named in the lawsuit, but does it get dropped easily or is it 'your building, your tenant, you're paying too?" I know, way too vague and so many scenarios to consider to make it easy to answer.

I know you say it with the smiley at the end, but I believe Mas Oyama is the most influential after the founding fathers' generation... Each IKO (how many are there now, 5?) claims several million karateka Then add the numbers from the following well known international Kyokushin offshoots: Seido Juku Seidokaikan Ashihara Enshin World Oyama Daido Juku Kudo Zendokai Then there's independent Kyokushin dojos. Then there's local offshoots (a former Kyokushin or offshoot karateka starts his/her own school without using the Kyokushin name, and a few of his/her senior students do too). Then there are the schools that don't have an Oyama lineage, but changed the way they did kumite once Kyokushin started gaining popularity. IMO, after the founders, more karateka can most likely trace their lineage back to Mas Oyama than any other person. Perhaps being a Seido Juku student, I'm a bit biased. Maybe there is/was another Funakoshi student who stayed Shotokan that can rival Oyama's numbers? Based on numbers (anecdotal, not actually counted), I'd have to say the Gracies with BJJ. If you limit it to the last 20ish years, Gracies, hands down. The last 50ish years, Oyama. Great post Could you not argue by the same reasoning that some of the early TKD pioneers were just as influential; how many schools (even McDojo's) claim some training in it? No doubt about TKD's popularity. But was there a single person during your or my lifetime who came in and changed things up, and influenced millions to do the same? I don't know TKD enough to point to an individual person who broke the mold. TKD is easily the most popular MA in my neck of the woods.

She's been at it for a little over 3 months now. She improving every class. There's 3 different teachers who teach the kids, depending on the day, and she's been great for all of them. She's so focused and determined to do her best. All teachers have complimented her on her focus and attention during class. Not sure when the next kids' promotional test is. She keeps asking when she's going to get her blue belt (blue is the next belt after white in Seido) because blue is her favorite color. I genuinely wonder if she'll want to wear a yellow belt or any other color afterwards. I've been trying to get her in class twice a week, but it's tough. She definitely willing to go, but she has other things a few nights during the week, and it usually works out that she's too tired on the nights she can go.

Just as everyone's said, don't push. Karate wasn't on my 5 year old daughter's radar. I wanted to get back into it, and I wanted her to as well (I want my 3 year old daughter to when she's old enough). I piqued her interest by watching parts of the karate kid movie with her. Then I got her watching Disney's Kickin' It show. I taught her some basic punches and kicks, and she was hooked. She's been going with my for a little over 3 months now. She loves every minute of it. But not all kids will like it. If you push, your kid will push back one way or another.

Like everything else in life, there's a balance. Quality over quantity, but I'll add quantity must be there too. Repeating the same mistakes for 8 hours per day instead of 1 hour isn't really going to get you anywhere. There has to be a specific purpose and/or goal to the training in order for it to be effective. It doesn't matter if you're practicing for 8 hours or 8 minutes. Simply "I want to get better" isn't a focused purpose. Athletes who are practicing for several hours a day aren't doing one thing for all that time. In karate, it may be an hour of kihon, and hour of scenario based kumite (working on counters possibly), an hour of bag/pad work, film, conditioning, etc. Anyone training at a high level as a full time job isn't stretching an hour or so class into 8 hours. Well at least not the good ones. But regardless of all of that, define being good at karate. How many hours of training does it take to get good? Hajime Kazumi good, or the green belt in the dojo good? World class competitor good, or undisputed champion good? No matter how many hours I dedicate to training, even if I leave my wife and kids behind to train as an uchi deshi in seclusion for several years, I'm not going to win the Kyokushin World Championship. I'm not going to win the WKF world championship. Like everything in life, a balance is necessary. There are more important things than karate to me. Wife and kids, supporting their physical, mental, and financial wellbeing, etc. Do I spend too much time at the dojo? Sometimes. Not enough time at the dojo? Sometimes.