JR 137

I agree with the method Montana describes and with a formal test. The only wrong way to promote someone is to give them a rank they don't deserve, simply because they paid their dues and put in time. I personally love to be tested formally. I don't look at it as a test, per se; I look at it as a hard workout. Get out there, do what I know, have my CI take me out of my comfort zone, and my senpais push me hard. I've never been promoted without a test. I'm not sure how I'd feel, to be honest. At my current and former dojo, we weren't allowed to ask to promote. Our CI tells/told us when we are/were ready to test. If I'm asked to test, that means that I'll be promoted unless I do something very stupid during the test. Stupid consists of being outright disrespectful, giving up, or totally freezing up and no one can get me to do anything right. Hasn't ever happened to me. Gradings at honbu and the like are probably more of a test for the CI than the students actually testing. Heads of organizations and seniors at honbu know which dojo students are from. Students who have no business being there are a reflection on their CI's credibility and teaching IMO.

What about that element? Is the fault that of that "bad teacher"? Is the student EQUALLY responsible for that? Math was my worse subject because I'm not wired that way. Or was it because the teacher was bad at teaching math. Not all black belts can teach, nor should they try, and in that same light, not every math genius can teach. My brother, Donald, is a genius in many subjects, including math, he an ASE Certified Master Mechanic, and with that, he owns a very successful shop where he lives. After all, he does Calculus for fun because it relaxes him, but as a teacher, he's an very impatient individual. He gets angry at the person that he's teaching math, and will say..."Why can't you get this? It's easy!" Yeah, for him, but not for me. I struggle with basic math, always have and always will. I'm calculator dependent to the Nth degree!! My brothers mindset of teaching has made it where I can't learn math from him; there's no joy in figuring out the math solution. His angry makes me want to give him a free Karate lesson!! That's what separates a teacher/educator from a practitioner. The practitioner "gets it," and subsequently thinks everyone else should also "get it" because it's so simple. "How can you NOT see this?" is their war cry. An educator knows not everyone will see it as they do, and comes up with differs approaches to make it simple. Everyone's wired differently, and the educator knows this and relishes in this. For those who can't understand why everyone else doesn't "see it," I wonder how they think the world made any progress. If everyone saw things the exact same way and no one was supposed to challenge that way of thinking, no one would come up with a new idea very often. Think the Dark Age.

I was messing around in the gym a few weeks ago and wanted to change things up a bit. I decided to attach an ankle cuff to a pulley station and try some kicks. I've been addicted to it ever since. I've done front kick, side kick, and back kick. I tried roundhouse kick, but it didn't work out well; I was getting tangled up in the cables somehow. Started with 1 plate, progressed to 1.5 plates, and currently doing 2 plates. It's a Cybex station, so I'm not sure how much it actually weighs, as Cybex is pretty stupid like that. Other Cybex stuff I've used was 12.5 lbs per plate, and that seems about right on this one. As much as it benefits the kicking leg, I think it benefits the plant leg and deep pelvic muscles such as psoas, illiopsoas, and obturator muscles even more. What does that mean? More strength in the muscles that stabilize the body during kicks. Draw a line around my waist and around about 1/4 of the way down my quads, and everything in between them feels like it's firing. I'm not throwing the weight around. Everything is under control, and proper technique is paramount. I figure if I can't lift the load the right way, then there's too much of a load. I'll wait until the weight I'm using is a waste of time before adding more. I'd use bands such as theraband, but they give a different feel and they're never long enough. I'm really digging what this feels like. I especially when I pause in between the steps of the kick - like knee up, pause for a split second, extend the foot forward, pause for a split second, bring it back, pause, step down. I can feel the weight trying to pull me off balance, and my muscles fighting to keep me stable. Anyone try this before? How did it go long-term? Being a former athletic trainer (sports med, not personal trainer), I can see the risk of hurting myself if I'm not careful or push too hard. But if everything's kept under control and done smoothly, I think it'll be a huge benefit. I just have to remember how close the tower is when I lean on side kicks and back kicks. Almost hit my head on it several times!

I'm strongly considering opening a part-time dojo when I'm qualified to do so. I figure 3rd dan, which is quite a way down the road. But this is my biggest fear. My advice to you if you really like the instructor and dojo is to ask him how you can help get students in the door. You're invested in it; school teachers always say "this is your school." Definitely applies here IMO. I say you're invested in it because if you weren't, you wouldn't be posting this; you'd have left without thinking twice about it.

Are students coming in, but not staying? Or is no one even walking through the door? The answer to that one should explain why there's very few students. "Build it and they will come" worked in the movie Field of Dreams. The real world doesn't work the same way; everyone's got to advertise somehow. That can mean or doesn't necessarily mean web presence, fliers, demonstrations, word of mouth/referrals, etc. If people aren't staying, the CI needs to look into why. It could be unrelated to teaching; perhaps the schedule/hours isn't what it should be. Costs could also be the reason. Regardless of all of that, Kyokushin is a very hard sell. Most people don't want any part of full-contact, hard style training. They want to be unstoppable machines without anyone ever touching them or challenging them. It's a sad, sad world. I'd be willing to bet a ton of money that Kyokushin has the highest turnover rate of any MA. It seems like your CI needs to change something. That doesn't mean he needs to change what goes on on the floor or his teaching methods/style; he shouldn't sell out for more students. Rather, his approach to recruiting students is probably the issue. It takes a very long time to grow a dojo, especially a Kyokushin dojo. But simply putting a sign up and opening the doors to a well equipped space in a great location isn't going to get it done. Maybe in Manhattan where thousands of people walk by every day, but that's an exception rather than the rule. Maybe I'm way off.

Talk to your sensei about it. Does he have a plan in place? I could see being the only student being a good thing at first, the getting old after a few months. I'd imagine it gets very monotonous. I'd look around and see what's offered elsewhere. I'm not saying to leave, but at least have a look. The issue may, unfortunately, take care of itself. I can't see someone keeping a dojo open with 1 student for very long.

And I know several Julliard graduates who believe dance is for anyone willing to learn. I'm pretty sure they weren't offended by the singer wearing ballet shoes. I did my master's in physical education with one of them. She performed internationally for several years. She taught dance to anyone who wanted to learn at her studio.

I very respectfully disagree. Just like the MA, dance, in any form should be open to anyone willing to learn, regardless of their intentions, so long as their intentions are respectful. There are and should be ballet schools for the elite. But not every school is, and not every instructor is. I wasn't implying Sensei8 should try to get in to schools like Julliard. Unless he's got a ton of experience with it, he has no chance. Those schools go along the line of his quote "the proof is on the floor." Those schools make you audition your way in, regardless of your resume. There's plenty of places he can go to learn ballet. If he's interested, regardless of his age and abilities, there's schooling willing to teach anyone interested. I'm pretty sure he's the type of person who'll make his intentions known to a prospective teacher. Saying no one over 20 should begin ballet is absurd IMO. No different than saying anyone over 20 should begin karate. Saying anyone who's not dedicating their life to mastering ballet shouldn't bother is like saying anyone who won't reach 8th dan shouldn't take karate. I have no problem with a hip hop artist wearing a gi and black belt or even a solid red grandmaster belt they didn't legitimately earn. In fact, Busta Rhymes wore a Shogun outfit in a video back in the day. He was dressed like Sho 'Nuff from The Last Dragon. I found it hilarious. He could've been his stunt double IMO. There are karateka who'll be offended by someone wearing karate stuff. Not me. I don't find it sacred. There are (I think) and should be schools for the elite MAists. There are schools such as the koryu schools where you have to prove yourself for quite some time before you're taught anything. No problem with that. But there are and should be school open to anyone willing to learn, regardless of ability and age, so long as the intentions are good. Not a finger pointing, soapbox standing post here. Just my opinions.

Don't take this as a joke... What about ballet? Teaches graceful movement. Takes a ton of coordination, balance, strength, flexibility, and focus. Greatly enhances athletic ability. The head basketball coach at a college I used to work at made all his guys take ballet (it counted as a physical education or art elective). They hated that coach made them do it, but every one of them said it was easily the best thing outside of playing and the weight room (they did more than just lift weights in the weight room). Several of them took more advanced ballet classes while there because they liked the benefits. When you break it down, karate is all movement. New ways to move can only help.

I'm currently battling a round of this myself. Being a former athletic trainer (sports med, not personal trainer), I have some insight... Freeze water bottles and roll your feet over them after activity Stretch often - put a towel on the ball of your foot and toes, and pull towards you; basically a calf stretch, only adding the toes to it. Hold for a minute or so at a time. Don't over do it, but get a thorough stretch. Always wear shoes or at least slippers, even in the house Get some arch support Don't let them go uncared for. Over the long term, you can develop bone spurs on your heel (inside surface facing your toes. Well fitting shoes that are tied to a long way. As stupid as it sounds, make sure your toe nails aren't too long. Shoes are only supposed to be worn for a certain number of miles. If you wear them daily and are on your feet a lot, 3 months is a good time for a new pair. 5 months is really pushing it. The heavier you are, the quicker they break down. I'm currently wearing wrestling shoes in the dojo, and running shoes everywhere else. I usually get it for a week or so every few months. This bout of it is going on 3 weeks. May have to see the doc for cortisone.

I don't think it's that. They're a lot wiser/smarter and most likely fight smarter, meaning not relying on speed and strength as much as us young whippersnappers do. Due to nature, a 70 year old will not be as strong nor as fast as someone in their prime. Reaction time and endurance will also lag. Of course there are exceptions. But nature is nature, and no one is getting younger. I'd also suspect an elderly person is far more likely to be targeted by opportunists. If you were a crackhead, would you go after a 20something, or an old man?

Solid posts...hit on all of the cylinders!! Most Hombu is designed to MANAGE THE BRAND!! Seeing that this letter was from that hypothetical Hombu to recruit a instructor FOR that Hombu, they've the rights and responsibilities to govern their staff in order to protect the student body AND the brand. The conditions are set forth to protect the brand at all costs!! Rules and regulations are amended from time to time because someone and/or something violated the sanctity of the brand some how and some way. The brand MUST BE PROTECTED!! Reminds me of a situation in my previous organization... One dojo taught another striking art alongside the main art. A group of students went to the honbu to test, and every single one of them made the same mistakes repeatedly. Kihon was altered, and those techniques carried over into kata. The head of the organization and instructors at the test started correcting students, until it became painfully obvious that it was a school-wide thing. The head of the organization pulled that dojo's CI aside and let him hear it (in semi-private). He reluctantly passed the students, as they were doing exactly what they were told by their CI. They didn't know any better. He told the CI if it ever happens again, the students will all fail, and he'll be out. I remember hearing something along the lines of 'if what we do isn't right, find another organization.' I support that Hombu's decision wholeheartedly! It's ok for a CI of a dojo to teach other styles of the MA, but not to alter the core of the syllabus. Others would disagree with me, stating that a student of the MA is to amend the MA to fit THAT practitioner...I agree...however...in the context of the core style...no...unacceptable. Take all that one knows in order to start a new style of the MA, if need be. Exactly. If you're testing for shodan under Mas Oyama, and his organization's name is on your belt and chest, it had better be the way he wants it performed. If there's a better way, don't have him test you nor your students. When I did my Red Cross CPR instructor training, I was the only non-EMT in the class. The first thing we had to do before the course started was demonstrate all skills to the instructor. The EMTs all used EMT protocol for CPR, which is different than Red Cross. The instructor stated 'What you're doing isn't wrong, but it's not what you came here to do. If you can't follow our protocol, you can't teach it and issue cards saying you and your students are following it.' Everyone followed Red Cross protocol pretty quickly. During a break, he told me he has to stop the class and say it every time to the EMTs.

A cane.

That, and also even though you do every exercise properly, with speed and still you end up last to finish, shows in the next grading tho........... Yeah, I know. I just hate it when you hear about 5 people kiai signaling they're done with 20 push-ups while I'm on number 8. And when I'm holding a push-up position on my knuckles the proper way, and three or four people are on their palms and/or knees while each person takes turns counting to 10 before we all go all the way down. I shouldn't care what others do. It should make me feel good to be one of the very, very few doing them right, but it still aggravates me. And most of all, it aggravates me that it aggravates me!

Next pet peeve that shouldn't bother me, but it does... People who don't do push-ups, or press-up for my British brethren, correctly. I don knuckle push-ups in the dojo. If we do 20, most people are done before I get to 10. I thought I was slow, weak, and out of shape at first. Because I wasn't looking forward, but rather looking down at the floor, I didn't see that everyone else is barely bending their elbows. A lot of head and shoulder nodding while on their palms and sometimes knees. Arms should be out about shoulder width; a little further or closer is acceptable. Bend at the elbows while keeping your body straight, lower until right before your chest touches the floor, then come all the way up until your elbows are straight. Repeat however many times Sensei says. Keep in mind this is in adults' class and most are higher ranked than I am. Very few things that others do that have zero effect on my training bother me. This is one of them. And I hate that it bothers me. Rant over.

I think I put too much emphasis on it being the most important kata. It's only been said a handful of times at best, but both CIs have said it. Current CI said it once to someone who was learning it for the first time, and my former CI said it to me the first time I learned it. Maybe once or twice more between the two of them. Looking at it through the lens I stated above, I can see why someone would call it that. The way I've been practicing it, I can't see it. All I've done is tense up and breathe differently while performing it. Truth be told, I'd be willing to bet it's the least practiced kata at both schools.

My almost 5 year old has the focus and determination, but developmentally she's too young for the class. We have kids' and adults classes. Kids are 6-12, adults are 13+. In the kids' class, she'd hold everyone else back and wouldn't be able to keep up IMO. If it was say, 6-8 year olds, she'd be fine. There's 1 seven year old, and the rest are around 10 or so. It's a small dojo. There's a huge difference between a kid just starting kindergarten and a 1st grader, developmentally speaking.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I've been told by every teacher I've had that Sanchin is the most important kata. But looking back, it didn't seem like they fully believed it, but rather repeated what they were told by their teacher. It should be noted that my current teacher is a direct student of Tadashi Nakamura, and my previous CI's teacher was also Nakamura's direct student. So it's pretty safe to assume that Nakamura believes it to be the most important kata. Perhaps at advanced levels, the training I referred to begins. I only attained a shodan in my first system (former Nakamura students from Kyokushin and followed him to Seido before leaving), and am currently a 5th kyu in Seido. Seeing how others do Sanchin, regardless of the version makes me believe that it may very well be the most important kata. Yes, you could do the "shime" with an kata or with kihon, but Sanchin has the breathing and emphasis on being rooted and rigid. Wastelander hit the nail on the head when he said I feel a disconnect between the system's approach and me. I also understand there's a progression - you don't start with the kicks and strikes from day one; it starts with a nudge, a push, and on. I'm no where near jumping ship because I haven't had my teacher do shime during the kata. There's way too many positives going on in my dojo. But every time I do the kata now, I can't help but think why it's not begun at least. Patience is a virtue.

Bobby Knight once said "my job is very simple: to pass on the love of the game." His methods may have been questionable though.

I love it when a plan comes together. Congrats.

Glad to hear you're back in the dojo. Taking time away against your own will really puts a different perspective on it. I'm far more appreciative of it, and I genuinely enjoy the process and progressing now more than ever. I chased rank my first time around. As far as the gi, you're not some elitist because you think it's easily worth the money. A famous author once said "What is a cynic? A person who knows the cost of everything, yet the value of nothing." Very true. Shureido makes an excellent gi, and I haven't met anyone who thinks its not worth it after having worn one for some time. The ones who think it's a rip off are the ones who've either never worn one, or those who think it should last for decades while doing unrealistic stuff in it. Look at videos of Okinawan masters; they're all wearing Shureido! Those guys don't strike me as materialistic, elitist snobs, or anything like that. They've got a quality gi and see the value in it. About the kids... I'd love to get my daughters into the dojo. I bring them in, and they're interested, but they're too young. My oldest will be 5 soon, and my other will be 3 in March. My dojo starts at 6 years old. I can take the kids' class with them, but I'd prefer the family style classes that I see other dojos doing - parents are lined up next to their kids, not everyone lined up by rank. I wouldn't do this every class, but 1 a week would be great. I bought focus mitts for my daughters last Christmas. My oldest takes TKD in an after school program at her school. The instruction leaves a bit to be desired, but she enjoys it. The focus mitts helped her punch and kick the correct way pretty quickly. She's gotten very fast and strong with them, and is now throwing combinations and ducking. Without them, she'd probably still be punching off-center and with her palms instead of her knuckles. She still needs work with keeping her guard up, but don't we all? And she's not even 5 yet. My 2 year old is starting to get the hang of it too. I found a blocking bat at a toy store for about $5. Haven't used it enough for my 5 year old to really understand the concept, but I will soon. You can find this stuff pretty cheap online at places like Amazon. My kids love it, it's a great way to burn off some energy, and it's a way to bond. My wife who secretly doesn't care much for MA really likes watching them have fun and improve. To her it's gone from glorified babysitting to something she really wants them to do well in. Win-win all the way around. Sorry for the sidetrack. Just sharing my experience with the little loves of my life. The $20 or so I spent on the focus mitts is some of the best money I've spent.

Here's what I mean... And not this... My previous sensei may be the second student from the left in that video. He looks heavier than when I was his student, it was 4 years before I started studying under him, and it's not too good picture quality. To me, that's just hitting people to "toughen up;" completely different than the first video, which seems like it has an actual point to it.

I've been told Sanchin is the most important kata. Up until a few weeks ago, I accepted it, but never understood why. No one ever told me why; it was like they were saying it because they were told that too. I've come to a realization: I feel as though I've been doing this kata the wrong way since the day I learned it. Different people have different interpretations on everything, and I guess this one's no exception. Seeing videos of Okinawans doing this kata, it makes sense, and it makes sense why it's been called the most important kata. I see Okinawan teachers using a shinai, open and closed fists, and kicks on their students to condition them. They're constantly pushing and striking them from different angles and directions to check their posture. The student is supposed to be in tension at the right moments, and relaxation at the right moments. The ibuki breathing is supposed to coincide with the strikes they're receiving. Sanchin can be translated as "Three Battles." Mind, body, and spirit. Knowing where you are in the kata and keeping your focus while being hit/checked (mind), conditioning your body (body), and keeping at it through the pain (spirit). Seeing it done this way, the kata makes so much sense to me. It doesn't matter which version you're doing, i.e. Uechi Ryu, Goju with or without turns, etc., the training methods while doing it are what make the kata IMO. I've never had a teacher do any of this to me while performing it. I heard mention of "we used to get hit with a shinai" from my teachers, but that's about as far in detail as they went with saying it. I feel ripped off in a way. I feel like I've been practicing it the wrong way, or for no real good reason other than an empty "it's the most important kata." Am I way off with my understanding of Sanchin? I don't see much in the way of bunkai, relatively speaking. Sure there's some bunkai, but there's only about 5 different techniques in the entire kata - punch, hook block, inside-out block, nukite, and shuto enki uke (spelling?). Even when blocks aren't actually blocks, the bunkai is relatively shallow compared to something with variety such as Saiha, Pinan series, etc.; forget about Kanku or the like. Yet, Sanchin is the most important kata. Now to find someone to hit me the right way...

My art is very effective. How so? I've lost some weight, my blood pressure and sugar are down, my stress level is down, I'm more flexible, I'm more focused, and I feel better all around. How effective is the self defense aspect of it? I'd say very effective. Others would disagree, of course. They'd point to their art and say it's more effective. I hope to never be proven right or wrong.

Best of luck, and safe travels. It's a great honor to compete at that level. As Bulltahr said, pics please.