JR 137

Not to be that guy, but Bitestones (the OP) hasn't posted since last year. I doubt he's still checking. Hopefully all is well or at least better for him.

Just like everything else, karate must and will evolve. It's our job to keep what is relevant and good about it, and discard what isn't. The problem with that is everyone has different opinions and interpretations on relevant and good. From the beginning of karate, and actually well before it was even called that, there were most likely good/effective instructors and bad/ineffective instructors. Just like us, they were human too. Just like us, they kept the good and discarded the bad. Take Miyagi for instance: he created Goju from several different Kung fu teachers and Okinawan teachers. He couldn't have possibly kept every single thing. He also reportedly taught different students different things; he also modified kata to individual students. That explains different students of his doing and teaching the same kata in different ways. Even the strictest/most "purist" instructors in Okinawa and Japan who've directly learned from the likes of Funakoshi, Miyagi, Chibana and so on have put their own spin on things. It's human nature; they're not robots. As a whole, karate will go the way of society. The more respect and discipline society loses, the more karate (as a whole) will lose. There will always be exceptions to this. I'm pretty sure your post in that thread about a gentleman starting over spurred some of this. I fully agree with what you said there. Society is changing, and it's only natural that karate will follow suit. After all, the teachers of karate are members of society. In regards to student and school numbers, there will always be peaks and valleys. There will always be a new system/style of MA that's the best thing since sliced bread. Then it'll level off. Look at BJJ and Krav Maga. There will always be a Rocky sort of movie that'll spark an influx of new students to an MA style until the fad fades - Karate Kid, Kickboxer. Some teachers will borrow from other systems and still call it karate. Others will claim it was practiced that way before the commercializations of it. When it comes down to it, what is karate really? The only genuinely safe answer is "It's karate because I say it is." On a different note: no offense to practicioners of Korean arts, but why do many TKD and TSD practicioners refer to their arts as karate occasionally? I've seen it done countless times. It's gotten to the point where the general public doesn't know there's a difference. Again not a shot at those guys. On the flip side, I've never seen a karateka refer to his/her art is TKD or TSD. Here an example: http://www.wmakarate.com/#welcome They call themselves WMA Karate. Look at their site; they list TKD, Tai Chi, and Self Defense as their arts, not karate.

Just got Ninomiya's Karate in the Inner Circle book from Amazon. Seems like a solid book so far. Laid out well, and no non-sense from the little bit I've had a chance to read. Not a beginner's book per se, but I beginner can use the very basics to gain a bit of insight. I'll report more after I've had a chance to throughly read it. School just started this week, so I have neither the time nor mental energy to read anything in depth at the moment.

Anyone happen to have a video link of it, with hopefully Kanazawa Sensei performing it?!? Kanazawa Sensei is THE authority on Shotokan kata. IMO there's Kanazawa, and then there's everyone else. Yes, that's a bold statement.

I've read it several times, before you posted the link and a few times afterward. The part that really hits home for me is the last paragraph. Very close to how I've felt about karate, in my early days and now. Do you study at Hanshi Hanham's dojo? Also, is that who Kaicho is scheduled to visit soon for the 50th anniversary?

Is that like in Heartbreak Ridge where either the entire platoon wore the same t-shirt as Clint Eastwood's character or they all went shirtless?

MA instructors aren't clergy, and therefore shouldn't be held to the same standard as them IMO. As to your last paragraph, I guess it depends on the offense. If an MA instructor does things I don't agree with, it doesn't matter to me, so long as he/she doesn't make it my business. I don't want to hear about it, I don't want to see it, and I don't want it changing the dynamics of the dojo, and I don't want it effecting my reason for being there. I don't agree with people cheating on their spouses, but it happens. I don't pass judgment on them because I don't know what they come home to everyday. I think if it's bad enough at home to go out and cheat, then leave. Easier said than done when so many factors are involved. But it's not my business, therefore not my problem. So are my feeling towards just about any other immoral things people do. If my instructor was a child molester or sex offender, that's a whole other story. I'd never be able to look at him/her the same way again, so it wouldn't be a difficult decision to leave. It's all about what the instructor brings to the floor. And the rest of the dojo.

My former organization allowed official t-shirts during the summer. Every summer had a different t-shirt (didn't have a year on it or anything else that dated it, which was good IMO). You could wear that year's t-shirt, belt and gi pants, or go full gi. I bought one every year, but only wore the first one twice. I hated wearing a t-shirt in the dojo. Didn't seem formal enough to me, but I hate to admit that to myself. I'm a traditionalist in that sense. I'd like to see everyone in the same gi worn the same way, same sparring gear, etc. But I know it's OCD and/or controlling, and not really the most important thing in training anyway, so I don't lose any sleep over it. Part of me says it doesn't matter what you wear, the training is the most important thing. Another part of me says the visual uniformity and sticking to it is a part of the training and etiquette, therefore must be followed. When/if I own my own dojo and/or system, I'll worry about what everyone else is doing.

Don't take this the wrong way, please... If you've got enough time to watch their classes, you've got enough time to get on the floor with them. Just saying. Not to push you into something you don't want to do.

Mutley - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. As a teacher, I see it all the time.

I think the biggest reasons why people don't seek out help, in addition to what you've stated) are because they think they'll get better as time passes, and/or its normal and everyone feels that way now and then.

You could be my UK twin, except that I didn't study Shotokan my first time around. Way too many dojos here that I pass on my way to mine for many reasons. The similarities between my old system and current one got me to visit my current dojo. What was going on in there made me stay. I don't know if it's just me getting old (I'm 39), if I got lucky my first time around, or if the state of MA in general is taking a turn for the worse in regards to what is expected from students from a respect/protocol/tradition standpoint. Most schools out there are very, very different than I remember them being 20 years ago. Kids (and adults) have much less respect nowadays than when I was growing up; society seems to have changed, perhaps therefore reflected in dojos. Then again, my parents and grandparents said this when I was growing up too. Growing up, I guess. I like to think of choosing a dojo like choosing a pair of shoes - no matter how "good" or pretty they are, if they don't fit right, none of that is relevant. Find a dojo that fits you.

Congrats on the starting second dojo! The dojo I train at is very small. Depending on the kata and where you start, we have to switch feet too due to space. I look at it as in a real situation, I'm going to have to alter steps and stances to adapt to the circumstances, so the dojo isn't any different. Glass half full thinking. Best of luck to you. Hopefully it's a springboard to getting a huge dojo with tons of students!

Congratulations, Sensei. You're one of the main reasons why I'm here and check in as often as I do. Thanks for everything so far!

I could be a bit off with what's done when. I've done kihon kumite 1-3, yakusoku 1-2. I've done basic SD 1-10 both sides since day 1, as they were in my previous system. I wasn't sure if kihon and yakusoku were actually part of yellow belt, as my CI has taught me different things at a different pace due to my previous experience. We're not allowed to officially free spar here with gear on here until green belt, per Kaicho's rules. I've done a ton of free sparring without gear, going non-contact (depending on who's in front of me). My previous experience gives me this leeway. From what I've been told, sparring before green belt is a big no-no in his eyes. One of his main complaints from his Kyokushin days was that people were expected to spar (full contact with no gear) from day one. People were getting beat up and injured their first day and not coming back. In his book he mentions this, and says he wonders how many potentially great students he lost because of it. He doesn't want anyone sparring like this until they're fully ready. Very hard to argue that logic, but I think it should be before green belt; probably at yellow belt. My previous system started at blue belt (same order of belts). I heard Kaicho is going to either Australia or NZ in a week or two for a 50th anniversary of a dojo (the dojo was under him during his Kyokushin days). Know anything about it? If so, are you attending?

This is a very good question...I think that the Sensei should have to show an skill set that they are still capable of the position that they are in. I can, on the other hand, understand why the senior ranks promote Dan grades with contributions to the art. I see no harm in promoting past 6th dan or so based on contributions to the art and the school/system. After 6th dan, they've been physically tested so many times; why should they have to prove physical ability tests yet again? To be considered a master of an art, I think you've proven your physical skills, and now only need to prove your contributions to them. Promoting and teaching legitimate high ranking karateka, teaching a very diverse body with definite measurable and non-measurable criteria, contributions to your area and society as a whole, living what you preach, and so on. These things seperate a master from the rest IMO. It's about advancing your art and the arts as a whole. What do you honestly expect from an 80 year old man or woman physically? Just as in other ranks, does an 8th dan have to be able to beat up all 7th dans and lower? Does he/she have to punch, kick, and strike harder, faster, and more effectively than everyone below him/her? Same goes for every rank. Every nidan shouldn't be expected to be better at everything or even anything than a shodan. Rank is a personal thing. Just because a master's physical skill and attributes decline doesn't mean they regress as a martial artist. In fact, most grow from this, learning to adapt to new challenges. So long as someone is showing growth, they should promote when appropriate; even when their physical skills are regressing due to nature taking over. I respect the camp that believes everyone should test, regardless of age and rank. But if Gichin Funakoshi came to you at 89 (right before his death and he had no known terminal illness/disability other than being 89) and asked you to test him for 10th dan, what physical standard would you hold him to? What physical standard would have been reasonable? If he didn't meet your physical standards because he was 89 years old, would you fail him? Karate is a life-long endeavor.

NYC is like the Mecca of karate in the U.S. Yes, I'm very biased, but please check out the Seido Karate honbu dojo. Tadashi Nakamura is a legend in karate (there are others in NYC too) and may very well have what you're looking for. Yes, there are kids' classes, but everywhere has them. Yes, there will most likely be the soccer (err karate) moms, but where there's children, they'll be there. There is a group of people there that concentrate on sport karate/point fighting, but they make up a small contingency, relatively speaking. Seido isn't a sport karate style, but the honbu does have an annual tournament, and a lot of the proceeds are donated to charity. Respect and tradition are of utmost importance, but they're not shoved down people's throats. Kaicho Nakamura also regularly holds meditation classes for adults. Not required, but strongly recommended. Kaicho Nakamura and his son regularly teach classes from white belt all the way through the highest rank black belts. Not many large school owners do that. http://www.seido.com There's also the Oyama Karate Honbu, if you're looking for full contact. The U.S. Kyokushin honbu, and on and on. So many good dojos in NYC and Manhattan. The only way to know which is right for you is to visit.

Got that, subscribed, thanks man! No problem at all. Green belt in Seido is where the syllabus really starts to pile up. Hence why promoting goes to 6 month minimums instead of 3. Kihon kimite and yakusoku kumite begin here too, I believe. And sparring gear/contact sparring begins. And intermediate self-defense. Training starts to get a lot more fun here. And a lot more intense. Probably the most difficult rank until Shodan. I'm testing for green belt next week. I've skipped all the advanced/in between ranks so far and will this time too. That's due to my previous knowledge of the syllabus. Pretty sure I won't skip any more ranks and promote early after this point. Not that I care much about rank anyway; it's all about getting better.

Absolutely. Be sure to add yourself to the people whom you need approval from. The only governing body that needs to be concerned with my rank is my CI's governing body - Seido Juku.

Would sensei be replaced with hoss? Would the gi tops be the Texas flag pattern like the shirts I saw in store windows when I was in San Antonio, with the pants looking like Wranglers? Would the honbu be the Alamo? Would a mechanical bull be used in dan grading? Would kyu ranks use a white dipped foam Stetson for head protection, and dan grades use a black one? Would the cluster on said Stetson get more intricate as you advance in dan grades? Would we get dipped foam cowboy boots for foot gear? Will all formal events like rank testing, seminars, and tournaments be sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon, with a truck with taps on the sides in attendance and beer being poured by ladies wearing Daisy Dukes shorts? Would every class end with "Y'all come back now, you hear?" If you said yes to the above, in addition to your proposals of course, I'm in. Maybe I got carried away with that. I have that tendency. Add that to my list of obnoxious Yankee traits. I've added stuff to that list at least 5 times. It's all in good fun.

About 5 minutes before I read this, my mother called with some news. Apparently she and her sister have been doing geneology/ancestry research. She just did some DNA testing to see what ethnicities might pop up. Guess what? I'm 8% more middle eastern than I thought. Thanks for that bit of info, mom. I guess I have to adopt more culture than the 50% Armenian and until recently 50% Italian I thought I was. My whole world has changed! Everything I knew has been wrong! Well, I was only 8% wrong. Thanks for the futile information, mom. I still love you, even though you've wasted countless hours and more money than you'll admit to digging up information that doesn't change anything. We all still know who our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings are/were. Glad you didn't uncover a serial killer or tyrant ruler in our family tree. We can all sleep better now. Same story applies here. Why does the site have registration for black belts, their lineage, etc.? Very, very simple: Marketing. They have a new customer list! Think they won't sell you a gi or anything else if your lineage isn't what you claim it is/unverifiable? Think they won't sell your and everyone else's information to anyone who's willing to pay a few bucks for it?

After you watch them, go back and observe a few more times. What you see one day could be atypical, in a good way or bad way. Kind of like they say you should drive by a house several times, and at all different times to get a sense of the neighborhood before buying the house. Keep the kids where they are for the time being. And it isn't a total loss; I'm sure they enjoyed some aspects of it, learned some skills, and stayed out of trouble.

I did a modified 25 man kumite during my shodan test. We all wore standard dipped foam hand, foot, and head gear. It was pretty heavy contact and basically knockdown rules, only the round never ended early. We didn't have 25 different black belts; about 15 or so, so we fought against most people twice, but they had more than long enough time to be fully recovered. My arms and legs were covered in bruises. My wrists to elbows looked like camouflage. I had a few on my chest, but none on my face/head. I honestly think people wouldn't have hit as hard if they were bare knuckle. The two of us testing did the kumite after everything else in the test. How they go really depends on the people you're facing. They can easily knock you out towards the end if they want to. You need a core of people you can trust to push you as hard as possible while wanting you to get through it. They can't let you rest, but they can't go all out at every second either. It's an honor to be asked to attempt the feat (for lack of s better word), and they should always keep this in mind. After 25 rounds (2.5 minutes each with no rest at all between, other than time to bow to the next opponent), we had about a 30 second water break, then we sparred each other for 3 minutes. The first minute was like Hagler vs Hearns because we were all fired up and gave it everything we had because we knew it was over afterward, but we ran out of gas. If there was a video of it, I'd imagine the last 2 minutes would look like zombies trying to dance around. We tested on a Saturday. Being 23 at the time, I was back in the dojo on Monday. Being 39 now, if that was today, I'd be back in 2 weeks! YouTube some 100 man kumites. I like Hajime Kazumi's. Most people who've done the 100 man kumite spent a few days in the hospital afterward. Legend has it that Shigeru Oyama (no relation to Mas Oyama) went to 131 before Mas Oyama said it was enough, and didn't need any medical attention. Talk about tough.

No one can truly tell you if what they're doing is right or wrong. Even if what they're doing is right, that doesn't make it right for your kids. Kids learn best by play; the younger they are, the more they truly benefit from it IMO. I say this as a school teacher who teaches middle school science and has taught grades K-12 physical education. You have your concerns, which you should take seriously. Parental instincts are a strong thing. Look at other dojos. You have the benefit of being better informed now that you have some experience. You may find a dojo that checks nearly all of the boxes in your priority list. You may find that where you are is actually the best place. It doesn't matter how "good" the dojo is. If it's not a good fit, it's not for you. What's the point in a $5000 hand made suit that's the best that money can buy if it doesn't fit right? Forget about style of martial arts too. As you're learning, the only style that should be of primary importance is the teacher's teaching style. No idea about price. If that's within the going rate of your locale, then it is what it is. Some questions you may want to ask your prospective dojos... Who will be teaching them? How many students will be in class at once? Are ranks seperated with their own classes or do they split up in the same classes? How many classes going on simultaneously? Are other activities outside of day in and day out training sponsored by the dojo/held at the dojo? How often to they promote on average? Does the school compete and if so how often/when/where? What are the costs other than tuition? Can you train with them and/or in seperate classes? Finding an approachable teacher who is genuinely willing to answer any questions you have (and not tell you things to sell you on their school) and runs a class the way you think it should be run is most of the battle. There are so many dojos where I live, and so very few that I'd want my kids to attend. Having personal experience with karate makes the decision so much easier for me. When they're ready, they'll come to the dojo I'm at. It's all about what fits your kids best, not what everyone thinks is the best dojo. There's a dojo 2 blocks from where I work. Several of my students attend there. On paper it's perfect for kids - after school program, playground (not kidding), homework area, large choice in uniforms, social activities outside the dojo, and more. The teaching leaves a lot to be desired - multiple classes at the same time, older kids teaching classes, the head instructor doesn't teach the kids often, if at all, various clubs that cost extra, levels of membership. Most of all, the place is an absolute zoo. Extremely loud, kids everywhere with the soccer moms (actually Tae Kwon do moms) drinking Starbucks coffee in the background and bragging about how their kids are the star of the dojo, and on and on. I was there for about 2 minutes before I had a pounding headache. Then there was the sales pitch and refusal to tell me the price until after a private assessment by an instructor and 2 free classes. It's a daycare that holds Tae Kwon do classes. I've heard several people say it's the best dojo around. I have a different opinion and priorities altogether.

Interesting thing I heard - the Stars and Stripes gi worn by Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis and the rest of that crew was designed and initially paid for by Elvis Pressley. He sponsored them at some level and wanted them to stand out in the sea of plain white gis. His custom gi with bell bottoms and the collar was his own, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have worn that anyway. I think a few of them actually hated them at first, but either got used to them or just shut up and wore them because Elvis was bankrolling them. Not sure how much truth to that there is; you know if it's on the Internet, it has to be true.