JR 137

Morita was basically playing Fumio Demura the whole time. Not a bad thing.

Thank you. I'm going to buy it from Amazon instant video. $7 or so doesn't seem too steep. I really liked what I saw from The Strongest Karate, even though it was in Japanese with no subtitles. Trying to find that one too, although it's pretty elusive.

You know your students better than everyone else. You've also got a good understanding of what will most likely happen if they pass and fail. Rank is a personal thing. I don't teach nor own a dojo, so my views are a bit skewed... My take on it is it shouldn't be a test. It should be a demonstration of what's been learned, in a way. The student should have earned the promotion before the test. A one-time bad performance shouldn't undo the last few months of achievement. The student should be pushed harder than what they're used to/comfortable with physically and mentally, but to what their personal limits are. If a student hasn't consistantly demonstrated the required techniques and other expectations, they have no business promoting, let alone testing. Testing a student who shouldn't be promoted to begin with is on the teacher, not the student. In that scenario, the teacher fails, not the student IMO. There are rare instances where failing a promotion is acceptable to me. The student quitting and/or being disrespectful are justification to fail IMO. If a student freezes up, work with the student. Make them comfortable. Give them a chance to prove themself. The lower the rank and/or age, the more chances/encouragement you give. From your post, it seems like your students earned the rank before the test started. Everyone should be allowed some leeway every now and then. Use it as a teachable moment for them and the rest of the school, including yourself and your assistants.

Is the movie Fighting Black Kings the same movie as The Strongest Karate? I've seen parts of Strongest Karate, although not in English. I think they're 2 different movies with the same basic formula - 70's Kyokushin training and competition. Some places in the Internet say they're the same movie, just a different title for Europe/Japan. If it says so on the Internet, it must be true lol. I'm going to meet Charles Martin in the near future, so I thought it would be cool to see the movie.

My gi is more than heavy enough. I'm covered in sweat 5 minutes into the beginning of line drills. Another layer will only make it worse.

I really like the comments/points of view. And I really like Funakoshi's point of view. I just don't know if it's really the whole truth. I think the ultimate aim of Karate is self-preservation. Self-preservation by non-physical means, and by physical means only when all other options have been completely exhausted. MA and Karate teach many life lessons. My favorite lesson is probably found in breaking. When you're facing an extremely difficult challenge, focus on it completely, visualize the entire action and outcome, and punch through without hesitating. Hesitating in the slightest will get you hurt. I'm not a huge fan of breaking, but it's taught me a lesson that's gotten me through plenty of tough situations. As to perfection of character, I think that's the ultimate aim of life, not necessarily karate.

I'm a school teacher (grades 5-8 science). I've found that the "problem children" are truly a product of their environment. I'll get a kid who's a handful, then I'll meet the parents. No matter how hard I try, I only have them for an hour or so tops in a day. I feel like anything meaningful I've done with them gets completely undone at home. After a while, they know how to act around me and that I won't tolerate a lack of respect. I show them respect from day 1, and expect it in return. Please don't take that as I'm the tough teacher. On the contrary, I'm the "chill teacher" according to most students. It's all in the delivery. When even the worst kid knows you've got their best interest at heart, you'll notice their efforts and achievements (even if they're miniscule and you'll show a little compromise, they'll actually work hard to please you. It's about proving you're not out to get them like they think everyone else is.

Yes, yes it is. Your sparring is non contact, making contact is ESSENTIAL when sparring. You need to learn to take hits as well as deliver. But if you're happy training with them, then fair play to you. If not, go to another dojo and learn properly. Well i think our class is different or corrupt because they let yellow belt and above contact just not white belts and kids Get out of there. Train somewhere else properly, I got a Mae Geri to my stomach recently and it felt good to be able to take a hit. In the outside world, your opponent WILL try to hurt or even kill you. The chances are you're gonna get hit as well. That's why either full or semi contact is an necessity in kumite. Maybe his dojo is the exception?

My former dojo required us to buy gear directly from them. It was an organization-wide policy, not an individual policy. The reasons stated were so that everyone wore the same thing (we all wore the same uniform type, so the gear was just another way of having uniformity), and no one wore stuff that wasn't safe for themselves and others. The gear was priced in line with buying it elsewhere. It had our organization's logo on it, so no could pull a fast one. My current dojo doesn't have this policy. Truthfully, I liked the old dojo's better. In my current dojo, the gear needs to be approved by the CI. People have bought stuff that wasn't allowed due to safety issues. Our gear also has to be solid black or white only. $170 may be steep depending on what you're getting. Foam dipped head gear, foot gear, and gloves typically cost $30 a piece, give or take a few bucks. Add tax, shipping, or other charges and you're around $100. Add a mesh bag, mouth guard and cup/supporter, and you're up a few bucks more. Add forearm pads, shin pads, chest protector, and what you're being charged isn't out of line. It all depends on what you're getting. If you can find the same stuff for $100, yet he's charging $170, chalk it up to the cost of membership.

If you were a daywalker you'd have said "we do exist" instead of "they do exist." I started training for the sole purpose of handing out beat-downs. After a few classes, I realized there was a lot more to it. I resumed training for several reasons (in no particular order)... Lower my blood pressure Stress relief Stop looking like I'm pregnant Hand out some beat-downs Take some heat-downs Get an hour or so away from my beautiful wife and lovely daughters a couple times a week There's nothin like the feeling after a good sparring session. What is it about beating each other up that's so much fun? More fun after the fact, but fun nonetheless. Ok, maybe not beating each other up like in fight club, but mixing it up.

To add to my previous post... My belt is my belt. No one else's. There's a reason why I don't let someone else wear it (under normal circumstances). There's a reason why I don't wash it. There's a reason why I don't throw it out when it's worn out/tattered/frayed. There's a reason why I don't throw it out when I earn a new one. It's mine. My name is embroidered on my old black belt for a reason. It's a physical representation of what I've worked toward and achieved. Mine will always be mine. Yours will always be yours. Mine will never elevate or downgrade yours. Yours will never do the same to mine. Doesn't matter what anyone else's standards nor lack thereof are. I know mine. So long as I'm at those standards, everyone else can wear a platinum belt with a million carats of diamonds in it. That's there prerogative. Doesn't change what mine represents to me. I would like that platinum belt though. It would pay for a lot of things my family and I need and want. 😀

"The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” – Gichin Funakoshi I'm a huge fan of Funakoshi. This is the one quote I have the most issues with. It's a great quote, don't get me wrong; but is it truly 100% accurate? If this was the ultimate aim, wouldn't you be better far off diligently studying religion or philosophy to attain the "ultimate aim?" I think the ultimate aim of karate is being able to survive in a self-defense situation. Not "winning" (whatever that means). The non-physical methods like avoiding places and situations and talking your way out of it are at least just as much a a part of surviving as are the physical methods. What's your "ultimate aim?" Or did Funakoshi hit the nail on the head? Why or why not?

I always thought it would be cool to find a pressure point that releases the bladder. That would stop just about any attacker and embarrass the hell out of them. Imagine a guy talking all this trash to you in front of everyone, then a quick, light strike somewhere before he realizes it, and his pants are wet. Humane self defense at its finest IMO.

A night and day difference between his and William Oliver's "fast" and the first video I linked to. I whole-heartedly agree - learn the intricacies, the hows and whys, then build up speed and power. If going lightning-fast makes realistic sense, use it. If it's fast just for the sake of being faster than anyone else, it's worthless. A lot of people don't appreciate the process of learning enough. They do something once or twice and think about the next thing. Going fast shines a spotlight on the flaws.

Power comes from technique, not speed. Every movement should be performed as though an enemy is standing in front of you; every movement should have intent behind it. A good video to teach the difference to students... Speed - I thought it was a joke and/or sped up to be made fun of. Look at the audience; it's not sped up at all. The "practicioners" are serious. Intent/power - William Oliver's version of Kanku never gets old. It would probably score low in a tournament, but I don't think he cared! The other one never gets old either. For obviously very different reasons.

I think pretty much all the traditional kobudo weapons themselves aren't a good choice if you're looking for practical self defense training for a lot of the reasons stated previously. Broom handles and pool cues move differently than bos and jos do. Try them out if you haven't done so. They're not nearly as strong either, having not been designed to be a weapon. Not that they couldn't be effective or shouldn't be a desperation weapon or last resort. If you need a weapon that's truly under the radar, find something in everyday life and train with it. Practice hitting a punching bag or tree or the like with it. Some systems use canes. Probably the most practical non-knife weapon out there. Escrima too. Why study kobudo if there's no reasonable practical use for the weapon(s)? They get you moving in ways you wouldn't normally move. Footwork, dexterity, evasion and the like all get trained different ways unarmed kumite can't, thereby increasing your skills across the board IMO. The hand-eye coordination developed by nanchaku training is huge. Kobudo training is a lot of fun, gets you moving and thinking in different ways, and increases your MA skills. How do you choose which one to use or what order to learn them? Whatever your system does is a good start. I haven't used too many, but my favorite is the Bo. It's easy to get basic proficiency of it, but mastery of can be has hard as any other weapon. It just feels natural in my hands.

Another thing IMO is that people put way too much faith in eye gouges and groin grabs (not strikes to either). During wrestling, I had people try to get out of being pinned by sticking their fingers in my eye on two occasions, and grabbing my stuff on one occasion. They all hurt like hell; I remember them vividly 20+ years later. I held on long enough to get the pin all 3 times. If I had a joint lock or choke applied, I would've easily had enough time to snap the joint or choke the person out. Those two "techniques" don't get the instant reaction of letting go and dropping to the ground people think they will. They will while fooling around with your friends or even during practice, but if someone's hell bent on hurting or killing you, they'll be able to deal with it for more than long enough to finish the job.

I've done some stuff with kyusho in the past. It can be highly effective when done correctly. But IMO people take it way too far, just like everything else in the world. Tapping someone here and there won't knock out a true opponent. George Dillman has a ton of hypnotized (in one way or another) followers. I used pressure points when I wrestled in high school, without realizing they were pressure points. Bury your chin in an opponent's biceps tendon while they're on their back to get that shoulder down for a pin; stick your forehead into the opponent's temple during a tie up to create just enough space to get under their arm; pressing on the floating ribs, knuckles rubbed on the back of the hand to break a lock, etc. Hitting the carotid artery will cause some to black out or severely stunned long enough to follow up or get away. Ippon ken to the armpit or kidneys will cause some severe pain. Ippon nukite tapped on the side of the nose will get your finger bit off against the wrong guy. Everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. If you expect a KO by a slap in the face, you'd better have a 4.3 40 yard dash time.

McDojo in all its glory... It speaks for itself. Also, I thought maybe the video was sped up to add insult to injury, especially the kata part. Nope. Look at the people in the background/crowd moving at normal speed.

If you didn't treat it as a business, their would be no dojo. I don't know why people have such a hard time with people trying to earn a living. There is a ton of greed in every field, but people have the idea that every penny that a business takes in goes right into the pocket of someone who doesn't need it. My father has owned his own auto repair shop for going on 40 years now. Everyone thinks he owes it to them to fix their car for free so they can get to work. A regular customer started making stupid comments one day about labor rates. My father pointed to his tool box and said "That alone cost me about $100k to fill. Do you think $10 an hour is going to cover it?" Another one of his favorites: "How would you feel if your boss tried to work out a deal every week when he hands you your paycheck?"

"What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything, yet the value of nothing" - Oscar Wilde

In Seido Juku, black belts wear a white belt and line up as white belts for the month or so before any dan test and even during the test, so I don't think anyone could get away with keeping it a secret, no matter how hard they tried. I can respect why an instructor wouldn't make a big deal about promoting, and I agree with it. It isn't right nor wrong; just their preference. It all comes down to the tone they want to set in the dojo IMO. If the school is driven by goal setting and achieving said goals(s), then humbly announce it. If rank is of little importance, then don't bring it up. I do however have a small problem with totally avoiding the conversation. I get why, but it shouldn't be a secret. There's a way to truthfully answer tactfully, succinctly, and humbly. I don't think I'd be part of a dojo that figuratively threw a ticker tape parade for it. At my last dojo, my sensei promoted to 4th dan shortly after I started. It was announced in a newsletter. It was the last sentence or two that simply stated (I can't remember exactly, it was about 20 years ago) "Sensei was promoted to yondan on X date at honbu dojo. Congratulations Sensei!" We went to him and congratulated him, he didn't come to us looking for it, nor did he speak about it at any length. When asked, he replied "I worked very hard for a very long time. At the end of the day, it was just another test. I'm not a different person now that I'm one dan rank higher than I was last week." Polite, respectful, and to the point. That prompted us to get on with class.

There's a lot of wiggle room in individual dojos as well. The 2 dojos I've been a part of graded on individual growth. Should a 50 something person be held to the same physical standards as a person in their early 20s? What about a person with a physical impairment/disability? I had a classmate who was a sandan. For a sandan, she had horrible technique. She knew all the movements and could demonstrate them. But there was no real, I don't know, oomph behind anything. This person had been studying for 30 something years. She always gave it her all, never backed down from a challenge emotionally or physically (although it was ugly), and was truly a role model. Never took a break from training. In sports, she'd be referred to as a clubhouse guy; a guy you have to keep around due to being an invaluable asset in the sense of commarderie, but won't see the field. If you walked in randomly and watched her, you'd shake your head and question why she's the rank she is. If you knew all she put into her training, you'd have no problem with her rank. Rank is a personal thing. Not everyone is capable of being Bruce Lee. But a dedicated person who's showing all out effort and growth has a place in the dojo and promoting. Yes, there has to be a physical standard, but do they have to be the same for everyone? Does someone who you don't feel is worthy of the same rank as you degrade all you've done and therefore your rank? When push comes to shove, my belt color won't do anything for me. My skills (or lack thereof) will do all the talking. Doesn't matter that I'm currently a blue belt (8th kyu in my current system) and I was a shodan previously. Doesn't matter if I can beat down half of the black belts in the dojo, and get beaten down by the other half. I make my rank, it doesn't make me. To paraphrase Sensei8, the proof will be on the floor when the day comes where I have to utilize my skills for real. Hopefully I'm more skilled than my opponent, who most likely wouldn't have even obtained a white belt.

Yes, it's an old thread, but I had to... My dojo doesn't have a slogan anywhere, just some Japanese calligraphy by our kaicho - Tadashi Nakamura. Pretty cool stuff that escapes me at the moment. But a college I worked at had the best slogan in the athletic dept weight room - "There's no substitute for hard work" The strength & conditioning coach put that up during the height of the baseball steroid scandal. Regardless of that stuff, it's a great slogan for pretty much everything in life.

I agree with your post. Nothing wrong with it, so long as the people there are happy and well-informed. But then again, most people aren't well-informed about a lot of things, myself included. Just because they're not my cup of tea doesn't mean they're all worthless. Everyone has the right to do as they wish. I wonder though... Do most students at McDojos know its a McDojo and are happy anyway, or do they think they're at a true dojo? If they're oblivious to it, I wonder if the dojo I train at is a McDojo and ignorance is bliss 😂 Its seems to me that the best answer for that last question seems to be YES! Its probably a little of both and/or one or the other. Regarding the last post in my plethora of quoted posts in a single quoted post, truer words have never been spoken.