LLLEARNER

I will, thanks.

I did see a sports duffle bag made out of an old pink BJJ gi. It was cool. I think the sleeves were made into the side pockets.

First, I want to apologize for not being around more for the past couple of months. My life has changed. I graduated in December with a double major in Managerial Accounting and Finance. I started a new job as an Accountant about a month ago. I went from an evening job working every weekend to Monday through Friday 8-5. How do normal people work these hours? I am still in Karate with my daughter, and I started BJJ 2 nights a week. I am saving for my CPA study course. I will endeavor to keep involved in the forums.

Yes, organizations have guidelines. Fall outside those guidelines, you do risk your standing with the organization. Pizza delivery guys regularly get fired for defending themselves from violence in the workplace. However, that is an employer decision. Remember, guidelines are NOT laws. For example, a nurse gets fired from a job for using force, but faces no legal consequences, because she acted within the confines of the LAW. LAW is always superior to employer POLICIES and GUIDELINES. The actual instances of workplace violence in healthcare would shock you. The study of violence in healthcare receives very little funding and much of it goes unreported. Combine that with administrations desire to relieve financial liability, and you have unrealistic goals and expectations with people paying the price physically. Healthcare, because of its nature, attracts many caring people who want to truly help people. Many of these people cannot fathom the idea of a person wanting to hit, bite, scratch, stab, kick, punch, spit on or throw excrement on someone else. Because of their training and caring natures, they tend to see this person as sick, therefore they do not consider them culpable for their actions. They have little to no training as to what a crime actually is, unless it involves HIPPA, therefore often cannot connect the dots from the offender's actions to the crime. I know of a forensic (violent psych, sometimes with violent criminal histories) that will absolutely not let a staff member defend themselves in any way shape or form. A nurse was caught by the hair and swung like a mop against the walls. She had major medical problems after. Still, no response concerning the safety of their employees. In my mind, an employer who does not concern itself with the safety of its employees has no legitimate moral or ethical standing to make rules affecting the safety of the employees. If that nurse had fought back, or other staff defended her they would have been fired. Maybe not for that action, but for some other minor infraction, for legal liability. If she had also fought back or other staff defended her, there probably would have been no legal action taken against them by people who enforce actual laws. Legally speaking she faced the possibility of serious bodily harm or death. In my experience, many active shooter programs are designed and selected for the employer's benefit, rather than the employee's benefit. They are designed and selected to reduce financial liability for the employer, not the continued life of the employee, particularly among the education and healthcare industries. Absolutely, they should induce stress, and more importantly cause purposeful thought leading to pre-decisions through game playing. The application of stress in a controlled environment combined with scenario-based responses would be similar to a football teams playbook. Deciding how the team or individual will function before having to function has been proven to improve on-field performance. Mental conditioning exercises also have benefits in reducing the impact of PTSD. Most of our culture has had an easy life compared to historical norms. The natural state of man over the past millennia has been a state of conflict or war. What we currently experience is the aberration. This group here has excess time to study ways of conflict as a hobby, not a necessity.

"Stomp the groin" Then re-stomp the groin.

It is O.K. Well, it is not a heinous crime to want to transfer to a new dojo but it is highly uncourteous if you do it unless you are moving to somewhere else or just because you don't like the club and say it to the Sensei. All instructors know each other in a city and they wouldn't accept you if you do not follow the procedures properly. Our National Karate Federation is a government agency and every karateka has to be registered to enter the exams, competitions, etc. There is no problem with starting a new style from the beginning as a white belt, but if you wish to continue with your previous style, unfortunately, these are the rules :/ But, as I said, there are no other Shotokan clubs that I can attend and "fit my taste", so I am thinking about trying out Kyokushin a bit. Together with other reasons, I've lost my ability to even touch my opponents in the last few years, because I always pair up with people -how to say- "less tough" than me, like 16-year-old kids or delicate ladies and I am afraid of hurting them in any way. I have no words for government control of people's recreational activities. You have somewhat limited options within the structure you have to follow. All I can try to advise in your situation is that you seem to be starting a new style, so the payoff to your current organization seems to irrelevant. Unless the authorities definition of style limits itself to "karate" without considering shotokan, goju-ryu, kyokushin as different styles. I would look into how they define style. Do they group styles by family, Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Karate, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Jiu-jitsu, etc? Being a government agency whose interest is largely financial, I bet they have their bases covered.

The answer to all of life's questions in regards to when to start improving yourself is YESTERDAY. Start now. If you wait until your ideal perfect time, it will never come. The same for sparring. Start on day 1 should the opportunity present itself. It helps give you an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. A good club will not abuse you. They will understand you are new and do not know much yet. Besides, you can always end the match by backing out.

The transfer process goes like this in my country: you pay some money to your previous Sensei, s/he gives you that reference thing if s/he is O.K. with your leaving the club, and only then can you become a member of a new club. Well, actually, this is good advice, thanks, LLLEARNER I regularly practice karate at least once a week. I think I'm a bit afraid of forgetting and losing everything I have practiced and learned so far, and never being able to return and continue from where I have left. I have never taken a break from karate since I started ten years ago -except a three-month-period when I broke a limb, and another period because of a nastier injury. But anyway, taking at least a few months off would really help me make up my mind. I have recently discovered a Kyokushin karate club and joined one session, and I think what they practice is closer to what I want to learn. Maybe I should go talk to that Sensei to let me in for some time and get to know their style better. Karate and judo are similar in some respects, as far as I know, too, but in my karate club, we never practiced judo techniques. You do not have to think about what a technique is for or whether it is useful that way, even if you sacrifice the correct technique for showing off and looking flashy in kata. I have little knowledge of how techniques in kata can be used against actual opponents. Judo, however, is much more realistic in that sense. So you can’t leave one club and join another without the original club’s owner’s written permission? That could quite possibly be the most absurd thing I’ve heard in the martial arts, and I’ve heard some pretty crazy stuff. I’m not saying you’re misinformed, as I don’t know where you live and train, I’m just saying that that policy is pretty crazy. It’s one thing if you’re transferring from one club to another club within an organization, ie transferring from the NYC branch of Joe’s Karate School to the Los Angeles branch of Joe’s Karate School. While I wouldn’t completely agree with it, I could see that being done for paperwork, rank, and instructors in the same organization not competing with each other and stuff like that. But to leave a school and start somewhere else entirely? It’s mind boggling to me. Are you sure this is an official policy, like a legal policy that’s applicable to all MA schools in your country, or is this something you’ve heard that could be urban legend? Kind of like the urban legend here in the US that black belts must register their hands and feet as lethal weapons with their local police department. It’s pure nonsense, but people still actually believe it. I’d check with an independent party to make sure it’s an actual policy and not something people have made up to keep students from leaving. I agree. Absolute nonsense! I think that this is a misconception of an introduction letter within the same organization. You don't have to pay money, it's not a necessity, nor does it keep you from joining another school in another town/city/state/country. It's a courtesy and nothing more. Instructors will write a letter of introduction to make the transition easier and establish the students credentials. It basically states that they are a student of yours, they trained for "x" years, hold the grade of "x" and are in good standing with the organization, and your contact information should other information be needed. It's not needed nor is it a requirement for either the student or instructor. It's a courtesy and nothing more. No one forces this nor does it keep the student from joining another school. Outside of an organization... Absolute nonsense! Sounds to me like a way to get a few more dollars out of the student before they leave. I wouldn't pay a dime. Unfortunately, this is a requirement in my country -probably a precaution because instructors do not like losing their successful students after spending so much time and effort on them, when they are offered better training conditions and stuff. There is even a list of fees on the official website of our national karate federation, for the amount you need to pay to transfer to other clubs, and this amount skyrockets if you represented your country in competitions and got medals. Fortunately, I am a mere karateka with no medals but I do not want to pay this still huge amount of money to my instructor, either-nearly equal to what I pay in one year to him. Actually, there is no other Shotokan club in my city that I can attend and offers better training, so what I have in mind is quit it rather than transfer to somewhere else. I am just trying to understand the process so please forgive the questions. What country do you live in> The government that makes and enforces laws against murder for instance (not the karate organization) only allows you to be a member of 1 MA organization? What is the legal punishment for not getting an approval letter? Jail, fines? Your National Karate Federation is a government agency? Not a private organization? If it is a private organization, do they just withhold your records if you try to transfer? If you are switching styles why does that even matter? You should start at the beginning (white belt) anyway.

Asteroids

"For me to be able to go to somewhere else, I need to take a reference letter kind of thing from him. " Why do you need a letter? Also, you may not have to give up on karate. You can still attend seminars or maybe do some drop-ins a couple times a month with Sensei's who focus on the art itself and self-defense. You can still work your katas at home. Karate and Judo complement each other very well, in my opinion at least. Even in the few katas I know I have been able to see applications into Judo throws.

Do you really mean to say that when we join an organization we play by their rules? That we should not expect an entire organization to cater to our whim when they see just how special we are?

Congrats

Wow! I am sorry to hear that. I know you have been with them for nearly your entire life and I could always tell that you loved what you could do for the good of the organization and its students. I hope that this does not impact your passion for your students wherever your future lies.

I don't think so. His organization, his rules. As an adult, I find the idea of constant rewards for achievements to be unnecessary. The reward is in the doing, learning and self-improvement. I would not care if my Sensei did away with belts altogether. I am not doing this for a belt. I admit sometimes it can be nice to see the physical results of achievement, but then I remind myself that the achievement should be internal self-improvement, not the adornment of a uniform. Occasionally, I also find the belt system to be a hindrance. It is too easy to settle at a level, and not continuously improve. I kind of like that as a rule for life in general. That being said... Kids often cannot internalize that thought process, and depend on the physical reminder. By the time they hit mid-teens, they should start to understand the difference between the internal growth and external displays. However... I don't think he was wrong. His organization, his rules.

Remember the advice of Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke... "The material and moral consequences of every major battle are so far-reaching that they usually bring about a completely altered situation, a new basis for the adoption of new measures. One cannot be at all sure that any operational plan will survive the first encounter with the main body of the enemy. Only a layman could suppose that the development of a campaign represents the strict application of a prior concept that has been worked out in every detail and followed through to the very end." "Certainly the commander in chief will keep his great objective continuously in mind, undisturbed by the vicissitudes of events. But the path on which he hopes to reach it can never be firmly established in advance. Through the campaign, he must make a series of decisions on the basis of situations that cannot be foreseen. The successive acts of war are thus not premeditated designs, but on the contrary are spontaneous acts guided by military measures. Everything depends on penetration the uncertainty of veiled situations to evaluate the facts, to clarify the unknown, to make decisions rapidly, and then to carry them out with strength and consistency."

Groin! Always go for the groin! Or eyes and/or throat... those are acceptable targets, too. ALWAYS, re-stomp the groin! Again...again...again... YES! Maybe I will look into the feasibility of a pogo stick for this step.

It sounds like you are off to a good start, and I wish you all the success in the world. Hopefully, you will grow to the point where specialists become necessary. Having a partner can alleviate massive amounts of stress. I met a man who lost a lot in his business until he found balance with his wife's assistance. In the beginning, they lost focus on the business side and just focused on the teaching. They lost their home and cars. Now, she is a fantastic support to him and helps keep his focus properly aligned. Properly aligned focus is necessary for any business and seems especially important in "recreational" type businesses. It can be easy to focus too much on the training and lose sight of the financial health of the business, or easy to focus too much on the finances and lose students due to poor teaching.

Disclaimer: I have not taken private lessons. I have would not be opposed to private lessons. I see value in both group and private and that value can be different for different people. Our class is small enough that when some people cannot make attend, it feels like a private lesson. I do enjoy the more in-depth attention to technique and application that results. As for training with famous people... to quote our own famous Sensei8 "the proof is on the floor." It depends on why they are famous. If they are famous through more shameless self-promotion than through proving themselves, I tend to seek other sources. That being said, teaching is a whole separate skill than performing. I want a great teacher with proof. I once read an article on "The Art of Manliness" website about reading habits of Teddy Roosevelt, one quote that struck me was "don't follow your mentors; follow your mentors' mentors" (David Leach). Another application of that is to observe the mentees that mentors have influenced and look for results that you want to incorporate into yourself. Then study the mentors.

We can look at certain people and see that genetics do play a part in natural ability. Alexey Alexeyevich Oleynik an MMA fighter has an 80-inch reach. His long arms (in my opinion) really aid in his specialization, Ezekiel Chokes. He was not born knowing how to perform them, but the reach advantage certainly helps his ability. And he can get them on in any position.

I am not in public very often outside of work or school for people to see what I do.

No. There are genetic, health, and nutrition differences that can predispose us to better physicality. But, that person still has to put in the time and effort.

While I agree with equality between the sexes, honesty demands that I also acknowledge the differences. Men and women are different mentally, emotionally and physically. Sure there are outliers like the Australian woman who just lifted some really heavy Scottish rocks, but most people fall into the bell curve. Really the differences are what make life so great. There is room for discretion in grading. Physically and mentally handicapped people can and do grade to 1st dan and higher. Should a 110 pound woman be denied a grade for failing against a 220 lb uke? That is up to the testing board. In my opinion, and I say this as a blue belt with a child's understanding, I think that if she demonstrated skilled technique, outstanding perseverance and dedication that she should earn the grade. If she failed on any of the above criteria then she should fail, just as a man should. Black belt is not an end. It is a beginning. I liken it to a college degree. It means you have mastered the basics and the graduate now has a license to really begin learning. Often we can unknowingly become caught up in media presentations. The movie Serenity ends with a hand to hand fight between a slightly built teenage girl and dozens of large skilled fighters. I suspend my belief that in a real confrontation the hero would lose that fight hard core. Take a look at the NBA and WNBA. They separate by gender for a reason. Remember, it is your art. If/When you have your own place, you can teach differently than your Sensei. If you find applications in a kata that your Sensei never taught, you can teach them. It is your floor. Take the grading when you feel ready, then teach and grade students your way.

Again, this is my interpretation...YMMMV During kata, and Kihon when moving through stances with punches and "blocks", there is a timing difference between my lower and upper body. My punch is faster than my step (there is less distance to travel). When I am near finishing the zen stance, I start my punch. I time it so my punch finishes just after my stance completes and my hips drive the punch forward. My Sensei never told us to lock our knees, but the keep them slightly flexed. For me that is having my back leg close to being locked, but still with tension in my muscles, creating rigidity. I also find that muscle tension helps drive the hip swivel. I am not trying to contradict your sensei. I am sure he has been working this stuff far longer than I. An option you have is to talk to him privately to understand the reasoning he looks for the locked leg. In the end it is your karate, and you have to decide how you want to do it. But, respectfully discussing the reasoning behind a particular subject outside of class would be the best approach. Asking how it should feel might be a good respectful ice breaker. If you keep working at it, I suspect one night when you are trying to sleep your solution will pop into your head. Keep a notepad and pen handy by your bed.

This puts things in perspective a lot, thanks very much. My art right now is as effective and realistic as my karate was when I was doing karate. Truth be told I have some issues on how effective I think traditional martial arts are in general (e.g. who punches in zenkutsku dachi? Who chambers their other fist while punching? Isn't punching in and waiting to get counter attacked a terrible reflex to have when it comes to fighting?) , but I have a huge appreciation for their personal development and health benefits, with an added bonus of self defense/fighting on the side How effective the stances, chambered fist, and anything else like that are really depends on how it’s taught, or better yet, if it’s explained properly. This can be a really long conversation with a lot of people expressing differing opinions, so I’ll be pretty brief... Stance is your foundation. The stronger it is, the stronger your techniques are. But IMO people focus way too much on the end of the stance, or better yet the pose. During kata, a teacher counts and the students complete the step. What’s focused on and gets corrected? The end pose; stuff like “deeper stance” “the block ends here” and so on. IMO where it ends up is irrelevant; it’s how you got there. Take a 180 degree turn from and into zenkutsu dachi while performing a low block. If you’re familiar with Pinan 1 or Taikyoku 1, you know exactly what I mean here. If you interpret the low block as a joint lock, and the strong step backwards and twist/pivot into zenkutsu dachi as spinning/throwing/unbalancing your attacker, it all makes sense to use that stance. If you’re interpreting that move in that kata as turning around and blocking a kick from a guy behind you, that move is just dumb. If you look at kiba dachi/horse stance, it’s all about dropping your weight, especially when you’ve got someone all joint locked up. What I’m getting at is the emphasis of stances should be while they’re in motion and not at the end pose. If the teacher is focusing on the end pose, the stances are not worth much more than aesthetics. You're 100% right. Who's going to chamber a punch (pulling your other hand to your waist or ribs), or move using zenkutsudachi transitions in a real fight though? Even in karate sparring we adopt a more natural stance and keep our hands up... The lunge punch you are describing from a zenkutsu dachi as practiced in kata can still be employed in a more natural fighting stance. Receive the opponents limb, retract to your hip while driving forward into the longer stance and punching or shuto uke under the chin. kata are meant for more than looking pretty in competitions an grading. They are meant to be studied, and experimented with in different positions. A basic math textbook can be used to derive larger truths about math than what is explicitly described on the page.

This puts things in perspective a lot, thanks very much. My art right now is as effective and realistic as my karate was when I was doing karate. Truth be told I have some issues on how effective I think traditional martial arts are in general (e.g. who punches in zenkutsku dachi? Who chambers their other fist while punching? Isn't punching in and waiting to get counter attacked a terrible reflex to have when it comes to fighting?) , but I have a huge appreciation for their personal development and health benefits, with an added bonus of self defense/fighting on the side How effective the stances, chambered fist, and anything else like that are really depends on how it’s taught, or better yet, if it’s explained properly. This can be a really long conversation with a lot of people expressing differing opinions, so I’ll be pretty brief... Stance is your foundation. The stronger it is, the stronger your techniques are. But IMO people focus way too much on the end of the stance, or better yet the pose. During kata, a teacher counts and the students complete the step. What’s focused on and gets corrected? The end pose; stuff like “deeper stance” “the block ends here” and so on. IMO where it ends up is irrelevant; it’s how you got there. Take a 180 degree turn from and into zenkutsu dachi while performing a low block. If you’re familiar with Pinan 1 or Taikyoku 1, you know exactly what I mean here. If you interpret the low block as a joint lock, and the strong step backwards and twist/pivot into zenkutsu dachi as spinning/throwing/unbalancing your attacker, it all makes sense to use that stance. If you’re interpreting that move in that kata as turning around and blocking a kick from a guy behind you, that move is just dumb. If you look at kiba dachi/horse stance, it’s all about dropping your weight, especially when you’ve got someone all joint locked up. What I’m getting at is the emphasis of stances should be while they’re in motion and not at the end pose. If the teacher is focusing on the end pose, the stances are not worth much more than aesthetics. You're 100% right. Who's going to chamber a punch (pulling your other hand to your waist or ribs), or move using zenkutsudachi transitions in a real fight though? Even in karate sparring we adopt a more natural stance and keep our hands up... The lunge punch you are describing from a zenkutsu dachi as practiced in kata can still be employed in a more natural fighting stance. Receive the opponents limb, retract to your hip while driving forward into the longer stance and punching or shuto uke under the chin. While I have the limb and grab with the punching hand, I use a 270 degree turn with the back leg (as demonstrated in several kata) to throw/redirect the opponent. If using a reverse punch, the punch can evolve into a grab followed by a leg sweep on the next zen stance. Kata are meant for more than looking pretty in competitions an grading. They are meant to be studied, and experimented with in different positions. A basic math textbook can be used to derive larger truths about math than what is explicitly described on the page. I tend to agree with Ian Abernathy on the idea that kata are largely meant for close engagements grabs, receives, throws, redirections, punches, kicks, joint locks, joint breaks, and sweeps. While there are some not so close applications, I am beginning to see more close in grappling type scenarios.