LLLEARNER

This is why I don't have my daughter practice her katas with out my supervision. Or her mother's after I have helped her understand what to look for. I am afraid the grandmothers would just praise without knowing what they were looking at.

Congrats on completing the 5k.

I understand where you are coming from. Despite the outward appearance of shouting, frantic activity, equipment, sweaty odor, and no soothing music, it is a place of focus. Focusing on the task at hand rather than the honey-do list. The soothing lack of distraction spas and yoga clubs try to enforce through environment controls, a dojo teaches through mental discipline despite distractions. A good Sensei does not allow uncontrolled distraction in the training environment. Do not feel ashamed for not "earning your gi". You earn it by deciding to train. That is all. Karate (as are most martial arts) is about self-improvement at its core. I understand the hectic life. I have a family, full-time job, a full-time school schedule and medical issues starting to appear. It is the focus of karate that pushes it all out for a mental break in the dojo. When I first started I felt like Godzilla tramping through Tokyo trying to perform the techniques and kata. I fell a lot. I could not do the big 270 degree back turns, and still cannot kick as high as I want to on some kicks. I am slowly improving. Your Sensei makes it look graceful and easy because he has done them tens of thousands if not more times over 30+ years. My 6 year old daughter takes it with me. I have seen her focus improve greatly compared to her age group. She gets so proud with the next achievement, and has a better understanding of goal setting beyond the next 10 minutes. When she earned her yellow belt (and Sensei made her earn it for over an hour) she said to me excitedly "I did the work!" which is what I want her to understand. She spars against the adults (yes, a mixed adult and kids class) in the class without fear. I am not teaching her to be controlled by her fear but to understand and work with it. She has a healthy respect for Sensei. She listens and follows instruction. This is good as “Uncoachable kids become unemployable adults. Let your kid get used to somebody being tough on them. That’s life, get over it!” – Patrick Murphy, Alabama Softball Sensei's 2 grandkids (approximately 4 years old) just started. He is just as tough, if not tougher on them as he is on everyone else. It will only do them good in the long run.

To the bold type above... Yes, students should refer questions to the CI the most. However, with kids, especially the beginning students, the CI is that big bad scary monster that you, as a kid, sure don't want to get near. As well he should be.

"Success is where preparation meets opportunity." Learn the material, know the material, practice the material, and apply the material. Then, when its time to test on the material, your only doing what you've already done. That is also my definition for luck.

I agree

Groin! Always go for the groin! Or eyes and/or throat... those are acceptable targets, too. I try not to do that sparring. But, in real (unrestricted) fights, I can be a bit dirty in what I do.

I have a question. When sparring (in class), do you try to go for the point? Or, do you try to work in kata bunkai?

Forms on the prairie? Maybe with tornados in the background as a distraction?

Right now in my class my best chance against an opponent (except Sensei) is closing the distance. We have one person who has (in my opinion) phenomenal kicks. I get in side (and I can stay there) and shut them down. Another guy I need to get in and out quick using angles (I impressed myself early on when I out grappled him, I was a white belt and he was green). Now if it is Sensei, my best bet is to run away as fast as I can. I also know his tell. When he holds back, he giggles, then he quickly submits you. He is very good at sparring at his students level so his student can learn. Both stand up and grappling. He still does not let his opponent win, but you learn. I have just learned how each of them fights. I still lose mostly, but we all seek to learn.

I try to vary my footwear and practice surfaces for kata. Doing kata barefoot on the mats in the Dojo is much different than in my body armor and boots on carpet at work. Socks do not work at home on the Pergo (too slippery).

It will certainly be interesting for me, not sure if I will still be around in the next 10 years.Therefore if you can make a wild educated guess regarding Aikido and Russians in the next decade; it would be appreciated immensely. My instinct tells me that they will be wearing the traditional Aikido uniform topped off with a Cossack hat and throwing each other around in the snow. Maybe they will call it Snowkido. That would be a very Russian thing.

It protrudes enough that I don't want to wear the cup in class.

Interesting... I have a tendency to block with my face! I see you studied boxing under Rocky.

I have the ShockDoctor. It does "protrude".

Head injuries are not a major concern for me. My brain is already damaged (and will only get worse), but my doctor said no problem to head contact. I enjoy the combat aspect of the sport. I can get hit in the head at work. I do wear head gear while sparring. So far, I am not allowed head contact (yellow belt here). I don't actively seek to get hit in the head, but I participate in an activity and job where it can happen. No, I don't alter my training. But, I do not have a lifetime in the sport as some of you do.

Really? Beer everyday? If you say so. I have actually been drinking a lot more water for the past 7 months or so. I can't say that I feel better. I just pee more.

The Great Lakes can get real nasty storms. There are lots of shipwrecks too! I have heard Coast Guard stories about the Great Lakes. I want to be on shore during those storms.

I am normal, but I attempt outstanding. Usually I fall when I do though.

I don't agree. You don't get to choose who is going to use violence on you. You only get to choose to react and defend yourself. If this mentally ill person is trying to cause you great bodily harm or death, then you have to be ready to defend yourself as necessary, if you have to. Its similar to someone who is high on drugs or highly intoxicated. I don't care if they don't realize what they are doing. What matters is that they are doing it, and they have to be stopped from doing it. If that means escalating use of force, then that's how it has to be. Actually, it probably would be the best time to use a rear-naked choke. You apply the choke properly and the person goes to sleep. They are done hurting you, and you are done hurting them. Actually, it would probably be a best-case scenario, but I honestly think it would be one of the best applications of that technique. But those who work in that type of environment have very strict protocol as to how they apply any restraining techniques on the patient. And as how a rear naked choke can end up, I'd refrain from applying it, and/or any choke hold, for that matter. One, it's more than likely against policy, and two, if the choke is overly done, then fatal implications could occur, especially if applied longer than necessary; adrenaline can back fire. I agree. I would not use an RNC at work (unless the situation called for it). We do have strict rules to follow. I teach the rules. Beyond the rules I follow my own principles. Restrain to prevent injury to themselves or others. I find that works best most of the time even the ones who are truly trying to assault me or others. I will and do restrain the head when they try spitting or biting (but not using the neck).

Try Kata in a pool

That test is hard.

Did someone say candy? I guess I will eat my yogurt instead.

I agree. There are some police abusing their authority. They need to be dealt with. More importantly, how they got hired and trained needs to be discussed as well. Is it the gradual influence of weak-kneed elected officials that set the conditions for bad hires and bad training? Use of force training is taught to legal minimum standards. Legal minimum standards are ultimately determined by budgets and politicians (who do not do the job). However, the use of force is never pretty. It does not look like a heavily choreographed movie-fu fight. A 30 second recording never tells the whole story. No, a 30-second recording doesn't tell the whole story, even in a scenario that looks lopsided. The thing to remember is there is usually an incident that an officer gets dispatched to, sometimes with limited information, and then who knows what happens when they arrive on scene. Then the report follows. But the sensationalism is what wins out on the news. Training is also very important, but, no one can force officers to dedicate their time off-duty to self-defense training. So, the training that many get is limited to what they get from basic training and then from department training. The ones who actively seek out training are more often than not your defensive tactics instructors, special response team members, etc. With all that said, what Paul Harvey said about the public's expectations of what officers should be able to do, like "whip a man twice his size and half his age" without hurting them, is not always how things will work out. We like to have compliance, but that doesn't always work out, either. And then, to top it off, an officer has to fight by a set of rules that don't exist for the other. And then the scrutiny comes. So when I see something passing on the news in regards to police use of force, I take it with a grain of salt, and no that there is always so much more to the story than we see in a 30-second bit of violence. I mostly ignore the initial reports on the news.

I agree. There are some police abusing their authority. They need to be dealt with. More importantly, how they got hired and trained needs to be discussed as well. Is it the gradual influence of weak-kneed elected officials that set the conditions for bad hires and bad training? Use of force training is taught to legal minimum standards. Legal minimum standards are ultimately determined by budgets and politicians (who do not do the job). However, the use of force is never pretty. It does not look like a heavily choreographed movie-fu fight. A 30 second recording never tells the whole story.