MatsuShinshii

I can't speak for others but I was. I don't teach children.

I agree as I have posted in answer to JR137. We do not use the name tags in this manner. They are to signify that they are a member of the Dojo and are not in order of rank. They are in order of time. This is not a purposeful act but as each new member puts their tag in the slats it pretty much tells you when someone started over another. I have been to many a Okinawan Dojo that does not use the Nafuda. In fact in my area of the world I have not seen this practice outside of my art. I do however know that Japanese Dojo utilize this practice. My Shinshii started this practice after seeing it used and decided it was a good practice. We have done this ever since. I tend to agree and feel that students, upon being made a member, take great pride in seeing their name on the wall. Motivation if you will.

I thought the wooden name tags on the walls were the names of current yudansha, not just members of the dojo. Then again, different dojos have different traditions. I’ve seen the wooden name tags on dojo walls in Okinawa in videos, so I don’t think it’s unheard of for Okinawan teachers here to do so. And even if it’s a Japanese or anything else thing in origin, I think it’s a great tradition so what difference does it really make? Nothing wrong with borrowing a different tradition so long as it fits with what you’re doing and it’s not being done the wrong way IMO. As far as cleaning the floor like you described, in Seido everyone does it, all throughout the ranks. The lowest ranked student(s) are responsible for handing out the towels, but everyone does it. And it’s considered part of class. No one’s “too good” to clean the floor. And if someone feels they are, they’re in the wrong place. We also have a “dojo cleaning day” once every few months. It’s not required to attend, but just about all of us show up and help. Even the parents who don’t train come to help out. Stuff like that builds a community in the dojo. To clarify; yes everyone including myself and my Shinshii cleans the Dojo. Like you and others no one is priveledged and I believe in leading by example. However that practice gets put on hiatus when a student(s) are in their probationary period. They clean the Dojo alone with no help for others. It's a tough job and if a student has the character to endure it and does not show signs of anger or belligerency they will be accepted and the entire class joins in after their acceptance. Might seem a bit harsh but to be honest I went though it and I've found it tells a lot about a student and you can learn a lot more than a simple sit down and chat. One can disguise their character on a first meeting, kinda like an interview where you put your best foot forward, that is until stress creeps in and your true character is revealed. This is the same thing. You would be surprised at how quickly the true character of a student rears it's ugly head when they are left to clean as everyone else is going home. If there is a temper it shows normally on the first night within the first 15 minutes after class is over and they start the process. Oh and if they are too lazy to stick to a simple chore they will most likely not stick to something that takes a life time. Just saying. Our way, your way, what ever works I always say.

What organization do they belong too? Depending on the organization, they might not place as much focus on competition. However in my experience the art is a sport and is practiced as such so the chances of you not having to compete for grade is minimal. The organization my Sensei belonged to required you to compete to grade. I don't care for the tournament scene very much but there was no deception and it was actually fun. The thing is they do not claim to be teaching you something and turn around and teach you something else. The issue I have with tournaments in Karate is that there is no basis in reality and it gives students an over inflated sense of security in their skills. It also develops muscle memory which is not conducive to a real fight when your talking about pulling punches. It's also impractical as it's executed at long distance and pretty much all fights are up close and personal. Patty cakes point sparring proves one thing and one thing only, you are faster than your opponent and executed a crisp strike worthy of a judge giving you a point. However it does not tell the tale of who would have prevailed in a real fight. To me I see no point in tournaments. I also don't care for altering the Kata to impress judges that claim to be long time instructors but somehow deduct points for a properly executed Kata the way the founder passed them down and give mega points for made up high flying flash. IMHO tournaments prove nothing and do nothing to prepare you for reality. Great for kids but worthless in teaching one to actually fight. I have first hand experience on both sides of the fence and because of that I do not encourage students to participate in them. I personally think they build bad habits that are contradictory to self defense. Opinionated?? Guilty as charged. But that's my 2 cents.

Not sure about bats as I have never had the privilege of using this for Tameshiwari. I buy scraps from the lumber mill (hardwood like hard maple, hickory, oak, ash, pine, etc.) and have it planned to 1" or 1-1/4" (true) and cut to 12" x 12". It's cheaper than buying it from the hardware store or lumber yards because it is throw away scrap that would be chewed up and sold for other purposes.

Contact them and explain what happened and ask for them to make it right. If they do then problem solved. If they will not stand behind their product then let everyone hear know. It's been my experience that manufacturer's do not want bad publicity and will at least try and make it right for the consumer. Have you tried contacting them? If not I would suggest you do so.

I just fell out of my chair laughing. I agree with you but man do you paint a descriptive (and hilarious) picture with your words. Too funny! You're killing me!

As a female, breast contact has never really bothered me. We bump them into stuff and people all day long, so it's nothing new. The sensation of a breast strike is annoying, but not incapacitating like the reaction a man has to testicular trauma. Besides, the nipple area is not really the most effective target. If a man who is doing partner work with me seems like he is particularly targeting my breasts instead of the solar plexus or throat, my first thought is that he doesn't realize he's off target, not "oh that creep" or something like that. This is my view. As for the more central discussion of the thread, I think the phrase "A man should never hit a woman" is most wrong because it is one of many statements about gender roles in our society that disregard the importance of consent and individuality. By becoming a martial artist I consent to being hit. This is my individual life decision to pursue this path, and being allowed to punch me does not necessarily allow anyone to punch other women. Each person's decision on this must be their own. By the same token, refraining from hitting other women outside of the dojo does not necessitate that I not be punched in the dojo. Women, like everyone else, are individual people with separate needs. Great post Shizentai. "Consent to hit" is a great way of putting it. How do you deal men coming into the dojo and going easy on you or just plain refusing to spar you because you're female? Personally I've only had it happen a handful of times and its frustrating to say the least. Usually I'll just hit them hard and see what they do in response. Well I know some might think me a neanderthal but I don't treat women (at least in the Dojo) any differently than the men. I think about it this way; if you came to train then my job is to train you. I find no benefit to women if you take it easy or do not treat them like the men. Yes they are different, yes they have different parts, but when it comes down to it I want my female students to be able to handle themselves so that if some (can't say it here) try's to attack them they can destroy them and go home to their families. This to me is the most important job of any teacher of the MA's. I can't understand how taking it easy on anyone, no matter the sex, benefits them. Outside of the Dojo, yes I was brought up to be a gentleman and I open doors, stand when they leave the table, give them my coat/jacket if it's cold, etc. and treat them with the utmost respect. (I know, I'm old and this is out of fashion these days but I can't see changing) I couldn't imagine hitting a women outside of the Dojo but inside... If you came to learn and train then you are no different than anyone else and you must have the realistic expectation that you will occasionally get hit. Special treatment... look elsewhere. I'm sure others will disagree but to me the most important job we have as instructors is to teach our students so that they can defend themselves if their lives are on the line. Train like you fight, fight like you train. If you take it easy in the Dojo you'll be destroyed on the streets. This doesn't mean I send students home with shiners, it means I train them exactly like the men. No exceptions. No special treatment on the street so no special treatment in the Dojo. If a women wants to train and really wants to learn how to defend themselves it's been my experience that they appreciate this mentality. If they don't they go elsewhere or find another activity. If a woman comes for the sole purpose to learn how to defend themselves if attacked and you pull punches and take it easy on them, what do they learn and how prepared do you think they are? IMHO they aren't.

Conrad665, I commend you on making a hard decision and wish you good luck in your future endeavors. Just a bit of personal experience; if you do not like or are not looking for competition you may have chosen the wrong art. Judo is based around competition. You earn points towards grade in placement and the number of competitions you go to. Don't get me wrong, I personally loved my time training and studying the art. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I guess I'm just forewarning you that Judo heavily revolves around competition. But then if you're going into with that realization it would be different from your last school in that they didn't start out that way and that's not the reason you where there. Either way I wish you luck on your new journey.

IMHO and in short yes. When I started in the arts the concept of finding WORTHY students was not just a phrase. You went through a type of screening in that the instructor would ask you questions like "why do you want to learn the MA" and "what do you hope to accomplish" and the like. They would also watch you and study your character during the first month (if it took that) before allowing you to become a member of their school. We received a name tag or Nafuda from our instructor, which we would then be allowed to slide it into wooden slats called Kake, to signify you had been accepted and are now a member of the Dojo. If your name was not on the Dojo wall you were on a probationary period and were not yet a member of the Dojo. Which meant you had no rights and were junior to everyone. These students would not be taught anything of any value but would learn how to count, history, etc. Their lessons would also consist of Hojo-Undo training. They would be tasked with cleaning the Dojo. The floors would be cleaned with towels held out in front of the student while running across the floor in an almost push up position. If a student quit or complained they would be shown the door. If they refused or got belligerent they would be shown the door. If they complained that they were not learning anything, you guessed it, shown the door. If the teacher did not like a certain character trait they would be shown the door with no explanation other than your are not welcome to train. I weed out my students in much the same way. I did not understand this at the time but the older I got the more I understood the method to this in weeding out bad apples as you say. If a student is hasty and impatient, they will not have the proper mentality to train and are most likely just there to get belts. If they are belligerent and hot headed they do not have the right mentality and will end up hurting a fellow student or others outside of the Dojo. Etc, etc. To me, whether the law sees this as true or not, the teacher is responsible for their students actions. It's up to the instructor to teach their students when to use what has been taught and when not to. Further more it is IMHO the teachers responsibility to look at the character of his potential students and decide whether they have the right character and are worthy of teaching before accepting them. I know some will say that they have rent to pay and the like and that is fine. I don't judge. For me, finding and maintaining worthy students is more important than just finding students. You can find them anywhere and they are a dime a dozen. And yes, I'm old and might be a little out dated in my way of thinking so keep that in mind before blasting me and my old fashioned idea's. And yes the name tag is, as I later found out years after I started, Japanese in nature and not old school/traditional Okinawan. Having said that I like the practice and continue it to this day.

Its neat when you suddenly realize that your improving and that your training is not for not. Keep at it. It doesn't happen over night, it's a process that takes as long as it takes. Each student and their natural abilities and ability to learn dictate the speed at which they progress. Take your time and enjoy it. Everyone is always in such a hurry to get to the next level they sometimes don't spend the time to learn what they are being taught. It's a life long journey. Enjoy it every step of the way.

To be honest I couldn't tell what you are doing because you can't see anything. I went full screen but again you and your target are not in view. I would move the camera out more to get both you and the target in view so we can actually see what it is you are doing.

That's because I don't have a target. But I can pick one and turn my face away. Don't find that very hard. OK..............? Granted I am not a TKD practitioner but to me there are some core fundamentals that should extend across stylistic lines. Kicking or striking while looking away, is to me, akin to closing your eyes while shooting. I was merely pointing out what I saw in your execution. You did ask for opinions. If you didn't really want opinions you should not ask the question. I hate to say it but I've picked up on a bit of an attitude through out the post. Coming back at me and saying that what I noticed is of no consequence to you and dismissing it is fine, I have no stake in your development, but you also have skilled higher grades in TKD also giving advice and you are dismissing their advice one after the other. I think the best thing to do is next time you post a video is to just post it and do not ask for advice/opinions if all it will do is offend you. We are all here to help one another out. This is a place to ask for advice but if you're not open to that advice whats the point of posting a question? The whole point is to be able to ask those with more experience to better yourself. This is a benefit to you, me and everyone else on KF. I think you should rethink your approach in future posts. If you dismiss those with more experience they may stop giving their advice. Oh and no one said your kick looked horrible of something offhanded of the like. No need to get upset. Again just my 2 cents for what it's worth.

I'm not a Korean Martial artist but the one thing I noticed was you loose sight of your target. Your leg extends and you are turning your head away so that you can no longer see what you are kicking at. Just 2 cents.

You do not need galvanic action for stainless steel to rust. Good old water and time will do it the trick. Although there have been gains in the metallurgy of stainless, it's not rust proof. If you leave a stainless steel blade outside in the rain you will find surface rust especially if it's been used. A polished piece of steel will take longer to rust than a raw piece or a scratched piece. The small divots, pits, scratches and deformations leave a place for moister to accumulate and form rust. Other elements other than moister can also attack and weaken the steel and allow rust to develop. Stainless steels use several elements to reduce corrosion such as Chromium, Molybdenum, Columbium, Copper, Titanium and Nickel to name a few. However these elements do not aid in hardening the steel. For this you must have carbon. If carbon is present so is rust. There are other elements that aid in harden-ability and edge retention but carbon is the key component. Stainless means it will stain LESS. Not that its stain proof. Any metal that contains carbon will rust over time if subjected to moisture. All steel that contains carbon will rust. The added elements reduce the effect as apposed to high carbon steel like 1095 or even tool steel that contains some of the same elements. But make no mistake given enough time, surface deformations and moisture, stainless steel will rust.

As with producing a patina and also etching steel, vinegar also removes rust. Soak the sai in white vinegar for 8 hrs or so (do not heat it). Wipe the rusty paste of with a shop rag or what ever you have. there will still be a bit of surface rust on the metal. Spray some WD-40 on and use your steel wool to remove the remaining skin. Clean the surface off and apply a thin layer of oil. I use mineral oil but you can just re-apply the WD-40 if you wish. This will eliminate the dust and cut down on the elbow grease. Hope this helps. Note: Check the Sai periodically through the day (about every hour). Vinegar is a mild acid and over time (more quickly when heated) it will eat away at the steel like any other acid. Since you have a large degree of rust you will not have any issues but it always best to check on it. It may require less or more time depending on how much rust you have. The benefit to using Vinegar over other commercial acids is its not as aggressive. That and you don't have to worry about eating your skin if it comes into contact with it. Good luck. What ever you do stop sanding the rust when it's dry unless you have a good respirator. If nothing else use a little WD-40 with your steel wool if you do not want to try the vinegar. Your lungs will thank you.

Yes and no. I started my study of the arts in a style called Fu Jow Pai when I was a young lad so that experience was and was not a contrast to the styles of Karate that I took later. In some instances the differences were huge. The, what I call Japanized, Karate styles are very linear starting out and much more rigid. However some, what I call old school arts, are very similar in that they practice and teach the same concepts. This is due to the fact that they were influenced by the Chinese arts and that influence was still present. The Kata are not related to sparring in terms of the meaning today. However it is very much related to fighting if taught as it was originally passed down. The postures (not all but many) come from Quan Fa and represent combative/fighting applications. If one teaches the Kata with emphasis on the applications you will see that Quan Fa (Kung Fu/Gung Fu) and Todi (Karate) are not that different. Now there are obvious differences in the way the techniques and applications are executed. This is due to the fact that Okinawan's are not Chinese and where first influenced by the indigenous art of Tii and Tegumi and also by Muay Boran. Some use this to make the argument that there is a difference between the arts and that they are not related or where never influenced by the Chinese arts. I hear this a lot when it comes to Bai He Quan or White Crane. However if a person studies (pick and art) for 20 years and then studies another art will the first art that they studied not influence the way that they execute the second art? The argument in terms of modern Karate and Kata is valid. They are not taught in terms of actual fighting so there is no connection. However this is not indicative or factual of ALL Okinawan arts. Sparring as you put it, in terms of today's standards is not IMHO a true test of fighting skills. In fact I think the Kata of modern arts have more in common with fighting than sparring. It develops bad habits. It is utilized at long distance instead of where 99% of all fights happen at close range. It teaches one to pull strikes and therefore ingrains muscle memory not conducive to ending fights or causing any damage. Etc, etc, etc. Kumite (sparring) in today's terms is little more than a game of patty cakes. I have never taken TKD so I can not speak to contrasts between it and Kung Fu. I mean, you're right. But isn't kata even worse in that regard? So is ippon kumite. Say the first move in your kata is a shuto uke in the horse stance, followed by a zen kutsu dachi oi tsuki, with all that it implies (zen kutzudachi position, chambering the other hand on your side, etc). The horse stance is an open invitation for a kick to the groin, while the zen kutshu dachi would never fly in a real fight, and chambering your punch is screaming to get punched in the face. The above would all be bad habits? From most students understanding of the Kata, yes I would agree with you. But that is the point. If you do not understand the meaning of the Kata then all you see if a horse stance or a forward leaning stance or a chambered hand. Not to get on one of my novel posts again. Lets take the chambered hand for instance. You see this as a hand at the waste which in turn leaves the body or head open to attack. I see this as a arm being pulled back and held while I execute a counter. Not everything is what it seems and most make the mistake of taking the sequencing of the Kata as literal translation. Every movement in the Kata has meaning. Every posture in the Kata represents an application. In layman's terms one posture may or may not have anything to do with the next. Just because on the surface it appears to represent one thing does not mean that it doesn't represent something else. If you study the Kata and it's applications you find that 99% of its techniques are executed at close range. You also find out that striking is NOT the only element contained within your art.

Your school removes grade? For what types of infractions, can I ask? I have never removed a persons grade and know of only one instance of someone loosing their grade and that was for a major integrity infraction of an instructor. Technically the grade could not be removed outside of the art as the student holds the certificate but within the art it is. I will only ever remove a students grade where their actions have brought Martial Arts into disrepute. Such as injuring other students with malice or lack of control. I disagree with your last comment in part because for me with every grade it has associated behaviours and attitudes with it. And every single one of my students understands that. As certificates are just a piece of paper, like how the belt is just to hold your pants up. Those students will receive their rank back once they demonstrate that they know and accept that all actions and have an equal and opposite reaction. As their actions will always have a consequence. In the context you speak of I understand and agree with you. However in the context I was speaking of, grade or rank is not just a piece of paper or a belt around someones waste. If you took my belt and burned all of my certifications today I would still be the same grade. The grade is the knowledge and skill you have attained not the piece of paper or piece of cloth you speak of. Yes you can take a students certificate back or take their belt and make them wear a different color but you can never take back their level of attainment in the art and therefor you can never truly take away their rank. To me the belt and paper are for others. The knowledge and skill are for me. I don't care if I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt because I make the grade not the other way around. I will always be the grade I earned whether I'm wearing a black belt or a bath robe. To me once you have attained the knowledge and skill it matters not whether someone takes my belt and certifications. I can walk into another Dojo and they will know what grade I am even without the benefit of seeing a belt and paper to prove it. Having said that I also understand the human condition. That belt to many is everything and by taking it away you enforce the lesson you wanted them to learn. I also understand that utilizing this has a physiological effect on those that view the belt or a piece of paper as what defines them. However to me I define the rank. So you can never take away my rank.

I think some stretch the definition of the word out of proportion and use it to suit their own needs. Unstoppable means that you can not be stopped. Great thinkers get stumped and also come up with wrong conclusions until they figure out their premise is wrong. Thus they are stopped and have to re-group and start over. Not unstoppable. Unstoppable defines someone that can not be stopped. This also has the connotations of being invincible. I have know great men in my life time and none were unstoppable, invincible or perfect. As you said death comes for us all. This is definitely a stoppable moment in a persons life. Don't get me wrong, I know what your trying to say and in that I do agree. But the whole concept and premise of these words, like you can achieve this state, is what I find wrong. As humans it is impossible to be perfect. As humans it is also impossible to be "unstoppable" because if your the baddest guy around, someone shoots you and, yep, they stop you. As humans we are not invincible. The best that any of us can do is to train our bodies and minds to become the best we can be. Too many believe this makes us almost God like and that we can not be beaten. That no one else is at our level. This is a faulty premise and is forged by ego and not by good common sense. To say that one is good at something or even excellent at something is a far cry from saying one is unstoppable. Throughout history those that thought that they or someone else was unstoppable, was stopped. Think of any dictator, leader, fighter, or any other profession in life. No one is perfect and because of that no one is by definition unstoppable. At the time people thought Hitler was unstoppable. Well we all know how that turned out. The goal of every martial artist is to get as close to perfect as possible in the context of what this means to them. However no one can achieve the goal of actual perfection. This is why the phase "life long journey" was coined. Unlocking potential in students is every instructors goal and it is a worthy goal. However be careful not to hint at the fact that if you do this and that you will become unstoppable or invincible. This is setting them up for failure as it can not be achieved. I believe in setting lofty goals just not unrealistic goals.

Some people like to think out side of the box while others are happy where they are. Boxes come in all shapes and sizes not much different than people really.When talking or discussing about a new cube or the cube itself, it is called "Un-Boxing" True and I will admit that what my Shinshii taught, I teach without much if any deviation. I understand when teaching children some instructors inject games to keep them interested. However I do not teach children and I do not play games in the Dojo. These types of things should be left to personal time IMHO. Developing analytical thought and problem solving is a good skill to have and I am not saying that students should not utilize things like the cube to develop those skills. However I teach Suidi not the Rubic Cube in class. To me this has no place in the Dojo taking up valuable time in which I could be teaching students the art. If they choose to practice/play with the cube on their time so be it and I'll encourage it. Personally I feel too much class time of most modern day arts is taken up with things like this instead of teaching the art. There are way too many gimmicks and extra's instead of just teaching what the student is paying for... the art. In short it is my job to teach them the art and how to fight/defend themselves not to play games. I'll leave this and their development to their parents. Parents send their kids to class to learn the art and they pay good money to do so. I'ts my opinion that they should get their moneys worth and leave games for time that they are not paying for. If I ever came to class and the instructor said "tonight we are going to play with a rubic cube" I'd walk out and spend my hard earned money at a Dojo that actually teaches what I was paying for. Sorry but I don't agree with this and so many other time fillers used today. So yes I'm in my box and I like it in here. Just my 2 cents.

These techniques have been banned in Judo due to the high risk of injury to the Uke. However many styles of Karate teach these techniques. However, I can say based on my experience these techniques were not taught when I studied Goju Ryu but it may be in higher in the grades.

I still don't get it. I can't see handing out these in class and acting like it has anything to do with training. I still say this is something you do outside of class. Shaolin rubic cube??????? Really???????????

I forgot that the owners of crane mountain retired. At some point they were looking for someone to buy them out or take over for them. I guess that did not happen. It's shame. I have to Rokushaku that are well balanced and fit like a glove. I doubt anything will happen to them because they have kept up this long and I maintain them but if it did I'll probably cry a little knowing they can't be replaced.

I don't stop class to explain details. I have 15 minutes after class devoted to answering questions should there be any. The students all know this and are able to ask me to explain anything. However I do not stop in the middle of a class to give details or explanations. Now if I'm teaching new applications a bit more time is taken to explain how the techniques are executed and where (targets). But again they get a very brief explanation and hold all questions until after class. I have two reasons for this; It's been my experience if the student does it a few times they answer their own questions. And I don't need to hear myself speak. All too often instructors burn up valuable time in class over explaining details that their students did not ask in the first place and the students end up tuning them out and they have wasted their time. This is why I give them the opportunity after class. If they need detailed explanations that is the time to do it.

Well to me it's blatantly obvious that it's Japanese Karate. If the to choices you give us are between Kyokushin and Shotokan, again I think it's obvious what style is highlighted in the video. To me there is a pretty stark difference between the two styles.