Patrick

Nominations are now closed. Thank you to everyone who nominated! The ballots will be announced during our live stream on Saturday! I hope to see you there. For more info: http://www.karateforums.com/live-stream-saturday-november-9-at-2-pm-eastern-gmt-5-vt45829.html Thanks, Patrick

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. On Saturday, November 9 at 2 PM EST, I'll be hosting a special 3 hour live stream to celebrate our 500,000 posts milestone. I'll be talking with community members (including you?) and reflecting on the history of KarateForums.com. I will also be announcing the nominees for the KarateForums.com Awards 2013. I Want You! I would love to have you on the live stream. I will call you on the phone - you will not be on video, only audio - ask you a few simple questions and have a chat. If you'd like to participate, please let me know by replying to this thread or sending me a private message. For more details, see this thread. Time Zones The show is from 2 PM to 5 PM EST (GMT -5). If you know how your time zone is relative to GMT, then you should be able to sort out when it is happening in your time zone. Just to help people participate, I wanted to break down when the show will be streaming in the most popular countries for KarateForums.com visitors. United States and Canada Eastern Standard Time: 2 PM to 5 PM Central Standard Time: 1 PM to 4 PM Mountain Standard Time: 12 PM to 3 PM Pacific Standard Time: 11 AM to 2 PM Alaska Standard Time: 10 AM to 1 PM Hawaii Standard Time: 9 AM To 12 PM United Kingdom 7 PM to 10 PM Australia Australian Eastern Daylight Time: Sunday, 6 AM to 9 AM Australian Central Daylight Time: Sunday, 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time: Sunday, 5 AM to 8 AM Australian Central Standard Time: Sunday, 4:30 AM to 7:30 AM Australian Western Standard Time: Sunday, 3 AM to 6 AM Show Schedule What can you expect on the live stream? Here's a preview... - Conversations with bushido_man96, DWx, sensei8, Harkon72, pittbullJudoka, ShoriKid, jamesdasher and monkeygirl. Some other guests are tentative and this list will likely grow. You can also be on. - Nominees for the KarateForums.com Awards 2013 will be announced. - I'll be talking about the history of KarateForums.com, the 500,000 posts milestone and reflecting on community related states and other information we've published during the celebration. - We'll have a text-based chat room that you will be able to chat live in, to interact with me and the guests I have on the air. Comments and questions welcome. Whatever fits, I'll read on the air. How to Watch the Stream You can watch the live stream here: http://www.karateforums.com/livestream.php If you are on the page and the counter reaches zero, you should refresh the page. Questions? If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I hope to see you there! Thanks, Patrick

Glad that you are enjoying them, lowereastside! Patrick

Hello, For our 500,000 posts celebration, I thought that it would be fun to provide a general snapshot of the most popular martial arts practiced by members of KarateForums.com. In order to piece this together, I took a look at what every member had entered into the styles field in their profile at the moment that we hit 500,000 posts. With more than 14,000 members, this is a lot of data to try to summarize, so I turned to a friend of mine, Chrispian Burks, for help extracting the data and merging it where possible in order to present the most complete picture. It's important to note that you can enter anything into the styles field, so different members call the same art by different names, spell it different ways, etc. But with Chris' help, and myself pouring over the data for several hours, I believe that we have come up with a list that accurately depicts the diversity of the martial arts practiced by our members. One thing Chris was able to do for me was to split the art names when members enter more than one. For example, if your profile field is "Karate, TKD, JKD," then we were able to divide that into the three specific arts and count it with everyone who entered "Karate," "TKD" and "JKD." That's a big deal because many of you have multiple arts. A big thank you to Chris for his help. In order to make this project possible, I decided that I would not include anything entered by only 1 member. These numbers only take into account entries that exist on a minimum of 2 member profiles. Kind of like how the game show Family Feud works, if you are familiar with it. At least two people have to have the specific art, spelled in a given manner, for it to be included in this list. For this reason, the real numbers for the arts listed here are actually slightly larger than the numbers I have provided, because of the people who listed some uniquely phrased version of something, like "Super Duper Karate." Furthermore, I tried to be smart about grouping the same or similar arts together under one banner. But I'm sure it isn't perfect. For this reason, I have opted to also include what arts fell under a specific banner, so if you don't feel it fits, you can then do the math and cut out that art to provide a more accurate picture for yourself. There were some terms that were used generically and I tried to be faithful to those. Things like karate, grappling, wrestling and Shaolin, that can apply in multiple contexts. For example, I decided to lump all seemingly generic forms of karate into one listing. The only category that I am not really sure about is Kali or, in my categorization, Filipino Martial Arts. As these are often grouped together, I decided to group them together under one category and Kali was the most popular one. But obviously I am not familiar with every martial art. I did spend a fair amount of time researching, so I feel pretty good about this list and the picture it represents. But again, if you disagree with inclusions, that's why I defined what was included so you can form your own pictures. Where I thought it was interesting or worthwhile, I also left various spellings of the same art, so that you can see which spellings are the most popular. For instance, people spell tae kwon do in many different ways. Each art is labeled with the most popular spelling that represents the arts in that category. I put the cutoff on this list at 10 members. Meaning, the style had to be listed on the profiles of at least 10 members in order to be included here. This ended up producing the top 57. That said, if you have a question about an art that isn't listed here, I'd be happy to look it up for you individually and tell you if it is on any member profiles and how many. Without further ado, here are the top 57 most popular entries in the styles fields of KarateForums.com members: 1. Shotokan Karate, 793 members Including JKA Shotokan (10), Traditional Shotokan (5), American Shotokan (3) and Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha (2) 2. Tae Kwon Do, 749 Including Tae Kwon Do (239), TKD (204), Taekwondo (163), Tae Kwan Do (18), Taekwon-Do (13), ITF TKD (13), Tae-Kwon-Do (10), WTF Taekwondo (9), ITF (, ATA Taekwondo (7), WTF (7), Songahm Taekwondo (6), ITF Taekwon-Do (5), WTF Tae Kwon Do (5), ITF Taekwondo (5), Tai Kwon Do (4), ITF Tae Kwon Do (4), WTF TKD (4), Teakwondo (3), Taekwon Do (3), Tea Kwon Do (3), ATA TKD (3), ATA (3), Taekwondoe (2), Tae-Kwon-Doe (2), Taikwondo (2), Taekwando (2) and American TKD (2) 3. Kenpo, 357 Including Kenpo (130), Kempo (86), American Kenpo (41), Shaolin Kempo (28), Okinawan Kenpo (15), Ryukyu Kempo (11), Shaolin Kempo Karate (9), Chinese Kenpo (, Tracy Kenpo (4), Shaolin Kenpo (4), Ed Parker Kenpo (3), Kara-Ho Kempo (3), Chinese Kempo (3), Shorinji Kempo (3), Kosho Ryu Kempo (3), IKCA Kenpo (2), American Kempo (2) and Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo (2) 4. Karate, 337 Including American Karate (20), Freestyle Karate (9), Traditional Karate (6), Okinawan Karate (6), Full Contact Karate (4), American Freestyle Karate (4), Combat Karate (4), Knockdown Karate (3), Sport Karate (3), Japanese Karate (2) and English Contact Karate (2) 5. Goju Ryu, 271 Including Goju (45), Okinawan Goju Ryu (39), Goju Kai (10), USA Goju (4), Goju Karate (3), Sansei Goju-Ryu (2) and Okinawan Goju (2) 6. Muay Thai, 270 Including Thai Boxing (16) and Muay Thai Kickboxing (6) 7. BJJ, 261 Including Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (6), Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu (2) and Gracie Combatives (2) 8. Judo, 246 Including Kodokan Judo (10) and Sansoo Judo (2) 9. Jujitsu, 232 Including Jujitsu (74), Jiu Jitsu (31), Jujutsu (25), Ju Jitsu (24), Ju-Jitsu (22), Jiu-Jitsu (20), Jiujitsu (9), Ju Jutsu (7), Japanese Jujitsu (5), Small Circle Jujitsu (3), Jui-Jitsu (2), Jui Jitsu (2), Danzan Ryu Jujitsu (2), Jiu Jutsu (2), Iaijutsu (2) and Japanese Jujutsu (2) 10. Kickboxing, 198 Including American Kickboxing (5), Sport Kickboxing (2), Chinese Kickboxing (2) and Cardio Kickboxing (2) 11. Aikido, 192 Including Tomiki Aikido (4), Yoshinkan Aikido (4), Aikikai Aikido (3), Combat Aikido (2) and Nihon Goshin Aikido (2) 12. Shorin Ryu, 190 Including Shorin Ryu (72), Shorin-Ryu (50), Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan (7), Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu (7), Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu (7), Joshinmon Shorin Ryu (6), Shorin-Ryu Karate (6), Shorin Ryu Karate (5), Shorin (4), Shorin Ryu Shorinkan (4), Kobayashi Shorin Ryu (3), Matsumura Shorin Ryu (3), Shorinryu (2), Shobayashi Shorin-Ryu (2), Matsumura Seito Shorin-Ryu (2), Shorin-Ryu Kata (2), Okinawan Shorin Ryu (2), Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito (2), Okinawa Shorin Ryu (2) and Shurin Ryu (2) 13. Tang Soo Do, 167 Including Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do (, Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan (3) and American Tang Soo Do (2) 14. Boxing, 165 Including Western Boxing (12), Chinese Boxing (4) and American Boxing (4) 15. Kyokushin, 161 Including Kyokushinkai (20), Kyokushin Budokai (2) amd Kyokushin Kaikan (2) 15. Kung Fu, 161 Including Hung Gar (20), Kung Fu San Soo (18), Shaolin Kung Fu (13), Lau Gar (5), Jow Ga Kung Fu (2), Northern Shaolin Kung Fu (2), White Crane Kung Fu (2), Sil Lum Kung Fu (2), Praying Mantis Kung Fu (2) and Shaolin Longfist (2) 17. Wado Ryu, 160 Including Wado Ryu (66), Wado-Ryu (31), Wado Ryu Karate (16), Wado-Ryu Karate (11), Wado (10), Wado Kai (5), Wadoryu (5), Wado Kai Karate (3), Wado-Kai (3), Wado Ryu Karate Do (2), Wadokai (2), Wado Karate (2), Shintani Wado Kai (2) and Wado-Ryu Karate-Do (2) 18. Hapkido, 155 Including Combat Hapkido (11) and Sin Moo Hapkido (3) 19. JKD, 140 Including JKD Concepts (4) and JKDC (2) 20. Isshinryu, 138 Including Isshinryu (64), Isshin-Ryu (21), Isshinryu Karate (19), Isshin Ryu (17), Isshin Ryu Karate (6), Ishinryu (3), Isshin-Ryu Karate (3). Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do (3) and Ishin Ryu (2) 21. Shito Ryu, 133 Including Shito Ryu (47), Shito-Ryu (41), Shitoryu (11), Shito-Ryu Karate (10), Shito Ryu Karate (5), Shito (5), Motobu Ha Shito Ryu (2), Hayashi-Ha Shitoryu (2), Seito Shito-Ryu (2), Shito Ryu Genbu Kai (2), Hayashi-Ha Shito Ryu (2), Shito-Ryu Seiko-Kai (2) and Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu (2) 22. Wing Chun, 126 Including Wing Tsun (, Wing Chun Kung Fu (, Wing Chung (3), WC (3) and Traditional Wing Chun (2) 23. Kali, 114 Including Kali (41), Escrima (26), Arnis (20), Modern Arnis (, Eskrima (6), FMA (6), Filipino Martial Arts (4), Kali Escrima (3) and Inayan Eskrima (2) 24. Tai Chi, 113 Including Taijiquan (16), Tai Chi Chuan (14), Yang Tai Chi (9) and Chen Style Taijiquan (2) 25. Kobudo, 86 Including Okinawan Kobudo (12), Ryukyu Kobudo (7), Matayoshi Kobudo (6) and Jissen Kobudo (2) 25. Wrestling, 86 Including Submission Wrestling (11), Freestyle Wrestling (7), Greco-Roman Wrestling (6), Catch Wrestling (3), High School Wrestling (2) 27. MMA, 83 Including Mixed (2) 28. Ninjutsu, 49 Including Ninjitsu (15) and Bujinkan Ninjutsu (2) 29. Krav Maga, 46 Including Krav Maga Joe Lewis Kick Boxing (2) 30. Shukokai, 44 Including Kimura Shukokai (4) 31. Kendo, 40 32. GKR, 36 33. Kuk Sool Won, 34 33. Uechi-Ryu, 34 Including Uechi (2) and Original-Style Uechiryu Karatedo (2) 33. None, 34 Including None Yet (10) 36. Iaido, 32 Including Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido (2) 37. Grappling, 30 Including Combat Grappling (2) 38. Kajukenbo, 27 Including Kajukembo (4) 39. Shudokan, 26 40. All, 25 Including All Styles (4) and Martial Arts (4) 41. Shaolin, 24 Including Northern Shaolin (4) and Shaolin-Do (2) 42. Capoeira, 23 42. Freestyle, 23 Including American Freestyle (6) 44. Wushu, 21 Including Wu Shu (4) 45. Chun Kuk Do, 18 46. Chito-Ryu, 17 46. Bagua, 17 Including Baguazhang (4) 48. Eugue Ryu, 16 49. Praying Mantis, 14 49. Seido, 14 Including Seido Karate (3) and Seido Juku (3) 49. Bujinkan, 14 Including Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (4) and Bujinkan Ninjutsu (2) 52. Silat, 13 52. Shuri-Ryu, 13 Including Okinawan Shuri Ryu (2) and Shuri (2) 54. Fencing, 12 Including European Fencing (2) 55. Kenjutsu, 11 56. Cuong Nhu, 10 56. Soo Bahk Do, 10 Quite a list! Thank you to all members who fill out their styles field and give us an idea of their backgrounds. Sincerely, Patrick

As far as watching sports, I'm a fan of the Yankees (MLB) and Dolphins (NFL).

Haha. Thanks ps1. I loved that show. Patrick

Thank you, Alex. That is very kind of you and I really appreciate it. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow into a great moderator here, as far as the things that happen behind the scenes, handling various situations that occur. In addition, the way that you participate within the community sets a great example for members to follow and furthers the ideal that I have for this community, that you referenced. The posts that you make embody the spirit of KarateForums.com and what I wanted it to be, from day one. I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to get to know you and connect with you through this community. Thanks again, Patrick

Member Profile tallgeese (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: May 4, 2008 Posts: 5,412 KarateForums.com Awards: Member of the Year (2008), New Member of the Year (2008), Staff Member of the Year (2010) and Article of the Year (2009) Interview Where are you from? I'm originally from downstate Illinois. Now I'm a transplant to the Chicago-land area. Just past the Northwest suburbs. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I have been interested in them for as long as I can look back and remember. When I was turning 16, I remember shopping around the area for a school. I remember that I wanted to learn how to fight. Later, I'd learn more than that, but the combatives were what really attracted me. During my "looking around" phase, I happened to see a demonstration given by the new dojo in town. It was amazing to me, the power and, at the same time, the intricacies of what I was watching. I signed up the following week and it was no looking back. Why have you continued to practice them? The continued growth they've led me through. I did learn to fight, and a whole lot more. About the time I feel like one journey is winding down in the arts, another starts. There's always something more to learn, and a continuing evolution of why you're doing them that lets one keep learning. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I started in a variant form of kempo with a lineage through Oyata (Bujin). It was a hard striking system with circular finesse in some spots and standing joint manipulation. My instructor was very principle based in his training method and this is still how I pattern training to this day. The next form of kempo I studied (Gokei) was out of the same association and closely related. It was more knife work and had some difference in application. More than anything, it was a mindset school for me and guided how I thought about deploying skills. After that I slowly morphed into the fledgling MMA scene. I did this through shootfighting which is a pankration type event with open hand, full contact strikes and grappling. Although in retrospect, the grappling was very rudimentary. It was during this time, which fell about the college years, that I got to experiment with boxing and kickboxing as part of this experiment, and it turned out to be time well spent. This would give way to the more familiar MMA, that would really affect how I drilled and structured workouts. Finally, I got the opportunity that I had been looking for, for years, and started to train Brazilian jiu jitsu. Which, of course, is specifically designed for ground fighting. This has been about all I've done now for years. Last year, I was fortunate enough to start to get to dabble in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino martial arts. What is your grade or level? I hold a 5th dan in Bujin. Which sounds crazy to say, but as I write this and reflect it occurs that I've been on this journey for almost 25 years now. I was awarded a 2nd Dan in Gokei. During my years of early fight experiments, I was awarded a Junior Instructorship in shootfighting, but I never took the time or steps to make full instructor. Lastly, I am currently a brown belt in BJJ. Do you teach? Not as much as I used to. During college, I taught at a local school as well as at a campus club. In grad school, I also spent a lot of time teaching the college club with a JKD and Muay Thai guy. Shortly after, I taught shootfighting out of a local gym as well. After moving out of the college years, I helped at an MMA club for awhile. I was burnt out after that and stepped away from the teaching role. Now, I just cover for my coach where he needs someone. I enjoy it quite a bit more. What are your first memories from training? Doing angle drills off line of an attack. High hooking parry with a slip to the outside, counter strike to the head. What has been the highlight of your training? I can really say I've been blessed on my path to have quite a few moments. Narrowing it down to one is just too difficult. What tops the chart is training with Rickson Gracie, getting my black belt, my first competitive fight, utilizing my art at work live for the first time, and standing on the mats with my other teammates at the Pans. What do you do when you're not training? I try to keep up with my kids, LOL! After that I occasionally play guitar, poorly. When I have the chance I get out and fish. What do you do for a living? I'm a cop. I work as a sergeant for our Sheriff's Office. Most of my assignment is running our firearms and control tactics programs. I also get to be a member of our SWAT team. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Top of the list has to be Bruce Lee. He inspired a generation of artists who were our instructors. As with most jiu jitsu practitioners, I also consider Rickson Gracie a hero of mine. The man in motion is just poetry and, when he's talking about jiu jitsu, it's on a whole different level. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? My personal favorite is the first (and really only in my opinion) Best of the Best. Enter the Dragon is a perennial favorite as well. For whatever reason, I also enjoy The Last Samurai despite some of its problems. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? That is a great question. I am hopeful that the next couple of years find me completing the journey to black belt in BJJ. That's the immediate goal. We'll see where my fondness for the JKD/FMA arts goes, maybe I'll progress in that direction. I've always wanted to spend time in an authentic Japanese sword art as well, if my schedule ever lines up maybe I'd make that happen. For the foreseeable future, lots of my journey will revolve around cop work and training cops. I think that I'll continue to expand into that realm with teaching methodologies for police and the specific needs that we have. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I found it during a bit of down time while I was bored and surfing discussion boards. KF came up somewhere along the way. I spent some time browsing and checking in but I finally joined when I realized that not only were the people knowledgeable in their arts but that actual discussion occurred. Not just everyone stating their opinion and moving on, but everyone was interacting. That made it very appealing. Why did you stay? The high level of discourse kept me here for sure. Again, there was just a high level of interaction between members. Not to mention the people here really know their stuff, they're from all around the world, and everyone has a slightly different viewpoint. It's an excellent learning environment. The other thing that is immediately apparent to anyone that hangs out any time at all is the high level of civility that Patrick maintains. This makes KF unique among martial arts sites on the web. You've been a member since May 4, 2008. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? Members come and go, and members that stay have periods where they are more or less active based on real life. This means that interactions change and give the site a different focus or tone on an ongoing basis. This is a good thing. Even if certain discussions roll around again, the activity of members old and new, and the interactions of the members who are active at that time, makes us all look at these issues a bit differently each time. I think there is a bit more diversity here now than there was initially when I came on board as well when it comes to different arts and backgrounds. That has also proved to be a good thing and really expanded the viewpoints that get brought to bear on a discussion. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? It showed me exactly how hard Patrick works! The professional and civil tone that Patrick promotes does not just happen. It's a deliberate choice on his part that makes this community the friendly one that it is. Also, I've been surprised at how much of a role the moderators have in maintaining his vision. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? KF is one of those things that I kind of consider as part of my professional research. It's a great reference for just about all things martial. Additionally, it's continually giving me training ideas for my own workouts. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? There's been a few over the years. Brian, bushido_man96, has been really influential. In fact, it was one of Brian's posts that prompted me to sign up and actively participate. Working in the same field, he's always been a good sounding board for my thoughts on working martial arts into the law enforcement community. There's been a string of more traditional artists on the boards that have really stretched my thinking on "traditional" arts. Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? Again, being part of this community has been highly beneficial and that's occurred over a lot of threads. I can really say, when it comes to my perceptions of kata, there have been several challenging threads that have modified my feelings on the subject. Additionally, any of the threads I've had the opportunity to participate in dealing with "the best way to deal with…" are often enlightening. Given all that, I'd just like to thank Patrick for putting on such a fantastic community and maintaining such high standards. It's a pleasure and honor to take part in the discussion here and I truly enjoy giving back in any way I can. Thanks, Patrick.

Hey Bill, This will give you an idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_poppy As far as the anger over it, check out this section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_poppy#Protests_and_controversy From there, further research can delve into the various viewpoints. At this time, I will remind everyone that KarateForums.com is no place for general political discussion, so this thread should not be used as a means of voicing support or opposition to the idea of wearing a remembrance poppy nor denouncing or criticizing those that do or choose not to. This is the Self Defense forum and this conversation should focus squarely on Gareth's experience here from a self defense perspective and related topics, such as whether or not he practiced effective, reasonable self defense, or not. I appreciate it. Thanks, Patrick

Congrats Danielle. Patrick

The article is pretty short. The quotes pretty much cover the overall observation. That's all it says about the length. Patrick

Congrats CredoTe. Patrick

Thank you for for sharing this with us, Bob. You have been a great contributor to this community and your posts have impacted many people. I am glad that we have you and that I have the chance to get to know you as a member of staff. I appreciate all of your support for this community and for me. It means a lot. Whatever transpired in the past is in the past, though I appreciate you taking responsibility for it. To your credit, a lot of people in that position would have just kept doing the things they were doing - and would have been banned shortly thereafter. But you were able to listen, self-evaluate and make changes that allowed you to become a truly great contributor here. Thank you for that. Patrick

Thanks Danielle (and Tammy) for that comment. That means a lot to me. Patrick

Member Profile sensei8 (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sempai Joined: February 23, 2008 Posts: 5,969 KarateForums.com Awards: Member of the Year (2009, 2010, 2011), Staff Member of the Year (2012) and Article of the Year (2010, 2012). Interview Where are you from? Owasso, Oklahoma; a northern suburb of Tulsa, with a means population of approximately just over 28,000. My family, Linda, Nathan and Krystal, and I have lived in Oklahoma ever since January 1999. I was born in Fort Worth, Texas on October 18, 1957. My family then moved to Van Nuys, California in 1958. I then moved to Dallas, Texas in 1994 to care for my ailing mom. I then moved, shortly after my mom passed away, to Owasso. Why did you get started in the Martial Arts? Originally to learn how to defend myself. It all started while I was in the 2nd grade in Canoga Park, California, a part of the San Fernando Valley that's just north of Hollywood. Every single day, while at school, I was bullied by a small group of 6th graders, who would beat me up and steal my lunch money and/or anything else that I might have that they valued. I'd go home after school as fast as my feet would carry me, and I'd raid the refrigerator; this caused my mom to ask many questions, in which I finally yielded to. So, on my birthday, October 18, 1964, my mom enrolled me into a local karate school. The beginning of my martial arts journey. Why have you continued to practice them? At first, it was for preservation, pure and simple. Then, the martial arts became a substance of reaching attainable goals via earning rank. After some time, the martial arts, by its own sheer preponderance became the Do, the way, in my life. Whenever the Do became the verisimilitude in my life, as a 17 year old junior black belt (JBB), I knew without any shadow of doubt, that the martial arts was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. And it has been just that; the way of my life! The unquenchable thirst for that knowledge keeps me to this day on my martial arts journey. What's next? That search drives me day in and day out to discover that which has alluded me until it's found, then researched over and over and over, so on and so forth, in that, perfection of that said technique(s), and then some; no end; Shu-Ha-Ri. Please briefly describe the styles of the Martial Arts that you have taken. Shindokan Saitou-ryu: 1964 to present. Shindokan is an Okinawan martial art that's Shuri-te and Okinawa-te based; 85% hands and 15% feet, whereas, Tuite, as well as Tegumi, is deeply interwoven into the very conscious fibers of Shindokan. Founded by Fuyuhiko Saito Soke, Judan, in 1950. Yoshinobu Takahashi Dai-Soke, Judan, was my SenseiTae Kwon Do: 1973-1974 under GM Young Ik Suh, who was the President of the American Taekwondo Association during the time I was enrolled. One of the most amazing GMs in tae kwon do, past, present and futureWhat is your grade or level? Shindokan Saitou-ryu karate-do: Kudan (9th dan)Shindokan Saitou-ryu kobudo: Hachidan (8th dan) Shindokan Shogo title: Hanshi (Teacher of Teachers) Tae kwon do: 6th gup (green belt)Do you teach? Yes! I started teaching as a JBB in 1970 under the guidance of Dai-Soke. I opened my own dojo, Kyuodan Dojo, in 1977 in Van Nuys, CA, as a Sandan (3rd dan). As the student enrollment increased, the Kyuodan Dojo relocated several times to accommodate my ever increasing student body; my student body has leveled to be in the neighborhood of around 375, all dependent with the competitive sports that my children students were involved in, whether it be baseball, football, soccer and/or basketball. I've closed, and then opened the Kyuodan Dojo whenever I moved to Texas as well as Oklahoma. I've also been quite fortunate to hold the position the Chief Instructor (CI) of the Shindokan Hombu, even though it was only briefly. In that short time I was also the CI and Kaicho simultaneously, an interesting juggle, to say the least, however briefly before being elected to the Kaicho position solely. What are your first memories from training? Shugyo: "suck it up!" We, human beings, aren't made to do the martial arts, in that, we must train every part of our body to do what's not natural. In the course of our martial arts training, we'll endure more than we can ever imagine. But it's that which is within us that conquers the pain that we experience day in and day out. However, the rewards of shugyo are well worth it all! Dai-Soke was a taskmaster to the nth degree. He required perfection from his students and he took us to depths that were quite unimagined by his students; rank didn't earn patience with him. No! From a students very first day, they were challenged in ways that weren't without peaceful means. His floor was sacred to him, and if you, no matter who you thought that you were/are, violated his floor, you were going to face great reprehension from him. He was patient, but his patience had its limits, especially if you've violated his floor! There was no equal on his floor! Blood, sweat and tears; these are badges that I wear proudly, as so does any dedicated martial artist. These are the first memories I remember from training. Dai-Soke was tough, but Soke, well, Dai-Soke paled to Soke in this regard; the apple didn't fall far from the tree. What has been the highlight of your training? My students! My students highlight every crevice of my martial arts training. Without my students, I don't exist. Without my students, there's no reason to train. Without my students, there's only darkness. But my students have shown me the light, and to them, I owe them everything. No, it's not the ranks or the titles or any other platitude and the like that I've earned. No, it's not the many open karate tournament grand championships that I've garnered. No, it's not being the CI of the Kyuodan Dojo or the Shindokan Hombu or being the Kaicho of the Shindokan Hombu. No, it's not anything and/or everything that might've dotted my martial arts journey's map, as those prescribed by others, because my journey is mine, and my students, over the 40 years that I've been teaching Shindokan, are my highlights; each and every one of them! What do you do when you're not training? Spend a lot of time with my family; as often as I can! I love to do whatever my family wants to do! I have a mean chess game, and I love to play chess with whomever and wherever. Chess is a rewarding challenge away from Shindokan. It tasks me in ways that Shindokan can't because it's not physical; no, it's mental. That mental game is alive, both in chess and in Shindokan: study your opponent, study yourself, make a plan, and then carry that plan out! I love fish. I read any wide gamut of subjects. I love most all sports, and in that, I love bowling. I don't have a bad bowling game either; I carry a bowling average of 193. I love to go boating, and I love water skiing with a passion. I love to challenge myself both physically as well as mentally, so, in that, whatever it might be, it must challenge me. I love to do it, whatever it is, whenever I'm not training in the martial arts. What do you do for a living? I'm the CI of the Kyuodan Dojo as well as the current Kaicho of the Shindokan Hombu. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? My students are my heroes, first and foremost! Not just my immediate students, but the entire Shindokan student body; and that's approximately 10,000 students of all ranks throughout the Shindokan network. Had you asked me whom I respected as martial artists beyond my students, then that's a different story. I've respected a multitude of martial artists in and out of the Shindokan circle, to many too list, I suppose. Bruce Lee would be at the top of my list. After that, there's just too many for me to name. Some names, you might or might not recognize, and that's OK because, next year, I'll have been involved in the martial arts, namely Shindokan, for 50 years. So, I've met, and trained with, quite a lot of martial artists over those 50 years. Of course, my Dai-Soke would even be over Bruce Lee in terms of whom I respect the most as a martial artist. What are your favorite martial art films and/or shows? Movie: Enter the Dragon Show: Kung FuThese are my most favorite. However, I've so many different favorites of both genres, too many to list. Where do you see yourself going in the martial arts journey in the next few years? Definitive places? None, that I can imagine at this time. In a infinitive sense, I'll continue to steer Shindokan in the visions of my Soke and Dai-Soke as the current Kaicho of the Shindokan Hombu in the next few years, and in that, the improved betterment of each Shindokanist is my priority beyond any and all things, and in that, to eliminate any contentious intents that might seek to disrupt and/or destroy the Shindokan Hombu directly and/or indirectly. To bring the Shindokan hombu out of the stone-age to electronic media, the internet and the like, but that's not probable because none of the Hombu hierarchy, this includes me as well, can agree on anything concerning this subject. In a martial artist sense, I'll continue to seek and/or discover that which is new and effective. As I learn, so do I become a proponent of that which is effective in and out of Shindokan. Knowledge is paramount to the overall betterment of my martial arts journey. Not only do I teach, I must learn first and foremost. Not for my sake, but for the sake of my immediate students as well as the entire Shindokan student body. Eventually, my martial arts journey will reach its zenith, both physically as well as mentally, but until then, my martial arts journey will continue until the end of my life. A few years is so restrictive, imho, therefore, I must look in long term definitions. I'm not an insentient being, and in that, I care very deeply about the martial arts; my life, without the martial arts, without Shindokan, I'm incomplete - insufficient! My martial arts journey might be construed by those who know me the best as disciplined, and in that, including a powerful work ethic, knowledge, guts and compassion. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? While I was a moderator for Black Belt Magazine, Brian (bushido_man96) and I started developing our friendship through, and in that, Brian had recommended KarateForums.com to me via a PM. As a moderator, I became quite disenchanted with the administrators because they weren't available to guide and/or mentor us, so, I went and checked out KarateForums.com, and the rest, as they say, is history. I joined KarateForums.com mainly because I needed an outlet away from the Shindokan circle because one ideology and/or methodology isn't enough for me. I love Shindokan, please don't misunderstand me. I can talk with other Shindokanists anytime I want to, however, I need to talk and train with other martial artists because there's always another side of the coin. Why did you stay? To exchange ideologies and/or methodologies and the like with other martial artists. KF has a wide plethora of martial artists; the fruit was, and still is, literally seeping off the vine. No matter ones rank, a martial artist's opinion is very valuable in one way or another, and in that, their advice shouldn't be discarded just because they're a kyu ranked martial artist. I stay with KF for the same reason as why I stay with Shindokan, and the martial arts... WHAT'S NEXT? What's going to increase my martial arts betterment just over that next hill and/or mountain that I'm fortunate enough to discover. What's next?!?! Don't want to miss it! You've been a member since February 23, 2008. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? That's the beauty of KF: it's consistent across the board. KF knows that it must reinvent itself quite often to stave off its competitors. I've visited quite a few of venues like KF, but to be frank and honest, I've not ever seen one as quite "together" as KF. Is KF perfect? No! If it was, I would've left it along time ago. Patrick has developed KF into a force to be reckoned with, and as I'm always saying 'the proof is on the floor.' That exists abundantly here at KF!! How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? My viewing of the site, before and now, hasn't been altered and/or changed even the slightest since becoming a part of the KF staff. Before I'm a KF staff member, I'm a KF member first and foremost, and while I've been given this awesome honor, the site still remains steadfastly above and beyond other similar sites as well as those sites that aren't similar to KF. I have access to other areas as a KF Sempai which have not been created to boast ones ego, but only to allow KF Sempais to uphold the continuity that defines KF, and in that, these areas allow us to fulfill our duties as well as supporting the rules and regulations as set forth by Patrick. In my eyes, I see KF as the vehicle that serves as a positive means to effect positive change in the venue of which we partake of willingly. KF respects the one consistency that can't be ignored: change, in that, it's evident for its success. Change is inevitable and, if one's not willing to embrace that, then that which is now, will die quickly. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? In my classes, there have been many great jewels. There is a KF article titled Personal Safety and the 5 Stages of Violent Crime, by Heidi (ninjanurse). After having read this wonderful article of hers, I asked for her permission for me to use it at one of our many seminars that we conduct at our Hombu during our 2012 annual testing cycle. It was a smashing success with every student as well as with the instructors in attendance. Over the many years that I've been a KF member, many KF articles and/or KF threads have given birth to the core of many things that I've used during classes because, and let's be serious for a moment, KF hosts a large scope of knowledgeable martial artists of all ranks and/or experience, and only a self-absorbed instructor wouldn't use the ideas and the like, no matter the author of said ideology/methodology, to propel their students' martial arts betterment. I've always given the creator of said ideas the credit due, because it's deserved and warranted to do so, and I do this not for any other reason than the simple fact that I don't know everything. Same goes for the training ideologies and methodologies that I've learned over the many years here at KF. Everyone is capable of teaching and/or sharing something valuable to any martial artist - in that, I'm no exception. If after I've experienced said training advice and/or ideology and/or methodology for myself, and it pans out credible and effective, I'll share it with whomever I decide, and whatever they do with it after that, well, that's up to that martial artist. The pool of experience here at KF is a virtual pod of nutrients, like a virtual dojo. KF is laden with many, many treasures from its member pool that I've borrowed to accentuate not only my personal martial arts betterment, but also for all Shindokan students betterment as well. To them all, I thank you for allowing me to exchange martial arts ideologies and/or methodologies with you one and all martial artists. Are there any members here who have had a particular influences or impact on you? Brian, a.k.a. bushido_man96. He's not only been a friend to me within the martial arts world, but outside of the martial arts as well. Words will pale to explain, and/or describe how important his friendship has been to me over these many years. We've been fortunate enough to have exchanged ideologies and methodologies together over one weekend a few years ago. I miss him and I miss training with him as well. I value him above all outside of the Shindokan circle; he's proven himself across the board as an effective proponent in and out of the Shindokan circle as well as in and out of the martial arts world. Thank you Brian, thank you so very much! Thank you for allowing me to call you my friend! Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? To Patrick, and each KF Sensei, I thank you for mentoring me here at KF all of these many years. Without you, I would have certainly been banned from KF, but you all saw something within me that was worth saving. I had had no prior experience within this type of media, and the little experience that I had, I had to learn on my own with no guidance from those who had that type of experience. I let my big fat mouth overload my big fat rear-end and spoke what came to my mind without ever thinking. Well, I was thinking... but I was quite wrong in my attitude and the like! I treated KF, at first, as though KF was mine to do with as I wanted to, and that KF was MY dojo, and I spoke freely without any ambiguity, in that, I spoke without being concerned with the negative ramifications that my ill spoken words were doing to my fellow KF members. I WAS DEAD WRONG! No excuse can excuse my actions... I WAS WRONG! I owe Patrick and each KF Sensei my most deepest and most unabridged gratitude, and I sincerely appreciate all that you've all done for me, and in that, I will never forget each and every one of you for being that rock in my life. THANK YOU! That was then, now, I've been made anew! Hopefully, through the guidance that I've received from Patrick and the KF Senseis over these many years, I can say that that part of my verbal destructiveness is history. I'm a taskmaster, and I don't apologize for it, however, being a taskmaster on the martial arts floor is one thing, but being a taskmaster on the KF floor, imho, is irresponsible and insensitive and uncalled for. If I've ever angered you and/or hurt you; I'm deeply sorry for that, and I ask for your forgiveness.

There is a little over 48 hours until nominations are closed! Please get those last minute nominations in. Thanks, Patrick

Tammy will be on the live stream on Saturday and we'll be doing some more reminiscing on there. Patrick

It's always great to reminisce with you, Tammy. I'm glad that we have been able to stay in touch for all of these years. Thank you for your outstanding contributions to this community. You were a great member of staff and your support through various challenges meant a lot to me. Thanks, Patrick

Member Profile monkeygirl (View Profile) Former KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: February 22, 2002 Posts: 3,676 KarateForums.com Awards: Funniest Member of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005) and Thread of the Year (2002) Interview Where are you from? I grew up in South Central Pennsylvania and moved to Portland, Oregon a few years ago. Why did you get started in the martial arts? When I was a tween, I wanted to take dance classes like my fellow Girl Scouts did. My father insisted that if he was going to pay for any kind of class, he would make sure it was something that would teach me to defend myself. My older brother and I went to a starter class at a local tae kwon do school and immediately fell in love with the art. Why have you continued to practice them? I actually don't practice anymore and have now been out of training for longer than I was ever in. But at the time, it was a great source of exercise, mental/emotional calm (extra helpful during a period of raging hormones and angst), and deep friendships. I'm very driven by achievement and recognition, and so the belt system and tournament competitions were also very appealing to me. Please briefly describe the styles of martial art that you have taken. I studied tae kwon do, which I think was closer to the WTF style than the ITF style, but we threw in a lot of extras as well based on our Grand Master's experiences, such as weapons training, self defense (open-hand, ground sparring and defense against weapons) and Krav Maga. What is your grade or level? I achieved 1st dan and was 1/3 of the way to 2nd dan when I left my dojo. Did you teach? I was a student instructor for a year or two, which I really enjoyed, although my young age was a challenging factor at the time when helping adult students. What are your first memories from training? Kicking as far over my head as possible and having a photographic memory for katas (including those way beyond my belt level). What has been the highlight of your training? Training gave me a great sense of self-confidence and was a wonderful release. It's hard to describe the feeling when you're alone on the training floor, whipping a set of kusarigama through the air and around your body and launching yourself into a flying kick. It was exhilarating, empowering and liberating all at the same time. What do you do when you're not training? I stopped training in 2003 due to a falling out between my family and the dojo's owners. I tried to continue practicing on my own and have had a few stints as a cardio kickboxing and self defense instructor in college, but have largely stopped training. In the years after leaving my dojo, I picked up Ultimate Frisbee and dabbled in improv and theater. What do you do for a living? I am the Director of Analytics for an independent school fundraising office, and am currently applying to master's programs in analytics. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? I'm not big on heroes or role models, but there are a few people who have been influential for me. I got to train with Bill "Superfoot" Wallace for a day when he visited our dojo, which was truly inspiring. Our Grand Master had me and a few other students perform our best katas for him, and it was an incredible privilege to be critiqued by him and have a better sense of how you really compared to martial artists beyond our tiny town in Pennsylvania. I also got to meet several Grand Masters from the ITF who were capable of things I thought only happened in movies (after lots and lots of editing). At our dojo, progress tended to feel halted after you achieved first dan - no new patterns, no new techniques. These masters served as a great example of how much more I could still learn. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Old Jackie Chan movies will always have a special place in my heart, but The Raid has to be some of the best fight choreography I've ever seen. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I'm curious about trying to find a dojo and get back into training in a few years, perhaps after I've finished grad school and my husband and I have found a more permanent home city. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? Why did you stay? I honestly can't remember how I found it, but I was pretty into forums at the time so I was inclined to join forums that aligned with my interests. I stayed because the conversations were always fresh and engaging, and it was a place where I could ask questions I didn't feel comfortable posing in my dojo. You've been a member since February 22, 2002. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? I haven't been very active in the past few years, so it's a little tough to say, but I remember being present during some big changes - introducing articles and member awards, for example. The thing that will always stand out in my mind was the exit of a certain outspoken member who shall remain nameless. When that user left, the whole atmosphere of the forums changed for the better. The old guard know who I'm talking about. If you don't, read Patrick's book for a few examples. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? The staff-only forums were quite eye-opening. It was incredible to see how hard the staff work to keep the forums clean, respectful and feeling safe for all. A lot of the worst posts had disappeared before I had seen them, so it was a little shocking (especially at the ripe age of 14 or 15?) what some people thought was OK to post or to privately message someone. It also let me get to know Patrick much better, since he wasn't terribly active in the martial arts threads, but really dedicates a lot of time to the management of the site. Being a staff member let me see how much he cares about KF, and I gained a lot of respect for him. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I mostly turned to KF for questions having to do with attitudes and interactions with people, and I received a lot of interesting (if often conflicting) feedback. It helped me gain perspective on the conflicts I was dealing with at my dojo and I think helped me deal with situations a little more maturely in the dojo (even if I may have vented a little immaturely on the forums at times). Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? I'm a little sad to say that it's been so long I don't remember the specific usernames, but there were always a few members who held a special place in my heart. Girls my own age who knew what I was going through, men and women older than me who supported me and gave sage advice, and who had my back when other people may have wanted to dismiss me as a little kid. Many of those people were fellow staff members, and some were not. Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? I'm a little embarrassed about this one, but the only KarateForums.com Award I ever received that wasn't in the Funniest Member of the Year category was a Thread of the Year award for Respecting Younger Instructors. Looking back on that thread is fairly difficult, because who wants to look back on the things they said when they were 15? But that thread taught me a lot about humility and being open-minded, as well as thickening my skin a little. I've always looked younger than my age and have often advanced beyond my age group in academics and various types of promotions, which has led me to be a little sensitive about my age and about being taken seriously. I asked a question in that thread about how to overcome people who wouldn't give me a chance simply because I was young. Some of the replies were people basically dismissing me for being young, and so I almost got to try out different arguments online instead of having the misfortune of using them in my dojo. It didn't go very well, and in the end - whether I realized it consciously or not - I think I learned the Great Lesson of the Internet: some people just can't be convinced, some things can't be magically fixed, you just have to be confident in yourself and keep trying. That lesson of perseverance has carried through to school, college, work and beyond. Simply putting in the work and continuing to try can do so much.

I think it's really cool when we have people how are family or who are friends offline or go to the same school, etc. I appreciate you sharing the community with your collection of friends, Alex. Patrick

No worries. Welcome aboard, Eggman. Patrick

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. For a special video presentation in honor of Heidi (ninjanurse)'s outstanding contributions to our community, please see this thread: http://www.karateforums.com/in-honor-of-ninjanurse-s-outstanding-contributions-video-vt45810.html Thank you for reading. Sincerely, Patrick

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. Earlier this year, Heidi (ninjanurse) celebrated 10 years on staff here at KarateForums.com. At that time, we noted this amazing demonstration of longevity an announcement and plenty of praise. But I had something else in mind and decided that I would tie it in with our 500,000 posts celebration. I had a couple of ideas and collaborated privately with the rest of the staff, settling on a physical award - a representation of our appreciation for Heidi that she could display wherever she wanted and be reminded of KarateForums.com and the time that she has spent here. As I said back in June: As such, on behalf of KarateForums.com, it is my pleasure to present Heidi with the award pictured below. It is already in her hands. http://www.karateforums.com/img/photos/heidininjanurseaward.png Thank you for reading (and watching). Patrick

Thank you for the contributions that you have made to this community, Bill. I appreciate the way that you approach posting and your humor also adds something that I enjoy. Glad that things are on an upswing for you personally. Thank you for saying this. It means a lot to me as that is a core goal that this community has had since day 1. Is it too cold to hang a gutter yet? Thanks again, Patrick