Patrick

Member Profile PunchPressQueen75 (View Profile) Former KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: March 26, 2002 Posts: 4,573 Interview Where are you from? New Jersey, now living in upstate New York. Why did you get started in the martial arts? For self defense. Why have you continued to practice them? I don't. I regularly practice shooting now. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I've done Tang Soo Do, TKD, and jui jitsu. What is your grade or level? Senior red belt in TKD, and brown belt in Tang Soo Do. Do you teach? I did. What are your first memories from training? With my Tang Soo Do teacher. He was my mentor. When I thought I couldn't do something, he pushed me to do it. I did it. I miss him so much. What has been the highlight of your training? The camaraderie with the friends I have made throughout the years of training. It's not just about martial arts. It's about the friends you make with the same interests. What do you do when you're not training? Shoot. I am a competition target shooter now, so I have been practicing a lot. What do you do for a living? I am a machine operator. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Mike and Heidi Wilmott (ninjanurse) and Mr. Bonilla (my first instructor). What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Anything with Jackie Chan in it. He is so funny. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? Hopefully, if my foot heals, I want to study with Professor Mike in jiu jitsu. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I actually don't remember. But once I did find it, I talked to so many incredible people on there. Note to self: must go back to see who's still there. Why did you stay? See above. The people. You've been a member since March 26, 2002. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? I feel so bad because I have not been there in so long, but it will definitely be worth a visit. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? I was a mod at one point, but I didn't have to do much, because most of the time the folks were pretty cool. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? Heidi.

That's a long list of countries/territories! Patrick

As part of the 500,000 posts celebration, we thought that it would be fun to share some of the statistics and data behind KarateForums.com and the activity that the community has enjoyed. Countries and Territories We have data going as far back as May 2008 regarding the countries or territories that people have visited KarateForums.com from. In all, there are 214. Here they are, in blocks of 50, listed in order of popularity. United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, India, Finland, Netherlands, Philippines, Ireland, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Brazil, Greece, Singapore, Japan, Norway, Malaysia, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, China, Romania, Portugal, South Korea, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, Switzerland, Argentina, Israel, Vietnam, Serbia, Thailand, Hungary, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Chile, Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia and Puerto Rico. Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Egypt, Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Trinidad and Tobago, Cyprus, Kuwait, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Estonia, Morocco, Jamaica, Macedonia, Algeria, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Malta, Guam, Lebanon, Uruguay, Nigeria, Iceland, Bahamas, Guatemala, Jordan, Kenya, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Tunisia, Ecuador, Nepal, Georgia, Iraq, Belarus, Honduras, Luxembourg, Brunei, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. Albania, Moldova, Bolivia, Cambodia, Bermuda, Ghana, Oman, Fiji, Armenia, Jersey, Cayman Islands, Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Palestine, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Myanmar (Burma), Syria, Senegal, Montenegro, Libya, Isle of Man, Tanzania, Namibia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Belize, Guyana, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Réunion, Guernsey, Mozambique, Botswana, Dominica, Macau, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Netherlands Antilles, Mongolia, Yemen, Guadeloupe, Maldives, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Cuba, Gibraltar, New Caledonia and U.S. Virgin Islands. Kosovo, Zambia, Angola, Sudan, Madagascar, Haiti, Cameroon, British Virgin Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Rwanda, Laos, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Martinique, Northern Mariana Islands, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Cape Verde, Kyrgyzstan, Åland Islands, French Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Bhutan, Monaco, Turks and Caicos Islands, Liechtenstein, Burkina Faso, Curaçao, Djibouti, Tajikistan, Andorra, Anguilla, Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), French Guiana, Greenland, Mali, Mauritania, Togo, Vanuatu, Benin, Faroe Islands, Gambia, Lesotho, Sint Maarten, Swaziland, Cook Islands, Guinea, Somalia and Turkmenistan. Tonga, American Samoa, Burundi, Caribbean Netherlands, Congo (Republic of the Congo), Micronesia, Kiribati, Comoros, Liberia, Niger, Norfolk Island, Palau, Sierra Leone and Samoa. Operating Systems From May of 2008, here are the top 25 most popular operating systems: 1. Windows 2. Macintosh 3. iOS/iPhone/iPad/iPod 4. Android 5. Linux 6. BlackBerry 7. Windows Phone 8. SymbianOS 9. PlayStation 3 10. Firefox OS 11. Danger Hiptop 12. Nokia 13. Chrome OS 14. Samsung 15. Nintendo Wii 16. FreeBSD 17. Series40 18. PlayStation Portable 19. Sony 20. SunOS 21. PalmOS 22. LG 23. UNIX 24. Google TV 25. Xbox Web Browsers Similarly, here are the top 25 most popular web browsers: 1. Internet Explorer 2. Firefox 3. Chrome 4. Safari 5. Android Browser 6. Opera 7. Netscape 8. Mozilla Compatible Agent 9. Opera Mini 10. Mozilla 11. BlackBerry (Various) 12. Safari (In-App) 13. Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame 14. PlayStation 3 15. Amazon Silk 16. RockMelt 17. SeaMonkey 18. Camino 19. UC Browser 20. Crawler 21. NetFront 22. S40 Ovi Browser 23. PlayStation Portable 24. DoubleVerify Crawler 25. Konqueror Most Viewed Threads Here is a list of the top 10 most viewed threads, excluding those in the Game Threads, KarateForums.com Announcements and General Chat forums. 1. The Martial Artists' Training Log (69,821 views) 2. Which martial art movie star do you like best? (44,898 views) 3. Martial arts research library (44,321 views) 4. Why dont people like Aikido? (41,984 views) 5. Wise Sayings... (39,990 views) 6. Top 10 Self Defense Martial Arts (36,243 views) 7. Things NOT to say to your instructor... (35,221 views) 8. Dating "in-school" (31,261 views) 9. Do Black-Belts have to register themselves as weapons (31,097 views) 10. tokaido vs shureido? (30,556 views) And here are the top 10 most viewed threads overall. 1. Last Letter Game (97,589 views) 2. The Martial Artists' Training Log (69,821 views) 3. Word Association: Part 2 (64,090 views) 4. Word Association (60,416 views) 5. Celebrity name game (58,651 views) 6. Movies!Movies!Movies! (54,023 views) 7. Ask something to the poster below you (52,675 views) 8. Transformation Game (48,635 views) 9. Which martial art movie star do you like best? (44,898 views) 10. Martial arts research library (44,321 views) Threads with the Most Replies Here are the top 10 threads with the most replies, excluding those in the Game Threads, General Chat and staff member forums. 1. The Martial Artists' Training Log (3,841 replies) 2. The Uselessness of Kata (538 replies) 3. Top 10 Self Defense Martial Arts (336 replies) 4. You know when your obbsessed with martial arts when.... (282 replies) 5. Wise Sayings... (267 replies) 6. Why dont people like Aikido? (264 replies) 7. What weapon do you actually carry? (255 replies) 8. Are You Afraid To Die? (248 replies) 9. MA Goofs & Blunders (240 replies) 10. Which martial art movie star do you like best? (238 replies) And here are the top 10 threads with the most replies overall. 1. Last Letter Game (5,077 replies) 2. The Martial Artists' Training Log (3,841 replies) 3. Word Association (3,629 replies) 4. Word Association: Part 2 (2,699 replies) 5. Celebrity name game (2,619 replies) 6. The last thing you ate (2,063 replies) 7. A is for... (Movie Title Game) (2,040 replies) 8. Movies!Movies!Movies! (1,771 replies) 9. What song are you listening to right now? (1,503 replies) 10. Transformation Game (1,495 replies) Most Viewed Articles Here are the top 10 most viewed articles published in the KarateForums.com Articles section. 1. Christians and the Martial Arts by kchenault (26,811 views) 2. Introduction to Kuk Sool Won by SBN Doug (21,507 views) 3. Low-Kicking: Below The Belt? by cymry (18,615 views) 4. My Journey in the Dojo by SaiFightsMS (16,416 views) 5. The Street Fighter Excuse by WapCaplet (15,747 views) 6. Why I Quit Tae Kwon Do by Zorba (15,396 views) 7. Trapped On a Bus by SaiFightsMS (15,173 views) 8. Kata: the Fundamental Element of Martial Arts by G95champ (15,125 views) 9. Martial Arts and the Bible by tomkatch (15,022 views) 10. The Shotokan Tiger Symbol by SaiFightsMS (14,998 views) Congratulations to Pat (SaiFightsMS) on having 3 of the top 10 most viewed articles! Thank you for reading and supporting KarateForums.com. Sincerely, Patrick

Thank you for the contributions that you have made to our community, DoctorQui. It is good to get to know you a little better. Patrick

Member Profile DoctorQui (View Profile) Joined: May 24, 2012 Posts: 320 KarateForums.com Awards: New Member of the Year (2012) Interview Where are you from? Bolton, Lancs UK Why did you get started in the martial arts? Have to be honest... The Karate Kid movie from 1984. Loved the idea of discipline and defense. Why have you continued to practice them? It's a good release, helps me focus and, during difficult times, has always been a constant. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I currently study Shotokan and will be taking Shodan in December after injury time. I previously made pre-dan in Wado ryu and dabbled in aikido but the club closed and no others are in the area. My journey actually started with Goju ryu when I was 15 but when I was very young I did judo for a couple of years. I can't really remember a lot of that! What is your grade or level? I am currently 1st kyu in Shotokan (have been for 18 months) but hope to be Shodan in December. Do you teach? Occasionally, I enjoy it but do find beginners a challenge. It is hard to put yourself back to that point in your training when you have trained for as long as I have (on and off for 27 years) What are your first memories from training? Goju ryu in my hometown of Southampton, the chief Sensei and two of his Senpais were absolute nutters and very violent. Not a good ethos, so when I moved to another part of the country, I started again with Wado ryu. What has been the highlight of your training? Being member of my previous Wado club and being a member of my current Shotokan club, they have been very encouraging experiences. But the biggest highlight was teaching and seeing my children follow me through the ranks. My eldest daughter is currently 3rd kyu and my eldest son 5th kyu. What do you do when you're not training? I'm sadly unemployed following redundancy so job hunting is the big one but I don't think I am ever not training, I'm always reading something or watching a YouTube video on martial arts. I also restore old dinky and Corgi cars and am a Doctor Who nut! What did you do for a living? I was a service manager in Social Services until the government cuts and redundancy. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? My Sensei, who is awesome and a joy to watch. If we are talking about famous people, then obviously Bruce Lee but that's a bit too obvious! I was always impressed with Bolo Yeung in Enter the Dragon and Jet Li is phenomenal although, like Jackie Chan, looks overly choreographed which tends to ruin it a bit for me. I also love watching Jim Kelly and Wesley Snipes performing. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? HAHA, The Karate Kid from 1984 is cheesy but so good! Apart from that, Way of the Dragon, Seven Samurai and Lone Wolf McQuade. I have no finesse to my preferences, lol! Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I'm a little too old to be looking for anything major so really, just to be as good as I can be and inspire others to aspire. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I was looking for a good forum to chat with like minded people. I lurked for while and then joined after I saw a particular thread that I wanted to be involved in. I also wanted to ask some questions of experienced people without looking weak. Why did you stay? I love this forum! Connection problems in recent months and my concentration on finding a job and training for Shodan has meant that I have been a bit scarce recently but I always dip in and try to keep up with discussion. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I have actually, not necessarily techniques because it's a prescribed style, but certainly mental focus and attitude has been helped by the advice I have received and read. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? Yes, but I'll spare their blushes. They are part of the usual crew, though. 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 wouldn't want to belittle the ones I didn't mention. I find all the advice and influence on here very helpful.

Danielle has a lot of traits that I value. Among them, her attention to detail. Many members wouldn't be exposed to this like I am, with her being a member of my staff for quite a while, but she really has a great eye for what is and is not appropriate in our community. She takes her responsibilities seriously, as do all of our Senseis, and she has demonstrated this to me time and time again. She has a great personality and is a great team player. Danielle, thank you for the tremendous contributions that you have made to this community. Beyond the posts you've made, your efforts as a Sensei stand out as being just as important and impactful. I am grateful for all of your support and feel privileged that we have you as a member of our team. Thanks again, Patrick

Member Profile DWx (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: January 17, 2007 Posts: 4,291 KarateForums.com Awards: Staff Member of the Year (2008, 2011) and Funniest Member of the Year (2009, 2010) Interview Where are you from? Leicestershire, United Kingdom. Why did you get started in the martial arts? A mix of reasons really. Was a fairly quiet (and chubby!) kid. Did a lot of other sports but never really got into them that much. I had always liked watching Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, etc., and my dad found out there were taekwon-do classes going on in the next village. He asked me if I wanted to have a go and 12 years later here I am. About a year prior to starting, I was getting bullied at school and I think my parents thought that the martial arts would give me the tools to stick up for myself; not just physically but also through helping me to develop confidence and the right attitude. Whilst I can't categorically say what type of person I'd have been without martial arts, I'd like to say that they have shaped me for the better and created someone who isn't a total wallflower anymore. Why have you continued to practice them? Something I've always found about martial arts is that they are universal: anyone, regardless of age, ability, color or creed can practice them and enjoy what they have to offer. To me they are also about betterment of self, physically and mentally, and because of this I think they tend to attract a certain type of people. So I guess I continue to practice them both because of the physical and mental challenge but also because of the type of people I get to associate with. Besides which, martial arts also seem to build a camaraderie that you don't often find elsewhere and some of the strongest friends I have made I have met through TKD. Please briefly describe the style of martial art that you have taken. My main style is taekwon-do. Due to the Olympics, I think most people will have an idea what it is about. I actually study the slightly lesser known ITF or Chang-Hon style which is perhaps halfway between Olympic or Kukkiwon TKD and Shotokan karate. What is your grade or level? Samdan, 3rd dan black belt. Do you teach? A little. I don't have my own class but being one of the senior students at my school presents a lot of opportunities for me to teach lower grades one-on-one and take parts of classes. I do eventually want my own class but my work schedule makes it difficult to commit to a regular class. I also get the opportunity to coach our students at tournaments too - it is especially fun coaching the kids. What are your first memories from training? I can remember my first class. There were a few kids a couple of years older than me who came straight up and introduced themselves... bit of a shock to the shy 10 year old me. We did a fairly energetic warm-up which I really struggled with and then some line work and patterns (TKD equivalent to kata). What has been the highlight of your training? There are many! I guess some of the best memories are getting to step on the mat with some awesome people. I have been privileged by the fact that my instructor has always pushed things like seminars and courses so I have had the opportunity to train with some TKD greats. I have also been fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete internationally and that is something that is incredibly reassuring yet humbling too. Standing side-by-side with the other competitors gives a sense of accomplishment yet at the same time you know you are far from the best fighter out there. What do you do when you're not training? I'm always training! Well, I train 4 days a week in the dojang and when I'm not I'll be running or in the gym. On my rest days, I'll still be reading or watching martial arts related things. Aside from that I do like watching movies and playing PC/console games. What do you do for a living? Sales. Although specifically my job description is that I am an account manager for a specialty chemicals and pigments distributor. Job title makes it sound much more impressive than it actually is! Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Well, you've got to include Bruce Lee straight off. He seems to be everyone's hero. Aside from him: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme. As a chubby kid, I remember watching Martial Law with Sammo Hung on a Saturday night and he was pretty inspirational to me because he was a big guy that could move. In the TKD world, Hwang Suil is pretty high up on the list. He's the Japanese national coach but also the motion capture actor for Hwoarang from the Tekken games. I've been lucky enough to have met him and trained with him a number of times. And of course my instructor/coaches and all of my training partners. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Although obviously nowhere near realistic, I do like watching wuxia films: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, Fearless, etc. All-time favorite has to be Kung Fu Hustle – so many references to other films/art. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I am heavily into competition at the moment. I've got maybe 5, 6, 7 years of serious competition left if that. Aside, now that I've graduated uni, I want to start settling down into training and maybe start teaching. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? Through another forum actually. I joined KarateForums.com right around the time I had just gotten my 2nd dan and I was reading more and more about TKD and related styles. I read a few posts then one in particular caught my eye that I just had to add my 2 cents to. It was a discussion on junior black belts and I was a junior black belt. Why did you stay? I was just generally impressed with the level of discussion and the fact that every topic didn't degenerate into personal attacks. You've been a member since January 17, 2007. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? I'm not sure to be honest. I think over the years it has always had a central core of posters who tend to generate the topics and post the majority of replies - that keeps things fairly consistent. If anything I think it has become more diverse and not so much centralized on karate. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? It was interesting to see the inner workings to the site. On such forums I think general posters take for granted what goes on behind the scenes - especially KF where we run a tight ship to make sure that the forum isn't bombarded with things like spam and trolls. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? Most definitely it has broadened my perspective and introduced me to new training methods and ideas. KF has provided me with a platform to talk to people from other styles (and other cultures) where I wouldn't have necessarily had the opportunity to. I try to incorporate things I've learned on KF into my training and teaching. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? I suppose I have to mention Brian (bushido_man96) as my fellow Korean TKD practitioner. It's always interesting hearing his perspective on things. And, of course, the rest of the staff members: Heidi (ninjanurse), Alex (tallgeese), Bob (sensei8), Gareth (Harkon72), Noah (Wastelander) and Devin (Lupin1). 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 not sure to be honest. Not to say I haven't received great advice over the years as I most definitely have. There just isn't anything specifically that stands out. It's all been great.

My pleasure, Angelo. Thank you for the kind words about ouyr community. They are greatly appreciated. Patrick

Thank you for sharing this with us, Noah. I appreciate all of the contributions that you have made to our community. You have a great personality that adds to what we have here. I'm glad to have you on the team. Patrick

Thank you to those who have submitted nominations thus far. If you haven't, please considering doing so. The nominations are an important part of this process and a great way to recognize members within our community whose contributions you enjoy. Thanks, Patrick

Member Profile Wastelander (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sempai Joined: October 28, 2010 Posts: 899 Interview Where are you from? Tremont, IL originally, but have been living in Phoenix, AZ since 2008. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I was very interested in Japanese culture, and needed a way to get in shape, so karate seemed like a good way to get a bit of both! Why have you continued to practice them? Addiction, really. After that first week, I was completely hooked on the effects it had on me physically and mentally. I love the learning process as much as the doing process! Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I started my martial arts journey in Shuri-Ryu karate, and started cross-training in judo about 5-6 months later. Eventually, I moved on to training in Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi). I have also had some kobudo training and Japanese sword training (Shinkage-Ryu iaijutsu). What is your grade or level? I hold the rank of Ikkyu (1st degree brown belt) in Shorin-Ryu, Sankyu (3rd degree brown belt) in Shuri-Ryu, Gokyu (green belt) in judo, and have passed competency exams for the bo, and the tachikata (standing forms) of Shinkage-Ryu iaijutsu. Do you teach? Yes. I assist with classes on a regular basis, and teach beginner and all-rank classes once or twice a week. What are your first memories from training? All I remember from my first class was being incredibly nervous and awkward, and then getting totally absorbed in learning my first karate techniques - the horse stance, the high block, the uppercut, and the front snap kick. What has been the highlight of your training? A young man that I used to teach when he was just starting out did an interview with the local paper back in my home area as part of a story on outstanding local young people, and in that interview he said that I was his biggest role model. I only trained with him for about a year or so, but in that time I made so much of an impact on his life that he would say that about me. I was honored, and that is probably the thing I am currently the most proud of - not the seminars and classes I've taken from high ranking instructors, or the competitions I've won, or the techniques I've pulled off, but the fact that I helped someone. What do you do when you're not training? Work, sleep, research, and spend time with my wife and our dogs and rabbits. I also enjoy doing some leatherwork, blacksmithing and writing on the side, when I have the extra free time. What do you do for a living? I am a Senior IT Service Desk Analyst, which is a fancy way to say that I'm the guy everybody in my company calls when they can't make their computer work right. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Motobu Choki is probably my most influential historical martial arts hero, for his practical approach to karate and his no-nonsense attitude. Some modern day martial arts heroes of mine would be Lyoto Machida, Georges St. Pierre and Doug Perry Hanshi of the Shorinkan. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? The Last Samurai, Hero and Seven Samurai are probably my top martial arts films. For shows, I really enjoyed both Fight Quest and Human Weapon, even though they weren't all that well done. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? In the next few years, I expect I will test for (and hopefully pass) 1st degree black belt in Shorin-Ryu, and continue my training and teaching. I would like to do more seminars and open knowledge exchange events, as well. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I believe I found KarateForums.com through searching "karate forums" on Google, honestly. I joined shortly after starting my training in Shorin-Ryu because I was looking for information on transitioning between styles, as well as Shorin-Ryu history and methodology. Why did you stay? Not only did I find what I was looking for, but it was a friendly and open environment with lots of knowledgeable people exchanging information. You've been a member since October 18, 2010. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? I think we have mellowed out, a little bit, but otherwise it's very much the same place - lots of information, and lots of good people! How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? It was interesting to see what goes into planning events, articles, and contests, because I never really considered that side of the forum. I also feel more responsible for the content of the website, since I have to keep an eye out for spam and inappropriate content. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? There have certainly been times where I took recommendations from members for drills or exercises and tried them out in my training, and I have also learned a great deal of history and theory that I can apply any time I train. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? Bob (sensei8) has probably been the most influential member here, for me, since he is so open and engaged. 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 wish I could think of one specific moment, but I have had so many breakthroughs and "eureka moments" over the years I've been here that I couldn't possibly name just one. At this point they all blend together as integral pieces of my KarateForums.com experience!

One thing that I've observed, from conducting the member interviews for the 500,000 posts celebration, is how much virtually every martial artist loves martial arts movies. I would say that a majority of the people that we interviewed are probably 30 and up, several in their 40s and 50s. And with rare exceptions, all of them love the existence of these movies. In fact, for many of them, these movies were one of the things, if not the primary thing, that prompted them to develop an interest in the martial arts. It has been almost 30 years since The Karate Kid was released. That means that today's 40 year old instructors were 9 or 10 when it came out. And, for many of them, that movie had an influence on their decision to become a martial artist. Some of which began as a kid. Without movies, you may not have your instructor. Food for thought. Patrick

Sorry to hear this, hammer! Thank you for posting this reminder. Patrick

Thanks Doug. That means a lot to me. It's fun to hear you both recall those situations. It is interesting to look back on them. They served a purpose because they drew us closer together. Patrick

Many active members these days may not be familiar with Doug but during the time he was most active, he was a great moderator and a wonderful contributor. Thankfully, he still pops in from time to time. I'm grateful that we've been able to maintain contact for all of these years. Thank you for all of your kindness and support over the years, Doug. It means a lot to me. Patrick

Member Profile SBN Doug (View Profile) Former KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: November 4, 2001 Posts: 3,766 Interview Where are you from? I’m from Houston, TX, but I went through high school in a really small town on the coast of Texas call Palacios. Why did you get started in the martial arts? My first formal training was in my senior year of high school. A guy moved into our small town and opened up a karate dojo, and I wanted to join as soon as I heard about it. I had always been fascinated by the martial arts I saw them in the movies, and really wanted to learn. However, a few months into it I noticed some guys stop by to talk to my instructor. You could tell they were all friends, and I knew the guys (everyone knew everyone in that town). They were a few years older, had dropped out of school, but were able to afford a brand new Camaro. You didn’t have to be a genius to know what they were into. And because I always had a romantic vision of the Mas, and wanted honor and respect to be part of my journey, I decided to stop going. Ultimately, I was able to start again after I finished college, and it was definitely the right choice. Why have you continued to practice them? Physical fitness and self defense are a part, but mainly because of enlightenment. The art I’ve been in for about 20 years has so much to learn that you are never really done. Once you have the basics, you begin to learn the subtle reasons behind a particular move, its background, preferred application, and then how to apply the principles to positions and situations you may never practice. Please briefly describe your martial art. The art I’ve been learning for many years is Kuk Sool Won. There are longer descriptions out there, even on KF. But basically it is a traditional Korean martial art that includes a variety of striking techniques, grappling/joint techniques, forms and a range of weapons. The Grand Master took what was most effective from all the traditional arts he had learned and built a curriculum meant to be extremely comprehensive. What is your grade or level? I am currently a 4th degree black belt, or Sa Bum Nim in our system. Due to the comprehensive nature of KSW, it can take anywhere from 4-6 years to advance in each black belt level. And that only means you have grasped the basics of that belt's curriculum. You still spend the following years working on precision and smoothness. Do you teach? I do teach occasionally, but not as much as I would like due to work. It is the absolute best way to solidify your knowledge of the previous techniques you learned. What are your first memories from training? Due to the problems I faced with the small-town school, I did a lot of research on the different types of martial arts so I could pick the absolute best style for me before committing to a school. However, what it turned out I wanted was either an aikido or hapkido school, and of course there were none nearby. So I decided to just join this TKD school around the corner that was having a special, so I could build up my endurance and flexibility until I found the art I wanted. My favorite memory is in my second full class, after warm-ups, we were told to partner up with another person. The instructor then began showing us various wrist escape and basic throwing techniques. After class, my partner asked how I liked it. I replied something about really liking it, but that I had no idea TKD had so much grappling in it. To which he replied, “this isn’t TKD, it’s Kuk Sool Won. I said “what the heck is Kuk Sool Won?!?!” They showed me the text book at the front desk, and I saw laid before me EXACTLY what I had been looking for. I’ve been training at schools across the globe ever since. What has been the highlight of your training? I think my highlight is just being able to ride out the waves of life that try to distract us from continuing our personal journey. I’ve been slowed a few times. But my Master once encouraged me that keeping up with my original promoting classmates is not the goal. Progressing at each of our paces is how most of us will be able to stick it out when life gets too hectic to train as regularly as we used to. What do you do when you're not training? I was recently elected to City Council where we live, so that takes up a lot of my time. I also spend much of my time with my wife/best friend going to the gym, managing our side business, and just enjoying time together. We have a condo on San Pedro, Belize we try to visit a few times a year. What do you do for a living? I am an IT Director, and manage groups of around 30-50 people for both enterprise wide software (SAP) and custom written applications. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? My all-time hero still remains Chuck Norris. A Force of One was the first mainstream MA movie I ever saw (not counting the Saturday morning kung fu movies), and is the reason I became so interested in learning martial arts. A very close second would absolutely be Bruce Lee. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? The Octagon with Chuck Norris, Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, Hard to Kill with Steven Seagal, and an obscure one would be The Perfect Weapon with Jeff Speakman. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? After a tragedy in our family, I had to take a hiatus from training for a while. But I am nearly back in shape and will be getting back in the near future. My next few years will be polishing ALL the material I have learned so far and continue learning what I need for the next promotion. At 5th dan in KSW you take on the title of Kwan Ja Nim (Master), so I have quite a bit of work to do before I am qualified to take that step. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? My career took me from Houston to the middle of Connecticut, where no KSW schools existed. Every Friday I drove 90 minutes across to New York, where I trained at the closest KSW school for 3 hours that evening. But during the week I was missing the MA conversations I would have with classmates. The internet “thing” was getting more popular (LOL), so I was searching for somewhere I could talk with and learn from others about various other martial arts. As I said before, honor and discipline are the cornerstones of what I believe the martial arts should convey, and not one of the other discussion boards met that standard. Why did you stay? KF was the only online community where the moderators made you feel safe from flaming ridicule for simply having a different opinion, or not being as informed as others. You've been a member since November 4, 2001. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? A lot more members, which brings a lot more perspectives. It is good to see it grow and thrive, as it was always a collaborative place where everyone from brand new students to decades old masters could question, converse, and even disagree without having the exchange of ideas and philosophies stifled by those too narrow minded to allow themselves the ability to be enlightened in areas they hadn’t thought of before. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? It was amazing to find out how much effort it takes to ensure a safe and positive community, while walking a tightrope and not driving members away by being too strict. It's so much easier to redirect an attackers strike into where you want them to go while on the dojang floor than on the computer. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? My art primarily teaches in standing and kneeling positions. But while discussing various situations with jiu jitsu practitioners, I began to understand how to apply most of what I had learned while grappling on the ground. That better prepared me for our training at the higher ranks when we specifically were training in ground grappling situations. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? SaiFightsMS was an inspiration for all of us at the time. To continue fighting to reach your personal goals in the face of such challenges should be an example to not only every martial artist, but every human being. 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 can't point to any single experience or piece of advice. It was a culmination of all the conversations, and all the advice I took (and ignored), that not only helped me continue on my journey, but also challenged me to strengthen my knowledge of the theory of my own martial art to be able to discuss rationally with all the members in the community.

Haha.

Awesome. If you guys get to meet up, definitely take pictures. I would like to do some official in-person meetings, but that is down the road. Patrick

As part of these member profiles, in honor of reaching 500,000 posts, I wanted to invite a couple of newer members who have made an impact. CredoTe is one of these. Thank you for the great contributions that you have made thus far, CredoTe. I appreciate your kind words about the community and I'm glad to have you as a part of it. Thanks, Patrick

Member Profile CredoTe (View Profile) Joined: July 26, 2013 Posts: 290 Interview Where are you from? The central Ohio area. There are a few on KF who know who I am, but I'm not ready to go public with my identity, sorry. Why did you get started in the martial arts? From my viewpoint, I started in karate when I was eight years old because I was an explosive, energetic little boy that loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, and pretty much any action flick that had MA in it (I called them "karate movies" when I was little). It was great: I could scream loudly when I punched something and not get in trouble for being too loud; I could hit things without getting in trouble or hurting anyone; when I was doing kata, I could pretend I was fighting off big bad monsters or ninjas to save the damsel in distress and save the day! Hiiiyaaaa! From my parents' viewpoint, I had a very short fuse growing up, and they saw my interest in karate as a means to find a safe way for me to burn all my angry energy. My short, angry, explosive temper was a big problem for me, and others, and my parents were desperate to find a good, positive, safe medium to express all the energy my anger/temper generated. I would say it worked, for the most part. Why have you continued to practice them? Later on, my interest in karate and MA shifted from Ninja Turtles and Van Damme helicopter kicks to Bruce Lee, the art itself, philosophy, learning to defend myself against bullies because I was picked on a lot (thank you, angry temper ), etc. So, I continued to practice karate with those things in mind. It was about this time in my life that my MA changed from Matsubayashi-ryu to Hung Gar (Siu Lum) kung fu. My Hung Gar training went almost hand-in-hand with my special interest in Bruce Lee and philosophy (I was only about 14 at the time, so I'm not sure how much I really understood philosophically...). Later on again, my focus in MA shifted again with less on Bruce Lee and philosophy, and more on the art and truly learning to defend myself in life and death situations on the street. At this point, I was back into Matsubayashi-ryu, now with my current CI, and had the understanding and maturity to give everything my all for more adult reasons (not to defeat monsters or ninjas). Now, I continue to focus my training on self defense and the art, but these have evolved into almost totally new aspects. The main things I'm focused on, as mentioned below, are techniques/bunkai/oyo that are practical and effective, and infusing Te (Ti) into my Matsubayashi-ryu to make my art as close to Osensei Nagamine's art as possible. I hope to continue practicing my art to continue growing in skill and understanding, as well as evolving into the best martial artist I can be. If my journey, especially the Te (Ti), leads me to other karate/Shorin-ryu styles, so be it. Also, if that means I end up taking a different art to supplement my Te (Ti) journey, like judo or jujutsu, so be it. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I've trained in Matsubayashi-ryu for 21+ years, now. Matsubayashi-ryu was founded in 1947 by Osensei Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997), and is a form of Shorin-ryu, which is one of the major styles of Okinawan karate-do. Nagamine Osensei's most influential teachers are said to have been Ankichi Arakaki, Chotoku Kyan and Choki Motobu. Nagamine Osensei named his school "Matsubayashi" in honor of Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura and Kosaku Matsumora, the two great Sensei who taught Chotoku Kyan and Choki Motobu. Incidentally, Nagamine Osensei's nickname growing up was Gaajuu Maachuu (sometimes Chippai Matsu), meaning "tenacious pine tree." I trained in Hung Gar (Siu Lum) for three years. Hung Gar is a southern Chinese martial art usually associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Gar. Supposedly, Hung Gar was named after Hung Hei-Gun, who learned martial arts from Jee Sin, a Chan master at the Southern Shaolin (Siu Lum) Temple. What is your grade or level? Despite being in martial arts for around 24 years, I'm just a Nidan (2nd dan). Most of my peers with around the same amount of experience are 4th or 5th dans, but I'm comfortable where I am. My chief instructor has a few times thought about promoting me to keep me on track with others in our area, but I humbly decline without proper testing. I will get there in my own good time. Do you teach? Yes, I've taught self defense (adult and women's) and full traditional Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) since 2004. Currently, I am part owner with my chief instructor of a dojo in Ohio. He and I regularly instruct six classes a week for three different age groups (kids, youth and adult). We also occasionally run seminars for local and state law enforcement officers in our area. We have trained many officers, from city and college campus police, to deputy sheriffs and Ohio State Highway Patrolmen. In the past, we also had the privilege of training an FBI agent. What are your first memories from training? The strongest training memory from my childhood days was soon after I started. I was eight years old, and was testing for 9th kyu (yellow). After I had gone through kata, kihon and step-sparring drills for my test, it was time for me to break a board. The board was a simple 1 inch (around 2.54 cm) pine wood set across the top of two cinder blocks. My Sensei instructed me to break it with a standard hammer fist strike. I took my position, aligned my fist with slow practice executions, and when I was sure I was lined up correctly, I struck that board with all my might and a big kiai... WHACK! The reverberations through my hand and arm told me before I saw that I didn't break it. I tried again and again, no avail. With my hand red and throbbing, Sensei stopped me, told me, "Good try, we'll get it next time." Ever since that day, when I couldn't break that board, I made a pact with my inner self to never let a failure stop me from getting better and prevailing. When I give something my all, like martial arts, I come away contented, knowing that I am a little better than I was yesterday. Even if I come up short on something, I just need to give it my all and I will eventually succeed. Indeed, when I tried to break that board the next time, my hammer fist was the best my eight-years-old self could muster, and I smashed through that board on the first try. What has been the highlight of your training? Ooh, this is a tough question; it's difficult for me to say that any one thing or period has been the highlight of my training. But, if I were to pick something, it would be the fact that I've been able to keep my MA journey going and come back from a near-death experience. Back in 2008, my appendix ruptured and almost killed me. The emergency surgery and recovery took their toll on my body, halting me from any hard training for a few years. I gained some weight, lost some flexibility, and was going down to a dark place. But I bounced back with help from family, friends, mentors; I have my flexibility back, I'm back down 30 pounds (around 13.61 kg) and continue to drop, my strength is back, and my skill is back in top shape. What do you do when you're not training? I'm married and a nerd, so when I'm not training/working out, I'm taking care of my family, tinkering with computers, and playing nerdy games. I enjoy good role-playing games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Baldur's Gate, The Legend of Zelda, etc; but, my favorite is old school tabletop Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. My friends and I try to get a gaming session in when we can. Some guys have a billiards or poker night, we have D&D night. I am also heavily involved with my church. I am a youth minister and assist our church's youth director with all youth group activities. There are two age groups involved, middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). What do you do for a living? I am an aspiring engineer/IT nerd with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering. Currently, I am a network administrator, technical writer and lab tech for an engineering firm. As network administrator, I manage a small Windows peer network, guest networks and company website. As technical writer, I assist the Responsible Engineer (licensed P.E.) with drafting and compiling final project reports as part of deliverables to customers. As website manager, I collaborate with our private contractor (who's in charge of website design) on site content, as well as security policy implementation. In the past, for several years, I was a field engineer stationed in Georgia at a paper mill where I was part of a team performing preventative maintenance, system tuning and optimization, and network administration on an array of process automation equipment. I've also spent time as a QC (quality control) tester for a small electronics company in Ohio, as well as a documentation specialist (technical writer) for an online shopping cart company. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? From film/entertainment: Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Tony Jaa, Chow Yun Fat, Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang; Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio (even though they weren't really MAs). From life/history: my first Sensei (the one who's currently teaching me Te), my current CI, Shoshin Nagamine, Choki Motobu, Chotoku Kyan, Chosin Chibana and Anko Itosu. I would also include Wong Fei Hung, Sokon Matsumura, Kosaku Matsumora and Tode Sakugawa, but my knowledge of these older masters is much more limited. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Classic MA/action flicks are a given, i.e. anything Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Jackie Chan or Chuck Norris. Ip Man with Donnie Yen; Ong-bak and The Protector with Tony Jaa; etc. Of particular note, movies like the original The Karate Kid trilogy and Forbidden Kingdom (Jet Li and Jackie Chan), IMHO, are some of the best at showing the essence of Karate/MA. Not the fantasy stuff seen in Forbidden Kingdom, but the foundational aspects seen in it as well as The Karate Kid. Two of my favorite scenes in Forbidden Kingdom are (a.) the ma bo (horse stance) training where Lu Yan (Chan) is teaching Jason (Angarano) the proper foundation/form of ma bo (and, subsequently, Lu Yan and the Monk (Li) end up fighting over how to properly teach Jason), and (b.) the nighttime campfire scene just before Jason's training starts where Jason thinks he knows all this stuff and Lu Yan gives him the metaphor/analogy about the full cup of water ("empty your cup"). In The Karate Kid I, one of my favorite scenes is near the beginning where Daniel is being chased away by the Cobra Kai punks on bikes and they trap him against a fence and start beating him up. Then, Mr. Miyagi comes over the fence and fights them off. Even though the fight scene is slowed a bit, I think that scene does a good job of giving viewers an idea of how karate/fights would really work on the street. No flashy stuff, no flips, just no-frills movements, strikes, etc. to get the job done. Of course, the training in the rest of the movie introduces viewers to the concept of bunkai/oyo without actually explaining what it is, which was very clever. The Karate Kid, Part II is my favorite of the trilogy for two reasons. One, it takes place in Okinawa, birthplace of karate. Two, the movie introduces viewers to the concept of power generation (koshi/gamaku) using the little drums, again without actually explaining what koshi or gamaku are. Absolutely brilliant, IMHO. As for other movies and/or TV shows: the Bourne Trilogy with Matt Damon and The Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner, Avatar: the Last Airbender (Nickelodeon / DVD), and Person of Interest with Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson (CBS) are all great movies/shows. With the Bourne movies and Person of Interest show, I think they greatly illustrate how MA would be used in real/street situations; again, no big flash, no big flips or aerial moves, just effective no-frills techniques. The Avatar series is just great fun and, like Forbidden Kingdom, I think shows the essence and spirit of the eastern MAs (my favorite characters are Toph and Uncle Iroh, and my KF user icon is an image of the Earth rune). Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I envision I'll continue to train in Te (Ti) and infuse it into my practice of Matsubayashi-ryu in order to make it as close to pure Matsubayashi-ryu/Shorin-ryu as I am able. For the past 6+ years now, we (my CI and I) have been searching for the core of our Matsubayashi-ryu karate, the soul and root. We're experienced and knowledgeable enough to understand that something wasn't right with our karate style (the way in which we executed waza, kata, etc.); things just didn't make sense. The way in which we used the techniques and movements in kumite/grappling training and real situations just didn't match up with what we were told by our then big wigs (the higher ranked Senseis above my CI). Our kata and historical facts didn't match up with what Osensei Nagamine passed on; basically, our Matsubayashi-ryu didn't match Osensei's Matsubayashi-ryu. Our journey slowly led closer to Osensei Nagamine's true way of Matsubayashi-ryu, but the essence we were missing that we were slowly discovering, we didn't know what it was called. Fast forward to just over a year ago (as of the writing of this answer). An MA expert, the same Sensei that I got my start in karate with back when I was a child, visited our dojo and became a part-time recurring instructor. He's an expert in several MAs and MA concepts, including the missing essence we were trying to put into our karate. He called this essence "Te (Ti)," and from his explanations, the 6 years we've spent so far finding it turned out to be just the beginning. Over the past year, this MA expert helped us synergize bits and pieces of Te (Ti) into our karate. It has made a huge difference, and been very beneficial. I am fortunate enough that he's taken me under his wing and is teaching me on the side on an occasional, but recurring, basis. His method of training and teaching is so different from what I've experienced in my 24 years of MA that when I train with him, I wear a white belt. It's truly awesome and mind blowing. This is why part of my signature is "Remember the Te!" Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I was on a different forum for a few years that was Matsubayashi-ryu/Shorin-ryu specific. It was shut down for a reason unknown to me. I searched and lurked for several months on a handful of forums, including KF, before I decided to register and start posting. As of now, I am only a member/poster on KF, no other MA forums. I joined KF because, at the time of my "lurking," it seemed to have the most interesting and knowledgeable topics and discussions. The posters stayed on topic and shared great/insightful thoughts, stories and facts, and provided links to sources, videos, etc; not to mention many of the humorous responses I've seen. Even when discussions would turn into heated debates, the posters kept them civil, mostly, without turning into a yelling or trolling match WITH ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME. Why did you stay? The exchange of ideas, opinions, facts, history, etc. in great discussions/threads keeps me here. The depth of the knowledge base and keeping the past/history of the arts alive for future generations is paramount. As the MA evolves and goes into the future, its storied and illustrious past will play a key part in its survival. Just as important to me is that I've learned as much or more from the folks here at KF as I've given. I always want to learn more, so I'll be around for a while, I think. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I've used KF mainly to pass on historical facts about other arts. In other ways, I'm using some DIY tips from Hawkmoon to eventually build some training equipment for use in my dojo. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? Bob (sensei8), bushido_man96, tallgeese, Reece (RJCKarate), Wastelander, Harkon72, Lupin1, Hawkmoon, Patrick, mal103, ShoriKid, Kusotare, yamesu, ps1, JusticeZero, MasterPain and lowereastside, just to name a few. I've learned something or many things from each of them, enjoy their posts (in fact, I always look for posts from them), and look forward to learning more from them. 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? There's not so much of a particular moment, but, rather, the people of the community who give great advice on a daily or weekly occasion. Pretty much every day or week, I find great advice from Bob (sensei8), bushido_man96, tallgeese, Wastelander, Harkon72, Lupin1, Hawkmoon and mal103. At least once a week, I find great advice from Patrick, ShoriKid, Kusotare, yamesu, ps1, JusticeZero and lowereastside. And, at least several times a month, I find great advice from Reece (RJCKarate) and MasterPain. To be clear, the difference in frequency of great advice between these folks doesn't take away from how much I value them.

I always enjoy having members within the community who know people outside of the forums, because they train at the same school or, in this case, because they are family. It's great. Thank you for all of the great contributions that you have made to this community, both as a regular member and a staff member. I appreciate your long term support of the community. Patrick

Member Profile pittbullJudoka (View Profile) Former KarateForums.com Sempai Joined: June 25, 2004 Posts: 1,049 Interview Where are you from? I'm from Kentucky but relocated to Tennessee about 15 years ago. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I got my start in martial arts in the mid 1990s because my brother (ShoriKid) had been training for awhile and I saw the cool stuff he was practicing at home and wanted to learn that, too. I had to quit after a year and a half because of my job after graduating high school. Several years later, after getting married and moving to Tennessee, I had developed a drinking problem and my brother again asked me to come train with him. That was April 2004. Why have you continued to practice them? I continued to train because the more I learned the more I wanted to learn and, quite honestly, I became addicted. And it has been the only good addiction I've ever had. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I started in Matsubashi Shorin Ryu as a teen. In my 20s, I started training in Ryu Kyu kenpo and, about three years ago, I began training in Brazilian jiu jitsu. What is your grade or level? In kenpo, I hold the rank of Nidan (2nd degree black belt). In Brazilian jiu jitsu, I'm a two stripe blue belt. Do you teach? I do teach in my own dojo alongside my brother. What are your first memories from training? My earliest memory of training has to be thinking I know how to punch then quickly learning my mechanics were horrible. And thinking I would never understand this stuff. What has been the highlight of your training? The highlight of my training would have to start with the ranks I have achieved due to the fact that every dojo I have associated myself with has had very high standards. The friends I have made among the training partners and students I've had the pleasure of stepping on the floor with. But the biggest highlight would have to be when my instructor decided to move to further his education and he thought so much of my skill and dedication that he turned the dojo over to me. What do you do when you're not training? When I'm not training, I have several things to keep me busy. I have an awesome wife without whom I wouldn't be here. She has stood by me through thick and thin. I have a six year old son who keeps me hopping. I'm an avid deer hunter. I'm also very into photography and picture editing. I love to shoot as well - that whole being from the country thing. I like an occasional movie and I really like horror better than any other genre. And music. What do you do for a living? I work for Walmart as an inventory management supervisor. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? My heroes in the martial arts are all the instructors I've had because without them I would not know what to do. In addition, Kazushi Sakuraba because of how he came from nothing to basically being self taught and fearless. Jigoro Kano, the inventor of judo, for without him there would be no BJJ. Gene LeBell for teaching me that not all moves work on all people. Luiz Palhares for the great influence in BJJ and little things I've learned from him. Larry "The Tornado" Jarrett for teaching me to pick myself up off the floor even when I couldn't stand. He also taught me to take a punch. Scott "Hot Sauce" Holtzman for tying me in knots and then explaining to me how he did and also showing the world you can be a small town guy one day and a champion the next. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? My favorite martial arts movies are The Karate Kid (the original), Best of the Best and Once I Was a Champion. As far as TV shows, anything concerning the martial arts I'll give a go once. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? In the next few years, I would be happy to still be teaching, learning and training others in martial arts. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I think the way I found the forum was I Googled martial arts forum and came across KarateForums.com and read on here for awhile before joining. I saw that there were real discussions by people that seemed to respect each others opinions and weren't flaming each at the drop of a hat. It seemed friendly and that it has been. Why did you stay? I stayed because everyone seems to have a wanting to discuss martial arts instead of running each other into the ground and calling each other a liar on every statement made. You've been a member since June 25, 2004. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? The only change I've really seen is the amount of posts being made. In the past few years, they seem more in depth than before and on a more regular basis. It has only gotten better. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? When I was on the staff, I got to see the real inner workings of a forum. Also, as a staffer, I had to read posts, even if the subject wasn't of interest to me, to make sure everyone was playing nice and following the rules. You really get to see what goes on in every detail. It was a great experience, I just wish I had more time to continue in the position I had. It was an honor to be a part of the staff because it meant that the hierarchy of the forums thought enough of my character to give the me opportunity to join their circle. After being a staff member, I really understand how much work goes on to keep everything running so smoothly. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? Right off, I can't think of a particular subject that was on the forum that we have used in our training but I'm almost sure we've used something. Are there any members here who have had a particular influences or impact on you? The members that have influenced me the most have been sensei8 and bushido_man96 for their vast knowledge on a wide range of subjects and their humbleness. tallgeese really inspires my want to learn and advance my knowledge in BJJ from his videos and solid posts.

It's great to still have you as a member of our community after all of these years, Pat. Thank you for all of your outstanding contributions over the years. I am grateful for your kindness and support during the challenges that we faced while you were a member of the team. It's funny that you should mention this. To fill in the blanks, as virtually all members will be unaware of this story, there was a member who joined the community in January of 2003, named Mr. Clark. He violated our guidelines in nearly every post and was what some would consider to be the traditional definition of a "troll," which is someone who posts things with the explicit purpose of angering people. So, he posted a lot of random nonsense aimed at angering people. I happened to be traveling at the moment, spending time with family, so I wasn't around to cut him off as I normally would be. A couple of days later, it was taken care of. But for the staff members at the time, primarily Doug (SBN Doug) and Pat, the 33 posts definitely seemed like a barrage. But they did a solid job taking care of the issue until I could step in more firmly. In hindsight, we have had situations that were much, much more challenging, but it is a funny story to look back on. Privately, as one might expect, we have forums for staff members that help us to get things done more efficiently. This includes a trash bin type forum where removed content goes. As a joke, after this occurred, I renamed that forum to Mr. Clark's Room, which is what it remains to this day. Patrick

Member Profile SaiFightsMS (View Profile) Former KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: October 28, 2001 Posts: 6,378 KarateForums.com Awards: Staff Member of the Year (2003) and Article of the Year (2003) Interview Where are you from? Ohio. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I needed something for anger management. Why have you continued to practice them? The many great benefits they have given me. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. Tai chi, Shorin Ryu, Shito Ryu, Shotokan, chi kung. I did most of my active training in Shotokan. What is your grade or level? Nidan. Do you teach? Yes. What are your first memories from training? The great challenge of Shiko-dachi. What has been the highlight of your training? The first board I broke was the most empowering experience of my life. What do you do when you're not training? I am a hardcore internet junky and a dedicated reader. What do you do for a living? I am medically retired. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? The early years of Chuck Norris’ training and the work he has done with kids programs. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? It was a subtitled Mandarin movie I watched recently titled simply Shaolin. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I now practice chi kung and I see that as for the near future to be the most beneficial practice I can do. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I was looking for information about karate online and found a few forums. I tried several and read for information originally. Why did you stay? The atmosphere and the genuine sharing of the participants was the best. You've been a member since October 28, 2001. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? So many have gone on to other things and as each long termer has left the transition has gone smoothly at times and participation has waxed and waned but overall KF has been the one enduring forum. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? I became more aware of areas of the forum I had not previously spent much time in. And the diversity in the membership in age, background and experience levels. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? Some of the shared training techniques were used in my personal training. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? It was the diversity that was left with me. From younger people like monkeygirl to older people like hobbitbob, there were many members with a range of experience that could express themselves well. 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? It was the range and the way that we learned from each other that stayed with me. And the Mr. Clark debacle.