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.

This is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it with us, Devin. It has been great to get to know you better as a member of the staff. I'm glad that we have you here and I appreciate all of the contributions that you have made to this community. Patrick

Member Profile Lupin1 (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sempai Joined: December 15, 2009 Posts: 924 Interview Where are you from? New Hampshire, USA. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I was 8 years old and wanted to be a Power Ranger, which I hoped would start me on a career path to become a ninja when I grew up. Why have you continued to practice them? I like the mental challenge, the physical exercise and the friends I've made in my club. I also like having a basic knowledge of self defense if I ever find myself in the unfortunate situation of needing it. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I mainly study Isshinryu, although I dabbled briefly in tae kwon do and spent about a year trying out judo. What is your grade or level? 3rd kyu in Isshinryu and 6th kyu in judo. Do you teach? I help out with the kids' class, but I'm not an instructor. What are your first memories from training? I remember my instructor telling us that for a special treat, at the class before Halloween, he was going to teach us how to disappear like a ghost. My 8-year-old mind concocted grand visions of throwing smoke bombs and suddenly ending up 20 feet up a tree and I was very disappointed when all we learned was how to step around and behind a person when attacked. My instructor still does this lesson every year for the class before Halloween. What has been the highlight of your training? The first time I was trusted with a bo, after several decades of wanting to try it, was pretty cool. What do you do when you're not training? I work a lot, read a lot and I'm going to be attempting to write a novel in the coming month for NaNoWriMo. Should be interesting. What do you do for a living? My "real" job is as a middle school librarian, although I'm hoping one day to get back into an elementary classroom teaching position. My favorite job is my summer and weekend job running rides at the local amusement park. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Don't know if I really have any, unfortunately. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? I still have a soft spot for my old favorite The Three Ninjas series of movies even though it really is horrible. The original The Karate Kid trilogy is also one I could watch over and over again. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I hope to get my black belt in Isshinryu sometime in the next few years (there's no exact time frame and I like it that way) and then I guess I'll just keep training and helping out with the kids. I think I eventually (years down the road) want to do more with teaching. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I, unfortunately, don't remember. I was just... here one day... Why did you stay? You guys help keep me motivated. I may be on the verge of quitting or just giving up on practicing and coasting and I'll come here and see all the passionate people and see how much work you all are putting into your training. It makes me want to work harder, and be more involved, and pushes me forward. Thanks, guys. You've been a member since December 15, 2009. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? I feel like we're getting a lot more diverse - there are more and more people coming in from all corners of the globe with different martial arts experiences and amazing stories to tell. It makes the world a bit smaller in a good way. How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site? I feel a bit more responsible to give to the site now. Before, especially as a lower ranking kyu student in my martial arts journey, I feel like I took more than I gave to the site with all the high ranking, decades-of-experience black belts spouting off wisdom and little old me just drinking it in. But as a staff member, I feel more of a drive to present my opinion and share what little experience I have and I've come to see the value in hearing from all different levels of experience. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? It's mostly been used as motivation, though sometimes I'll attempt some training strategies I hear about on here. Are there any members here who have had a particular influences or impact on you? Blade96. She hasn't been on in a long time, but she joined right around the same time I did and her passion for the martial arts, despite the many challenges she faced, was contagious. 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 wasn't so much a single moment as it was a time period. For two years I lived in the middle of the desert an hour away from the nearest martial arts school (and I tried that school for a month or so and it wasn't for me). I could have easily given up and let myself stop practicing for those two years, which possibly could have resulted in stopping forever. But this forum kept me connected to the martial arts community during that time and gave me the motivation to keep going and, even in the desert, the sense that I was not alone. I had a place I could get questions answered and share my workouts to keep myself accountable. I had a sense that if I gave up, someone would care. It helped me push through that difficult phase in my training and not only survive the break, but come back from my time a stronger martial artist.

Hello, Welcome to the twelfth annual KarateForums.com Awards. Through these awards, we recognize just a few of the individuals who have made outstanding contributions to KarateForums.com in the past year. Over the last eleven years, we have honored 36 different members and that number will grow again this year. Nomination Guidelines These awards take into consideration all community activity between October 19, 2012 and October 18, 2013. Members must be nominated based upon their activity in this period and articles nominated for Article of the Year must have been published in this span. To nominate, you must have a KarateForums.com account and must have made at least 25 posts on or before October 18, 2013 (Eastern Time). There are just four guidelines to keep in mind when nominating: 1. Only one member or article can be nominated for each award. In other words, you cannot nominate the entire staff for Staff Member of the Year. You have to pick one person. One person can be nominated for more than one award, however. 2. You cannot nominate yourself or an article that you wrote for any of the awards. 3. Do not attempt to artificially inflate our nomination totals in any way. This includes but is not limited to trading nominations, encouraging people to nominate indiscriminately (publicly or privately), sending spam and any other behavior that could lead to results being artificially skewed. Members found to be participating in these activities will be disqualified from nomination in any category. 4. Though it is unlikely to occur, a banned member cannot be nominated. Please note that you do not have to nominate for every category. You can nominate for as many or as few as you would like - please go for as many as you feel comfortable with. The more valid nominations that we receive, the better! From these nominations, the ballot for each award will be chosen, consisting of the top 4 nominees, plus ties. Through the poll system available on these forums, you will be able to vote for the winners! Categories Important note: all members (including Sempais and Senseis) are eligible for nomination in any category, except where otherwise noted. However, Patrick is ineligible for nomination in any category. 1. Member of the Year This award is intended to acknowledge the non-staff member who you feel best exemplifies the qualities that KarateForums.com puts a premium on. Knowledge is valuable, but most valuable is a kind and helpful nature. You don't need to be a martial arts expert to be nominated for this award - you need to be someone who is kind and who shares what they know in a productive fashion that helps others. Current staff members (Sempais, Senseis and Patrick) cannot be nominated for this award. 2. New Member of the Year Basically, this award is the same as Member of the Year, except that this one is strictly for members that registered on or between the dates of October 19, 2012 and July 18, 2013. Current staff members (Sempais, Senseis and Patrick) cannot be nominated for this award. 3. Community Spirit Award This award should go to a person whom you feel has a passion for this community. A person who is all about the home team - in this case, KarateForums.com. 4. Staff Member of the Year Basically, this award is the same as the Member of the Year award, except that this award is for current staff members only (except Patrick). If you are unsure of who is on staff, please visit http://www.karateforums.com/staff.php for a complete listing. 5. Funniest Member of the Year Humor is an important aspect of the forums and this award recognizes the member who has brought a smile to your face many times. 6. Karate Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Karate forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 7. Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling Martial Arts Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling Martial Arts forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 8. Korean Martial Arts Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Korean Martial Arts forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 9. Equipment Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Equipment forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 10. Health, Training and Fitness Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Health, Training and Fitness forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 11. Instructor Central Contributor of the Year This award is for your favorite contributor within the Instructor Central forum. It should be a member who has added substantial value to that section in the past year. 12. Article of the Year This award distinguishes your favorite article that was published in the KarateForums.com Articles section on or between October 19, 2012 and October 18, 2013. Whether the article enlightened or inspired you, this is the place to recognize it. Here are the articles that are eligible for nomination: Creating a Home Training Environment for Martial Arts by tallgeese The Secrets to Good Taekwon-Do! by DWx Martial Arts is Half Physical, But 90% Mental by KarateGeorge Martial Morality by ninjanurse Martial Arts Training Through Media Supplements by bushido_man96 Stance Training by Rateh Nominate Now So, that's all there is to it. Please nominate. You will find a blank ballot at the bottom of this message that you can copy and paste. We need as many valid nominations as possible! You nominate by sending a private message to the Awards account through this link: http://www.karateforums.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=2715 - nominations will be closed on November 7, 2013 at 7 PM ET. Please do not post your nominations on this, or any thread. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to private message me or reply to this thread. Thank you for reading and for visiting KarateForums.com. Your participation in these awards is a key ingredient to what makes them great and meaningful. Here is the ballot that you can use:

Thank you very much, Noah, Alex, Danielle, Brian, Gareth, Rusty and Doug. I really appreciate the kind words. Patrick

Thank you for your kindness, Heidi. I appreciate all of your support over the years. It means a lot to me and your contributions to this community have been immense. For those who don't know, Heidi celebrated 10 years on staff in June. This community has been online for 12 years, 5 months and 3 days and Heidi has been on staff for 10 years, 4 months and 1 week of it. That's just amazing to me. The longevity is a testament to her consistency, dedication and personality. I'm honored that we've had you. This is crazy to me, as well. Does this mean that KarateForums.com is where you met Laurie? If so, amazing. So Laurie's post brought you here and you ended up building a great friendship with her, that translated offline. I am not sure if I forgot this fact or simply never knew it, but that is wonderful. Thanks again, Patrick

Member Profile ninjanurse (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: February 13, 2003 Posts: 5,595 KarateForums.com Awards: Community Spirit Award (2006) and Article of the Year (2012) Interview Where are you from? Originally from Evergreen, Colorado. I moved to Nevada when I was 12 and moved to New York 13 years ago. Why did you get started in the martial arts? A friend's mom taught judo at the local Y and she talked me into trying it out. I was quite shy and a perfectionist so I saw it as an opportunity to increase my people skills and satisfy some of my OCD tendencies. Why have you continued to practice them? I fell in love with the whole process and eventually began to teach others so that I could share the treasures I was finding. Physically and mentally it was both challenging and satisfying. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. JudoTang Soo Do Shotokan karate Tae kwon do Ju jitsu ArnisWhat is your grade or level? 5th dan in tae kwon do. Do you teach? Yes, I having been teaching since 1983. What are your first memories from training? Hard wooden floors and blisters on my feet! Also remember the first time I ever sparred - took a hit to the shin that hurt like no other hurt I have ever felt to this day! What has been the highlight of your training? My tae kwon do black belt test with Ernie Reyes - a life changing experience; and my participation in the Ultimate Black Belt Test and the Alabama Project as part of my 5th Dan test - wow! What do you do when you're not training? Think about training - seriously! I also teach snowboarding during the winter months. What do you do for a living? I teach martial arts (at Four Dragons Martial Arts Center) and moonlight as an RN. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? My first Tang Soo Do instructor, Herb Nye: Herb is the one that sparked the fire and passion I have for martial arts. He pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to face my fears Sensei Clyde Kanekoa: for seeing something in me that I could not even imagine existedErnie Reyes, Sr: KJN Ernie's vision and passion for martial arts and belief in his students inspired me to change the person I was and actually believe - for that I am forever grateful! Tom Callos: the instructor who most effectively kicked my butt physically and mentally, and who laid the foundation for my school and my system Keiko Fukuda: the highest ranked woman in judo at the time of her passing (February 2013) and an inspiration to female martial artists, regardless of style, who struggle to gain acceptance in an historically male dominated worldWhat are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Surf Ninjas (of course!), Shogun, The Last Samurai, Bulletproof Monk, The Forbidden Kingdom, Ip Man, The Karate Kid (both the original amd the remake) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I am going to continue to teach and share my passion for martial arts as long as I am able. I have recently undertaken the study of Ju-no-Kata and a new weapons system so I have quite a few years booked! Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I was researching a school that I was thinking about associating with and I searched Google, up popped a lone post from a past moderator, Laurie (PunchPressQueen75), who was a student there so I visited KF and messaged her. I joined the school and KF... the rest is history! Why did you stay? KF is the only martial arts forum out there (at least that I have found) that stands by its guidelines of good character and proper social etiquette. The contributors are knowledgeable and supportive - and Patrick is an excellent administrator, teacher and friend. You've been a member since February 13, 2003. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? KF has grown, staff has come and gone, topics have ebbed and flowed - but the spirit hasn't changed. I go for spirit every time and I appreciate those who work hard do keep it so. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I have picked up some great kids drills and ideas for events over the years. Also, the insight of Patrick and some of the moderators and members has has been invaluable to me both as a teacher and a student.

Thank you for sharing this with us, yamesu. I appreciate all of your fantastic contributions over the years. Thank you. Patrick

Member Profile yamesu (View Profile) Joined: July 14, 2004 Posts: 1,113 Interview Where are you from? I am Australian born, have lived in Asia, regularly do trips to Thailand, but permanently reside in Australia at present. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I first walked into a dojo at age 7 (22 years ago now... that makes me feel old). My mother told me my friends were going to try it out and asked if I wanted to. Just happened to be a Kyokuhsin dojo, which I have continued to practice on and off to this day. Why have you continued to practice them? Self discipline, focus, fitness. Whenever I stop training for a little while, I get withdrawal and have to go back! Additionally, looking at availability and gaps in my skills has led me to take on other martial arts over the years including those from non-Japanese systems which has, I think, led me to become a more well rounded martial artist. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. Kyokushin: a hard and full contact karate style invented by Sosai Mas OyamaPresas Modern Arnis: a contact stick fighting style used to emulate knife and machete fighting, originating from the Philippines Judo: a Japanese grappling art focused on takedowns and submissions Muay Thai: a full contact kickboxing style, simple but full on, originating from Thailand Kobudo: traditional Okinawan weaponryWhat is your grade or level? Black belt in KyokushinIsa (black belt) in Arnis Green belt in judo Yellow belt in kobudo.Do you teach? Yes, I regularly teach at the moment. What are your first memories from training? Doing partnered work as a child, linking arms back to back sitting down and having to stand up using cooperation and reading the other persons body movement. I still teach this with the kids in class today! What has been the highlight of your training? I think I gain something from it everyday, in my personal, work and social life. Grading to new heights and getting the epiphany of how a technique works is also always a great moment! What do you do when you're not training? I am a government scientist and (on the side) web programmer. I also play music (guitar and piano), and love being around my friends and family just hanging out. What can you tell us about your job? I am a government scientist and work in a diversity of areas from regulation (law) to groundwater chemical analysis (everyday is different), but have in recent years, moved into middle management so do less research and more telling other people what to do. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan (and does Arnie count?). Also the Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Goku (from Dragon Ball Z) and of course Monkey Magic!!! What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Pretty much everything, but picking a couple: Fong Sai-yuk (starring Jet Li) and Aragami are brilliant. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? Continuing to train, probably more exclusively in Kyokushin as time constraints get more and more pressing. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? Web search, after Planet Jubei shut down I needed to rant about martial arts. Why did you stay? I stayed because of the diversity of members from around the world and from a variety of styles (which makes for good conversation), as well as the interesting topics that are discussed. You've been a member since July 13, 2004. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? Not a lot really. I think that I may have missed changes as they come and went! How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I would say yes. I cannot think of any specific examples, but I can say that a lot of conversation gets the brain juices flowing and that leads me to think about both positive and negative aspects of training and how I can show this to the juniors in classes. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? A number over the years. More recently sensei8, bushido_man96, tallgeese and Kuma. 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? Finding The Martial Artists' Training Log thread and seeing what others were doing on a consistent basis. I had, at that point, been in a relationship for several years and had stopped training seriously, as well as having put on a few kilos. This spurred me to get back on the horse by finding my original instructor (trained directly by Mas Oyama, and in Kyokushin it does not get better than that!!!). I am now still with my lovely lady, and looking like I did the day I met her again! Win-win for both of us. This also led to me finding a permanent place at my preferred dojo (90 minute travel time from home but worth it) and beginning to teach classes again after some years off. I have since also started traditional kobudo and have been trained by some greats from Okinawa, notably Sensei Tetsushiro Hokama (again, cream of the crop when it comes to martial artists who are alive today).

Thank you for sharing your story with us, and for your service, ps1. This is very meaningful to me personally and it shows the impact that online communities can have in a person's life. Thank you for all of the outstanding contributions that you have made to this community. Patrick

Member Profile ps1 (View Profile) Joined: November 9, 2004 Posts: 2,793 KarateForums.com Awards: Member of the Year (2007) Interview Where are you from? I live in Ravenna, Ohio. My academy is in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I remember watching The Karate Kid when I was very young. I really loved the movie and told my mom I wanted to do it. So, for my 6th birthday, my mom took me to a local TKD school. I trained there for 3 years until we moved to Ohio. I found another school and my journey has continued to blossom ever since. Why have you continued to practice them? Something about the martial arts just clicks with me. I feel deeply connected to my body in a way that, in my opinion, most people never do. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. As I mentioned, I studied TKD for 3 years (from 6 to 9 years old). After moving to Ohio, I studied Poekoelan Tjimindie Teii Chuan Fa (an Indonesian art that combines kung fu with silat). After training in that to the age of 19, I began Shotokan karate and Aiki jujitsu. While training those arts I also trained an intensive, 1 year, sogo bujitsu program designed to train instructors. At the age of 24, I was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I'm 34 now, for a total of 28 years of training. What is your grade or level? TKD: green belt (very long time ago)Chuan Fa: 3rd degree black sash Shotokan karate: Nidan Aiki jujitsu: Nidan Gracie jiu-jitsu: black beltDo you teach? Yes, I own and operate Top Level Martial Arts in Cuhahoga Falls, Ohio. I also taught Army combatives while in Iraq and the accredited Self Defense course at Youngstown State University. What are your first memories from training? Doing forms and duck-walks during my TKD training. What has been the highlight of your training? Earning my black belt in BJJ. What do you do when you're not training? Think about training and play with my children. What do you do for a living? I'm a Verification and Validation Engineer. I help design and test medical imaging equipment such as CT scanners, MRI, PET and SPECT imaging systems. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Jigoro Kano, Musashi, Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, JJ Machado, Saulo Ribeiro, Pedro Sauer, Rickson Gracie, Uma Thurman and Michelle Krasnoo. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Choke, UFC and Kill Bill. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? Possibly participating in a few local tournaments and focusing on growing my academy and passing jiu-jitsu on to the next generation. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I was still deployed in Iraq when I found KF. I was just looking for a forum where I could get my mind off what was going on around me. I remember my first few posts, like many newbies, were a bit pretentious. I soon realized I was talking to people who took martial arts a serious as I do and who read, train and care as much as I do. That led me to stick around. My original handle here was pendakarshihan1, paying homage to the high level titles from both poekoelan and shotokan, my goals at the time. However, I felt the handle was too long and I had Patrick shorten it to ps1. Why did you stay? I've stuck around because there's a really great and positive community on this forum. It got me through a really difficult time in life. You've been a member since November 9, 2004. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? The biggest changes I notice are in how many people come and go. One of my favorite posters when I started on the forum was 24fightingchickens. But that person hasn't been around in a very long time, unless he's lurking. Additionally, after another decade of training, my perspective on things has changed as well. I'm sure you can find a post of mine from 10 years ago that probably contradicts something I would say today. I was way more into the feudal Japanese arts and warriorship back then. So my posts were more geared toward those things. Now my my focus is on BJJ and growing my academy. So you'll see more posts in the grappling forums and instructor forums, with less in the karate forums. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? I would say I use it very indirectly. I like to read the instructor forums and see what other people think of situations. I can wrap those methods into my own and use 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? As I mentioned above, KF helped me get through a pretty tough time in life. I was fighting a war and this was a great place to go and get my mind off the crap going on. I really appreciate that I had somewhere to go to do that.

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. As a community, we have now reached 500,000 posts. This is a really impressive milestone and I'm grateful that we've had the opportunity to maintain this type of longevity. What makes 500,000 posts special for us isn't just the number because numbers can be played with and manipulated. What makes it special is the quality of the discussions that we have here. The way people speak to one another. The fact that we can have a respectful discussion about a controversial topic. I am really proud of our culture, more than any numbers. In fact, in how the site is moderated, we almost certainly cut down on the number of posts that we could have, in order to preserve the culture that we enjoy. Every online community has a different culture. Variety is good because no community is for everyone and, if our atmosphere doesn't work for someone, they can probably find a community that gives them what they want. But for those who enjoy, and add to, what we have here - we're honored to have you. 92 members have 1,000 posts or more. As I look down this list, I see many great contributors from the past and present. This includes Brian (bushido_man96), Pat (SaiFightsMS), Bob (sensei8), Heidi (ninjanurse), Alex (tallgeese), Laurie (PunchPressQueen75), Danielle (DWx), Doug (SBN Doug), Tammy (monkeygirl), kicker, G95champ, ps1, joesteph, Treebranch, Red J, Kerry (Shotokan-kez), Goju_boi, Greg (gheinisch), Justice (JusticeZero), battousai16, Shawn (cathal), iamrushman, cross, Shorin Ryuu, ShotokanKid, TJS, Bill (MasterPain), Menjo, delta1, Sam, lordtariel, Pacificshore, patusai, Brenda (white owl), Aodhan, Ramona (ramymensa), italian_guy, Kirsty (KarateK), GoldDragon, Dave (the beast), GrrrArg, Karateka_latino, The BB of C, y2_sub, Jay, Kirves, BKJ1216, yamesu, Tiger1962, NightOwl, Kuma, June1, Adonis, krzychicano, kchenault, Gareth (Harkon72), Rusty (pittbullJudoka), pineapple, granmasterchen, Icetuete, marie curie, Ed (KarateEd) and LeaF. Devin (Lupin1) and Noah (Wastelander) will soon be joining this group, as well. Thank you to all of these members and thank you to everyone who has contributed to KarateForums.com in a positive, meaningful way. I appreciate you. This is a milestone worth celebrating and we have three big things planned, in addition to a few surprises. Live Stream On November 9 at 2 PM ET (GMT/UTC -5), I will be hosting a special 3 hour live stream where I will be joined by an assortment of members. I will be on video, participants will be on audio and anyone can watch and participate in a text-based chat room. Two hours of the program will consist of quick chats with members, reflecting on the time they have spent at KarateForums.com. This will be 5-10 minutes per person, just so that we can fit a lot of people in. If you would be interested in participating, please let me know. The third hour will mostly be dedicated to two staff member panels - one featuring previous Senseis (moderators) and one featuring current Senseis. We'll talk about moderating the community and what they have gained from their time on staff. Member Interviews I have conducted a series of 26 interviews with members from all eras of the history of KarateForums.com. I will be publishing these over the coming weeks, in the dedicated KarateForums.com 500,000 Posts Celebration forum. These interviews will give you a greater insight into who these members are, what their martial arts background is and what KarateForums.com means to them. KarateForums.com Awards The twelfth annual KarateForums.com Awards will begin soon, bigger than ever. Through these awards, we aim to recognize just a handful of the individuals who have made outstanding contributions to KarateForums.com in the past year. We'll have six new award categories this year, each matching a popular forum on KarateForums.com. They are Equipment Poster of the Year, Health, Training and Fitness Poster of the Year, Instructor Central Poster of the Year, Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling Martial Arts Poster of the Year, Karate Poster of the Year and Korean Martial Arts Poster of the Year. Thank You It should be a fun few weeks! Thank you to Heidi, Brian, Danielle, Alex, Bob, Gareth, Noah and Devin for helping me to plan out these festivities. Thank you for reading and for supporting KarateForums.com. Sincerely, Patrick

I don't think the WWE or TNA example really makes sense because why is it OK for them to employ international players for teams but not others? All of the national sporting leagues of the highest level also employ people of any nationality to compete as a team. Generally, all sports have a pre-eminent league where the most talented players of that sport wish to compete. Often, teams within that sport have extensive scouting departments with representatives covering countries with serious interest in that sport. If they are truly the best, they will usually end up in the pre-eminent league, unless they make a personal choice to stay in their own country, are contractually obligated to someone or there are some political reasons. But those types of exceptions, red tape, extenuating circumstances, etc. are always present. Which means that there can never be a "world champion" to this standard and the term has to be retired. I mean, the average pre-eminent sports league really has no less valid a claim to "world champion" than any martial arts "world champion" or even the Olympics, where many of the premiere athletes do not compete or, at least, historically, did not compete or were not allowed because they were not amateurs. To me, it's just a term. I don't find it arrogant and it doesn't bother me because it doesn't hurt me. It's kinda sorta the type of thing you have to choose to take badly, when you could just as easy choose to look at it as "world champions of ," which is what it really is.

Congrats armanox.

Yep, the last undefeated team. Congrats! Patrick

I'll go with St. Louis, as well. Patrick