KorroddyDude

I think the first question to ask is whether or not the current Okinawan masters of these smaller arts even want them to be more widespread in the first place. Think of the following example: many people from the West Coast who move to the East Coast miss really miss In-N-Out. Does that mean that they want In-N-Out to expand to the East Coast? Definitely not. They take pride in In-N-Out being a West Coast thing, and they want to keep it that way. There's an example of this happening in karate: Ryuei-ryu, which was developed by the Nakaima family in Okinawa just a few years before it was annexed. Ryuei-ryu was kept within the Nakaima family for a century (the 1970's), before deciding to go public with it. To this day, it's not a very widespread art. That's the first hurdle. The second hurdle is availability. I live in a fairly large metropolitian area, where even some of the most ubiquitous arts are not present. Around where I live, there's no American Kenpo, no Wado-ryu, no Kyokushin, and no Uechi-ryu. If we don't even have those, then the likelihood of finding To'on-ryu or some of the others you mentioned just isn't there. Furthermore on the second hurdle, I don't think most people are dismissing the rarer styles because they're rare. Most people who've never trained in karate before who walk into a dojo for the first time to inquire know nothing about "styles," nor are aware that karate even has them. To them, karate is karate. Many new guys might actually be training for a few months (might make yellow or even orange belt) before even knowing what style they're actually training in (I'm not saying that this reflects negatively on them or their school. In the initial stages of training, knowledge on how the new student's style of karate differs from others is not a priority, in my opinion). Then there's the third hurdle, which applies to those with experience who are aware of styles: the days of people growing old and dying in the same town they were born and raised in are long gone. People move. And because of this, people are going to gravitate towards the more ubiquitous styles that they can continue training in, no matter where they go. Although I've never seen it myself, I've heard many instructors lament about how previous students who begrudgly sign up because they're new to the area where the style they trained in prior isn't available - and they have a habit of disrupting the class with "back at my last dojo, we did it like this." I'm not saying that people who switch to new styles when they move are likely to do this, but they really fell in love with their original style and there's always that part of them that refuses to let it go. And that likely even applies to the people with enough social aptitude to not disrupt the class with how they did things before. Why put myself in a position to get attached to a style that I'll never see again if I move out of town? I'm not saying that I, personally, would feel that way. If I moved out of town to where there was no Shotokan, I'll gladly sign up for whatever karate is available, as long as there's no Navy SEAL-style belt testing. But what I will say is that I completely understand those who may not want to do that.

I can't say that I agree with most of this. First, this article gives the impression that the term "martial arts" was coined in English, and that Anglospherians somehow took it upon themselves to translate it to "bugei" and falsely attribute usage of the term to the Japanese. This isn't true at all. Not saying he said this, but it's easy to get the impression that he's implying it. If he's not suggesting this, I wish he would have clarified. The word "bugei" dates at least as far back as the 14th century, and was exposed to the Anglosphere in 1918 in a Japanese-English dictionary where it translated to "martial arts." In other words, the term was either coined by the Japanese or in another nearby language and then translated to Japanese. In either case, it came to English from Japanese. Secondly, there's that "do" vs "jutsu" claim; where "do" allegedly comes at the expense of "jutsu." I'm sure that this debate has been had ad nauseam on this message board, so I'm not gonna go any farther than simply pointing it out. Lastly, he says to stop being a karate apologist when someone compares karate unfavorably to MMA. That's not gonna happen, at least not from me. To that, I say this: the rigorous training that MMA fighters go through to preparare for upcoming fights definitely isn't a life for everyone. Those of us who train in traditional martial arts do not need to be able to beat an MMA fighter. We just need to be able to beat the trouble-maker on the streets who can't keep his hands to himself. The odds of such a trouble-maker being an MMA fighter are probably lower than the odds of winning the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot.

There's only one way to "get this:" by showing up to train! You have no competition in your dojo; everyone there supports each other on their journey. Always ask questions on things that you don't understand, and if there are any movements in particular that you're having trouble with (for example, using your hips, relaxing your shoulders, half body/full body, etc), ask your instructor for specific drills you can use to improve them (and your instructor will have plenty).

Although it's been awhile since I've seen it, I've noticed some people with four sides of embroidery. Obviously, when two sides are embroidered, it's name in katakana on one side and association in kanji on the other. What are on the other two sides for those with four sides embroidered?

Yes, boxing is dying. And the fans, by way of social media, have ruined it. First, there's the highly controversial strategy employed by Floyd Mayweather. Some fans long for the days of the Hagler vs Hearns style slugfest, the other fans savor "the sweet science" and tell the former they know nothing about boxing. Second, there's the thinly veiled racism among the fans all over social media in boxing discourse. Who wants to feel like the dignity of one's own ethnic group is riding on a particular boxing match, or like only certain people have the right to watch the sport or discuss with others? Why bother with any of this? Again, this is on the fans. The fighters themselves didn't put anyone up to this.

It's been almost two week since I've cracked open a can of Monster. I've been trying to quit alcohol and overeating for a decade now, and it turns out that those two things weren't the problem at all. Energy drinks were the problem the whole time. These energy drinks, I found, caused a whole lot more problems than I realized. I had two side gigs - Uber and DoorDash - but I got kicked off of Uber after 8 years back in October. Complaints of "dangerous driving" (which have nothing to do with the energy drinks, by the way - I do admit that I'm an impatient driver at times). Most of my side gig was done on Uber. In fact, I didn't make enough on DoorDash to get a 1099 from them for 2023. I don't have to do these side gigs. Certainly not the extent that I did them. But I was addicted to them. If I was at home, the road was calling my name. And I always drank 2 to 4 energy drinks per day to be able to keep driving. What I learned later was that energy drinks was causing this impulsive behavior. When Uber went away, DoorDash took over. The money for DoorDash wasn't as good (because I hadn't reached "Platinum Status" until about two weeks ago, so it's as good now), so there was less motivation for me to be on the road. I bought a coffee maker two weeks ago - a cheap one for $10 at Walmart, and I only drank it in the morning. I stopped the energy drinks, feeling that coffee in the morning should get me through the day. I noticed that my alcohol cravings every night were completely gone. I also noticed that I had the ability to easily ignore snack foods that caught my attention at the convenience store later in the day. But I couldn't ignore them in the morning. So after a week of drinking coffee, I stopped. It turns out that all that caffeine I was consuming had me in a place where I was perpetually seeking calmness and comfort - and I always found it in food and alcohol. Caffeine was the problem the whole time. It made me impulsive. While it did not curtail my ability to do things that I'm supposed to be doing, it did curtail my ability to resist doing the things that I should not be doing. While the temptation to grab an energy drink hasn't gone away completely, I find that resisting energy drinks is way easier than resisting alcohol after I've had energy drinks. When I dropped the coffee, I decided to go all out and eliminate caffeine completely. So for anyone having an issue with eating and/or alcohol; if you consume large amounts of caffeine - especially through energy drinks of coffee - start there first. The rest will follow.

I also wanted to add - for most belt manufacturers, kanji characters are 2.5 cm tall on a 4.5 cm wide belt, and 2 cm tall on a 4 cm wide belt. Most will reduce them to 2 cm on a 4.5 cm wide belt if you go over a certain number of characters. To determine the proper length of the belt ends, multiply the number of kanji or katakana characters by 2.5. You'll need 5 to 10 cm of clearance above the kanji to prevent the embroidery from going into the knot. You'll also need 8 to 10 cm meters of clearance below the characters on the label side, and 4 cm on the non-label side. So: Length of label side end = 8 to 10 cm + (number of characters x 2.5 cm) + 5 to 10 cm Length of non-label side end = 4 cm + (number of characters x 2.5 cm) + 5 to 10 cm This assumes a 4.5 cm wide belt, so on a 4 cm wide belt, use 2 cm instead of 2.5 cm. Whichever side is longer, that's how long your ends should be. The belt size calculator on the Kataaro website assumes the ends below the knot are 30 cm. So adjust for that if your ends need to be longer. Kuro Obi Ya has a formula on the site as well, but it doesn't tell you how long the ends are when using that formula, so it's not of much use.

There are belt size calculators all over the internet. Kataaro being a notable example, which assumes the ends hang 12 inches from the knot (you can set the calculator to metric on the site). So it's not really necessary to get yourself measured person.

I'm not sure that we'd be having this debate outside of the English language. An example of this: in classical music, we don't translate the word "maestro." We just leave it in Italian. I think we're reluctant to call the conductor a "master." It's taboo in the English language, hence why we're so ready to dogpile anyone who uses such a title. Is it possible to "master" a martial art? If a martial art cannot be mastered, then what can be? Perhaps when the word "master" is used in martial arts, it means that someone has reached a particular level of authority within the art. I think it's fair to say that, in any subject, it's at least possible to do that. I say that if there's a problem with the word "master," then perhaps even a title such as "master instructor" doesn't adequately solve the issue here. Perhaps titles like "senior instructor" and "chief instructor" would be perceived as even less pompous and self-aggrandizing.

Correct. As with anything, there are always high and low moments. But I don't think that there's a moment that I ever want to relieve. There is nothing that we've done at a lower belt rank that we can't do now. I do Heian Shodan every single day, just like I did when I was a white belt. That's why I found this to be a difficult question to answer.

One of my favorite songs is Anything For You by Gloria Estefan. I love the mood that it creates, and it's perfect for candle light dinners with the wife. That is, if you're not paying attention to the lyrics. The song is about getting over a break up. Thankfully, there's a Spanish version of that song called No Te Olvidare. And I don't speak Spanish. So if I wanted to create candle light dinner and play the song without things feeling awkward, I'll play the Spanish version. That being said, there are many definitions of "master" - whether it's how the word is used in the trades, the word for an educator, one who has reached a certain level in an art - and the Japanese have different words for each of them. In American English, when we hear that word, we think of someone who is owed the highest level of deference that a non-deity can possibly receive and that we're the property of. The Japanese have a separate word for that too. These separate words enable them to use the one that applies, without any other implications. The reason I brought up the song by Gloria Estefan is that, just like I prefer the Spanish version over a candle light dinner with the wife because of the lyrics, I think it's best that we stick with Japanese titles (or Korean, or whatever applies to your chosen art). The title can be a direct translation of the Japanese word for "God" for all I care - as being a non-Japanese speaker means that I'm able to distance myself from the use of that word, which I wouldn't be able to by using the English word.

Yes, but my point wasn't that Okinawan belt tests are hazefests and Japanese belt tests are not. My point was that Okinawan organizations don't seem to have as tight a grip on their overseas dojos as Japanese organizations do. Hence, why some American dojos in those Okinawan organizations seem to be able to get away with turning their belt testings into hazefests. In truth, I wouldn't consider Kyokushin to be "Japanese karate." And this isn't me trying to play "No true Scotsman," as I am fully aware that it meets the definition of Japanese karate. However, I believe that Kyokushin and Ashihara kaikan represent a distinct karate culture that warrants a separate classification. As a Shotokan guy, I'd feel a sense of kinship in a Wado-ryu dojo or a Shindo jinen-ryu dojo. But on that same token, I'd feel like just as much of an alien in a Kyokushin dojo as I would in a Uechi-ryu dojo. From what I've heard some people discussing, the reason for the grueling tests in American Shorinkan dojos has something to do with a few of its instructors coming into contact with Kyokushin back in the 1970's, and deciding that they wanted to keep up with the Joneses. Meanwhile, none of this is going on in Okinawa, and no one in Okinawa was willing or able to stop it. Amen to that.

If I were to take a guess, the reason why Japanese styles of karate haven't suffered a similar fate to Okinawan styles in the US would be because Japanese organizations appear to be far more strict in how they're organized and regulated. For example, ISKF has its beginnings in Nakayama sensei of JKA sending Okazaki, Yaguchi, and Mikami over to set up shop. They maintained oversight of the US dojos and reported back to headquarters in Japan (i.e., things weren't left to Americans to run things how they saw fit). I don't think Shorinkan or most other Okinawan organizations were run similarly.

In the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, there are karate dojos everywhere, and I'd say that well over 90% of them are either Shorinkan, or are part of an organization that split from Shorinkan (such as Butokukan, Kiyobukan, Nakazato-ha, Kensankai, etc). There's a Shorin-ryu dojo not too far from me, where I've seen adults and children doing knuckle pushups on the concrete right outside the store front. I've also driven along a wooded rocky waterfront where I've seen people (children and adults) doing kata in waist-deep water, wearing gis that have Shorinkan patches on them. If they like it, I love it. However, my money says that they're not aware that there's a such thing as karate that's not like that.

We start sanbon kumite at white belt where I train, but I've seen other schools (not Shotokan) start later.

One thing I've noticed is that children become more engaged when they reach the belt level where they begin doing ippon/sanbon/gohon kumite (whichever your dojo does first). Because, at first, age uke and uchi ude uke drills look and feel like a bunch of nonsense to new students - adults and children alike - until they get to personally demonstrate them with another student. Let's not forget what the children are there to learn. The children need to feel like they're actually learning it. This is why I believe the step-sparring drills need to be taught at the white belt level, instead of waiting until after they could possibly lose interest.

For me, the excitement doesn't come at a promotion, but rather at learning a new kata. I think the best moment for me was learning Hangetsu (Seisan).

Which Kobayashi-ryu schools practice Jion/Jitte/Jion? To my knowledge, neither Chibana nor Nakazato taught these or any other Tomari-te kata.

I just finished Karate: My Life by Hirokazu Kanazawa. I think this book is definitely a must-read for all Shotokan karateka who are of Nakayama lineage, even if you're not SKIF. I'm ISKF, and I learned more things about Okazaki sensei that weren't covered in his books.

I recently finished three books Karate Stupid and Karate Clever, both by Scott Langley. For those who are not aware, Scott Langley is the kaicho of HDKI, an organization that he founded after getting kicked out of WTKO. Both books were written before the founding of HDKI, but based on how he comes across in both books; I believe WTKO's side of the story when they announced Langley's dismissal on facebook. This isn't to speak negatively on Scott Langley, as I think he'd probably agree 100% that he needed a bigger say in how things are run than what WTKO was willing to give him. That being said, if you were to ask someone who hates reading books why they hate reading books... they'd probably describe books in a way that fits Langley's books to a tee. I felt like I wanted to buy ADHD meds off the black market just to get through them. I will say that if HDKI is meant to be the antithesis of what he experienced in JKS, then I imagine that any HDKI dojo is definitely the place to go for anyone who wants a positive experience. Again, not a knock on the author... I just think he's far better at karate than writing.

Not Shito-ryu. It was founded in Osaka, and there are exactly as many Shito-ryu dojos in Okinawa as there are Shotokan - zero.

My dojo tracks attendance as well, but there's no minimum training hours requirements as is the case with some schools. I never asked, but I think it's used for other purposes rather than promotion. USJA has minimum training hours requirements, which if equally spread throughout their time in grade requirements, comes to two hours per week. I could live with that. There are some karate dojos in my area where you can't meet the training hours requirements between one testing cycle and another unless you're averaging 4.5 times per week. That's a no-go for me, which factored into my decision to choose where I train.

With the way episode 10 ended, I anticipate that concluding the series in just five more episodes is going to feel rushed. It took a whole season for things to get back to normal after Miguel broke his back. But a death occurs in a tournament on the Cobra Kai team, and we're gonna wrap up the whole series in just five more episodes? No, just no.

I think time in grade serves three useful purposes: 1. It eliminates any perception of bias or favoritism among the students. 2. It communicates a hard minimum timeline to the students, which eliminates awkward conversations about "when can I test?" 3. It aligns with how education systems typically work. A five year-old in kindergarten knows that he or she has twelve years (minimum) of education ahead of them. You don't see kids asking their teachers when they're going to graduate. They know that, as long as they're meeting the academic requirements, what year they're going to get their high school diploma. At the end of the day, every instructor is free to run their school how they see fit (particularly if they're unaffiliated), but if potential students are aware of the various promotion systems among martial arts schools, that may very well affect the school that they choose.

I'm rooting for Tyson, but I say Paul takes this. But if Paul doesn't pull this off, this needs to be his last fight.