SaiFightsMS

The devaluation of rank is a hot topic throughout the martial arts world. The McDojo is a blight upon the martial arts world. It is a sad thing that many see this and see all belt holders as products of such belt mills. Is there a solution to the problem? Not as long as there are those willing to stand in line for a belt with cash to fork up.

Again thanks for the tips everyone. I have a strap with loops on both ends that I use for stretching and I am finding how useful it is for some of these balancing drills. When I first learned to kick standing up I used my forearm crutches one on each side, gradually switching to just one. I went then to a pair of canes. Then holding just one parallel in front of me. It takes ongoing work to maintain any good form of balanace. Now I stand in front of the microwave in crane stance while I am waiting for my dinner to finish heating.

I currently only jump in my dreams but I do sincerely appreciate hearing how everyone else learned how to do those wonderful jumping kicks. If it is possible I too will one day do a jumping kick. And if it is not possible it is not because I am not trying. I love all the suggestions.

So what are the previous knowledge and training requirements of the participants? Are these Joe blo walk in the doors or people all ready trained and rated in a viable martial form? This brings to mind the settings of some karate schools in post war Japan. There was and explosian of GI's wanting classes and a shortage of teachers. So a few would go to a class in the daytime and at night teach what they had just learned to their own students under the guise of "sensei".

What an interesting hodgepodge of opinions. I see opinions are strong whether for or against. Amazingly strong is some cases. I view what I do as not only an art but something that is alive. To each of us who appreciate kata the same kata may evoke it's own feelings and applications. The mind set each of us approach a kata with is a unique thing. Kata is one of my favorite parts of karate but, I realize it is not all there is in the world of karete do. My favorite use of kata is as a discipline and as a mind set to enter into to help fight the things in the world that are my ongoing enemies - the vicious things and curves life can throw.

:dead:I can imagine Kickchick. It is really strange the way muscle fibers can jump around all on their own. I have this really odd technique for knees. I freeze water in styrofoam cups. When i get ready to use them I score the outside with lines with a butter knife. While ensconced in the bath tub I proceed to do a nice ice massage while holding the knee above the water. Then I submerger that knee and start the other one if I need to do both knees. If not I set the cup down on the edge of the tub until the knee is ready for the next ice cycle. As the ice melts down I peel the cup away using the scored lines. Ain't it amazing how different workouts using the same muscles can feel so different the next day?

No varnish on my handles. I started on time to develope a looser grip when spinning but that proved dangerous. They went flying. We have passed baby powder around before kobudo class and everything. These days those it pays to be carefull about handling any powder in public.

You know it is really nice to be in contact with well informed people. :nod:Some one brings up a topic and someone else promptly responds with where to find the rules. I this great or what?

My favorite sparring partner is about 30 years younger than I am. Now we are about the same size. The first time we sparred with each other it wound up that we both thought the other one was trying to kill me. After we got over that we enjoyed sparring with each other. She has excellant control and the wisdom to know when to back off before she kills me. Seriously we push each other because we have different techniques we use. I think the intimidation factor in the beginning though will never be forgotten.

By the way Elliot I look forward to seeing many of your postings. We need to make sure the kids learn not all oldsters are beyond hope. Sai

Man have you been busy or what . Welcome to one of the finest martial arts sites on the web. :nod: Sai

I was working with my tonfa and have one ongoing problem. My hands sweat so much the tonfa will not spin. They are Canadian ash with well sanded handles. I asked the same question in another site and no one really had any answers. So how about it? Any one here either have the same problem or have a solution that worked for them?

A black belt can be a thing or a person. When the black belt is a person that is totally different then when a person is just wearing a black belt. I believe for all of us that have earned black belts our belt is a special and unique thing for each of us.

What does a baby computer call his daddy? Data

My achilles heel is chronic shoulder problems. I have torn rotator cuffs in both shoulders more than once. I find contrasting thermal modes to be great. A minute or so of cold alternated with a minute or so of heat. Finishing with the heat. Ice massage in the shower is great around knees and shins too.

Hey Gloi :pony: :bdaybiggrin:HAPPY BIRTHDAY and yeah i know its a day late. But, I just saw this. :nod:Aren't we in the prime of life? :nod: Sai

I find I definately think about this topic. I see the world much different than I did before I started training. I was in a pretty awfull state of mind when I started. Some things changed almost instantly. Some of the changes were more gradual. Some things I hope will never stop changing. It is not just the physical changes. I see others and myself differently now. I have more respect for life than i did in the beginning. And I find myself doing odd things now. Like I brush my teeth standing in shiko dachi and I stand in crane stance if front of the microwave waiting on my dinner.

Hey this is an interesting thread. :sleep:I am a cat. A creature of many moods.

I was in a school system with a large number of students training in 4 locations. The sensei in charge of the school was starting to test people for money. The people he favored. And other students he did not care for were held back even though they where the ones truly ready to test. The sensei of the group I was training with started asking questions. Utlimately He and about 3 dozen students broke completely with the school. Everything about the way we train was looked at. We went from a splinter shi-to ryu to a much more mainstream shotokan. And yes we relearned how to do all of the Heian katas. To conform to the way the rest of the shotokan world does them. This is part of my training history and I tell it now that someone brought up the topic so that maybe the rest of you will understand better some of the questions I ask in the shotokan area. I know there are still katas we do that aren't quiet standard. And some we do in a different order. I just ask for your patience and input. I don't feel like my final rankings came from a mcdojo and I thouroughly understand the concept. Bad feelings still exist is some areas and occasionally nasty things happen because not all black belts have the maturity their rank should entail.

Family martial arts are great I spent much of my training in a family oriented school. My brother has done kung fu. Now he too is a computer junkie. I am currently the only non couch potato in the family. And of course they "don't get it". They were incredibly impressed though when I started to be able to walk again.

I didn't notice this thread earlier. It is really kind neat that there is a group of you here from the same school. And, aint Kobudo great?

Guys and those who can allready do good pushups really underestimate how hard it is for some of us to gain enough strength to do good pushups. In the old days when I was in the army we still did pushups on our knees. And airborne training today only requires girls to do 18 pushups. I have no idea how Kickchick can dod all those pushups. I am in true awe.

So had anyone in here actually done any work with video tape? Or a combination of video tape supplementing those hard to get to classes?

I found it interesting that some of the younger members are actively participating in this topic. So it's not just us old farts huh? So now what is everyones favorite smelly topical analgesic?

This and varietions on this topic have cropped up recently in several online clubs and chat sites. In my school with persistence and good physical skills minumum time is about 3 years. For healthy people with good physical skill I would say about 3 1/2 years is average. For the most parts it is the strenght requirements that hold back the younger students at 1st kyu for long amounts of time. And it took me over 6 years to get a black belt. A little over 5 in bojustsu.