stl_karateka

I *think* its related to the isometric breathing that is emphasized in that kata. I remember watching it as a beginner and thinking "what's the big deal?!" its a relatively short kata and the moves are simple --- but until you understand how you are supposed to stabilize youself and do the moves you are just doing patterns. My instructor told us that when we do Sanchin correctly we will be just as tired if not more tired than doing all the other I-Ryu katas combined! I also remember hearing that the proper way to do this kata is with only 4 breaths...limiting the air you let out with each move. I don't know about totally being bad for your health, but if you don't know how to breathe properly or try the 4 breaths thing before you are ready you may get dizzy and pass out That'll be bad for your health!

Thanks -- you've been very helpful! I think I am going to send out an intro letter letting them know to expect a package from us and leave my contact information. I have some major corps that are going to be hard to breakthru so I'll just send them the package --- the local companies will get the intro letter and a follow-up package.

Congrats!!!

Well since I've seen a creative weapons form done with an UMBRELLA --- nothing surprises me. An UMBRELLA??? That sounds interesting! Do tell... It was quite a site!!! I didn't know rather to laugh or cry!!! It was creative forms but come'on!!!! It was one of those huge black mary poppin type umbrellas....lots of stabbing and striking moves....but I almost lost it when he opened and closed the umbrella and kiai'd ----AYYYYY-YAAAAAAA!

aefibird - Thanks again -- great info! I think I am going to take the Gi thing out of the original package and only use it if it'll sway a sponsor --- doubt that will be the difference between a yes and no though! The letter you sent out a week in advance...is that different than your sponsorship package? I haven't thought of that... I have a mix of local and major corp --- I'm going to start with about 20 and see what kind of feedback I am getting and go from there. Also, did you have a minimum donation listed? I wonder if that would be necessary

http://www.allblackbelt.com/bcustom.html Looks like they embroider and translate, though I have never bought anything from them. I am waiting for my instructor to contact Shureido cause I want the same thing -- straight from Okinawa!

I'm not a head instructor, nor was I one of those who had to be asked to teach to fill a requirement, so I'll take a stab if you don't mind I pretty much knew soon after getting started that I wanted to teach. I remember at my old school the owner overseeing a class with his wife (one of the kids classes) saying 'we need help'. I talked to him after class --- I was only a yellowbelt at the time but at 21 I possessed the maturity and 4 years of assistant director at a camp I knew a thing or two about working with kids! So that was my start (most people don't start helping until green and yes it is a requirement then) --- all I had to do was help get the kids in a straight line before and after class and walk around and check stances, make sure they had their right/left feet in the right position etc....it would be a few more months until I actually started teaching a handful on my own. After I retire or get out of the military and settle in one location (whichever comes first) -- I want to open my own school. I soak information in like a sponge --- I see what works and what doesn't work. By the time I left my old school I was second to the head instructor. I would run classes, open/close the dojo, help build the curriculum etc I knew it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Missed or arrived late at social events for MA? Oh yeah! Compromised my own training to work with students sometime (that was the problem with having the adult adv class right after teaching -- sometimes your 'in the zone' and I'll continue to work with the student ) - I absolutely love MA! - No matter what your situation is, I belive the MA can offer you something... - Share what I've learned with others -Selfish reason - my skills increaase exponetially when I am teaching...I don't know if its cause I feel I need to set the example, or cause I am doing it more...but teaching makes me sharper I've only been in the MA for a little over 5 years but its been a top priority during that time!

Nice thread!!! A good teacher: - sets the example - knows their student's limits, capabilities and potential - demands respect through actions, not force - knows more than just moves: history of art - keeps students interested - has students that want to learn - understands the importance of basics - established curriculum - teaches / builds character - establish relationship with students (if its just a couple minutes between class, its enough to show you care --- if Jonny plays soccer or is having a hard time in math a good teacher will know) - doesn't compromise training for money or belts

It sucks cause the people that end up getting hurt is the students / competitors. I see it going on now.

Before I saw him do it I probably wouldn't have Logistally it would have been impossible anyway --- I don't have access to the dojo so I couldn't have been in there by myself (dojo only rule) and I was an brown belt at the time so if I was alone there would be no black belts to do pushups for But seriously --- I wouldn't have -- but after seeing what my sensei did I can honestly say I would. In fact --- the way I found out this was a dojo only rule was a dropped my kama while practicing at a tourny --- I just about lost it --- you can see how many black belts were there! He didn't see me drop it so I went over and asked if there was a max number of pushups when the number of BB's are higher than you can count! He chuckled and told me that was a dojo only rule -- we still laugh about it every once in a while!

Basically we'd be willing to do a side arm 1x2 type patch --- but like I said --- nothing spread across the back of the gi. Depends on where we compete --- at NASKA you can where just about anything...not so sure about NBL and the new WSKF

I think what I'm going to do too to increase the chance of feedback is include a self addressed stamped envelope with a form that says a. yes I'd like to discuss the possibility of long-term sponsorship b. please accept our donation of ________. Good luck! I was thinking of putting a c. Not interested...or something to that effect or is that just giving them an easy way out? aefibird -- did you have a presentation when you went to local companies? who did you ask to speak to?

After I posted I've done some more research on the web...I put together a 9-page sponsor package draft. It's 9 pages due to page breaks and pictures --- 'm not trying to bore people to tears. It includes an intro of who we are and what we do, benefits of sponsorship, our costs, our track record, our bios, and our anticipated 2004 tournament calendar. Basically we are leaving the option open for 3 types of donations: total long-term sponsorship -- that would be awesome! They would get a side patch on our gi (we're not willing to do the spread across the back - we are a more traditional team) -- they would be listed on our website and on our team t-shirts one time donation would be just that -- with no commitment. and in-kind donations -- like cases of water, gymbags....non-monetary donations. Its one month into the fiscal year so I don't know if that will work for or against us. Also, I don't know about tax deduction benefits for companies --- I'll have to find that our cause I'm sure some will ask.

Thanks for the input! Basically what I've put together so far is a type of sponsorship package --- I'm going to hit some local companies and some major corporations (cause hey, you never know!) Sounds like you had some good feedback in the local community, that's encouraging...I hope we can do the same! I'm going to talk to my instructor about a fundraiser --- I'd like to see us all with Team warmups and that can help pay the costs.

We have a rule in our school that if you drop your weapon you have to do 25 pushups for every black belt in the place --- usually there are at LEAST 3. I was the one of the first ones in the dojo on one occasion and I saw my instructor finishing up some push-ups...I saw the nunchucks beside him and I kinda smirked --- that's awesome --- his own rule, noone else there, and will still do the pushups!

ShorinSensei -- Benjamins is slang for money....so when I said it was not about the Benjamins it was NOT about the money....knowing that...read my post again. As far as going to a 'commercial' school --- I'm not sure what you mean by that --- but 1. If you re-read my post you will see that was my old school, not my current school --- so your statement is inacurrate 2. I made it clear that contracts were not an issue it was understood that children under a certain age would be on a conditional contract....during staff meetings we would bring up children that we were concerned about --- more often than not their was a conference with their parents and their contract was canceled with an invitation to try again in 6-12 months. Now to me, that is giving everyone a fair chance. Its not like we say, well you enrolled your 4yr old and we are not going to teach him, but you signed a contract so you have to keep paying. And usually we can determine if a child is going to make it in the first 2 months.

MA school

Thanks Laurie I'll check out that link! Hindsight is 20/20 huh There's not even a good I-Ryu book that I know of. Master Angi Uezu only published vol 1 of the complete isshinRyu encyclopedia

Depends on the kid! I know some 6 year olds that operate on a higher maturity level than some 9 year olds -- or 14 year olds for that matter! My school in Rochester started kids at 4 -- but it wasn't all about the Benjamins --- for one thing...they were on a conditional contract. Also, we had a class that catered to the needs and abilities of 4-6 year olds. The focus was not so much to teach them the katas and self defense...but the focus was on balance, concentration, and memory....skills that they would utilize when they 'graduated' to the big kids class. My current school takes kids at 6...sometimes I think my instructor wants to raise it --- but its a hard call cause the kids class all are expected to do the same thing --- most of the kids hang in there --- a few need extra attention.

Fireka - Remember that every kata we do in IsshinRyu is an advanced kata (usually black or brown) in another style. Except Sunsu which is the only pure I-Ryu kata and hybrid of the others. Seisan is a black belt kata in Shotokan and Kobiyashi (sp?) Seiunchin is brown belt in GojuRyu Nahanchi is brown belt in ShorinRyu Wansu (called Wanshu) is learned as Shodan in ShorinRyu Chinto is learned as Nidan in ShorinRyu Sanchin --- dunno where that is learned in GojuRyu but I'm sure its one of the latter katas cause it is supposed to be the essence of karate Kusanku - is the last kata you learn in ShorinRyu - it is said it takes 10 years to fully master and appreciate. Kita

Hello all my fellow IsshinRyu practicioners, I have a slight dilema and I'm sure some of you can help me. I've practiced I-Ryu for over 3 years --- and was right before black belt when I had to move...couldn't find another I-Ryu school and switched to ShorinRyu....anyway --- I don't want to forget what I've learned so I practice my IsshinRyu every one in a while. But ShorinRyu has its own version of Yakosu Kumite so I had no one to practice our version with --- nor do we do Bo-Bo kumite (fortunately my instructor wants to learn it so I'll have someone to practice with!) -- and I never had a strong enough foundation on Sunsu to remember it...so if ya'll could help me out....this is what I remember Yakosu Kumite 1. Defense in open stance; Offense left foot foward (LFF) fighting stance Offense step thru RFF punch, LFF punch, RFF uppercut. Defense Left foot back (LFB) side block, shuffle back forarm block, shuffle back head block, punch. RIGHT? 2. Defense fighting stance RFF, Offense LFF --- backleg front kick, backleg front kick, uppercut? 3. Defense RFF, Offense RFF --- frontleg sidekick, front roundhouse, uppercut. Defense shuffleback downblock, shuffleback x-block, headblock, punch 4. Def. RFF, Off. LFF - backleg roundhouse, sidekick. Def -- x-block, leanaway, backleg roundhouse 5. Def. RFF, Off. RFF -- Sidekick, spinback kick. This is the one I am most confused on.....Defense....stepback downblock, hook blocks the back kick (what foot forward, what stance) --- then reverse punch (deep front stance here?) ----------------------------- Bo-Bo Kumite I'm good on all of these except 10. I think offense does a lunch strike --- in a crane or deep front stance? Then defense which is LFF transitions into a horse stance RFF...blocks, strikes (what types) -------------------------- Sunsu I just need someone with patience to type the moves out. You don't have to be too specific as I have learned it before and I'm hoping it'll be enough to jog my memory. I remember it starts with the corkscrew punches (like Sanchin but fast) --- then a couple more moves....LF transitions to horse stance, open block, then crane stance.....blah! I can't remember this one Thanks for any help you can provide! Kita

Welcome --- even though you've been here for a while

Well since I've seen a creative weapons form done with an UMBRELLA --- nothing surprises me.

We've been tossing around the idea of starting a tournament team at my school....how would we go about getting sponsorship for hitting some of the larger tournaments --- they can get pretty expensive! Thanks in advance

Tooo funny!!!! You play football and attack the ball with mawashi geri. It was Kickball! You sweep the yard with a broom and end up practising Bo katas. Yup!!!! Happens playing pool too You greet someone and say "Oss" and bow. Yeah, or have a conversation and agree by nodding my head and saying "Hae" instead of yes You remove your shoes and bow before entering a building/room. Removed shoes - no. Bowed --- yes Your absent-minded doodles turn out to be Japanese kanji. Uh huh --- most of the time I try to reproduce kanji People ask you a simple question and you answer with a Zen-like riddle. Yeah but that's just cause I feel like taunting someone...not MA related You don't walk in your sleep...you practise kata. No, but I don't sleep walk either. Here's one, when I cant sleep I don't count sheep, I go thru the moves of the kata in my head. You kneel down and automatically sit in Seiza. Sometimes You look at everything in your house and think how it could be used as a weapon.. Hey --- gotta be prepared