shotochem

The best way to avoid the politics is to move on. I did and I have been a lot happier since. I'd do it again.....

That's the method that worked for me. The best way to learn your weaknesses is to have a good willing partner with excellent control to work with you.

How devious. I would never do a thing like that... would I....

So, we all seem to have a choice here. If Shotokan is, or is turning into a stagnant ineffective art what do we do about it? Do we all continue to live the lie so to speak and just train in something we know is not practical or do we evolve. I do not feel my time in Shotokan was wasted. I learned a good solid core of basics and good body mechanics and power. I was looking for more or at least a bit of freedom and open-mindedness which is not always present in a traditional Shotokan setting. I switched arts to Kempo and am crosstraining in BJJ. Are they the answer? For me for now? Yes. I find it interesting and exciting again. Do I think it is the answer to all and the best most complete system? No. I don't think we will ever find an art that is. -Marc-

Very true Rob. Keep in mind that this is not only a Shotokan thing. I have seen the same thing in Kempo as I have in Shotokan. The first time we went over applications in my current dojo I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All block and punch. Block and kick. When I started to show any sort of traps, locks, sweeps or throws they looked at me like I was crazy. ?????? There is a seious lack of creativity in the bunkai applications dept. in MA in general. I used to be the same way until I found a certain website about 8 or so yrs ago with some excellent resources, info and some crazy egotistical lunatic running it. Hmmm.....I wonder what happened to that guy.

I would say you acted appropriately. You were in a bussiness setting at a customer site. Associations outside of work should always be kept outside of work especially in regards to customers. When on rare occasions wher I have run into my sensei (ie.. grocery store, deli, bakery ect....), I would greet him hi Sensei how are you? Hows the wife and kids ect.....

All excellent advice. But, I would like to add that if it is a larger and much stronger opponent if you plan on grappling make sure you are a good grappler. Rudimentary grappling skills are not enough against sheer size and power. Grappling arts like BJJ are great but it takes a lot of practice and hard work to be effective. You just can't train a few weeks and become proficient. When even a skilled stand up fighter goes against a good BJJ practioner, he will most likely be toast. How do I know this? I just started to cross train and it was an eye opener. I'm not too shabby in my standup. My Sweeps, locks and throws are pretty decent. I'm not too bad on the ground but when flat on my back or when in the mount I was a dead man. What I'm really saying is that it is important to have a well balance arsenal at your disposal. Neither striking or grappling alone is enough. Remember a grappler can be knocked out before he goes to the ground, so both are important.

Orion, Look at it this way. I would rather have someone looking in say wow, that Blue belt is good than oh man take a look at that purple belt over there he's terrible. I recently started a new style and on day 1 as a white belt the other students were saying wow where did you find that whitebelt he's real good. Work hard. The rank really dosen't matter work on you movements being good, strong and effective. Work on your distancing and timeing as it will be all the more important in your sparring and as you advance. You is doing good keep it up!!!!

Hi Ronin, I've seen the same of a few karateka I've met. In each case they were some of the best students in their respective dojos. My theory on this is that when you don't train regularly with people who are much better than you it's tough to be as effective as you can be or to improve as much as you can. just my thoughts....

I suppose anyone with a college degree should lose it after being out of school for years???? The knowledge is always there. The accomplishment can never be taken away. I started a new style and I had absolutly no problem wearing a whitebelt. Not 1 person in the class had any doubt as to the level of my skill. I do not have the knowledge and understanding in my new art to deserve higher rank. True, I may posess greater skills on many things, but the true understanding of the art is not there. I have to earn it like everyone else. I may move along at a faster pace but I am still the same as everyone else. I never knew how much fun it was to learn a new art after you've already studied. It's so much less confusing and twice as much fun.

I don't know about losing the belt. I agree with you on that one. But he seriously lacked discipline, control and needs to seriously look inside himself and make sure he dosen't repeat his foolish mistake again. Hey, the guys nose was broken.. That guy will be feeling it for a while all over nothing. There should definately be some remorse over what happened.

Is he like this all the time or maybe he was having a bad day? Let it slide, but if he treats you kid like that again speak to him again and if that dosent work speak to your instructor and tell him if the treatment persists you will train elsewhere $$$$$ I doubt he would want to lose too many paying students on account of one guy who can't behave in the dojo.

Hi Ace, All people are different and respond differently under pressure. There is no magic bullet that will instantly make one calm and collected under pressure. It is not only in a fight scenario. It also happens during emergencies and during accidents. There is no shame or failure involved. The way to minimize the freezing up and the panicking is training and drilling the particular scenarios needed to understand and react appropriately in the case of a real situation. Police, firefighters and emergency responders drill on a regular basis so they can react to a situation in a quickly and efficiently as possible. If you apply the same concept to your self defense techniques and sparring it will greatly enhance your reactions in a real situation. How? ........ Work on no mind or circle drills. One guy in the middle the rest on the outside and randomly attack various attacks unannounced. Go hard, make it as real as possible without killing your partners. Make sure you spar someone who is much better than you and go hard. They will make you better and they will learn control in the process. Basically what I'm babbling about is that you have to desensitize youself to an extent and become used to reacting automatically and not give yourself a chance to think (freeze up).

Do that to someone with any experience and it is suicide. It leaves you too vulnerable and its all or nothing. The last person that launched themselves at me in that fashion lande about 8-10 ft past me on their rump. All it takes is a little sidestep and parry and their on momentem carries them a long way.

I personally train with either a plain white gi with nothing on it or a single org patch front. I see nothing wrong with a good tasteful embroidery on the back or good quality kanji. As long as your uniform doesn't look like a NASCAR race there is nothing to worry about. You know you may be taking redneck Krotty if........????

I fight both sides foward though with Shotokan and Kempo we fight left side foward. I prefer to go opposite of my opponent (left lead vs right lead ect..). It bothers a lot of people and throws them off their game. It works especially well for me against a person who likes to kick alot with their lead leg. I have a good quick leg sweep all ready for them and am in position to counter and sidestep to the cold side. If they want to throw that lead leg hook kick all the better, just step in scoop, sweep and down he goes.

Best defense not be there..... rear leg round house (right rear leg): You have to move in quickly without hesitation or you will get hit. Step in towards attacker right foot foward while throwing a jab to attackers face. Right hand knife hand to side of neck as you follw past attacker. (should be quite legal) Simple but effective....my favorite defense. (illegal) quick snap kick straight into attackers testicles. Everything is just wide open and easily accessible. This is why I rarely throw a roundhouse higer than waist high.

Most dojos will almost never take a colored belt rank away from a child. It means more to a child than an adult and would possibly have them lose their desire to train. The usual protocall is they keep the belt and then work up to the rank and can not test for higher rank until they are ready.

Sounds like crescent stepping. It does protect ones reproductive assets and also can be interpeted as a foot sweep while moving in on your opponent.

I disagree with all of you. A mighty Kia!!! Will allmost always disable all but the bravest of my opponents. (Did I mention I love to snack on raw oinoins and chew a few cloves of garlic before every sparring match?)

I don't mean to bash so please don't take it that way. Does the belt and rank really matter all that much? I have recently left my Shotokan dojo. I had been studying the style for 7+ years under a few different Senseis. I joined a Kempo club nearby that has more agreeable hours to accomodate my job and family needs at the moment. I started as a whitebelt again. Do I care? Honestly, No. The value of the belt is in the eye of the beholder. I did not get any less skillful by putting on a lesser ranked belt. Everyone I train with knows what my skill level is. It is a new dojo and a new style my rank may not apply but the knowledge is still there. I too have also trained with my son at a previous dojo (he was 8 at the time). We moved on due to the unfortunate death of our instructor and when I later joined another school it just wasn't the same for him. Kids want to have fun and their concept of what fun is changes at a constant rate. Let him choose what he likes to do, I pushed my son to train with me and he started to hate me for it. He went on to another art with a few of his school friends then quit again a year later. Typical kid.

Health, fitness, flexibility, improved reflexes and coordination. The ability to stay calm and relaxed under pressure.

Heres a cool one for ya. At the part with where you are at the hand in fist position (I forget the name) right before the 3 mountain punches (Double fist) to the rear. First one while stepping in with right top hand block and strike to face bottom hand to solar plex Second one step left top fist to face bottom to groin third one top hand grabbs shoulder bottom grabsbetween legs while you slide in to a firemans carry and throw opponent over you head(shoulder) following with scooping motion backfist to opponent on ground. Its much easier to demonstrate in person.

Good luck to you Laurie. There is life outside of the dojo. You may find that a little absence will either rejuvinate you and you may start again or you may look back fondly on what you learned and how much better your life is today because of it. I've been there. Birth of 2nd child, work, family, yet I felt the need to come back. Now after I joined a new style it all seems fun and relevant again. There is no longer the need to practice MA only the want. With any luck we will all still be training and posting with our grandkids. Best of Luck, -Marc-

It works real well as a snap to the groin or my favorite app.... snap to the kidneys. Its all in the snapping while rising its not a power tech but a stinging one.