Zaine

I will certainly do so! I plan to write up a "tournament report" when it's over. 30 minutes of general karate. I focused a lot on fundamentals. Then another 30 minutes of training with my daughter this morning. We mainly focused on her own kata for the tournament, but did save the last 10 minutes for sparring. 30 minute bike ride

If it's any consolation, when my first teacher got his 5th dan, a master rank in Matsumura Seito, as well, he requested that we continue to call him "Steve." Like you, I am wary of people that rest on their titles as a way of forced respect. It sits poorly in my stomach. That said, title or no, I understand your overall concern. I often ask myself: What do I deserve. It's certainly the question that I asked myself when leaving the dojo. It's the question that I am still asking myself in relation to my own struggling about rank and it's importance. We say that rank doesn't matter, and it certainly doesn't in the grand scheme of things, but it does within the political structure of martial arts, and it has a big impact on the "here and now." It is important insofar as the higher your rank is, the more you are allowed to do within the structure of an organization. At the end of the day, it's your decision. You get to decide how you are represented and you're allowed to take steps to achieve that representation. If a 5th dan is what you want right now, then I say go for it. You might find, along the way, that it was something different that you wanted and abandon the quest for a test. You might realize that the reason you wanted the 5th dan is deeper than you originally thought. You won't know until you take your first step on the path.

30 minutes of kata training. I'm doing Seieunchin for a tournament on Saturday.

Thanks, Brian. I love this forum and how supportive we are here. I was musing with a friend that this part of the karate journey has felt a lot like I got out of the tutorial and now what I do is my choice. Karate feels a lot like an open world game, in this regard. Do I want to follow the main story (i.e., work towards that next belt), or do some side-quests (i.e., train with different people and develop myself to be more well-rounded). For the last 14 years, since my first Sensei stopped teaching, I've been doing the latter. It's been fun, and it's only because I want to teach students and have them feel secure in the fact that I didn't somehow "cheat" the system for rank. My Sensei sometimes had to field questions about that, and while no one could say that he didn't absolutely have the skill to be his rank, it was still annoying to hear people question his lineage. He seemed less worried that we are, and now that I'm older I understand why. I, too, don't really care what people think about how I got my rank. I still want to test and go through the rigors, but I think my skill speaks for itself. As Bob says, I leave all the proof they need on the floor.

I'm curious to hear how it is - it might be a case of a good game that has had too high expectations. The Avengers game on PS5 was similar - i actually really enjoyed it but it was slated everywhere! That's what I'm thinking, as well. As long as the combat is fun, then I'm probably down for it. I watched a few reviews of it that were more generous, and I think that some of the critiques are valid, but the cooler heads seem to think that the game is fine. Considering that I liked Arkham Origins, which wasn't great, I think that I will like Gotham Knights as well.

10k bike ride this morning. Finished in 28:47, which I'm very happy with. My wife and I recently got bikes and it has been a great way to exercise for us. It's fun to go so fast with the lesser amount of impact.

I heard mixed reviews about Gotham Knights. Let us know how it is. I really want to play God of War: Ragnarok. The previous GoW is one of my to 5 games of all time.

Thank you both for your encouragement. I have, actually, considered looking for a remote learning situation. There is an MSSR school in Fort Smith, AR that is only 4.5 hours away. He already has an online program, and I can go through him. I have a friend who recently came into contact with an MSSR guy who just moved to the area as well, so I'm waiting to hear back about that as well. If nothing else, I've been representing the school in a tournament league that is local and doing some great networking. The schools there are run by great people who seem to really love karate. I can continue to develop those relationships and see if they will test me in "general MA." My sensei did something similar for his Godan.

Buckle up, your boy has an M.A. in English and needs to sort out his thoughts. It's going to be wordy. I left my dojo this week, withdrew completely. I had been there for a year and a half, made sankyu, and was a couple of months away from nikyu. However, I had begun to notice a change in the CI. A quickness to their anger and an increasing shortness with their students. It seemed to me that they had forgotten that, at the end of the day, they provided a service. It is true that they get to choose who takes part in that service, and also that those paying for this service need to be respectful and observant of the rules, but the outbursts from the CI began to come at odd times. Like when a student who has experience was struggling to break a habit, and so the CI yelled at them in front of the class. Or when another instructor, who is inquisitive and always trying to get the CI's thoughts on things so that they are teaching the correct thing, is told to take off their belt, and that they do not deserve their rank, because of a single thing that the CI felt was incorrect. I had noticed a decline in the general atmosphere of the dojo over the last 2 months, but it was these 2 stories being told to me on Friday that put the final nail in the coffin. It also gave me a lot to think about. I've seen posts all over the internet from martial artists who, after years of noticing red flags, finally think to ask someone if what they are seeing is bad. It got me wondering about why I was able to pick this out so quickly, and what made me okay with leaving. I joined this dojo because it is the closest Shorin Ryu dojo in my area. It teaches Shobayashi (and Shudokan), which was not the Matsumura Seito that I learned (in which I have a Shodan), but it was close enough and my goal was to reach Sandan, so that I could open up my own school. I had little intention, both at the outset and at the end, to teach Shobayashi and Shudokan, but I love to learn, and I knew that I could use what I learned there to increase my understanding of my own style. I have been a martial artist for 20 years, so I knew that this was a viable path. In this, I was successful in using what I learned to increase my proficiencies in Matsumura Seito, while also developing a style that was distinct from both styles to teach. Of course, I did not reach that goal. This has brought other concerns. I still want to move up in my own journey, but I do not want to start again in a style that I do not intend to teach to do so. Finding a way to increase my rank so that I feel comfortable teaching my own school is a very real obstacle for me now. On that, at best, I have about 5-6 years to accomplish (due to the fact that I have, in fact, already opened my own school a little earlier this year). Given that I had such clear goals, I wondered what made me okay with leaving. In short, I know my worth. Primarily, I know that my skill level, both in martial arts and teaching, is of a level that my perception of my own rank is the only thing holding me back. In this, I have experience. I have been in this long enough to know that I do not need to achieve the highest rank at this school. I know that when something happens to make my relationship with the dojo no longer mutually beneficial, that leaving is my best option. I lack the worries of the Sunken Cost Fallacy. I have the black belt. In the end, I do not need another. We often say that the thing that separates a black belt from a white belt is time, and experience. I began to wonder if the reason that I see so many posts wondering if the poster had made a mistake is this lack of experience. They do not know, necessarily, that the dojo has all of these red flags. This is often their first experience. Why would they know that? They have never been a part of a good experience. If their perception is that their experience is universal, then of course they would not ask questions. They want that black belt. It is, often, not until they hear of the experience of others, or someone brings to their attention all of the red flags, that they begin to wonder. It seems obvious that we should move on from things that do not make us happy, but what does that unhappiness look like? Like the proverbial frog in the boiling water, do we not notice the change until it is far too late? There is no list of things that are 100% red flags. Even within the world of martial arts, some things that look like red flags can be fine, just as things that appear to be good are indications of malfeasance. It is up to us to apply our own critical thought to these things. However, are we not distracted? Do you remember your first year doing martial arts? If it was anything like mine, it was filled with too much incoming information for me to be cognizant of the cracks that may have existed underneath. Perhaps I am overthinking this. Turnover in martial arts is very high. Perhaps it is only those of us who spend the time and find love who experience this. Either way, I now have a new journey to set upon.

Elden ring can be played co-op, but it's only within the specific zones. Otherwise, you can be invaded, but that's only if you're already playing co-op. Co-op also isn't default. You have to touch summon signs to bring people into your world.

Nice! Congrats to all the winners!

Lucky! I've been on the look-out for one. I really want to play the new God of War game.

Congrats Wado! It's always fun to see you in the forum.

Also late, but I went as Sailor Jupiter, and my kid went as Mal from Descendants.

Congrats! I'm glad that everything turned out well!

Astros take it!

We're in the top of the 8th. It's looking like the trophy is going to be in Texas this year!

Yes, and I have found that it allows for more momentum. I have long limbs, and allowing these extremities to work for me, instead of making them do it, has been really great. I have found that I no longer look "stiff," I am getting more power from my techniques, and I am less worn out after doing a number of kata in a row.

11/1 Squats: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds Deadlifts: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds Calf raises: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds 30 minutes of rowing machine at highest setting. 11/2 Flat bench press: 3 sets of 15 @ 50lbs Negative press: 3 sets of 15 @ 50lbs 45 degree press: 3 sets of 15 @ 50lbs Bicep curls: 3 sets of 15 @ 30lbs Tricep curls: Bicep curls: 3 sets of 15 @ 30lbs Shoulder press: Bicep curls: 3 sets of 15 @ 30lbs Stationary bike: 30 minutes (16.3 km) 11/3 5k run (33 minutes) 30 minutes of kata training I have been approaching kata, overall, in a different way. Keep my body a lot looser, allowing my muscles to do their thing. It's been really great, and I feel that my form and technique has vastly improved.

Good to hear that you still enjoy it. I actually just ordered a new one (yellow) and I love it.

I wear a KI one for everyday training, and I love it. I think it holds up really well, especially since I'm pretty intense in my sessions.

10/26 5K run My average pace is improving. Yesterday, it was 11:03/mile, with my first mile being done in 9:43. I finished at 34:15. It's been awhile since I was a runner (pre-pandemic) and my heartrate needs work. Averaged 180. While that is peak for the entire time, I didn't feel in pain, nor really any abnormal discomfort, so I put it out of my mind and just paid attention to the podcast I was listening to. Previous experience tells me that this is normal, and that in a month my HR should be in Aerobic area when I run.

I keep forgetting to post here! Yesterday 10/25 Finally have gym access again thanks to my new office. I'm feeling it today, but it feels great to feel it. Squats: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds Deadlifts: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds Calf raises: 3 sets of 15 @ 75 pounds 30 minutes of rowing machine at highest setting.

Now that my Rangers are out of contention (as if they ever were since '11), I can safely root for the other Texas team. Go Astros! Sorry, Bob, but I cannot abide a Yankees win.

Oh wow! I marked the occasion myself, but it's cool that y'all noticed as well! It's easy to post a lot when we have such a good community!