Zaine

I love seeing these positive updates, Bob. It really warms my heart, you're often in my thoughts.

You know, the idea of a free market is that when someone sees a gap that they have the opportunity to fix it. I recently started taking some new medicines for my ADHD and have found that I have a lot more time on my hands recently. Maybe it's time to make my million dollar idea into an actual million dollars.

There's a Shoshin Karate school in Albany that looks pretty good.

I mean, the title says it all. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I'm ready to rant. I've been thinking about the lack of pockets in my gi for quite some time now. I want them, and a lot of people that I've talked to also wants them. There's no reason that some company isn't just flooding the market with gis with pockets. I know that Century has a pair that is perpetually sold out, and I'm sure that there are other companies out there that have the same, but I don't have them. I'm also not very good at sewing. So it's not like I can just sit down and take care of this problem myself. I have a Master's in English and Creative Writing. I'm an ideas guy, not a sewer. And I know that there are reasons that we don't, but those are in the past! But John, you say, why would you want things in your pockets during an intense class. I don't! I want to be able to have stuff in pockets as I walk up to class, or to a new dojo where I'm not sure that there is a changing area. I want to be able to use them in informal classes and lighter training at home! I want functionality! I want options! But John, you say again, you could snag a finger! I won't! My gi top usually rests over where pockets would be, and my hand does not often go to where my pockets be unless chambering in which I have a tight (but relaxed) fist which means that the closet finger I have to the pocket is my pinky; safely curled into the palm. But John, you say, tournaments don't allow you to have pockets when competing. I know, and I think that's silly! Am I going to reach in with a gloved hand for some pocket sand? That's a DQ even if I got the sand from the ground! Even so, I currently own 3 sets of gi pants. I can just have a separate pair for when I'm at a tournament. Or, I can protest this oppressive, no pockets climate that the tournament elites have created. It's would be my choice if there were pockets. Look. All I'm saying is that gis with pockets are an easy win. They could even just make them custom for each order and get more money. All I know is that I want to keep my personal belongings in my pockets and I wear a gi so much in my life that it seems insane that I can't do that here.

My current dojo does something similar. There are 3 kyu ranks in the white belt that is separated by a certain amount of knowledge. Each bit of knowledge gets you a yellow stripe. When you learn the punching drill that we do and can do it on your own count with no reminders, you get a stripe. Learn our blocking drill in the same way, and you get another stripe. Afterwards, once you can do Taikyoku Shodan with proficiency, you get tested for yellow. However, this only applies to the kid's classes. Kids are motivated far more by progress they can see, and the stripes at white belt help them stick through it. It's that easy shot of dopamine that cements the kids into coming back. For adults, there are no stripes. Your first test takes you straight from 10th to 7th. It's a good system.

That only accounts for 6 kyu ranks. Assuming that Brown is going to be three of those ranks, that's still only 8 kyu ranks. Are you doubling up on other belts?

I have a couple of friends who do something like this. Teaching karate very, very rarely is a viable full-time job. I've trained with a lot of people in the past 20 years, some of them with very successful dojos, who still had regular jobs. My first Shodan is a guy who started teaching me and a few people in the community center of the trailer park he lived in. From there he grew. I wouldn't worry to much about being only a Shodan. If you're still attending your other school(s), you will likely hit Nidan before you able to promote someone else to Brown Belt, much less Shodan. New people take roughly 3 years on average to get to Brown belt, and then another 2 from there for Shodan. You could either just pick your favorite variation, which is something that I am planning to do, or teach them all and let the student decide which one they are going to focus on. I would suggest just picking your favorite variation; too much choice for someone new to Karate can be too overwhelming. I like to collect kata, and I find different variations fascinating. For example, the version of Pinan Shodan I learned is incredibly different from anything I've seen anyone else do, but my favorite version is the Shotokan version, which is not even a style that I've ever done but I've watch videos of Shotokan Pinan Shodan enough that I can do it. On the other hand, the Naihanchi I learned first uses Uchi Hachiji Dachi and I don't like doing versions with Horse Stance, but I'm currently going through a system that does a version with Horse Stances.

I've seen this done a few ways. My current dojo combined two styles and awards ranks in both at testing. My first dojo eventually added enough other things that they felt it warranted calling it a new system and just created one with Shorin Ryu as a base. I've seen others do something similar and still just call it what they learned first. There's a great dojo near me that teaches Goju Ryu and also adds ground fighting into the mix. For me, I eventually want to start my own system. I have a lot of variety in my experience and I want to take what I know and create something that is greater than its parts. Will I be good at that? I sure hope so. In my first dojo, after the switch, the CI explained the history of the system whenever he talked to new people about it. Essentially, he was very upfront about what the system was made of, and why he had made the decision. I imagine that if I get the opportunity to design my own system, I would do the same. Lineage is still very important, even if you are the beginning of a new one. Yes, and I think that we do a disservice not only to the students, but to ourselves, when we don't. Karate, like many things, is meant to evolve and grow. There's a reason new systems keep popping up. I think that a mistake that a lot of people make when starting their own system is that they cut themselves off from organizational support. Sometimes, this is because their previous organizations want nothing to do with new systems. Sometimes, it's due to that very human tendency to want to strike out on our own with no help. My first teacher was in the latter, but networked with other schools in the area to hold tournaments and seminars, creating his own organization. At the end of the day, as Bob likes to say, the proof was on the floor. It didn't matter who his lineage was, people could see clearly the effectiveness and legitimacy of the system. For me, I have a desire to maintain contact with the people and organizations that I've built relationships with. I'm a millennial, and therefore love freely accessible information. I think that, at the very least, any non-classified information should be readily available. In that, I love the idea of Martial Arts organizations, especially inclusive ones. I want to learn and help others learn. My biggest problem with organizations, as they stand now, is that they often gatekeep knowledge and information. Not just things like kata videos, bunkai demonstrations, etc., but things like histories and philosophical information.

Congrats R5ky! Well deserved!

Yeah! That second trailer looked great. I know I should curb expectations, but I'm hyped.

I'm with Bob on this one. I've been thinking about this for 2 days. 1: Not only receiving my Shodan after an arduous, painful test, from my Sensei, but one from a grandmaster in their style as well. 2: I've recently started creating Karate educational content. It has only been week, but I have found it to be incredibly fulfilling and fun (if not a little silly at times when I take photos at the park). 3: Starting the belt journey over. It has caused me to have perspective changes. Re-evaluate the Karate I learned first in a more objective way and has made me a better martial artist all around. It humbled me not in temperament, but in intellect; and I'm grateful for that.

What's the title of the book?

The most consistent advice that I have been given from dieticians is the best way to get macros and micros is to eat foods in which those things occur naturally. I have protein powder because I take Adderall and that kills my appetite so it's a good way to get extra calories, but overall if you're looking for more protein, or energy, or anything from a supplement, your best bet is to eat more food with a higher density of those nutrients.

We don't know your body, and so the best we can do is recommend what works for us. Your best bet is to sample a good range of products and stick with what you like best. That being said, the thing that gives you focus in pre-workout is mostly the caffeine. If you have a favored energy drink I would suggest going with that instead of trying something new so close to the tournament.

For those that do not want to purchase a book, The Bubishi is in Public Domain, so you can get it for free. Just not with all the fancy analysis from McCarthy. My favorite part, as is usually the case with these types of books, is the history sections. I love knowing where things came from and the philosophical underpinnings that made it what it is today.

I was so obsessed with Power Rangers when I was a kid that during a play my parents were in (I was in also, Carousel requires a lot of children extras) I would do Power Ranger moves instead of bowing.

That's awesome! HIIT makes an incredible difference, and I love doing it. I noticed the exact same thing when I started doing it in my classes. The only thing that I would suggest is that after doing it for awhile, take a week break. They're not kidding when they say high intensity and your body feels it. I currently do a 4 weeks on 1 week off routine. During that week, I'll do some yoga, bike or row instead of row, or just take a break from it all. Your body wants those rest periods, and taking them will make you stronger in the long run.

I worried about that as well, but it ended up not being that bad. As my first Sensei used to say, in Karate you leave your egos at the door. I'm there to have fun and train, and everyone knows that I have 20 years under my belt, 2 Shodans, and that my practice schedule is intense. More than that, however, I love sharing. I can give perspective. I love drilling the same thing 100 times in a row. I have the patience to help someone until we're both satisfied. A part of starting over is lifting up others. A part of Karate is lifting up others. I'm there because I love Karate and I love it when other people walk into the door for the first time. I love having the chance to share that love. If others are hurt by your skill, especially after learning that this is not your first go-around, then that's their issue. That is their insecurity. They can either leave their egos at the door and let that motivate them to work harder, or they can wallow in their envy. That's not on you. In my experience with kids and teenagers (and I taught 4th - 8th grade, so it's no small amount of experience), I think there a part that has an expectation of adults being better. When you're a teenager, you think that being a teenager is hard. I remember thinking it would be so nice if I had all this time that adults seemed to have to practice and do other things, but I had a schedule to keep. Obviously, I was comically unaware of how hard the next part of my life would be. However, if there are hurt feelings from younger people, that's a great opportunity to express to them that you have experience, and that you practice. They can be just as good as you are. The only thing that separates the two of you is time and practice.

Someone on Reddit was looking for a system for striking to supplement their grappling experience and posed the question "Why should I choose Karate?" This comes up on KF every now and then, but I have found that the reason people do Karate change as they do. So, why did you choose Karate? Why do you continue to choose Karate? Would you change your decision if you could go back? Here's what I wrote: Well for me it was because it was free at the time, and the love came later. Now those reasons are different and hard to quantify, but I'll do my best. There is a certain ritualization to it. The practice of the kata, the procedures for beginning and ending a class, and the way you address those around you have a certain comfort to them. A rhythm that promotes self-discipline and mutual respect. If you're looking for self-defense, there are many schools that focus more on this than something like sparring. If you want more sparring, there are many schools that focus more on that than self-defense. In this, the variety of choice is nice. Karate has grown to such a point that you can find what you are looking for if you look for it. Karate teaches you range. Unlike Muay Thai and other systems which prefer to remain "in the pocket" with their fighting, Karate tends focus on coming in at a range and leaving quickly. If you are looking to get some striking in as a way to be a better fighter in a ring, this translates having a bigger toolbox when you're closing in on your opponent, and having more practice quickly gaining distance if you need to. This is a generalization, to which there are exceptions. Kyokushin, for example, is a style that prefers to have closer ranged fights. Again, variety is great. You can find a style that focuses long range, short range, or something in-between. Karate has made me a smarter fighter. Sometimes, when I'm watching an MMA bout, I see fighters rush in headlong, or with little consideration. This works for them, and some successful fighters do just this. However, it's also often their downfall. Karate can be that sometimes, but mostly I have found that it is a game of analysis. It teaches you to abandon yourself in the moment, certainly. Mushin is an important concept. However, there's no small emphasis on gauging not only your opponent, but yourself. What's your distance look like? What options do you have? What's around me that's useful to incorporate into this next attack or defense? Finally, Karate puts emphasis on defense. Most 2+ step drills focus on receiving an attack, instead of initiating. It teaches you that a block is a strike and a strike is a block. It teaches you how to avoid damage, and to know when to take some damage to gain an advantage. In my experience with other styles, such as MT, Boxing, etc., there isn't an emphasis on this like there is with Karate. Getting hit is a part of fighting, but Karate, in my experience, attempts to train you to mitigate that damage as much as possible Overall, I love Karate because it is a part of me. It was chance that my family started doing Karate. A friend offered it for free and by the time he started charging, we were helping him teach so we had no tuition. There was a time, I think, when I might have said that I would do it differently, perhaps join Muay Thai or Boxing, but now I wouldn't give up these experiences for the world. Is that because I am older? Wiser? Let's say yes . I realize now, looking back, how much I needed the discipline and rituals of Karate. To my young ADHD brain, having the routines of practice to do at home and the consistency of Karate in general was exactly what I needed at that time. I didn't know I had ADHD then, just that there was a lot about Karate that I found soothing. On my worst days I still drill kata to calm down. Moving through moves I've done countless times, having something occupy myself with other than the cacophony of noise in my head. This is a longer post, and I wax on a little as I ruminate, but y'all should do the same. Tell me your stories.

hey Sensei8, that's interesting because I haven't really run into that while practicing Shotokan or Shorin Ryu. In class, they occasionally used seasoned brown belts as an example for the lower kyus. However, I have never seen them approached for their input as part of promotions as they themselves were still part of the Kyu gradings. Dans and above where always graded by higher ranking BBs (yodans and above) I have seen them assist with kids classes under a black belt but not lead a class solo unless the BB was unable to make it to the dojo on that certain day and would tell them to cover To the bold type above... You might've not seen them approached; however, they more than likely were approached behind closed doors by a phone call and/or the CI visiting their dojo's. After all, the reputation of their CI was always at stake one way or another. Exactly this. I am often approached in private to give my thoughts on a student getting close to a test. Given, I have 20 years of experience, but even when I was a new brown belt (over a decade ago) this would happen. If you use brown belts to teach new material, then the brown belts are going to be the ones with the most intimate knowledge on where those new students are. It's only natural to ask them what they think.

Just wrapped up my Sankyu test. There were 10 other testees, 4 total going for Sankyu, 2 for Yonkyu, 3 for Gokyu, and 1 for Nanakyu. It was a good test! Everyone passed, and I'm currently enjoying some pizza in celebration. Almost to that 3rd (and 4th) Shodan!

I was in your shoes 6 months ago, starting a new dojo that practices a different branch of Shorin Ryu. I just went in as a white belt, didnt even consider asking to come in at Shodan. I wear it during informal classes, and of course any time at a tournament or outside thing, but in classes I started over and I found the experience to be refreshing and a lot of fun. That said, they are different enough from my branch of Shorin Ryu (Matsumura Seito/Shorinji to Shobayashi/Shudokan) that I don't think it would have made much sense to ask. If this school is so similar to the point of the difference being trivial, I would ask the Sensei what their expectations are.

The dojo I grew up in also did mostly MMA/KC rules when sparring. The CI reasoned that it was because he wanted us to be prepared in the event that a fight didn't end due to some self-defense technique we learned, but I think a big part of it was also that he's a fan of MMA and just wanted to take part in it. Whatever the reason, the tournaments we went to did continuous sparring and we always took first in our respective age/rank groups.

Allow me to insert some of the words I learned while compiling a massive amount of debt in order to be called a Master of the English Language. From what I can tell from reviews, both professional and reader, it seems to be a speculative/slipstream young adult book. Slipstream is an umbrella term used to say that a book, or story, has a setting that is either the modern, real world or a world that is closely paralleled in technology and culture. In this alternate world, there is some element of fantasy (in this case Chi being quantifiable and used as a force instead of abstract and philosophical). In essence, it's an imagining of our world with a few things that are different. This is nice because for the reader, they do not have to do a lot learning about the world or memorize a bunch of obscure locations, making the things that they do need to learn much more manageable. For the writer, they don't have to create some huge fantasy world with that they have to keep track of. It's a genre which has been seeing rising popularity within the last 2 decades (think Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or, going back even further, Slaughterhouse Five). This one looks like a fun read. I think I'll pick it up to read to my kiddo.

So many people don't make it this far. I'm glad you have.