Zaine

It's been a long time since I've competed, and even then the organization that hosted the tournaments didn't have katas so there were none. If I were to go to a competition now with a kata it would probably be Chinto.

Firstly, there is so much more to do and learn as a 1st dan and above than there is from 10th kyu to 1st. Does the learning come over a longer period, yes, but that is because when you get promoted to 1st Dan you have proven to your sensei that you have the commitment to the system to stick it through and grow at what certainly feels like a slower pace but is in fact exponentially faster than you realized. Secondly, Martial Arts isn't for everyone and some people only enjoy it when they are ranking up quickly. At 1st Dan you stop ranking up quickly and what used to take months now takes years. However, the things that you learn are much deeper and they take time to understand and perfect, a lot more is expected from you at 1st Dan and above and not everyone is ready, or willing, to rise to the challenge. Finally, you seem passionate about your martial arts. Did I get bored of what I was learning sometimes? Absolutely! There is a lot of repetition and tedium attached to martial arts at times and it isn't always about learning new things one after another. What kept me going, however, was that I love martial arts. Even when I was bored of it I remembered that I would learn new things and discoveries happen everywhere from 10th kyu to 10th Dan so never stop learning! Good luck!

That's an interesting question and I don't think that there is really a cut and dry answer to it. At this point (10+ years) you have a lot of knowledge and technique. I imagine that there is another kata to learn, but a lot of systems slow down or stop having new ones at this point. Mostly, what separates a 4th Dan from a 5th Dan is time and in that time you continue to grow and learn, falling more in love with (in your case) Goju Ryu. I wouldn't worry about rank, however. Continue learning and practicing and the rank will come. Congrats on your promotion to 4th Dan, it's a great achievement!

Hello Matt, welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

That an amazing accomplishment Brian! Thanks for the commitment and quality posts!

That's where you and I differ I think. I don't think balance has to come from a spiritual aspect. I think that balance and finding the core of oneself can be achieved via methis that don't involve spirituality. For example, while meditation is often a spirituah practice I don't think that it has to be and one can find their calm and center through meditation without adding a spiritual aspect. "Spirituality is a process of personal transformation, either in accordance with traditional religious ideals, or, increasingly, oriented on subjective experience and psychological growth independently of any specific religious context. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality 1. It does not have to be a religious experience. 2. Personal transformation is what helps achieve balance. 3. Through discernment a student learns when and when not to act/react. 4. Spirituality is who you are and no one can avoid the transformation that occurs as you experience life, overcome the rigors of training, etc. 5. Martial arts training can enhance that, even accelerate the process. Those are good points, I was attaching spirituality with religious experience instead of viewing it as something detached. So to amend my first answer, yes, I teach the spiritual side of MA.

That's where you and I differ I think. I don't think balance has to come from a spiritual aspect. I think that balance and finding the core of oneself can be achieved via methis that don't involve spirituality. For example, while meditation is often a spirituah practice I don't think that it has to be and one can find their calm and center through meditation without adding a spiritual aspect.

I teach that there can be a spiritual side to MA. I believe that there is but I understand that that part is not going to be there for some and it never will be. I don't worry about it because when it comes down to it there doesn't need to be a spiritual side to MA for a person to be a martial artist.

I live in Arlington and I am currently at work. Not being a big football fan I wasn't too worried about the game tonight. However, the hour of yelling and lamenting that followed showed me that most of my co-workers were. They did not share you attitude about the lose.

Congrats! That's great news!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you! The first test is always very nerve wracking up until the start. When it comes down to it you're getting tested because you instructor knows you're ready to advance. So my advice to you is to take a deep breath and do what you know! Good luck and relax, you're going to do great!

Happy Birthday Heidi! Hope it was a great one!

Happy birthday Brian! Hope it was a great day!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

That's awesome to hear! It's so great to return to the dojo, it really invigorates you and reminds you how much you love MA.

Congrats!

I wish you luck on your journey to recovery Bob, I will pray for you. Can't wait to hear about your triumphant return to the floor.

Happy new year and welcome to KF! Congrats on your decision to start Kyokushin again!

Happy new year!

I am working until 10pm! I plan to go home and start making the dough for bagels (to "ring" in the new year), maybe have a beer and then crash.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

First off, welcome to KF! I cannot say that I have heard of that style, can you tell us a little more about it?

Passai Sho. There was a tough decision between that and Chinto but in the end I think that I would do better with Passai.

While this isn't strictly related to Martial Arts, I think that anybody who is a Martial Artist can learn a lot from Leadership and Self-Deception published by The Arbinger Institute. It really puts your training into perspective and shines a glaring and sometimes uncomfortable light on how we hinder ourselves not only in MA but in our day to day lives.