Zaine

It really depends on the judge. What I would look for is good technique, did the competitor stumble or forget anything and, if so, how did they recover. This is sparring that isn't interrupted to count points. So in points sparring, someone will score a point, say a kick to the abdomen, and the fight will stop, the points will be tallied and the fight will go on. In freestyle sparring, the points are tallied as the fight goes on. So instead of the fight ending when someone hits 3 points, the fight ends after a set amount of time. Practice. Every day for at least an hour you should devote yourself to practicing Martial Arts. I use this as a general rule regardless of whether or not someone is going to a tournament. Also, ask your instructor to give you some pointers before or after class. Do whatever your comfortable with. If you would like to do the higher level kata, put the practice in. If you think you have a better shot at winning with the one you're more proficient at, do that one. Again, talk to your instructor about it. Good luck at the tournament!

If you have the income for it, I would suggest getting a gi tailored to your body! It's crazy how comfortable it is to have this done. As for all of those extra gis you can donate them to your school so that they could use them for students who can't afford one.

In the first school I went we had to kiai during the basics (on 5 and 10). At first it felt silly but the repetition ingrained it in my head and the kiai became part of the routine. So there's a few suggestions I could give you. 1) If you do basics in your class try to kiai at certain points. 2) When you practice at home, kiai. 3) If you don't do it because it feels silly, remember that you're in a place where absolutely no one is going to judge you for the kiai. It may feel awkward at first, but don't worry. You're not doing the kiai for anyone but your teachers and yourself and if they expect it, then do it. Like others have said, (and this is probably the ONLY place I would make this argument) everyone else is doing it. 4) If you don't think your kiai is good enough, remember to use your diaphragm when you kiai. It will give you better projection and generate that 7% that Wastelander was talking about much more effectively.

Regrets are (unfortunately) inevitable. To err is human and all that. The trick is identifying those regrets and moving forward. Eventually they become motivations and obstacles to overcome.

Martial Arts definitely helped me through my depression, even though there was a time where I didn't want to go to classes because of it. Depression is terrible and it saps your will to do everything but luckily I had my mother, who was also in the class with me, to make me go. That being said, it's awesome that you've started up again and now that you know that it will help you will always have motivation to keep coming back.

For our BB tests, stopping during a kata is an automatic fail, so we were always told that if we lost our way to make something up and get back to center. Better to get a bad grade on one kata then to botch the whole test. Nice recovery. Same with my school. Part of the test was that we kept a level head under pressure. If we forgot something then just keep going.

What's the point of practicing self defense then if you are just going to lay down? My guess is that he had faith in his training. I think that a couple of things factor in to that. There is a difference between self defense and putting yourself in the line of fire. It didn't seem that the robber had any intention to kill the guy if he had simply handed over his iPod. In that case, it is a better to assess the situation to see if force is needed, which is something that instructors should be teaching. If the robber had threatened the man's life and the only way to live was to defend, then I would argue that you should risk your life to disarm the robber.

This is mine as well. It took me far too long to realize how much I actually cared about myself as a Martial Artist. Once I did though I feel that I quickly made up for lost time!

You've hit an interesting point I think. Throughout human history there has frequently been a gladiatorial stage on which spectators like to watch blood shed. If it isn't fighting with a sword and shield in a colosseum it's running a football down a field or (to make a less subtle comparison) two people in an octagon fighting each other. Regardless, it would seem that we crave this kind of show on some level.

Congrats!

Awesome video, thanks for sharing!

My favorite is still my Shodan test. During the kata test I was to perform a Nunchaku kata. The kata was simple enough, but I hated it (and so did my Sensei, which is why I probably didn't think it was as important to master). So I get through the first part and realize that I have absolutely no idea what is supposed to come next. So I improvised and finished up my kata. On the testing board there were a few visiting masters who complimented me on how good the kata looked and that they could see no fault in it, but they wanted to know what my instructor thought. My instructor furrowed his brow and simply asked "John, could you do that again?" I smiled and said "No sir, not if my life depended on it." He then related to the other members of the testing board that he wasn't sure what kata I had performed but that it certainly wasn't the one that he taught me. I ended up getting compliments on how well I did masking that fact and making something up off the cuff but I was super nervous about it in the moment.

Find a few people who want to learn and train with them while teaching for free again. It really helps to find a couple of people who are passionate about training and learning and spending time with those people. If that rekindles your love for MA then awesome! If it doesn't then maybe you're a little burned out and need a break, it happens to the best of us.

And if your gi doesn't shrink, or doesn't shrink enough, well, then get out the sewing kit and make it to your specifications. OR...send it back to the company you bought it from so that you can get a properly fitting gi. Nowadays, gi's are tailored for a many body types. In the days of old, gi's were in whole sizes, 1 - 6, so they either fit well or they just didn't. Tailored gis are nice! If you have the disposable income I would definitely suggest investing in getting your gi tailored to your body.

Welcome to KF!

They're actually in Cedar Hill, which puts it at 3 hours. That being said, Kenshin Kan is headed be Fusei Kise who is also the GM of Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu at the time.

In Arlington there is a Shorin Ryu school under the banner of Neshmahat Elohim called house of courage Karate. However, they won't promote him to 1st Dan because he's so young. Arlington is about 2 1/2 hours away from Fort Hood.

That's no good! Get well soon!

I shiver with enthusiasm at the asking of this question! While I believe that out there somewhere, there exists a foundation for the philosophy of martial arts upon which we loosely build all of our conceptions about what makes a martial artist. I have seen schools that list what they believe is the foundational ground work to which you usually see words such as "integrity, compassion, courage etc." written at various places in the dojo. I have read books full of what someone's philosophy for martial arts. Are any of these things correct? Maybe. I absolutely think that these different conceptions of what it is to be a martial artist are true to that person. For me, the philosophy of martial arts might resemble something similar to the Shaolin concept of "middle path." I've added a bunch of western conceptions to this, being one who IS a western, but what I believe is at the core of the philosophy of martial arts may be different from others. For me, a martial artist embodies many different concepts, such as patience and compassion. A martial artist also embodies one who thirsts for knowledge. We endlessly and tirelessly delve into the varies systems that we practice to glean some bit of new information that we can use. It is our obsession. It is our noble endeavor. However, this is not the answer to your question. In asking your question you have taken the first step into becoming a martial artist I think. Decartes said I think therefore I am. What he meant was that he has the ability to take apart ideas and the world in his mind to get at the answer to anything. This process is what you have started. From here, you will (most likely) endlessly struggle with what it means to be a martial artist. Through this commitment to this question you will find yourself delving into whatever knowledge bank you can find to pull into the light what you believe it is to be a martial artist. Whether you come to an answer that is a spiritual one or otherwise. Good luck. If you come to an answer please publish, I'd love to read your work.

How old is he and what is his current rank?

I have studied multiple systems, but most of what I know comes from Shorin Ryu. Through that I have learned: Bo Nunchaku Sai Kama Tonfa Through Schola Saint George I am learning: Longsword Daga Sword and Buckler Polearm Rapier Spear

I think that you hit the nail on the head here. There will always be some political structure in any organization, regardless of how small or large. I think that this goes double for MA! Look at us! Regardless of how independently we start our schools, there is almost always some nod to the authority of those who trained us and it comes up in this forum all of the time. Sensei8, you refer to your soke and dai-soke as someone of authority who you listen to within your organization. Others, such as my teacher (at least in the beginning) followed the rules of his teacher, who in turn followed what the our GM said. Even those of us who don't agree and end up breaking away from the system proper follow some political structure with us at its head. We have officers of our policies, others who help us enforce our rules and so on. No politics in MA I think goes against our want for a disciplined life as well. It is our political considerations that help us run a formatted and helpful class. It gives us structure enough to know what is required of each rank and what is expected of them if they are to progress. Our politics are an extension of who we are as a Martial Artists. Those of us who lead (or at least try their very best to) a disciplined life need that structure to show the importance of discipline to our students. So I think that politics in MA will always be necessary, regardless of how much they may infuriate us.

I had the exact same experience with my first school. I really liked the relaxed environment. Despite that, we did listen when he spoke, and we followed his instructions to the letter. That being said, he was Steve, not Master, Sensei or anything else. Just Steve.

It depends on the school. I've seen schools that, when a kid moves the the adult class, their next test will be for whatever rank is equivalent to their knowledge. For example, if the kid was a 3rd kyu by the kids class standards, he/she will be tested for 5th kyu by adult standards. I have also seen school where once the student moves into the adult class they are held at the rank they have (again, lets say it's 3rd kyu) until they have the proficiency to test for 2nd kyu by adult standards. I don't know which system is better, but they all seem to work more or less.

This was a fantastic story. Thank you for sharing.