Sensei Rick

this is covered here http://www.karateforums.com/how-many-kata-s-till-sho-dan-1st-degree-in-your-system-vt23938.html

Because there is a definative standard that must be met. I can see it. I can tell ya what rank you should be by watching you do kata. In as many arts there are, there are minimum standards and critical aspects that must be met. (loose fist, bent wrist, snap, etc.. ) and these must be met by every person and they must be able to meet these standards.

I too have been whacked in the head, by an ex at the dojo. I will NEVER date a student or a parent in my life....again. that being said, the dojo where I train at now, has created many many successful relatinships. almost everyone who is married there, that got married after they joined the dojo, got married to someone at the dojo. it's the strangest thing i've ever seen. I don't dare flirt with anyone, because there husband is inevitably a black belt. That, and my wife would kill me if I flirt with other women. I'm kinda bummed too, there are soooo many cuties there!!!!

They probably did it to protect people that USE chucks as a weapon. They are more dangerous to the person swinging them, than to the person they are being swung at. This is simply the worst weapon I can think of. That discovery channel martial arts show, proved this, by having an “expert” swing only to discover he wasn’t as good as he thought and the recoil time and risk of self injury proved them to be very flawed as an offensive weapon. Here in phoenix, I have seen police carrying them now, only there are all black and professional looking like there “tonfa” (P38’s or something there called) I have used them for joint lock application and they seem very effective. I just prefer my hand for that. I maintain that these laws are there to protect people, mainly the martial artist that bonks himself in the head with a pair of chucks.

I was gonna post here, but just reread this and you have the best answer to your question.

Thanks for the clarification, I thought I was drunk for a minute.

I don't drink. I don't believe that as Sensei, I should drink. One must be mindful of their appearance at all times. I am conscious of my behavior in public. I tell my students (the youth ones at least.) that to resist the temptations that others fall into so easily is part of being a black belt. It falls into discipline. All of my friends drink, even the policemen that are friends. I also play in a jam band. When we have parties, and when people who don’t know me are in attendance, they often think I’m a crazy drunk. I can have a good time without alcohol. My friends, who used to think that it was strange that I didn’t drink, are always quick to “defend” me, and tell the new found friends that I don’t drink. Now I am looked up to, just for not drinking. (weird) They are always the first to point it out and I simply keep silent. The funniest thing about no drinking is that people assume that you’re an alcoholic and you’re in recovery. Or that you’re a diabetic or something. Not simply that you just don’t want to drink. I am the host of our tournaments, so I play the music and MC the entire event. I am very well known to all the students from the other instructors in our organization. When I least expect it, and I’m just out with my wife or something, some little kid will some up to me and say, “are you Sensei Rick?” Always surprised that I would wanna eat at olive garden or something. I think that it’s a good thing that I’m not a drunk at these moments. I am in my forties. My teenage students see that they tire before me, even when I lead the classes and match them kick for kick, working out right along side of them. When they see me demonstrate a jump turning RH kick or something, I want them to believe that they can do it too; I want them to aspire to something higher within themselves. Leading by example, and not just because I said so, is something that I have tried hard to work on. I very well can’t tell a kid to stay away from drugs or alcohol, if I partake of them myself. Just as I wouldn’t ask them to perform better and harder, if I can not do it myself. I know there are instructors that drink, and that’s there choice. I have studied though with many people, and I think about who influenced me the most, and try to emulate them. It’s just my thing though, and if you’re an instructor that drinks, I hope that it is as others have said, only in moderation.

Funny, I was just thinking about this tonight. I make okay money for a karate instructor, But I can see where I'm about to top out. I have almost maximized the size of my classes. I don't want to work Friday nights, and I work Sundays for a good portion of the year. I am simply running out of space and time for more classes. At least at class times those students will attend. I am planning on adding an adult class into my Saturday schedule. One area that I am concerned with is my BB's. I have 42 of them but only one Nidan. Many of them have quit the arts all together. Like BB was the end. Even students that got there BB and said they were gonna just take a (insert short amount of time here.) break from training. I Have less than half still with me. My instructor has a ton of black belts, but very few low ranks, and has almost no white belts. I'm rethinking a lot of my training, but that's how it goes. I hand out copies of my curriculum to my advance students, but it changes all the time. I am constantly reevaluating my results. The problem with instructing is that it takes a while (sometimes 2 years or so) to see your results and readjust if needed. I am pretty focused on the instructing end and not on the marketing end right now. Oh well, so it goes.

i believe that judo is the most popular art in the world as far as attendance is concerned. Hence it was once the only art accepted by the olympics

Well, careful what you wish for. Without formality you lose too much of the MA… you lose the DO of the art. Without the respect you are just fighting. That is why there is a bow before a fight. That bow is saying that you respect the person and understand that this “fight” is about training or sport and not about any ill feelings for your opponent. When you are in a very formal school it may appear to the outside observer that you don’t have any personality. But to be obedient, to use words like sir or ma’am, requires higher character. It looks opposite. It shows that you have personality and that you are a good student. It may start with informal greetings, then ends up with people training in their underwear and not respecting their rank. It can be a type of anarchy. The encroachment of student’s not giving and receiving respect in your school can lead to the personality of your school changing. The attitude of the students change, either that or you will attract the type of students that are disrespectful. I have posted about these problems in BJJ schools that I have attended What harm is there in a polite greeting. You will not change in anyway. The worse that can happen is that you will be labeled as polite and respectful.

Hey, i'm excited to see a good JKD school out there. The rep of this style needs a boost from a school like yours. Good luck!

not that I want to get into a gun disscusion here, but an armed society is a polite society. And I live in the west. In AZ. you can open carry and you can get a CCW permit. I tell ya a weird thing. I have a harley. When I ride, every day, someone here tries to kill ya. they run ya off the road and what not. cut ya of in traffic, it's bad here. Now I don't know what it is, but if I carry my gun on my hip, people never cut me off. My gun is small and can barely be seen, but the bad driving around me stops. go figure, another good use for a gun. The funniest thing I've seen was one night in a red lobster, this old cogger with his frail little wife were dressed very nicely, eating dinner. when he got up to leave I saw that he was strapping a rather large glock on his side. It was refreshing to see. But it did look odd, he must have been in his 70's.

I study and teach traditional karate styles here in the usa. I am good freinds with master Jeng hung li and sifu teching jerry cook. These men are phenomimal fountains of knowledge and now Jerry and I find ourselves on opposite ends of the same path. the chinese arts are further along in the endevor that we are striving for. that is, the art of healing. I can teach you to destroy a person in a very short time. But I'm am just learning how to heal someone. How to make there life better through the arts. The five animal five elements forms are a perfect example of this. I was one who once put down kung fu styles. Now through these men, I have the utmost respect for KF. I love hung gar. Now there's a combative style. I think most people just don't understand, but pay them no mind. I've taken a bit of a ribbing in my day, but i'm in this for me. Not tfor anyone else. Keep your heart pure, and your intention honorable. Try to have black belt presense. even a tiger wont attack the strongest zebra.

I would call my style REX KWON DO. And our school uniform would be red, white and Blue baggies and a navy polo.

Wow, another great post, and I haven't even left this post today. I wish all of us lived in the same state and could get together and kick each others butt. My TKD instructor and I can't get together without beating on each other and laughing about it for hours afterwards. What was this thread about anyway????

everyone here HAS made great points, and so have I..... (pats self on back.) I think we are really in more agreement then most people would think. I love these MA debates. Since losing my sensei, I have very few people to do this with. There many options of protecting yourself, that are better than MA training. Buy a gun. You can learn how to use it way faster than learning how to fight. As for fault... as in who's fault is it that so and so can't fight. Read the entire thread. Some people just can't fight, no matter how much training they take. It's just a FACT of life. They just don't have what it takes. My brother has never taken a MA class in his life, yet I would want him on my side IN A FIGHT before most of the black belts i know. My brother can just fight. he has it in him. He's violent and looks for trouble too. But he can fight. Sometimes training just doesn't matter. If self protection is your goal, then you may want to supplement your art with a concealed weapons class. I have also maintained that there are two types of karate. Old man's karate, and Young man's karate. when you get burned out on one, you do the other. I hape i live a very long time. I want to experience both. I finally am seeing many sides of this art that weren't there for me before. I love that I am in better shape than most of the men My age. And I love that I have so much to share with my students. And I love...... that i had such a good class today. Take care guys..... take care of your mind first, then take care of your body. Don't beat it up to bad, you may need it for a long time.

So, you say that self defense is the goal. How many times do martial artists get into street fights? How many times have u yourself got into a street altercation? How many BB's do you know that can't fight that well? There are many!! Why train 20, 30, or 40 years for one street fight. The chances of getting into a fight are about 1 in a 1000, and I even think that figure is high. I wouldn't spend 40 years, learning to fly a plane, if i was only going to fly one time, for about 2 minutes (and 2 minutes is a long time, in terms of a street fight). Why would you train 40 years, learning how to fight, only to fight for 2 minutes of your whole life with another person. If you have trained in MA for 40 years, you might be around 58 years old. Why the heck are you putting yourself into a situation where you might get into a fight at 58. As far as self defense, go learn to shoot a gun and get a concealled carry permit. if they don't allow that where you live, move here to arizona. A gun will work better than the best round house kick I can do. Is your instructor stating that it's okay to use you MA in the street. I have a rainbow of belts in a variety of styles. I have a BB in 2 different styles. Every single style that I have studied or that I am aware of have a dojo kun of some kind that admonishes violent behavior. If you are happhazardly living a life that puts you in violent danger, then you should reconsider your life style. Now let's look at it from another point still. How long can it take you to become a better fighter than an untrained person. At the outside let's say for arguments sake, you can become better than an untrained person with five years of training, 3 days a week. Well, why continue? Why go to class ever again. You've learned some good self defense, and your chances of an altercation are low, so why do back to class, and pay dues, physical dues and financial dues. Bushido, you know I respect you. I have told you so in PM's before. I have only privately talked to 3 people in these forums the whole time i've been here. I am not sure how long you have been training, but train long enough, and you will HAVE to come up with a better reason to go to class than self defense. I now think aout my life as a whole and how MA and training in it everyday will improve my quality of life. what type of training I will have to do to improve that quality of life. Self defense and fighting is now the last thing on my mind. Respectfully..... me, Sensei Rick

okay, so then, what would you say is the ultimate goal of karate then bushido?

Of these two points.... I have no doubt. But, point number one, Is being a better fighter your ultimate goal, or is living a better life. Getting into a fight as an adult is a slim chance at best, and if you have gotten into a fight as an adult, you were probably partialy at fault..... I know I was. The ultimate goal of karate is to help you seek perfection of character. And, you say that you are a better fighter with this other type of training. How do you know that you would not have bennifited from more karate training. What if you had spent the years training in karate that you spent in MMA. How do you know that it wasn't just the time....... and not the art. The point is at least worth considering... is it not?

22 is too youg to be 4th dan.... period......IMHO. 4 th represents your contribution to the art......how can you contribute anything at that age. I have seen organizations that don't even allow this rank untill 35. I have seen very young high ranking BB's that don't even understand there own style. One couldn't tell me weather the backfist in his 3rd kata was a high back fist or a middle back fist..... c'mon, they should at least understand there own art. Now, I will answer the question at hand. First, ask the order of the ranks in the system. What color follows what color? Write them down if you have to. Then watch a class that has many ranks. Usually a night class consisting of only adults. Is there a distinction between the skill, or do all the belts look the same? Are the black belts strong in there presence, even if they are small people? Or does everyone, no matter what belt color, look the same. Are they just hap hazardless going thru the motions or are the senior ranks inspiring the lower ranks to try harder and meet a higher standard. That's what’s important to me anyways. I want to see a definitive distinction at each level

these prorams are costlyand not you. i woudn't recomend

Thank u boshido, ur words are kind and have much heart behind them. Dear Boyo, this kinds of training isn't bad but, what are your goals. to aimlessly strike the air, is as others have stated... a waste of time. If you are truly devoting this much time, you should be awsome. if your not awsome, you needa new instructor. and you need a goal. Are you trying to compete. The o nly time in my life i trained this hard was for competition. If you're not an international competitor, then this is too much and will destroy your young body. You body needs time to repair and recuperate. I can't stress enough how dangerous this can be to your joints and limbs. I would only sacrifice my body if there was great reward. sure nothing hurts now while your young, but wait till your an old man like me. Do you wanna walk..... or limp.

Okay, I'm giving a bit of an update. I am at least trying to get people to stop using it as a greating. I mean, they aren't saying "aloha". the fellow students keep greeting me by saying uhsss, but I just grab them and say HI, HOW ARE U, WHAT'S UP, HOW'S THE WIFE. I say anything but uhs... uuuhhhggggg!!!! I can't stand it being used for a greeting!!!!

Yes.... you must registar.... just send your $49.95 to sensei Rick and I'll take care of that for you. and send me their names so I can get those guys Pre registered for $19.95.... and all you other black belts do the same.... and thank you. And now a word from our swamp land salesman.....

HEY!!!!! I JUST GOT MY BLUE BELT IN KF...... I so rule!!!!!