Brandon Fisher

I am glad that your current head guy is backing you. As far as founding the system if he named it and set up a syllabus then he founded the school. This is what people mistake for founding a new system. The creation of new techniques is rare at best it is ones approach and the method they follow that makes it different. I understand your anger in this matter but the fact still is the old sensei had created this approach and since he is still alive still has rights to it. I understand time constrait there is not enough time to do everything and a lot of kata is hard to teach effectively I don't disagree with you there. But again whether you guys had been in contact or not I feel some effort should have been made to discuss it with him. What rank is your current sensei? How long has he been training and teaching? Now if you guys made the changes and gave the system a new name that is a completely different story. Now it is no longer the old sensei's it is yours and there is nothing he can do about it is has simple as that. I personally currently have 18 empty hand kata in my system and about 10 weapons kata. This is the requirement for 5th dan which is 20 to 25 years of training. However the weapons kata is not a requirement for rank it is extra. But on top of that there are just short of 380 self defense techniques. Thats a lot!! But in the time frame we are looking at it is not so much. The total amount of kata you guys had what was the rank they all were required for? I may have some suggestions to help make this easier for the older guy. I am not trying to be a pain here I agree with you on what you did I want you to understand that. It was more the method it was done that I don't agree with.

Let us know how it comes out.

Depends on the user. If they are used correctly they are very practical and very lethal.

Here is my feeling. If the old head of the system had founded the system and set it a certain way I can understand his feeling in those cutting it back. In my opinion if this man founded it and obviously still alive he has the right to step in. He appointed someone to carry on his teachings not lessen the requirement to make it easier. If I appointed someone to take over my system and they dropped that amount of requirements in the name of making it easier. Given I was alive that person would be removed also. Someone that is trusted to carry on tradition does not have the right to make it easier by lessening the requirement. I agree 30 kata is a lot my system will max out on open hand kata at 20 for 5th dan. But the former sensei had his requirements set like that for a reason, I don't know what reason but a reason none the less. Anyway you were correct in that the old sensei should have been told. The way he found out probably helped him feel like he did and react as he did.

Yes I agree it is unacceptable. If he reaks of alcohol he would not be allowed in the dojo with me. Its a very strict rule I have. I would approach your sensei about this, I have a student that is not very clean that we are trying to get him to clean up and it has made a difference.

Good advice!!

I will be 30 in november and training 22 years at the same time. I hear all the time from people younger that they are to old. Nah never to old.

Me to

Is that all Brandon!!! I have never had any experience with weapon training....but ouch! I'm kinda glad i dont Wasn't that bad, only when the fingers go numb from gettin hit in the elbow.

Looks good

Here is my take on it. After 22 years of training and holding a 5th dan I still practice the basic kata, and kihon every time I am in the dojo. Why because there is no such thing as perfect technique in my mind it can always be better and it only gets better by repetition. If you are that concerned about progressing faster I suggest finding the time and money to train directly with Soke Kubota that man can teach you more in an hour 1 on 1 then he can in 6 months in a group session given you are the kind of learner you say you are.

Yep it works. No problem sorry I misunderstood the first time.

Right click on the photo, go to properties and that will show the URL for the image

Sorry for the delay I didn't have internet connection for awhile. Correction on my earlier post there are 16 versions listed. Here is the list from Unante: 1. Matsumura Passai Dai & Sho 2. Tawada Passai 3. Itosu Passai Dai & Sho (probably the most common) 4. Ishime Passai 5. Teruya Passai 6. Matsumora Passai 7. Oyadomari Passai 8. Sekiryu Passai 9. Ichigna Passai 10. Motobu Passai 11. Tomari Passai 12. Kyan Passai 13. Funakoshi Bassai Dai & Sho 14. Chibana Passai 15. Azato Passai 16. Oshiro Passai

I have hit my elbows with the nunchaku and tonfa hit my knees with the nunchaku, I have cut my finger slightly with a kama and cut 2 gis in 13 years with a kama. Thats all I have done.

I will look up the list later tonight and post them.

insert%20url%20here I didn't want to post them directly to the board since they are kinda big.

Just to add to that according the the book Unante there are 14 different versions of Passai / Bassai Kata.

The pictures adn video I have seen of funakoshi doing kata the stances were still pretty high. Here are a couple of examples: http://www.karate.org.yu/images/Funakoshi%20bojutsu.gif http://www.karate.org.yu/images/G.Funakoshi.JPG http://www.shotokai.jp/english/about/images/photo_gichin2.jpg http://www.ilguerriero.it/images/artimarziali/karate/Funakoshi.jpg This one is shows a fairly low stance: http://www.karatetygr.cz/t_obrazky/Funakoshi%20vede%20lekci_st.JPG This one is not real clear: http://perso.orange.fr/le_ronin/Photos_Karate/Funakoshi%20Gishin%2005.jpg I hope that helps illustrate on how I have come to my conclusion.

That's awesome, seeing those guys still going. I hope I can get there, and still work with my students. Me to.

Well here is a little twist to it there are 8th dan's in there also. The shorinkan 7th and 8th dan's wear the red / white kyoshi belt. But I agree there are not many that rank that still truly train in a lot of organizations.

wow, look at them, they are all like 7 dan and up, and i think they are doing Passai dai. thanks for the picture. You are welcome. I love seeing High dan grades practice lower kata. Shows the world that there is always more to learn in the kata.

I don't know for sure but I would love to find out. I have asked myself the very same question before. From what I have found it was Funakoshi's son that lowered the stances in Shotokan even though Gichin Funakoshi did not what it. Gichin Funakoshi taught Okinawan Karate in fact Shotokan was not named by him but his students based on his pen name. So my guess is that it came about with the Tekki Kata and possibly the JKA.

Correct this is how I use kiba dachi also but my basics and all my kata are Okinawan actually from Shorin Ryu so that would explain alot. I teach kiba dachi more in Ju Jitsu for strength and balance more than anything. Even In Ju Jitsu I will use the kiba dachi to help make throws while not staying in the stance but to shoot up from the stance with a great deal of power to help with the throw. When practicing naihanchi I do it with Naihanchi Dachi personally but teach it with kiba dachi for tournament competition just for looks however it does not have the strength of naihanchi dachi in my opinion. My advanced kyu ranks and black belts know naihanchi dachi very well though. I don't even suggest kiba dachi on finishing techniques because you still have to bend over to strike. If you miss you are on the ground because the attacker will yank you right off your feet. I hope this made sense.

Never to old. Go for it!!!