Brandon Fisher

I meant where the crane stance is and drop as if someone was striking at your head with a katana or bo. I know where you are thinking though at least I think so at the end of the kata right?

Some do wear the others on a everyday basis.

Glad you made arrangements.

David, Good post!! Yes it is very sad especially when he claimed it being a off shoot of Shotokan. Let me correct something here a little he knew a little about Naihanchi Shodan the rest he picked up watching me teach and practice but never truly learned them. As far as a physical problem I adjusted Kusanku Dai or Kanku Dai for my wife do to her extreme dizzyness which is caused from a birth defect that we just recently discovered that left her without the bone that protects her ear tube from over expanding and causing a balance and dizzy issue. Instead of dropping all the way down she steps out into a deep zenkutsu dachi and leans forward a little. Hope that makes some sense its kinda hard to describe. Is that the kind of adjustment you would make?

Absolutely there should but here what I am getting at. If the organization says do to it this way who is some brand new shodan with less then 6 years experience to change the movement completely then claim it was taught that way. This actually happened to me on several occasions with the old organization, then the grandmaster who didn't know any kata just the steps of a few would defend the shodan. What I am saying is if the organization changes something to make it better then thats the way it should be across the board if they do not change it then it shouldn't be changed.

I think it should be consistent in a certain style and organization especially in a within the same dojo. That way everyone learns it the same way and then later teaches it that way.

I should be opening my doors the first of July if you need a place to work out you are welcome.

If you are speaking of me on foudning my system and giving myself a 5th dan that is not the case. Yes I did found my own system but no I didn't give myself a 5th dan I had that before I founded the system. I have seen plenty of people do exactly what you are describing though. I know of one person who thinks they don't have to teach until they get to 8th dan and that training at home on their own will get them there. They are currently a 5th dan.

I like Jion alot but had a difficult time learning it. I ahve been working on it now for a little over 3 years and I am still not totally comfortable with it.

I rarely wear anything except my old worn out black belt its like an old friend.

Very good point!!

Keep your head up and go at it with your best effort and you won't need luck. Terminology can be difficult to remember and I agree with the flash card idea. Let us know how you did.

Red / White blocked belts are most commonly used for 7th & 8th Dan or Kyoshi. On some occasions 6th Dan's will wear these. Red / White Split Belt are most commonly used with 5th & 6th Dan or Shihan or Renshi. However some start at 4th dan with this but very rare. Red Belts are typcially 9th and 10th Dan Hanshi at least in the Okinawan / Japanese systems. Red / Black blocked and black and white blocked are most commonly used as the same belt as the red / white blocked belts but not as common. Keep in mind sometimes the ranking system within a organization may use these belts at different times. Hope that helps some.

Let me shred a little insight on this subject. I came from a hybrid system one that the founder called a branch of Shotokan however it did not have kata until I started adding it in 1995 this was 30 years after its creation. When my instructor and I had a falling out for whatever reason I don't know I took the curriculum and I created for him kata and all and added more to it to create Sejitsu Shin Do. I added things that I was not allowed to teach such as the dynamics of the techniques, bunkai of the kata and more. I am a traditionalist though I teach everything in a traditional manner first then I will show a more modern application was the base is laid. If I had stayed in Indiana and stayed training in Shorin Ryu - Shorinkan I would not have ended up creating my own system. I belive to much in keeping the tradition alive. True no matter what your karate is your karate no one will ever do it identically to you just like I am sure yours doesn't look exactly like your Sensei's karate. But if you have the opportunity keep the tradition alive.

Thanks for comments. How true that is.

Stooping to that guy's level will probably not be beneficial in any way. This is very true

I do provide a average time for promotion to black belt but don't guarantee anything.

Nah I can already grapple. I am very comfortable on the ground.

I am one that believes in compensation when someone has a health problem. Do whatever you feel you have to so you can still teach effectively. One of of my instructors truly the man who taught me has MS one of my instructor friends outside of my system has MS and they both have made compensations for their problem. Unfortunetly my instructor is now in a nursing home and has been for nearly 4 years.

Wow good pic

Very very good point

Its probably happened maybe to his son maybe to Noujaim Sensei. I do know that 2 of Noujaim Sensei's black belts wer given one of Hanshi's old gi's.

These 2 closely mimic the way I practice hangetsu. Mine is the hand movements of JKA versioon with the stances of the shuri-te version of seisan. However the naha-te version was very interesting.

Thanks much I appreciate that.