Sohan

I agree. I've been really down on BB for some time now, and I think if they ever had any real substance and credibility, it has been gone for awhile, IMO. I prefer to remember BB as the mag it was when I was young, but I am saddened to see that integrity has taken a back seat to greed. There's no way the "Magnet Man" should have been given a serious venue to air his viewpoints. And shame on BB for selling him that opportunity for a buck and presenting it as legitimate newsworthy material. With respect, Sohan

I have to say, for 13 you speak like an adult. If your karate is anything like your communication skills, I'm sure you make a fine karateka. By the way, we have a 14 year old in my school who just was promoted to Ikyu. Bassai Dai was required for that promotion, and he did just fine, perhaps better than most of the adults. With respect, Sohan

I could bench 245 and squat 350 when I was 13, and was well capable of handling myself in the ring or on the street with adults. I'm sure there are many others of the same age who can perform quite well with the appropriate training. Furthermore, I find your comment about western approaches to MA condescending and generalizing. Considering the vast number of schools that exist in the west, it would be expected that there would be many different expectations of quality standards across the spectrum. With respect, Sohan

Cute video. This kid's going to be a champ someday, you can tell... http://youtube.com/watch?v=QFPEUZc6MM4&search=jacare With respect, Sohan

Ummm.....they are cat stances. Two of the three black belts in the clip also hold dan ranks in Shotokan, but they sink as deep as Miyagi stressed. When Miyagi first visited the states, his first class with them was nothing but stance work, pressing the importance of good stances, and sinking down. Apparently so, but the cat stances in the video are a bit different from ours, and more numerous in the kata. With respect, Sohan

I read that article, too. I have seen this guy's three page ads in BB mag for awhile, and he doesn't seem very credible. He espouses the power of magnets in improving strength and health, and his claims are just too incredible for belief (Become Seven Times Stronger Without Lifting Weights!). I was disappointed to see BB mag give him credibility by letting him publish an article. I suppose if you spend enough on advertising, anyone can get published eventually. With respect, Sohan

This is 11 year old Kevin Guzman, from one of our related Shorin-ryu dojos in Dallas TX. This page has three videos of his kata performance for his Shodan test. Upon viewing this, I hardly think 13 is too young to learn Bassai forms, nor do I think a child should be discriminated against for Shodan promotion based on his age--if the kid can do it, he can do it. http://www.okinawankarateclub.com/promotions/YouthTestShodanFebruary2006/index.htm With respect, Sohan

We don't practice Seisan in shorinkan, i got the kata through shobayashi lineage. what style of shorin ryu do you practice? Shobayashi Shorin-ryu. Our Grandmaster is Eizo Shimabuku from Okinawa. With respect, Sohan

When do you guys learn Seisan? We actually learn it at Rokokyu level, much earlier than some systems. I understand that it had only been taught at black belt until recently in Shorin-ryu, but I'm not sure if that is just with the Shobayashi branch. With respect, Sohan

That sounds extremely cool Sohan. Yeah, not to mention the kids we have that speak Farsi, Hindi, Portugese, French, and Russian. Thank goodness they speak decent English or I'd be in big trouble! With respect, Sohan

I thought the Shotokan stances were deeper than the Okinawan styles? I was surprised to see that your stances were almost like cat stances, and I mentioned this to my sensei this evening and he made the same comment. Hey bushidoman, congrats on the "black belt"!!!! With respect, Sohan

I have studied both Shobayashi Shorin-ryu and Shudokan. I have also studied Tang Soo Do and TKD, though it has been a few years ago. Personally I prefer the Okinawan arts and I prefer Shorin-ryu to Shudokan because it fits my bodytype better. The whipping actions of Shudokan don't work as well with my arm and leg lengths and muscular body. With respect, Sohan

He must not have been a very good grappler. A good grappler would have easily avoided a kick like that and still taken you down. I personally enjoy training full-on with my TKD and karate buddies--they get a few licks in at first, but I ALWAYS take them down and then grind them up like hamburger. The look on their face as I avoid their strikes and kicks and take them down, mount them, and submit them is priceless. With respect, Sohan

I'll take the first one, bushidoman! With respect, Sohan

Bushidoman, the people I have the MOST respect for are not necessarily the grandmasters who keep themselves in tip-top shape and spout words of wisdom in Yoda-like fashion, but those mortals who don't have the perfect MA bodytype or lifestyle who continue to perservere by showing up and training as hard as they can every time no matter what. They're MY heroes. With respect, Sohan

I like to wear my red, white and blue glitter gi with my satin black belt and a big "rising sun" headband everywhere I go, and I usually carry at least one pair of chrome nunchuka to let the street punks know I mean business. My Hummer is covered with MA stickers from my school and I have a big kanji tattoo that says "Don't Mess With Okinawa" on my forearm. I always keep my head shaved and my goatee groomed because it shows what a bad dude I really am. These punks in my town will DEFINITELY know who they're messing with. Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With respect, Sohan

This is interesting, just came out. His family is going to make a biography about his life. http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/shared-gen/ap/Movies/People_Lee.html Also, there was a good article about his daughter this month in BlackBelt Mag. She apparently has some big plans brewing, including a museum about her dad. With respect, Sohan

Yep, that's quite a variance from how we practice it in Shorin-ryu. Stances were the most obvious difference, as ours are a bit deeper. The basic pattern was recognizably the same, but we certainly interpret the kata differently. Thanks for the vid! With respect, Sohan

Definitely not trying to get into overweight bashing, by any means. I think my point was that some masters who were in good shape when they were younger sometimes take dramatic steps backward as they age, perhaps resting on their ever-widening laurels somewhat. I felt that though they have become masters by nature of their extensive knowledge, past results, and contributions to the arts, they are likely not to be as feared performance-wise against younger and much fitter practitioners (who are somewhat lesser skilled) because of their decline in fitness. And really, could anyone really see putting one of our venerated 60 year old buffet jockeys in the ring, or even on the street, with a trained professional fighter like Fedor or Matt Hughes? However, don't misconstrue my comments to mean that just because a master is a Buddha-belly geriatric that they are necessarily a pushover. At less than 5 feet tall and well past 80 y.o., Shorin-ryu Grandmaster Eizo Shimabuku is still a very dangerous man who I personally would not care to tangle with. But keep in mind he still trains regularly and has kept in very good condition even at an advanced age. Interestingly, I recently experienced a seminar and some one-on-one with a very popular and renowned Buddha-esque master who I shall leave unnamed that I feel quite certain doesn't have the fitness to successfully leverage his skills to defeat me. Twenty years ago, there would be no way I could say this, as he was always in top form, but today he might want to hope he catches me with his first few blows, because otherwise he's in trouble. With respect, Sohan

A "Doctor" in the US usually refers to someone with an advanced collegiate degree, while a "Professor" can be simply someone who is a valued educator. I, too, find the use of "Dr." misleading in this case, particularly in lieu of holding such an advanced degree. Perhaps the term "Full Professor" or something similar would be a more appropriate choice. With respect, Sohan

Welcome, Daniel! With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

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