Shorinryu Sensei

Every gi I've owned in the last 30 years has been preshrunk and didn't shrink at all in the wash.

Whenever I travel, I try to visit local martial arts schools of any sort to see what the "other guy" is doing, and to understand what I do better by doing so. The MMA's school I've seen say that they have combined the "best" of one art, and the "best" of another..etc..and come up with the perfect art. *sigh*...well..what confuses the heck out of me is this. Why, when there are so many good, traditional (meaning long established and proven) arts out there that already contain all of the punching, kicking, grapplinbg, locking, biting and spitting that these MMA's say that they have gotten individually from other arts and combined? TKD kicks, boxing punches, BJJ take downs, etc. And most of these MMA's don't have kata because it is "worthless". Worthless? A training tool that teaches every muscle in your body how to move efficiently and effectively is worthless? From what I have seen from many of the origionators of MMA's schools, they might have a 1st black belt in TKD, green belt in karate, brown belt in something else..etc, and they think they know it all now and have a better way to do things...thus another "superior" martial arts is born. I've had several of these MMA's in my area of the last 15 years or so. Each has come and gone...and I'm still here. I go in and meet and greet the instructor, talk about backgrounds and training, watch what they do if they'll let me (sometimes they won't), and walk out shaking my head in disgust at the silly things they are teaching their students, and the words they are saying to them. Granted...this isn't the case of all MMA's. I'm sure there are many that are legitimate and effective. However...most I don't believe, are in my experience.

Perhaps you will get better responses if you post this in the Korean Arts Forum?

Maybe this is just to obvious, but if you're making a webpage for a martial arts business, shouldn't you be asking them those questions? After all, isn't it their webpage and shouldn't they decide what they want to define their art as?

Yes...another vote for a video here too please kicks. Also...GOOD LUCK!

Yeah, right! I bet half the bar thought you did the right thing, and the other half thought it was just good entertainment! Have a good time in Spokane! Unfortunately, the real police got to all the old bars/taverns that I used to hang out in there and closed them down! Jerks! You'll just have to be content with the red-head! Last post before I head out to pack the car and leave. (yeah, I'm addicted to this thing! lol) She checked around Spokane and there are no country places for dancing, so I guess we're going to go to The Slab by Post Falls, ID on Saturday night. Comedy club on Fri night is the plan. it should be a good time (I hope anyway), as she seems like a nice gal...but not TOO nice...if you know what I mean! lol Later people...and yes, this really IS my last post until I get back! (any bets?)

No, what I did I think was wrong. I lost control, which I rarely do, and just reacted out of anger and frustration. Fortunately I had just enough control left in me that I didn't just beat the snot out of the punk. I sure was close to it though. he'd make a pretty nice gut pile laying on the bar room floor. Hey, you all have a GREAT weekend! I'm heading out the door in a few to meet a 5'11" natural redhead in Spokane, WA. I'm single and warily getting involved in the web-dating thing.

Uhhhhh...I used to carry my kama's and nitonbo on the gun rack of my truck. OK...I'm weird!

The only first strike I've made myself in a street fight was when the guy was pulling back his arm to hit me. I was ready and nailed him in the left eye HARD before his arm came forward. He went down with his arm still cocked back. Otherwise no, I wouldn't make a "preemptive first strike".

Speaking only for myself here, when class is over..we revert to "people" again. Not Sensei/Student. My best friend is my senior student, and has been for many years. Inside class we have a teacher/student relationship, but outside, we are friends...as i try to do with all of my students. I know instructors that expect a student to bow to them on the street (rediculous if you ask me) or expect them to mow their yards, paint their houses, wash their cars, etc. The only time one of my students does anything like this is when they can't pay for classes (typically a high school student), I will barter in exchange for doing some work for me. I do not expect them to do it for free. That is a Oriental, subserviant mentality which I do not support in this country. Agreed! I nip the fighting outside the dojo thing in the bud when they join my class. If the student is a minor, I sit them down with their parents and explain to them that regardless of their past, they are, from this moment on, expected to keep their noses clean if they want to remain in my classes. Seld-defense is one thing, bully's are another. Every one of my students knows that if they start a fight...physically or verbally, and I find out about it..they are out of my class...permanently! No second chances on this. Demand? No. Ask? Yes. A past student of mine and his wife had problems in their marriage. It was obvious in class that she was afraid of him and that she really didn't want him learning how to hit someone even more effectively. I talked to her first in private about it in the grocery store one day and she admited he pushed her around and slapped her now and then. I pulled him aside a few weeks later when he was being more aggressive in class than usual and he admitted he was that way sometimes. I told him if he ever hurt her, he'd better watch out because I'd be the first one coming after him. I have ZERO tolerence for abusers. They divorced a few months later. He's long gone, but she is still my friend. As a Sensei, I feel our role is that of teacher, mentor and guidance couselor. We have a certain amount of influence that we need to exercise, but also need to know our boundaries. In problem situations, I feel we need to act more as a friend would, rather than a superior. Pardon any typo's in my replies, as I'm rushed to be heading out of town in a bit for the weekend aand may have missed some.

1. TaeKwonDo doesn't do weapons as a "normal" part of their art. That doesn't stop them from doing so however....right kicks! 2. Judging by the way you form sentences and spell, I'd gather you are quite young right now, so I wouldn't worry to much about it. If you make it to 2nd Dan black belt down the road, you will probably have to follow a set teaching sylabus anyway, especially if you're in a strong TKD association. 3. No...BAD idea! For one thing, there is technically, IMHO, no way to master any aspect of a particular technique. Good? Sure. REALLY GOOD? Yep..but mastery? Nope.

You know...about 5 years ago I ran into a young man that I used to teach in high school. He was a punk then, and obviously hadn't grown up yet. He talked crap to me all the time when I was teaching him and got himself suspended for 3 days once because of it. Well, now he's 24 years old or so and I ran into him at my favorite watering hole where I like to go and dance and have fun. I saw him and ignored him as much as possible. He came right up to me and started in on the same crap as he did when he was a high school student. Stuff like "I know I could take you if I wanted to...You ain't S**T!" etc. Anyway, I just lost it..turned..grabbed two hand fulls of his jacket..literally lifted him off his feet (he's about 6'2" and lean) and slammed him into a wall. My nose was maybe 3 inches from his (wish I'd have had onions on that burger that night) and I told him in no uncertain terms..."Clint, I'm REAL tired of hearing your S**T, and if you don't shut the (you-know-what) up, I'm going to pound you into a gut pile!" Well, he walked out the door and I haven't seen him since. This is not typical behavior on my part, but some people just bring that sort of thing out in you at times...and he did. He knew how to push the right buttons, but didn't have what it takes to back up his words. I felt rotten for weeks after that incident, and still do to an extent. It was a total lack of control on my part and if he'd have said the wrong thing, or tried to throw a punch, I'm afraid of what I might have done to him.

I think it depends on where the cockiness is stemming from. Are they cocky because they're good...or because they THINK they're good (and not). if I get a mid/upper belt that is being to cocky with lower belts, I will make sure he pairs up with a higher belt by rotating the students o that htey have a different partner. Oh yeah, my classes are belts of all levels from a 3rd Dan to a white belt. If the student is a much higher belt, he pairs off with me. I don't teach him a lesson exactly...but I'll go blow for blow with any of them, and even at my advanced age of 52...I'm still faster, more accurate and generate more power than any of them do so far. I'm not trying to intimidate them..but rather show them that they aren't the "Cock of the walk" in the dojo...I am, so just chill out until you can take the old guy (that's me).

How do you win a tournament by yourself? Don't you have to have somebody to compete against to defeat and win? Or is this the new individual tournament I keep hearing about where the only person there...is you? Must save a bundle on trophies.

Name me one system out there that somebody hasn't said "the most deadly style ever!" about it? Come on...*insert jeapordy theme here* ...have you? There's no such thing.

If I had a $1 for everytime I practice those old, boring basics over the past 30 years...I'd be a rich man! As others have said...be patient. I don't tend to like having students bug me about teaching them something new, simply because I know they aren't ready to learn anything new. They need to practice what they already know and get it better before they progress.

Comfortable? Man, I'd say "Are you kidding me?" and be leaving skid marks from my tennies on the way out the door! More expensive does not mean better! Especailly if it's TKD because you can walk around the corner and find another dojo teaching the same exact thing almost.

Off the subject...sorry,...but Hudson, what is this that you have listed for your "style"? I'm assumning it is meant as humor?

One thing I've noticed in tournaments over the last 25 years, is that regardless of which system they are from...TKD, KF, karate, Free style..whatever...they all almost EXACTLY fight the same way! Sure, the TKD people tend to kick more, and there are subtle differences between stances and such...but in general, I'd say that they all pretty much...when the punches and kicks get to flying...fight the same way regardless of what system they are from. MHO anyway.

...or walk down the street flipping them and wait for the police to find you. Since the sai aren't "bladed" or sharp like a knife/sword/dagger are, I don't see any reason that they would be classified the same...but then again, NY'ers think a bit differently than I do....THANK GOD!

Well, there's always : 1. Falling to the ground and kissing their feet. 2. Slipping them a $20. 3. Or a simple "Thank you" would suffice.

I've never been involved with any of this "sport karate/team sponsorship" stuff before, but *donning my Mr. Spock ears* it seems logical to me that you need to enter as many tournaments as you can...BIG national tournaments...and walk out with as many 1st place trophies as possible. Also while at these tournaments, you need to "descreetly" put the word out that you're looking for a sponsor. They will approach you if they're interested. That is of course, if you're good enough to place first in these events? If you're walking out of these tournaments empty handed all the time...they won't look at you twice.

Well...I can sure tell you one thing for sure...THAT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

Perhaps youi might want to rewrite this question and make it a bit clearer...or can somebody else from down under translate it into English please? Think WHAT could work???

I've been teaching classes sine WAY before Al Gore invented the internet, and I've yet to have a website ... or a business card even! I don't seek out students...they find me. Word of mouth and my existing students are your best advertisement. But then again, I'm not trying to make a living from teaching either. I just put along with 3-10 students that seem to come and go...but a few have been with me well over 10 years. I'm not a fan of commercialized dojo's that are in it for the money. They tend to sacrifice quality for quanity. Since I don't care about money from my teaching (that's why I'm so broke all the time I guess), I think I turn out a quality student because I demand a certain from them. Do I charge for classes? Yes, because I've found if you don't, people won't come.