still kicking

Bo, sai, kaibo (eku), and tonfa. We are ranked separately in kobudo, and have to reach shodan in kobudo before we are awarded shodan-ho in karate-do. I am working on my 1st kyu weapons kata right now (kaibo jiin no kata). Then comes kaibo chi no kata, then kobo for shodan. I love weapons, especially bo. I think maybe it's partly because I'm short, and they make me "bigger" (extend my range).

sojobo wrote: Right, there IS no official governing body, but I believe that being affialated with an organization that has a good reputation for high standards within the karate (or your martial art} world has value. bushido_man96 wrote: That's what I think. Joe Blow of Joe Blow's Karate Dojo might be a great martial artist, but there's a lot to be said for having the backing of those who went before, and have spent many years building that reputation by turning out top students. IMO!

I think it depends on what you mean by "skill'. In my organization, you could be a very skilled fighter or practioner, but still not get the rank if you can't replicate and pass along the specifics that are the hallmark or our umbrella organization.

My main goal for 2011 is to survive my left hip replacement surgery, scheduled for January 18th, and rehab from same. Pass next two kobudo ranks (I am currently 1st kyu karatedo and 2nd kyu kobudo) so that I will be eligible to test for shodan-ho in karatedo in March of 2012. But mainly, recover from the surgery with no lasting problems, and see a big improvement in flexibility and ROM.

sensei8 wrote: Absolutely! But even so, aside from the "hereafter", what I'm really afraid of is pain. I just hope it doesn't hurt too much. But then I'm just a big baby. Another thing I have been thinking about this... we get a lot of practice w/dying every day, to one extent or another. I mean in the sense of losing face, losing possessions, losing previous capabilities, disappointments, death, divorce, or estrangement from loved ones. So it's kind of like "building up your muscles" for the big one.

glockmeister wrote: I just saw this article about a woman who feels no fear, because of damage to the amygdala area of her brain. It sounds great in some ways, but dangerous as well. http://www.livescience.com/health/woman-has-no-fear-ptsd-101216.html Anyway, I am not really afraid of death -- or at least, of being dead -- but I'm afraid of how I'm going to get there. I can think of many unpleasant possibilities, the worst of which would be to spend many years getting sick and decrepid and dying bit by bit. Yuck. I have a fantasy of dying in the middle of a sparring match in class or in a tournament, when I am about 85 or so, just suddenly dropping dead of a heart attack. That would be great, going out doing what I love. Might be tough on the observers, but in the end, much better than languishing in a nursing home for years. I figure there is either nothing afterwards, in which case why worry, or else a sense of release and peace. I tend to think that heaven and hell are here on earth, and that if consciousness does persist after death, it is a positive and beautiful thing. I also read somewhere that a fear of death is instinctual, because heaven is so wonderful that we would all just off ourselves so we could be there. Not sure I believe that, especially because animals also have an instinctual fear of death, but it's an interesting idea. Interesting topic as well!

Hi Lupin1 -- I am rooting for you to get your green belt! My school has had that system at times, i.e. you get promoted whenever sensei thinks you're ready. I think it has it's pros and cons. It can get really frustrating sometimes, but on the other hand, it kind of forces you to just focus on improving. I am positive that all of your hard work will pay off, in both skill and rank!

Wow, 8,000 feet of snow, that would be a bit overwhelming. You would have to work pretty hard to shovel all that away. But speaking of wording, I live in Seattle, (WA, US), so what is the deal with "rain changing to showers" or "partly cloudy changing to partly sunny". (?) Aren't they pretty much the same thing? Go figure.

I like your ideas, tallgeese. I have never trained in a setting like that, but it sounds interesting.

Snarefire, I am wondering what you mean by "open to all disciplines". Do you mean different styles of karate, or different martial arts? My thought is it would be hard to develop a curriculum that tried to incorporate too many things. If it was me, I would stick with what you know, Shotokan, as far as what you teach, but welcome people from other styles to train as well. I'm not sure how it would work as far as kata and basics, but for sparring it could be very valuable. Another thought is you might have people from other disciplines teach what they know as well, depending on their skill level. In any case, I wish you success with it!

How about... If you think you aren't very good, keep on training and that feeling will change. If you think you are pretty good, keep on training and that feeling will change. I think it's an ebb and flow, the yin and the yang of it all. Also, I think maybe it depends on the person. i.e. Some people might be too full of themselves and think they're all that, then they might need a little "doubt" (humility?) to balance themselves out. Other people might be too timid and insecure, and they need more of the opposite, to have more confidence and belief in themselves to be more balanced. In the end, as others have said, we need both!

OK, that's cool, Lupin1. I think that using videos to supplement our training is great, as opposed to substituting for same.

BlackSilver wrote: Nothing more! Is what you are doing karate? IMO, it is the best kind of karate! But what do I know, I am a mere ikkyu, and too old to take the kind of falls you guys are doing. I thouroughly enjoyed your performance, and can totally relate to your love for the art.

I sure do like the Unsu performance by the first place winner. The way he is able to incorporate lightening fast speed with such intense focus and presence is really be-a-u-tiful. I do think that one needs a teacher to give feedback and correction, in order to be able to do kata well.

My 2 cents worth and my humble opinion -- it seems to me that 6 months from 1st kyu/gup to 1st dan would be the minimum for even a particularly able and talented student who has trained in the same school all along. If he just transferred into your school 6 months ago, and has some learning issues, I say, what's the big hurry? Perhaps with more time reviewing the forms he will be able to remember them. In any case, I would want more time to work with him before deciding that he really couldn't remember, and whether or not to promote him anyway. We have a very learning disabled student who has been at 8th kyu for a very long time. She said she wanted to be mainstreamed, so she is held to almost the same expectation as everyone else. Keep in mind... once they are a black belt you can't take it back, and waiting a little longer never killed anyone.

evergrey wrote: Ha ha, that is one of the most basic and elusive of principles we need to learn!

I am dealing with both rotator cuffs plus hip arthritis. So basically, aside from shoulders and hips, everything is great. Anyone want to thumb wrestle? The hip stuff has gotten to the point where I will have to have surgery (hip resurfacing or replacement) on both sides. Which pretty much stinks, but I am accepting it, and plan on having one side done in January. Now I am also dealing with rotator cuff problems, probably caused by overworking my kaibo kata. I am doing PT and associated exercises -- not as much as I'm supposed to, because I'm discouraged, but doing the best I can -- ice, ibuprofen, etc. Why does it take so long? Why won't things just work when I want them to? Wah wah wah.

Ninjanurse, thanks very much for the video. Since seeing it, I have become such a fan of Fukuda sensei it's not even funny. What an amazing and inspiring woman. I am spreading the word about her and the upcoming video.

phoenixfire wrote: Phoenixfire, you might want to go to the PAWMA (Pacific Association of Woman Martial Artists) website. They have an awesome summer camp every year, which some of our dojo members always attend. Some of the attendees train in all women's schools or classes, and some do not have any females to train with! The summer camp is a great opportunity to train with other women from all different styles, and learn new stuff.

I dated another karate student, years ago. We were peers, pals, dojo buddies, both brown and then black belts. I was madly in love, I didn't know what happened, The point is...no one wanted to leave, we each felt it was our dojo and didn't want to leave, refusing to relenquish a place that had been so important to us. I ended up leaving first, but in the end we both drifted away because it was too hard. (Though I did come back 20 or so years later.) My point is dojo relationships will happen because we are human. However, it is good if we can take the time to weigh out how this new relationship might impact our training. Just a thought

sensei8 wrote: and That was deep, sensei8, I really enjoyed your post. I'm wondering if you could tell me, though... where does the "dumb" come in in sparring? Or is that a dumb question? Anyway, thanks for a great post. I think I'll print it out.

Yes, of course, all things being equal, more experience is better than less experience.

Well yes, "he is the black belt" -- hopefully. I don't think people are just trying to be argumentative, but you seem to be looking for a simple answer to a complex question. Maybe he only earned a green belt and went down to the local martial arts supply store to get himself a black belt, figuring it would help him market his business better. Maybe he has won international championships in sport fighting, which, if that is important to you, might be very good, otherwise you might not care. If you are the parent of a small child, observing whether he is good with children might be the most important thing to you. I tend to think observing some of a teacher's advanced students is one of the best ways to get a sense of the teacher's overall skill as a teacher, but as you say, if you don't know the style, how do you know if they're good? (Though I think excellence shows through no matter the style.) In traditional martial arts, lineage is very important. If you know who someone's teacher is you already know a lot about him/her. Fortunately, nowadays, you can find a lot of what you might want to know on the internet, i.e. not just the name of the teacher, but information about the lineage. Good luck!

JiuJitsuNation wrote: It is hard for me to tell from your post if you are in favor of that, or opposed. You're right, there is no over-arching licensing agency that oversees quality control in the martial arts, so it's buyer beware. I don't know what sells to the "general public" in terms of MA's. I'm not even sure who the general public is, in terms of potential customers/clients for a martial arts school. It could be parents looking for a place to park their kids for a few hours a week, people who want to learn self-defense, adults who are drawn to serious study of traditional MA's for a combination of reasons. I can't speak for the general public, but one quality that is really important to me in a martial arts instructor is integrity. Unfortunately, this can be hard to determine from the get-go. I guess "time in" and affiliation with a respected organization (though the latter is controversial, I know) are a good start. In any case, any "cat in a belt" who has a good marketing presentation and a salesman's personality can attract some students. Keeping them, and building a reputation within a community of other martial artists with a similar approach, is another story.

This seems to me to be kind of a no-brainer. Can you elaborate on what you mean by "accomplished"?