Montana

I'm 6'6" tall and weigh around 250 lbs (not sure how many stones/rocks that is) and 62 years old currently. I have had recurring back issues for many years before I started training back in 1975 and just dealt with it as best I could until it got to the point that a hard right kick would throw my back out for WEEKS! That, and arthritis in both of my knees is when I decided to retire from the arts after 30 years.

First of all..congratulations on your promotion! I think I got my 9th kyu back in the spring of 1975...lol. As to all of your questions...those are questions only your instructor/sensei can answer..we can't because we don't know you or how your class is run. We don't have a clue how your testing works either..so ask your sensei, or a senior student.

The minimum age requirement is designed to keep people from achieving overly high rank for the time that they have had in their given art form. For example, I have seen people in their EARLY 20's that have 6th and even 7th Dan ranking. Granted, they maybe have started training when they were 4 and have nearly 20 years in the arts..but maturity level (IMO of course) is well below that of someone sporting that sort of ranking that had as much, or more training to reach the same level, and was in their 50's. Rank is just a method of gauging what experience and training you have done in an art. But think about it for a second. I have personally seen a 3rd Degree black belt that was 12 years old. He was good, yes..but would you take classes from a 12 year old? Or would you take classes from a 3rd degree black belt that was 25+ years old? Assume that both had the same amount of time in the training. The time in grade (minimum time requirement) is for "seasoning" in that rank. It's meant to prevent people from progressing IN RANK faster than their skills and maturity develop. Personally, I wouldn't ever consider taking classes from a person with high rank, but young age. They may know the moves, but doubtful if they have the understanding of what they are doing outside of a physical movement they learned to mimic. But I'm an old fossil and stuck in my ways. And by the way..."Age and treachery will ALWAYS overcome youth and skill!"

I can't tell you where it came from, but I can tell you it's definitely NOT from Shorin Ryu. It goes totally against all the shorin ryu principles..such as not exposing yourself while being attacked. if one of my students blocked like that, he's get an earfull from me! lol

I've only trained in one system, and that is Okinawan Shorin Ryu Matsumura Kenpo Karate and Kobudo. I find it's about as complete a system as there is (in my opinion of course) for what I looked for in a martial art. Why did I start in Shorin Ryu instead of another system? I've told this before on this forum, but in a nutshell, there were only 3 different martial arts available in small town Montana back in 1975. The TKD and Hawaiian Kenpo instructors were well known bullies and bar room brawlers that went looking for fights frequently, and encouraged their students to do the same. That, IMO, was not what I thought the arts were all about. Then I found, thru a friend, a Shorin Ryu Sensei in town that was fresh out of a tour in the Navy on the island of Okinawa. I loved the philosophy, found the techniques to be practical and make sense, and the longer I was in it, the more my love for the art grew.

Look at the video again in regards to the leg checks...notice alot of them not only block his kicks, but also protect Sensei Lindseys groin, while at the same time making his opponent lose balance. The change of body (side stepping) is taught in many systems, but in all honesty I've NEVER seen these other systems use it in refereeing about 20 years of tournament sparring. I competed in only 1 tournament (my students guilt tripped me into it) and I used it alot. In every instance I nailed the guy cleanly coming in, yet not once did I get a point from it because the judges didn't see that his technique missed, and mine connected. However, my opponents each time touch gloves with me and stated "You got ripped off man...". or words to that effect, becuase he knew I had him cold, but the judges didn't see it. No biggie..I still won 2 of my 3 matches in single elimination, heavy weight black belt division. One thing I've never liked about sparring is that it often has seemed to me that even glancing blows tend to get scored, and a block that absorbs or redirects most of the power, but may still glance, gets scored. The strategies of point fighting and useful self-defense are often miles apart. Agreed!

I just wanted to post this video of the late Grandmaster, OSensei Soken Hohan. It's an old, somewhat grainy video from a black and white film showing the grandmaster performing Passi Sho. At the time this video was shot, he was well into his 80's!! also, here's another excellent video of Sensei Lindsey doing what we do best...

Look at the video again in regards to the leg checks...notice alot of them not only block his kicks, but also protect Sensei Lindseys groin, while at the same time making his opponent lose balance. The change of body (side stepping) is taught in many systems, but in all honesty I've NEVER seen these other systems use it in refereeing about 20 years of tournament sparring. I competed in only 1 tournament (my students guilt tripped me into it) and I used it alot. In every instance I nailed the guy cleanly coming in, yet not once did I get a point from it because the judges didn't see that his technique missed, and mine connected. However, my opponents each time touch gloves with me and stated "You got ripped off man...". or words to that effect, becuase he knew I had him cold, but the judges didn't see it. No biggie..I still won 2 of my 3 matches in single elimination, heavy weight black belt division.

I feel your pain bro. I also have loaned out video's on the head of my system to others and never got them returned. When confronting one guy in particular (an instructor from a totally different system that wanted to see it) it darn near escalated into a full blow fist fight! Not quite..but darn close. He promised to return it to me within a week...then lo and behold..he moved out of state!!!

I used to have a sign on my dojo wall by the entrance that said: The instructor reserves the right to refuse training to ANYONE, at ANY TIME, and for ANY REASON! There were many, many people that I refused to teach for one reson or the other. Known bullies, bad attitudes, glory seekers, etc. And yes, as I've stated many times on this forum, I have kicked out a number of students, both adult and child, out of my classes for various reasons.

There isn't alot of videos of our founder, the late Sensei Kuda Yuichi out there, but here is a GREAT video of Sensei Ronald Lindsey of Bastrop, Tx that shows some very good techniques of how our system works. Note the use of body movment to the side of the attacker..it's an intrigal part of our system and is worked a LOT in class. Also note the use of his leg to block kicks..again, worked a lot in class and sparring. http://www.ikigaiway.com/2013/interview-ronald-lindsey-matsumura-seito-9th-dan-part-2/

100% agreement from me!

It will; vary from city to city, state to state, or country to country. No one here can really answer your question because of the many variables involved. In general though, what has been said already makes a good p-lace to start.

Over the years I've had some of these students, and this is what I do. First of all I warn them and explain why we need to have control. If this fails to resolve the issue, the student then spars with me...or one of my top students, who will gladly match power for power with him. He either learns and starts practicing control, or could face possibly being expelled from the class.

I've seen black belts as young as six...yes, I said 6! Total rubbish IMO.

Well, here's my $.02 worth. Bunkai refers to what the movements in not just kata, but in every movement you learn in a martial art, can be interupted as. Each and every move in a kata can have many, many different meanings. For example..what is a low block? Is it really just a block? Maybe it's a low strike? Or maybe even a throw? Now, take each of these things (block, strike and throw) and you can delve into what different types of strikes it might be used as, or different things it could be blocking, or how many throws can be done with that movement? You are only limited by your experience, imagination and training.

Oh wow..that is BAD lol

EXACTLY! That video was of a young girl wearing a black gi basically twirling 2 nunchaku around (flash, no substance) and doing backflips and cartwheels. She won the all around tournament grand champion weapons kata. Sorry, but I call poo-poo on that sort of stuff.

We kind of suspected his Sensei would have him test, but we didn't know for sure. He really just went over there to train, and at some point, his Sensei told him he was testing. Way back in June of 1978, sensei Kuda Yuichi, the Okinawan head of our system, came to little 'ol Havre, MT at the invitation of my instructor, to work with us for 3 WHOLE WEEKS!!! It was intense, and GREAT! I was a 1st Kyu bown belt and still had a few months to go for my shodan test, but at the end of Sensei Kuda's visit he called us up one by one starting with my instructor, ran us thru various things he wanted to see..and I received my shodan! It was totally unexpected.

This is a video of a 9 year old (or younger) black belt girl doing a double nunchauku kata...what do you think? I'll make my comments in a few days after everybody else gets a chance to post. *****NEVER MIND...I can't find the video now..please erase this thread...sorry

That is very similar (small things) to the Chinto I practice, and he did GREAT!

Do you strike with the instep or the ball of the foot? Both actually, depending on target, opponent positioning, environment, etc. Do you spar in class and/or tournaments with high kicks to the head? NEVER! Do you go straight for the ribs, or try an "angle" for the roundhouse to get under the elbow and to the ribs? Again, it depends on target, opponent positioning, environment, etc. Do you work the heavy bag or a kick shield the same way you fight? Absolutely! Why practice something you won't use? Do you use the Muay Thai-style kick, hitting with the lower shin? Do you strike to the thighs of your opponent? Both are targets, however the kicking style is different than Muay Thai in that we never commit our entire bodys into a technique. It's great if you make contact, but if you miss..you're very exposed and vulnerable. Do you throw the kick from the lead leg, the rear leg, or with a hop or step--or even a jump--and then the kick? All of the above are viable techniques, but we don't tend to jump much. Do you multi-kick with the roundhouse, such as kicking two or three times with that same leg? Yes, but most often a low kick to say the knee, then up to the ribs if yoru opponent bends down to block the first kick. Again, it all depends onb the situation.

IMO, if a student has an infraction, such as bullying or starting fights, and deserves to have his belt taken away...I just kick them out of class permanently instead. I give every new student a standard speech when they join the class, and this speech includes "If I ever hear of you using what I teach you in an aggessive manner, such as starting fights physically, or verbally, you will be kicked out of my dojo pernmanently." And yes, I've enforced this on several occasions.

Well, OK then...with that added info I can understand why you left. Your initial post made it seem like nobody else was getting involved in the situation.

Excuse me for pointing this out, but your neice is also "your family", and from the sounds of it, you were the only reason her husband didn't attack her...and you left? Myself, I would have told my wife and kids to take the car and leave, and stayed at the party and either had my wife come get me later when things calmed down, or caught a ride with somebody else. I agree that your own personal familys safety is most important, but isn't your neices also? It didn't sound like any of the other men were of much help. That's just the way I'd have done it I guess..but I have a bad case sometimes of White Knight Syndrome.