Montana

I'm in 100% agreement with this!

I also do Shoring Ryu Matsumura Seito, but under the late Kuda Yuichi's teachings, not Sensei Kise's. There are differences. Both were students of the late OSensei Soken Hohan and chose different paths after OSensei died.

Never...however,I'm getting old so I tend to doze off now and then...does that count?

We use a "minimum time period" before testing as a general rule, but not necessarily set in stone. The tiem period isn't juyst there for your annoyance or to force you to stay in, it's there so that you get "seasoned" in a belt and allows time for you and your body/mind to get used to new movements and materials you've learned. \ If belt progression was gauged solely on your ability to successfully pass a kata test, then most martial artists with experience in other systems could progress rather quickl;y in any system. Take mtyself for instance. witgh 30+ years in the arts, if I joined another system and only learned their kata to progress, but not their philosophy or why they do things the way that they do, I could conseivably progress to black belt in a few months with kata alone. Would that be right? Absolutely NOT!

Any instructor gets asked the "When do I get my next promotion?" question. It's to be expected. I simply tell them they will get promoted when I think they are ready for it...not before. Each and every one of my students knows what they need to work on, whether to learn or to improve. When they are ready, they get promoted.

Geeze guy (gal?)..if it's such a burden in your life...QUIT!!!

Agreed.

I have no problems with anyone coming into my class, as long as they are respectful and behave themselves. I had a guy that was just passing thru on his way somewhere else and saw my dojo and popped in. He said he was a shodan in something-or-other system and asked if he could dress out and work out with us. I had him sign a release form (yeah I know) and he joined the class. He was quite good and limber, but didn't know our drills and system, but gave a good effort. He told me he was mostly into tournaments and asked if we sparred. So we switched to that aspect of the class (I thought it would be fun to spar with someone outside the dojo for a change). Well, this guy basically made me look like a novice beginner in sparring! Come to find out, he was a nationally ranked competitor that attended some 30 tournamebnts a year and he was on his way to one Man, this guy was FAST! All he did was spar, and he'd been at it for about 20 years at that point. I don't remember his name (over 20 years ago) but he was a nice guy and wasquite impressive in sparring.

No FB, no website...nada, zilch and nope! lol

I charged $40/month for 2, two hour classes/week. Works out to about $2.50/hour.or $5/class

I've had the oppoprtunity to work with several top notch Shotokan sensei, and believe me, there are HUGE differences between the two systems. Nothing that can't be overcome with a lot of effort, but you'll have to relearn your entire way of thibnking, from stances to blocks, kicks to strikes, and just moving your body from Popint A to Point B is different. If you can make the adjustment, I think you're goibng to absolutely LOVE Shorin Ryu.

Speed without accuracy is going to be inefficient and inaccurate, but also having accuracy but not the speed to get into the target isn't going to work either. You need both.

1. A 6 year old testing for 5th Kyu? BAH! It's a sure sign of a Belt Factory/McDojo IMO. 2. I don't test a student until I know they can pass, so few fail. But to actually fail while doing the test? Nope...sorry, you failed!

Methodology...it's a wonderful thing. Our knife hand waza's are quite compact; no big wind-ups or the like. Everything in Shindokan is kept compact as our Tuite requires it. Shortest path between two points is a straight line. Same as Shorin Ryu...short, compact, strike, grab or block, all done the same.

I'm not sure what you mean by brand management, stuck in the past or no meaniful purpose, but I'm pretty sure that all of these applied to me when I had a commercial school. I advertised when I first started, with no results to make it worthwhile doing again. I abhor contracts, but see the purpose in them. Website? HA! Define brand management please. I got inb the phoebn book the 2nd year I was open...VERY expensive for a businbess, abnd I found it not to be worthwhile. What is #8?

I ran a commercial school for 3 years back in the late 80's and charged $40/mo for classes. My rent was $300/mo in a small, 1200 sq ft run down buildinbg in a run down part of town. I did ok during the school year, but classes dwindled to nothing in the summer time. I didn't use contracts, advertised primarily word-of-mouth and tried hard to keep expenses at a minimum. I didn't pay for insurance at the suggestion of my lawyer as he looked over my release of liabilkity form and told me as long as it was expressed, and not implied that injury could occur, the onkly way they could "successfully" sue me was to claim negligance and prove it. In the 30+ years of teaching, I have never even heard of a sensei getting sued, let alone successful at it

In my system anyway, instructors were allowed to wear black pants and a white top. The head of the dojo could wear an all black gi or any combination of black/white top or pants. In about 1990 or so at the nagging ofmy students and a discussion with my sensei, I allowed my students to wear black gi if they wanted. To me, the training was more important than the color of their uniform. Students can wear either all black, or all white...no mixing until they get their black belt.

I've never worried about beibng "tracked down"..why would anybody want to find me anyway? lol I live in the Spokane, WA area, as my profile states, and I'm origionally from (and miss terribly at times) Montana, hence my nic. If somebody really wants to know my name, just ask abnd I'll PM it to you. You won't find much on the internet about me as I don't have a webpage and think facebook is a joke and total wste of time (GASP! ) Due to cronic back problems and arthritis in my knees I am no longer teaching the arts after 30+ years in it, but I still get a little practice in when time and my body allows.

Agreed. To me, it didn't look like the karate fighter was using any type of techniques at all. More of a brawl from his perspective, whereas the kuing fu guy was using technique. Everybody fights differently, even within the same system. I've had kung fu stylists in my dojo and fought them, and yes, it's quite a bit different and has a different rhythm to it, but it certainly is possible to defeat them once you click on to how they move. Experience is a big factor in this and my guess is the karate guy wasn't very experienced outside ofhis own system.

I've found this isn't all that uncommon of a scenerio in the 30+ years of teaching. Maybwe not a BB, but often times higher kyu belt, usually brown. I say nothing and make the person wear a white belt like all beginners do in my class and teach them accordingly. If the person starts bragging in class about his prior experience and belt I will pull them aside and tell them they need to keep their mouth shut (nicely of course) because they aren't really showibng me any BB level technique in class thusfar. If they get mad and leave...OH WELL!

The problem with this is where you live. In California, if you even have a gun, you shoot "it" once...it doesn't die, you get sued and pay for the rest of your life. Hopwever, in Montana and Texas and a few other states, you shoot it once...twice...8-10 times, reload if needed and keep on shooting. Even an overwhelming force will stop if you have enough lead weighing it down.

This brings up a good point, and a personal pet peeve of mine. Whether in the dojo or a competition, a REAL bo should be used. I absolutely HATE light weight weapons and "twirling". I've been a center weapons judge at all style tournaments since around 1980 or so and any competitor that comes before me with a broomstick or such lightweight weapon will not recieve more than a 7 (out of a possible 10) from me for a score. Twirl it once in your fingers, and the score starts dropping. Swing it over your head one handed...drop another point. I'm a traditionalist and hate to see the ruination of the arts into a sport and for play. But hey, that's just me.

You have been set upon the path of wisdom. Very good Grasshopper.

in Shorin Ryu, Kobudo is a totally seperate art and has it's own rank. You can have a Yandan black belt in karate, and a Nidan black belt in kobudo.

Just looking around my computer room I see a can of pc cleaner anda Mr Clean sprayer, pens/pencils, cell phone, couple of rifles, some wood flooring boards (I'm putting in wood floors in most of the house due to my wifes allergies), coats, books, flashlight, calculator, briefcase, pictures hanging on the wall, wall clock, cd/dvd's, tape dispenser...oh yeah, and two 80+ lb black labs that will lick and attacker to death! That's just in this room. In the kitchen iof course are knives and various other weapons of mayhem. Get the idea? Just about ANYTHING can be used as a weapon.