BlackKnight

Um, thank you for mentioning me, although I haven't really done anything.

I have several proud moments. The first one was testing and passing my shodan test. It was a hard grueling test that I didn't think I was going to be able to finish. I was taken to what I thought were my limits mentally and physically and shown I could go further. Very much like boot camp. Second, I used to teach DT at the police academy (which I may do again). Although, it was an established curriculum and being an amalgamation of different techniques from different styles I used my training and experience to enhance it. No greater feeling then being told later by an officer that the training I gave them has helped them stay safe. Thirdly, proud to still be training after 30 years. When I first started training I never in my wildest dreams thought i would be at it for so long.

That's never been our experience. The majority that quit our style/system is/was at green belt level, then after that, shodan. Green belt for us is about the midway point. For us that was a level that the student wasn't learning as much. They were still learning, but not at the level they were before. That was a plateau for them. After that we see people stop training after shodan. Apparently they felt like they were finished. To that end I still get asked by the uninformed: Aren't you done yet? Or: Aren't you finished, yet? Nope, far from it.

It fit me.

They're all good styles, imo. "The teacher is more important than the style."- Higa Yuchoku

When I started training I never thought I'd still be at it 30 years later. Now, I can't imagine a life without training. In five years I can retire. I am now planning my next stage in life which is to have my own dojo. As far as physically capable, I've walked away from things I've loved, like the SWAT team. While I miss it, it just gotten too hard to maintain the level of fitness required for the assignment. I have no regrets. In karate I should be able to continue long into old age, but if I have to walk away from it so be it. One must learn to put ego aside and accept the things we can not control.

It is essentially the same for us in Matsubayashi-Ryu (Shorin-Ryu). Pretty much any part of the body that's a target from the stomach downwards are our prime targets for kicks. When we do practice high kicks, it's more for development of balance and body control than for practical use. ^^^This!^^^

No, hojo undo is not exclusively Goju, although they seem to have popularized it. Many of the Okinawan arts do them. Think of hojo undo as strength and conditioning training of it's time.

I'm a shin guy. Occasionally toe depending on the target area (I love inside of the thigh). I gave up ball of the foot long ago. EDIT: I forgot to add that I also gave up instep as well.

I'm not a fan of critters nor rodents. I live in a house full of women and I have been know to jump higher and scream louder then them.

You are an inspiration. You, in my opinion, epitomize perseverance. Thank you. Quick funny story. I just recently got an Iphone 4s and wasn't aware that it had a voice over setting. I accidentally activated it and for the life of me couldn't figure out how to disable it. It was driving me crazy until someone showed me how.

When I tested for godan I had to be a minimum age and had to have a certain amount of years training. Then I had to know everything in our curriculum including kobudo and we fought. When I tested rokudan, see above, but I had to better then a godan. When I tested for Nanadan, see above, but I had to be better then a rokudan. There was nothing 'new' to learn. By that I mean there wasn't a new kata, drill or kumite to learn, but you do see a better understanding of the candidates as they go up in rank. My sensei always pretty much followed his sensei's requirement even to this day.

Dolan Sports was a martial arts equipment supplier back in the day. They used to advertise in the back of the popular martial arts magazines of the day. I ordered my first nunchaku from them. Wish I still had them. They were also located in my neck of the woods, New Jersey.

Don't worry about it. Differences of opinion are ok. In case you haven't figured out who I am yet I've told you in the past, keep doing what you're doing. You're head above shoulders then what most people are doing in karate. Just don't discount the pinan kata. Sorry for the thread drift everyone.

I'm going to have to slightly disagree here. I get the impression that just because Itosu invented the Pinan (Heian) kata for school children it appears to me most do not put much value in their importance. While they may have been made for school children the move is going to be the same, but the application changes. Iha sensei of Shorin Ryu Shidokan once told us there is a mudansha (lower grade) bunkai and yudansha (black belt holder) bunkai. For example there is a move in Pinan Godan that is exactly the same in Chinto. While teaching it to the lower grades you teach the "basic" bunkai which is a block and counter, When it gets to the advance kata the application taught is an advance tuite technique. By then the student has a better mastery of the moves. From my training and experience what made the kata much better suited for school children was their length and lack of teaching the advance applications. In other words, they are much shorter by about a third of the advance kata. If any of you have taught children you know that their attention span is much shorter. Also they were being taught in the school system with a limited amount of time. Here's something else, use the Pinan kata as your basics like basic math and multiplication. It's the foundation to the advance techniques. It opens that door. Without it, it makes it that much harder. Anyway, my humble opinion. I think everyone here has given some outstanding advice.