Today...You Have The Authority!!

[sensei8]

Today...you have the authority! You have the authority to make any change you deem necessary.

What would you change??

Would you change a segment within a Kata/Form? Would you change the entire Kata/Form?

Would you change how tests are conducted? Would you change the testing fees or eliminate them?

Would you make Administrative changes for the betterment of the student body?

JUST WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE??

Just recently, our new Shindokan Hombu made a necessary change that was for the betterment of our student body. We eliminated the Soke/Dai/San from a position of authority, and this was to ensure that the Hombu is never closed, as it was under our San-Dai-Soke, again!! We have Kaicho, me, and Kancho, Greg, and our positions within the Hombu are the highest Administrative titles within our new By-Laws.

The floor is yours!!

[yamesu]

Only to make training more like it was decades ago, but with the added experience of decades of practice and refinement of techniques.

[Wastelander]

Oh my--this could be one heck of a can of worms! I'm almost afraid to respond for fear I'll get in trouble, haha. I'm only a brown belt with 5 years of training, so I'm not exactly in any position to make decisions on what should be changed but RIGHT NOW I think I would probably change the curriculum to be more in-line with my current way of thinking and training. It could certainly change as I learn more and train more, though.

If I had to make changes right now, I would probably cut down on the number of kata and change which kata were in the curriculum. I have been known to be a bit of a "kata collector" in the past, so I've experienced kata outside of my current system to pull from. The kata that I find the most value in (right now) are Empi Sho, the three Naihanchi kata, Seiunchin, Passai (probably a blend of Sho and Dai) and Kusanku (again, probably a blend of Sho and Dai).

Other than that, I would just want to put more emphasis on open-handed techniques and incorporating grappling and striking together.

[DWx]

Wow great topic

I have two things really.

Firstly the health and safety red tape!!! Its not my style or school that imposes this but the insurance/governing body people so maybe its not a valid answer to the thread. But it is something which is so frustrating! Gets more and more constraining every year as Joe Bloggs has a freak accident during training in some school in the middle of nowhere so he sues his school. Then all of a sudden we all have to wear extra protective gear or stop doing a certain exercise so we don't risk the same thing happening. Just do away with the lawyers and we can all go back to training

The second one is a curriculum change I guess. I think people should do more reading/studying outside of the style and the syllabus. If I ever have my own school I'm going to insist this anyway. I hate to use the word, but quite often, people in my style become almost "indoctrinated" and at times I think there is a bit of a sense of personality cult about the founder (watch me get kicked out for saying this). Its not that its not a great style, I really love it and you couldn't make me change it for anything, its just I'd make people read up about other styles, especially Shotokan as that is what we are descended from and I'd get them to read more of the true history of the style. Don't know where you're going unless you know where you've been.

[UselessDave]

Make the training harder as it was before. Not that it would be easy or smt. now, but it's not the same for sure.

[bushido_man96]

Only to make training more like it was decades ago, but with the added experience of decades of practice and refinement of techniques.

What do you mean by "decades ago" exactly?

I would change the way our one-step process is done, and make it more of a progression into self-defense based scenarios. I would probably change sparring to allow hand techniques to the head, and get rid of the chest protectors. I would also add the Combat Hapkido curriculum to supplement the one-steps.

[Groinstrike]

I would change the role of the Uke, more experienced martial artists should be practicing against a non compliant Uke more often. There is nothing more disconcerting than getting punched in the face while trying to wristlock someone.

[Jeffrey]

I would change the role of the Uke, more experienced martial artists should be practicing against a non compliant Uke more often. There is nothing more disconcerting than getting punched in the face while trying to wristlock someone.

Agreed. Nothing like fighting a white belt. You never know what you are going to get.

I would change take the politcial role out of MA. No place for it. I might also consider taking out some of the traditional teaching. In Karate we tend to teach kids about a culture they don't understand and don't interact with.

[Dobbersky]

I would make it Illegal for Non-Black belts to take Classes without guidance from their Shihan or another Black belt (ie GKR would be unable to teach most of their classes)

I would love to have Full/Semi Contact as part of every School and get rid of the Tippy tappy bouncy bouncy stuff that's taken over.

Get rid of the Sine Wave in ITF tkd

All styles come under one umbrella, ie Karate is all under 1 Dai Shihan, Jujitsu the same etc.

Bunkai is compulsary and students ARE ALLOWED to ask questions of their Shihans as to why is it done like this and that etc. And "karate" attacks replaced by more realistic attacks

"Self Defence Techniques" must be tested against other styles who are unaware of the "scenario" to prove its worth. if it doesn't work it gets changed or binned!

No Politics as to grades etc, ie no Dan Bars on Belts and Grades should be respectful to lower grades as well as to higher grades. 4th Dan and above only to wear say Black/Red Block to distinguish Honoury Grades as opposed to Technical Grades

No experts - we are all lifelong students of the martial arts

No Musical Kata or Gymnastics made to look like martial arts etc ever

No more than 9 Kyu/Gup/Kup grades, or 9 Dan/Degree levels

Senior Dan Grades should not be unable to perform techniques or require a new belt because they have "grown" out of their old one.

Martial Arts SHOULD be part of the School Curriculum.

Martial Arts should be part of the Olympics - a Karate Section, Judo Section, TKD section, Jujitsu Section, Kempo Section, Kung Fu Section and Kickboxing Section

Belts earned in one school should be recognised in another school - ie Dan grade in one style to progress to next dan grade in abnother school would need to learn the syllabus in that school but would still be allowed to wear their black belt from their previous school.

[Groinstrike]

I would make it Illegal for Non-Black belts to take Classes without guidance from their Shihan or another Black belt (ie GKR would be unable to teach most of their classes)

I would love to have Full/Semi Contact as part of every School and get rid of the Tippy tappy bouncy bouncy stuff that's taken over.

Get rid of the Sine Wave in ITF tkd

All styles come under one umbrella, ie Karate is all under 1 Dai Shihan, Jujitsu the same etc.

Bunkai is compulsary and students ARE ALLOWED to ask questions of their Shihans as to why is it done like this and that etc. And "karate" attacks replaced by more realistic attacks

"Self Defence Techniques" must be tested against other styles who are unaware of the "scenario" to prove its worth. if it doesn't work it gets changed or binned!

No Politics as to grades etc, ie no Dan Bars on Belts and Grades should be respectful to lower grades as well as to higher grades. 4th Dan and above only to wear say Black/Red Block to distinguish Honoury Grades as opposed to Technical Grades

No experts - we are all lifelong students of the martial arts

No Musical Kata or Gymnastics made to look like martial arts etc ever

No more than 9 Kyu/Gup/Kup grades, or 9 Dan/Degree levels

Senior Dan Grades should not be unable to perform techniques or require a new belt because they have "grown" out of their old one.

Martial Arts SHOULD be part of the School Curriculum.

Martial Arts should be part of the Olympics - a Karate Section, Judo Section, TKD section, Jujitsu Section, Kempo Section, Kung Fu Section and Kickboxing Section

Belts earned in one school should be recognised in another school - ie Dan grade in one style to progress to next dan grade in abnother school would need to learn the syllabus in that school but would still be allowed to wear their black belt from their previous school.

I like the idea of MA in the school curriculum, to bad it will never happen due to laws and parents.

I also agree about martial arts in the olympics, we have Judo and TKD but unfortunatly they have been severly watered down for sport. In 2016 the summer games are in Rio, and there has been some talk about a trial run for BJJ in the summer games.